If you remember the Dargate sale of one of these pedestals in March, you may remember that it went for $2,500. I’m surprised the seller hasn’t broken this trio up to maximize the revenue, but thankfully we have a set here. I don’t expect to see $7,500 out of them for the same reason “sets” get broken up – hammer prices aren’t linear. You can’t sell 30 Belter Rosalie with Grapes slipper chairs in one lot and expect to get 30x the going rate. However, how often do you get a matching set of upper-end pedestals? They could exceed the straight-line math in this case.  All you need is two frenzied bidders.  I don’t think they’ll even crack $5k and neither does Neal from their expected range estimates.

These pedestals would be impressive in a large parlor with other ebonized furniture. Even though my house is a typical sizable Victorian, I couldn’t pull off decorating with three of these in the same room. Not enough parlor space. You need a capacious room for these to get lost in.

I have not found a comparable pedestal that has been securely associated with a particular maker to attribute these to, but they appear to be New York and could be Kilian Brothers, or more likely, Kimbel & Cabus. Neal Auction hasn’t attributed them to anyone as well, though they have associated them to the style of the Aesthetic Movement, though I feel that they are more accurately categorized as Neo-Grec.

This lot will sell on May 3rd and the starting price will be $1,000 with expected range of $1,500 to $2,500. I would have expected that they would have cranked that price up a bit considering the $2,500 Dargate sale for one. More details on the pedestals at their listing.

For those of you who were wondering where the music stand went that I last profiled – it disappeared from Ebay and the auction house’s website just prior to the sale and I don’t know what happened. If you were all set to bid on it and were left empty-handed, here’s your chance to get an even better one during the Neal Auction sale.

This stand is probably the best looking stand that I have ever run across. Yes, there are more extravagant closed-format music stands in the cabinet form, but as far as open-format music stands go, this is at the top.

The top crest has a bronze putti plaque as well as putti repeated in the front inlay panel. The finish is in really good shape and it retains it’s original ebonization and gilt incising. One small shrinkage crack exists on the right front corner.

Starting bid will be $1,300 with expected range of $2,000 to $3,000.  More photos and details at the listing.

To respond to Woodright’s comments on a recent post I tested out my theory that computer software for simulation of room colors could be applied to testing colors on furniture before upholstering. I used a tool I purchased in 2004 from Benjamin Moore, by ei Software to mock up the sofa that is being sold at the Flomaton auction.

The tool allows you to define several color areas. For demonstration purposes, I chose to keep the back a separate color from the seat so that you can see the versatility. The process requires defining the shape of the area that you want to color. You draw the area with your mouse and create a closed area that is capable of being filled with color by the software. Once all your color areas are created, you can choose a different color for each area.  The opaqueness setting (Paint Thickness) allows you to let some of the natural fabric texture show through the paint to let the creases, buttons and tufting show through and add to the realness of the simulation.

The drawback of the tool is that it is made to represent actual paint colors from Benjamin Moore. Obviously you’re not going to paint the furniture, but it allows you to select approximate hues from which you can narrow down the families of colors to match up with upholstery samples.

The tool is still in existence and can either be sampled online for free, or the professional version is available here for $10. You cannot upload your own [furniture/room] images with the free version.

Here’s the before:

I’m sitting here looking at Oak Creek in Talbot County, MD, having just watched 8 swans fly overhead. In a matter of weeks the famous Maryland Blue Crabs will be running and this area is famous for them in abundance and in massive size. If you’ve ever bought blue crabs at your local seafood store, wherever you are, you have no idea the monster size crabs that never show up at that market and that we “locals” take for granted here.

Even though this is a weekend “away”, I still have laptop in tow and was perusing the Neal Auction lots and thought I’d pick out an unusual item to mention. The above Gong Stand is from the late 19th century and is ebonized and gilt, and retaining it’s original finish. It appears to have it’s original graduated brass gong plates.

Certainly would be an interesting dinner bell to call the family to the table with.

I don’t have a taste for the Oriental style furniture from the period, though I know the Herter Brothers, among others, were very inspired by it and produced furniture in the Anglo-Japanese style. This is not a piece by them.

More details and images of the stand at the listing.

I’m heading to Chesapeake Beach, MD shortly to prepare for a 6:00 am Rockfish (Striped Bass) trip tomorrow and look forward to stopping by 2 or 3 favorite antique haunts on the way there. I’ve picked up a Belter and some good marble top tables at one of the shops in the past. Let’s see what he has for me today…

I love it when labels are still intact on antique furniture and in this case, thanks to the Flomaton sale, Rare Victorian readers can now firmly identify this parlor set as being by Karpen Brothers Furniture when they encounter it in the future. Other sets like this have been attributed to R.J. Horner countless times.

Everyone, pause for a moment and say this with me 3 times: “Griffins aren’t always Horner”. “Griffins aren’t always Horner”. “Griffins aren’t always Horner”. I said it 2 more times for my own good measure.

This 3-piece set is getting a bit of a facelift as we approach the Flomaton sale and is without it’s final upholstery (they may leave that to you, not sure), but if you use your imagination, you’ll realize that it could look like the set below when it is finished. This particular parlor set below (attributed as R.J. Horner when it was selling) was up for sale from another seller last June and I think it was bid nearly as high as $10,000 but didn’t sell. I don’t have the exact figures, but that is what I recall.

This design is certainly one of my favorites by Karpen. I’m glad to now know with certainty that it is theirs. You can see more details at the listing.