February 2010 - Page 8 of 11 - Auction Central News

Books in Review: Antiques Roadshow Behind the Scenes

Antiques Roadshow Behind the Scenes by Marsha Bemko, Touchstone Books (Simon & Schuster)

NEW YORK (ACNI) – Ever wondered what goes on at an Antiques Roadshow shoot after the cameras stop rolling? Marsha Bemko, executive producer of PBS Television’s No. 1 weekly show, could tell you all about it – and she does, in the newly published soft-cover book titled Antiques Roadshow Behind the Scenes.

Because you’ve taken the time to read this review, it’s safe to say you like antiques. In that case, you’ll find Bemko’s book to be an addictive read. It’s unlike any other antiques-related book you’ll ever come across, if for no other reason because of the author’s privileged and unique perspective. It’s not a price guide, nor is it a long, dreary narrative about things Mom threw out when the writer went off to college. Each chapter is an insider’s view of America’s favorite collector show, peppered with entertaining sidebars and short bursts of colorful commentary. It’s as much about people as it is things.

Marsha relates with obvious relish those tales of the unexpected that occur on the Antiques Roadshow trail – not just the rare and bizarre objects that are depicted and back-storied so skillfully in this book, but also the events, like the time the owner of a lakefront mansion in Hot Springs, Arkansas invited the entire staff, crew and appraisers to her lavish home. “They really rolled out the red carpet. There were fireworks, boat rides, Jet Skis and a private chef,” Bemko quotes associate producer Jill Giles.

And what about those end-of-season wrap parties? Oh, those madcap Roadshow experts – as Season 6 drew to a close in the summer of 2001, some of the appraisers decided to produce a skit that roasted various staff members, including Bemko. One of the show’s most popular appraisers, Noel Barrett (of Noel Barrett Antiques & Auctions in Carversville, Pa.), let down his long, usually pony-tailed hair and donned a beige miniskirt similar to those Bemko was known to wear at the time and spoofed the Roadshow boss. “What unfolded was very funny, but I was so embarrassed I couldn’t watch,” Bemko recalls in the book. The skit went on to include a representation of the actual Holy Grail brought in for appraisal at a mock Roadshow event. The object was dismissed after failing to meet “Bemko’s” stringent standards for on-air presentation.

Bemko delivers the goods with this fresh and insightful memoir that intuitively answers the questions we all wonder about – how do the producers pick the Roadshow cities? What are the most valuable items discovered on Roadshow, and where are they now? What types of items are most likely to be selected for on-air appraisal, and how can I maximize my chances of being chosen?

Bemko’s wit shines through in this book, as does her honesty. A case in point would be her unvarnished explanation of one of very few dark moments in the revered television show’s history – the infamous “watermelon” sword incident. Bemko pulls no punches in her recollection of the episode in which a person identifying himself as “Steve” turned up at a Seattle appraisal in 1997 with a Confederate Civil-War-era sword he claimed to have found in the family attic. He stated that, as a child, he had used the sword to cut a watermelon. Then-Roadshow appraiser George Juno valued the sword at $35,000, to “Steve’s” overwhelming surprise and delight. But it turned out that the whole thing had been a hoax. The watermelon story was an unethical, entirely staged fabrication – but that was a minor concern compared to what would follow. According to the FBI, and as recounted in the book, descendants of Major Samuel J. Wilson, a Union officer in the Civil War, contacted the American Ordnance Preservation Association after viewing the appraisal and realizing the sword was the very one used by their ancestor. Juno and another dealer, Russ Pritchard III (who subsequently went to prison for a string of charges related to deceptive appraisal and resale practices) had previously appraised the sword for them, assessing a value of $8,000 and persuading them to sell the valuable heirloom to them. There is much more to that story, but the bottom line is that Bemko could have glossed this one over or left it out entirely, but she didn’t. She even admits, “The watermelon sword and other incidents really just started out as allegations, and our first instincts were to defend our guys.”

This single quote gets to the heart of what Antiques Roadshow really is, beyond its status as a seven-time Emmy© Award-nominated TV show. It’s a family, and one that intrigues us and makes us proud to be part of the antiques and fine art world.

Antiques Roadshow Behind the Scenes, full color, 182 pages, is a Touchstone Press book published by Simon and Schuster, and retails at $16.99. Purchase it through amazon.com by clicking here.

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Furniture Specific: Furniture with a French accent

A bergere is a French upholstered armchair with closed upholstered sides.

Back in the Dark Ages of the 1970s my wife and I bought our first house. An old house built in 1928. A big house. And as apartment and dorm dwellers for many years we had a miniscule accumulation of furniture – the odd chair, a sewing machine cabinet and of course a homemade wine rack but little of real use. After we moved into our new old house – one trip in two cars – we realized we didn’t quite have enough “stuff” to fill that 2,400-square-foot space. What we especially didn’t have was furniture.

We furnished the bedroom from a junk store with what later turned out to be a pretty decent 1940s vintage Colonial Revival Federal style mahogany suite. Not bad for a first try for $90. The next effort was less successful – the search for a dining table. We thought we really liked a modern style table from a Scandinavian-type store, but about two hours after delivery we had them pick it back up. It just wasn’t us – and it also wasn’t the house. So we expanded our search, beginning with yard sales and garage sales.

Live steam powers a $2 million Winter sale at Morphy’s

Marklin No. 4135 twin upright steam or marine engine, $46,000. Image courtesy Dan Morphy Auctions.

DENVER, Pa. – A show of force from European steam toy buyers, several of whom flew in to bid in person, drove Morphy Auctions’ Winter sale beyond the $2 million mark (inclusive of 15% buyer’s premium) over the weekend of Dec. 10-12, 2009. Part I of the extensive Pat and Lowell Wagner lifetime collection of antique steam engines and toys – abundantly stocked with examples by Marklin, Weeden, Doll et Cie., and Bing – proved an alluring drawcard, especially to German enthusiasts.

“There were at least 100 people specifically pursuing the steam toys, including three or four Germans who were very active bidders,” said Dan Morphy, owner and chief operating officer of Dan Morphy Auctions. “One thing I found surprising was that Europeans who collect steam toys also buy the full-size steam engines – they appreciate both categories. That’s not typically the case with American steam toy collectors.”

Morphy admitted he had been a bit concerned about the market’s ability to absorb 545 lots of steam engines and toys at one go. “But three or four days prior to the sale, I knew that section was going to ‘catch fire’ because of the unusually high number of absentee bids coming in via the Internet and by phone,” he said. “It wasn’t just the high end that was attracting bids, either. Marklin always tends to take care of itself and was very strong in this sale, but we were amazed at how much action there was in the low to mid range. Internet participation was substantial.”

In fact, 654 lots sold online through LiveAuctioneers, with a daily sell-through rate as high as 28.7% (day 3). Among the big winners purchased via the Internet was a circa-1920s Marklin gauge 1 Leipzig train station. An elusive model, the 38-inch by 16-inch toy handily surpassed its estimate to close at $12,000. Also selling online for $12,000 was a coveted George Brown General Jackson clockwork boat. The 14-inch American-made handpainted tin vessel had been estimated at $5,000-$8,000.

The auction’s top lot, a Marklin No. 4135 twin upright steam or marine engine described in the manufacturer’s 1904 catalog as a “hammer engine” featured a well-detailed faux-brick housing and chimney on a japanned base measuring 13½ inches by 17½ inches. It blew away its $2,000-$4,000 estimate to settle at $46,000 after a prolonged and heated battle between two deep-pocketed bidders.

A fine 22-inch Radiguet live-steam boat featuring an early “ram” front and with slight restoration noted to the bottom of the hull sailed past expectations of $5,000-$8,000 to drop anchor at $14,500.

Morphy said there was considerable crossover buying, which helped bolster results in nearly every category of the 3,200-lot sale. “It was a very well-attended event. We had close to 1,000 registered in-house bidders over the three days, with as many as 100 people in the gallery at any given time.”

The auction drew one of the largest turnouts of marble fanciers in Morphy’s history. “There were several collectors who carpooled and drove all the way from Indiana (a 9- to 10-hour drive) to bid on the marbles. It was their first time to our gallery – they loved it. Two minutes after the sale concluded, another marble collector consigned several very good pieces from his collection to our Spring Auction. Marbles are definitely becoming a category with a big following at our sales.” Pricewise, both handmade and machine-made marbles fared well. A complete box of 100 colorful machine-made Peltier marbles known as the “National Rainbo Line” well exceeded its estimate in achieving $3,800.

A small selection of Christmas antiques drew enthusiastic bids, especially the belsnickles. A superb 30-inch-tall German Santa candy container with bisque face and unusual blue “coat” that previously had been part of a private collection in Germany rang the register at $13,800, near the upper end of its estimate range. “When a candy container stands 2½ feet tall, it actually enters the realm of being not just a candy container but also a figure or statue,” Dan Morphy noted. “There were six people on the phones bidding for that piece, and two of them called after the sale to say they were sorry they hadn’t gone higher.”

Another standout lot was the Lionel prewar standard gauge No. 378W passenger train set with its original set box and individual boxes. Finished in lime green with yellow-frame windows, the ensemble was described in the auction catalog as “possibly the finest known example of this train set, showing no play wear whatsoever.” Against an estimate of $15,000-$20,000, it reached its final destination at $31,050. A Voltamp No. 2120 United Electric transformer-type trolley with original circular track and paper-labeled wood box realized an above-estimate price of $18,400.

An all-original circa-1890 penny farthing bicycle that almost missed inclusion in the sale surprised its consignor when it wheeled across the finish line at $9,800. “When we went to pick up a collection in the Midwest, we noticed it in the garage and loaded it onto the truck. It ended up making the most money of any of the items in that particular consignment,” Morphy said.

Other top lots included a circa-1910 Carette 12-inch hand-painted tin, clockwork limousine – $15,000; an 1894 popcorn and peanut wheeled vending machine – $7,500; a circa-1936 painted wood Fisher-Price No. 740 Push-Cart Pete toy, $9,200; and an Indian Rock Ginger Ale porcelain soda fountain syrup dispenser with original pump – $11,500.

After the auction, whose third session did not conclude until 10:30 p.m., Dan Morphy expressed both his pleasure with the $2 million result and relief over the way his auctions have consistently weathered the economic challenges of the past 18 months. “The market is different than it was before, but it’s just as unpredictable on the upside as it is on the downside,” he said. “If anything, my experts tell me they know less about pricing now than they ever have. Collectors will continue to determine what the prices should be.”

Dan Morphy Auctions will conduct a 2,100-lot auction on Feb. 26-27, 2010 featuring historical antiques, firearms and militaria; jewelry, toys and antique advertising. For additional information call 1-717-335-3435. Visit the online catalog and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet in this sale at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

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Click here to view Morphy Auctions’ complete catalog.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

Radiguet live-steam boat, 22 inches with early “ram” front, $14,500. Image courtesy Dan Morphy Auctions.

German belsnickle candy container in blue coat, 30 inches tall, with bisque face and rabbit-fur beard, $13,800. Image courtesy Dan Morphy Auctions.

Complete box of Peltier National Rainbo machine-made marbles, $3,800. Image courtesy Dan Morphy Auctions.

Penny farthing bicycle, all original, $9,800. Image courtesy Dan Morphy Auctions.

1894 popcorn and peanut vending cart similar to those seen on seaside boardwalks over a century ago, $7,500. Image courtesy Dan Morphy Auctions.

Circa-1900 Roth’s Pansy Gum dispenser, all original, in working order with key, $4,900. Image courtesy Dan Morphy Auctions.

Lionel prewar standard gauge No. 378W passenger train set with both its original set box and individual boxes, $31,050. Image courtesy Dan Morphy Auctions.

Indian Rock Ginger Ale porcelain soda fountain syrup dispenser with original pump, $11,500. Image courtesy Dan Morphy Auctions.

Avery, Gasser, Kahn works on paper bound for Outer Cape, Feb. 14

Henry Gasser’s untitled watercolor of a boat shed and dory, 12 1/4 inches by 18 3/4 inches, has a $1,000-$2,000 estimate. Image of courtesy Outer Cape Auctions.

PROVINCETOWN, Mass. – Outer Cape Auctions will host its second art auction of the year on Feb. 14 with a sweet Milton Avery self-portrait ink on paper, a stunning early Henry Gasser watercolor and a Wolf Kahn etching among the 190 works of art being offered. LiveAuctioneers will provide Internet live bidding.

The auction will again be conducted at the new Seashore Point Community, 100 Alden St. in Provincetown beginning at 4 p.m. Eastern. Previews will be held daily in the run-up to the auction.

Along with live bidding, phone and absentee bidding, Outer Cape Auctions will offer Internet live bidding through LiveAuctioneers. Outer Cape Auctions will also provide a live audio/video feed for the Internet bidders.

The auction will start off with an early watercolor by Henry Gasser (1909-1981). The untitled work views a boat shed, a tarp-covered dory and the sea in the background. “This painting’s lines are straight and clean and the palette used, sensational,” said Terry Catalano, owner and auctioneer. The work measures 12 1/4 inches by 18 3/4 inches and is signed on the lower left, “H. Gasser.” The estimate is $1,000-$2,000 with an opening bid of $100.

“I love when I receive consignments without reserves because it gives me the opportunity to offer a fabulous work at a ridiculously low price, knowing full well that it will attract many bidders and hopefully, send the hammer price above the estimates,” said Catalano.

Milton Avery (1885-1965) is represented by a self-portrait ink on paper dated 1959. It had been appraised in September 1999 as being authentic and the authentication report is included with the work. A barely noticeable stain on the paper is the only visual defect, and the work is estimated to sell at $3,500-$4,500. An etching of a European bridge overpass by Wolf Kahn (born 1927) dated ’82 and hand-numbered 90 of 90 is also one of the sleepers of the auction with an estimate of $200-$400.

“Such strong and recognizable names are sure to garner a lot of interest,” said Catalano.

Other works by late artists being offered include three oils by Arthur Vidal Diehl (1870-1929), a beautiful dunescape dated 1946 by Raymond J. Eastwood (1898-1987) and a beautiful watercolor of a white picket fenced Cape Cod home by James Kirk Merrick (1905-1985). William F. Boogar Jr. (1893-1958) was a well-known Provincetown bronze sculpture artist and there are two works in the auction, a seagull and a lamp with original shade, top and the base designed as a dove taking flight. Robert Beauchamp (1923-1995), a Truro, Mass., artist is represented by a large oil measuring 50 inches by 40 inches and signed on verso. There are four works by Ada Rayner (1901-1998), the first wife of Henry Hensche; three works by William H. Littlefield (1902-1969) including an early impressionist landscape that was exhibited at the Cape Museum of Fine Art and was featured in the catalog; an oil painting of a pier, red shack and fishing boat and dory, most likely Rockport, by George Elmer Browne (1871-1946); and there is an oil painting of a sailing yacht named Thunderhead by Cleveland Woodward (1900-1986), another Truro, Mass., artist.

Malcolm Humphreys (1892-1963), Dorothy Lake Gregory (1890-1973), Henry Kallem (1912-1985), John Hare (1909-1978), James Lechay (1907-2001), Gerrit Hondius (1891-1970), Philip Evergood (1907-1973), Judith Shahn (1929-2009) and Cy Fried (1917-2010) also have works in the auction, among many other late artists.

On the contemporary front, Canadian Steve Walker, known for his many book covers and homo-erotic content paintings is represented by two original acrylic on canvases, Stay the Night and Jay and Clayton are on the block, along with two beautiful oils by Cape School of Art teacher Lois Griffel. There are works by Jackson Lambert (born 1919), Hilda Neily (born 1947), Michael E. Davis (born 1945), William Maynard (born 1921), John DiMestico (born 1949), Jack Garver (born 1921), Anne MacAdam (born 1930) and many more.

A painting by Paul Sattler, a contemporary Boston artist, titled Providence (Final Variation on Wtewael’s “Wedding of Peleus and Thetis”) that measures 60 x 72 and exhibits the Alpha Gallery, Boston, label and the date of 2003. A stunning work by Fernando DeOliveira titled Nirvana dated 2006 is also being offered along with the hard covered book about him and his art. There are three works by Canadian artist Joann Corno, two oils by Kathy Buist (born 1959) and many more.

For details call 508-487-7281.

There is a full preview online at www.outercapeauctions.com with multiple images, in-depth lot descriptions and artist’s information.

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 Outer Cape Auctions’ complete catalog.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

This self-portrait by Milton Avery, one of America’s pioneering colorists, is an original drawing, ink on paper, measuring 5 1/2 by 3 1/2 inches. It has a $3,500-$4,500 estimate. Image courtesy of Outer Cape Auctions.

This dunescape by Raymond Eastwood is dated 1946. The 19 1/2- by 23 3/4-inch oil on canvas has a $2,000-$4,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Outer Cape Auctions.

Largely self-taught Provincetown artist Arthur Diehl painted this untitled oil on board, which measures 11 1/2 inches by 8 1/8 inches. It has a $1,000-$2,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Outer Cape Auctions.

Robert Beauchamp, a figurative painter known for a colorful, expressionistic style, was active in Provincetown since the 1950s. This untitled oil on canvas, 50 by 40 inches, is dated ‘5/94,’ 10 months before he died. It has a $5,000-$10,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Outer Cape Auctions.

Depeche Mode auctioning 12 unique wristwatches for charity

NEW YORK – The perennially popular English band Depeche Mode has joined forces with Swiss watchmakers Hublot, Geneva auction house Patrizzi & Co., and LiveAuctioneers.com to produce an unprecedented and never to be repeated auction fundraiser benefiting Britain’s Teenage Cancer Trust.

Online bidding is now in progress on a series of one dozen unique timepieces, each featuring the artwork from one of Depeche Mode’s 12 studio albums as its watch face. The Hublot watches are one-of-a-kind creations, packaged in exquisitely designed and individually themed presentation boxes. Each box contains not only the wristwatch but also a treasure trove of additional gifts personally chosen for inclusion by the members of Depeche Mode. Each box contains:

– A deluxe vinyl version of the album

– A USB Key containing a digital edition of the album and documentary about the making of the album

– An original album artwork print and a framed gold CD

– A photograph signed by all members of the group who contributed to the album, including Vince Clarke and Alan Wilder, both of whom are founder-members of Depeche Mode but no longer part of the band.

Bidding on the watches will conclude on Feb. 24, 2010. All proceeds generated from the Internet-only auction will be presented to Teenage Cancer Trust on Feb. 26 at the penultimate concert of Depeche Mode’s “Sounds of the Universe” tour in Dusseldorf, Germany. The tour includes a special Depeche Mode charity performance at London’s Royal Albert Hall on Feb. 17 – remarkably, the band’s first-ever appearance at the iconic venue.

“We are very proud to be able to help Depeche Mode with this important fundraiser,” said LiveAuctioneers CEO Julian R. Ellison. “Since the first teen cancer unit was launched in Britain 20 years ago, Teenage Cancer Trust has worked diligently and creatively to help improve the lives of young people afflicted with the disease. LiveAuctioneers is fully behind this charity, and we’re hopeful that the extraordinary timepiece gift sets in this auction will raise a significant sum for TCT’s ongoing programs.”

To view the fully illustrated electronic catalog containing the 12 Depeche Mode watches or to place a bid online, log on to https://www.liveauctioneers.com/catalog/20622.

About Depeche Mode:

Depeche Mode is one of the most successful, influential and longest-running bands to emerge during the new music movement that swept across Britain and the world in the early 1980s. The group has had 47 songs in the UK singles chart and No. 1 albums in the UK, USA and throughout Europe. According to EMI Records, Depeche Mode has sold more than 100 million albums and singles worldwide, making them the most successful electronic music group in music history.

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ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

Imperial bowls from Cody Collection at Brunk Auctions, Feb. 20-21

These Imperial bowls are slightly different. One is 2 inches by 10 5/8 inches, the other 2 1/8-inches by 10 1/2 inches. They are decorated front and back and have underglaze blue seal marks for Qianlong (1736-1795). From the estate of Thomas E. Cody, the bowls are estimated at $50,000 to $80,000.

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Buffalo Bill Cody bought his Wild West show to American towns and cities. His reenacted gun fights and Indian battles delighted the public for 30 years. Thomas English Cody (1889-1948) followed in his great-uncle’s footsteps, but it was the Far East he brought to the United States. In the 1930s, the singer and actor avidly collected Chinese porcelain and objects of hard stone. His superb 25-lot collection of Asian art is the centerpiece of Brunk Auctions sale Feb. 20-21.

For emphasis, Brunk chose Cody’s Chinese Imperial bowls for the cover of the sale’s color catalog. The pair, differing slightly in height and diameter, is decorated with nine blue peaches on a yellow ground with Qianlong (1736-1795) seal marks. Presale estimate on the pair is $50,000-$80,000.

Also of note from the Cody collection: a Chinese lidded jar in yellow glaze with an impressed seal for Daognang (1821-1850) and a Chinese aubergine-glazed bowl with a blue six-character mark for Yongzheng (1723-1735). The 11½-inch jar is expected to bring $6,000-$12,000; the 1 5/8-inch by 8 1/8-inch bowl, $5,000-$10,000.

For good measure, Brunk added 70 lots of Chinese art from other private collections that would, quite possibly, attract the attention of antique dealers from China. Midway through the collection of porcelain, pottery, bronze censors and carved stones is a 7 5/8-inch by 3 3/4-inch blue and white meiping (human form) vase. In blue underglaze are rocks, bamboo, roses, saplings, butterflies and a blooming prunus tree. Four lug handles are at the top; two horizontal slots at the bottom. The vase, estimated at $15,000-$30,000, descended in the family of Ferdinand Howard, an Ohio benefactor to the Columbus Museum of Art.

There’s a strange bull loose in the Brunk Auctions’ china shop. The beast shatters estimates, not Chinese porcelain. Last year, an Imperial vase skyrocketed from an estimate of $400 to $1,236,250. A bowl from the reign of the Yongzheng Emperor (1723-1735) began humbly at $150 and finished at $115,000. A $300 lavender blue vase ended honorably at $12,650. With estimates higher this time and porcelain fresh-to-the-market from noted collections, anything could happen.

The sale also includes more than 80 paintings dating from the early 18th century to the mid-20th century.

The earliest painting will reach the auction block within the first hour of the opening day. Thomas Broughton (1668-1737), a wealthy Indian trader and landowner, served as speaker of the 15th Assembly, lieutenant governor and governor of the South Carolina colony. He was the ideal candidate for a portrait during the early painting career of Henrietta Johnston (1670-1728), this country’s first-known female professional pastelist. Her pastel portrait of Broughton on blue laid paper with signature label verso is expected to bring $15,000-$25,000.

Three 20th-century paintings are expected to do well: Andrew Wyeth’s watercolor, The Road to Holiday’s Barn and Serge Poliakoff’s Composition and another abstract composition dated “5.1.60” (1960).

Poliakoff (1900-1969), a Russian abstract expressionist, was a major influence in post-World War II School of Paris and in the Tachisme art movement. The latter, also known as Art Informel, was described as “a lack or absence of form itself.” Both paintings are oil on wood panel, signed lower right and reflect Poliakoff’s mature style. Composition is earlier, 1955-1956, and brighter; the later composition is more somber and dark. A letter signed by the artist attesting to the painting’s authenticity, accompanies Composition. Each painting is estimated at $200,000-$300,000.

The Wyeth watercolor of a figure on a dirt road walking toward a barn is early and personal. Completed when he was only 18, Wyeth dedicated it to Miss Jessica Wallwork, a nurse who worked for the Wyeth family. He signed and dated (1935) an inscription to her lower right. The 16 1/2-inch by 21 1/2-inch watercolor carries an estimate of $25,000-$35,000.

A Brunk Auctions sale would not be complete without Southern furniture. Two pieces are important and of special interest. The Swisegood School is one of North Carolina’s premier furniture shops, and the sale’s walnut circa 1820 Swisegood corner cupboard, estimated at $40,000-$60,000, is excellent and original in all respects. In single case construction and towering 96 1/2 inches, it descended in a Forsyth County, N.C., family, not far from where it was crafted. At 91 1/2 inches, an early 19th-century cherry tall case clock from Kentucky, is almost cupboard height. Highly decorative with star and fylfot inlay and painted wooden dial with pink roses, it is expected to sell for $10,000-$20,000.

Brunk Auctions is located at 117 Tunnel Road, Asheville.

For details call 828-254-6846.

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 Brunk Auctions’ complete catalog.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

From the top, note the shell-carved finial plinth, elaborately decorated waisted case, central bull’s-eye window and turned feet on this elegant early 19th-century Kentucky tall case clock. It has a $10,000-$20,000 estimate.

The original blue paint on this Swisegood School corner cupboard can be seen under its orange and red painted surface. The cupboard was made in Davidson County, N.C., circa 1820. Note the rope-carved quarter columns, original brasses and original bracket feet. It has a $40,000-$60,000 estimate.

The barn in this signed, inscribed and dated Andrew Wyeth (1917-2009) watercolor is in Chadds Ford Pa. The painting was given as a gift in 1935 to a trusted nurse who served the Wyeth family, who in turn gave it to a friend in the 1950s. It has a $25,000-$35,000 estimate.

A handwritten letter from artist Serge Poliakoff (1900-1969) dated June 23, 1969 attests to the authenticity of ‘Composition,’ accompanies the 1955-1956 signed painting. The oil on sand painting on panel, which measures 45 3/4 inches by 35 inches, has a $200,000-$300,000 estimate.

Painted pieces, Asian items highlight Midwest Auctions’ Feb. 13-14 sale

Both sides of this Chinese glass snuff bottle are painted in Famille Rose enamels and depict children. The bottle dates to the late 19th century or earlier. It has a $600-$800 estimate. Image courtesy of Midwest Auction Galleries.

OXFORD, Mich. – More than 1,200 lots of antiques, collectibles and fine art will be sold at Midwest Auction Galleries on Feb. 13-14. The line will extend from Chinese porcelain and furniture to Americana to more than 200 porcelain Llardro figures. LiveAuctioneers will provide Internet live bidding.

A small highlight that will sell soon after the 10 a.m. Eastern start on Saturday is a 19th-century Chinese snuff bottle. It is hand-painted in Famille Rose enamels on both sides with scenes of children. The milky-white glass bottle is 2 9/16 inches high and has a green jade stopper. The consignor purchased the bottle in the 1960s. It has a $600-$800 estimate.

An exceptional 19th-century American apothecary cabinet will sell shortly after the 10 a.m. Eastern start on Sunday. The 29-drawers cabinet has an exceptional grain-painted surface to simulate flamed mahogany. Standing on a bracket base, the cabinet measures 36 inches high, 51 inches long and 12 inches deep. The drawers have glass knobs and most retain spice or drug labels. The cabinet has a $3,000-$4,000 estimate.

Also having an original grain-painted surface – boldly applied in mustard and brown – is a circa 1820-1830 cupboard, which is expected to sell for $3,000-$4,000. Standing 81 inches high by 48 inches wide by 20 inches deep, the cupboard features wood peg and mortis and tenon construction. It consists of two blind drawers over two drawers over two blind doors. This cupboard “would be the cornerstone of the most advanced collection,” noted Jim Amato of Midwest Auction Galleries.

A 19th-century Chinese rosewood paneled desk is expected to attract a lot of attention. Built inside the kneehole compartment are three drawers. The sides and back of the desk are finely paneled. It has a $2,000-$3,000 estimate.

Half a dozen duck and goose decoys will sell on Friday. A hollow Canada goose decoy made in the 1930s by an unknown carver from Leelanau County, Mich., has glass eyes and what appears to be original black and white paint. The decoy, 15 inches high and 22 inches long, has a $300-$400 estimate.

One of the top oil paintings in the sale depicts a bride and bridegroom coming down the stairs of a palace followed by the wedding party. The painting is signed “Mario Spinetti Roma” and dated “87.” The 21 1/2- by 15 1/2-inch painting is mounted in a late 19th-century gilt wood frame. On the back is a post-1963 label from Peggy de Salle’s Little Gallery in Birmingham, Mich. The painting carries an $8,000-$12,000 estimate.

Midwest Auction Galleries is located at 665 N. Lapeer Road in Oxford.

For details call 248-236-8100.

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 Midwest Auction Galleries, Inc.’s complete catalog.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

Llardro issued ‘Flowers of the Season,’ in 1993. The group is 11 3/4 inches high. It is in mint condition and has a $1,000-$2,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Midwest Auction Galleries.

Most of the 29 drawers on this excellent 19th-century American apothecary cabinet have drug or spice labels. The grain-painted surface is in excellent condition. It is expected to sell for $3,000-$4,000. Image courtesy of Midwest Auction Galleries.

This finely crafted rosewood desk made in China in the 19th century has a $2,000-$3,000 estimate. It is 54 inches wide and 33 inches high. Image courtesy of Midwest Auction Galleries.

Mario Spinetti (Italian, 1848-1925) signed and dated this wedding scene ‘87.’ The painting is oil on canvas laid on board and measures 21 1/2 inches by 15 1/2 inches. It has an $8,000-$12,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Midwest Auction Galleries.

Iran to cut ties with British Museum over loan

The Cyrus Cylinder in situ at The British Museum. Image by Kaaveh Ahangar. Courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Iran said it will cut ties with the British Museum on Monday, Feb. 8, because of the museum’s failure to lend Tehran an ancient Babylonian artifact described as the world’s earliest bill of rights.

The spat over the loan has long festered between London and Tehran, and comes against the backdrop of increasingly tense Iranian-British relations.

Tehran is under heavy pressure from the West over its nuclear program, and has accused Britain and other foreign governments of interference in domestic policies and of stoking the country’s postelection street protests.

The artifact is a 6th century B.C. clay tablet with an account in cuneiform of the conquest of Babylon by Persian King Cyrus the Great. It describes how Cyrus conquered Babylon in 539 B.C. and restored many of the people held captive by the Babylonians to their homelands.

Called the Cyrus Cylinder, it has been described by the U.N. Web site and elsewhere as the world’s oldest human rights document.

According to officials in Iran, the piece was to have been lent to Tehran by Sunday for an exhibition agreed on by the museum and the Iranian government.

Vice President Hamid Baqaei, who is also the head of Iran’s cultural heritage and tourism organization, was quoted by state Press TV as saying that the ties would be cut on Monday. It wasn’t immediately clear if this has happened.

Baqaei said the British Museum’s failure to keep its promise is “not acceptable.”

He said the British Museum initially was to lend Tehran the Cyrus Cylinder last September but postponed the deal, citing technical reasons and the postelection unrest following Iran’s disputed June presidential election.

“The Cyrus Cylinder has been turned from a cultural issue into a political one by the British,” Baqaei said, adding that Iran “will sever all its ties with the British Museum, which has become a political institution.”

Baqaei said Iran would send a protest letter the U.N. education agency, UNESCO, over the matter.

The British Museum expressed “great surprise” at the Iranian announcement, saying it had informed Tehran and Baqaei himself earlier this month that the loan would go ahead in the second half of July.

Two additional pieces belonging to the tablet that were only recently discovered in the museum’s possession were also to be lent to Tehran, the museum said in a statement, in line with its policy of cultural exchanges with other nations “independently of political considerations.”

“The British Museum has acted throughout in good faith, and values highly its hitherto good relations with Iran,” it said. “It is to be hoped that this matter can be resolved as soon as possible.”

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Associated Press Writer Danica Kirka contributed to this report from London.

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ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE

Front view of The Cyrus Cylinder, terracotta, Babylonia (southern Iraq), circa 539-530 B.C. Courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

View of back of The Cyrus Cylinder, terracotta, Babylonia (southern Iraq), circa 539-530 B.C. Courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

Antique dealers go green, display creativity with recycling

Original Bakelite bangles with newly added Bakelite polka dots. Image courtesy Florida Antique Shows/Puchstein Promotions.

DELAND, Fla. – It has often been often said that the antiques business is the ultimate recycling activity, but several dealers who set up at events organized by Florida Antique Shows/Puchstein Promotions have taken the idea to the next level. They are recycling the antiques themselves or at least parts of them into new forms and uses that preserve some vestige of the original antique, yet appeal to modern needs and tastes.

Three such dealers were set up at the Jan. 22-24 edition of the Deland Antique Show at the Volusia County Fairgrounds in Deland, Florida.

Bruce and Vickie Pantii of Breezy Palm Trading Company have a thing about plastic. More specifically they have a thing about Bakelite, the early plastic developed by Belgian chemist Dr. Leo Baekeland in 1907. The Bakelite formula was acquired by American Catalin Corporation in 1927 to produce the phenolic resins that are the basis of the durable plastic.

While Bakelite has many commercial and industrial applications, one of the most popular uses was developed in the 1930s when it was adapted to make costume jewelry. Today, the most popular and most expensive of those articles produced prior to World War II are the carved bangle bracelets and figural pins.

Bruce Pantii said that 10 years ago 90 percent of his sales were vintage items and that his customers were requesting Bakelite bangles with polka dots. Few were available, so he decided to make them. Now 90 per cent of his business is custom-made, signed “wearable art” made of pieces of Bakelite. He starts with a plain vintage Bakelite bangle and inserts polka dots made from Bakelite stock, usually 10-inch tubes originally used as stock to make bangles that he has squirreled away over the last twenty years. These new-style bracelets retail from the low hundreds for standard widths up to $500 for the wider ones. To make a more affordable bracelet, five years ago he began casting bangles from a type of acrylic he calls “Vibrulite.” He decorates the bangles with Bakelite dots or bow ties. These sell in the $150 range. Pantii is selling both the medium and the art by recycling old Bakelite stock.

Want to buy a really junky, old, used-up manual typewriter that no longer works? Neither does anyone else. But Roy and Rhonda Barske of Typewriter Jewelry are probably interested. Twelve years ago they started selling antiques and collectibles but couldn’t sell their inventory of used typewriters so they decided to recycle them. How? By using the letter in the keys. They are especially fond of old Coronas because they have the best fonts. They started by removing the Bakelite or celluloid keys with good fonts and incorporating them into custom made sterling jewelry using custom-made molds. They started with bracelets and have extended the line to include necklaces, earrings, pins, rings, cuff links, money clips, badge holders, keyrings and other commissioned items. Pendants and rings range from $25 to $45. Bangles are $35, and full bracelets with multiple typewriter letter keys are $80 and up. If a customer requests a style or item that is out of stock, Roy will make it within 30 minutes out of extra stock carried to shows. One nice source of business for the Barskes is weddings. They custom make pieces for wedding parties and showers at the request of prospective brides and grooms.

John Atkinson of Boston wasn’t born with a silver spoon in his mouth but he is working on it, one spoon at a time. Actually, he used forks, too, but skips the knives because of the hollow handles. He converts old silver-plated or sterling flatware into silver jewelry with magnetic clasps. He couples the interesting design patterns on the handle of forks or spoons into a custom made bracelet with a clasp. He started as a finder of matching silver patterns but ended up with boxes of unused or unmatched silver items. He then realized he could turn a spoon handle pattern into a key ring and his customers would always have a sample of the pattern they were looking for.

From there he expanded into bracelets and rings and will custom make items on request as you wait. He sells silver bracelets for $20 and silver keyrings and rings for $5. He also has a wide variety of patterns from which choose.

Many of Atkinson’s customers want patterns from a certain year. His main complaint is that good stock is getting harder to find. Most patterns from the 1960s were too plain to repurpose as decorative jewelry, and not as much silver is on the open market today. He has excellent silver pattern reference books and can probably match your silver pattern from his inventory and custom design a ring or bracelet. He said that many people use his service to recycle pieces of family silver rather than passing along entire sets.

These innovative dealers and many others exhibit at the Antique Shows of Florida/Puchstein Promotions venues and the West Palm Beach Antiques Festival. For a complete listing of dates and venues, visit www.floridaantiqueshows.com.

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ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

A cast acrylic bangle with back carving and inlay. Image courtesy Florida Antique Shows/Puchstein Promotions.

A showboard of charm bracelets made from typewriter keys. Image courtesy Florida Antique Shows/Puchstein Promotions.

An assortment of necklaces featuring typewriter keys. Image courtesy Florida Antique Shows/Puchstein Promotions.

A man’s ring made from a piece of sterling flatware. Image courtesy Florida Antique Shows/Puchstein Promotions.

Silver bracelets with magnetic catches made from flatware. Image courtesy Florida Antique Shows/Puchstein Promotions.

Kovels – Antiques & Collecting: Week of Feb. 8, 2010

Cowan's Auctions in Cincinnati sold this Pennsylvania cut-work valentine made in the early 1800s for $1,000.

Valentines that we send today can be printed on heavy paper, homemade using paper lace and trim or e-mailed via a digital greeting-card service. The idea of a valentine dates back to the Middle Ages, when men gave handwritten verses to their girlfriends. In the early 1800s in Pennsylvania, people started to make paper valentines from a single sheet of paper that was skillfully cut into hearts, flowers, animals and other designs. Often these valentines had added ink highlights. A different type of paper valentine was put together by Esther Howland of Massachusetts in 1850. She used paper lace, colored paper, built-up layers and sentimental verses. Printed cards followed, but there were still added pasted pieces.

If you want to collect vintage valentines, here are a few suggestions: Valentines that pop open to make 3-D scenes are expensive. So are the very old handmade cut-paper sheets that are fragile and required great skill to make. Buy valentines in good condition. They are hard to repair. If the valentine is not signed, it is worth more than one with a personal message written on it. Penny dreadfuls and other valentines that are comic and insulting do not sell well. Save the valentines you get this year. It is a free start to a new collection.

Q: Can you tell me anything about the Wrighton Furniture Co.? I have an armoire made by that company and haven’t been able to find any information.

A: Wrighton Furniture Co. was an English firm that made traditional styles of furniture during at least the 1940s and ’50s. Today’s prices for the company’s armoires, which seem to have been a Wrighton specialty, are $100-$200.

Q: A couple of years ago, your column pictured a porcelain figurine of a female tennis player. She was wearing a white outfit with gold-colored highlights. I have a 15-inch figurine just like the one you pictured, but her outfit is light blue with dark blue highlights. I also have the matching male tennis player. Would the pair sell for twice as much as a single figure?

A: Your figurines were made by Gebruder Heubach of Lichten, Germany. The company was in business from 1840 to 1925, but its tennis figurines probably date from the 1880s or ’90s. They were hand-painted and so can be found in various color combinations. A pair should sell for more than twice as much as an individual figure, but other factors are also important. Are the figures in excellent condition, with no chips or cracks? Are they marked? If the answer to both questions is yes, the pair could sell for about $500.

Q: I love to collect old valentine cards, mostly from the 1950s, but I also have a couple from the early 1900s. I’m keeping them in an album in protective sleeves, but I would love to display them without tearing them up. Can you give me some suggestions on how to display my collectible valentines?

A: We displayed some antique valentines in deep frames with spacers between the glass and the valentine and hung a group of them on a wall. Choose a frame with a glass or archival plastic cover, and use an acid-free mat. Thicker valentines look best in a shadowbox. If the card needs to be fastened to the mat, use archival corners. If it has an inscription inside that you want to save, or information on the back that would help to date the card, you can make a photocopy of it and put it in an envelope attached to the back of the frame, or even display it next to the front of the card. There is a club with a newsletter and Web site for valentine collectors: National Valentine Collectors Association, P.O. Box 647, Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417, ValentineCollectors.com.

Q: I have a set of china that was handed down to me by a family member about 25 years ago. It is marked “Harmony House Metro China, Elizabeth, made in Occupied Japan.” I would like to know something about it.

A: Harmony House dinnerware was made for Sears, Roebuck & Co. by several different factories from 1940 until the early 1970s. Makers in the United States included Hall China Co., Harker Pottery, Homer Laughlin China Co., Laurel Potteries, Salem China Co. and Universal Potteries. Pieces marked “Occupied Japan” were made in Japan between 1947 and 1952. You can find extra dishes for your set at some of the replacement services.

Q: I have a radio that has colorful figures of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs on the front. A window with shutters is behind them, and there is a squirrel on top of one of the shutters. The tuning and volume knobs are shaped like acorns, and a jewel on Snow White’s dress lights up when the radio is turned up. I have had this radio since the early 1940s. Is it valuable?

A: The movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was released in 1937. Emerson made two versions of the Snow White radio in about 1938-39. The larger version shows more of the cottage and is usually not painted. Emerson Phonograph Co. was incorporated in 1915. It is now called Emerson Radio Corp. and has headquarters in Parsippany, N.J. If your radio is in good condition, it could sell for $1,200 to $2,000.

Tip: Don’t clean a cloth doll’s body with water. Use cornstarch or talc. Rub it into the fabric, then gently brush it away after four hours.

Terry Kovel answers as many questions as possible through the column. By sending a letter with a question, you give full permission for use in the column or any other Kovel forum. Names, addresses or e-mail addresses will not be published. We cannot guarantee the return of any photograph, but if a stamped envelope is included, we will try. The volume of mail makes personal answers or appraisals impossible. Write to Kovels, Auction Central News, King Features Syndicate, 300 W. 57th St., New York, NY 10019.

Need more information about collectibles? Find it at Kovels.com, our Web site for collectors. Check prices there, too. More than 700,000 are listed, and viewing them is free. You can also sign up to read our weekly Kovels Komments. It includes the latest news, tips and questions and is delivered by e-mail, free, if you register. Kovels.com offers extra collector’s information and lists of publications, clubs, appraisers, auction houses, people who sell parts or repair antiques and much more. You can subscribe to Kovels on Antiques and Collectibles, our monthly newsletter filled with prices, facts and color photos. Kovels.com adds to the information in our newspaper column and helps you find useful sources needed by collectors.

CURRENT PRICES

Current prices are recorded from antiques shows, flea markets, sales and auctions throughout the United States. Prices vary in different locations because of local economic conditions.

Scaasi hot pink jumpsuit, silk twill, short sleeves, pockets, inverted pleats at waistline, back zipper, lined, 1960s, size 6, $180.
Staffordshire Historical Blue plate, dark blue, The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, impressed label, shell border, 1940s, 10 inches, $235.
William IV cut glass vase, Strawberry Diamond and Fan pattern, square base with a reverse-cut sunburst, 1860s, 9 1/2 inches, $480.
Needlework map of England and Wales, by Maria Leach, Crediton, Devonshire, 1808, silk on wool, oval, vine and leaf border, signed, 23 x 19 inches, $500.
Tammany Hall mechanical bank, coin is deposited in Boss Tweed’s coat pocket, black suit, yellow vest, red chair, late 1800s, 5 1/2 inches, $690.
Quadroon Tobacco pouch, cloth, image of woman with fan, 1883 tax stamp, 4 1/2 x 3 inches, $770.
Louis XV-style center table, kingwood and rosewood, rectangular top with scalloped edge, leather inset, one drawer, cabriole legs, early 19th century, 30 x 31 inches, $900.
Tete Jumeau No. 10 doll, open mouth, cork pate with sandy human hair, blue paperweight eyes, ball-jointed composition body, 23 inches, $1,380.
George III sterling goblet, repousse acanthus bandings, molded rim and foot, engraved, Dublin hallmark, 1812, 6 inches, pair, $1,440.
Tole coffeepot, side spout, two handles, original floral design on green ground, American, 1850s, 12 inches, $2,458.

Here’s the best book to own if you want to buy or sell or collect. The new full-color Kovels’ Antiques & Collectibles Price Guide, 2010, 42nd edition, is your most accurate source for current prices. This large-size paperback has more than 2,500 color photographs and 47,000 up-to-date prices for more than 700 categories of antiques and collectibles. You’ll also find hundreds of factory histories and marks and a report on the record prices of the year, plus helpful sidebars and tips about buying, selling, collecting and preserving your treasures. Available online at Kovelsonlinestore.com; by phone at 800-571-1555; at your bookstore; or send $27.95 plus $4.95 postage to Price Book, Box 22900, Beachwood, OH 44122.

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