DOUGLASS, KAN.- Part 2 of the Fred and the late Maxine Zumthurn collection out of California – which features figural napkin rings and quality pickle castors but also includes art glass pieces, Wave Crest, Mount Washington, R. S. Prussia and Victorian antiques – will be held Saturday, December 2nd, by Woody Auction, online and in the Woody Auction gallery, at 120 Third Street in Douglass, Kansas.

Maxine Zumthurn passed away years ago and Fred has decided that now is the right time to share their vast collection with the buying and collecting public. The auction will get underway at 9:30 am Central time. All items will be sold to the highest bidder, with no reserves. For those unable to attend in person, online bidding will be facilitated by LiveAuctioneers.com. Absentee (or left) bids will also be accepted.

The very first item up for bid will be a lovely Victorian biscuit jar on a silverplate stand. The blue satin art glass jar boasts enamel thistle and a spider web décor. It’s set on an elaborate Wilcox #8444 silverplate frame. The motif on the frame matches that of the jar, making for a very nice presentation. Biscuit (or cookie) jars are highly collectible and date as far back as the latter half of the 18th century.

Silverplate napkin rings will feature an attractive Pairpoint #214 goat herder example; a figural piece by Reed & Barton (#1357) with a bud vase and sailor boy with anchor design; and an extra nice baby’s cradle napkin ring from Tufts (#1620). The figural napkin ring is an American specialty in which the simple napkin ring is part of a small figure or sculpture that may take any shape and show any motif.

Pickle castors will include a 12-inch piece having a cranberry art glass insert with enamel décor, set on a silverplate frame, marked #335; an 11 ½-inch castor with a white cased glass insert with pink interior having a colorful floral décor, on a Derby #149 silverplate frame with cut-out floral medallion; and a 10-inch pickle castor with rubina verde coinspot art glass insert having a quality enameled bird, branch and blossom décor, a lid with a dog finial, and set on a handsome New Haven #027 silverplate frame.

Also offered will be an 8 ¾-inch pickle castor with amberina swirl ribbed art glass insert, set on a Derby #1917 silverplate frame in the shape of a two-wheel cart with a large butterfly. Castor jars for pickles were a popular dinner table accessory in the latter half of the 19th century. They became more and more ornate in design, and by 1860 resembled little cathedrals. They peaked around 1890, but by 1900 had fallen out of fashion altogether. Today, however, they are enormously popular as collectibles.

Victorian-era items in the sale include a cobalt blue art glass hinged jewel casket (or jewel box) with a white enamel floral décor, mounted on a Hall, Eton #1171 silverplate frame; and a vanity set having three pink frosted art glass bottle inserts with an enamel floral décor. The set is perched atop an elaborate Rogers #176 silverplate frame featuring a visually arresting hummingbird and insect design.

The auction will also feature a Meriden #161 figural silverplate decorative item with a deer pulling a two-wheel cart and a cherub driving; and a 10 ¾ inch tall antique sterling silver Communion chalice, elaborately embossed medallions and featuring the Christ, Mary and Apostle Peter, as well as other religious scenes and icons, plus assorted hallmarks on the base and the edge, which are not readable.

Additional expected top lots include a Tiffany decorated art glass piece, 4 ¼ inches by 5 ½ inches, flower form with a pulled feather design, boasting a gold iridescent interior and signed “L.C. Tiffany, Favrile #278e”; and an unmarked Wave Crest hinged “tobacco” box egg crate mold, having white and powder blue segmented sections with floral décor and gold enamel highlights, a nice decorative piece.

Internet bidders are encouraged to register a day or two ahead of the auction. Absentee bids should be submitted with a written statement indicating the amount of the bid. All bids must be received no later than Thursday, Nov. 30th. Bids may be fax’d to 316-746-2145, or e-mailed to info@woodyauction.com. Douglass is 35 miles southeast of Wichita. The gallery is a half-block from Woody Auction’s offices.

As for lodging, there are three hotels in the area. The Comfort Inn, in Augusta, KS (316-260-3006); the Holiday Inn Express, in Andover, KS (316-733-8833); and the Hampton Inn, in Derby, KS (316-425-7900) are all within a 15-20 minute drive from the Woody auction facility. Moving into 2018, Woody Auction will conduct regular auction events in the Douglass location and occasionally at other venues.