From the Hilda Fried antique sewing collection, to be auctioned Dec. 4 by Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates. Image courtesy LiveAuctioneers.com and Jeffrey S. Evans.

Jeffrey S. Evans’ Dec. 4 sale features Hilda Fried sewing antiques

From the Hilda Fried antique sewing collection, to be auctioned Dec. 4 by Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates. Image courtesy LiveAuctioneers.com and Jeffrey S. Evans.

From the Hilda Fried antique sewing collection, to be auctioned Dec. 4 by Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates. Image courtesy LiveAuctioneers.com and Jeffrey S. Evans.

MOUNT CRAWFORD, Va. – The incomparable Hilda Fried collection was never a secret to those who admire fine antique sewing tools and accoutrements. The late Mrs. Fried, who began amassing 18th, 19th and early 20th-century sewing antiques after the Second World War, enjoyed exhibiting aspects of her collection annually at the Park Avenue Armory and Madison Square Gardens antique shows. Now collectors will have the opportunity to bid on any of the items in this exceptional collection, at Jeffrey S. Evans’ auction slated for Saturday, Dec. 4, 2010. Internet live bidding will be provided by LiveAuctioneers.com.

The no-reserve 400-lot auction will commence at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time and includes the following:

  • 26 fine chatelaines
  • 25 sewing cases/kits
  • 16 fine figural sewing clamps
  • 40 other clamps
  • 20 fitted work stands and boxes
  • 25+ wooden figural workboxes
  • 50+ spool stands, revolving and stationary
  • 20 thread boxes
  • 40+ tape measures
  • 80+ needle cases
  • Figural emeries
  • 100+ pincushions
  • Thimbles and cases
  • Scissors
  • Spool knaves
  • Sewing machines
  • Swifts
  • Large number of silver tools and containers of all types
  • Tartanware
  • Tunbridge ware
  • Mauchline ware
  • Gold
  • Enamel on silver
  • Vegetable ivory
  • Bone/ivory
  • Mother of Pearl
  • Beadwork

For additional information on any lot in the sale, call Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates at 540-434-3939, ext. 143 or e-mail karen@jeffreysevans.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 AND IMAGES OF NOTE


From the Hilda Fried antique sewing collection, to be auctioned Dec. 4 by Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates. Image courtesy LiveAuctioneers.com and Jeffrey S. Evans.

From the Hilda Fried antique sewing collection, to be auctioned Dec. 4 by Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates. Image courtesy LiveAuctioneers.com and Jeffrey S. Evans.

From the Hilda Fried antique sewing collection, to be auctioned Dec. 4 by Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates. Image courtesy LiveAuctioneers.com and Jeffrey S. Evans.

From the Hilda Fried antique sewing collection, to be auctioned Dec. 4 by Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates. Image courtesy LiveAuctioneers.com and Jeffrey S. Evans.

From the Hilda Fried antique sewing collection, to be auctioned Dec. 4 by Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates. Image courtesy LiveAuctioneers.com and Jeffrey S. Evans.

From the Hilda Fried antique sewing collection, to be auctioned Dec. 4 by Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates. Image courtesy LiveAuctioneers.com and Jeffrey S. Evans.

From the Hilda Fried antique sewing collection, to be auctioned Dec. 4 by Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates. Image courtesy LiveAuctioneers.com and Jeffrey S. Evans.

From the Hilda Fried antique sewing collection, to be auctioned Dec. 4 by Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates. Image courtesy LiveAuctioneers.com and Jeffrey S. Evans.

The late George and Hilda Fried of New York City. Image provided by Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates.

The late George and Hilda Fried of New York City. Image provided by Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates.

Peony jar, attributed Yuan Dynasty, 11 inches. Leighton Galleries image.

Consignment Day discoveries in Leighton Galleries’ Dec. 9 auction

Peony jar, attributed Yuan Dynasty, 11 inches. Leighton Galleries image.

Peony jar, attributed Yuan Dynasty, 11 inches. Leighton Galleries image.

UPPER SADDLE RIVER, N.J. – Leighton Galleries’ Dec. 9 auction will include consigned items from their first Open Consignment Day. Held over three days, the open call invitation was extended only to Leighton’s e-mail list, resulting in an overwhelming nonstop consignment extravaganza.

Among the treasures that arrived was a small collection of Chinese porcelains consigned by a young man, originally from Egypt, who inherited the pieces from his father. Offered from this collection are four blue and white pieces including an Imperial Dragon moon flask, a Yen Yen vase, and a Yuan Dynasty (attributed) peony jar similar to others that have shown strong sales recently.

A good collection of antique Indian arts will also be offered from a local man. Included is a 17th- or 18th-century copper alloy figure of the Hindu deity Shiva Nataraja (not estimated), an elaborately carved deity wood panel of large size estimated at $2,000-$3,000, and a carved Hindu shrine estimated to bring $800-$1,200.

A Milton Avery pen and ink drawing also walked in with its owner of almost 30 years, a lovely woman from Wyckoff, N.J. The piece is titled New Bristol, Tenn., and was purchased at the Kornbluth Gallery in Fair Lawn, N.J. in 1982. Other fine artworks that came into the gallery include a Wolf Kahn mixed media The Fallen Pine estimated to bring $2,000-$3,000 and according to the consignor sat in his attic for 40 years, a 27-inch bronze after Pierre Julien Amalthea and Jupiter’s Goat estimated at $2,000-$3,000, a Joan Miro signed lithograph Behind the Mirror estimated at $300-$500, a pair of bronze Marly horse groups after Guillaume Coustou estimated to bring $600-$800, an oil on canvas by Carl Smith titled Canadian River Roundup estimated at $300-$500, and an unusual ethnographic stone head sculpture of unknown origin carrying a modest estimate of $100-$150.

Other artists represented in the auction include Jean Kevorkian, H. Claude Pissarro, George Shawe, Jean Pierre DuBord, Hahn Vidal, Jacques Bouyssou, Alain Bouju and Maurice Monnard.

Leighton will also be offering a pop art-style fabric poster of The Real Housewives of New Jersey consigned by Danielle Staub. As we understand, these were gifted to each of the housewives by Bravo network. It measures 40 inches by 62 inches and is a striking piece. It’s the perfect gift for the person who has everything.

More than 425 lots will cross the auction block including bronzes, silver, china, jewelry, Persian rugs, a large collection of fine crystal including Baccarat, Steuben, Waterford and Swarovski, clocks, needleworks, a large Dept. 56 collection, swords, 1960s Directional dining room furniture in the style of Milo Baughman, a CDV of Maj. or Gen. George Armstrong Custer, Fleetwood Mac and Jerry Lee Lewis autographed posters, unusual prints, lots of ivory including large tusks, Russian icons, a large Victorian church/dollhouse tenement, coins, the classic, the bizarre, and everything in between from Royal Doulton figurines to Roscoe Hillenkoetter’s World War II foot locker.

As is usual with a Leighton auction, all lots are sold to the highest bidder and come from finer estates and residences, and, in the case of this auction, from nice people who walk into the gallery on consignment day. The auction is scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 9, at 5 p.m. It will be held at the Knights of Columbus Banquet Hall at 79 Pascack Road, Washington Township (Bergen County), N.J. Previews are scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 8, from 5-8 p.m., and on Thursday, Dec. 9, from 1-4 p.m. An illustrated web-based catalog is available at www.leightongalleries.com. For information call 201-327-8800 or e-mail info@Leightongalleries.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.

 

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.

A collection of vintage watches will include Omega Flightmaster and Seamaster models. Image courtesy of William Jenack Estate Appraisers and Auctioneers.

Jenack times Dec. 5 auction to keep pace with holiday shoppers

A collection of vintage watches will include Omega Flightmaster and Seamaster models. Image courtesy of William Jenack Estate Appraisers and Auctioneers.

A collection of vintage watches will include Omega Flightmaster and Seamaster models. Image courtesy of William Jenack Estate Appraisers and Auctioneers.

CHESTER, N.Y. – William Jenack Estate Appraisers and Auctioneers has announced the opening of the holiday season with a sale at their New York facility and on-line bidding through LiveAuctioneers on Sunday, Dec. 5, commencing at 11 a.m. Eastern. The sale will include many lots for the collector and gift giver. The sale will feature a large collection of vintage timepieces and jewelry, Japanese art and ceramics, Hummels, Oriental carpets and rugs, furniture, decorative accessories, and fine art by the likes of A.C. Hummel, Lawrence L. Wilbur and Stathis Livanis.

The selection of lots in the sale is perfect for the gift-giving season considering the number of vintage watches and jewelry items being offered. Featured watches include a vintage Omega stainless Seamaster 300 automatic calendar wristwatch, Omega stainless Flightmaster chronograph wristwatch, Omega 14K and stainless Constellation quartz chronometer, vintage Tudor gold plated Prince Oyster date 34 automatic wristwatch and others including many pocket watches.

Jewelry will include a vintage 14K gold, diamond and emerald locket; sterling and vermeil necklace; antique elephant ivory beaded necklace; carved ivory snake-form bracelet; 14K gold Geneve ladies wristwatch with 14K Italian band; vintage 14K gold and diamond friendship ring; vintage sapphire and gold rings; 14K gold emerald and diamond ring and several other vintage and antique lots of jewelry.

In a change from Jenack’s usual collection of Chinese items, the auctioneer will offer several lots of Japanese art and ceramics. The collection will include several woodblock prints by such artists are Yeijiro, Koho, Hokusai, Yoshitoshi and Yoshida, several lots of Imari porcelains including plates, bowls, fish form platter and chargers, a silk embroidered wedding kimono and obi of excellent condition and quality.

As with all Jenack sales original artwork will be offered. Highlighted in this sale will be Lawrence L. Wilbur, whose advertising illustrations for such brands as Coca-Cola and Sunshine Bread became synonymous with the product. An oil on canvas titled Pigeon Cove, Rockport Mass. by A.C. Hummel and an oil on canvas The Balcony by Stathis Livanis, circa 1969, are of special interest. Many other listed artists are represented in the sale.

Previews will be held at the William Jenack auction facility at 62 Kings Highway Bypass, Chester, NY 10918, Wednesday through Saturday, Dec. 1-4, from noon to 5 p.m. and the day of sale 9-10:45 a.m.

For details contact (845) 469-9095 or e-mail kevin@jenack.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.

 

 

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


Vintage toys will include a Buddy L pressed steel aerial ladder fire truck, circa 1925. Image courtesy of William Jenack Estate Appraisers and Auctioneers.

Vintage toys will include a Buddy L pressed steel aerial ladder fire truck, circa 1925. Image courtesy of William Jenack Estate Appraisers and Auctioneers.

Stathis Livanis (Greek 1941- ) oil on canvas, ‘The Balcony,’ signed, 1969. Image courtesy of William Jenack Estate Appraisers and Auctioneers.

Stathis Livanis (Greek 1941- ) oil on canvas, ‘The Balcony,’ signed, 1969. Image courtesy of William Jenack Estate Appraisers and Auctioneers.

A.C. Hummel (American 20th century) oil on canvas, ‘Pigeon Cove, Rockport Mass.,’ signed and titled. Image courtesy of William Jenack Estate Appraisers and Auctioneers.

A.C. Hummel (American 20th century) oil on canvas, ‘Pigeon Cove, Rockport Mass.,’ signed and titled. Image courtesy of William Jenack Estate Appraisers and Auctioneers.

Lawrence L. Wilbur (American 1897-1960) oil on canvas, illustration art for Pan American Airways, signed. Image courtesy of William Jenack Estate Appraisers and Auctioneers.

Lawrence L. Wilbur (American 1897-1960) oil on canvas, illustration art for Pan American Airways, signed. Image courtesy of William Jenack Estate Appraisers and Auctioneers.

Carolyn Dekker photo of Big Brown and jockey Kent Dersoumeaux as they headed for the starting gate at the June 7, 2008 Belmont Stakes.

Big Brown’s Kentucky Derby winner’s blanket headed to auction

Carolyn Dekker photo of Big Brown and jockey Kent Dersoumeaux as they headed for the starting gate at the June 7, 2008 Belmont Stakes.

Carolyn Dekker photo of Big Brown and jockey Kent Dersoumeaux as they headed for the starting gate at the June 7, 2008 Belmont Stakes.

WESTHAMPTON, N.Y. – While baseball, football and hockey jerseys game-worn by legendary athletes can run into the tens and even hundreds of thousands of dollars at auction, there’s still one sport that offers ground-floor opportunities to collectors – thoroughbred horse racing.

Richard Russek, president of Grey Flannel Auctions in Westhampton, N.Y., says the smart money is literally on the backs of turf champions. He cites a prized example from his company’s Dec. 8 sports memorabilia auction: the official white fleece winner’s blanket worn by Big Brown in the 2008 (134th) Kentucky Derby.

“It’s a one of a kind historical item,” Russek said, noting that blankets worn by prize-winning horses are much rarer than modern-era baseball jerseys. “While a baseball player might wear many hundreds of jerseys in his career, a thoroughbred horse runs in only so many races, and there are only so many blankets or halters per race. The thing is, these sorts of items so seldom appear for sale in the public marketplace, many people don’t even know it’s possible to buy them. There are ground-floor opportunities available right now, but they’re not going to last for long. The prices are going nowhere but up.”

The Big Brown blanket – a striking design with its embroidered bouquet of roses, the words “Kentucky Derby 134” and a patch with the race date and image of a jockey on horse in full stride – is one of several items set to be auctioned from the equine memorabilia collection of New Jersey businessman Randy Sussman.

Founder of Sussman Sports Management and now owner of an international special events company, Sussman has had a lifelong connection to horse racing. He started going to the track with his father and grandfather at age five, and his uncle was a jockey for nearly 30 years on the New England and Florida circuits. As an adult, Sussman started buying minority stakes in racehorses, which led to friendships with many of the jockeys and grooms, and the launching of a new hobby.

“It used to be traditional for the groom to be given certain items from the racehorses they took care of. It’s very hard work caring for multimillion-dollar horses, and these gifts were a thank you from the owners,” said Sussman. But over the last few years, Sussman said, the practice has ceased to exist because of the increasing value of horseracing souvenirs, especially those associated with derby champions. Now horse owners or trainers opt to keep such items for their own collections.

At one time, Sussman was able to purchase major race memorabilia – including blankets, saddle cloths, fly sheets, stall guards halters and even boots – straight from the grooms, who were not sentimentally attached to the items. “Many of the grooms were from Mexico or other countries. They appreciated the extra money,” said Sussman, who recalls seeing Derby winners’ blankets used in grooms’ homes as coffee table covers or even as bedspreads. “Nobody knew what this stuff was worth. Many blankets got lost or were thrown away, which is why surviving blankets are so rare. Obviously, the blankets associated with the premier races are the most desirable of all. A Kentucky Derby winner’s blanket would be on par with, say, a game-worn Babe Ruth jersey. They’re museum pieces.”

Online: http://www.greyflannelauctions.com

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ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE


Big Brown's embroidered white fleece winner's blanket from the May 3, 2008 Kentucky Derby. The blanket will be auctioned on Dec. 8, 2010. Image courtesy Grey Flannel Auctions.

Big Brown’s embroidered white fleece winner’s blanket from the May 3, 2008 Kentucky Derby. The blanket will be auctioned on Dec. 8, 2010. Image courtesy Grey Flannel Auctions.

Poor attendance might doom Indiana museum

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP) – Years of low attendance and needed repairs have city officials considering whether to close a museum founded by a taxidermist nearly 50 years ago.

The Jack Diehm Museum of Natural History features animals posed in their native habitat decorated with plant life and painted backgrounds. Sharks, swordfish and deer heads hang from the walls of the museum near the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo.

Zoo director Jim Anderson told the city parks board that the average annual attendance for the museum over the past decade is 716 people. The Journal Gazette reported in a story published Monday that, by comparison, the zoo attracts more than a half million visitors a year.

“To me it’s almost disrespectful to leave that museum open,” he said.

Berlen Diehm, a taxidermist, founded the museum along with his wife in 1963 in memory of their son, Jack, who died in an auto crash, to educate the public about wildlife and its preservation.

In 1975, the original building was destroyed by arson. Berlen Diehm worked to have the museum rebuilt and it reopened in 1981.

Diehm fought a proposal made to 2000 for tearing down the museum for additional zoo parking and possibly using the museum exhibits to line a tunnel linking the zoo to the additional parking area. He died in 2002.

The zoo hires a part-time worker to take tickets at the museum, which is open only on weekends during the zoo season. Admission is $2 for adults and $1 for children. Anderson said the museum has lost money for years on its $7,000 in annual operating expenses.

The building needs a new roof and other exterior repairs estimated to cost more than $175,000, and Anderson said didn’t believe the zoological society would be willing to pay for those improvements.

City Councilman John Shoaff said low attendance at the museum has been a problem for many years and that the city shouldn’t be sacrificing other park projects to finance a museum that isn’t popular with residents.

Anderson and city parks staff are scheduled to discuss ideas for what to do with the museum and present them to the parks board in the next few months.

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Information from: The Journal Gazette, http://www.journalgazette.net

AP-CS-11-29-10 1138EST

Portrait of Czar Nicholas II of Russia, painted by Earnest Lipgart (1847-1932).

Russian royal family’s letters to be auctioned

Portrait of Czar Nicholas II of Russia, painted by Earnest Lipgart (1847-1932).

Portrait of Czar Nicholas II of Russia, painted by Earnest Lipgart (1847-1932).

GENEVA (AP) – Some 2,000 letters, postcards and photographs sent by the last Russian czar’s siblings to their private tutor will go under the hammer in Geneva next month.

The correspondence from Czar Nicholas II’s younger brothers George and Mikhail and their sisters Xenia and Olga to their Swiss tutor Ferdinand Thormeyer has never before been published, Swiss auction company Hotel des Ventes said Friday.

Chief auctioneer Bernard Piguet said the letters were “really intimate documents” covering the period from 1881 to 1959. The correspondence reveals details about life within the Romanov Imperial family and gives an insight into the siblings’ childhood, journeys and life in exile.

“All the family were a little bit disconnected from reality,” Piguet told The Associated Press. “They loved Russia but they didn’t realize that changes were going to happen.”

George died in an accident in 1899. His brother Mikhail was killed after the 1917 Russian revolution that saw older brother Nicholas II deposed and then executed in 1918. Their sisters Xenia and Olga died in exile in 1960.

The collection – which also includes a gold, silver and sapphire cigarette case bearing a signed personal message from Nicholas and George – is divided into 45 lots with a total estimated value of $70,000 to $100,000.

“We hope all the lots will be purchased by a single person who will keep them together,” said Piguet.

Hotel des Ventes said the papers were discovered recently in a dust-covered storage trunk by Thormeyer’s descendants.

Little has been written about Thormeyer, who traveled to Russia age 18 in 1876 and began teaching French and literature to the Romanov children ten years later.

He taught the future czar, Nicholas, for three years and later tutored the younger siblings until 1899.

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

AP-ES-11-26-10 1122EST

This historic signed indenture by Queen Elizabeth I, dated 1563, is estimated to achieve $40,000-$60,000. Image courtesy Clars Auction Gallery.

Queen Elizabeth I document to reign at Clars’ Dec. 4-5 sale

This historic signed indenture by Queen Elizabeth I, dated 1563, is estimated to achieve $40,000-$60,000. Image courtesy Clars Auction Gallery.

This historic signed indenture by Queen Elizabeth I, dated 1563, is estimated to achieve $40,000-$60,000. Image courtesy Clars Auction Gallery.

OAKLAND, Calif. — Clars Auction Gallery will host their final sale of 2010 on Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 4 and 5, marking the end of what will go down as a landmark year for the 62-year-old firm. LiveAuctioneers will provide Internet live bidding.

The November sale was the largest in their history with sales exceeding $1.6 million. American decorative arts and Asian antiques were the fuel behind the record dollars earned.

In December, it will likely be historic Britain that will cinch 2010 as Clars’ biggest year ever as they track to $10 million in sales for the year overall. Redge Martin, president of Clars, credits the Internet to a great extent for the opportunity for what used to be considered smaller regional auction houses to compete internationally for major pieces and estates. Top performance in marketing and promotion coupled with a staff whose passion knows no limits, has set Clars apart and on track as a major player in the international world of fine art and antiques, said Martin.

Several of the consignments coming to the December sale validate this. At the top of the list is an extremely rare and important historic document from the “Golden Age of England — the Reign of Queen Elizabeth I.” Coming up for sale, with an estimate of $40,000-$60,000, will be a framed indenture from Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603) dated 1563 with the Royal Great Seal. The indenture states the terms of a loan Queen Elizabeth I is taking out through her financier Sir Thomas Gresham (1519-1579). The indenture is signed on the reverse by the Privy Council, Robert Dudley (1532-1588), Lord Keeper of the Great Seal Sir William Cecil (1520-1598), Sir Nicholas Bacon (1510-1579), William Howard of Effingham (1510-1573), and Sir Francis Knollys (1514-1596). It was in 1563, the same year as this signed indenture, that Elizabeth I moved the Royal Court to Windsor Castle to avoid the bubonic plague.

Furthering interest from English nobility, will be a massive 17-foot English aluminum replica of Eros on a pedestal cast from the model by Alfred Gilbert. Originally sold at Christie’s in 2004 for $164,000, it comes to Clars’ December sale with an estimate of $80,000-$120,000.

Among the other historic documents to be offered will be an Almanac dated 1752 relating to the adoption of the Gregorian calendar in Britain. Turning to Continental Europe will be group of 18th-century maps (est. $1,000-$2,000), 15 maps by Antonio Zatta (1775-1797), from his masterwork in four volumes Atlante Novissim published from 1775 to 1789, and 15 hand-colored maps published in Berlin, circa 1756, under the supervision of Leonard Euler (1707-1783), the Swiss mathematician.

From this side of the pond and estimated at $2,000-$4,000 will be the book Adventure by Jack London (1876-1916). This March 1911 edition is inscribed and signed by London and includes original gelatin silver prints of Jack and Charmian London.

Turning to the fine art category, this sale will feature important works by both American and international artists. Highlights of this category include Warfside Monterey, a framed oil on canvas by Si Chen Yuan (Californian, 1911-1974); View of the Sierra by Orrin A. White (Californian, 1883-1969); Bharata Natyam Dancer by Shiavax Chavda (Indian, 1914-1900) and Cuisinier by Germain Theodore Ribot (French, 1845-1893).

Two important bronze sculptures will round out this category. Tango is a bronze and ivory sculpture by Demetre H. Chiparus (Romanian/French, 1886-1947) and Nude of a Woman and Child by Emile Edmond Peynot (French 1850-1932) measures 17 inches high.

Asian antiques are always strong at Clars and this month a large Siamese bronze head of the Buddha Rattanakosin Kingdom, 19th century, is expected to achieve $3,000-$5,000. Also to be offered will be a pair of Chinese ivory Emperor and Empress carvings together with Debua (blanc de Chine) porcelain figurines.

From extravagant to unexpected, this sale will delight gift givers and receivers alike. For the person who has everything, perhaps the 1948 Buick Roadmaster convertible coupe would be the perfect gift. For her, perhaps the wonderful collection of Marilyn Monroe memorabilia or the stunning diamond and platinum ring set with a 7.32-carat radiant cut diamond. On the subtler side, a diamond ring of platinum center set with a 2.52-carat emerald cut diamond with six diamond accents might be just the thing.

The sale will also feature a wealth of fine American and European antique furnishings. A Walter H. Durfee nine-tube oak tall-case clock, retailed by Tiffany and Co., circa 1900, will be among the highlights as well as a Steinway & Sons walnut cased Model M grand piano.

Rounding out the sale will be sterling from Gorham and William B. Durgin plus a large collection of American Indian jewelry and a leather and beadwork dress.

Clars’ December Fine Estates sale will begin Saturday a 9:30 a.m. and continue Sunday at 10 a.m. Previews will be Friday, Dec. 3, from 1-6 p.m. and at 9 a.m. each auction day and by special appointment. A full catalog will be available online at www.clars.com prior to the sale.

To register to bid and to obtain more information, call Clars Auction Gallery at 888-339-7600, or email info@clars.com. Clars Auction Gallery is located at 5644 Telegraph Ave, Oakland, CA 94609.

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.

 

 

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


This massive 17-foot English aluminum replica of Eros on a pedestal cast from the model by Alfred Gilbert is estimated at $80,000-$120,000. Image courtesy Clars Auction Gallery.

This massive 17-foot English aluminum replica of Eros on a pedestal cast from the model by Alfred Gilbert is estimated at $80,000-$120,000. Image courtesy Clars Auction Gallery.

‘Warfside Monterey,’ a framed oil on canvas by Si Chen Yuan (Californian, 1911-1974) will be a highlight of the impressive fine art category. Image courtesy Clars Auction Gallery.

‘Warfside Monterey,’ a framed oil on canvas by Si Chen Yuan (Californian, 1911-1974) will be a highlight of the impressive fine art category. Image courtesy Clars Auction Gallery.

This large Siamese bronze head of the Buddha Rattanakosin Kingdom, 19th century, is estimated to achieve $3,000-$5,000. Image courtesy Clars Auction Gallery.

This large Siamese bronze head of the Buddha Rattanakosin Kingdom, 19th century, is estimated to achieve $3,000-$5,000. Image courtesy Clars Auction Gallery.

This 1948 Buick Roadmaster convertible coupe would be the perfect gift for the person who has everything. Image courtesy Clars Auction Gallery.

This 1948 Buick Roadmaster convertible coupe would be the perfect gift for the person who has everything. Image courtesy Clars Auction Gallery.

Staggering trove of Picasso art turns up in France

PARIS (AP) – Pablo Picasso almost never stopped creating, leaving thousands of drawings, paintings and sculptures that lure crowds to museums and mansions worldwide. Now, a retired electrician says that 271 of the master’s creations have been sitting for decades in his garage.

Picasso’s heirs are claiming theft, the art world is savoring what appears to be an authentic find, and the workman, who installed burglar alarms for Picasso, is defending what he calls a gift from the most renowned artist of the 20th century.

Picasso’s son and other heirs say they were approached by electrician Pierre Le Guennec in September to authenticate the undocumented art from Picasso’s signature Cubist period.

Instead, they filed a suit for illegal possession of the works — all but alleging theft by a man not known to be among the artist’s friends. Police raided the electrician’s French Riviera home last month, questioned him and his wife and confiscated the disputed artworks.

Le Guennec and his wife say Picasso’s second wife gave them a trunk full of art that they kept virtually untouched until they decided to put their affairs in order for their children. The Picasso estate describes that account as ridiculous.

“When Picasso made just a little drawing on a metro ticket, he would keep it,” said Jean-Jacques Neuer, a lawyer for Picasso’s estate. “To think he could have given 271 works of art to somebody who isn’t even known among his friends is of course absurd.”

The pieces, which include lithographs, portraits, a watercolor and sketches, were created between 1900 and 1932, an intensely creative period for Picasso after he moved from Barcelona to Paris.

Among them are a richly colored hand study; a sketch of his first wife, Russian ballerina Olga Khokhlova, resting an elbow in a seated pose; and a collage of a pipe and bottle.

The collage and eight others in the stash are worth 40 million euros on their own, Picasso’s estate says. All of the art is now held by the French agency charged with battling illegal traffic in cultural items.

Le Guennec, 71, claims to have worked at three of Picasso’s properties in southern France: a Cannes villa, a chateau in Vauvenarges, and a farmhouse in Mougins, the town where Picasso died in 1973. The French daily Liberation, which broke the story Monday, said Le Guennec had installed a security alarm system for Picasso at the farmhouse.

“It’s a big surprise both in terms of the numbers and the quality… (of works) appearing from one day to the next,” said Anne Baldassari, president of the Picasso Museum in Paris. “We are moved, surprised, intrigued — firstly moved, to have found an uninventoried stash of Picasso works.”

Guennec’s wife Danielle told The Associated Press by phone from their home in the town of Mouans-Sartoux, just north of Antibes, that the couple decided to come forward with the works this year because they were getting on in years, and “didn’t want to leave any headaches to our children” with their own estate. Her husband had undergone a cancer treatment operation in March, she said.

The couple didn’t intend to sell the art, she said.

“This was a gift,” she said. “We aren’t thieves. We didn’t do anything wrong.”

The work didn’t appear to be much to her untrained eye, she said: “But even if this was a little jot of the pencil, it did come from the master.”

Pierre Le Guennec, wearing a plaid shirt in an interview with France-2 TV outside his modest home, said he was given the trunk by Picasso’s second wife and most-painted muse, Jacqueline Roque.

“Madame gave them to me. And if she gave them to me, he had to be aware of it,” said Le Guennec. Roque died in 1986.

Picasso’s son Claude, quoted in Liberation, noted that his father was known for his generosity, but that he always dedicated, dated and signed his gifts, as he knew that some recipients might try to sell the works one day.

The estate administrators, who pored over the works for about three hours in September, considered that the works might be fakes. But they ruled that out because of the expertise, variety of techniques and the use of certain numbers in the works that no faker was likely to have known, Neuer said.

“My husband was well-regarded by the master,” Danielle Le Guennec said, but noted that the couple was having “a little difficulty” with his son.

“He’s stabbed us in the back, taken us to court and accused us of theft. He’ll have to prove it,” she said. “We’re still happy to have our works… we’ll see what happens next.”

The total number of Picasso works around the world remains unknown, said Baldassari. About 70,000 works have been inventoried among his heirs, but that doesn’t include works he sold off or are in museums, for example.

Picasso works are among the most coveted among thieves. In May, a Picasso lithograph was stolen from a collector’s home in southeastern Marseille; days earlier, one of his paintings was taken from a Paris museum — one of the works swiped in a massive $123 million art heist.

That same month, Nude, Green Leaves and Bust, a 1932 Picasso painting of his mistress, set a world record for any work of art at auction, selling for $106.5 million at Christie’s New York.

The Art Loss Register, which tracks stolen, looted or missing art, now lists 702 stolen Picasso pieces, including paintings, lithographs, drawings and ceramics. He is the most-listed artist in its database of 214,000 art pieces.

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This late 19th-century Chippendale-style cabinet measures 110 inches wide by 82 1/2 inches high by 25 inches deep. It sold for $48,000 inclusive of premium. Image courtesy of Morton Kuehnert Auctioneers.

English Chippendale-style cabinet tops in $48,000 at Morton Kuehnert

This late 19th-century Chippendale-style cabinet measures 110 inches wide by 82 1/2 inches high by 25 inches deep. It sold for $48,000 inclusive of premium. Image courtesy of Morton Kuehnert Auctioneers.

This late 19th-century Chippendale-style cabinet measures 110 inches wide by 82 1/2 inches high by 25 inches deep. It sold for $48,000 inclusive of premium. Image courtesy of Morton Kuehnert Auctioneers.

HOUSTON – Nearly 230 bidders were vying for 113 lots of antiques, fine art, estate jewelry and decorative arts during Morton Kuehnert’s Nov. 18 special preholiday auction. More than 120 bidders registered through LiveAuctioneers.com.

Lot 28, an exquisite late 19th-century English Chinese Chippendale-style cabinet-on-stand was in the winner’s circle with a sale price of $48,000. Lot 29, a giltwood over-mantel mirror based on a design by Thomas Chippendale in the Oriental Rococo style, realized $18,000. All prices include a buyer’s premium.

Lot 30, a 19th-century Dutch burled walnut display cabinet, sold for $7,200. Lot 32, a beautifully carved English rosewood 19th-century pedestal table sold for $11,400. Lot 31, a finely carved set of Chippendale-style mahogany dining chairs, cica 1870, sold for $7,200, and an eye-catching 19th-century French Boulle-style cabinet, lot 33, sold for $4,800.

Lot 58, a fine pair of Japanese Shibayama panels mounted with ivory, mother of pearl, moonstone and gold lacquer, circa 1886-1912, realized $5,700. Lot 59, a Ming-style court painting, Portrait of an Emporer, realized $4,800. A delicate 20th-century American art glass vase with silver overlay, lot 71, made $574. A vintage Louis Vuitton hardcase suitcase, lot 16, sold for $1,140. A full-length vintage Danish mink coat, lot 19, brought $3,000.

The estate jewelry proved popular with an 18K white gold Art Deco diamond ring, lot 78, selling for $1,800. Lot 80, a 2.40-carat marquise-cut diamond ring sold for $3,300. Lot 81, a diamond and sapphire ring, sold for $2,160. Lot 84, a pair of classic emerald-cut diamond earrings, sold for $5,700. Lot 85, a 22K gold dome-shaped bangle bracelet studded with rose-cut diamonds, sold for $4,500. Eight watches sold during the auction, with vintage his and hers Santos watches, lots 90 and 91, bringing $1,680 and $1,800 respectively.

For a look at the hammer prices of all lots sold on Nov. 18 visit www.mortonkuehnert.com.

 

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


ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE


American art glass vase with silver overlay, 5 1/4 inches high, $574. Image courtesy of Morton Kuehnert Auctioneers.

American art glass vase with silver overlay, 5 1/4 inches high, $574. Image courtesy of Morton Kuehnert Auctioneers.

A fine pair of Japanese Shibayama lacquer panes mounted with ivory, mother of pearl, moonstone and gold lacquer in relief, circa 1868-1912, sold for $5,700. Each is 68 inches high x 27 inches wide. Image courtesy of Morton Kuehnert Auctioneers.

A fine pair of Japanese Shibayama lacquer panes mounted with ivory, mother of pearl, moonstone and gold lacquer in relief, circa 1868-1912, sold for $5,700. Each is 68 inches high x 27 inches wide. Image courtesy of Morton Kuehnert Auctioneers.

Ming-style court painting, ‘Portrait of an Emporer,’ on canvas, 61 x 38 inches, realized $4,800. Image courtesy of Morton Kuehnert Auctioneers.

Ming-style court painting, ‘Portrait of an Emporer,’ on canvas, 61 x 38 inches, realized $4,800. Image courtesy of Morton Kuehnert Auctioneers.

Signed ‘Legacy’ and stamped ‘916,’ this 22K diamond dome-shaped bangle bracelet earned $4,500. Image courtesy of Morton Kuehnert Auctioneers.

Signed ‘Legacy’ and stamped ‘916,’ this 22K diamond dome-shaped bangle bracelet earned $4,500. Image courtesy of Morton Kuehnert Auctioneers.

Reyne Gauge: Bidding at Auction

Whether you bid online or live at a gallery, the gavel rules, and it pays to be prepared before raising your paddle.

Whether you bid online or live at a gallery, the gavel rules, and it pays to be prepared before raising your paddle.

HOUSTON – A few weeks ago I was at the Annex sale at Michaan’s Auction. It is a monthly auction that runs for two days and has everything from jewelry, to household furniture and contents (pots and pans) to collectibles.

I overhead a few people talking while looking at things and discussing how much they thought certain items might sell for. I thought to myself, ‘Well, that depends. Often within their estimate, but if they are better than average, perhaps more, or not so interesting, perhaps less.’

A little while later, I went to look up something in the catalog only to discover there were no estimates, which made me understand why the people I saw earlier were pondering values.

People truly look to the auction house to determine what price they are expected to pay (and the value) of items they are interested in.

So what does it mean when there are no estimates? It means the item will sell for whatever someone is willing to pay that day. It lets bidders know the item has no reserve and if someone bids $5 and no one bids against them, it will sell for $5.

In situations such as this, the auctioneer has to make a very quick decision as to what he or she thinks the item should sell for. For example, if they think the item is worth $100, they might open the bidding at $50, or half of whatever the value is. If they have no interested bidders at $50, they might ask for $40…eventually people start bidding, or the auctioneer will opt to pass the item and move on to the next lot.

Another thing to question at any auction is, “What is the condition?” People often assume if there is no mention of an item having damage or restoration, it must be in excellent condition. This is not the case. Many auction houses do not place condition information in their catalogs. You have to ask. Request a condition report, or view the item in person before bidding. I know I have attended auctions where I previewed only the items I was interested in, only to watch other items selling with low or no bids and think, ‘Wow, I should bid on that.’ If you take the risk of “buying blind,” you should be prepared for disappointment when you receive your item and note its less-than-desirable condition. Not always, but quite often, there is a reason why no one else was bidding.

A final thing to mention: payment. In some instances, if you plan on paying with a check, you might find that the auction house has a rule about keeping the merchandise until the check clears. If you do not have prior experience buying at that auction house and have not had your credit pre-approved, you will need to pay with cash if you intend to leave with the merchandise that day.

Auctions can be exceptionally exciting to attend, whether live or online. Just make sure you have all of the important information in hand before your paddle goes up.

Reyne Haines is an appraiser, author and host of The Art of Collecting. Visit her website at www.reyne.com

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