19th-century hand-painted Meissen reticulated porcelain oval-covered dresser box sold for $14,375 to lead all lots in a multi-estate sale held Aug. 27 by Elite Decorative Arts.

BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. – An antique, hand-painted oval-covered Meissen dresser box with incredible reticulated design throughout sold for $14,375 to lead all lots in a multi-estate sale held Aug. 27 by Elite Decorative Arts. The 19th-century box was the top lot of the estimated 345 items that changed hands.

“We had a great sale, an amazing sale,” said Scott Cieckiewicz of Elite Decorative Arts. “We actually saw higher prices realized for some Meissen pieces than what similar lots brought at Christie’s recently.” Meissen, the colorful German-made antique porcelain, is highly coveted among collectors. There were many Meissen pieces offered in this auction.

This Tiffany & Company sterling silver Revival urn with snake handles, 11 ½ inches tall, was the second-highest-selling lot, earning $8,555.

A little more than 400 lots came up for bid; 60 failed to meet the reserve. About 100 people attended the event live, while online bidding (through LiveAuctioneers) attracted more than 700 registered bidders and more than 1,000 bids. Around 180 phone bids were also posted. About one-third of the offerings were consigned by a prominent psychiatrist from Deerfield Beach, Fla.

The Meissen dresser box exhibited stunning workmanship, with female busts and figural cherubs throughout the sides and cover. It also boasted finely detailed floral garlands, with scrolled reticulated designs throughout. The interior was a gilded bowl, with a flat floral design to the bottom of the cover. Standing 7 inches tall, the box had undergone some minor repairs.

Following are additional highlights from the auction (all prices quoted include a buyer’s premium of 15-percent for in-house and phone bids and 18-percent for Internet bidders):

The second top lot of the sale was a rare Tiffany & Company sterling silver Revival urn with figural snake handles ($8,555). One side of the urn showed a depiction of Asclepius, the Greek god of healing, with Greek words. Another Tiffany piece also did well—a sterling silver and cut crystal pitcher with sterling silver stirring spoon in the chrysanthemum pattern ($5,750).

Without question, Meissen dominated the day’s list of top achievers. Two pieces topped the $3,000 mark. One was a figural group depicting a woman sitting in a seat with three children playing cards ($3,894). It stood 8¾ inches tall. The other was a cherubic figure depicting two women in dresses standing near a column and urn and bows and arrows, 10 inches tall ($3,304).

A Meissen figural group depicting five cherubs dancing, playing instruments, eating fruit, looking through a telescope and holding a bird, measuring 5 ½ inches in height, rose to $2,832; and a Meissen figural group depicting two women with cherubs, in a scene with flowers and eggs, brought $2,760. The 9 ½-inch tall piece showed detailed lace work to the women’s dresses.

Two Meissen lots fetched identical prices of $2,530. The first was a pair of antique hand-painted figural candlesticks, each on depicting cherubs with fish fin legs holding figural flowers, into which the candles were inserted. The second was a figural depiction of a cherub holding a torch and flower, as an allegory of day. The antique hand-painted piece measured 7 ¼ inches tall.

This antique Teplitz hand-painted amphora portrait vase depicting a woman with tiara brought $5,865.

Another pair of Meissen pieces also garnered identical prices ($2,478). One was a hand-painted figure of a fortune teller adorned in a pink and blue dress fitted with a bonnet and standing at a pedestal table, shuffling a deck of cards. The other was a figure of a boy in a flamboyant garb, with badminton racket and shuttlecock. The piece stood 6 ¼ inches in height. A Meissen figurine depiction of night, showing a cherub with navy drape and star hallow accompanied by an owl at its feet and mounted on gilt and rocaille shell design plinth, breezed to $2,415.

The top selling Royal Vienna lot was a beautiful pair of antique Austrian vases, each one showing hand-painted nymph scenes ($5,074). The circa-1880 vases were artist-signed (Feier). Two other Royal Vienna pieces worth noting were a magnificent hand-painted portrait charger with a hand-painted scene of a woman with wheat in a long black dress, titled “Ruth” ($2,530); and a portrait plate depicting a young girl in a pink dress with leaved crown, signed “Wagner” to the lower right and having stunning gilt work with enameled beading ($2,478).

A hand-painted KPM porcelain plaque, executed circa 1900 in the classical elegance form, depicting the bust of a young woman distinguished with clear outlines and cool colors, framed, made $6,195. Also, a Teplitz amphora portrait vase (Reissner, Stellmacher & Kessel), hand-painted, depicting a woman with a tiara, with beautiful purples and turquoise, hit $5,865. An enchanting Jaeger LeCoultre white caravelle Atmos mantel clock with honeybee design and fitted white leather presentation box, in full working condition, chimed on time for $3,776; and an oil on canvas Cubist presentation of two pierrots (musicians as harlequins), by the Argentine painter Emilio Pettoruti (1892-1971), 30 inches by 24 inches, commanded $3,186.

For more information about this auction, call 561.200.0893 or toll-free at 800.991.3340, e-mail to info [at] eliteauction [dot] com or visit the Elite Decorative Arts website.

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