GARNET VALLEY, Pa. — Several pieces of period furniture saw strong prices at a Feb. 23 auction conducted by Briggs Auctions.

“We were very pleased with this auction”, said Stephen Turner, Briggs Auction’s Director of Business Development. “We featured more than 400 lots that covered a range of genres and periods, and we were pleasantly surprised with the strong prices of some of the period furniture, including the Georgian armchairs, and the Quare clock. The whole auction was very well received.” The auction attracted approximately 3,000 bidders both in-house and online

The Georgian chairs Turner referenced were a set of six paint-decorated Adams dining chairs with pierced and painted backs that were formed by an oval within an oval. They were elaborately carved and decorated with a laurel leaf garland at the inner crest. The upholstered seats had a serpentine front and stood on fluted legs. The set, which were all armchairs, carried a presale estimate of $800 to $1,000, but soared past that mark to realize a hefty $8,260.

A Queen Anne marquetry tall case clock had an overhanging cornice that rested on columns over a square brass dial. The case was heavily decorated with scrolling foliate and cherub marquetry inlay and the dial had winged cherub spandrels with a silvered chapter ring, signed for Dan Quare, London. It outsold the high estimate to achieve an impressive $12,980. Daniel Quare (circa 1648 – 1724) was an English clockmaker, presumably born in Somersetshire, who invented a repeating watch mechanism in 1680 that sounded the nearest hour and quarter hour when prompted by a manual pushing of a pin that extended from the case.

Another major attraction was a Steinway & Sons baby-grand piano, Model-S. The elaborate mahogany French case was decorated in a series of C-curves with a foliate embellishment on the knees of the fluted legs that stood on scroll feet. It sold with a matching bench and more than doubled the high estimate, commanding $14,160.

The sum of $10,455 was paid for an oil on canvas by Manabu Mabe (Brazilian, Japanese 1924-1997). The abstract painting, titled Imagem, was dated 1968 and bore a Catherine Viviano Gallery tag. In the year 1959 Mabe won the Best National Painter Award at the Fifth São Paolo Biennial, the Purchase Award at the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, and the Grant Award, as well as the Braun Award, at the First Paris Biennial.

A carved marble sculpture, titled Fiore del Pensiero (Flower of Thought) by Cesare Lapini (Italian, 1848-1893), was signed and dated 1893. The 33 inch figural nude maiden was standing on a 41 inch tall five-piece turned marble pedestal and sold for $9,225. Lapini worked predominantly in Florence and many of his subjects were female.

Other items of interest included an early 20th century Louis Vuitton steamer trunk. The well-used trunk had old stickers and painted bull’s-eye numbers on both sides, measured 20 ½ inches tall by 23 ½ inches wide, and sold for $7,995.

Prices reflect the buyer’s premium.

For more information visit www.briggsauction.com or call (610) 566-3138.