BELTER, HORNER, MEEKS, ROUX, TIFFANY, HANDEL, PAIRPOINT AND MORE TO BE FEATURED AT ESTATE AUCTION An exceptional antique estate auction featuring some of the biggest names in period American furniture, vintage lighting and more will be sold Saturday, April 4, by Fontaine’s Auction Gallery.
BELTER, HORNER, MEEKS, ROUX, TIFFANY, HANDEL, PAIRPOINT AND MORE TO BE FEATURED AT ESTATE AUCTION SLATED FOR APRIL 4th BY FONTAINE’S AUCTION
(Pittsfield, Mass.) – An exceptional antique estate auction featuring some of the biggest names in period American furniture, vintage lighting and more will be sold Saturday, April 4, by Fontaine’s Auction Gallery. The vast bulk of the auction will comprise the living estate of Dale Miller, a dedicated collector from Ashville, N.C. Nearly 500 items have been moved from his home to Fontaine’s gallery.
“Over the past 40 years, Mr. Miller has acquired nothing but the best in period Victorian-era furniture, lighting and accessories,” said John Fontaine of Fontaine’s Auction Gallery. “He has made the decision to sell everything without reserve, to the highest bidder. Anyone acquainted with Dale knows he is a perfectionist and, as such most of his items are in excellent condition and ready for home use.”
Bidders will be treated to dozens of furniture lots with noted names like John H.Belter, J.& J.W. Meeks, R.J. Horner, Alexander Roux, Allen Brothers, Karpen, John Jeliff etc. Lamps by Tiffany, Handel, Pairpoint, Wilkinson, Chicago Mosaic, Unique and more. The sale will also feature over 50 chandeliers, to include early gas, gas and electric and electric, many pairs; and vintage clocks, including 10 grandfather clocks.
The list goes on: numerous original paintings, some by noted, listed artists; Oriental rugs; music boxes; juke boxes; Nickelodeon; harps; spool and ribbon cabinets; and hundreds of related accessories. The sale will take place at Fontaine’s Gallery, located at 1485 West Housatonic St. in Pittsfield, Mass. Artfact.com will broadcast live streaming video of the sale, allowing viewers to bid from any computer.
John Henry Belter (1804-1863) was a German-born U.S. cabinetmaker and designer. He settled in New York City in 1833, where he operated a shop specializing in rosewood, walnut and mahogany furniture. He patented a way to process rosewood in layers to achieve thin panels for fine carving. His shop closed in 1867, just a few years after his death, but his creations are still highly sought after today.
Belter pieces to be sold April 4 include a rosewood marble-top table in the Rosalie pattern; and an 8-piece laminated rosewood parlor set in the Rosalie pattern, with grapes. Also to be offered will be a Thomas Brooks carved walnut marble-top table; a carved Black Forest bear hall tree; an Allen Brothers carved walnut triple-back sofa; and a pair of figural carved gnome pedestals, also made by a Black Forest wood carver.
Like Belter, Robert J. Horner was a 19th-century manufacturer of high-end furniture operating out of New York City. He used the best mahogany and quarter-sawn oak hardwood for his heavily carved creations, the patterns for which he drew on a wide variety of patterns and themes. R.J. Horner chairs, sofas, parlor sets, hall trees, benches, partner tables and dining sets are highly collectible today.
Horner pieces will be offered in abundance at the Fontaine’s sale. Examples include an oak winged griffin
