WHEN THE CIRCUS CAME TO TOWN

Sunday, November 11, 2007Lots 1-288

November 11, 2007 in Morristown, NJ

A fabulous collection of antique dolls, toys, automata and even glass canes is presented. Historical background of each piece is given, as well as the actual personal history of many of the objects including the famous "Consuelo's Bridesmaid" and Jumbo the Elephant, a gift of P.T. Barnum to his friend Wesley Redhead. The rare Levitation Man automata, of which only two are known in the world, is also shown with detailed multi-photographs. 9" x 12". Hardbound. 148 full-color pages.

Live Auction

Showing 1 - 288 of 288

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Rare French Cloth Sculpted "Brittany Man and Woman"by Bernard Ravca

Lot #280

60"(152 cm.) man,55"woman. Depicting an elderly man and woman from the French country region of Bretagne (Brittany),with stockinette faces having stitched detailing with hand-painted features,muslin wrapped straw bodies posed seated,stockinette hands,and each wearing the original artist made folklore costume of the region. Condition: generally excellent albeit some body patching. Marks: Jan. 1937 (woman) feb 37 (man). Orig. Ravca (silver paper label,with pencil signature Bernard Ravca on reverse). Comments: the French folk artist developed his technique of cloth sculpting during the 1920s and 1930s in his native France,creating a series of appealing country folk dolls. His dolls were presented at the 1939 World's Fair,and about the same time he and his artist wife,Frances,immigrated to the United States along with their personal collection of his dolls which he periodically made available to collectors during the remainder of his life,including this pair acquired by Mr and Mrs Hall of Lockport,New York. Value Points: rare lifesize models of the documented folk dolls with original costumes including hand-carved wooden shoes.

Passed

Set,Ten French Cloth Folk Dolls in Original Vignette "Card-Players" by Bernard Ravca

Lot #279

20"(51 cm.) Each has stockinette head with stitched and painted facial features depicting a convivial group of French villagers at an afternoon card game. Each has distinctive facial shape and depiction with painted highlights and is wearing an artist designed and made costume. Condition: generally excellent. Marks: (each has original Ravca paper label,some with pencil signature,too). Comments: included is an "authentication"by the artist on his original letterhead,noting this is "the first and original one created by me in Paris,France in 1929"and that it's name is,simply,"Card-Players". Value Points: rare and amusing ensemble of dolls with classic theme.

Passed

Nine Antique Wooden Canes

Lot #278

31"(79 cm.) -37". Nine unusual wooden canes including a large and heavy dark wood model with carved elephant having faux-jewel eyes,and another ebony cane with copper embossed handle. Excellent condition.

Passed

Ten Antique Wooden Canes

Lot #277

27"(69 cm.) -38". Including an ebony wood with fish handle and concealed sword,a small stick with paper label "Canadian Army- Swagger Stick",and another with carved dog handle. Excellent condition.

Passed

Ten Antique Wooden Canes

Lot #276

32"(81 cm.) 37". Including a model with crook handle and concealed umbrella,a knob handled with American flag lithographed on the stem,and a silver handled cane embossed "Gerald R. Ford". Excellent condition.

Passed

Collection of 22 American Hand-Blown Glass Novelties

Lot #275

Each of colorful hand-blown glass,the lot includes two matching wall vases,and elaborate opaque pink and white pipe with long neck,6 baby rattles,pair of small clear glass ornate curly pipes,an extra long clear/blue glass bowl pipe,and more. Excellent condition. American,late 19th century.

Passed

Nine American Hand-Blown Glass Canes

Lot #274

38" (97 cm.) -65". Nine hand-blown canes of beautiful design including a model with tight spiral molded at the ends terminating in a white and clear glass crook handle,along with a heavy clear brown glass cane with thick straight handle and spiral molding at the bottom. Excellent condition. American,late 19th century.

Passed

Eight American Hand-Blown Glass Canes

Lot #273

36"(91 cm.) - 73". The collection of eight hand-blown canes includes three with colorful knobs,and one of heavy green glass with very tightly embossed spiral. Excellent condition. American,late 19th century.

Passed

Eleven American Hand-Blown Glass Canes

Lot #272

38"(97 cm.) - 63". Eleven hand-blown glass canes include a model with silver knobs at each end,and another double-knobbed cane with colorful spirals. Excellent condition. American,19th century.

Passed

Eleven American Hand-Blown Glass Canes

Lot #271

26"(66 cm.) -66". Large group of wonderful hand-blown canes includes a model with red and yellow spirals and large knob handle,along with a matched pair of green glass canes with tightly spiralled knobs. Excellent condition. American,late 19th century.

Passed

Nine American Hand-Blown Glass Canes

Lot #270

42"(107 cm.) - 54". Nine beautiful examples in a variety of styles and colors including a heavy green glass model with colorful stripes and a flattened knob,and a long gold cane with a colorful spiral knob. Excellent condition. American,late 19th century.

Passed

Nine American Hand-Blown Glass Canes

Lot #269

23"(58 cm.) 69". Nine hand-blown canes include the largest in the collection which is a spiral with knob handle,along with a heavy clear glass with straight handle and colorful center. Excellent condition. American,late 19th century.

Passed

Nine American Hand-Blown Glass Canes

Lot #268

33"(84 cm.) -56". Nine finely crafted hand-blown glass canes including a model with pronounced spiral modeling and heavy green glass knob,and a yellow cane whose double end knobs have pointed tips. American,late 19th century. Excellent condition.

Passed

Nine American Hand-Blown Glass Canes

Lot #267

30"(76 cm.) -63". Nine wonderful hand-blown glass canes include a colorful spiral model with large knob handle,and a red,white and blue cane with thin crook handle. American,late 19th century. Excellent condition.

Passed

Ten American Hand-Blown Glass Canes

Lot #266

29"(74 cm.) 74". Ten hand-blown glass canes include a large model with double end gold knobs,and a matching pair of large and small with colorful spiral knobs.

Passed

Nine Large American Hand-Blown Glass Canes

Lot #265

37"(94 cm.) - 74". Nine beautiful examples in a variety of styles and designs including a very large blue spiral cane with knob handle,and two with gold knob handles. American,late 19th century. Excellent condition.

Passed

Nine American Hand-Blown Glass Canes

Lot #264

37"(94 cm.) - 65". Nine large hand-blown glass canes include two large colorfully spiral canes with knob handles,and one knob-handled entirely filled with sand. American,late 19th century. Excellent condition.

Passed

Swiss Cylinder Music Box with Three-Bell Butterflies,Possibly Jules Cuendet

Lot #263

19"(48 cm.) w. x 8 1/2"h. x 11"d. The ten-tune box of 31 notes plus three bells that with enameled butterfly strikers,features a dark-finished case and a colorful tune card,lithographed in Geneva,depicting a gentleman playing viola as a lady dances,while children play nearby on a terrace. Condition: very good,mechanism functions,slight veneer wear on case. Comments: attributed to Jules Cuendet,Ste-Croix,Switzerland,circa 1896. Value Points: luxury music box with ten tunes and enameled butterfly strikers for added musical quality.

Passed

German Coin-Operated Music Box "Polyphon"with 12 Discs

Lot #262

35"(89 cm.) h. x 24"w. 15"d. The music box is housed in a walnut case with columned door,decorative fretwork and a coin drawer,and features two alternating combs of 38 and 39 notes respectively,activated by an English penny of the period. It plays 15 1/2"tune discs and is in very good working order. This particular model was designed either to be wall-hung or to be set on a table and has coin-slots on both sides,for right or left hand use. Twelve discs are included. Condition: excellent condition of cabinet and music box,fine sounding music,slight wear to some fretwork carving on case. Comments: Polyphon Musikwerke of Leipzig,Germany,circa 1900. The firm was a major supplier of coin-operated music boxes for the English market where the instruments were installed in hotels,taverns,seaside pier amusements,and other public places as money-makers for their proprietors.

Passed

Four German All-Bisque Babies

Lot #261

3.5"(9 cm.) Each is one piece bisque figure of young child wearing modeled white smock,with sculpted short hair and painted facial features,two are babies with bare bottoms,and the other two are a pair,one reading a book,one with ball. Excellent condition. Germany,circa 1900.

Showing 1 - 288 of 288

Rare French Cloth Sculpted "Brittany Man and Woman"by Bernard Ravca

Set,Ten French Cloth Folk Dolls in Original Vignette "Card-Players" by Bernard Ravca

Nine Antique Wooden Canes

Ten Antique Wooden Canes

Ten Antique Wooden Canes

Collection of 22 American Hand-Blown Glass Novelties

Nine American Hand-Blown Glass Canes

Eight American Hand-Blown Glass Canes

Eleven American Hand-Blown Glass Canes

Eleven American Hand-Blown Glass Canes

Nine American Hand-Blown Glass Canes

Nine American Hand-Blown Glass Canes

Nine American Hand-Blown Glass Canes

Nine American Hand-Blown Glass Canes

Ten American Hand-Blown Glass Canes

Nine Large American Hand-Blown Glass Canes

Nine American Hand-Blown Glass Canes

Swiss Cylinder Music Box with Three-Bell Butterflies,Possibly Jules Cuendet

German Coin-Operated Music Box "Polyphon"with 12 Discs

Four German All-Bisque Babies

Two German All-Bisque Figurines by Gebruder Heubach

Collection of German All-Bisque Bathing Beauties

Pair,German Amusing All-Bisque Figurines

A Whimsical Collection of Bisque "Naughties"

German Bisque Child,1009,by Simon and Halbig with Edison Phonograph Mechanism

Delightful French Musical Automaton "The Dancer and Three Musicians"

French Bisque "Lady at the Harp" by Gustav Vichy with Portrait Face

French Musical Animated Scene "The Tightrope Dancing Act"with Chiming Clock

American Composition Dionne Quintuplets by Alexander in Swing

Rare American Composition Shirley Temple in Hawaiian Costume

American Composition Shirley Temple in Red Plaid School Dress

American Composition Shirley Temple in Texas Ranger Costume of 1936

American Composition "Patsy Jr"by Effanbee with Sleep Eyes

American Composition "Scootles"in Rare Small Size

American Composition Patsy Jr. by Effanbee with Painted Eyes

A Very Appealing Mystery Doll

German Bisque Character,260,by Kestner with Original Toddler Body

Petite Rare Size of German Bisque Toddler by Kestner

German Bisque Character,154,by Hertel and Schwab Known as Tommy Tucker

German All-Bisque Bonnie Babe Designed by Georgene Averill

German Bisque Laughing Character,8244,by Gebruder Heubach

German Bisque Character,180,with Painted Eyes by Kestner

Collection of 19 German All-Bisque Nodders

German Bisque Character,526,by Kley and Hahn with Wistful Expression

Pair,Rare Cloth Mickey and Minnie Mouse by Charlotte Clark

American Cloth Mickey Mouse by Charlotte Clark

American Carved Wooden Puppet "Amanda" by Hamburg Puppet Guild

Seven All-Wooden Articulated Comic Characters

Vibrant Italian Cloth Doll "Lucy" by Lenci

Bisque Bebe by Gaultier with Rarer Gesland Body for A La Providence Paris Boutique

French Automaton "Puss in Boots"by Roullet et Decamps

French Mechanical Leaping Dog

German Carved Wooden Whistler by Griesbaum

French Publicity Automaton "Pink Pills"by Phalibois

French Bisque Bebe Teteur by Leon Casimir Bru with Signed Body and Original Mechanism

Pretty French Bisque Bebe by Bru with Signed Bru Wooden Body

Collection of German All-Bisque Figural "Swingers"

Swiss Automaton "Pierrot Ecrivain" by Michel Bertrand,After Vichy

Amusing and Rare French Bisque Miniature "Chef in the Cooking Pot"

French Musical Automaton "The Pastry Chef Hiding in Brioche"by Roullet et Decamps

Wonderful French Bisque Automaton "Ballerina and Two Black Musicians" by Vichy

Bisque Automaton "The Clown Conjuror" by Leopold Lambert with Bisque Character Head

French Bisque Deposed Smiling Poupee by Bru with Wooden Articulated Body

Rare Large 33

Wonderful Bisque Pair of Shy-Featured Young Girls by Gebruder Heubach

Beautiful Bisque Bebe by Jumeau,Earliest Period EJ Model,Size 9

Two German All-Bisque Bye-Lo Babies with Brown Glass Eyes

Wonderful German Bisque Character "Dolly Dimple"by Gebruder Heubach

Two German All-Bisque Bye-Lo Babies with Original Paper Labels

German All-Bisque Bye-Lo Twins with Brown Glass Eyes

Seven Tiny German All-Bisque Dolls in Original Costumes

Collection of Seven Steiff Dogs

Rare German Bisque Character,5689,by Gebruder Heubach

German Bisque Plump-Faced Child by Kestner with Closed Mouth

Very Rare German Bisque Pouty Character,8204,by Gebruder Heubach

Rare German Bisque Character,8413,by Gebruder Heubach

Collection of Twelve Steiff Animals

Collection of Nine Steiff Birds and Fowl

German Bisque Character "Phillip"with Sculpted Hair by Kammer and Reinhardt