The Queen Anne style of furniture design developed during, and after the reign of Anne, Queen of Great Britain (1702–1714). Queen Anne furniture is “somewhat smaller, lighter, and more comfortable than its predecessors,” and examples in common use include “curving shapes, the cabriole leg, cushioned seats, wing-back chairs, and practical secretary desk–bookcase pieces.”  Other elements characterizing the style include pad feet and “an emphasis on line and form rather than ornament.    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_Anne_style_furniture

1884 Russian Silver & Niello Caviar Dish and Spoon Estimated to be worth $12,500.

Niello is a black metallic substance, consisting of silver, copper, lead, and sulfur, with which an incised design or ground is filled to produce an ornamental effect on metal.  http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/niello

Contrary to popular belief, the term caviar does not originate from Russia. (If that is the case, we should be calling it ikra instead of caviar.)  The terms caviarie and caviare does have its etymological origin from a Turkish term havyar. This, in turn, came from an Iranian form khayah.  Good quality of fish roe for caviar can be found in the Caspian Sea, which is surrounded by Iran and Russia. The oldest Caviar fisheries, as much as 200 years old, are located in Astrakhan, Russia.  The earliest record about caviars can be traced from the 13th century from Batu Khan, Genghis Khan’s grandson.  The industry originated in Eurasia and Mediterranean. To allow longer shelf life, the fish eggs were heavily salted. They were then placed in wooden barrels.  The French then started importing the delicacy from Russia.   http://www.caviar-guide.com/

 

 

Tiffany & Company Hardstone Cameo Parure ca 1864.  Estimted value A$25-35,000

 

In 1837 New York became the proving ground for 25-year-old Charles Lewis Tiffany and John B. Young, who opened a “stationery and fancy goods” store with a $1,000 advance from Tiffany’s father….At Tiffany & Co. they discovered a newly emerging “American style” that departed from the European design aesthetic, which was rooted in ceremonial patterns and the Victorian era’s mannered opulence. The young entrepreneurs were inspired by the natural world, which they interpreted in patterns of simplicity, harmony and clarity…Tiffany first achieved international recognition at the 1867 Paris World’s fair. The company was awarded the grand prize for silver craftsmanship, the first time that an American design house had been so honored by a foreign jury.   http://www.tiffany.com/WorldOfTiffany/TiffanyStory/Legacy/

Cameo is a method of carving an object such as an engraved gem, item of jewellery or vessel made in this manner. It nearly always features a raised (positive) relief image; contrast with intaglio, which has a negative image. Originally, and still in discussing historical work, cameo only referred to works where the relief image was of a contrasting colour to the background; this was achieved by carefully carving a piece of material with a flat plane where two contrasting colours met, removing all the first colour except for the image to leave a contrasting background.   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cameo_(carving)

Art Deco Charm Bracelet, ca. 1935  Estimated $18,000 – $22,000

Art Deco or  Deco, is an influential visual arts design style that first appeared in France after World War I and began flourishing internationally in the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s before its popularity waned after World War II.^[1] It is an eclectic style that combines traditional craft motifs with Machine Age imagery and materials. The style is often characterized by rich colours, bold geometric shapes and lavish ornamentation.  Deco emerged from the interwar period when rapid industrialisation was transforming culture. One of its major attributes is an embrace of technology. This distinguishes Deco from the organic motifs favoured by its predecessor Art Nouveau.   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_Deco

 

Every passion borders on the chaotic, but the collector’s passion borders on the chaos of memories.  — Walter Benjamin

 

 

 

 

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