Washington-signed Society of Cincinnati document in Aug. 30 sale

The Williamstown Portrait of George Washington, 1732-1799, based on the uncompleted Antheneum portrait by Gilbert Stuart with uncompleted portions filled in by Rembrandt Peale. This portrait is held by the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, Mass.
The Williamstown Portrait of George Washington, 1732-1799, based on the uncompleted Antheneum portrait by Gilbert Stuart with uncompleted portions filled in by Rembrandt Peale. This portrait is held by the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, Mass.
The Williamstown Portrait of George Washington, 1732-1799, based on the uncompleted Antheneum portrait by Gilbert Stuart with uncompleted portions filled in by Rembrandt Peale. This portrait is held by the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, Mass.

RANCHO SANTA FE, Calif. – The Society of the Cincinnati was founded in 1783, with branches in the United States and France, to preserve the ideals and fellowship of the Revolutionary War’s officers, and to pressure the government to honor pledges it had made to officers who fought for American independence.

The society – which is now in its third century of existence – was named after Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus, who left his farm to accept a term as Roman Consul and then served as Magister Populi (with temporary powers similar to that of a modern-era dictator), thereby assuming lawful dictatorial control of Rome to meet a war emergency. When the battle was won, he returned power to the Senate and went back to plowing his fields. The Society of the Cincinnati’s motto reflects that ethic of selfless service: Omnia relinquit servare republicam (“He relinquished everything to save the Republic”). The Society has, from the beginning, had three objectives, referred to as the “Immutable Principles”: “To preserve the rights so dearly won, to promote the continuing union of the states, and to assist members in need, their widows, and their orphans.”

Membership to the Society of the Cincinnati was limited to officers who served in the Continental Army and Navy, and also included officers of the French Army and Navy who met the same requirements. Membership was passed down to the eldest son upon the death of the original member.

In its Aug. 30 auction, which will feature Internet live bidding through LiveAuctioneers.com, Early American of Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., is offering a rare and important document with a connection to the society and to George Washington. It is a superb, early, George Washington-signed “Society of the Cincinnati” Commission Diploma.

Dated Dec. 11, 1783 and signed at Philadelphia “G. Washington,” the certificate awards French Captain Augustin Brissault of the First Partizan Legion, membership to the Society of the Cincinnati. It is also signed by the society’s founder and George Washington’s future Secretary of War, Henry Knox.

Augustin Brissault joined the First Battalion of the Continental Partizan Legion in the summer of 1778. On Jan. 13, 1779 the Continental Congress appointed Brissault to the rank of lieutenant by brevet. He was promoted to captain on March 11, 1782. He had an honorable discharge and retired on Nov. 25, 1783, about three weeks before this document was executed.

This document has a wonderful, very dark and strong “G. Washington” signature, which is fully 2.75 inches long, written at its conclusion. Very clean and impressive for presentation, the document measures 12 inches by 7.25 inches, is beautifully written in rich, clear brown with a vivid red wax seal at the upper left corner.

Any “manuscript-form” Society of the Cincinnati diploma, especially one signed by George Washington, is exceptionally rare. This particular example is definitely one of the first ever issued by Washington, according to Early American. It is estimated at $20,000-$30,000.

View the fully illustrated catalog and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

Click here to view Early American’s complete catalog.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

Image courtesy LiveAuctioneers.com and Early American of Rancho Santa Fe, California.
Image courtesy LiveAuctioneers.com and Early American of Rancho Santa Fe, California.

Image courtesy LiveAuctioneers.com and Early American of Rancho Santa Fe, California.
Image courtesy LiveAuctioneers.com and Early American of Rancho Santa Fe, California.

Image courtesy LiveAuctioneers.com and Early American of Rancho Santa Fe, California.
Image courtesy LiveAuctioneers.com and Early American of Rancho Santa Fe, California.

Image courtesy LiveAuctioneers.com and Early American of Rancho Santa Fe, California.
Image courtesy LiveAuctioneers.com and Early American of Rancho Santa Fe, California.

Guernsey’s to conduct first US Open tennis auction, Sept. 11 and 13

Image courtesy of Guernsey's.
Image courtesy of Guernsey's.
Image courtesy of Guernsey’s.

NEW YORK – Guernsey’s auction house will make tennis history at the US Open this year when it conducts the first major tennis auction to be held at the US Open, the world’s most well-attended sporting event.

The live public auction, which begins at the end of August and continues through mid-September, will include Internet live bidding through LiveAuctioneers.com and will feature literally thousands of exciting and historic objects relating to tennis. A portion of the proceeds will go to USTA Serves, the nonprofit arm of the United States Tennis Association that encourages children to pursue their goals and highest dreams by succeeding in school and becoming responsible citizens.

From tennis greats of the past to the reigning royalty of today’s competitions, all eras of tennis will be represented in this historic event. Among the items to be auctioned are historical tennis racquets and fabulous, tournament-worn outfits. Examples of the latter include Bobby Riggs’ “Sugar Daddy” tennis duds he wore in the famed “Battle of the Sexes” match with Billie Jean King, Bill Tilden’s Wimbledon sweater and Maria Sharapova’s lovely tennis dress worn just weeks ago at Wimbledon.

Original tennis art includes a George Bellows Newport scene and Leroy Neiman’s portrait of Arthur Ashe. Rare books will be offered, with highlights being two of only 20 known copies of the first book written about tennis, which was printed in 1555. Additionally, the sale will feature vintage photography, graphic posters, unusual artifacts and collectible memorabilia.

The preview exhibition will start on the first day of the Open (Aug. 31) and continue each day through the actual auction dates of Sept. 11 and 13. The 13th is the last day of the Open, with the concluding Men’s Finals match following the auction.

For additional information about the sale or to make a last-minute consignment of a significant, vintage tennis item, call Guernsey’s at 212-794-2280.

View the fully illustrated auction catalog and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet through www.Liveauctioneers.com.

Click here to view Guernsey’s complete catalog.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

Image courtesy of Guernsey's.
Image courtesy of Guernsey’s.

Image courtesy of Guernsey's.
Image courtesy of Guernsey’s.

Image courtesy of Guernsey's.
Image courtesy of Guernsey’s.

Image courtesy of Guernsey's.
Image courtesy of Guernsey’s.

Russell Museum splits with Ad Club art auction

GREAT FALLS, Mont. (AP) – The C.M. Russell Museum has split with the Great Falls Ad Club and its annual art auction, which has brought the museum millions of dollars since 1969, officials at both groups said Thursday.

Darrell Beauchamp, C.M. Russell Museum’s new executive director, maintained the decision was not the result of declining sales, but the museum’s desire to directly manage its own events.

“It is not just the new guy deciding to do this,” he said. He said museum officials had been discussing the move for some time.

But Ad Club President Jack May adamantly disagrees, saying it “has everything to do with money.”

“We’re still perplexed by this whole deal. It was very shocking,” May said.

The Ad Club has run the C.M. Russell Art Auction with the museum’s assistance since 1969. Some of the auction’s proceeds go to the museum, located in Great Falls.

Since the first auction, the Ad Club’s donations to the museum have totaled more than $5.6 million.

But sales have declined. This year the museum received $120,829 in proceeds from the March event – the lowest amount since 1970. In 2008, the donation to the museum was $400,240.

David Solberg, museum board chairman, said this year’s donation “was insufficient to cover our costs in money, facilities and staff time,” according to a letter made public by the Ad Club.

Beauchamp said the letter was supposed to be private and that it was quoted out of context.

The Ad Club said it would continue to hold its annual auction. Beauchamp said the museum would also hold its own sales event in 2010, but that details for it have not been determined.

___

Information from: Great Falls Tribune,
http://www.greatfallstribune.com

Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

AP-WS-08-20-09 2354EDT

ISA to host Sept. 10-15 fine-art appraisal course in Chicago

CHICAGO – The International Society of Appraisers, based in Chicago, will offer a six-day course titled “Appraisal of Fine Art” from Sept. 10-15 at the Hilton Garden Inn Chicago Downtown. Geared for the professional appraiser and the advanced soon-to be-appraiser, the course, which is credited for ISA members, will be taught by Cathy Peters, ISA. Peters is a professional appraiser and is certified in Fine Arts Appraisal with a background in history and art history.

This wide-ranging and in-depth course will emphasize the primary categories of fine art frequently encountered by appraisers and dealers, such as paintings, sculpture, works on paper, frames, photography, animation art, Russian icons and Spanish Colonial art. The major areas of focus will be art history, looking at artworks properly, identifying and researching fine-art works, properly describing artworks, correctly employing specific vocabulary, and art conservation.

The course will encompass required pre-course reading, and in addition to the classroom instruction, will include a written assignment and a field trip to the Art Institute of Chicago to provide students with close exposure to the property categories being studied. The course will conclude with a written examination on the afternoon of the last class day. Classes will be conducted from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Thursday Sept. 10 through Monday, Sept. 14. The closing session on Tuesday, Sept. 15 will conclude at 4:30 p.m.

Enrollment is available to all appraisers and those interested in becoming appraisers. The course provides 45 ISA Professional Development Credits that may transferable to other appraisal organizations. Appraisal of Fine Art is being offered only once this year, and class size is limited, so early registration is encouraged.

Cost of the course is $1,200 for ISA members and $1,470 for non-members. A group discount rate is available for accommodations at the Hilton Garden Inn Chicago Downtown.

Registration deadline for the course is September 7. For more information, call the ISA office main office at 312-891-6778.

F+W cancels Atlantique City spring show, shifts focus to other ventures

Miles of aisles, each filled with antique treasures, are seen in this 2003 publicity photo for Atlantique City. Image courtesy Antique Trader and F+W Media.
Miles of aisles, each filled with antique treasures, are seen in this 2003 publicity photo for Atlantique City. Image courtesy Antique Trader and F+W Media.
Miles of aisles, each filled with antique treasures, are seen in this 2003 publicity photo for Atlantique City. Image courtesy Antique Trader and F+W Media.

IOLA, Wis. – For more than 23 years, collectors from all corners of the world made the journey to the southern New Jersey gambling mecca of Atlantic City to shop for antiques and collectibles at the Atlantique City mega-show. Those days – at least under the current ownership – now appear to have come to an end with the announcement from F+W Media, parent company of the show’s sponsor, Antique Trader, that the spring 2010 edition of the event has been canceled.

Citing the opportunity to further develop its online collectors marketplace and launch a Midwest-based antiques event, F+W Media issued a press release confirming its cancellation of the spring event, which would have taken place over the weekend of March 27-28, 2010. While the press release leaves questions regarding whether or not the show name and rights have been sold, or may be sold, there can be little question that F+W is moving in other directions within the antique-show sector.

“Given the uncertainty surrounding the current economic environment, we believe it’s in our best interest not to produce the Atlantique City event next year and to notify the antiques and collectibles community of our decision now,” said David Blansfield, President, F+W Media. “The resources within our Antiques & Collectibles team will instead focus on new opportunities within our changing marketplace, and we’ll engage with the community about these new initiatives immediately.”

“There are immediate opportunities for us to produce events in the Midwest, closer to our core communities, as well as to continue to develop…our antiques and collectibles community online,” Blansfield added. “Our focus will shift to organically growing these new businesses.”

Key initiatives include the launch of an antiques and collectibles show at the Iola Old Car Show and Swap Meet, with a July 8-11, 2010 debut. The Iola car show and swap meet regularly attracts nearly 100,000 attendees annually. Additionally, F+W plans to develop its online collector marketplace and expand its Antique Trader print and online editions.

“Our goal is to better serve both buyers and sellers and all enthusiasts moving forward,” Antique Trader Publisher and Editorial Director Dianne Wheeler. “New opportunities are being created every day to ensure F+W Media’s family of products are well positioned at the core of the community, serving our readers and vendor partners in the best way possible.”

In her Sept. 2, 2009 blog appearing in the online edition of the Press of Atlantic City newspaper, columnist Carla Linz Callaway suggests that the event fell prey to “changing times and technology,” and that it is gone for good. In the blog posting, she writes that “Atlantic City tourism officials don’t expect it to come back.”

While unconfirmed, there has been a buzz circulating within the antiques trade that a Florida-based show promotion group may have bought, or is in the process of buying, Atlantique City – or that they may be interested in establishing an antiques fair of their own at the Atlantic City Convention Center. Whether there is any truth to the rumor or not, collectors can look forward to another new show which will take place in the Philadelphia/South Jersey metro area – an “antiques and collectors expo” produced by Jerry Frey. The show will launch in April 2010 at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center at Oaks, near Valley Forge and King of Prussia Mall. Auction Central News will provide full details on this event in the near future.

All dealers who signed up in advance for Atlantique City will receive a full and complete refund of their deposit monies as soon as possible. Any questions regarding deposits should be addressed to Events Coordinator Karen Thulien, She can be reached via e-mail at Karen.Thulien@fwmedia.com.

About Atlantique City:

Held in recent years at the new Atlantic City Convention Center, Atlantique City started in 1986 as an annual show held at the original Atlantic City Convention Center venue and quickly grew as one of the nation’s most diverse and largest indoor antiques and collectibles shows. In time, the show expanded to semiannual status. Over the years, some of the world’s top dealers exhibited antiques, toys, advertising, fine porcelain, glass and lighting, jewelry and various collectibles at Atlantique City.

Krause Publications purchased the show from founder Norman Schaut in 2001 and eventually dropped the fall edition, returning it to an annual event. The shows consistently offered as much in entertainment value as in buying and selling opportunities. Special displays have included the Kennedy Collection, Miss America memorabilia, and Treasures from the Titanic.

ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE

Historical photograph of an Atlantic City tourist boat, from a special display enjoyed by patrons of a past Atlantique City Show. Image courtesy Antique Trader and F+W Media.
Historical photograph of an Atlantic City tourist boat, from a special display enjoyed by patrons of a past Atlantique City Show. Image courtesy Antique Trader and F+W Media.

Feds gather vast collection of artifacts from Colorado dealer

The Four Corners region is in the red area on this map. Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons.
The Four Corners region is in the red area on this map. Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons.
The Four Corners region is in the red area on this map. Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) – A Colorado antiquities dealer is surrendering a vast personal collection of ancient artifacts in another break in the federal investigation of looting and grave-robbing in the Four Corners region.

More than 20 government agents, archaeologists and curators descended early Wednesday on a home in Durango, Colo., to haul away a lifetime collection from 74-year-old Carl “Vern” Crites and his wife.

The Bureau of Land Management said the couple was voluntarily turning over its entire collection, which one agent described as staggering. Two moving vans were at the house. Court papers say the items include prayer sticks, ivory beads and a ceremonial war club.

Crites and his wife, Marie, are under indictment for trafficking, theft and grave desecration.

“It’s enormously traumatic for them,” said Wally Bugden, a Salt Lake City lawyer representing Vern Crites. “He’s collected artifacts for 50-plus years, as have many people in the Four Corners area. Whether they were legally obtained or not is obviously the issue.”

According to court papers, some of the artifacts were pilfered from federal lands in Utah. But BLM spokesman Steven Hall said it would take examinations by archaeologists to determine the origin of each artifact. Some are believed by investigators to be thousands of years old.

A spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney for Utah, Brett Tolman, said the surrender was not being made in tandem with a plea deal.

“We can’t confirm any plea deal until one is executed, and right now there isn’t one,” said spokeswoman Melodie Rydalch. “We expect a judge to set a trial in this case just like all of the other cases.”

The surrender, together with a similar hand-over earlier this summer by Jeanne Redd of Blanding, Utah, recovers some of the biggest collections at the center of a 2 1/2-year sting operation, which resulted in felony charges against 25 people. Two of them committed suicide, another two quickly pleaded guilty and the rest have pleaded not guilty.

The investigation broke open in early June with early morning raids on a dozen rural Utah homes. Other defendants were arrested or surrendered in Colorado and New Mexico. Authorities have already seized truckloads of artifacts and are aggressively pursuing leads.

Vern and Marie Crites left their house Wednesday with the arrival of federal agents, Hall said. In a brief interview last week, Marie Crites told The Associated Press she had no comment – except to complain that during her arrest in June, she was thrown into jail in handcuffs and denied a bathroom visit.

Vern Crites described much of his collection in a series of secret recordings made by a FBI undercover operative throughout 2008. Characterized by other players as a major dealer and “price-setter,” Crites bragged of having sold pottery collections worth $500,000 a set, according to search warrant affidavits obtained by the AP.

Crites traded $4,800 of artifacts with the undercover operative Aug. 27, 2008, the documents say.

His most precious items, however, were not for sale.

The papers say Crites carefully guarded a collection of sacred Pueblo prayer sticks, telling the informant he could not reveal how he obtained them and wouldn’t sell any for fear they could be traced back to him.

Utah state archaeologist Kevin Jones said Pueblo prayer sticks “are just simply not available for sale or to outsiders. It would be like taking the chalice out of a Catholic church,” Jones said. “They’re anointed, sacred objects still in use for ceremonies.”

Crites also revealed to the government informant that in a 1986 raid, federal agents took 32 of his pots but overlooked a hidden safe and the most damning evidence – a ledger of a lifetime of trading that named people he dealt with. He also was recorded saying the safe contained a mummified eagle.

At another point, the informant said he watched Crites dig up an ancient burial site, kicking out a skull on the third shovelful. Spooked, Crites and another man covered up the remains without trying to recover any artifacts.

“Wish that fella had still been intact – the skeleton, I mean,” Crites was recorded saying at a site in San Juan County, Utah.

Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

AP-WS-08-19-09 1355EDT

German police confiscate fake Giacomettis

A genuine Alberto Giacometti sculpture, Three Men Walking II, 1949, courtesy The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
A genuine Alberto Giacometti sculpture, Three Men Walking II, 1949, courtesy The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
A genuine Alberto Giacometti sculpture, Three Men Walking II, 1949, courtesy The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

BERLIN (AP) – German police have confiscated hundreds of bronze and plaster statues alleged to be the works of Alberto Giacometti (Italian, 1901-1966) and arrested an art dealer and two others on suspicion of selling the fakes across the globe.
Prosecutors in Stuttgart said Wednesday a 59-year-old man in Frankfurt, as well as a 61-year-old art dealer and his wife, have been held in detention since their arrest a week ago.

The trio face charges of collaborating since 2004 to offer and sell the forged artworks, complete with certificates of authentication, to buyers worldwide for tens of millions of dollars. None of the suspects were identified.

Prosecutors said the 61-year-old posed as a count who worked as a salesman offering the statues to potential buyers. His 59-year-old colleague then posed as a friend of the artist’s brother, saying he had found the statues in a secret cache, found after his death in 1966.

Earlier this year, a Giacometti sculpture sold at a New York auction for $7.7 million, above its pre-sale estimate. The bronze, titled Bust of Diego, which features the artist’s brother, had not been exhibited for more than 35 years.

Giacometti is probably best known for his skeletal and elongated standing women and striding men, depicted on the current 100-Swiss franc bank note along with a portrait of the artist.

Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

AP-WS-08-19-09 1353EDT

Heroes and villains sign in at Written Word’s Sept. 12-13 sale

Charles Arthur ‘Pretty Boy' Floyd already had a lengthy rap sheet when these mug shots were taken by the Akron, Ohio, Police Department in 1930. The card also contains a set of the notorious bank robber's finger prints. The unique document has a $5,000-$9,000 estimate. Image courtesy Written Word Autographs.

Charles Arthur ‘Pretty Boy' Floyd already had a lengthy rap sheet when these mug shots were taken by the Akron, Ohio, Police Department in 1930. The card also contains a set of the notorious bank robber's finger prints. The unique document has a $5,000-$9,000 estimate. Image courtesy Written Word Autographs.
Charles Arthur ‘Pretty Boy’ Floyd already had a lengthy rap sheet when these mug shots were taken by the Akron, Ohio, Police Department in 1930. The card also contains a set of the notorious bank robber’s finger prints. The unique document has a $5,000-$9,000 estimate. Image courtesy Written Word Autographs.
TAMWORTH, N.H. – Some of America’s most celebrated heroes and villains are represented in Written Word Autograph’s online auction Sept. 12-13. LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding.

Among the villains is a signed mug shot/fingerprint card of notorious bank robber and gangster Pretty Boy Floyd, who was elevated by the FBI to Public Enemy No. 1 following the death of John Dillinger. Charles Arthur Floyd (1904-1934) already had a lengthy criminal record when he was arrested in Akron, Ohio, in connection with the slaying of a police officer in 1930. The card is signed “Frank Mitchel,” an alias used by Floyd, who was gunned down two years later by authorities in a field near East Liverpool, Ohio.

The double-sided document, 8 1/2 by 8 1/2 inches, is estimated at $5,000-$9,000.

“It’s the only one I’ve ever seen,” said Dan Rowe, owner of Written Word Auctions.

On a brighter note, said Rowe, “We have 200 presidents’ and first ladies’ autographs in this auction.”

One president’s autograph is that of Barack Obama, who signed the title page of the book The Torch is Passed, a compilation of Associated Press stories about the assassination and funeral of John F. Kennedy. The book is signed by President Obama under the words from JFK’s inaugural address: “… Let the word go forth from this time and place … that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans.”

“It’s a great association piece,” said Rowe, who assigned it a $2,500-$4,500 estimate.

A signed “Obama ’08” bumper sticker is estimated at $750-$1,200.

Also in the auction is a matted and framed document signed by President Kennedy appointing John Alexander McCone director of the CIA on Nov. 29, 1961. McCone was a key figure during the Cuban missile crisis in 1962. The appointment, which is countersigned by Secretary of State Dean Rusk, has a $6,000-$15,000 estimate.

The auction lot boasting the top estimate is a five-year run of The Richmond Examiner when the city was the capital of the Confederacy. The approximately 805 issues are mostly single sheets printed on paper measuring 17 by 24 inches. The collection of first-hand Civil War news has an estimate of $90,000-$95,000.

Another group of American heroes to be remembered are the sailors aboard the USS Indianapolis, which a Japanese submarine torpedoes on July 30, 1945. After the battleship quickly sank, 880 men floated in the sea without lifeboats for four days until the rescue mission picked up survivors. By then only 317 remained. A 8-by-10 aerial photo of the Indianapolis in San Francisco Bay is signed by 19 of the survivors. This scarce relic of World War II has a $400-$700 estimate.

For details contact Written Word Auctions at 603-323-7563.

View the fully illustrated catalog and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet during the sale at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

Click here to view The Written Word Autographs’ complete catalog.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

Barack Obama signed the title page of the book ‘The Torch Is Passed,' a compilation of Associated Press stories relating to the death and funeral of John F. Kennedy. It has a $2,500-$4,500 estimate. Image courtesy Written Word Autographs.
Barack Obama signed the title page of the book ‘The Torch Is Passed,’ a compilation of Associated Press stories relating to the death and funeral of John F. Kennedy. It has a $2,500-$4,500 estimate. Image courtesy Written Word Autographs.

Dressed in Yankees pinstripes, possibly for an old-timers game, are Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle. The 11- by 14-inch autographed photo is estimated at $400-$900. Image courtesy Written Word Autographs.
Dressed in Yankees pinstripes, possibly for an old-timers game, are Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle. The 11- by 14-inch autographed photo is estimated at $400-$900. Image courtesy Written Word Autographs.

Harry S. Truman (1894-1972) signed this baseball on the sweet spot. A tough presidential autograph to come by, this example has an estimate of $2,000-$3,800. Image courtesy Written Word Autographs.
Harry S. Truman (1894-1972) signed this baseball on the sweet spot. A tough presidential autograph to come by, this example has an estimate of $2,000-$3,800. Image courtesy Written Word Autographs.

Nineteen survivors of the USS Indianapolis signed this 8-by-10 photo of the battleship, which was torpedoed and sunk by a Japanese submarine in the final weeks of World War II. A reminder of the worst naval disaster in U.S. history, the photo has a $400-$700 estimate. Image courtesy Written Word Autographs.
Nineteen survivors of the USS Indianapolis signed this 8-by-10 photo of the battleship, which was torpedoed and sunk by a Japanese submarine in the final weeks of World War II. A reminder of the worst naval disaster in U.S. history, the photo has a $400-$700 estimate. Image courtesy Written Word Autographs.

Every issue of ‘The Ibis, A Magazine of General Ornithology,' contains about a dozen hand-colored lithographs of newly discovered and exotic birds. A complete run of the British publication, 109 volumes, has a $20,000-$25,000 estimate. Image courtesy Written Word Autographs.
Every issue of ‘The Ibis, A Magazine of General Ornithology,’ contains about a dozen hand-colored lithographs of newly discovered and exotic birds. A complete run of the British publication, 109 volumes, has a $20,000-$25,000 estimate. Image courtesy Written Word Autographs.

Champion Hong Kong’s Aug. 23 sale features rare Bank of China $1 note

Image courtesy Champion Hong Kong Auction and LiveAuctioneers.com.
Image courtesy Champion Hong Kong Auction and LiveAuctioneers.com.
Image courtesy Champion Hong Kong Auction and LiveAuctioneers.com.

KOWLOON, HONG KONG – On Aug. 23, Champion Hong Kong Auction will conduct its Online Sale IV featuring a rare example of the first $1 bank note issued by China Bank. Internet live bidding in this sale will be provided by LiveAuctioneers.com.

Chinese revolutionary and political leader Sun Yat-sen (1866-1925) became Provisional President after the Republic of China was established on Jan. 1, 1912. Sun, who played an instrumental role in overthrowing the Qing Dynasty in October 1911, the last imperial dynasty of China, is frequently referred to as the Father of the Nation.

One of Sun’s first official acts as Provisional President was to establish China Bank as the official central bank of the Chinese government, replacing the Government Bank of Imperial China. After approval, China Bank was opened at the former Ta-Ching Bank site on February 5, 1912.

The bank note in Champion’s sale is a Provisional issue, overprinted with the words “China” on the left and “Bank” on the right. The bank’s location has not been overprinted, and the bill has not been canceled.

It is entered in the auction as lot 122 and is offered with a $6,000-$12,000 estimate.

View the fully illustrated auction catalog and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet on auction day through www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

Click here to view Champion Hong Kong Auction’s complete catalog.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

Sun Yat-Sen (18-66-1925). Library of Congress image.
Sun Yat-Sen (18-66-1925). Library of Congress image.

Federal crackdown puts tribal artifact dealers on edge

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) – An intensifying federal investigation into the sale of Native-American artifacts has cloaked the market in a fog of fear and uncertainty.

Wealthy collectors are more cautious about buying artifacts for fear of criminal liability, and reputable dealers say they’re working double-time to prove their legitimacy after being wrongly lumped together with looters and gravediggers.

Amid grumbling about government meddling, the tension was evident Tuesday at one of the nation’s largest and longest-running Indian artifact shows.

“I think a lot of people are just scared because there’s a lot of misconception about whether this stuff is legal or illegal,” said Jeff Hammond, a private collector and dealer who was displaying prehistoric pots at the 31st annual Whitehawk Antique Show.

Hundreds of prospective buyers crowded into the exhibit space Tuesday to get a look at the artifacts, from a rare Sikyatki polychrome jar to bead-adorned moccasins, silver jewelry, painted animal hides and woven baskets.

While there was talk about the beauty and rarity of some items, the buzz was all about the federal crackdown on the trafficking of relics in the Four Corners region, an area rich in prehistoric archaeological sites and artifacts.

A two-year undercover investigation became public in June, with raids on homes and businesses throughout the region. More than 20 people were arrested and indicted on allegations of taking the goods illegally. Twenty-five people face felony charges – two of them have committed suicide.

On Tuesday, a New Mexico man indicted in the case pleaded not guilty in federal court in Salt Lake City. David Waite, 61, of Albuquerque faces charges of trafficking, transporting stolen goods and theft for selling a cache of 24 knife points taken from federal lands in Utah.

On Wednesday, more than 20 government agents, archaeologists and curators descended on a home in Durango, Colo., to haul away a lifetime collection from 74-year-old Carl “Vern” Crites and his wife.

Authorities said the couple voluntarily turned over the collection, which one agent described as staggering. Court papers say items include ancient Anasazi prayer sticks, ivory beads and a ceremonial war club.

Crites was among those indicted on charges of trafficking, theft and grave desecration.
The dealers at the Santa Fe show, many of whom have been collecting and selling Indian artifacts for more than two decades, said they were concerned about their reputations because of a growing public perception that anyone involved in the trade could be involved with the criminal element that’s being targeted by federal agents.

“Are there people doing bad things? Yes. And I’m sure the court system will give them what they deserve,” said Walter Knox, a dealer who runs an upscale gallery in Scottsdale, Arizona. “But since this started, I’m still getting checked a lot, and it’s getting kind of silly.”

Every week, Knox said he has to run someone out of his gallery for trying to sell him stolen pots.

“I post my rules so people know I’m not going to deal with anything shady,” said Knox, a retired police officer.

The aisles of the exhibit hall were crowded with collectors Tuesday, including business leaders and Santa Fe’s elite. There were hugs and handshakes from the dealers for their regular customers, but rumors also were circulating about suspicious vans outside and undercover federal agents.

Knox shrugged it off, saying the caliber of dealers at the show is such that they have nothing to worry about.

While they don’t condone looting or the trafficking of illegal artifacts, many dealers said the federal government has been liberal in its interpretation of archaeological resource protection laws and heavy-handed in its effort to crack down.

Mac Grimmer, a Santa Fe dealer who has helped assemble many antique Indian art collections, said there have been crackdowns in the past and the market eventually settles down. But this could be different, he said.

While prehistoric artifacts are only a small percentage of the Indian art market, Grimmer said the perception that buying Indian artifacts in general could lead to jail time or a visit from federal agents has had a chilling effect.

“The part that nobody seems to understand is that there is a bigger contemporary Indian art market. If you continue to beat down on ‘Indian art,’ it’s going to slop over onto that contemporary art and destroy this very lucrative and very large market that the American Indian population has built up,” he said.

Grimmer and the other dealers said they go to great lengths to ensure that the artifacts they buy and sell have a legitimate history, including details on when and from where they were collected.

For Knox, many pots in his collections were acquired from museums or digs on private land.

One of Knox’s clients has spent more than $1 million buying pottery and donating it to
museums to build Indian collections. He said despite the picture federal investigators have painted of the trade, he and his fellow dealers are not camouflage-wearing felons who loot sites under the cover of darkness.

“We’re the ones who love this stuff, who clean it and care for it,” he said. “That’s what people are doing, preserving history. And there’s a right way and a wrong way to do it.”

Hammond added that there’s no reason to consider a shady deal or illegal activity when there are so many legitimate Indian artifacts on the market.

“If you really want to do this and not look over your shoulder and always have to watch your back and worry about things, you just need to stay on the right side,” he said.
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Whitehawk Antique Shows, http://whitehawkshows.com

Antique Tribal Art Dealers Association, http://www.atada.org
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Associated Press reporter Paul Foy in Salt Lake City contributed to this story.

Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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