September 14, 2010 - Auction Central News

Table made for Indian royalty tops Austin Auction’s Sept. 25-26 sale

An extraordinary circa-1930 "Beau Brummel" dressing table with 30-piece Art Deco silver and cut glass vanity set produced by Goldsmiths & Silversmiths Co. Ltd., London. Estimate $20,000-$25,000. Austin Auction image.

AUSTIN, Texas – An extraordinary mahogany “Beau Brummel” dressing table fit for a princess has swept into the spotlight of Austin Auction’s Sept. 25-26 Estate Auction, with Internet live bidding through LiveAuctioneers.com.

The circa-1930 triple-mirrored dressing table is of the highest-quality construction and is fitted with a key-lock safe and exquisite 30-piece Art Deco vanity set of sterling silver and cut glass. The well-marked table and its accessories were crafted by the premier London firm Goldsmiths & Silversmiths Co. Ltd.

Each hallmarked vanity accessory is finely enameled and adorned with an Islamic moon-and-star motif as well as one of three images of a regally attired gentleman believed to be Asaf Jah VII, Mir Osman Ali Khan, the Nizam of Hyderabad (1886-1967).

In a Feb. 22, 1937 cover story in Time magazine, His Exalted Highness, The Nizam of Hyderabad was reputed to be the richest man in the world, with a fortune of $2 billion. Among those who enjoyed the lavish lifestyle The Nizam provided were his seven wives and 42 concubines. Austin Auction Gallery associate Chris Featherston said “intensive research into the dressing table’s background gives every indication that the piece was commissioned by the Indian prince, perhaps for one of his wives or concubines.”

“We have convincing photo similarities for the three portraits that appear on most of the items in the vanity set, which include hairbrushes, jars, bottles, scissors, nail files and even an 8-day clock,” Featherston said. “Our expert in India told us that, in his opinion, the person whose images are the focal point of the vanity items is, indeed, The Seventh Nizam of Hyderabad, one of India’s last princes.” The vanity was purchased by the consignor in the 1990s from a private antiques dealer, the dressing table is estimated at $20,000-$30,000.

Many significant artworks, as well as furniture, decorative art, estate jewelry and ladies’ designer handbags, will be auctioned in the Sept. 25-26 auction. Standing 84 inches tall inclusive of black granite base, a life-size Neapolitan marble statue of Bacchus (a k a Dionysus), the god of wine, is adorned by garlands of grapes around his head and waist, and holds a bowl of grapes with one hand and a cluster of grapes with the other. The mid-18th-century sculpture’s age and region of origin have been authenticated by a Professor Emeritus and PhD from the University of Texas’ Art History department. It carries a presale estimate of $20,000-$30,000.

The influence of visionary architect Antonio Gaudi (Spain, 1852-1926) is strikingly obvious in the design of a Gothic Revival carved walnut and stained glass armoire consigned to the auction. The circa-1890 design incorporates four decorative glass-embedded doors, the two central doors displaying artistic leaded-glass panels with an intricate botanical theme. A stunning presentation, the 113-inch-tall by 81-inch-wide armoire is entered in the sale with a $2,000-$4,000 estimate.

Other highlights of the furniture section include a 14-foot dining table from northern Spain, 18th- and 19th-century French furniture, a pair of MacKenzie-Childs rattan chairs, and a circa-1890s six-piece walnut parlor set with carved heads, attributed to John Jelliff. Non-traditional and sure to attract attention on auction day, a Carol Hicks Bolton for E.J. Victor “Bollywood” sofa of beaded and sequined burgundy velveteen could make $2,000-$4,000 at auction, while a Renaissance Revival 3-piece parlor set upholstered in long-haired cowhide and embellished with winged-griffin crests and figural hand rests is cataloged with a $3,000-$5,000 estimate.

A grand dore bronze figural mantel clock and garniture set by Japy Freres (France) features three winged putti resting over profuse foliate and floral decoration. This exceptionally beautiful ensemble is estimated at $10,000-$15,000. In all, more than 40 figural clocks will be offered, some of them after Auguste Moreau and standing 3feet tall, and others of the Black Forest genre. Within the latter group is a highly detailed 4-foot parcel gilt wall clock mounted with a stag, wolfhound and boar.

Dating to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912), a Chinese white jade bear carving is conservatively estimated at $400-$600. Another figural piece with charm and eye appeal is the large presentation drinking horn decorated with a three-dimensional finial shaped as a drunken gnome – estimate $1,000-$2,000. The latter piece is one of a large collection of unusual drinking horns to be auctioned.

The profusion of top-tier antiques continues with a Tiffany dresser set in fitted leather travel case, a scarce and unusual George B. Sharpe gilded sterling ice cream set in fitted leather case from Robbins, Clark & Biddle; and an 1890s handwoven tapestry. Made around 1890 in Leipzig, Germany, an upright Polyphon Musikwereke music box, walnut with crank handle, is accompanied by 36 discs. Its estimate is $4,000-$6,000.

Modern master Dale Chihuly (American, b. 1941-) designed and created the three artist-signed glass sculptures included in the auction. Of billowing and striated yellow glass, the “Radiant Persian Pair” is expected to fetch $8,000-$10,000. A marine-blue creation of similar concept, known as “Paradise Persian,” is estimated at $3,000-$5,000.

Austin Auction has enjoyed great success in the past with designer handbags. The September event includes an excellent assortment of purses by Gucci, Salvatore Ferragamo and Louis Vuitton – one of the Vuitton bags is lotted with matching shoes.

Leading the estate jewelry category are a diamond and alexandrite ring, and several pieces of Brazilian beaded accessories with 18K gold clasps. A selection of coveted David Yurman designs will be auctioned, as well.

For additional information on any item in the auction, call 512-258-5479 or e-mail info@austinauction.com.

View the fully illustrated catalog online 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

Sterling silver and cut glass vanity accessories custom made to accompany the dressing table. Austin Auction image.

Each piece in the custom-made vanity set is adorned with one of three images of a gentleman believed to be Jah VII, Mir Osman Ali Khan, the Nizam of Hyderabad (1886-1967). Austin Auction image.

Life-size 84-inch Neapolitan statue of Bacchus (Dionysus), mid-18th century, marble on black granite base, estimate $20,000-$30,000. Austin Auction image.

Dore bronze figural mantel clock and garniture set by Japy Freres, France, one of more than 40 figural clocks to be auctioned. Estimate $10,000-$15,000. Austin Auction image.

Walnut Renaissance Revival 3-piece parlor set upholstered in long-haired cowhide and featuring exceptional carving, estimate $3,000-$5,000. Austin Auction image.

One of a large selection of figural drinking horns to be offered in the auction, this example features a three-dimensional finial shaped as a drunken gnome. Estimate $1,000-$2,000. Austin Auction image.

Gothic Revival carved walnut and stained-glass armoire, circa 1890, Spanish, influenced by the architecture of Antonio Gaudi, estimate $2,000-$4,000. Austin Auction image.

Circa-1890 upright Polyphon Musikwereke music box, estimate $4,000-$6,000. Austin Auction image.

Chinese white jade bear carving, estimate $400-$600. Austin Auction image.

Three artist-signed glass sculptures by Modern American glass master Dale Chihuly, including (left) "Radiant Persian Pair" $8,000-$10,000; and (right) "Paradise Persian," estunate $3,000-$5,000. Austin Auction image.

Virginia judge’s estate items highlight Morton Kuehnert sale Sept. 23

American-style classic grandfather clock, made in Germany, 1904, est. $4,000-5,000. Image courtesy of Morton Kuehnert Auctioneers.

HOUSTON – Two pair of exquisite Baccarat gold-trimmed candelabras, a pair of early 19th-century Sheffield sterling silver wine coolers signed J. Prime, a French doré bronze Bouillotte lamp and a pair of 19th-century Wedgwood urns, are fine examples of the items from the family estate of the late Judge Donald Stuart Russell and Virginia Russell that will be sold at Morton Kuehnert Auctioneers at 7 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 23. LiveAuctioneers will provide Internet live bidding.

Also, the more than 200 additional lots ranging from European and Chinese antiques, to sterling silver, china, porcelain, Persian, Turkish and Pakistani rugs and carpets, bronze sculpture, fine art, paintings, antique clocks and vintage jewelry, will appeal to collectors with discerning tastes.

Russell (1906-1998) was on the first U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in Virginia for nearly 30 years. He also served as governor of South Carolina and president of the University of South Carolina during his illustrious career.

Also crossing the auction block will be compelling 19th-century Chinese pieces from the Northern Star Natural Gas Co. bankruptcy, including a wine table, a double-door red apothecary cabinet, a triple-door wooden scholar’s cabinet, a wedding cabinet with the circular brass “Togetherness” panel, a wooden trunk with a tiger and dragon motif, a pair of carved Official’s Hat armchairs, temple candleholders, a wooden lunchbox, wooden tea caddy and wooden coffer with silver hardware.

An 18th-century French oak farm table, and 19th-century pieces such as a Louis XV gilded beveled mirror, a giant baguette basket, a French Renaissance oak clock, and an 18th-century Normand oak armoire, are some highlights from the French shipment.

A 2.36-carat round natural deep orange-yellow diamond ring, an 18-karat yellow gold Patek Philippe & Co. man’s open face pocket watch, an 18-karat white gold aquamarine and diamond pendant and a ladies 14-karat yellow gold Rolex watch are a sneak preview of the jewelry offerings. A rare mourning hairwork signet ring of 9-karat yellow gold and an 18-karat hand-fabricated circular bangle bracelet with sapphires and pearls add to the allure of the jewelry offerings.

Sterling silver from family estates include a 12-place setting of Wallace Grand Baroque sterling silver flatware, an eight-place setting of Gorham Buttercup sterling silver flatware and several lots of sterling vanity sets and sterling biscuit boxes/barrels. Also, two Tiffany sterling coffeepots, a sterling Art Nouveau cheese dish and a sterling and jade table cigar lighter are on the auction block.

Americana items include a three-pedestal George III-style mahogany table with six leaves made by Schmieg & Kotzian of New York and a 19th-century Americana tiger oak table, chairs, server and sideboard, in the style of Herter Brothers of New York, representing four lots. Also a circa 1910 American Federal-style mahogany grandfather clock, an 18th-century Federal pillar and scroll mantel clock and a 19th-century marble and brass clock marked “Shreve, Crump & Low, Boston,” hearken back to the golden days of early American clockmakers. A Tiffany Studios telescopic organic root candlestick stands tall as a symbol of great craftsmanship in America.

A sampling of the eclectic collections of art includes the bronze Pigeon Girl by Moreau, an untitled bronze by Robert Ingersoll Aitken, several signed and numbered bronzes by R. David Mattiza, Claude Michael Clodion’s bronze Baccanalia and an Art Nouveau, Royal Dux porcelain bust, signed by Herm Schubert, 1905. Also, Albert Lemaitre’s circa 1915 oil on canvas Reclining Nude, 20th-century native American artist R.C. Gorman’s Reclining Male Nude and etchings by Renoir and Goya, will pique the interest of collectors.

Only-at-an-auction treasures include a 19th-century French oak church pulpit and a life-size Madonna and Child figure and a life-size wood and iron crucifix. Several Arizona Hopi kachina carvings are on the block, and a 1950s Wurlitzer jukebox with DJ quality sound is up for grabs. An antique Illuminated Bible, circa 1846, and a vintage 20-volume set of The Works of Charles Dickens are important additions to any library.

The lots may be viewed online at www.mortonkuehnert.com and in the showroom the week of Sept. 20 through the end of the auction on Sept. 23. For details e-mail subscriptions@mortonkuehnert.com or call 713-827-7835.

Bidding is available live at the auction at 4901 Richmond Ave., online at www.liveauctioneers.com and through absentee or phone bids.

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

Tabriz carpet, central Persia, circa 1990, 16 feet 5 inches by 11 feet two inches, est. $25,000-$35,000. Image courtesy of Morton Kuehnert Auctioneers.

‘Reclining Nude,’ Albert LeMaitre (Belgium, 1886-1975), oil on canvas, 48 inches by 32 inches, circa 1915, est. $4,000-$6,000. Image courtesy of Morton Kuehnert Auctioneers.

Japanese Satsuma jardiniere, circa 1868-1912, 24 inches by 14 inches, est. $1,500-2,000. Image courtesy of Morton Kuehnert Auctioneers.

A 2.36-carat round yellow diamond set in a platinum ring with 18-karat yellow gold accents, est. $25,000-$27,000. Image courtesy of Morton Kuehnert Auctioneers.

Out of Africa: Jackson’s sells black memorabilia for record prices

This Frederick Douglass ambrotype sold for $24,000 at Jackson’s International Aug. 24-25 auction. Image courtesy of Jackson’s International.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – Appealing to many more than just general black memorabilia collectors, the Ken Oden Collection of African American and African Ephemera and Photography saw world record prices realized in several categories when it was sold Aug. 24-25 at Jackson’s International.

The extensive collection drew over 200 registered bidders from 13 countries and most regions of the United States, including buyers from Pennsylvania, Florida, Texas and California. The collection of African American and African photography, postcards and ephemera that McKeesport, Pa. native Ken Oden amassed was sold to the highest bidder in a unique specialty auction that garnered national press coverage.

Sales of note included a Frederick Douglass ambrotype, circa 1870s. While only 4 1/4 inches by 3 1/4 inches, this rare beardless image of the abolitionist sold for $24,000, finding a new home at the new African American Culture Wing at the Smithsonian.

Real photo sports postcards saw active bidding with the first lot, two real photo baseball postcards of Negro League Homestead Grays players, circa 1930s, selling for $3,120 to a New York buyer against a $600-$900 estimate. Another sports lot featuring a U.S. Army 24th infantry Manilla League baseball team, circa 1913, passed the block at $6,600.

Considered to be some of the more controversial while certainly historically important cards in the sale, a group of seven real photo lynching cards totaled over $21,000. Also selling well was a pair of real photo postcards featuring convicts, which after some heated bidding brought $9,360. Other real photo postcards also sold well, especially of those featuring baptismal scenes, cotton picking cards and those featuring shacks and shanties, with a group of three lots bringing $4,200. Another lot of four cards featuring the Springfield race riots, circa 1908, and including a photo of the tree were Burton was hanged by a mob, brought $1,560.

Oden had accumulated an impressive grouping of cards including real photo cards featuring minstrels. One such lot with five cards from the early 20th century with circus and side show scenes brought $1,320.

Another grouping that was well represented in this collection was real photo postcards by Ukrainian-born photographer Casimir Zagourski who settled in the Belgian Congo in 1924. Until his death in 1944, Zagourski spent the years traveling around Africa photographing people, places and local traditions. A group of 20 lots of cards by Zagourski totaled over $10,200.

European postcard dealer, Francis Greese, who had sold many of the Zagourski cards initially to Oden for his collection, was happy to see many “old friends” back up for auction when participating in the sale.

Besides cards featuring African real photo scenes, a grouping of cards featuring Caribbean scenes including Martinique, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Bahamas, Barbados, Antigua and Curacao crossed the block at $2,040.

A nice grouping of Josephine Baker collectible items were offered including a Folies Bergere ephemera grouping and a signed letter by the famed entertainer. The entire grouping brought nearly $15,000 and in the end, was spread to buyers over three countries.

“It was good to see a number of fellow enthusiasts and although I will certainly miss the hunt, it’s good to know that the cards will now be enjoyed by others,” said Oden.

“What we have noticed over the last two years about the auction industry continues to be true: People will pay top dollar and travel any distance for truly unique, rare and hard to find material, ” said company president James Jackson.

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

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

Although not rare, this Josephine Baker Art Deco illustrated postcard sold for $390. Image courtesy of Jackson’s International.

Casimir Zagourski photographed this young subject, which was one of a group of real photo postcards that totaled over $10,000. Image courtesy of Jackson’s International.

Jackson’s International sold this real photo postcard showing a convict’s cell interior for $5,760. Image courtesy of Jackson’s International.

Vintage Galleries tabbed to sell Tommy Hilfiger’s surplus Sept. 26

Tommy Hilfiger is an international fashion designer and cultural icon. Items from his estate will be sold at Vintage Galleries on Sept. 26. Image courtesy of Vintage Galleries.

STAMFORD, Conn. – Items from the estate of Tommy Hilfiger, the international fashion designer and founder of the brand that bears his name, will be sold without reserve at an auction slated for Sunday, Sept. 26, by Vintage Galleries.

It will be just the fifth auction for Vintage Galleries, which held its inaugural sale last September. It was able to secure this consignment because Mr. Hilfiger frequents the shop across the street – Greenwich Living Antique & Design Center – and the owner of that business, Sam Pizzichillo, introduced Hilfiger to Philip Amaradio, one of the owners of Vintage Galleries.

“Tommy Hilfiger, aside from being a truly genuine human being and a kind, humble man, is a dedicated collector in a wide range of categories,” Pizzichillo said. “He has a very discerning eye and only buys the best. That’s what will make this auction so special. It is not only quality, fresh-to-the market merchandise, it is a chance to own a part of a fashion icon.”

The auction, which will begin at 1 p.m. Eastern, will feature approximately 500 items from the Hilfiger estate. Traditional pieces will include dining tables and chairs, Italian leather, bookcases, wing chairs, chests, coffee and end tables and armoires. Unusual pieces will include custom wooden Balinise furniture designed by Hilfiger himself, antler hunting lodge chairs and other items.

Hilfiger decided to consign some of the items in his vast collections after selling his estate home in Greenwich, Conn., (for about $22 million), as well as his estate homes in East Hampton, N.Y., and Vermont. He recently bought another home in Greenwich, and maintains an apartment in New York City. The need to redecorate both residences led to his decision to sell some items.

Continental furniture will dominate the day’s offerings. Certain to pique bidder interest will be a pair of green painted and upholstered chairs in the style of Louis XVI, stamped Jansen (est. $4,000-$6,000); a pair of Louis XIV-style cream painted and parcel-gilt armchairs, also stamped Jansen (est. $1,000-$2,000); and a pair of plush red velvet upholstered French settees (est. $1,000-$2,000).

Also from France: a fabulous provincial hutch with wired doors, supported by a two-door cabinet base (est. $2,000-$4,000); an antique armoire (est. $1,000-$2,000); and a French glass display case from Best & Co., with beautiful carving and gilt details (est. $1,500-$2,000). Also offered will be a lot set of three monumental decorative floor mirrors (est. $1,000-$2,000).

English pieces will include a fine 19th-century mahogany partner’s desk, the top with green embossed leather inset over a frieze fitted with four drawers each (est. $2,000-$3,000); a breakfront of four glass doors over three drawers, standing on a two-door cabinet (est. $1,500-$2,000); and an antique Victorian desk with Chinoiserie paint decorations (est. $1,000-$2,000).

For the walls, offerings will include a set of two hand-colored prints by the Hungarian print-maker and illustrator Marcel Vertes (1895-1961, est. $1,000-$2,000); a set of five framed prints of English crowns (est. $1,000-$2,000); and a set of five framed prints of English flags (est. $1,000-$2,000). Also selling will be a signed Picasso drawing and many original paintings.

Georgian furniture will include a charming highboy lacquered in red (est. $1,000-$2,000) and a pair of painted and carved Georgian-style demilune consoles (est. $1,500-$2,000). Rounding out the list of expected top lots are a beautiful pair of antique Austrian hand-painted hutches (est. $4,000-$6,000) and an interesting vintage carriage that was used in New York’s Rockefeller Center, in one of their Christmas displays (est. $1,000-$2,000).

Phone and absentee bids will also be accepted.

Previews will be ongoing leading up to the day of sale, 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m. each day.

Vintage Galleries is located two blocks off I-95 in the heart of Stamford’s burgeoning antiques district, at 528 Canal St. The firm’s newly renovated and air-conditioned gallery is less than an hour from midtown Manhattan.

For more information about Vintage Galleries and the Sept. 26 auction, please log on to www.vintagegalleriesauction.com or call (203) 504-8485. E-mail them at info@vintagegalleriesauction.com.

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

Around 500 items from the estate of international fashion icon Tommy Hilfiger will be sold without reserve Sept. 26. Image courtesy of Vintage Galleries.

Stuffed life-size Steiff mohair zebra (est. $800-$1,200) pulling a vintage carriage in excellent condition (est. $1,000-$2,000). Image courtesy of Vintage Galleries.

One of a pair of green painted and upholstered Louis XVI-style Bergere chairs, stamped Jansen (est. $4,000-$6,000). Image courtesy of Vintage Galleries.

Fabulous French provincial painted hutch with wired doors supported by a two-door cabinet base (est. $2,000-$4,000). Image courtesy of Vintage Galleries.

Pair of beautiful and monumental antique Austrian hand-painted hutches (est. $4,000-$6,000). Image courtesy of Vintage Galleries.

Police: two classic cars stolen from Michigan hotel lot

ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) – Police say two classic cars that were brought to the Detroit area for a car festival got stolen from a hotel parking lot.

WDIV-TV reports the 1916 Model T and a 1931 Model A were taken sometime Saturday night or early Sunday from the hotel in Allen Park. The classic Fords were swiped along with a car hauler and pickup truck.

Chip Stout tells the station that he and his family had traveled from Columbus, Ohio, to attend the Old Car Festival at Greenfield Village in Dearborn. He estimates the truck, trailer and classic vehicles are worth about $75,000.

Greenfield Village is part of The Henry Ford, a suburban Detroit attraction that includes Henry Ford Museum.

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Information from: WDIV-TV, http://www.clickondetroit.com

AP-CS-09-13-10 0824EDT

Fire-ravaged Yankee Air Museum plans reopening

The Yankee War Museum in Michigan is one of only a few places where you can see a flyable Yankee Warrior, a B-25 Mitchell twin-engined medium bomber as pictured in this copyrighted Sept. 8, 2007 photo taken by Dustin M. Ramsey at Ohio's Wood County Airport. The Yankee Warrior in the Yankee War Museum's collection is the veteran of eight combat missions over Italy.

VAN BUREN TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) – The fire-ravaged Yankee Air Museum at Willow Run Airport plans to reopen next month.

The museum says in a statement on its website that its new Collections & Exhibit Building will open Oct. 9 with an Inaugural Gala. That’s six years to the date after a fire at the hangar housing the museum.

Most of the museum’s collection survived the 2004 fire. Eight aircraft and thousands of artifacts were destroyed in the blaze along with tools, spare parts, office equipment and displays.

Other reopening events are planned for Oct. 10 at the airport in Wayne County’s Van Buren Township.

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Online: Yankee Air Museum: http://www.yankeeairmuseum.org

AP-CS-09-13-10 0725EDT

Renoir painting on display in Butte Archives

BUTTE, Mont. (AP) – A painting by Pierre Auguste Renoir and masterpieces by three other artists go on display Monday at the Butte Archives as part of a six-week showing.

The Montana Standard reports the paintings will be on display until Oct. 24.

Renoir’s View from Cap Martin of Monte Carlo is an oil on canvas painted about 1884. It is one of the four paintings on loan from the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

Paul Greenhalgh of the Corcoran Gallery tells The Montana Standard that Renoir made the painting while traveling with Claude Monet about the time the two just about invented Impressionism.”

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Information from: The Montana Standard, http://www.mtstandard.com

AP-WS-09-12-10 1340EDT

Theft of 1,400-year-old Indian pottery still unsolved

MAGNOLIA, Ark. (AP) – Researchers in southern Arkansas are holding out hope that they’ll somehow recover more than two dozen pieces of Caddo Indian pottery that were stolen four years ago.

The 26 pots, bowls and bottles were likely taken in May or June 2006, a theft that Southern Arkansas University archaeologist Jamie Brandon discovered on his fourth day on the job.

University police and the FBI have investigated, but their work hasn’t led to a suspect. Brandon told the Banner-News in Magnolia the pots had been extensively photographed and documented, which would make it hard to move the items in a legitimate sale.

The pots were found in a dig in 1980 from the Cedar Grove site in Lafayette County. They were being stored at SAU but there were plans to return them to the Caddo Indian tribe in Oklahoma.

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Information from: The Banner-News, http://epaper.ardemgaz.com/daily/skins/magnolia/welcome.asp?qs

AP-WS-09-13-10 0945EDT

Bidding war erupts for 105-year-old Maine lighthouse

Ram Island Ledge Lighthouse, Portland, Maine. Photo by Stefan Hillebrand. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) – Two bidders who helped drive up the online auction price of a 105-year-old, picturesque lighthouse have resolved their bidding war with a flip of a coin.

Portland real estate developer Arthur Girard and Dr. Jeffrey Florman, a neurosurgeon from Windham, flipped a coin Friday to determine which one of them would drop out of the bidding for the Ram Island Ledge Lighthouse, a 72-foot working light tower that is being auctioned by the federal government, said Girard’s business assistant, Beth Bernard.

Florman won the flip when the quarter turned up heads in the Maine Medical Center parking lot. He promptly put in a bid for $180,000. As the loser, Girard agreed to bow out of the bidding.

“They shook hands, and Art told Dr. Florman to use it in good health,” Bernard said. “Dr. Florman told him, ‘If I am the successful bidder, you’ll be my first guest to the island.’ Art feels like he lost the lighthouse but gained a friend.”

The coin flip didn’t determine who will own the lighthouse, but it removed one of the active bidders from the auction, which is now scheduled to end Monday afternoon. There’s still an anonymous bidder with an online name of “tugdocto” whose previous high bid was $160,000 and whose intentions are unknown.

Florman could not be reached for comment.

Ram Island Ledge Lighthouse was built in 1905 near the entrance to Portland Harbor. Before being automated in 1959, it was manned by lighthouse keepers who lived in isolation and used kerosene lamps and foghorns to assist mariners.

The U.S. General Services Administration is now selling it. Whoever buys it will have to maintain its historical integrity while the Coast Guard continues to operate it as a navigational aid with a flashing light and a foghorn that blares every 10 seconds.

The bidding began at $10,000 on July 9. A second bid, of $15,000, was entered on Aug. 17.

But there have been 30 bids in the past seven days, driving the price up to the current bid of $180,000. The last 21 bids – from $80,000 on up – have been made by Girard, Florman and “tugdocto.”

Girard and Florman met Thursday night after learning that they were two of the bidders. They quickly realized they had the same goals of keeping the lighthouse in the hands of a Maine owner and making sure it’s preserved, Bernard said.

Rather than continue bidding against each other, Girard suggested they flip a coin to decide who would continue bidding and who would drop out.

Nobody else had entered a higher bid by late Friday afternoon.

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Online: http://tinyurl.com/2w94d99

AP-ES-09-10-10 1547EDT

Modern works at high tide for Kaminski’s Oceanfront sale, Sept. 25-26

Kathryn Frund, 'Imbedded Landscape,' 2001, mixed media, 20 inches by 20 inches, est. $7,000-$8,000. Image courtesy of Kaminski Auctions.

NAHANT, Mass. – Kaminski Auctions will conduct its Oceanfront Auction Sept. 25-26 in Nahant, Massachusetts. In addition to a wide selection of fine art, antiques, fine furnishings, the auction features a large collection of modern to contemporary designer furniture and fine art. LiveAuctioneers will provide Internet live bidding.

The auction will take place at the Cragmere estate, 211 Willow Road, in Nahant. Bidding will commence at 10 a.m. Eastern both Saturday and Sunday. Previews are scheduled Friday, Sept. 24, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. and on the mornings of the sale beginning at 8 a.m.

A pair of paintings by contemporary artist Kathryn Frund are also featured. Imbedded Landscape (est. $7,000-$8,000) and Manifest III (est. $3,000-$8,000) are both mixed media pieces signed by the artist. The Connecticut native has exhibited her work at dozens of shows across New England, New York and overseas. Her work is also carried locally by the Chase Gallery of Boston.

Two silkscreen prints by Andy Warhol highlight the auction. The prints are impressions of Warhol’s classic Pop Art portrait of Marilyn Monroe, each showcasing Warhol’s signature use of nonrepresentational color schemes. The prints measure 36 inches square and are signed, numbered and mounted on museum board. The image is an adaptation of a photograph by Gene Korman, taken during a publicity shoot for the film Niagara.

A wide selection of modern and contemporary furniture is sure to garner attention. A set of red upholstered womb chairs and matching ottoman designed by Ero Saarinen (est. $2,500-$3,000) highlight the auction’s mid-century offerings. Saarinen is a world-renowned architect and industrial designer and is perhaps best known for designing the iconic Gateway Arch in St. Louis.

Additional furniture includes a large hand-hewn coffee table (est. $5,000-$6,000) made by renowned designer Tucker Robbins. The Japanese-style coffee table, built from solid mountain pine, is 18 inches in height with a surface measuring 75 inches by 63 1/2 inches. A ribbed surface accents the table’s understated and elegant design. Robbins is known for his use of recycled and repurposed “green” products, and for his works inspired by tribal and traditional cultures.

“We’re pleased to have to opportunity to offer such high-quality modern and contemporary consignments to our local bidders,” said Frank Kaminski, owner of Kaminski Auctions. “Since opening our second location on the West Coast, we’ve encountered a flood of new material that clearly resonates with our East Coast audience.”

Visit www.KaminskiAuctions.com for information and a complete online auction catalog or call 978-927-2223.

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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