One of our advertisers, A.N. Abell Auction Company has been in business since 1916 and is truly part of the fabric of Los Angeles.  Abell's holds a fine art and antique auction quarterly and below is just one of the stunning pieces available  at their upcoming sale November 1st.

This elaborately carved 19th century French ivory mirror is from the city of Dieppe in Northern Normandy. Dieppe has been a sea faring city since the age of the Vikings, and, during the 16th century was the main port for the fleet of Louis XIV bringing spices and ivory from Africa and the West Indies. In the 19th century the Duchesse du Berry made sea bathing quite the fashion and people from across France rushed to cities like Dieppe to bask in the sun and frolic in the ocean.  Dieppe became quite popular with the English artists and the literati.

With the influx of people, the sailors that had carved ivory while at sea or in port began to sell their wares to the tourists. From small religious items and trinkets to large pieces of furniture, wealthy visitors to Dieppe were able to take home a sample of local craftsmanship. This mirror shows the elaborate work that these carvers could create.  The frame is surmounted with an elaborate coat of arms flanked by cherubs playing instruments and holding a rope that appears to be influenced by the craftsmen’s nautical past.  The frame is “veneered” in small carved leaves of ivory, pinned on like roof tiles, each slightly overlapping one another.  The crest on the bottom of the mirror has the initials D and B in ligature, possibly in tribute to the Duchesse that made Dieppe famous once again.