• 2 Frassetto Way - Lincoln Park, NJ 07035
Current Auctions

Princess Maria Romanoff Estate and July Estate Finds

Date 05/29/2025

The first 117 lots are from the estate of Ron Travisano. An advertising executive, Mr. Travisano was responsible for many well-known ad campaigns, including the Meow Mix singing cats and Joe Isuzu. Born in Newark, NJ in 1938, Mr. Travisano was the vice chairman, president and creative director of Della Femina, Travisano & Partners until 1985, when he left to start his own production company Travisano, DiGiacommo Films as a commercial director. The winner of many industry honors including 15 Clio awards and a nomination to the advertising hall of fame, Mr. Travisano retired in 2001. Ron Travisano passed away in January 2025 at the age of 86. Highlights from his collection include a Charpentier bronze, an oil painting by British artist Helen Howard Hatton, and a Daum Nancy vase, as well as several pieces of carved Renaissance Revival furniture, and a number of pieces of art created by Mr. Travisano.

Date 6/18/2024 

Our Princess Maria Romanoff Estate and July Estate Finds includes art, furniture, books, trains and other toys, silver, jewelry, pottery, porcelain and glass.

The auction begins with items from the estate of Princess Maria Romanoff. Born Princess Maria Valguarnera di Niscemi on November 29, 1931, in Palermo, Sicily, Princess Maria married Prince Alexander Nikitich Romanoff, the son of HH Prince Nikita Alexandrovich of Russia, in 1971. Known as Mimi, she started a successful jewelry design business under the name Mimi di N Design. Along with her husband, Mimi was a serious collector of art and antiques from around the world.

Items from the estate include a large selection of artwork, with a pair of oil paintings attributed to Barbara Dietzsch, an ink and watercolor by the American artist Elizabeth Strong-Cuevas, an oil on canvas attributed to Thomas Lawrence and an engraving by Johannes Wierix among the highlights. Princess Maria’s collection also features a pair of Japanese 6 panel screens depicting Uji River scenes, a pair of Persian pottery tiles, two large English ironstone dinner sets, two sets of Russian military books, Russian icons, Greek pottery, an 18k gold Lily of the Valley brooch as well as a selection of costume jewelry and sterling silver pieces.

Starting at lot 200, the July Estate Finds portion of the sale includes a large collection of Lionel and other trains, as well as Danish modern furniture, a large selection of books including some first editions, an Ines Smrz art deco screen, and a selection of sterling and other silver including a Reed & Barton Francis I pattern sterling flatware set with service for 12+ and a Tiffany & Co. Makers St. Dunstan sterling charger.