Rare Victorian

Daniel M. Karcher Bookcase For William S. Auchincloss

John Werry — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 18:39:40 +0000

It’s not often that you can definitively identify a maker for a particular piece of Victorian furniture and equally rare is identifying a piece’s original customer. When lucky enough to have some of this information, you usually get one or the other. Although this piece is not on the “rare” end of the craftsmanship spectrum [...]

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“Based On The Quality of Work” And Other False Reasonings

John Werry — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 16:27:13 +0000

There are a lot of methodologies that people use to identify a particular piece’s maker, but few of them drive me more bonkers than “based on the quality of the work it surely was made by so and so”. Relative to what? How is quality being defined, compared? This is probably the least scientific, most [...]

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No Reserve – Signed Alexander Roux Bed

John Werry — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 17:51:00 +0000

You don’t come across a signed, Rosewood Alexander Roux bed for $2k that often (current price with no reserve). It’s not an overly grandiose bed in size or sophistication of design, but the carvings are exceptionally well done as would be expected of one of the best furniture makers in NY at the time. The [...]

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George Hunzinger Receipt

John Werry — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 19:15:46 +0000

I recently purchased this original George Hunzinger receipt from 1900, which is two years after George Sr’s death. Notice the “& Son” in the logo. I assume that this is an example of Hunzinger wholesaling to another furniture company, Lederer Furniture of Cleveland, Ohio. Copyright © 2008 - RareVictorian.com 863c4277ebcde4c9eafb5a1710ac68be (209.85.224.83) )

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$4,594 Seems A Bit Steep

John Werry — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 15:54:58 +0000

There must have been a few bidders that REALLY wanted this Victorian-era terrarium. Either they know something about it that I don’t know or they had some excess money on hand that they wanted to part with. This terrarium just sold at Skinner’s in July for $4,594 – 61 times their top estimate. Broken glass, [...]

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Update and Book Giveaway

John Werry — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 16:45:42 +0000

I know that I have been very silent in past weeks so I thought that I would give you an update on what’s going on and give away a copy of a recently published book that will be of interest to many of you. My life has changed greatly in the past year as I [...]

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Fontaine’s Exceptional Antique Auction Tomorrow, 5/21

John Werry — Fri, 20 May 2011 16:27:25 +0000

press release: The following Monumental R.J. Horner Figural Mahogany Dining Room Set. 12 Pc. Figural carved set will be offered at Fontaine’s Auction Gallery in Pittsfield MA, on May 21st 2011 at 11am EST. The set includes a selection of the best American carved pieces of its time. The set is in a deep untouched [...]

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Neo-Grec Parlor Suite For Sale

John Werry — Mon, 09 May 2011 20:33:59 +0000

I get a lot of offers to buy Victorian furniture and recently I’ve been passing on them personally and handing the opportunity on to you. Here is a Neo-Grec three-piece parlor suite that I have not run across before. It is very well carved and is not your run-of-the-mill Renaissance set. The crest and seat [...]

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Leon Marcotte-Attributed Credenza For Sale

John Werry — Thu, 05 May 2011 20:20:46 +0000

After having been in a private collection for 36 years, you can now own a piece of the Cummins Diesel estate from Columbus, Indiana. Possibly made by Leon Marcotte of New York in the 1860s, this credenza has all the high-end attributes of the best makers’ work at the time. Rosewood, Birdseye Maple interior and [...]

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Two Belters are Better Than One

John Werry — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 14:22:34 +0000

Here is not one, but a matching pair of John Henry Belter settees in an early, seldom-seen grape pattern from the applied crest era of his work. Notice the scrollwork has a ridged pattern instead of the usual flat “taffy” profile. Thanks to Kevin for sharing his photos with us. Right Now on eBay Rosewood [...]

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