The Felicia Michalski Collection of Decorative Arts Goes Up For Bid at Turner Auctions + Appraisals

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, CA, JANUARY 23, 2019 – Turner Auctions + Appraisals is pleased to present the Felicia Michalski Collection of Decorative Arts on Sunday, February 10, 2019, at 10:30 am PST. Offering over 350 lots acquired over five decades, the sale features a wide array of decorative arts from America, Europe and Asia. Among the single items and groupings are bronze sculptures and marble busts; oil and watercolor paintings; art glass and pottery, including Lalique, Gallé, Rookwood, Weller and Roseville; porcelain and metal figures; brass letter openers; pitchers and jugs including Royal Doulton and Ridgway; scent and perfume bottles including Lalique; porcelain and enamel boxes; cigarette cases; mirrors and dresser brushes; framed portraits, plaques and portrait miniatures; several lamps and clocks; candleholders; bookends; inkwells; antique photographs with fine Syrian frames; vintage marbles; salt and pepper shakers; framed botanicals; hand-crank sewing machines; several books and catalogs; and more.

Lot 205, Attributed to Orrin Peck, Portrait of Phoebe Hearst, Oil on Canvas; Estimate $2,000-$4,000

There is also a wide selection of table and serving ware, including lots of Meissen Blue Onion, Wedgwood, Jasper Ware, and many of sterling silver. From Asia are snuff bottles, cloisonné pieces, cane and parasol handles, and incense burners; from China come silk embroideries, porcelain bowls and vases, moon flask jars, and a celadon planter; from Japan are Satsuma, carvings, netsuke and lacquer items. Several items from other collectors round out the sale.

Lot 142, Pair of Enameld Moon Flask Vases, China; Estimate $400-$600

Auction highlights include a Lalique goldfish vase, a Staunton Chessman set, Limoges chargers, sterling and enamel compacts and boxes; a carriage clock from Tiffany; a Favrile glass shade and desk sets from Tiffany Studios; and an oil portrait of Phoebe Hearst.

This is the final Felicia Michalski collection to go up for bid.

ABOUT FELICIA MICHALSKI AND HER COLLECTION

The life of Felicia Michalski reads like a suspense novel, particularly during the war years. Born in Gostynin, Poland, in 1919, she survived the Holocaust, capture by the Russians who sent her to Siberia as slave labor, gangrene and typhus. In 1942, she married Joseph Michalski, who also had been a Russian prisoner of war, then began their family of three sons. In 1949, the family went to America, ending up in San Francisco, where life gradually became better.

Living in California after the war, Felicia Michalski developed a serious collecting passion. Although jewelry was her favorite, she had many and diverse collecting pursuits. According to her son Henry, Mrs. Michalski was known for her exceptional eye, a natural love of beauty, and an unrelenting desire to acquire.

Lot 99, Galle Vase, Pale Yellow Ground with Raised Plum Colored Flowers and Leaves; Estimate $200-$400

ABOUT TURNER AUCTIONS + APPRAISALS

Based in South San Francisco, Turner Auctions + Appraisals was founded by Stephen Turner to expand and complement the capabilities of Stephen G. Turner Associates, an auction and appraisal consulting firm founded in 2004. Turner Auctions + Appraisals presents online auctions in diverse categories of personal property (www.turnerauctionsonline.com). Among them are Fine Arts, Decorative Arts, Asian Arts, Toys, Jewelry, Militaria, Ethnic Arts and others. The company offers a range of auction and appraisal services for buyers, sellers and collectors. Online auctions are held several times a month. Working with leading live and online auction houses on the West Coast since 1991, Turner is a professional appraiser of personal property and seasoned auctioneer. His areas of expertise include fine art, decorative arts, antiques & residential contents. The company welcomes consignments and appraisals.