HILLSBOROUGH: From curtains to curios, Duke items up for auction

By Audrey Levine, Staff Writer
   Collectors and history enthusiasts alike are being offered the chance to “shop like an heiress” with two separate auctions that encourage buyers to purchase a piece of furniture or clothing once handpicked by Doris Duke.
   The Doris Duke Estate will hold two, two-day auctions to sell its European furniture, decorative items, carpets, lighting, draperies, automobiles and clothing, most of which is from the 17th through 20th centuries.
   ”The items run the real breadth of quality, diversity and price,” said Karen Kessler, public relations consultant to the Doris Duke Foundation. “There is a lot of excitement for this.”
   The first auction will be held tomorrow (Friday) and Saturday, beginning at 10 a.m., at the Charles A. Whitaker Auction Company in New Hope, and the second will be held Saturday and Sunday, also beginning at 10 a.m., at the Morristown Armory, in Morristown.
   The previews before the auctions will be arranged to simulate a walking tour of the main residence at Duke Farms, with the items placed around the rooms just as they were when Ms. Duke was alive, Ms. Kessler said.
   The auction in New Hope, auction house owner Charles Whitaker said, will feature clothing and textiles from the Duke estate.
   ”It is not just going to be bulks of fabric, but also remnants of curtains, upholstery fabric, quilts and lace,” he said. “There will be early 18th and 19th century fabrics, wall hangings and an eight-foot square beaded table covering.”
   These materials, which will be sold on Friday Mr. Whitaker said, are not just items buyers can use to make clothes and materials, but are also readymade curtains and wall-hangings, among other pieces.
   On Saturday, Mr. Whitaker said, he will be auctioning off clothing, furs, accessories and evening wear items.
   ”These items are from all over the world, and you can tell they are good quality,” he said. “Ms. Duke shopped across the board and had her own kind of style.”
   Previews for Mr. Whitaker’s auction will be held today (Thursday) from noon until 6 p.m., and from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. prior to the sales on Friday and Saturday.
   The second auction, arranged by Millea Bros. Ltd. Auctions & Appraisals, will focus primarily on furniture, decorative art, ceramics and paintings. On Saturday, according to auction company co-owner Michael Millea, Asian items from China, Japan and South East Asia will be sold.
   ”We will also have books, with many 18th and 19th century leather bound books, and some with author signatures,” he said.
   On Sunday, Mr. Millea said, he will be selling European and English/American furniture, art and garden sculptures, as well as four cars.
   At this point, although pre-registering for the auction is not required, Mr. Millea said he has gotten a good response from people and expects a large number of prospective buyers to attend.
   ”We have more than 500 people registered online,” he said. “There should be quite a large pool of people.”
   Mr. Millea said participants also have the option of putting in bids online and over the phone if they cannot attend the actual auction.
   Previews for this auction will be held today (Thursday) from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. There will also be previews Saturday and Sunday beginning at 9 a.m.
   According to Ms. Kessler, it is the hope of the estate that all the items in the auctions will be sold. The money will go to the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation for grants supporting performing arts, environmental conservation, medical research and the prevention of child maltreatment, as well as for preservation of the legacy of the Duke properties.
   ”So many people grew up with some kind of association to Duke Farms,” she said. “There is a heightened interest to own part of Duke Farms history.”