Panel to discuss legal aspects of cultural artifacts

Three large Blue Gem Mine turquoise cabochons highlight this Navajo bracelet crafted circa 1940. It is from the Challis L. Thiessen Collection. Image courtesy of Arch Thiessen
Three large Blue Gem Mine turquoise cabochons highlight this Navajo bracelet crafted circa 1940. It is from the Challis L. Thiessen Collection. Image courtesy of Arch Thiessen
Three large Blue Gem Mine turquoise cabochons highlight this Navajo bracelet crafted circa 1940. It is from the Challis L. Thiessen Collection. Image courtesy of Arch Thiessen

SAN FRANCISCO – A panel discussion titled Collectors, Dealers, Museums & the Law, a highlight of Arte du Monde Week, will take place Feb. 11 beginning at noon Pacific at the Marin Civic Center in San Rafael.

The panel features members of the judicial, academic, law enforcement and art dealer communities. Aimed toward collectors, dealers and the general public, the purpose of the discussion is to increase awareness of cultural property laws as well as the legal responsibilities of collectors, dealers and museums.

This discussion is sponsored by the Antique Tribal Art Dealers Association and coincides with the San Francisco Bay Area Arte du Monde /Tribal Arts Weekend.

Panelists include:

  • Kate Fitz Gibbon is a Santa Fe, N.M., attorney specializing in cultural patrimony issues. She is the author of Who Owns the Past? Cultural Policy, Cultural Property, and the Law published by Rutgers University Press. She served on the Cultural Property Advisory Committee to the U.S. President from 2000 to 2003.
  • Steven F. Gruel is a former federal prosecutor from the Northern District of California. In addition to serving as chief of the Major Crime Section, he received numerous awards for his work from U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno and FBI Directors Louis Freeh and Robert Mueller. In 2005 he started his own law firm concentrating on criminal defense and business litigation.
  • Mark Johnson is a Los Angeles Tribal Art dealer considered one of the principal specialists in the United States on the Tribal Arts of Indonesia and Southeast Asia. He is the official advisor on Indonesian Tribal Art for the Mingei International Museum in San Diego.
  • A U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service law enforcement officer.

Admission to the panel discussion is free, but space is limited. For reservations, call (415) 925-3717 and leave a message.

The panel discussion will take place in the Exhibit Hall of the Marin Civic Center, 10 Avenue of the Flags in San Rafael, Calif. The event is part of the of the Arte du Monde/Tribal Arts Weekend in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Weekend (actually two weekends) is anchored by three major art shows that attract a local, national and international audience of approximately 15,000. More than 400 top international galleries and dealers participate each year in the shows.

Participating art fairs are:

  • San Francisco Arts of Pacific Asia Show, Fort Mason Center, San Francisco, opening night preview Feb. 4, Feb. 5-7;
  • San Francisco Tribal & Textile Arts Show, Fort Mason Center, San Francisco, opening night preview Feb. 11, Feb. 12-14;
  • Marin Show: Art of the Americas, Exhibit Hall, Marin Civic Center, San Rafael, opening night preview Feb. 12, Feb. 13-14.

On Tribal Arts Weekend (Feb. 12-14) visitors will be admitted to both the San Francisco Tribal & Textile Arts Show and the Marin Show: Art of the Americas with the purchase of one ticket ($15) at either show. Tickets are available at the door.

For details visit the Web site www.artedumondesf.com.


ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE


High Museum among consignors to Hindman auction Jan. 24-25

This two-piece George II-style red lacquered and parcel gilt secretary is 93 inches high by 40 inches wide by 24 inches deep. It has a $6,000-$8,000 estimate.
This two-piece George II-style red lacquered and parcel gilt secretary is 93 inches high by 40 inches wide by 24 inches deep. It has a $6,000-$8,000 estimate.
This two-piece George II-style red lacquered and parcel gilt secretary is 93 inches high by 40 inches wide by 24 inches deep. It has a $6,000-$8,000 estimate.

CHICAGO – Leslie Hindman Auctioneers will present its first of four Furniture and Decorative Arts Auctions this year, Jan. 24-25. More than 1,200 lots consigned by estates, private collectors and institutions from across the country will be sold at Hindman’s West Loop location. LiveAuctioneers will provide Internet live bidding.

The auction will begin Sunday at noon Central with the sale of a Georgian eglomise panel depicting an urn filled with flowers on a mirrored ground. The picture frame measures 33 1/2 inches by 29 inches. The estimate is $2,000-$4,000.

Ten lots later a George II-style red lacquered and parcel gilt secretary, consigned by Atlanta’s High Museum of Art to benefit its Acquisitions Fund, will open the furniture lineup. The 93-inch-tall secretary is decorated with chinoiserie figures and motifs. It has a $6,000-$8,000.

A 19th-century bracket clock adorned from top to bottom with gilt metal mounts is 52 inches tall. It features a face with Arabic numerals above winged putti. This ornate timepiece carries a $20,000-$30,000 estimate.

Also selling on the first day is a 33-inch-tall Italian marble sculpture of the Three Graces, after Antonio Canova. The lovely trio is carved standing, draped and leaning together before a column. The estimate is $20,000-$30,000.

Eighteen Sevres-style porcelain plaques adorn the top of a gueridon, a small French table. The tabletop also holds a central porcelain panel of Louis XVI with gilt metal mounts throughout. It is 30 inches high by 31 inches in diameter and estimated at $20,000-$30,000.

Bronze female figures titled The Pharaoh’s Gift and The Queen’s Offering are each inscribed “E. Picault” and raised on a stepped marble and bronze base. The figures stand 20 1/4 inches high and have a $25,000-$35,000 estimate.

A pair of Continental cranberry cut glass urns features gilt metal mounts on the handles that depict female masks with braided hair. The 28 1/2-inch tall urns have a $30,000-$40,000 estimate.

More than 50 lots of carved jade will be among the Asian treasures to be on the second day of the auction, which will begin again at noon Central. One of the best is a reticulated lidded jade vessel of pale green stone, 11 1/4 inches in diameter. The top has a thinly carved central medallion of Shou Lau with radiating foliate carving above pierced figural scene panels around the perimeter. It carries a $20,000-$30,000 estimate.

Various Immortals are included in the mountainous scenes carved into a 5 1/2-inch high jade brush pot, which also carries a $20,000-$30,000 estimate.

Another item being sold for the High Museum is a French three-piece garniture by Bointaburet of Paris. Made during the second half of the 19th century of silver marble and bronze, each piece is remounted with silver putti allegorical of the four seasons. The centerpiece alone is 28 inches wide.

For details phone 312-334-4225.

To 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 Leslie Hindman Auctioneers’ complete catalog.


ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE


The Three Graces are carved in Italian white marble. The 33-inch-tall sculpture dates to the turn of the 20th century. It carries a $20,000-$30,000. Images courtesy Leslie Hindman Auctioneers.
The Three Graces are carved in Italian white marble. The 33-inch-tall sculpture dates to the turn of the 20th century. It carries a $20,000-$30,000. Images courtesy Leslie Hindman Auctioneers.

Pineapple form finials accent this 19th-century oak and gilt metal mounted bracket clock, which is 52 inches tall. It has a $20,000-$30,000 estimate. Images courtesy Leslie Hindman Auctioneers.
Pineapple form finials accent this 19th-century oak and gilt metal mounted bracket clock, which is 52 inches tall. It has a $20,000-$30,000 estimate. Images courtesy Leslie Hindman Auctioneers.

The Immortal Shou Lau is depicted in the central medallion of this finely carved lidded vessel, which measures 11 1/4 inches in diameter. It has a $20,000-$30,000 estimate. Images courtesy Leslie Hindman Auctioneers.
The Immortal Shou Lau is depicted in the central medallion of this finely carved lidded vessel, which measures 11 1/4 inches in diameter. It has a $20,000-$30,000 estimate. Images courtesy Leslie Hindman Auctioneers.

Silver bowls and mirrored plateaus are found on this three-piece garniture by Bointaburet. Each piece features silver putti, dolphins, mask fountains and waterfowl over silver bowls and mirrored plateaus. The set has an $8,000-$12,000 estimate. Images courtesy Leslie Hindman Auctioneers.
Silver bowls and mirrored plateaus are found on this three-piece garniture by Bointaburet. Each piece features silver putti, dolphins, mask fountains and waterfowl over silver bowls and mirrored plateaus. The set has an $8,000-$12,000 estimate. Images courtesy Leslie Hindman Auctioneers.

Rare German military figures led Old Toy Soldier Auctions’ Winter Sale

Heyde 15-piece set made in 1890 depicting Frederick the Great on white horse, with flag bearer, guards and two African drummers. Sold for $4,425 against an estimate of $700-$1,000.
Heyde 15-piece set made in 1890 depicting Frederick the Great on white horse, with flag bearer, guards and two African drummers. Sold for $4,425 against an estimate of $700-$1,000.
Heyde 15-piece set made in 1890 depicting Frederick the Great on white horse, with flag bearer, guards and two African drummers. Sold for $4,425 against an estimate of $700-$1,000.

PITTSBURGH – Collectors of antique toy soldiers and figures have long known that good things come in small packages, and that ever-growing legion of enthusiasts helped push the total for Old Toy Soldier’s Nov. 21 auction to $193,000 – the company’s highest sale total to date. Leading the charge in the 644-lot sale was an army of figures from the German manufacturer Heyde (pronounced “High-dee”).

“The Heyde lots really got the momentum going,” said Old Toy Soldier Auction USA’s owner, Ray Haradin. “There was a tremendous amount of interest in them, and in all the German-made figures, for that matter.”

Haradin explained that collectors are attracted to Heyde figures because they are highly realistic and do not look mass produced. “Their sets are very fanciful. They tend to have 20 pieces in them, with all 20 being different, so they display very nicely. Also, Heyde made their figures in a larger scale than Britains did, so they tend to cross over more with toy and train collectors.”

The top-selling Heyde set in Old Toy Soldier’s November sale, which utilized LiveAuctioneers.com for its Internet live bidding, was an 1890 ensemble of 15 pieces featuring Frederick the Great on his white mount, flag bearer, guards and two African drummers. Estimated at $700-$1,000, the grouping was bid to a hefty $4,425 (all prices quoted inclusive of 18 percent buyer’s premium).

Other Heyde lots that finished well above estimate included an extremely rare, boxed circa-1910 Old Volunteer Corps comprised of officer drummer and 10 men and 10 men, $3,835; and a set called the Napoleonic Old Guard, $1,416.

Britains is the brand that has the largest collector base of all the toy soldier companies, and Haradin said that more than 100 “regular, very active collectors” of Britains participate in his sales. “Because Britains produced so many sets, it takes persistence if you want to be a ‘completist,’ but that’s what makes it so enjoyable,” he said. “In this sale we saw a lot of bidders going after the pre-World War I sets from the renowned collection of Deutschebank managing director Vincent C. Banker.” Mr. Banker’s premier collection of figures was previously featured in Town & Country magazine.

Among the Britains auctioned on Nov. 21, a Life Guard Band in red achieved $2,714 against a $700 high estimate, while a civilian figural pair known as the Lambeth Walk Dancers achieved $1,770. An exceptionally rare H.R.H. The Prince of Wales in the uniform of the Welsh Guards, made around 1939, retained its original box indicating it was made exclusively for the souvenir shop at Madame Tussauds in London. It garnered an above-estimate price of $2,360.

Few Britains productions rival the charm of their 1937-1941 Noah’s Ark with figures of Noah, his wife and 22 animals. With a box ingeniously designed to double as an ark, the set drew a throng of bidders who sent the lot sailing to a closing price of $5,900.

A much-anticipated highlight of the sale was the late Dr. James “Doc” Wengert’s collection of figures, vehicles and other scale-model toys related to military medicine. A third-generation physician, Dr. Wengert served as a U.S. Navy flight surgeon during the Vietnam War. Because of his profession, he chose to specialize in medical figures – doctors, nurses, orderlies, stretcher bearers, wounded soldiers – and all the accoutrements that a collector might desire in setting up a miniature M.A.S.H unit, like operating tents, field kitchens, rescue dogs and emergency vehicles.

“Many new people with a connection to medicine – notably physicians and dentists – heard about this unique collection and decided to bid in the sale. They couldn’t have picked a better way to get started in this specialty collecting field,” said Haradin, noting that there “strength all across this part of the sale. The prices weren’t huge numbers, but they were consistently above estimate.” A very rare circa-1890 British medical ensemble made by T. Krause (Germany) and featuring 20 pieces was the highest-priced lot from the Wengert collection. Featuring a medical tent, tinplate horse-drawn medical wagon, medical officers, nurse, and other figures and accessories, it sold for $2,124 against a high estimate of $1,200.

Single figures that were made by special order at the Britains factory in 1938 included two khaki-attired medics – one with a forage cap, the other with a peaked cap. They sold well above estimate at $767 and $798, respectively. A circa-1934 Johillco brand 5-piece Abyssinian Red Cross Unit with original red-and-white-labeled box made $650.

Together with the antique and vintage pieces that form the core of his sales, Haradin always offers a selection of later soldiers and figures to encourage new collectors. “If you don’t want to dive right into the earlier market, buying quality pieces from the 1980s is a great way to get your feet wet and become involved in the hobby,” Haradin said. He noted that even the more recently made military miniatures are seeing a “nice spike in value” at auction. In the November sale, a 1980s King & Country TK011 Austin K2 Ambulance, gloss green version and one of only 20 made, sped past its $400-$600 estimate to apply the brakes at $1,416.

On Saturday, May 1, 2010, Old Toy Soldier Auctions USA will conduct an absentee, phone and Internet auction (through LiveAuctioneers.com) from its home base in Pittsburgh. The event will feature the premier Britains collection of brothers Don Thompson and the late Bill Thompson, as well as part III of the John Graham collection. Additional select properties, including a San Francisco collection of coveted 1950s Courtenay knights, will round out the auction offering.

For additional information, call 412-343-8733 or 800-349-8009; or visit Old Toy Soldier Auctions USA online at www.oldtoysoldierauctions.com. Watch for the fully illustrated electronic catalog at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

# # #

Click here to view Old Toy Soldier Auctions USA’s complete catalog.


ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE


Circa-1910 Heyde Old Volunteer Corps Set #1387 with original box, $3,835.
Circa-1910 Heyde Old Volunteer Corps Set #1387 with original box, $3,835.

Extremely rare circa-1939 Britains H.R.H. The Prince of Wales in the uniform of the Welsh Guards, made under special commission for souvenir shop at Madame Tussauds, $2,360.
Extremely rare circa-1939 Britains H.R.H. The Prince of Wales in the uniform of the Welsh Guards, made under special commission for souvenir shop at Madame Tussauds, $2,360.

Britains 1937-1941 Noah’s Ark Set #1550 with figures of Noah and his wife, a variety of animal pairs and an ark-shape box, $5,900.
Britains 1937-1941 Noah’s Ark Set #1550 with figures of Noah and his wife, a variety of animal pairs and an ark-shape box, $5,900.

Circa-1890 T. Krause (Gotha, Germany) 20-piece representation of British medical unit. Estimate $900-$1,200.
Circa-1890 T. Krause (Gotha, Germany) 20-piece representation of British medical unit. Estimate $900-$1,200.

Britains 1938 figure representing a khaki-uniformed World War II medic, $767.
Britains 1938 figure representing a khaki-uniformed World War II medic, $767.

1980s-vintage King & Country TK011 Austin K2 Ambulance, one of only 20 made, $1,416.
1980s-vintage King & Country TK011 Austin K2 Ambulance, one of only 20 made, $1,416.

Circa-1934 Johillco Abyssinian Red Cross Unit with original box, $650.
Circa-1934 Johillco Abyssinian Red Cross Unit with original box, $650.

Britains’ Lambeth Walk dancing duo based on the musical Me and My Girl, made only during the year 1939, $1,770.
Britains’ Lambeth Walk dancing duo based on the musical Me and My Girl, made only during the year 1939, $1,770.

Ground broken for St. Louis Art Museum expansion

Evening view of the St. Louis Art Museum at Forest Park in a photo taken by Matt Kitces on Sept. 27, 2008. Image used by permission, Creative Commons license, Wikimedia Commons.
Evening view of the St. Louis Art Museum at Forest Park in a photo taken by Matt Kitces on Sept. 27, 2008. Image used by permission, Creative Commons license, Wikimedia Commons.
Evening view of the St. Louis Art Museum at Forest Park in a photo taken by Matt Kitces on Sept. 27, 2008. Image used by permission, Creative Commons license, Wikimedia Commons.

ST. LOUIS (AP) – The St. Louis Art Museum broke ground on Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2010, to mark the start of a $130.5 million expansion project.

Mayor Francis Slay, St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley and other dignitaries attended the 3 p.m. event outside the museum in the city’s Forest Park.

Museum officials announced the go-ahead for the expansion last month – more than a year after weakening credit markets and the sour economy delayed the project.

The expansion has been in the planning stages for more than a decade. The new wings are expected to open in about two years, and the museum will remain open during construction.

The additional space will allow the museum to display more of its 30,000-piece collection.

Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

AP-CS-01-19-10 0501EST

Egypt says temple dedicated to cat goddess found

Statue of cat goddess Bastet, photographed by Gryffindor in 2008 at the Istanbul Museum. Permission to use image granted through GNU Free Documentation License, Creative Commons.

Statue of cat goddess Bastet, photographed by Gryffindor in 2008 at the Istanbul Museum. Permission to use image granted through GNU Free Documentation License, Creative Commons.
Statue of cat goddess Bastet, photographed by Gryffindor in 2008 at the Istanbul Museum. Permission to use image granted through GNU Free Documentation License, Creative Commons.

CAIRO (AP) – Egypt says its archaeologists have unearthed a Ptolemaic temple dating back more than 2,000 years, that may have been dedicated to the ancient cat-goddess Bastet.

The Supreme Council of Antiquities said the temple’s ruins were discovered in the heart of the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria, the seat of the dynasty founded by Alexander the Great in the 4th century B.C., that ended with the suicide of Cleopatra 300 years later.

The statement said the temple was thought to belong to Queen Berenice, wife of King Ptolemy III who ruled Egypt in the 3rd century B.C.

Mohammed Abdel-Maqsood, the Egyptian archaeologist who led the excavation team, said the discovery may be the first trace of the long-sought location of Alexandria’s royal quarter.

The large number of statues depicting Bastet found in the ruins, he said, indicated that this may be the first Ptolemaic temple discovered in Alexandria to be dedicated to the cat goddess.

That also suggests that the worship of the cat-goddess continued in Egypt during the later, more Greek-influenced, Ptolemaic period, he said. Statues of other ancient Egyptian deities also present, he added.

Zahi Hawas, Egypt’s chief archaeologist, said the temple may have been used in later times as a quarry and that this was evidenced by the large number of missing stone blocks.

Modern Alexandria was built squarely on top of the ruins of the classical-era city and many of the great temples, palaces and libraries of that time remain undiscovered.

The temple was found in the Kom el-Dekkah neighborhood near the city’s main train station and is also the site of a Roman-era amphitheater and well preserved mosaics.

It said the temple was thought to belong to Queen Berenice, wife of King Ptolemy III who ruled Egypt in the 3rd century B.C.

The archaeologist who led the excavation team, Mohammed Abdel-Maqsood, said the ruins indicate this may be the first Ptolemaic temple discovered in Alexandria to be dedicated to Bastet and indicates that the worship of the cat-goddess continued in Egypt after the end of the ancient Egyptian era.

Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

AP-CS-01-19-10 0820EST

Legendary Miss. dealer’s antiques to sell at St. Charles Gallery, Jan. 23-24

Probably made in New Orleans or New York, this American Gothic Revival oak chair is considered rare and important because of its place in plantations of the antebellum South. This fine example has a $20,000-$40,000 estimate. Image courtesy New Orleans Auction St. Charles Gallery Inc.
Probably made in New Orleans or New York, this American Gothic Revival oak chair is considered rare and important because of its place in plantations of the antebellum South. This fine example has a $20,000-$40,000 estimate. Image courtesy New Orleans Auction St. Charles Gallery Inc.
Probably made in New Orleans or New York, this American Gothic Revival oak chair is considered rare and important because of its place in plantations of the antebellum South. This fine example has a $20,000-$40,000 estimate. Image courtesy New Orleans Auction St. Charles Gallery Inc.

NEW ORLEANS – New Orleans Auction St. Charles Gallery will sell nearly 1,500 lots of antiques and fine art at its Jan. 23-24 auction. Highlights range from a Belter sofa in the Tuthill King pattern, to a rare Gothic Revival oak hall chair to a museum-quality collection of American Brilliant-period cut glass. LiveAuctioneers will provide Internet live bidding.

The cut glass is from the estate of Johnnie Mac Booker, a longtime antique dealer who operated Booker’s Antiques in Whynot, Miss., since 1961. Mr. Booker’s inventory focused on cut glass, Wave Crest glass, carnival glass, clocks, oil paintings and Victorian furniture. He died last August.

“His prized collection of American Brilliant cut glass includes some of the finest examples we have had the pleasure of offering,” said Tessa Steinkamp, executive vice president of St. Charles Gallery.

Reportedly named for a wealthy real estate tycoon in Chicago, the coveted Tuthill King pattern was one of the most elaborate pierced carving found on furniture made by the New York shops of John Henry Belter. The sofa attributed to Belter in the St. Charles Gallery auction is 48 inches high, 87 inches long and 32 inches deep. It carries an estimate of $50,000-$80,000.

An American Rococo Revival rosewood étagère attributed to J. H. Belter is a rare low version of the étagère sold by Belter to “Rosalie” in Natchez, Miss., in the third quarter of the 19th century. Rosalie became the name of another Belter carving pattern. The crest, centered by fruit carving amid a pierced foliate- and grape-carved field, is on an arched central mirror flanked by two graduated serpentine shelves on a pair of larger serpentine shelves each backed by a mirror plate, on a low serpentine marble-top base with central shell, foliate and fruit carving. It stands 76 1/2 inches high by 54 inches wide by 16 inches deep. The estimate is $18,000-$25,000.

The Gothic Revival side chair is American, made in either New York or New Orleans, and considered an important piece from the plantations of the antebellum South. The oak chair has carved spires reaching 70 1/2 inches high. A similar chair sold for nearly $29,000 at St. Charles Gallery in January 2009. This one has a $20,000-$40,000 estimate.

A Pairpoint Puffy table lamp with a reverse-painted shade depicting roses in bloom is another featured lot in the sale. The shade retains a partial gold stamped label “Pairpoint Corp.” The base is marked with a only a cast number “1116.”

It’s undoubtedly the original base,” said Steinkamp.

The lamp is 22 inches tall and the shade is 10 inches in diameter. The estimate is $3,000-$5,000.

An attractive pair of Paris porcelain garniture vases from the third quarter 19th century, now mounted as table lamps, 14 1/2 inches high, has a $700-$800 estimate. One façade of each of the rococo-style vases is well-painted with a spray of summer flowers, the reverse with gallants reserves.

One of the top paintings in the sale is Portrait of a Young Girl With a Sheep by Carnig Eksergian (Armenian/American, 1855-1931). Signed and dated 1906, the 54- by 47-inch oil on canvas is presented in a period molded giltwood and gesso frame.

“It’s by a good artist who has work in the Metropolitan Museum of Art,” said Steinkamp. The lovely painting has a $3,000-$5,000 estimate.

Among the best and the most brilliant of the cut glass collection is a punchbowl on stand in the Hobstar and Comet pattern. It is 14 1/4 inches tall by 19 inches in diameter. Several small chips and minor scratches from use are noted. It has a $300-$500 estimate.

The auction will begin Saturday at 10 a.m. Central and consists of 827 lots. Sunday’s session, which will begin at 11 a.m. Central, will have 657 lots.

For details phone 504-586-8733.

To 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 New Orleans Auction, St. Charles Gallery, Inc.’s complete catalog.


ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE


The Tuthill King carved pattern was one of the most elaborate produced by John H. Belter. This sofa in the coveted pattern is estimated to bring $50,000-$80,000. Image courtesy New Orleans Auction St. Charles Gallery Inc.
The Tuthill King carved pattern was one of the most elaborate produced by John H. Belter. This sofa in the coveted pattern is estimated to bring $50,000-$80,000. Image courtesy New Orleans Auction St. Charles Gallery Inc.

Roses in high relief cover the reverse-painted glass shade of this Pairpoint Puffy table lamp. The 22-inch high base is marked with a cast number only: ‘1116.’ It has a $3,000-$5,000 estimate. Image courtesy New Orleans Auction St. Charles Gallery Inc.
Roses in high relief cover the reverse-painted glass shade of this Pairpoint Puffy table lamp. The 22-inch high base is marked with a cast number only: ‘1116.’ It has a $3,000-$5,000 estimate. Image courtesy New Orleans Auction St. Charles Gallery Inc.

‘Portrait of a Young Girl With a Sheep’ is signed and dated lower left ‘C. Eksergian 1906.’ The 54- by 47-inch oil on canvas painting has a $3,000-$5,000 estimate. Image courtesy New Orleans Auction St. Charles Gallery Inc.
‘Portrait of a Young Girl With a Sheep’ is signed and dated lower left ‘C. Eksergian 1906.’ The 54- by 47-inch oil on canvas painting has a $3,000-$5,000 estimate. Image courtesy New Orleans Auction St. Charles Gallery Inc.

More than 50 lots of American Brilliant era cut glass will be auctioned. At the center is an early 1900s punchbowl on stand in the Hobstar and Comet pattern. The bowl, 19 inches in diameter, has a $300-$500 estimate. Image courtesy New Orleans Auction St. Charles Gallery Inc.
More than 50 lots of American Brilliant era cut glass will be auctioned. At the center is an early 1900s punchbowl on stand in the Hobstar and Comet pattern. The bowl, 19 inches in diameter, has a $300-$500 estimate. Image courtesy New Orleans Auction St. Charles Gallery Inc.

Collection of master magician Dai Vernon in Jan. 30 Potter & Potter sale

Image courtesy of Potter & Potter.
Image courtesy of Potter & Potter.
Image courtesy of Potter & Potter.

CHICAGO – Lovers of sleight-of-hand and collectors of magicana are already abuzz about Potter & Potter’s Jan. 30, 2010 sale featuring the collections of master magicians Dai Vernon and his student Bruce Cervon. Faster than you can say “Presto, change-o,” online bids on any item in this sale can be lodged absentee or in real time as the sale is taking place through LiveAuctioneers.com.

Dai Vernon (1894 -1992) was widely regarded as one of the most influential magicians of the 20th century, a revolutionary figure whose long life and career touched nearly every important magician of the century. Many of his personal effects will be included in the auction. Highlights include:

-Vernon’s prop case, including apparatus (cards, coins, Malini Egg Bag, Holdout, gaffs, silhouette shears and more) and tricks used by Vernon.

-Vernon’s first and most personal scrapbook, begun upon his immigration to New York City in 1915. Jammed with images of Vernon and his contemporaries, it serves as a unique archive of mostly unpublished images from magic’s golden age and beyond.

-In 1933, Vernon was one of an elite group of magicians elected to membership in the Academy of the Art of Magic. The medallion bearing Vernon’s initials and the academy’s logo will be offered in the sale. Recently cited by Magicol, journal of the Magic Collectors’ Association, as one token “you will never see,” this medallion is one of three examples known to exist.

-Many association items from Vernon’s collection will be offered. Among the vintage photographs signed and inscribed to Vernon are images of Cardini, Malini, Roy Benson and David Bamberg (Fu Manchu). Especially interesting is an early one-page letter from a young Doug Henning asking to become Vernon’s student.

-In 1922, Vernon flummoxed Houdini by performing close-up for the great escape artist. This earned Vernon the title of “The Man Who Fooled Houdini.” Houdini images from Vernon’s collection will be included in the sale, including a handsome, early photo, circa 1906.

-Bruce Cervon (1941-2007) moved to California from Ohio in the mid-1960s to study with Vernon. His long career included appearances before Hollywood’s elite, as well as prestigious corporate clients. Items from his private library, including unique annotated manuscripts, “underground” texts on sleight-of-hand (privately circulated, limited editions), and apparatus from his 40+ years as a professional entertainer (including his parlor and trade show acts) will be offered.

-Of specific interest to scholars will be the sale of Cervon’s correspondence. Countless letters from magicians detail not only gossip and personal information, but the finer points of various tricks and magic routines.

-The sale will also include over 150 lots of genuinely rare and collectible books and apparatus. Among them are a T. Nelson Downs-style Coin Ladder, props owned and used by Nicola, his father Nicoli, a large selection of limited-edition signed books from L&L Publishing, unusual Thayer-made apparatus, rare Mysto Magic sets, as well as texts on gambling, spiritualism and stage magic.

For information on any item in the Jan. 30 auction, call Potter & Potter at 773-472-1442 or email info@potterauctions.com.

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

# # #

Click here to view Potter & Potter Auctions’ complete catalog.


ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE


Image courtesy of Potter & Potter.
Image courtesy of Potter & Potter.

Image courtesy of Potter & Potter.
Image courtesy of Potter & Potter.

Image courtesy of Potter & Potter.
Image courtesy of Potter & Potter.

Image courtesy of Potter & Potter.
Image courtesy of Potter & Potter.

Image courtesy of Potter & Potter.
Image courtesy of Potter & Potter.

Specialists of the South to auction estate of oilman Gordon Atwater, Jan. 30

Gorgeous six-drawer bird's-eye maple chest. Image courtesy of Specialists of the South.
Gorgeous six-drawer bird's-eye maple chest. Image courtesy of Specialists of the South.
Gorgeous six-drawer bird’s-eye maple chest. Image courtesy of Specialists of the South.

PANAMA CITY, Fla. – The estate of the late Gordon Ingham Atwater – the renowned petroleum pioneer who was an expert in oil and gas reserves in the United States and accurately predicted the first gas shortage prior to his death in 1973 at age 66 – will be held Saturday, Jan. 30, starting at 9 a.m. Eastern Time. Internet live bidding will be provided by LiveAuctioneers.com.

The 400-lot auction is being conducted in Panama City, not far from the upscale estate known as Osceola Lodge in nearby Lynn Haven, where Atwater and his wife, Emogene, lived from the early 1960s until their deaths.

For nearly 50 years, Osceola Lodge served as a showcase for the many wonderful furniture items and fine decorative accessories brought by the Atwaters from New Orleans – where Mr. Atwater cut his teeth as the city’s first consulting geologist, setting up his own business in 1945 – to Lynn Haven, where they fell in love with the area’s New Orleans-like environs. Osceola Lodge overlooks Anderson Bayou.

“It’s truly a privilege to be involved with this type of estate, one that’s so rich in history and local tradition,” said Logan Adams of Specialists of the South. “Mr. Atwater, his wife and family have all been forces in this community, enormously respected as people with taste and style. And their many possessions reflect that.”

The auction will feature beautiful period furniture items, to include a pair of fauteuil chairs with carved crests, a burl decorated slope-lid parlor desk, a set of six balloon chairs with cabriole legs, a walnut shelf-back sideboard with spool legs, a 5-shelf carved étagère, an “X”-style gout stool, and a diminutive circa-1840 Empire settee, 43 inches wide and in overall good condition.

Other furniture pieces include a walnut marble-top table with burl decoration, a 6-drawer bird’s eye maple chest, a gorgeous cane rocker, Hepplewhite-style sideboard, beautiful twin bed headboards, footboards and rails, a nice cedar chest, and a folding table with mother of pearl inlaid top. Also, an Empire sofa by the famous maker Francois Seignouret will be sold. Mr. Seignouret was a New Orleans furniture maker and wine merchant around 1808.

Decorative accessories include a Cybis porcelain figure collection, a ceramic jug with colorful corn design and cork base stopper, a George Washington glazed figure, carved soapstone bookends, a hand-painted Sevres Bavarian coffee pot marked “Marechal Niels” (signed A. Grenier), a Chinese vase with 3-dimensional flowers, a nice brass umbrella stand, French oyster plates (MR, France), a Haviland oyster plate, four hand-painted porcelain plates marked “Titanic Austria”, several detailed porcelain figures, a European bisque boat, and a cranberry cruet.

Additional decorative accessories will include early 20th century oak wall phones, Cambridge Statuesque glass, covered milk glass dishes (depicting a camel, swan, lion, horse and more), Hummels (to include Angel Serenade, Festival Harmony and Little Goat Herder), a collection of Boehm plates, a beautiful spool bed, Italian terra cotta figures, silver pieces (to include a large sterling bowl and plated meat platters), wood carvings, Oriental rugs (to include a colorful circa 1970 9′ x 12′ Sarouk, a 4′ x 6′ circa 1960 Jozaen, and a circa 1920 5′ x 7′ English rug), and a German wooden cuckoo clock with two birds to chirp the time.

Other decorative accessories include Irish Wade miniatures, Royal Worcester egg coddlers, 1854 Doulton Burslem dishes, Johnson Brothers Old Mill dishes, Copeland Mansard flower plates, a Haviland china dinner set, clear glass squirrel bookends, a folding fire screen with ormolu, sterling silver goblets, large and small bisque figures, a Steuben bowl, and a boxed carving set with stag horn handles. Also offered will be Eisenberg jewelry, a sable fur coat, a Gulbransen grand piano, and vintage books, to include children’s books such as a 1933 edition of Winnie the Pooh, with detailed black and white illustrations.

In the fine art category, anticipated top lots will include Italian carvings, such as a painted Madonna and Child figural work (signed M.K. Kaslatter), a lithograph of a countryside landscape, a kneeling nude bronze bookend (marked “J B 8036”), a framed still life or watercolor rendering of wine and fruit, and other notable works. Also offered will be a group of Native American and American Frontier art books.

Gordon Atwater was born in Milwaukee, Wis., but grew up in Iowa City, Iowa, where he went on to complete a Master’s degree in geology. He won the coveted Emmons Scholarship to Harvard, Yale and Columbia and actually worked on his Ph.D. at all three schools, finally completing it at the University of Wisconsin. He moved to New Orleans during Word War II to be part of the emerging gas and oil boom.

By the time he arrived in Florida, Atwater was already known worldwide for his advanced work in gas reserves and geology. His wife, the former Emogene Chapman, was also worldly and wise. But after their only child, Mimi, died of a brain aneurysm at age 29, the Atwaters made Osceola Lodge their haven. When Mrs. Atwater passed away in 1978, Osceola Lodge remained in the family.

Today, Osceola Lodge is the centerpiece of a gated community called Osceola Point. And true to what the Atwaters would have wanted, the area recalls City Park and Audubon Park in New Orleans. New homes are unmistakably Southern, and the streets have names like Rue Bocage and Rue Esplanade.

For additional information on any item in the Jan. 30 auction, call 850-785-2577 or e-mail specialists@knology.net. View the fully illustrated catalog and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

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Click here to view Specialists of the South’s complete catalog.


ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE


Handsome folding fire screen with ormolu. Image courtesy of Specialists of the South.
Handsome folding fire screen with ormolu. Image courtesy of Specialists of the South.

More than 300 lots of period furniture, decorative accessories and fine art will cross the block Jan. 30. Image courtesy of Specialists of the South.
More than 300 lots of period furniture, decorative accessories and fine art will cross the block Jan. 30. Image courtesy of Specialists of the South.

Italian carved and painted Madonna and Child, marked M.K. Kaslatter. Image courtesy of Specialists of the South.
Italian carved and painted Madonna and Child, marked M.K. Kaslatter. Image courtesy of Specialists of the South.

Diminutive Empire settee, circa 1840, 43 inches wide and in overall good condition. Image courtesy of Specialists of the South.
Diminutive Empire settee, circa 1840, 43 inches wide and in overall good condition. Image courtesy of Specialists of the South.

One of a collection of Boehm bird plates. Image courtesy of Specialists of the South.
One of a collection of Boehm bird plates. Image courtesy of Specialists of the South.

Hummel figurines (l to r: Angel Serenade, Festival Harmony, Little Goat Herder). Image courtesy of Specialists of the South.
Hummel figurines (l to r: Angel Serenade, Festival Harmony, Little Goat Herder). Image courtesy of Specialists of the South.

Gallery Report: January 2010

An Imperial Chinese box carved with five dragons sold for $26,450 at an annual Thanksgiving Sale conducted Nov. 28-29 by Kaminski Auctions in Essex, Mass. Also, a 1969 oil on canvas painting of deer in a rain forest by Sri Lanka artist Senaka Senanayake achieved $13,800; a 19th-century woven tapestry panel with Arabic design elements, 55 1/2 inches by 18 1/2 inches, raised $8,625; and a 19th-century gilt bronze sleigh-form vessel made $5,750. Prices include a 15 percent buyer’s premium.

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Soap Hollow blanket chests to highlight Conestoga’s sale Jan. 22-23

Signed by maker John Sala and dated 1868, this fine example of Soap Hollow furniture is expected to sell for $10,000-$15,000. Image courtesy of Conestoga Auction Co.
Signed by maker John Sala and dated 1868, this fine example of Soap Hollow furniture is expected to sell for $10,000-$15,000. Image courtesy of Conestoga Auction Co.
Signed by maker John Sala and dated 1868, this fine example of Soap Hollow furniture is expected to sell for $10,000-$15,000. Image courtesy of Conestoga Auction Co.

MANHEIM, Pa. – They Hershey Museum in Hershey, Pa., is one of several consignors of outstanding pieces to Conestoga Auction Co.’s Antiques and Folk Art sale Jan. 22-23. LiveAuctioneers will provide Internet live bidding.

The anticipated top lot in the sale, a Soap Hollow, Somerset County, Pa., blanket chest made by John Sala and dated 1868, which could attain $10,000-$15,000. The chest is decorated with original stenciling marked “MANUFACTURED BY JOHN SALA” and “JS 1868.” On the front between two dovetailed drawers are double heart cutouts. The chest is similar to one featured in the book Soap Hollow, The Furniture and its Makers by Charles R. Muller. The red chest on bracket feet measures 26 inches high by 48 inches wide by 21 inches deep.

A similar Soap Hollow decorated blanket chest attributed to Jeremiah Stahl and dated 1855 chest has a $1,000-$3,000 estimate. It does not have the aforementioned cutout decoration between the drawer fronts.

More than three dozen lots of spatterware china will be offered on the second day of the sale. Highlights include an 8 1/2-inch plate decorated with a blue and green rainbow border with a bluish-red tulip in the center and a handleless cup and saucer in the Two Men in a Raft pattern with red trim. Both lots have $3,000-$5,000 estimates and are in very good condition.

From the Hershey Museum comes a Pennsylvania country Sheraton corner cupboard in old red paint and a fine Pennsylvania paint-decorated dower chest from Lebanon or Dauphin counties. Each has a $3,000-$5,000 estimate.

A Somerset County, Pa., country Federal tiger-maple two-part corner cupboard will also sell on Saturday. It has a single nine-pane glazed upper door, two split dovetailed drawers, two lower paneled doors and continuous bracket feet. It measures 84 1/4 inches high by 48 inches wide by 20 inches deep. The estimate is $2,000-$5,000.

Also in line to sell are Windsor chairs work stands, a Pennsylvania walnut farm table, two Victorian bedroom suites and a three-piece Victorian inlaid parlor set attributed to Jelliff.

Friday’s auction, which begins at 3 p.m. Eastern, has more than 100 antique cast-iron mechanical and still banks.

Saturday’s session begins at 10 a.m. Eastern.

For details phone 717-898-7284.

To 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 Conestoga Auction Company’s complete catalog.


ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE


In very good condition, this beautifully decorated blue and green rainbow spatterware plate in the Tulip pattern could sell for $3,000-$5,000. Image courtesy of Conestoga Auction Co.
In very good condition, this beautifully decorated blue and green rainbow spatterware plate in the Tulip pattern could sell for $3,000-$5,000. Image courtesy of Conestoga Auction Co.

This handleless cup and saucer in the seldom seen Two Men in a Raft pattern might land at $3,000-$5,000. Image courtesy of Conestoga Auction Co.
This handleless cup and saucer in the seldom seen Two Men in a Raft pattern might land at $3,000-$5,000. Image courtesy of Conestoga Auction Co.

Old red paint covers this Pennsylvania country Sheraton Softwood two-part corner cupboard. It measures 88 1/4 inches high, 55 inches wide and 30 inches deep. It has a $3,000-$5,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Conestoga Auction Co.
Old red paint covers this Pennsylvania country Sheraton Softwood two-part corner cupboard. It measures 88 1/4 inches high, 55 inches wide and 30 inches deep. It has a $3,000-$5,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Conestoga Auction Co.

Triple ‘tombstone’ panels highlight this fine Lebanon or Dauphin County, Pa., dower chest dated 1808. Missing its till, the finely decorated trunk has a $3,000-$5,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Conestoga Auction Co.
Triple ‘tombstone’ panels highlight this fine Lebanon or Dauphin County, Pa., dower chest dated 1808. Missing its till, the finely decorated trunk has a $3,000-$5,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Conestoga Auction Co.