Christie’s to Present English Furniture, Delft, and Chinese Export

A rare massive verte-imari monteith, circa 1720. (Courtesy of Christie's Images Ltd.)

Christie’s New York will present The Collection of Benjamin F. Edwards III, to feature a selection of silver, English furniture, delft, Chinese Export, as well as rugs & carpets totaling more than 400 lots, on January 26.

Benjamin F. Edwards III is a prominent collector and former Chairman, CEO, and President of A.G. Edwards & Co., a leading American financial services holding company. Finding an affinity for collecting, he amassed over 3,000 pieces of Chinese export art by 1995, according to a press release.

Edwards had a special interest in armorial objects that were passed down through Europe’s great families. A featured item in the collection is a very rare pair of verte-imari candelabra, circa 1725. The candelabra are in European silver form and is estimated to sell at $80,000 to $120,000.

The collection also boasts a massive verte-imari monteith, a monumental basin enameled with lush flowers and butterflies, circa 1720, estimated at $40,000- 60,000. Also included are a famille rose “Hong” Bowl, circa 1785 (estimate: $20,000-30,000), depicting a scene of the Canton waterfront and a large pair of Aritaware tureens and covers decorated with rabbit knops “reflecting Edwards’s penchant for whimsical animals.”

Benjamin F. Edwards also created a collection of English silver that has high historical significance. Items to be auctioned include eleven pieces by celebrated silversmith Paul de Lamerie. Of special note is a George II silver cake basket circa 1739 from London, estimated at $200,000-300,000. In addition, four Regency silver-gilt candlesticks by another famous silversmith, Paul Storr and owned by William, 1st Earl of Lonsdale, circa 1811/1812, (estimate $100,000-150,000) will also be sold.

A silver piece from an earlier period is a rare Charles II parcel-gilt silver porringer and cover, circa 1670, marked by Jacob Bodendick, a celebrated German-born silversmith. Also included in the collection is a Queen Anne silver chocolate pot by Pierre Harache, 1703.

Edwards’s collection also features rare English furniture, brass, and delft. A selection of mahogany pieces includes the George II mahogany Windsor armchair, circa 1750 (estimate $30,000-50,000). According to a label on the chair, this was the seat in which Prime Minister Spencer Perceval collapsed after John Bellingham shot him in the lobby of the House of Commons in 1812, according to the Christie’s release. Additional mahogany furniture include a George II tripod table, circa 1750 also estimated at $30,000-50,000, and a George III concertina-action card-table, circa 1760.

Edwards’s interest for historical pieces also fueled his interest for amassing a large collection of exquisite English and Dutch delft.

A pair of English delft models of shoes, dated 1727 from London or Bristol, highlights more whimsical items in the collection. The shoes are “molded with a left and right buckle, signifying that they were truly intended as a pair. As shoes were considered symbols of good luck and often given as a token of affection, the initials and date inscribed on the soles of the pair indicate that it may have been commissioned as a betrothal or wedding gift,” according to the press release.

Further highlights include a Dutch delft thirteen-nozzle flower holder or ‘vase with spouts’, 1686-1701 (estimate: $40,000-60,000) and an English delft posset-pot and cover, circa 1685-90 (estimate:$30,000-40,000).

Edwards’s collection also features a series of expertly-woven rugs and carpets, from a largely, ornate Heriz carpet from Northwest Persia from the last part of the 19th century, to an Eagle kazak rug from South Caucasus circa 1880, estimated at $8,000-12,000.

Viewings for The Collection of Benjamin F. Edwards III will be held at Christie’s Rockefeller Galleries at 20 Rockefeller Plaza, January 16-26.