Beverly Hills Collection of Exquisite Antique Clocks, John Wayne's Saddle to be Auctioned Nov. 5-6
ORANGE, Calif., Nov. 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The 90210 zip code has become a familiar destination for auctioneer Don Presley, and on Nov. 5-6, Presley will again present a premier private collection sourced directly from a Beverly Hills estate. The contents consist of superb clocks, silver, porcelains and other fine and decorative art from a collector whom Presley describes as having "an eye for the exquisite." A fine jewelry wholesaler by profession, the collector always selected pieces of the highest quality, never settling for anything less.
The Beverly Hills collection comprises 400 of the 1,000 lots to be auctioned, and features 200 long-held antique European and American clocks.
"This is such a great collection that visitors to our gallery have been asking if a high-end antique store went out of business – but that's not the case. This is a collection built over many years by an individual who happens to love beautiful clocks and porcelains, and knows how to pick the very best," Presley said.
"When I first viewed the collection, my jaw dropped," Presley continued. "These are the kinds of things that make an auctioneer love his business."
The spectacular array of fancy French clocks features 18th- and 19th-century designs, including gilt bronze figural, tortoiseshell, dore bronze, inlaid marquetry, bronze and porcelain; champleve designs and 3-piece clock sets. There are no fewer than 10 jewel-face miniature French clocks, carriage clocks and rare 18th-century boulle clocks. A magnificent gilt bronze horse-drawn chariot clock also dates to the 18th century. Six Tiffany clocks will be auctioned, at least one of which contains a highly desirable Japy Freres clockwork mechanism.
A sumptuous 200-piece selection of fine porcelain features many designs by Sevres, and is joined by a wealth of heavy sterling silver, Chinese ivory, paintings, bronzes and Russian icons.
A featured lot that combines Hollywood royalty with the lore of California's Old West is a leather saddle made for film legend John Wayne. Heavily tooled and adorned with sterling silver, the saddle also bears a silver cartouche engraved with the initials "JW." The saddle comes with matching tack and a letter of authenticity. "This was John Wayne's personal saddle and dates to the early days of his career. With interest in his personal items as strong as it is right now, this saddle should prove very appealing to collectors," Presley said.
SOURCE Don Presley Auction
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