New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-11-22
INCENSE BURNER
GOES AT $4,000
Record Price for a Bronze
Paid at Davanzati
Palace Sale
BIDDERS PACKED
IN AUCTION ROOM
Ancient Art Objects Bring
S16S, 962 in Less than
Three Hours

The two thousand or more persons
who attended yesterday the opening
sale at the American Art Galleries Of
the Davanzati Palace collection, brought
here by Professor c. +. Nolpi from
Florence. witnessed what the experts
agree was the most important and SEN
sational sale held in New York since
/ the Yerkes sale, in 1910, for the $50
/ lots dispersed by Thomas +. Kirby
rolled up a total Of sl6s, 962.50, sold in
/ less than three hours.
The sensation Of the session was the
battle Of bids between the Duveens and
p. W. French e. Co. for the early ff-
/ teenth century Paduan bronze incense
burner by II Riccio, which DR.. Bode.
of the Berlin Museum, has declared is
d one Of the most beautiful Italian Re
naissance bronzes known to the world.
1t was finally sold to the Duveens for
+ s66, 900, said to be one of the highest
prices, if not the highest, ever paid in
America for a bronze. Its height is %
/ inches.
/ Standing room was at premium, and
the outer doors were ordered closed
before o'clock, at which time the
bronze was offered. Professor Volpi,
with the consent Of the American Art
Association, had placed a reserve price
I on twenty of the most valuable items
IN the collection. and this was one. on
which the upset price was $4,000.
There was a hush in the great audi
ence after this announcement By Mr..
Kirby
The opening bid was $4,000. Then
by $1,000 bids the figures quickly
climbed 10 the price named II was said
that the Duveens bought the bronze for
Henry c. Prick, but the rumor was not
confirmed. J. p. Morgan, il is said,
short time before his death commits
stoned Professor Volpi 10 obtain this
piece for him.
Long in Gonzaga Family
This remarkable specimen was fash
toned by Andrea Briosco, known as II
Riccio. He was ordered to make it
by his patron. Gonzaga, the Duke of
Mantua, and it remained in possession
of that family and its descendants for
more than century.
4 The bronze is made in two portions
"A cylindrical body with spreading
base on three supports and domed
removable cover. which is semi-spheri-
cal in shape and IS surmounted by
figure of a bearded Faun seated on
marine shell, resting one hand on
bunch of grapes and holding out in the
other d Pans Pipes. The lower part Of
Il. L. - oil
arch shaped apertures through which
TO feed fresh supplies of incense to
that burning within.
Many well known persons were pres
cnt at the sale. Among them were
Mrs. W. X. Vanderbilt. jr.. Charles
Templeton Croker, OF San Francisco;
Joseph Larocque, Mrs G.. Untermyer
David Belasco. David Warfield, Herbert
Du Puy. Walter Damrosch and +. II.
Blashfeld.
The second best price Of the after
noon was $4,000, paid by c. +. Canessa
/ for a Greek bronze statuette of Sap
pho, of the fourth century b. c. THIS
specimen, which is eleven inches high
was recently exhumed at Melos, ac-
cording TO Professor Bendinelli. The
, first bid for this piece was Sl0,50O.
A thirteenth century Sienese gilt
copper iflAHudis VI lNNNhiiS NAoi HHoPNf
with gabled shaped top on a square
stem, was sold to W. W. Seaman, as
agent. for $4,000. The same buyer gave
$3.50 for d sixteenth century Italian
bronze by Romano in the shape of
rectangular tabernacle door formed as
a panel, with a moulded framework OF
bronze. IL is dated 1922.
$4,000 for Terra Gotta "Annunciation"
For a subject in Italian terra Gotta
Of "The Annunciation." in bas-relief
] the work of Giovanni Bologna, Otto
Bernet, as agent, gave $500 and he
paid 81 $50 for a sixteenth century ltal-
! ian bronze figure of charging wild
boar. This work is attributed 10 Ben
venuto Cellini 1500-7D. The same
buyer paid 81 ,250 for pair of bronze
candlesticks Of the same period, and
1920 for two Venetian colored papier
mache statuettes representing angels.
David Belasco, ever on the lookout
, for the best IN antique art FOR his
/ home and the stage, gave 1890 and S34O.
respectively, for "The Anr unciation"
and Visitation TO the Virgin" two
fifteenth century Faenza ware plaques,
decorated in low relief, glazed and
colored David Warfield gave $500
F for an early fifteenth century Floren-
tine cross of cnamelled gold and silver.
; Four seventeenth century Roman
/ carved walnut panels. a portion of
frieze. were sold TO p. ". French d
Co. for $4,000.
Two sixteenth century polychrome
terra Gotta statuettes went TO c. T..
/ Canessa for $4,000 and Miss r. A.
/ Lorenz, as agent. gave 81 500 for life
sized half figure OF the Virgin, seated
and facing the spectator, in Florentine
polyehromc terra Gotta. The Mime
/ apois Institute of Art obtained for
/ $3.50 a pear shaped Italian bronze foun-
/ tain and basin OF the sixteenth century
/ from the collection of Count Bernar-
, DIM iii Lucca.
! Peter Cooper Hewitt was a frequent
bidder. Among his purchases was an
incense boat. fourteenth century
I French bronze navette from the
+ Countess Stroganof collection of Rome.
The sale will continue this afternoon.
U y