The Late Eloise and Nelson Davis The magnificent silver, paintings, furniture, jewelry and other objets d'art of Eloise and Nelson Davis reflect their elegant style of living in Canada and Arizona. Intensely private, the Davises collected for their own enjoyment and that of friends and acquaintances fortunate enough to be invited to their homes in Toronto, Muskoka and Phoenix. Nelson Morgan Davis (1907-1979) was born in Shaker Heights, Ohio and attended Cornell University. Known as a wizard with numbers even at a young age, he began his career by successfully rescuing his father-in-law's chain of cut-price stores in southern Ontario which had been badly hit by the stock market crash of 1929. At the time of his death, he had amassed one of the largest fortunes in Canada, mainly from transportation and trucking. His desire for privacy was legendary. Rather as J.P. Morgan bought his own club in New York, Davis purchased his own golf course, replete with clubhouse and professional. Although it was considered one of the best eighteen-hole golf courses in Canada, Davis was the only member. The Davises refused to be interviewed by the press and were said to have five unlisted telephone numbers in their house. Eloise and Nelson Davis began furnishing Graydon Hall, their home in Toronto, in the early 1950's. They favored fine eighteenth and nineteenth century period furniture and works of art. Their collection of English silver from these periods is considered one of the best in North America. Their next home in Toronto, Eagle House, which took seven years to plan and build, was constructed to house their burgeoning collection. "Everything about the dwelling is the product of one man's perfectionism." wrote Peter C. Newman, The Canadian Establishment, 1975, "There are hand-made mouldings from New York, complete fireplaces purchased in England, gold door fittings taken out of Fifth Avenue mansions. Glass cases line the halls to display priceless collections of Georgian silver and Meissen china, which Davis takes out and allows guests to heft." Their residences in Arizona included one in Phoenix which had originally belonged to Clare Booth Luce, and others in Paradise Valley and Sedona. The collection was largely purchased from distinguished New York and London dealers, such as S.J. Shrubsole, French & Co., and Partridge in the 1950's and 1960's, and is a tribute both to the collectors and the dealers who helped form it. Eloise Davis continued to take an active enjoyment in the collection until her death in the spring of 2001. The Davis Collection, chosen with quiet passion of true connoisseurs, reflects a lifetime of shared dedication to the decorative and fine arts. Sale Program: Important Old Master Paintings -- October 3 Nineteenth Century Furniture, Decorative Art & Porcelain -- October 10 Important English Furniture -- October 18 Magnificent Jewelry -- October 22-23 19th Century Paintings (Christie's East) -- October 30 Important 20th Century Decorative Arts -- December 7 Fine European and Oriental Carpets -- December 18 European Decorative Arts (Christie's East) -- December 18 The British Interior - January 23-24, 2002 IMPORTANT ENGLISH SILVER: THE COLLECTION OF THE LATE ELOISE AND NELSON DAVIS, TORONTO Afternoon Session Lots 208-256 2:00 pm

A GEORGE III SILVER EPERGNE

MARK OF MATTHEW BOULTON, LONDON, 1810

Details

A GEORGE III SILVER EPERGNE
Mark of Matthew Boulton, London, 1810
On square dentilated base with incurved corners, raised on four foliate paw feet, the center with an acanthus leaf bud, issuing four foliate scroll arms supporting four oblong cut-glass dishes, the central beaded frame chased with a band of oak leaves supported by four eagle-headed columns, with central cut-glass dish, marked on base, base finial and one branch
14½in. (36.9cm.) high; 121oz. (3770gr.) weighable silver

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