Estimate: $300 - $500
Price Realized: $938 Includes buyer's premium
If you are interested in bidding, please contact us to request more photos, or make an appointment for in-person inspection. To ensure prompt assistance, we recommend reaching out at least 24 hours before the auction by calling 212-353-2277 or emailing us at admin@capsuleauctions.com.
Condition reports are based on visual inspection by the Capsule team under typical office lighting. Unless otherwise noted, items are not examined under UV light in advance of sale. We do not guarantee the content of written or verbal condition reports. Remember, all lots are previously owned and all sales are final. The absence of a condition report does not imply that there are no condition issues with the lot.
Art has not been examined out of the frame unless otherwise stated. Frames, lampshades, or items described as “supplementary” are not considered integral to the value of the lot and are excluded from condition assessments. This includes any mat, mounting, glazing, hanging apparatus, case, box, or stand. Timepiece movements, lighting elements and items with mechanical or electrical components have not been thoroughly tested and are not covered under warranty by Capsule.
Joseph Rondina was born into a first-generation Florentine American family in Auburn, upstate New York. He attended Auburn schools, graduated from Manlius Military Academy, and served in World War II with the U.S. Army Occupation Forces stationed
in Berlin.
Returning to the U.S. at the end of the war with a renewed appreciation of art and history, as well as a continental approach to decorating, he graduated from the Whitman School of Design in New York City. He opened Joseph Rondina Antiques in 1957 on East 62 Street at Madison Avenue, taking over the existing premises of Williams-Michelsen. With his instinctive eye for elegance and refinement, it was not long before his establishment was the go-to destination for European aristocracy, scions of industry, notables of the social register and café society from the U.S. and abroad.
His interests focused primarily on European 18th century decorative arts and furniture, over time developing to include Chinese, Korean, Indian, Siamese, Cambodian, Persian and Japanese, bringing a more esoteric and exotic style to the market. With his sensitivity to changes in taste, he captured the mood of the period and knew exactly what was appropriate for the time. It would bring him enormous pleasure to see his collection enjoyed by the next set of owners. The selection of furniture and objects in this catalogue tell a story of an intensely private individual and give an insight into an extraordinary life well-lived.
Don McNair
(excerpt from The Private Collection of Joseph Rondina catalogue)
