Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Nautical Novelties at Auction

Later this month Christies is set to auction off the treasures of a London collector with truly breathtaking taste.


In the piles of rare art and antiques it was these romantic nautically themed pieces that really caught our imagination. This show-stopping mirror frame assembled from 17th century carvings includes a whimsical lobster at the base surrounded by shells and dolphins as if sprung from the mind of Tony Duquette.


Always obsessed with naturally distressed patina we envied the selection of pottery and other items pulled directly from centuries old shipwrecks. Still encrusted from hundreds of years at the bottom of the sea these unique pieces have to be the ultimate in nautical accessories.


Or perhaps the ultimate nautical accessory would be Venetian grotto furniture for its wildly whimsical flair? The Gothick Pavilion sale features an impressive collection of Venetian grotto furniture including side chairs, armchairs, and even a sofa.


The fairy-tale fantasy climbs right up the walls with these matching Venetian grotto wall brackets playfully designed as opened scallops perched on conch shells.


Even this wonderful Scandinavian cabinet with its fantastic aged patina injects a nod to the nautical with a crowning crest that features an eye-catching anchor motif.

All images via Christies