Wall painting from the Abbey of the Virgin Mary in the Valley of Jehosaphat, 12th century CE, Courtesy of the Israel Antiquities Authority, Photo: Elie Posner
JERUSALEM (AP) – A rare Crusader-era fresco from Jerusalem’s Garden of Gethsemane has been unveiled to the public for the first time.
The fresco depicts the Deisis, a famous Biblical scene featuring Jesus, Mary and John the Baptist praying. It was discovered by chance in 1999 as officials worked to preserve sites affected by winter flooding.
Curators at the Israel Museum believe the full 12th-century fresco was about 30 feet tall. Only the bottom section, showing feet, now remains.
The fresco went on display Monday when the museum reopened after a renovation.
Only two similar frescoes have been found near Jerusalem. Archaeologists say all others were destroyed by Saladin when his troops captured Jerusalem in the name of Islam in 1187.
Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
ROME (AP) – Art officials on Tuesday unveiled the painting at the center of the latest Caravaggio mystery, after the Vatican newspaper first suggested and then denied that the canvas was the work of the Italian master.
The Martyrdom of St. Lawrence will now be subjected to X-rays and other analyses to ascertain its attribution. But art officials and scholars attending the unveiling agreed the painting did not look like a Caravaggio – but rather like the work of one or more of his followers.
“It’s a very interesting painting but I believe we can rule out – at least for now – that it’s a Caravaggio,” said art superintendent Rossella Vodret. “The quality of the painting doesn’t hold up.”
Vodret theatrically opened the curtain on the painting in a Jesuit church in Rome, revealing a canvas dominated by the figure of the St. Lawrence being grilled to death, his three executioners in the backdrop.
The 183-by-130.5 centimeter (72-by-51 inch) painting was recently cleaned up and features the dramatic chiaroscuro typical of Caravaggio and his school. The painting will not be on public display.
The Vatican newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, set the art world aflutter last week with a front-page article headlined “A New Caravaggio.”
The article made clear that no certain attribution had been made and that further tests were required. But the definitive-sounding headline and the fact that the claim was made on the day marking the 400th anniversary of the master’s death had raised expectations. The Vatican has in the past announced such art-world news in L’Osservatore, sometimes coinciding with an anniversary.
But on Monday, the newspaper reversed itself and published an article by the Vatican’s top art historian shooting down the claim. Under the front-page headline “A New Caravaggio? Not really,” Vatican Museums chief Antonio Paolucci wrote that the work was not of Caravaggio’s quality and termed it “modest” at best.
The painting belongs to the Jesuit order and had been kept for years in a private room in the Chiesa del Gesu in Rome, said the church’s rector, the Rev. Daniele Libanori. As the painting’s cleanup this year revealed an interesting work, art officials were called in.
But Libanori said the original claim in L’Osservatore came as a surprise to the Jesuits, too.
Mystery still surrounds the history of the canvas. Libanori was secretive about its origin, declining to say what city or Jesuit venue the painting had come from.
The painting is uneven artistically, scholars said, with some beautiful elements and some parts they didn’t hesitate to call “very poor” and even “embarrassing.” This suggested that two different people may have worked at it, though it is not certain.
Vodret said the most interesting element is the position and perspective of the saint, who’s shown on the grill, one arm extended, his figure lit up. Such unique iconography might have suggested the hand of Caravaggio, known for showing scenes as if shot from unusual angles.
She said the hand of one of the executioners, holding a stick to keep the saint down, is also of good quality. But she and the other experts noted that elements were poor, such as the bodies of the executioners, the cloth covering Lawrence, and one of the saint’s legs, which appears to be awkwardly attached to the torso.
“The leg looks like a frog’s leg. Caravaggio would never have made such a mistake,” said Marco Bona Castellotti, an art historian. Even as he saw the painting for the first time at Tuesday’s unveiling, he had no doubt it couldn’t be Caravaggio.
Experts believed the work may have been done by a follower, likely in Naples, Sicily or Malta – all places where the painter spent time during his tumultuous life. Caravaggio died in a Tuscan coast town in 1610 in mysterious circumstances, and a group of Italian researchers said recently that they had identified his remains.
The tests on the Martyrdom of St. Lawrence will begin in September, accompanied by research of archives and documents in order to trace the history of the painting and who commissioned it. The research will take several months.
Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Treskilling Yellow recently sold at Autionshaus David Feldman for an undisclosed price to a group of private investors. Unlike a piece of real estate, this investment can be transported in a jacket pocket. Photo courtesy Auktionshaus David Feldman.
Spring and summer 2010 has not been the best of time for investors. Greece’s bankruptcy sent the Euro into a dive. The gold price climbed ever higher, reflecting the already weak dollar. Stock markets around the world staggered. Even holding paper currency appeared dangerous because of its declining value.
Meanwhile, a quiet group of private investors turned in the winning bid on the Treskilling Yellow. There is only one known example of this 1855 Swedish postage stamp. The group was one of only two active bidders in the closed-door auction at David Feldman Auctioneers, Genf. While the May purchase price was not released, the Treskilling Yellow was last sold by David Feldman for 2,875 million Swiss Francs in 1996.
David Feldman noted that the consortium believed the Treskilling Yellow to be “a solid investment in these turbulent times.”
Tangible assets such as art and antiques take on a particular gleam during unpredictable economic periods. Buyers are also looking hard at antique gold and silver coins, as well as photographs from the turn of the 20th century.
Markus Eisenbeis, partner in Van Ham Kunstauktionen, Cologne, has observed this buying trend since the fall of 2009. He notes that paintings to 1970 are of special interest to these buyers.
“Long-term, these are surely value stable,” said Eisenbeis. “If they can be sold without a loss during every difficult economic time is naturally questionable.”
As with all investments, the amount of money recouped when selling is what the market will bear at the time of the sale. One wonders if a reasonable profit is even possible during strained economic times? The auction market, which in recent years has experienced a reduction in sales volume, has at the same time seen individual objects set record prices. Time-honored works by artists included in museum collections tend to at least maintain their original value. Those who can keep their investment for a decade or two have the chance of reaping a sometimes eye-opening profit.
“That the investors are concerned about the security of their investment, they look for secure value,” said Dr. Takuro Ito of Lempertz, Cologne. “That is, quality artwork, artwork with good provenance, work of the Old and Modern Masters, in the area of contemporary art – works that are classic, for example established contemporary artists.”
Robert Ketterer, auctioneer and owner of Ketterer Kunst, Munich, agreed. He said works by Dürer, Rembrandt or E.T. Compton are often requested. Of the classic moderns, Erich Heckel, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Gabriele Münter and Emile Nolde are popular at Ketterer; the same goes for the intuitive contemporary art appearing after 1945; even pieces by living artists such as Georg Baselitz, Gerhard Richter or Günther Uecker are sought-after investments.
Ketterer said customers are also rediscovering ZERO-Kunst, a movement started in the late 1950s, which reduced monochromatic color and design to basic, experimental principles.
“That the interest in art as investment has risen and continues to rise is correct,” said Ketterer. “Surely loftier reasons come into play with the motivations mix of the buyer. One should not forget that art is a product that speaks to the emotions of the observer.”
In other words, invest wisely, but love what you buy. Living with the art and antiques you love is more than the acquirement of tangible investments, it is a direct expression of your personality.
For Outdoor Browsing
The enormous year-round Agra, a monthly Antik und Gebrauchtwaren Market at the agra Veranstaltungspark, Leipzig/Markkleeburg, is open Aug. 28 and 29 for summer shopping fun. With a field full of antique and trodel dealers coming from as far away as the Netherlands and Austria, the selection is immense. A recent visit revealed red and blue embroidered “Weisswasche,” hand-painted Jungenstil tiles and more hand-crank coffee grinders than this writer has ever seen in one place. An unusual and heavy player piano harkened back to the days when its music rolls may have filled in for the pianist of a fine café. The large agra hall has fine furniture, jewelry, art and more. www.abuha.de
The big Trodel Markt on the Strasse den 17. Juni in Berlin (near the angel-topped Siegessäule) is open Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. From dealers with lovely old paintings, glittering crystal and china, to dealers with cardboard boxes full of classic auto parts, there is something for everyone.
New Members
LiveAuctioneers welcomes Auktionshaus Gut Bernstorf, Kranzberg, Germany as a new member. Owner Michael Lehrberger brings more than 20 years of experience as an auctioneer to this establishment, which offers porcelain, oil paintings, graphics, Oriental rugs, sculptures, Asian art, furniture of epochs, antique and modern jewelry, silver, glass and crystal. For more information visit www.Gutbernstorf.de or email auktion@gutbernstorf.de
New member www.Lauritz.com is an online treasure trove for lovers of 20th-century design. Be sure to take a peek at shell chairs by Charles Eames, multiple shaded lamps by Poul Henningsen, and use the website’s “Last Chance” feature to view auctions ending in 24 hours.
An American freelance writer, Heidi Lux grew up near Rochester, N.Y., and is a graduate of that city’s Nazareth College. She presently lives in Saxony, Germany, where she works as an English language editor and private tutor. Her work has appeared in Transitions Abroad and German Life magazines, as well as Style Century Magazine.
ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE
‘Grünersee-Tal in der Hohen Tatra,’ a watercolor by Edward Theodore Compton painted in 1900, 10 3/4 inches by 14 1/2 inches, reached 4,636 Euro ($6,032 U.S.) in Ketterer Kunst’s Old and New Masters Auction in April. Photo courtesy Ketterer Kunst. Robert Ketterer cited Josef Eber’s sensitive oil painting, ‘Tanzerin,’ 1923, as an example of a good investment where the former owner had bought not for a big name, but for artistic quality. When the work was auctioned at Ketterer Kunst’s Modern Art Sale in June, it rose from an opening bid of 22,500 Euro ($29,283) to 101,260 Euro ($131,818). Photo courtesy Ketterer Kunst. This 1965 untitled work by Günther Uecker, pencil drawing and color serigraphy, estimated to sell for 800 Euro ($1,042) brought 1,400 Euro ($1,823) at the Modern and Contemporary Art Auction at Van Ham Kunstauktionen in December. Photo courtesy Van Ham Kunstauktionen. A large crowd enjoys treasure hunting in the far-flung fields at the Agra in Leipzig. Photo by Heidi Lux.
Reproduction of Titanic ad, auctioned by Guernsey’s on March 15, 2008. Image courtesy LiveAuctioneers.com Archive and Guernsey’s.
RICHMOND, Va. – A team of scientists will launch an expedition to the Titanic next month to assess the deteriorating condition of the world’s most famous shipwreck and create a detailed three-dimensional map that will “virtually raise the Titanic” for the public.
The expedition to the site 2½ miles beneath the North Atlantic is billed as the most advanced scientific mission to the Titanic wreck since its discovery 25 years ago.
The 20-day expedition is to leave St. John’s, Newfoundland, on Aug. 18 under a partnership between RMS Titanic Inc., which has exclusive salvage rights to the wreck, and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts. The expedition will not collect artifacts but will probe a 2-by-3-mile debris field where hundreds of thousands of artifacts remain scattered.
Some of the world’s most frequent visitors to the site will be part of the expedition along with a who’s who of underwater scientists and organizations such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Organizers say the new scientific data and images ultimately will be made accessible to the public.
“For the first time, we’re really going to treat it as an archaeological site with two things in mind,” David Gallo, an expedition leader and Woods Hole scientist, told The Associated Press on Monday. “One is to preserve the legacy of the ship by enhancing the story of the Titanic itself. The second part is to really understand what the state of the ship is.”
The Titanic struck ice and sank on its maiden voyage in international waters on April 15, 1912, leaving 1,522 people dead.
Since oceanographer Robert Ballard and an international team discovered the Titanic in 1985, most of the expeditions have either been to photograph the wreck or gather thousands of artifacts, like fine china, shoes and ship fittings. James Cameron, director of the blockbuster motion picture Titanic, has also led teams to the wreck to record the bow and the stern, which separated during the sinking and now lie one-third of a mile apart.
RMS Titanic made the last expedition to site in 2004. The company, a subsidiary of Premier Exhibitions Inc. of Atlanta, conducts traveling displays of the Titanic artifacts, which the company says have been viewed by tens of millions of people worldwide.
“We believe there’s still a number of really exciting mysteries to be discovered at the wreck site,” said Chris Davino, president of and CEO of Premier Exhibitions and RMS Titanic. “It’s our contention that substantial portions of the wreck site have never really been properly studied.”
RMS Titanic is bankrolling the expedition. Davino declined to state the cost of the exploration other than to say it will be millions of dollars.
The “dream team” of archaeologists, oceanographers and other scientists want to get the best assessment yet on the two main sections of the ship, which have been subjected to fierce deep-ocean currents, salt water and intense pressure.
Gallo said while the rate of Titanic‘s deterioration is not known, the expedition approaches the mission with a sense of urgency.
“We see places where it looks like the upper decks are getting thin, the walls are thin, the ceilings may be collapsing a bit,” he said. “We hear all these anecdotal things about the ship is rusting away, it’s collapsing on itself. No one really knows.”
The expedition will use imaging technology and sonar devices that never have been used before on the Titanic wreck and to probe nearly a century of sediment in the debris field to seek a full inventory of the ship’s artifacts.
“We’re actually treating it like a crime scene,” Gallo said. “We want to know what’s out there in that debris field, what the stern and the bow are looking like.”
The expedition will be based on the RV Jean Charcot, a 250-foot research vessel with a crew of 20. Three submersibles and the latest sonar, acoustic and filming technology will also be part of the expedition.
“Never before have we had the scientific and technological means to discover so much of an expedition to Titanic,” said P.H. Nargeolet, who is co-leading the expedition. He has made more than 30 dives to the wreck.
Bill Lange, a Woods Hole scientist who will lead the optical survey and will be one of the first to visit the wreck, said a key analysis will be comparing images from the first expedition 25 years ago and new images to measure decay and erosion.
“We’re going to see things we haven’t seen before. That’s a given,” he said. “The technology has really evolved in the last 25 years.”
Davino said he anticipates future salvage expeditions to the wreck, and Gallo said he doesn’t expect the science will end with one trip.
“I’m sure there will be future expeditions because this is the just the beginning of a whole new era of these kind of expeditions to Titanic — serious, archaeological mapping expeditions,” Gallo said.
RMS Titanic is still awaiting a judge’s ruling in Norfolk, Va., on the 5,500 artifacts it has in its possession.
The company is seeking limited ownership of the artifacts as compensation for its salvage efforts. In its court filing for a salvage award, the company put the fair market value of the collection at $110.9 million.
U.S. District Judge Rebecca Beach Smith, a maritime jurist who is presiding over the hearings, has called the wreck an “international treasure.”
Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Iranian Mashad rug, 10 ft. by 13 ft., est. $400-$500. HOUSTON – An eclectic mix of antiques and vintage items coming from as far afield as America’s wild West and the homes of 19th-century France will be auctioned in Morton Kuehnert’s July 29 auction in Houston. Internet live bidding will be provided by LiveAuctioneers.com.
Of interest to antique dealers and interior designers with an eye toward buying for their clientele, the sale features a double-door 19th-century Normandy French oak armoire, estimated at $1,000 to $1,100; and an interesting French Renaissance armchair, estimated at $100 to $150.
Three 19th-century prie Dieu (prayer chairs), each estimated at $150 to $200, and a Louis XVI buffet á deux corps, estimated at $900 to $1,100, bring the beauty of European artisans to the auction block.
Bidders can take their pick from a fine selection of arts of the American frontier, including a lot of six intricately woven Native American baskets, estimated at $100 to $125; a piece of “wedding” pottery estimated at $75 to $100; and two wagon-wheel benches estimated at $250 to $300 each.
A neon Budweiser Beer sign featuring the outline of the state of Texas is expected to make $100 to $150.
The jewelry case at Morton Kuehnert’s will sparkle with a 14K white gold hand-engraved pendant set with one triangular Madeira citrine, $300 to $350; and a 14K sapphire and diamond pendant estimated at Karat Sapphire and Diamond Pendant estimated at $500 to $550.
The Fine Rug department is represented by a beautiful Iranian Mashad, 10 ft. by 13 ft., estimated at $400 to $500; and a Persian Mashad , 8 ft. 1 in. by 11 ft., estimated at $700 to $800.
For additional information on any lot in the sale, contact Morton Kuehnert Auctioneers & Appraisers by calling 713-837-7835 or e-mailing inquiry@mortonkuehnert.com.
Budweiser neon advertising sign featuring the state of Texas, est. $100-$150. Image courtesy Morton Kuehnert Auctioneers. 14K gold pendant with sapphire and diamond, est. $500-$550. Image courtesy Morton Kuehnert Auctioneers. Wagon-wheel bench, est. $250-$300. Image courtesy Morton Kuehnert Auctioneers. 19th-century prie Dieu (prayer chair), est. $150-$200. Image courtesy Morton Kuehnert Auctioneers.
Photo portrait of photographer Ansel Adams that first appeared in the 1950 Yosemite Field School yearbook. Photo by J. Malcolm Greany. BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — A trove of old glass negatives bought at a garage sale for $45 have been authenticated as the lost work of famed nature photographer Ansel Adams and are worth at least $200 million, an attorney for the owner said Tuesday.
A team of experts concluded after an exhaustive, six-month examination that the 65 negatives are Adams’ early work, which were believed to have been destroyed in a 1937 fire at his Yosemite National Park studio, Arnold Peter said.
“These photographs are really the missing link,” he said. “They really fill the void in Ansel Adams’ early career.”
Adams is best known for his striking black-and-white photographs, mainly landscapes, of the American West. He died in 1984 at 82.
Rick Norsigian, a construction worker and painter, said he bought the negatives 10 years ago at a Fresno garage sale after bargaining down the seller to $45.
“When I heard that $200 million (figure), I got a little weak,” he told a news conference.
Norsigian said he bought the negatives because they contained views of Yosemite but never suspected they might be from Adams, whose images of the Sierra Nevada national park are world famous.
“It took a while, close to two years,” before his suspicions were aroused, Norsigian said.
He stored the negatives in a bank vault and hired Peter three years ago to authenticate them.
Peter said two handwriting experts concluded that writing on manila envelopes holding the negatives was that of Adams’ wife, Virginia.
He also said a meteorologist studied the cloud formation, snowdrift and shadows on one image and compared it with a similar photograph by Adams, concluding they were taken at the same location on the same day.
The 8½-by-6½-inch negatives are the size that Adams used in the 1920s and 1930s when the photographs appear to have been taken, Peter said, and they are of locations he was known to have snapped, including Yosemite, Carmel and San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf and Baker Beach.
Adams’ early negatives were believed to have been lost in the 1937 fire and several of the garage sale negatives appeared to be charred around the edges, Peter said.
Experts surmise they survived the fire and Adams brought them with him when he went to Pasadena in 1941 to teach photography, Peter said.
Norsigian said the man who sold him the negatives said he bought them in the 1940s from a salvage warehouse in Los Angeles.
Art appraiser David W. Streets said he conservatively estimated the negatives’ value at $200 million, based on current sales of Adams’ prints and the potential for selling reproductions.
Norsigian said he tried to contact the original purchaser after learning of the negatives’ true value but has had no success.
“This has been such a long journey. I thought I’d never get to the end,” Norsigian said. “It kind of proves a construction worker-painter can be right.”
An exhibition of 17 of the photographs is planned for October at Fresno State University, and a documentary is planned on the negatives’ sale and authentication, Peter said.
A Web site for selling prints also has been established, Peter said.
Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
New Branch of the Vatican Museums. March 2007 photo by Jesus Moreno. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0 License. VATICAN CITY (AP) – The Vatican’s top art historian has shot down a report in its own newspaper that suggested a recently discovered painting was a Caravaggio.
The head of the Vatican Museums, Antonio Paolucci, wrote Monday in the Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano that the work, discovered in the sacristy of a Jesuit church in Rome, was most likely a copy of an original painted by a Caravaggio student.
It was L’Osservatore Romano itself which last week set the art world aflutter with a front-page article “A New Caravaggio,” detailing the artistry behind the Martyrdom of St. Lawrence.
While the author of the first article had made clear that diagnostic tests were required, the impression given was that the painting was indeed a Caravaggio.
Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
San Ildefonso watercolor of drummer, signed Tonita Pena, 1920s, 12 inches by 9 1/2 inches. Estimate: $1,000-$2,000. Image courtesy of R.G. Munn Auctions.
CLOUDCROFT, N.M. – Hopi kachinas, Navajo textiles, pottery, fetishes and beadwork are among the more than 300 lots of American Indian art that will be sold by R.G. Munn Auctions on Thursday, Aug. 5. LiveAuctioneers will provide Internet live bidding.
Many of the items are from the estate of Colorado artist Hollis Williford, said Mark Alvord of R.G. Munn Auctions.
“We’ve already had a good response to the auction,” said Alvord. “A lot of people have placed absentee bids.”
Among the earlier works in the sale is a 1920s San Ildefonso Pueblo watercolor signed Tonita Pena. The 12-inch by 9 1/2-inch painting of a drummer has a $1,000-$2,000 estimate.
A 1940s Hopi wolf kachina carved by Otto Pentewa is estimated at $2,000-$3,000.
Pottery highlights include a large Santo Domingo dough bowl decorated in a bird design (estimate: $1,000-$2,000) and a Santa Clara wedding vase with carved design signed Belen Tapia (estimate: $800-$1,200). Both pieces date to the 1970s.
Sterling silver works include a Navajo Concho belt crafted in the ’70s, which carries an $800-$1,200 estimate.
J. & E. Stevens Chief Big Moon cast-iron mechanical bank, circa 1899, $42,310. RSL Auction image.
TIMONIUM, Md. – Interest was keener than ever, and the bidding action was relentless in RSL Auction’s sale of antique toys and banks held May 22nd at Richard Opfer’s suburban Baltimore gallery. “We started at noon and finished at 20 till three – it was about two hours and 40 minutes of very serious bidding,” said RSL co-owner Ray Haradin. Internet live bidding was provided exclusively by LiveAuctioneers.com.
In all, the auction took in $1.8 million (all prices quoted include 21.5% buyer’s premium). “They came to buy; they didn’t want to sit there with an auctioneer trying to milk a few extra dollars out of them,” said Haradin. “When Rick [Opfer] is at the podium, you put your hand up or you don’t get the toy.”
The featured attraction of the 360-lot sale was the Richard C. Stevens collection, a 24-year assemblage of cast-iron mechanical banks boasting superb conditions and with provenance reflecting several of the most prestigious collections of the past half-century.
Many auction records were broken, said Haradin – “more than I can remember, and in the heart of a recession, as well.” The top lot of the day was a circa-1905 J. & E. Stevens Calamity bank with rare chocolate-brown base. When activated, the football-theme cast-iron bank depicts two Yale players tackling a running fullback from Harvard. Formerly in the Stephen Steckbeck collection and in near-mint-plus condition with original box, the bank scored a mighty auction price at $78,975.
One of the rarest mechanical banks offered was a circa-1930 Kilgore Mfg. Co. Turtle bank. One of only nine examples known, the near-mint cast-iron amphibian could boast a background that included tenure in the Covert and Gertrude Hegarty, Stan Sax, and Dick Stevens collections. It finished near the top of its estimate range at $72,900.
Designed by Charles Bailey for J. & E. Stevens around 1899, the wonderful Chief Big Moon bank depicts a Native American chief sitting at the entrance to his teepee and facing a large frog and swan pond. Described in the auction catalog as “extraordinary” and “as mint as it gets,” the bank with provenance dating back to the Bill Bertoia collection swept past its $20,000-$30,000 estimate to set a new auction record at $41,310.
Another big winner was the circa-1880 Initiating First Degree bank manufactured by Mechanical Novelty Works. An appealing, entertaining bank, its three characters – a goat, a frog and a black youth – appear to be participants in some sort of ritualistic initiation. When a coin is placed in the boy’s tray and the lever is activated, the coin drops into the frog’s mouth and the goat rams the boy’s backside with its horns. Estimated at $30,000-$50,000, the near-mint money box earned $60,750.
Other mechanical banks that finished well in the money included a circa-1888, baseball-theme Darktown Battery, $23,085; a circa-1895 Butting Ram/Man Thumbs Nose, $27,945; and a white, circa-1880 J. & E. Stevens Owl Turns Head bank, $23,085 against an estimate of $12,000-$16,000. The latter two banks achieved world auction records.
A double-chimney, circa-1873 J. & E. Stevens “Novelty” building bank drew heated competition because of its rare color combination of seafoam green, cream, tan and red. Haradin related its background: “It was found about 15 years ago and came directly from the attic of a farmhouse not far from the Stevens factory in Cromwell, Connecticut. It was the first one ever to turn up in this extraordinary color combination, and to my knowledge, it is the only one known.” It was bid to nearly twice its high estimate, closing at a record auction price of $29,160.
Highlights among the still banks included the circa-1900 “City Bank” – one of fewer than 10 known examples – which sold for $8,808.75; and a German painted-spelter Puss ’n’ Boots with Staff bank – one of only two known – which leaped past its $8,500 high estimate to land at $12,757.50.
Haradin noted a revival of interest in American clockwork toys, a category that he felt had shown some softness of late. A circa-1885 Ives, Blakeslee toy known as “The Boxers” or “Sparring Pugilists” earned a punchy $12,757.50; while a Civil War-era painted-tin clockwork omnibus with cast-iron wheels, measuring 22 inches in length and probably created by Hull & Stafford, met its presale expectations at $47,385.
“It was, by far, our best-attended sale to date,” Haradin said, in summarizing the event. “It was like a convention. The night before the auction, RSL hosted a dinner party for 56 people – crab cakes and filet mignon. We had a fantastic time and it put everyone in a great mood for the auction.”
On Oct. 16, 2010, RSL will conduct an auction at the Opfer gallery in Timonium, Md., featuring mechanical banks and toys from several fine collections. For additional information call Ray Haradin at 412-343-8733, Leon Weiss at 917-991-7352, or Steven Weiss at 212-729-0011. E-mail raytoys@aol.com or geminitoys@earthlink.net. Visit RSL Auction Co. online at www.rslauctions.com.
German painted spelter Puss ’n’ Boots with Staff bank, one of only two known, $12,757.50. RSL Auction image. Circa-1865 American clockwork omnibus, painted tin with cast-iron wheels, probably Hull & Stafford, $47,385. RSL Auction image. Butting Ram/Man Thumbs Nose cast-iron mechanical bank, circa 1895, made by Wagner & Zwiebel Machine Shop, Burlington, Wis., $27,945. RSL Auction image. J. & E. Stevens Calamity cast-iron mechanical bank, circa 1905, depicts Yale and Harvard football players, $78,975. RSL Auction image. Initiating First Degree cast-iron mechanical bank, circa 1880, manufactured by Mechanical Novelty Works of New Britain, Conn., $60,850. RSL Auction image. Only known example of J. & E. Stevens’ cast-iron mechanical "Novelty" bank in a seafoam green, cream, tan and red color motif, $29,160. RSL Auction image. J. & E. Stevens Owl Turns Head cast-iron mechanical bank, circa 1880, $23,085. RSL Auction image. Turtle cast-iron mechanical bank, Kilgore Mfg. Co., Westerville, Ohio, circa 1930, $72,900.
Interior view at Virginia Museum of Natural History
MARTINSVILLE, Va. (AP) – An official says the Virginia Museum of Natural History is going to see the price of state support for its computer systems go up nearly 66 percent.
Executive Director Joe Keiper says the Virginia Information Technologies Agency has told the museum it has to pay the full cost of services.
Museum spokesman Ryan Barber says that’s expected to be nearly $295,000 in fiscal year 2011. In fiscal 2010, the museum paid almost $178,000.
Keiper says full technology costs have never been included in the museum’s budget.
Sam Nixon, chief information officer in the Office of the Secretary of Technology, says the state is realigning rates to make them consistent. That’s expected to up costs about 15 percent for state agencies.
Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
An American freelance writer, Heidi Lux grew up near Rochester, N.Y., and is a graduate of that city’s Nazareth College. She presently lives in Saxony, Germany, where she works as an English language editor and private tutor. Her work has appeared in Transitions Abroad and German Life magazines, as well as Style Century Magazine.
