EXCEPTIONAL ART COLLECTIONS AT JUNE 333 AUCTIONS’ JUNE 11 SALE

May 24, 2004

Lambertville, NJ - 333 Auctions is proud to present its June 333 Auctions to be held Friday, June 11 and Saturday, June 12 at Rago Arts and Auction Center in Lambertville, New Jersey. The inaugural sale under the direction of Jeffrey B. Henkel will offer more than 1000 lots of fine art and high-end estate items. Mr. Henkel, a well known local resident and antique dealer, brings over 15 years experience with him to the job. "I’m thrilled to join 333 Auctions and intend to broaden the sale’s focus to include fine pieces from the 18 th century to the early 20 th century,” notes Mr. Henkel.

The Friday evening session will include Fine Art and a private collection of Bakelite jewelry. Featured art includes over 75 lots from the private collection of Peggy Lewis, a long time resident of New Hope, Pennsylvania and Lambertville, New Jersey. Peggy and her husband, Michael, moved to the area in the early 1950's and established the Charles the Fifth Gallery on Mechanic Street in New Hope. Ms. Lewis was a publicist for many artists including Ben Shahn, Naomi Savage, Lloyd Ney and others. Summers were spent in the artist colonies of Cornwall, where her collection grew, she also met many artists on her yearly visits to Positano, Italy. Several pieces in this collection were acquired directly from artist friends. Peggy also worked with the New Jersey State Museum whose curator, Sultan Buki, was building the museum's collection of New Jersey artists.

Among the works in the collection are the artists already mentioned above as well as American modernists, B.J.O. Nordfeldt, Werner Drewes, Ralph Dubin, Burton Wasserman, Evsa Modell and Max Epstein. Works from a number of prominent British modernists are offered including artists Terry Frost, Fred Yates and Breon O'Casey as well as Italian primitivist, Giuseppe Di Lieto and Michelangelo Conti.

In addition, to the Lewis collection, 333 Auctions will offer other exceptional art. A selection of Bucks County Impressionists includes A. Nunamaker, Harry Leith-Ross, Joseph Meierhans, Walter E. Baum and Gerorge Sotter. Sotter’s (1879-1953) pieces include an oil on canvas depicting a road leading to a farmstead against a Bucks County landscape and a signed nocturnal landscape titled "Top House." Another piece titled " Ashmill Road, Holicong," captures Sotter’s skill at painting cloud formations and capturing light. Baum’s works include a signed oil on canvas titled "Winter Sunlight & Shadow" and a large signed oil on canvas "The Creek-Spring Sellersville," dated April 1925. Leith-Ross contributes “View of Lambertville.” Also featured are works by 20 th century American artists Peter Sculthorpe and Wolf Kahn and from another single owner collection is a seascape by George Bensell, two abstracts by Joseph Meierhans, a New Hope modernist, as well as landscapes by various Pennsylvania painters. Other noteworthy pieces are five still lifes by Frederick B. Serger, two figurative works by Carlo Cherubine, works by Italian American artist, Nicholas Briganti and a 1934 work by Marcel Duchamp done in collaboration with Jacques Villion titled "The Bride-Mariee."

Another Friday night highlight will be over 85 lots from the Estate of Basha Lipton, noted Art Deco and costume jewelry dealer who was an intense and focused collector. Ms. Lipton, who was always a few steps ahead of the trend, was exhibiting Art Deco and Art Moderne by the early 1970’s. Her collection appears in the credits of many prominent Bakelite related publications and her style still looks fresh today. Ms. Lipton was known to be an inspiration to Andy Warhol and her pieces are highly desirable. Included in the auction are choice pieces of “wearable art” with a rainbow of elaborately carved bangles, ribbon bracelets, laminates, clad pieces and whimsical brooches. Also to be sold, without reserve, are signed Sterling, Spratling, Jensen, fine watches, unusual compacts and good costume jewelry. In addition, numerous lots from other estates include antique silver and antique jewelry such as Victorian and fine gemstone jewelry.

The Saturday sale features an exceptional collection of 75 lots of antique sterling silver. A sampling includes several pieces by Georg Jensen with a sterling silver ice bucket and tongs, a six-footed sterling bowl, a sterling pitcher and a vase with a lily of the valley motif and others. Tiffany & Company is well represented with sterling silver serving pieces, a silver trumpet vase and a sterling melon form bowl. There is excellent silver flatware by Reed & Barton, a silver soldered covered serving dish and six chargers, a water pitcher and compote, and a tall sterling silver pitcher by Toshika. In addition, sterling jewelry by Kalo Shop includes a thistle pin and a pierced panel pin. An exceptional ornately carved German music box by Schultz-Marke is offered as well as Majolica, Dresden and Sevre pieces.

For automobile collectors, a 1929 Ford Hot Rod will be for sale. A good collection of Dinky toys and Corgi cars, some in original boxes and excellent condition will be offered along with estate rugs, collectibles, vintage banks and other toys. Also being offered is a collection of over 100 dealership promotional cars from 1950 to 1970.

Rounding out the sale will be several lots of American period furniture and a fine selection of Arts and Crafts furniture. An extensive collection of jardinières and statuary as well as 20 th Century Asian pieces ends the sale.

The auction will take place at Rago Arts and Auction Center, 333 North Main Street, Lambertville, New Jersey on Friday, June 11 at 4:00 p.m. and Saturday, June 12, at 11:00 a.m. Bid live online from anywhere in the world in a safe & secure platform through www.liveauctioneers.com.

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