Astor's Animals

When we first posted about acquiring a dog portrait from Brooke Astor’s famous collection we hinted it wasn’t the only one of her animal treasures to find a home with us.

Among our favorite acquisitions from the Stair Galleries sale was a charming collection of frog figures including these carved malachite, jade, and cloisonné enamel pieces happily clustered here atop a green marble topped table between a pair of nautilus shells, one clad in sterling silver by legendary jeweler Verdura. The vintage green and white porcelain vase turned table lamp makes for a nice alternative to the traditional blue and white china while lending the green themed vignette a dose of Chinoiserie.

Birds were another animal beloved by Mrs. Astor, and we were pleased to procure a number of her bird figures in porcelain and stone, especially a beautiful carved pair of lapis lazuli bluebirds perched atop pertrified wood, which are now the centerpiece of the mineral collection in our eclectic cabinet of curiosities. On the shelf above between a collection of Asian ceramics and carved wooden folk art figures sit two of Mrs. Astor’s Vista Allegra porcelain bird figures flanking the laughing Buddha statue, before which sits an antique Royal Vienna tea bowl also from the Astor estate.

Here in a shot from the Sotheby’s auction catalogue is the same Vista Allegra owl pair seen on Mrs. Astor’s red lacquer table next to a gilt-metal Tiffany & Co. tortoise clock.

We also acquired a large lot of small English and Continental European porcelain articles including the lovely antique Meissen bird dish seen keeping company with our floral Chinese famille rose vase and a turquoise bird on a giltwood base also from Astor’s bird collection.

The main reason we purchased this lot was the four, though the catalogue only claimed two, leaf dishes by Herend. Included among them was the one seen here in the intricately hand painted Rothschild Bird pattern, first created in the 1860’s for a Rothschild Baroness after she lost her pearls in the garden only to have the gardener discover birds playing with them in a tree.

Here the same Rothschild Bird dish can be seen in another shot from the Sotheby’s catalogue, atop Astor’s Louis XV bureau plat, along with a smaller Herend leaf dish we displayed among the frogs in the first image. Brooke Astor truly was a great animal lover as evidenced not only by the things she chose to collect but also by her Statement of Faith,

“I want the creatures, the animals, and the birds to be a little less afraid of human beings because I have blessed them and loved them, and far from doing them any harm, I have done them good.”

*While the Astor estate pieces are not currently for sale much of the surrounding decor and accessories are available for purchase HERE in our online shop.

Photos 1, 2, 4, & 5 by KS&D.

Photos 3 & 6 via Sotheby's.

Antique & Vintage Treasure Boxes

Since we regard our hand selected shop inventory as a personal treasure trove it should come as no surprise that we’ve a weakness for the treasure chest in all its forms.

Whether crafted of wood, lacquer and brass, studded leather, silks and needlepoint, or even painted tin, these intriguing containers come in as varied materials as the treasures they held.

Could it be the mystery of what they once contained that make these antique and vintage jewelry and sewing boxes, and trucks and chest into alluring home accessories?

Treasure after all comes in endless varieties, be it a jewel or artifact, once even precious teas were kept locked away.

Click HERE to shop the latest in our collection of unique antique and vintage boxes ranging from trinket box to treasure chest.

Photos by KS&D.

Brooke Astor's Collections at Auction

When we first moved to the loft and found ourselves really considering what went into designing a great gallery wall along a staircase, there was one example we returned to time and again…

Brooke Astor’s famous collection of dog paintings seen above and below marching up the elegant floating staircase of her country estate Holly Hilly overlooking the Hudson River, before being auctioned September 24^th and 25^th at Sotheby’s along with the rest of Mrs. Astor’s estate in a media frenzied sale that more than doubled high estimates and totaled nearly $19 million.

Of course even though it was stretched over two days, Sotheby’s couldn’t possibly divest the entire contents of both Holly Hilly as well her Park Avenue duplex decorated by Sister Parrish and Albert Hadley. The remaining mementos of Mrs. Astor’s privileged life turned up at auction October 5th at Stair Galleries of Hudson, New York in an anonymous sale simply titled “Property of a Lady”. A close inspection of the contents clearly identified the anonymous ‘Lady’ as none other than Brooke Astor, and while the sale received little media attention was written up by must-read style blogger and Architectural Digest contributor Mitchell Owens on the magazine’s blog.

Anyone with the time and inclination could easily peruse the catalogue and recognize several pieces from photographed interiors of the country estate and Park Avenue duplex. For example a quick Google images search for Brooke Astor’s Holly Hilly will most likely turn up the image of the curving staircase at the beginning of this post as taken by Sotheby’s. Those with a keen eye might notice the oval portrait in the lower left corner just behind the wrought iron railing as similar to one we’ve added to our own staircase gallery wall above. Those with an especially keen eye might even recognize the wooden farm basket Mrs. Astor used to hold books under her stairs as identical to the one seen above under our own far humbler flight.

It is in fact Mrs. Astor’s dog group portrait, or 20^th Century School: “The Hunt Dogs” formerly Lot 251 of Stair Galleries Property of a Lady sale. While the bulk of Astor’s antique dog paintings went for nearly a million dollars in the Sotheby’s auction this piece being a newer reproduction was sent to the anonymous sale where we were delighted to acquire it at an exceptional price especially given the exceptional provenance. Legendary philanthropist and socialite Roberta Brooke Russell Kuser Marshall Astor who died in 2007 at the age of 105 was the widow of Vincent Astor, the last heir to the great Astor fortune who’s father John Jacob Astor IV went down in history as the richest man to die in the sinking of the Titanic and who’s grandmother Caroline literally defined American High Society in the Gilded Age.

While Brooke Astor was regarded as the defacto Queen of New York during her lifetime she was more than a last living bridge to the Gilded Age, spending half her life giving nearly $200 million of the Astor fortune back to the city that had created it. Aside from her philanthropic works and glittering social life Mrs. Astor had an eye for beauty and design working at House and Garden and as well as a stint with Dorothy Draper before becoming Mrs. Astor, and in 1982 writing a lovely piece on collecting for Architectural Digest discussing her dog portraits as well as the illusive subject of taste. At the end the author ponders her collection hitting the auction block hoping one day they’ll be loved as much as she’s loved them. Brooke Astor clearly loved this charming pack of pups enough to not only mix with her antique originals but to give such prominent placement, and we'd gladly assure her they’ve found a very loving home along with some of her other animal collections, but we’ll have to save those treasures for a future post.

Click HERE to read the next post on the Astor auction!

*While “The Hunt Dogs” are not for sale many of the surrounding art and accessories are available for purchase HERE in our online boutique Knickerbocker Antiques and Vintage.

Photos 1 & 2 via Sotheby's and photos 3 - 5 by KS&D.

Eclectic Country Kitchen Decor

Antique and vintage ceramics lend warmth and charm to the utilitarian modern day kitchen, especially when they prove functional as well as aesthetically pleasing.


This enormous Italian art pottery bowl features a wonderful hand painted blackbird motif on the interior, a theme similar to that on the salt glazed pitcher with its unusual curling handle and unique shape. On the other side of the ironstone platter sits an elaborate yet useful Italian majolica canister alongside a simple French Country creamer with pale blue tulip motifs. Other examples of classic French provincial china include the green faience oyster plates with their finely detailed shells, as well as the asparagus plate, also from Sarreguemines, and featuring a sauce well and molded asparagus stalks encircled by a basket weave border.


Baskets are another decorative yet functional accessory perfect for the kitchen. Here one brimming with fresh eggs sits among a number of other useful accessories including majolica oil and vinegar cruets, an English copper lusterware cream and sugar set, a vintage Italian ceramic wall pocket designed as a cluster of onions, and a blue and white floral serving bowl in the elegant Chatsworth pattern. Along the back rests a colorful majolica platter alongside two elaborate Victorian style majolica plates.


The top self holds a massive Limoges porcelain serving platter surrounded by a quartet of Italian white art pottery pitchers and two large white ceramic canisters. Adding a dose of color is a blue and white delft china jam jar along with a whimsical pyramid of majolica fruits and vegetables, the perfect antique accessory for the eclectic country kitchen.

All photos and styling by KS&D.

Asian Inspired

Asian and Chinoiserie home accessories are always among the most popular featured in our shop and this vignette of eclectic standouts is no exception.


Sitting atop a Japanese stool with beautifully aged patina is a colorful Chinese figure of a girl and an intricately decorated bottle of cobalt blue glass, most likely crafted as the base of a hookah or water pipe. Resting beneath on a stack of old books is a ginger jar of rich cloisonné enamel giving a bold shot of color. The antique birdcage with its incredible Taj Mahal inspired onion dome is quite a dramatic piece.


Forming the backdrop is a beautiful Indian folk art painting at center flanked by a mother of pearl and black lacquer panel and another of whimsical Chinoiserie design. Draped along the shelf is an antique European tapestry for a touch of contrast while an unusual basket brimming with chrysanthemums lends its texture to the mix.

Photos and styling by Knickerbocker.

Collections: Statues, Sculpture, and Objets d’Art

Nothing adds more personality and individuality to a space than carefully chosen works of art. Paintings and prints are a great place to start but sculpture and objets d’art are a wonderful way to add that interesting finishing touch.


This collection of classically inspired antique and vintage sculpture range from a realistically designed horse figure to an unusual nautical allegory of a regal woman with an anchor.


Three unique works of art include this antique sculpture of a gentleman in Elizabethan garb crafted of copper, a classical porcelain bust, and another unusual allegory featuring a beautiful woman bearing a globe and laurel wreath.


Michelangelo’s David, perhaps the most famous sculpture of all time is represented here in a beautifully detailed replica complete with an elegant marble base, the bust of a male most likely Jesus at the forefront is carved of solid white Carrara marble and features a wonderfully distressed finish from decades of weather exposure. Finally the imposing huntress with her dogs most likely represents Diana the goddess of the hunt beautifully depicted in bonded Carrara marble with loads of romantic patina.

Eclectic European Art Pottery

European art pottery, lushly hand painted majolica in particular, holds a special charm so different from it's finer porcelain counterparts. This long cabinet-top display ending with a huge Italian ceramic serving bowl includes a varied selection of art pottery and majolica items culled from our online shop along with select pieces from our own private collection.
The large wildly detailed platter is a contemporary piece from Portugal that makes a rich backdrop for three vintage Italian floral plates interspersed with a charming set of antique white Italian ceramic pitchers in a modeled grapevine motif. The rose garland apothecary jar to the right is a unique vintage German piece that perfectly compliments the delicate floral motifs of the platter.
An unusual owl tureen sits surrounded by Portuguese and Italian majolica pitchers; while an equally unique white platter peeks out from behind. The matching pair of old Italian bowls flanking the group have especially rich detailing and lavish hand painting.

Photos and styling by Knickerbocker.