Skinner Auctions Richard Wright Collection of Decorative Arts and Furniture October 24th in Boston

Skinner Auctions Richard Wright Collection of Decorative Arts and Furniture
October 24th in Boston
Session II of Wright Collection features Tiffany Lamps, Martin Brothers
Pottery, and Art Nouveau Furniture

BOSTON, Oct. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- www.skinnerinc.com -- Skinner, one of the
world's leading auction houses for antiques and fine art, will host Session II
of the Richard Wright Collection on October 24(th) starting at 11 a.m. in the
Boston gallery. Richard Wright, one of the world's foremost fine dolls
experts, and a prominent and colorful appraiser on the PBS series, Antiques
Roadshow, also had a discerning eye for furniture and decorative arts. The
collection to be auctioned is representative of his ability to unearth the
rare, the unique and the unusual. Among the offerings are Tiffany lamps, Art
Nouveau and Arts & Crafts furniture and decorations, Art Deco porcelain and
bronze figures, Aesthetic Movement articles, as well as important Martin
Brothers and Doulton pottery.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091008/NE89128 )

According to Stuart Whitehurst, Director of the Wright Collection at Skinner
and sale auctioneer, "This collection tells a very personal story about who
Richard Wright was and what kinds of things inspired him. It clearly shows an
individual collector's eye at work. Each piece acquired by Richard was one
step in a near lifelong journey of seeking out the fine, the fantastic, the
fun, and the funky -- the culmination of that journey is this amazing
collection. "

The highlight of the auction is featured on the auction catalog's cover: a
Tiffany Studios leaded glass and bronze "Elaborate Peony" lamp shade and base,
c. 1910 (lot 307, est. $300/500,000). This particular pattern rarely surfaces
at auction.

Also featured on the catalog's cover is a star of the Art Deco bronzes, a
large figure by Bruno Zach titled The Riding Crop (lot 85, est. $12/15,000.)
This figure of an alluring, semi-clad woman holding a riding crop is a force
to be reckoned with; at 33 ½ inches high, she represents the largest casting
of this model that Zach produced.

Other important offerings include two large and whimsical Martin Brothers
glazed stoneware "Wally-Bird" tobacco jars and covers (lot 151 and 152, est.
$12/18,000 each). Twenty-four other lots by the eccentric and brilliantly
talented brothers Martin are featured in the collection. Wright's passion for
late 19(th)/early 20(th) century British pottery is further displayed in over
forty marquee lots of Doulton Lambeth pottery presided over by a
near-life-sized salt-glaze stoneware figure of a contemplative monkey by
George Tinworth (lot 185, est. $3/5,000). Works by the Barlow sisters and
other famous Doulton decorators enchant the eye with their skillful decoration
of animals. Lot 517 is a pair of Doulton Lambeth blue and brown salt glaze
mantel vases depicting frolicking cotton-tail rabbits (est. $1,2/1,800), lot
39 is a Doulton Lambeth Faience hanging charger by Linnie Watt depicting a
scene of winsome children gathering wildflowers (est. $2/3,000).

Another stunning piece is a Louis-Ernest Barrias' silver and ivory mounted
figure of an allegorical maiden, Mysterious and veiled 'Nature' uncovering
herself before science (lot 356, est. $7/9,000). Made by the Susse Freres
Foundry, circa 1893-1908, the work features a parcel-gilt silver body with
carved ivory face, torso, and hands, and mounted with silver and lapis lazuli
accents. A similar example is in the collection of the Walters Art Museum in
Baltimore. Other decorative arts of note that illustrate Wright's keen and
discerning eye include an Arts & Crafts enamel-mounted silver plate jewelry
casket (lot 403, est. $3/5,000) by Ernestine Mills, an important figure in the
British Arts & Crafts movement, and a fervent political activist and
suffragette, and a large Russian bronze figure of a bear attributed to Nicolai
Liberich (lot 736, est. $10/15,000).

Also, included in Wright's collection is a varied selection of fine art
including a fabulous original Arthur Rackham watercolor of an illustration for
John Milton's Comus (lot 546, est. $20/30,000) depicting nubile dancing water
nymphs.

The fine furniture selection includes several signed examples by star
designers of the Art Nouveau period including works by Serrurier-Bovy, Galle,
and Majorelle. Works by these artists include a Gustave Serrurier-Bovy Art
Nouveau padouk wood dining table with seven dining chairs (lot 282, est.
$14/18,000); a Galle mother-of-pearl and fruitwood two-drawer side table (lot
306, est. $6/8,000); and a Majorelle Art Nouveau fruitwood marquetry-inlaid
Walnut side table (lot 358, est. $2/3,000.)

Coming on the heels of the Richard Wright Collection, Session I: Rare &
Important Dolls of October 10th, the sale of decorative arts and furniture
will also offer a group of objects collaterally related to dolls, such as
miniature furniture, porcelains and paintings depicting figures with dolls.

"We've enjoyed handling this diverse and impressive collection," notes
Whitehurst. "From the sublime to the smile-inducing, this sale is sure to
offer something for everyone." Please join Skinner for a gallery walk
discussing some of the many highlights of the sale on Friday, Oct 23(rd),
reception at 5:30 p.m. with a gallery walk at 6:00 p.m. RSVP to 617-350-5400.

Previews, Catalog and Bidding
Previews for the auction will be held on Thursday, Oct 22(nd) from 12 to 5
p.m., on Friday, Oct 23(rd) from 12 to 8 p.m., and on Saturday, Oct 24(th)
from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Illustrated catalog #2481 is available by mail for $35
($42 for foreign requests) from the subscription department at 508-970-3240.
It is also available at the gallery for $32. Prices realized will be
available at www.skinnerinc.com during and after the sale. Skinner's site
also allows users to view all lots in the auctions, leave bids, order
catalogs, and bid live in real-time through Skinner-Live. To register for
real-time bidding go to http://www.skinnerinc.com/buy-sell/skinner-live.php.
Or, for more information call 508-970-3000.

About Skinner
Skinner, Inc. is one of the nation's leading auction houses for antiques and
fine art and the only major auction house headquartered in New England. With
expertise in over 20 specialty collecting areas, Skinner draws the interest of
buyers from all over the world and its auctions regularly achieve world record
prices. Skinner provides a broad range of auction and appraisal services, and
it is widely regarded as one of the most trusted names in the auction
business. Skinner's appraisal experts regularly appear on the PBS-TV series,
Antiques Roadshow, and its specialty departments include American Furniture &
Decorative Arts, American & European Paintings & Prints, European Furniture &
Decorative Arts, 20th Century Design, Fine Ceramics, Fine Jewelry, Textiles &
Couture, Fine Musical Instruments, Asian Works of Art, Fine Wines, Rare Books
& Manuscripts, Science, Technology, & Clocks, Oriental Rugs & Carpets,
American Indian & Ethnographic Art, Fine Judaica, Antique Motor Vehicles,
Toys, Dolls & Collectibles, and Discovery. Skinner galleries are located in
Boston and Marlborough, Mass. For more information on upcoming auctions and
events, visit Skinner's website www.skinnerinc.com.

SOURCE Skinner, Inc.

Stuart Whitehurst, Generalist Appraiser of Skinner, Inc., +1-508-970-3130,
wrightcollection@skinnerinc.com; or Darlene Hollywood, Principal of Darlene
Hollywood Public Relations for Skinner, Inc., +1-781-837-2572,
darlene@dhollywoodpr.com