Pre Sale Press Release

March 19 & 22, 2016

Kamelot Auctions will start the spring 2016 auction season with a stylish sale of decorative arts, artwork, and furniture on Tuesday March 22^nd starting at 10AM. More than 300 lots will be offered with no reserves including furniture from a variety of styles and periods, decorative arts, silver, porcelain, textiles, lighting, and fine art among many other categories. More than 300 of the lots in this auction hail from the original collection of the Maybrook mansion in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania. The 20,000 square foot Gothic mansion was originally built on its 67 acre property by liquor baron, real estate developer, and art collector Henry Clay Gibson in 1881. The mansion along with its art and antiques collection was passed on from the Gibson family to John W. Merriam, and then finally to his stepson Robert Lockyer, the current owner. Items from the Maybrook Collection are expected to attract competitive bidding at the auction.

The mansion’s diverse selection of furniture includes traditional English and Continental, along with Oriental and elaborate Victorian forms. At the centerpiece of the sale is a very rare American Victorian lion head pedestal oak dining table attributed to Daniel Pabst circa 1870 (lot 1028). The split pedestal base opens to support twelve original leaves with a carved edge, and the table extends to a whopping 238". Accompanying the table is a set of eighteen griffin carved oak chairs including two arm and sixteen side chairs attributed to Daniel Pabst circa 1870 (lot 1029, $10,000-$15,000). Many of the items in the mansion, including the dining table and chairs, were removed from the Henry C. Gibson house, 1612 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA circa 1870.

Other examples of fine Victorian craftsmanship include a very interesting set of six similar carved walnut side chairs circa 1860 estimated at $1,000-$1,500 (lot 1024) along with two very good pairs of carved walnut over scaled armchairs circa 1860 both with estimates of $1,000-$1,500 (lot 1022 and lot 1023). Other furniture standouts include a pair of Continental Louis XV style gilt wood carved console tables circa 1890 (lot 1054, $3,000-$5,000), a pair of Turkish style velvet upholstered couches, each having three loose cushions and a large baluster circa 1890 (lot 1153, $1,500-$2,500), and likewise, a single Turkish style velvet upholstered couch with three loose cushions circa 1890 (lot 1006, $800-$1,200).

Several pieces of Chinese hardwood carved furniture also stand out in the Maybrook Collection. Lot 1012 is a pair of carved Chinese nineteenth century hardwood marble top plant stands circa 1870 expected to bring upwards of $1,000-$1,500, and also striking is a profusely carved Chinese hardwood corner cabinet circa 1870 valued at $800-$1,200 (lot 1013). Additional Orientalia offerings include a large pair of Meiji era Japanese palace vases with foliate and crane painted themes circa 1890 (lot 1153, $800-$1,200) and a matched pair of two handled Asian vases having figural decoration circa 1890 (lot 1157, $1,000-$1,500).

 The sale will feature an array of fine quality textiles lead by a set of four Aubusson tapestry entre fenetre panels inscribed Manu Royale d'Aubusson and date 1741 (lot 1147, $4,000-$8,000) along with a massive 11'4" x 20'6" Lavar Kerman carpet circa 1875 (lot 1141, $4,000-$6,000). Also gaining attention is a 17'9" x 29'8" meshed carpet circa 1900 (lot 1138, $3,000-$5,000), a 14'8" x 19'8 Sharistan carpet with all over design circa 1910 (lot 1137, $1,000-$2,000), and a 6'2" x 10'6" nineteenth century Chinese wall hanging worked in satin stitch and couched metallic gold thread (lot 1152, $1,000-$3,000).

 Highlighted architectural elements include a very good set of four carved marble columns circa 1870 valued at $3,000-$5,000 (lot 1042), a pair of marble and onyx pedestals circa 1870 (lot 1043, $1,000-$1,800), and an Art Deco Italian carved marble garden bench circa 1920 estimated at $1,500-$2,500 (lot 1045).  

The Maybrook assemblage includes a number of impressive lighting elements as well. Choice lots include a pair of signed Oscar Bach bronze floor lamps circa 1915 that are expected to bring $600-$1,000 (lot 1040), along with a lot of six bronze Empire style sconces circa 1880 (lot 1010, $600-$1,000) a pair of late eighteenth/early nineteenth century Italian brass candlesticks having lead weight inserts (lot 1096, $500-$800).  

Fine art will be strongly represented as well. Over seventy antique and twentieth century paintings will be sold, many by noted regional and international artists. Lot 1161 is an oil on Masonite painting by British artist Michael Ayrton titled "Six Skull and Sculpture" estimated at $2,000-$4,000 and lot 1160 is a nineteenth century still life oil on canvas painting in a gilt wood Baroque style frame from the Flemish school estimated at $2,000-$4,000. Other highlights include a signed Hobson Pittman oil painting titled "The Decendance" (lot 1097, $1,000-$2,000), a William H. Wilcox oil on canvas painting titled "Setting Sun” circa 1853 (lot 1111, $1,000-$2,000), and a Ben Kamihira oil on canvas painting titled "The Dream (lot 1164, $1,000-$3,000).

 The auction will begin at 10AM on Tuesday, March 22nd, and the gallery will open at 9AM. The auction house will be open to the public for preview March 16-19 and March 21st from 10AM until 5PM each day. To view the complete catalogue on line, or for more information visit www.kamelotauctions.com or call 215-438-6990.