July 2010 - Auction Central News

All 44 U.S. presidents ‘sign’ for Written Word’s auction Sept. 18-19

Lyndon B. Johnson’s disdain for political rival Robert F. Kennedy is evident in this unsigned pencil sketch. The sketch is on U.S. Senate stationery that measures 5 1/4 inches by 8 inches. The doodle has a $5,000-$8,000 estimate. Image courtesy of The Written Word Autographs.

TAMWORTH, N.H. – Every president of the United States will be represented at The Written Word Autograph’s auction Sept. 18-19, but not necessarily in a flattering light. LiveAuctioneers will facilitate bidding in the online auction.

Written Word owner Dan Rowe is a stickler for provenance, but an important lot in the auction might be considered politically incorrect. Lyndon B. Johnson’s pencil sketch of Bobby Kennedy, drawn on U.S. Senate stationery, depicts an unflattering image of RFK with shark-like teeth and scrawny legs. A known doodler, Johnson likely drew the caricature during the 1960 presidential campaign before Democratic candidate John F. Kennedy won the election and named his brother U.S. Attorney General.

Vice President Johnson became president after JFK was assassinated Nov. 22, 1963. Robert Kennedy later resigned as attorney general to run for the U.S. Senate.

“It shows the contemptuous relationship they had,” said Rowe. Bobby privately referred to the vice president as “Uncle Cornpone,” while Johnson called Kennedy “that boy with the rickety legs,” notes Rowe in the auction catalog.

Michael J. Kirwan, a U.S. representative from Ohio from 1937 to 1970, saved the unsigned sketch along with similar ephemera from Capitol Hill, said Rowe. The sketch has a $5,000-$8,000 estimate.

Another LBJ sketch saved by Kirwan depicts a three-eyed octopus holding a lighted cigarette. On Congress of the United States stationery, the crudely drawn doodle has a $750-$1,200 estimate.

Rowe said the most difficult presidential autographs to acquire are George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy.

“Kennedy is tough because he had secretaries signing for him,” said Rowe.

Each of three different “Kennedy for President” fliers autographed by JFK has a $1,200-$2,000 estimate.

An 1861 military appointment signed by President Lincoln is extraordinary in that the appointee, Richard Caswell Gatlin, a West Point graduate and career soldier, soon resigned his commission and offered his services to the Confederacy.

“It’s extremely rare because Gatlin became a general in the Confederate Army,” said Rowe.

The vellum appointment, 16 1/4 inches by 10 1/4 inches, is also signed by Secretary of War Simon Cameron. The document has a $9,500-$12,000 estimate.

George Washington’s autograph, clipped from the conclusion of a signed letter and mounted on a 4 1/2-in by 3-inch card, has a $3,500-$5,000 estimate.

A small lock of Washington’s hair is estimated to sell for $1,800-$2,500.

“It’s quite rare, particularly with the provenance this one has,” said Rowe, noting the lock of hair comes with documentation that traces ownership to Eleanor Parke Custis, the granddaughter of Martha Washington by her first marriage. The lock was authenticated by Charles Hamilton, a renowned autograph dealer, in 1992.

“If it didn’t have (Hamilton’s) provenance,” I wouldn’t have touched it,” said Rowe.

Dwight D. Eisenhower autographed baseballs are rare according to Rowe, and the one in his auction Sept. 18 carries a $6,000-$9,000 estimate.

“Presidents traditionally throw out the first pitch on opening day and it must have been one of those,” he said. The Official American League ball bears the name of Joe Cronin, who served as American League president from 1959-1973, an indication that Ike signed it late in his presidency.

More sports and entertainment autographs are concentrated in the second day of the auction. Included are album pages autographed by New York Yankees greats Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, each of which carries a $2,500-$3,800 estimate. A 1931 typed letter signed by tight-fisted Chicago White Sox owner Charles A. Comisky to a scout seeking employment has a $2,000-$3,500 estimate. An official 2000 World Series baseball signed by members of the champion New York Yankees is expected to top $2,000. Notable signatures include Series MVP Derek Jeter and manager Joe Torre, who signed on the sweet spot.

Among the Hollywood A-list names in the auction is Jayne Mansfield, who autographed a black and white enlargement of herself to a fan. The actress-night club entertainer died in an automobile accident at the age of 34 in 1967. The signed photo has a $500-$800 estimate.

The Saturday session, consisting of 572 lots, will begin at 9 a.m. Eastern. Sunday’s session, 456 lots, will begin at noon Eastern.

For details visit www.thewrittenwordautographs.com or call Rowe at 603-323-7563.

View the fully illustrated catalog and register to bid absentee or live via the Internet as the sale is taking place by logging on to www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

Sam Adams, organizer of the Boston Tea Party, signed this appointment naming Moses Bailey an officer in the militia. The document, 12 1/2 inches by 13 inches, is dated Oct. 7, 1770. It has a $3,800-$5,000 estimate. Image courtesy of The Written Word Autographs.

Samuel Clemens’ letter to Ray Lamprey, a young woman friend, briefly refers to the author’s reversal of fortune in the national crisis of 1893. The two-page handwritten letter has a $5,000-$9,000 estimate. Image courtesy of The Written Word Autographs.

Jayne Mansfield, one of Hollywood’s platinum-blonde sex symbols of the 1950s, inscribed this black and white photograph to a fan. The autographed 8-by-10 enlargement has a $500-$800 estimate. Image courtesy of The Written Word Autographs.

Clipped from the conclusion of a handwritten letter, this George Washington signature has a $3,500-$5,000 estimate. It is mounted on a 4 1/2-inch by 3-inch card. Image courtesy of The Written Word Autographs.

Babe Ruth, baseball's first great slugger and the most celebrated athlete of his time, signed a fan’s album page. A small newspaper photograph of Ruth has been affixed beneath the signature. The 4 1/2-inch by 5-inch page has an estimate of $2,500-$3,800. Image courtesy of The Written Word Autographs. — Babe Ruth, baseball’s first great slugger and the most celebrated athlete of his time, signed a fan’s album page. A small newspaper photograph of Ruth has been affixed beneath the signature. The 4 1/2-inch by 5-inch page has an estimate of $2,500-$3,800. Image courtesy of The Written Word Autographs.

President Abraham Lincoln signed this military appointment dated March 29, 1861. Two months later the appointee, Richard Caswell Gatlin, resigned his commission and joined the Confederacy. The document has a $9,500-$12,000 estimate. Image courtesy of The Written Word Autographs.

Italy seeks private sponsors to restore Colosseum

Angled shot of the Colosseum, Rome, taken Aug. 18, 2002 by Jimmy Walker. Licensed under Creative Commons ShareAlike 2.0 License.

ROME (AP) – Italian officials are seeking to raise some euro25 million (about $32 million) in private money to finance the restoration of one of the country’s iconic landmarks: the Colosseum.

The Culture Ministry says the government will accept bids from possible sponsors from Aug. 4 to Sept. 15.

The ministry said in a statement that sponsors funding the project will be able to “promote their image,” but that any ads will have to be compatible with the decorum of the 2,000-year-old arena.

Officials said Thursday the Rome city hall is also looking to charge tourists a few extra euros (dollars) in tax for hotels and some museums.

The tax, which goes into effect Jan. 1, will apply to other tourism services as well, such as double-decker tour buses, bars and restaurants set up along the bank of the Tiber river and tour boats, said Mauro Cutrufo, deputy mayor of Rome.

The tax is expected to bring an extra euro50 million into the city’s public coffers, he said.

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Sugarman to sell Miami estate items with Hammerstein provenance

1982 Rolls-Royce Corniche drop-head coupe, estimate $40,000-$60,000. Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers.com and J. Sugarman Auction Corp.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – On Saturday, July 31, J. Sugarman Auction of West Palm Beach, Florida, will present antiques, furniture and many other quality items from a Miami-area estate with show business provenance. Internet live bidding will be provided by LiveAuctioneers.com.

The articles to be auctioned come from a 6,000-square-foot oceanfront penthouse in upscale Bal Harbor previously owned by an international fashion model. Approximately 60 pieces were formerly the property of Oscar Hammerstein II, the famed composer who wrote the lyrics to South Pacific and many other stage productions.

Michael Huter, director of Art & Antiques for J. Sugarman Auction, explained the trail of provenance. “The consignor was at one time Mr. Hammerstein’s accountant. He purchased the Montego Bay, Jamaica home of Oscar and Dorothy Hammerstein around 40 years ago, complete with contents. When the consignor and his wife, a fashion model who is now deceased, sold the Jamaica house, they moved the contents to their homes in Manhattan and Bal Harbor,” Huter said.

A major highlight of the 1,000-lot auction that includes the Hammerstein items is a rare 1981 Rolls-Royce Corniche convertible with original parts, paint, tires, interior and only 45,000 miles on the odometer. Other key lots include a a pair of 18th-century 3-ft.-tall bronze sitting monks (estimated value: $50,000), a pair of Sevres 1764 vases from Eleanor Roosevelt’s Hyde Park home (with documentation), a prestigious Buccelatti sterling flatware service for 24 (a combined 650 ounces), a Sevres service for 12 from the Shah of Iran, and two Hirschfeld pieces that were originally given to Oscar and Dorothy Hammerstein and displayed at their Jamaican estate.

The auction includes jewelry and watches valued at one million dollars, original French and Italian period furniture, $100,000 worth of men’s and women’s designer clothes and shoes; bronze erotica, Persian and Afghan rugs; and dozens of original oil paintings, watercolors and artworks, including several by Salvador Dali and French artist Louis Icart, Erte, Dufy, Picasso, Calder, Chagall, and many more.

For additional information on any lot in the sale, call J. Sugarman Auction at 754-366-2885.

View the fully illustrated catalog and register to bid absentee or live via the Internet as the sale is taking place by logging on to www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

Sevres vases from Eleanor Roosevelt Estate, estimate $10,000-$50,000. Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers.com and J. Sugarman Auction Corp.

One of a pair of gilt bronze seated monks, provenance: Oscar Hammerstein II and Dorothy Hammerstein, estimate $30,000-$150,000 the pair. Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers.com and J. Sugarman Auction Corp.

Raoul Dufy (French, 1877-1953) gouache and watercolor over pencil on paper, estimate $40,000-$400,000. Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers.com and J. Sugarman Auction Corp.

Cartier Roadster Chronograph XL with diamonds, estimate $12,000-$16,000. Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers.com and J. Sugarman Auction Corp.

Ex-NY money manager admits bilking investors; bought antiques, collectibles

NEW YORK (AP) – A former money manager pleaded guilty Wednesday to securities fraud, admitting that he cheated charities, schools, pension funds and others out of at least $331 million, using a portion of the funds to buy collectible teddy bears and to invest in $100,000 horses.

Paul Greenwood, 63, entered the plea in U.S. District Court in Manhattan in a cooperation deal that could win him leniency at sentencing, which was tentatively set for Dec. 1. He would otherwise face up to 85 years in prison.

Greenwood lives in North Salem, N.Y., which is about 45 miles north of New York City on the Connecticut line. Its 5,100 residents also include David Letterman, actor Stanley Tucci and Oscar-winning composer Alan Menken.

Greenwood told Judge Miriam Goldman Cedarbaum that he conspired with others from at least 1996 through last year to divert funds that were supposed to be invested into personal accounts that he used to operate a horse farm, improve his home and buy antiques and collectibles.

Prosecutors said Greenwood’s victims included charitable and university foundations as well as retirement plans.

The institutional investors entrusted Greenwood and his partners with $7.6 billion that was supposed to be invested conservatively. Instead, Greenwood said, the partners invested a portion of the money in a company that failed.

“We ended up losing a lot of money,” Greenwood said.

He said he initially thought the partners could make back the lost money through other investments but later realized that was not possible “and we continued to do it” for a long time.

“As time went on the hole got bigger and bigger,” Greenwood said.

He said that he spent more than $75 million of stolen money on his house, antiques and the horse farm while he concealed the fraud by using money that had not been lost to pay off investors who sought to redeem their investments.

Greenwood said he worked out of the company’s Greenwich, Conn., offices while others worked at offices of WG Trading Co. on New York’s Long Island or in Jersey City, N.J.

He said his antiques were auctioned earlier this year, the North Salem horse farm is on the market and the collectibles are scheduled to be sold later this year.

According to a 2008 magazine article, Greenwood’s collection of teddy bears included more than 1,350 Steiff toys. Among them were 74 bears plus birds, cats, insects, dinosaurs, kangaroos, seals, squirrels and many other types of stuffed animals.

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Ohio museum to show art by Stones’ Ronnie Wood

Ronnie Wood onstage with the Rolling Stones, Candlestick Park, San Francisco, Nov. 21, 2006. Photo by Catharine Anderson, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic License.

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (AP) – Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood is coming to the U.S. with a different kind of solo show, spotlighting his paintings and other art.

The Butler Institute of American Art told The Vindicator newspaper that the exhibition opening is the first for Wood at a major American museum.

The 63-year-old British musician plans to be at the Ohio museum for a reception on the show’s opening day, Sept. 21.

Butler chief curator and director Louis Zona describes Wood’s art style as lively and appealing. The museum notes that the rocker picked up a paint brush at the age of 12, before he started playing guitar.

The exhibition includes 30 of Wood’s paintings, 22 pen-and-pencil drawings and seven mixed-media works.

The exhibit runs through Nov. 21.

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Online: http://www.butlerart.com/

AP-CS-07-28-10 0939EDT

Newly donated FDR papers unveiled at National Archives

FDR “chit” regarding the promotion of Colonel George C. Marshall to Brigadier General, circa 1936. Marshall’s promotion had been encouraged by the hero of World War I, the highly respected Gen. John J. Pershing. Three years later, the President named Marshall to be the Chief of Staff of the Army, and he was one of FDR’s most trusted and indispensable military advisers during World War II. Images accompanying this article are courtesy of The National Archives.

WASHINGTON (AP) _ A handwritten letter from fascist Italian dictator Benito Mussolini congratulating President Franklin D. Roosevelt on his inauguration, and a note from a woman who had a brief affair with Roosevelt were shown to the public for the first time Wednesday at the National Archives.

The 5,000 documents and gifts collected by Roosevelt’s secretaries include a note from Lucy Mercer Rutherfurd, who had an affair with Roosevelt that forever changed his marriage to Eleanor Roosevelt when she discovered the infidelity in 1918.

Rutherfurd wrote Roosevelt’s personal secretary, Grace Tully, a week before his death in 1945 to arrange a visit with a portrait painter and photographer. The “Unfinished Portrait” was in progress when he collapsed and died.

The meetings with Rutherfurd were kept secret from Eleanor Roosevelt until after her husband’s death, and the letter is evidence Tully was involved in communications between Rutherfurd and Roosevelt.

The 14 boxes of items had been sealed with duct tape for years, and were considered the last great privately-held collection of papers for Roosevelt’s presidential library in Hyde Park, N.Y.

Anne Roosevelt, the president’s granddaughter, said Tully and another personal secretary, Marguerite “Missy” LeHand, were devoted to Roosevelt.

“Their understanding of what to save and what to collect was important,” she said. “We are grateful to them for being pack rats.”

It took an act of Congress to get the documents to the National Archives, though, after an ownership dispute. The Sun-Times Media Group Inc., formerly Hollinger International Inc., bought the collection in 2001 for $8 million. In 2004, Hollinger put the items for sale at Christie’s auction house, but the National Archives claimed ownership to some of the times, saying they were presidential materials. The company eventually agreed to donate the items in exchange for a tax credit.

A 2009 bankruptcy filing by the Sun-Times Media Group could have scuttled the whole deal, said Roosevelt library director Cynthia Koch. The multimillion dollar collection could have been divided up and sold off.

New York Sen. Charles Schumer and Rep. Louise Slaughter sponsored bills to smooth the way for the donation with a full tax deduction. Schumer said it will ensure the papers are preserved.

“It has a magical feeling to hold a paper that Roosevelt himself had and to put yourself in his place as he made decisions about some of the most vexing problems our country ever faced,” he said.

The donation became official June 30 after President Barack Obama signed the bill into law.

In the past month, archivist Robert Clark has sorted and organized about a third of the collection.

“For the first time, you see the inner workings of FDR’s inner office and how Missy and Grace interacted with the president – but also how they interacted with all those people around Roosevelt,” Clark said.

A month after World War II broke out in Europe, U.S. Ambassador Joseph Kennedy wrote a personal note to LeHand. He described his view of the war, along with some personal reflections.

“It is lonesome as the devil here without the family and at the same time the delivery of mail is very bad, and chances are from now on it is going to be worse,” Kennedy wrote.

The Roosevelt library plans to make the papers available to the public for research by Nov. 15 and will post them all online in January.

Much is still unknown about Roosevelt, so the collection will prove valuable, said U.S. Archivist David Ferriero.

“They help fill gaps in the record of a presidency that changed America,” he said. “Roosevelt did not keep a diary, did not sit for extensive interviews with historians, did not live to write his memoirs, and he never completely confided in anyone, not even his wife.”

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Online: Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum, http://www.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/

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ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE

Letter from Ambassador Joseph P. Kennedy to FDR’s primary personal secretary Marguerite “Missy” LeHand, Oct, 3, 1939. A month after the outbreak of World War II in Europe, Kennedy wrote this letter to LeHand, who was also a personal friend, describing his views on the war, the social scene in London following the outbreak, and the loneliness of serving abroad without his family. Images accompanying this article are courtesy of The National Archives.

Virginia shop to display 1909 Honus Wagner baseball card

This example of the extremely rare Honus Wagner baseball card, issued by the American Tobacco Co. around 1909, is held in the permanent collection of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

CHESAPEAKE, Va. (AP) – A Chesapeake coin shop is displaying what experts say is one of the most famous baseball cards in American history, the Honus Wagner T206.

The 1909 card is one of about 100 still in existence and is being displayed at Dominion Coin this week. Shop owner Ray Ciccone is serving as the agent for the card’s owner, a Baltimore convent that was bequeathed the card as part of a collection previously owned by the brother of one of the convent’s nuns.

Ciccone says the card isn’t in the same pristine condition as one that has fetched more than $2 million. He’ll display the card in his shop until he has to deliver it to a Texas auction house early next week. This one is valued at about $150,000.

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Information from: Daily Press, http://www.dailypress.com

AP-ES-07-28-10 1140EDT

Paintings top draw at Auction Gallery of the Palm Beaches, Aug. 9

Harold Newton (1934-1994), considered the original Florida Highwayman, painted ‘Royal Poinciana Along the Indian River’ on Upson Board. The 24-inch by 32-inch work has a $3,000-$5,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Auction Gallery of the Palm Beaches.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Fine art and Asian antiques – including an extensive collection of Rose Medallion – headline the Auction Gallery of the Palm Beaches’ sale Monday, Aug. 9. Artwork ranges from Paris School paintings to the best of the Florida Highwaymen. LiveAuctioneers will provide Internet live bidding for the auction, which begins at noon Eastern.

The largest work known to have been painted Jean Jansem (French, born 1920) is titled LeMarey Eurs, which is 55 18 inches by 78 2/3 inches. The original owner purchased the painting from Wally Findlay Galleries in New York in 1969.

“It’s the largest known painting to exist from the artist,” said Leslie Baker, auction gallery manager at Auction Gallery of the Palm Beaches. “It was consigned by a renowned collector who does not wish to be identified.”

The Rose Medallion collection consists of nearly 50 lots consigned by a resident of Boynton Beach, Fla.

“The Rose Medallion is second to none. He spent a lifetime putting the collection together. There are tureens, platters, vases and umbrella stands,” said Baker. “The gentleman has been a client of mine since the 1980s and he bought some of these pieces here.”

Nearly a dozen pieces of limited edition Picasso pottery have been consigned from a home in Delray Beach, Fla. Estimates range from $4,000 to $6,000 for each of the nine plates and chargers, $5,000 to $7,000 for a pitcher and $2,000 to $2,500 for a plaque.

A Picasso linocut in black and orange titled Toros Valluaris, signed in the plate 24-6-58, is expected to sell for $10,000-$15,000. The image measures 25 3/8 inches by 20 1/4 inches.

The same collector has also consigned a Marc Chagall lithograph titled Les Maries dan L’Atelier, which depicts an artist painting a newlywed couple in his studio. The signed and numbered lithograph, #621, measures 30 inches by 22 1/2 inches. It carries a $6,000-$8,000 estimate.

The Highwaymen painting in the auction is by Harold Newton, considered the founding member and most prolific of the artist group that painted Florida landscapes and sold them to tourists by the side of the road. Titled Royal Poinciana Along the Indian River, the oil on board painting measures 24 inches by 32 inches and has a $3,000-$5,000 estimate. Newton died in 1994 at age 59 after suffering a stroke.

“It’s a breathtaking painting,” commented Baker, noting it is in its original frame.

Some of the heftiest estimates are assigned to the collection of carved jade items from a North Palm Beach collector. Included are 19th- and 20-century imperial seals, brush washers, plaques and vases. Many of the pieces are highly desirable white jade.

“The pieces were finely chosen and in excellent condition,” said Baker.

Antique furniture, glass and silver will round out the 369-lot auction.

For details contact Baker at 561-805-7115.

View the fully illustrated catalog and register to bid absentee or live via the Internet as the sale is taking place by logging on to www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

Jean Jansem’s ‘Le Marey Eurs’ is believed to be the largest work ever painted by the French artist. The oil on canvas measures 55 1/8 inches by 78 3/4 inches. The circa 1964 work has a $20,000-$30,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Auction Gallery of the Palm Beaches.

One of the most unusual pieces in the Rose Medallion collection is this 19th-century umbrella stand. The fluted cylindrical vessel is painted with alternating figural and floral panels. It has an $800-$1,200 estimate. Image courtesy of Auction Gallery of the Palm Beaches.

The large green jade seal of Empress Xiaomu is expected to sell for $30,000-$40,000. Adorned with a pair of dragons, the seal measures 5 1/8 inches by 5 1/8 inches. Image courtesy of Auction Gallery of the Palm Beaches.

Eleven pieces of Picasso pottery are offered in the auction including this ‘Yan Soleil’ pitcher. The 10 5/8-inch-tall vessel is numbered 264/300 and bears the Edition Picasso and Madoura Pottery stamp. It has a $5,000-$7,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Auction Gallery of the Palm Beaches.

Early Americana came to life at Jeffrey S. Evans’ June 26 auction

Pennsylvania paint-decorated Dutch cupboard, $17,250. Image courtesy of Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates.

MOUNT CRAWFORD, Va. – On Saturday, June 26, 2010 Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates conducted its semiannual catalogued auction of Americana, Fine Antiques & Decorative Arts. Internet live bidding was provided by LiveAuctioneers.com.

The 567-lot auction included material formerly in the collection of Dr. E. R. Eller (curator, Carnegie Museum, Pittsburgh, from 1949-1969), deaccessioned material from a Virginia institution, as well as fresh offerings from the Hilda Fried estate of New York City, and numerous Shenandoah Valley estates and several private Virginia collections.

The sale’s star lot was a two-piece Pennsylvania paint-decorated poplar Dutch cupboard from the Eller collection that retained its original two-tone grain painted surface. In excellent condition with no replacements or major repairs, the cupboard sold to a telephone bidder for $17,250. All prices quoted in this report include a 15% buyer’s premium.

Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates is one of the few auction houses that offer an in-house packing and shipping service, carefully preparing all but excessively large objects for transport across the country and around the world, but the packing crew undoubtedly breathed a collective sigh of relief when a floor bidder won lot 409, a pair of French palace urns marked for manufacturer Samson Porcelain Works. Each Chinese-style covered urn, with extensive chinoiserie polychrome decoration and gilt highlights, measured 19 inches in diameter and 30 inches high. Despite a rim chip and light hairline to one urn, this monumental pair achieved an astounding $13,800.

Wasting no time in climbing to $10,925 was a circa 1825, signed “Jacob Eby/Manheim” Pennsylvania mahogany and cherry tall-case clock that stood 102 inches high. It had its original weights, pendulum and winding key and was adorned by an American sailing ship on its moon phase dial.

An 89-inch-tall Shenandoah Valley of Virginia Federal inlaid cherry tall-case clock, which was in “very good as-found condition,” brought $7,475; and a 91-inch Pennsylvania Queen Anne walnut tall-case clock sans weights and in unknown working order, realized $5,750.

Two Maryland pieces each achieved $6,900: an oil-on-canvas portrait painting and a cast-iron stove plate. In its original frame, the colorful circa 1840 painting was attributed to John Beale Bordley II, who beautifully captured the innocence of four Burroughs children and a family kitten. According to the provenance note, the portrait had been purchased from a descendant of the Burroughs family of Croom, Maryland (Prince George’s County). The extremely rare Rock Forge Furnace (Washington County, Maryland) stove plate decorated with columned arches, tulips, stars and hearts, was inscribed “D:S Hughes,” “Fornace,” and “1771.” Recently discovered in Charlottesville, Va., the stove plate was in outstanding condition.

Four folk art watercolors on paper from the Eller consignment resulted in impressive prices. All were colorful, primitive-style depictions of rural life by Hattie Klapp Brunner (1889-1982), an artist commonly referred to as “The Pennsylvania Grandma Moses.” A winter scene featured a covered bridge in snow, $1,265; while the other three were richly hued autumn views with subjects that included a train traveling through a small town ($1,725), a red covered bridge ($2,875) and a quaint country auction ($3,220). Other notable artwork included an oil on canvas titled Herder with Sheep by William J. Hyett (Pittsburgh, 1876-1952) that was signed by the artist and dated 1910 ($2,415), and an unframed oil on board titled Valley Falls, Alleghany Co., VA on verso and signed “G. Emmolt / 1877” ($1,955).

Two 19th-century silk on linen needlework samplers were excellent buys at $2,070 – one wrought by Mary W. Moon of Albemarle County, Va., (lot 246) and the other by Annie E. Giles who was possibly from Maryland.

A tiny, 3-inch x 2¼-inch brightly colored Pennsylvania watercolor and ink on paper fraktur drawing of a bird perched on a tulip realized $1,380; a tall price for a piece that was about the size of a credit card. While examining the bible of Henry Erb (1808-1885) of Manheim, Pa., that had been consigned for the auction by Erb family descendants, Jeff Evans discovered the circa 1830 unframed watercolor tucked away within the pages; the period pencil inscription on the back explains that it had been received as a nineteenth birthday gift.

Other items of note included an 8½-inch x 6¾-inch Italian micromosaic Grand Tour plaque from the Fried estate ($1,725), a Merrick’s Six Cord oak revolving spool cabinet, patented July 20, 1897 ($1,610), a Swiss Vacheron & Constantin 18K gold case pocket watch in excellent running condition ($1,495), and an 8-gallon, two-handled stoneware jar stamped “W. H. Lehew & Co. / Strasburg, VA – the largest Lehew jar recorded to date ($3,335).

Upcoming 2010 sales at Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates include Antique Sewing (Aug. 28 and Dec. 4), Early American Pattern Glass (Sept. 25 and 26) and Early American Glass and Lighting (Oct. 23). LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding for all of these sales. For additional information, call 540-434-3939 or e-mail info@jeffreysevans.com.

Click here to view the fully illustrated catalog for this sale, complete with prices realized.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

Pair of large French Chinese-style palace urns, $13,800. Image courtesy of Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates.

Signed Jacob Eby mahogany and cherry tall-case clock, Pennsylvania, $10,925. Image courtesy of Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates.

William J. Hyett oil painting titled Herder with Sheep, $2,415. Image courtesy of Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates.

Family portrait attributed to John Beale Bordley II (Maryland), $6,900. Image courtesy of Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates.

Rock Forge Furnace (Washington Co., Maryland) stove plate, $6,900. Image courtesy of Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates.

Clars’ Aug. 7-8 Estate auction spans Rembrandt to rock & roll

Rembrandt van Rijn's (Dutch, 1606-1669) unframed etching titled The Angel Appearing to the Shepherds is estimated at $4,000 to $6,000. Image courtesy Clars Auction Gallery.

OAKLAND, Calif. – On Aug. 7-8, 2010, Clars Auction Gallery will host their two-day Fine Estate Sale offering more than 1,500 lots of antique and estate furnishings, exceptional decoratives and historic pieces. The sale will also feature sterling and jewelry as well as a very good selection of fine art from both American and international listed artists. Internet live bidding will be provided by LiveAuctioneers.com

The decoratives highlights will include a ceramic loving cup by Viola Frey. Frey was an internationally respected artist and leading figure in contemporary ceramics known for her intensely colored pieces. Her work has been featured in museums across the country. This loving cup measures 7¼ inches high and is estimated at $2,000 to $4,000.

A richly colored blue monumental jardinière attributed to Gladding McBean measures 25 inches high and is expected to earn $800 to $1,000. A fine selection of very desirable Fulper Pottery will no doubt attract collectors, as well.

A touch of Americana will be represented by a selection of country and primitive pieces, including a Nantucket basket signed by S. Gibbs. A selection of Native American baskets and textiles will also be offered.

Historic highlights will include antique and vintage firearms led by an 1889 Springfield trapdoor rifle U.S. model 1884. A charming 22-inch-high E. Goyard steamer trunk, circa 1900, will also be auctioned.

On Saturday, an extensive collection of books featuring art reference books, with many signed by the artists, will be sold. Rounding out this category will be a collection of antique Continental and U.S. maps and a delightful collection of early 20th-century Mignot and Britains lead soldiers.

Sterling offerings will include a Tiffany & Co. silver raised bowl and a S.T. Crosby silver six-piece tea service, both circa 1850. In addition, a complete Gorham sterling flatware service in the La Scala pattern designed by Peter C. Gevette will be sold.

Turning to the furniture category, an American Art Deco aviation desk by Frank Fletcher is estimated to bring $2,000 to $4,000. This piece will be complemented by a fine selection of Arts & Crafts period furniture as well as more traditional style antique pieces. Asian furniture offerings will include a stunning pair of intricately carved 19th-century hardwood export chairs.

Art offerings will span the globe including works by Rembrandt van Rijn and Jules Eugene Pages. The work on offer by Rembrandt (Dutch, 1606-1669), icon of the Dutch Golden Age and considered one of the greatest European painters and printmakers, is an unframed etching titled The Angel Appearing to the Shepherds and is expected to earn $4,000 to $6,000.

From British painters, a signed and framed oil on canvas by George Houston (1869-1947) showing a road along a rocky lakeshore is estimated at $6,000 to $8,000; and a framed charcoal drawing on paper by David Nash (b. 1945-), one of three to be offered, titled Cuts Up Cuts Down Column is estimated at $5,000 to $7,000.

Among works from American artists will be a framed oil on board titled High Noon showing the tree-studded golden hills of California in summer, by Eyvind Earle (New York/California, 1916-2000), the lead background artist and stylist for Disney’s Sleeping Beauty and other films (estimate $3,000 to $5,000).

Renowned California artist William Keith (1838-1911) will be represented by his signed framed oil on canvas illustrating cattle grazing by a river at sunset, which is estimated at $3,000 to $5,000. Other California artists in the sale include Arthur Best, Edwin M. Dawes, Richard De Treville, Carl Henrik Jonnevold, and others.

Rock & roll heavyweights will also have their day at Clars with works from Jerry Garcia and John Lennon. Garcia’s (California, 1942-1995) Sleeping Cat is a framed pen drawing on paper estimated to earn $4,000-$6,000. From John Lennon (British, 1940-1980), there will be three lithographs from his Bag One portfolio, including a framed Exchange of the Ring accompanied by a Bag One vinyl portfolio bag, also signed by Lennon – very cool indeed!

For additional information on any lot in the sale, call Clars Auction Gallery tollfree at 888-339-7600 or email info@clars.com.

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

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View the fully illustrated catalog and register to bid absentee or live via the Internet as the sale is taking place by logging on to www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

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