The first of three auctions dedicated to the outstanding majolica collection of Ed Flower (1929-2022) and his wife, Marilyn (1930-2017), will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 23, online and live in the Holiday Inn ballroom at 1750 Sumneytown Pike in Kulpsville, Pa. The auction will begin at 10 a.m. Eastern time. Two more auctions will follow, with dates to be determined. The initial sale will be held by Strawser Auction Group, based in Wolcottville, Ind. The Flowers purchased many majolica pieces at Strawser sales. The collection in its entirety comprises over 600 pieces in all, each one carefully chosen for beauty, rarity and condition. This first sale will feature 185 lots by many of the finest names in all of majolica: Minton, George Jones, Holdcroft, Wedgwood, Hugo Lonitz, Palissy, Massier, T. C. Brown - Westhead Moore & Company, Copelands and others. For those unable to attend in person, online bidding will be via LiveAuctioneers.com. Two of the pieces in the auction lineup could easily take top lot honors. The first is an iconic Minton Majolica cobalt teapot, modeled as a flat iron with a frieze of mice to the sides and a large, white cat wrapped around the handle looking down at a mouse holding a carrot to form the handle of the lid, 7.5 inches tall. It is estimated at $20,000-$25,000. The second is a rare and monumental Hugo Lonitz majolica model of a hawk, created around 1875, with glass eyes, perched on a rocky ground with ferns and branches on an entwined branch base, 24 inches in height. The only other known example was sold at Christies in New York in 2011; it realized $56,250. The one in the auction has an estimate of $20,000-$25,000. Lot 1070 is a pair of majolica Renaissance Revival vases, ca. 1860, probably exhibited at the London International Exhibition of 1862 and exquisitely painted by Thomas Kirkby after Raphaels ceiling frescos in The Stanza Della Signatura, Apostolic Chapel, Vatican, Rome, depicting Theology, Justice, Poetry, and Philosophy, 22 inches tall (est. $15,000-$20,000). Two lots carry estimates of $12,000-$15,000. One is a George Jones & Sons majolica cobalt-blue and turquoise-ground Sea and Sky cheese keeper and stand, ca. 1878, cylindrical in shape with conch shell and seaweed knob, the side molded with a continuous sky and underwater view, including seagulls, hermit crab, fish and other aquatic life. The other is an exceedingly rare George Jones majolica Drum cabaret set, made ca. 1875, designed as cobalt blue drums with yellow skin tightening string, the teapot with drumsticks forming the spout, and a military drummer boys hat, the circular tray bound by a leather strap. Only two complete sets are known to exist, making this one desirable to collectors. Another lot expected to fetch five figures is a T.C. Brown - Westhead & Moore majolica Aesthetic Movement vase, ca. 1875. Designed by Mark V. Marshall, the cobalt blue body has swirling clouds with a large dragon wrapped around, the flared neck with orange flame motif all on a circular turquoise blue pierced edge, 25 inches tall (est. $8,000-$12,000). A rare pair of George Jones tulip and butterfly candlesticks, ca. 1875, each one modeled as an upright tulip and large green leaves forming the body, with a blossom forming the candle holders, 9 inches tall, should make $6,000-$9,000. Also, a lovely Delphin Massier majolica jardiniere, ca. 1880, designed as a large duck with chicks beside a tree trunk forming the flower holder, on a grassy ground base, 22.5 inches tall, has an estimate of $5,000-$8,000. Another lot worthy of mention is a whimsical Royal Worcester Japanese-style posy vase pair, probably designed by James Hadley, ca. 1875, modeled as a tortoise with a monkey on his back, the monkey with a frog on his shoulders, 9 inches tall. It should sell for $2,000-$3,000. Several pieces in the Flower collection were recently part of a large Majolica Mania Exhibition that was launched in New York City in the fall of 2021, traveled to the Walters Museum in Baltimore in early 2022 and finished at Stoke on Trent in the United Kingdom in fall 2022. Only the finest pieces of majolica made their way into the show. Perhaps the most amazing thing about the Flower collection is the fact that the couple didnt begin collecting majolica until much later in life, Ed at about age 60. Prior to that, Ed collected other things: coins, stamps and books as a youth, then later on American Impressionist oil paintings, early 20th century American prints and netsuke. After Ed retired, in the early 2000s, the couple attended nearly every majolica auction held by Strawser Auction Group, and it was a certainty that their hands would go up several times at each auction. The couple simply refused to be outbid when they spotted a piece they had to have. They could be found at every majolica convention. Also, Ed served for a time on the Board of Directors of the Majolica International Society. For additional information, visit www.strawserauctions.com.