Here is a piece that I bought while in San Francisco a few weeks ago (the weekend was entirely paid for by the sale of the monkey bottle!) and what a beauty it is. I picked it up in a consignment store off Polk Street for $42. It is beautifully hand painted by a man named George Leykauf, who was a master porcelain painter in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He stopped painting in 1920 because the difficulty in finding quality blanks. Leykauf died in 1922.
All of the research I have done online indicate that Leykauf is considered to be one of the great porcelain painters of all time. The handful of items that I have seen for sale online have ranged from $800-8,000. I'll keep you posted when I have found a buyer. If anyone knows any serious porcelain collectors out there be sure to let me know.
**UPDATE** After attempting to sell it through a retail outlet I decided to list the candlestick on eBay where it sold for $100. Not quite the return I'd hoped for but I'm happy to have doubled my money. B
