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Extremely Rare Enameled Doorknob & Plate

Currency:USD Category:Everything Else / Other Start Price:NA Estimated At:2,500.00 - 4,500.00 USD
Extremely Rare Enameled Doorknob & Plate
Extremely Rare Enameled Doorknob & Plate The P.F. Corbin Company produced some of the best neo-grec hardware in the early 1870’s. In 1872 they commissioned a Providence jeweler to take one of their most popular patterns and embellish it with various colors of enamel. This beautiful work must have been hard to make and quite expensive in its day, and the fact that very little survives indicates that production was undoubtedly low. The original catalog offers this enameled hardware in a multitude of colors, but most of what has survived is blue, black, and white. The techniques used to create this rare American industrial artwork are unknown but the results speak for themselves. After more than 125 years, the combination of graceful, flowing lines, highlighted by a colorful and elegant background, has not been surpassed. Enameled hardware from Corbin is rarely offered for sale and is highly prized by serious collectors. In fact, the doorknob being offered in this lot is the very first we have seen for sale in all our years in the hardware business. The door knob shows some wear around the edges, which is typical for this pattern. The sunken center with the embossed rosette adds a dramatic focus for the beautiful blue and black decoration that flows outward into a stylized flower form. Having the matching plate makes this lot a rare offering indeed The door plate has a small line of chips across the middle screw hole but the fact that there is no further loss of detail is rather amazing considering that other plates have been found with considerable enamel loss. Note that the keyhole swing cover is intact and was carefully filled to blend with the rest of the colorful design. The screw hold below the key slot also shows minor chipping, but this is barely evident. This knob and plate are among the best pieces of hardware Web Wilson has offered in all our years of auctions. This is history, beauty, and rarity combined in a single bidding opportunity.

Low est: 2500 high: 4500