December 1, 2010 - Auction Central News

Originals by portrait artist William Chambers in Dec. 6 auction

Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers.com and Universal Live Auctions.

NORTHBROOK, Ill. – Original paintings created by the distinguished American portrait artist William Chambers will be sold to the highest bidder on Monday, Dec. 6, 2010 at the suburban Chicago gallery of Universal Live Auctions. The oil on linen canvas artworks are the actual pictures that served as the basis for some of the most popular collector plates and music boxes ever produced by Bradford Exchange of Niles, Illinois.

“Mr. Chambers is an artist of great renown who lives and works here in the Chicago area,” said Universal Live owner Martin Shape. “We are greatly honored that he chose us to represent him exclusively at auction. This will mark the first time his art has ever been presented in an auction forum.”

The paintings in the auction include six different portraits of Princess Diana in various ensembles and formal gowns, including one in which she is wearing a diamond tiara. “That particular painting, when translated to a collector plate, proved very popular,” said Shape. “There were 65,000 plates sold of that image alone.”

Each of the Diana paintings measures 24 by 36 inches. Opening bids range from $5,000 to $10,000.

Other charming depictions include Audrey Hepburn as the elegantly transformed Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady, Little Orphan Annie and Daddy Warbucks (from Annie), Scarlett O’Hara and her suitors at Twelve Oaks (from Gone with the Wind), and the King and Anna dancing (from the “Shall We Dance?” scene in The King and I).

Each Chambers painting is one of a kind and signed by the artist. Sizes vary from 24 by 30 inches to 36 inches square.

The auction also features works by pop artists Markus Pierson – known for his Coyote Series – and Mackenzie Thorpe (British, b. 1956-), acclaimed for his abstract depictions of animals and children. “This is the first time that art by Pierson and Thorpe will be made available for collectors to bid on via the Internet,” Shape said.

For additional information on any item in the sale, call Marty Shape at Universal Live Auctions at 847-412-1802, or e-mail sales@universallive.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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Portrait artist William Chambers. Photo courtesy of the artist.

About William Chambers:

Born in 1940 and raised in the Chicago area, Chambers first began his studies in the early 1960’s at the American Academy of Art. He planned on majoring in industrial design, but after realizing the field required more engineering than he had initially thought, he left for Northeastern Illinois University to study painting. After two years of study, he took an apprenticeship at an illustration studio in Chicago. He then went to do commercial work in illustration, but eventually found it too restrictive, so he left to return to school to acquire his bachelor’

Chambers’ plan was to be a teacher, but he became more and more engrossed in portrait painting. By 1979 he decided to strike out on his own as a portrait painter. Many people took notice of his painting, and before long, he was approached by a consultant for the Knowles China Company.

Chambers had never heard of collector plates at that time, but he quickly became a design star, appearing on the cover of Plate World magazine and making appearances across the country. He is a Master Signature Member in a group of only 25 artists.

Although well known for his successes in the realm of collector plates, Chambers is best known for his expertise as a portrait artist. His large commissioned works are priced from $25,000 to $35,000.

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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

Old American Indian canoe recovered in Florida

Theodor de Bry drawing after a John White watercolor depicting Native Americans crafting a dugout canoe with seashell scrapers, 1590.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) – An American Indian dugout canoe believed to be 500 to 800 years old has been recovered from the muck of a lake bed south of Tallahassee.

State archeologists said Tuesday that the 23-foot-long canoe is unusual because it is well-preserved and each end is finely carved.

More than 350 dugout canoes have been found in Florida, some dating back 6,000 years, but most are degraded from repeated periods of wetting and drying.

The canoe was exposed when Lake Munson was drawn down. Crawfordville resident Dennis Jones first reported the canoe to the Florida Museum of History.

Archaeologists removed it Monday so it can be conserved and exhibited and to protect it from curiosity seekers who tried to dig it out.

AP-ES-11-30-10 1422EST

ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE

Officials break ground at new Miami Art Museum

MIAMI (AP) – Officials have broken ground at the new Miami Art Museum.

A ceremony was held at 10 a.m. yesterday, just days ahead of Art Basel Miami Beach, when the art community will shift its spotlight to South Florida for a few days. The art fair runs from Dec. 2-5.

The new museum is set to open to the public in 2013. It will be part of a 29-acre museum park.

AP-ES-11-30-10 0300EST

Memorabilia vendors rejoice over British royal wedding

Coat of Arms of William of Wales. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic licenses.

LONDON (AP) – A William and Catherine monogram mug? A pair of hand-crafted swan paperweights? A dainty wedding bell, perhaps?

With the array of romantic memorabilia flooding the market, royal fans worldwide don’t have to wait till next year to celebrate Prince William’s wedding.

Almost as soon as the prince announced his engagement to long-term girlfriend Kate Middleton, souvenir shops and chinaware producers have been inundated with order requests for special edition mugs, plates and assorted collectibles.

In a generally bleak retail landscape, British businesses have high hopes the royal wedding can bring in some badly needed cash.

“We’ve taken masses of pre-sales orders, and people have actually placed orders on items that they can’t even see pictures of because they’re not available yet,” said Stephen Church, whose family has been selling collectibles in England’s Northampton for over 100 years.

Manufacturers have had special tableware designed months ago – it only took the official announcement of when (April 29) and where (Westminster Abbey) for the race to cash in to begin in earnest.

It’s a retail fever that has gripped people from all corners of the world. There is strong interest from collectors in the U.S. and other countries with no royals, Church said. As for Britons -especially those living overseas – owning royal memorabilia could be a way to connect with their country and display patriotism.

“For the British, it’s a feeling of security,” he said. “It’s part of life’s routine that the royal family is there. Buying commemorative products is part of cherishing them.”

Royal births, coronations and weddings have been marked with souvenir ceramics for centuries, and the commemorative china industry is nearly as steeped in tradition as the royal family itself. So skip novelty items like cell phone covers and mouse pads _ serious collectors will be sticking to mugs and plates, Church said.

“People aren’t looking for something different,” he said. “With a royal event, it’s all about tradition.”

So what’s on offer?

To share royal adulation with the love of your life, consider getting a specially commissioned royal “loving cup” – a mug with two handles.

Aynsley China, which has been making chinaware to mark royal events since Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897, has one of these gems. They also have royal engagement-themed plates and coasters featuring portraits of William and Middleton. The designs have been ready for six months and will hit the shops just before Christmas, sales director John Wallis said.

Royal Doulton, another chinamaker, has a similar floral-edged plate that has a picture of the youthful couple gazing lovingly at each other.

Church predicts particularly strong demand for memorabilia from Halcyon Days, a prominent china company known for the hand-painted enamel boxes it makes to celebrate big royal occasions.

For memorabilia with a twist, Royal Crown Derby has a set of white and gold swan paperweights, called William and Catherine, with necks curved to represent a heart. Cygnet paperweights can come soon, too – the company is already lining up designs for the next range, in anticipation of royal babies.

“It won’t be long before we start (product) modeling for children,” sales director Simon Willis said.

Suitably for such a fairytale wedding, the company is also making a royal Welsh dragon – the mythical symbol of Wales, where William is based. The designers have been creative with the product line: there are also W&C monogram heart-shaped trays, wedding bells, a set of dwarfs wearing commemorative hats, and a paperweight featuring a hand-painted peacock and roses that will cost more than 3,000 pounds ($4,665) each.

Royal fans on a commoner’s budget need not despair. Easy access to digital technology means that almost anyone can print a picture of William on a mug, and many cheaply made T-shirts, tea towels and thimbles are up for grabs on the auction site eBay.com.

Just don’t count on them becoming cash in the attic a decade or two on: Hundreds of souvenir items like biscuit tins and stamps marking Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s 1981 nuptials swamp the site, with few inviting much bidding interest.

The list of businesses taking advantage of the royal wedding craze goes on.

The supermarket chain Tesco is targeting women who want to copy Middleton’s style on the cheap with a 16-pound ($25) version of her dark blue silk engagement dress, while QVC, an online and television shopping company, said sales of its 34-pound ($53) “diamonique” knockoff of Middleton’s sapphire and diamond engagement ring rocketed 800 percent the day after the engagement.

All that merchandise can add up to as much as 18 million pounds ($28 million) of retail sales, said Neil Saunders, consulting director of retail researchers Verdict. And that’s just the engagement – the wedding itself can bring in more than 26 million pounds ($40 million), Saunders said, on top of the hundreds of millions that tourists already spend every year on visiting palaces and buying monarchy-related souvenirs.

For Ron Smith, who runs an online business selling royal commemorative items, the meaning of collecting royal products has changed since the Victorian times when subjects collected those items to show their allegiance to the British crown. Smith said he has taken many inquiries about the upcoming royal wedding from non-Commonwealth locales such as Alaska and Japan, as well as from royalists in Canada.

“People these days don’t buy it because they are loyal to the crown,” he said, adding that many of his clients are middle-aged or older and simply started collecting things once they retired and found little else to do.

AP-WS-11-30-10 1044EST

ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE

Combined image of Prince William of Wales (taken by Alexandre Goulet, official photographer of the French delegation to the 2007 World Scout Jamboree) and his fiancee, Catherine Elizabeth

Skinner Dec. 7 sale festooned with diamonds, Miriam Haskell jewelry

Vintage grape cluster festoon necklace, Miriam Haskell, circa 1950s, designed by Frank Hess, 16 inches, unsigned. Estimate: $800-$1,000. Image courtesy of Skinner Inc.

BOSTON – Skinner Inc.will host an auction of Fine Jewelry on Tuesday, Dec. 7, at its Boston gallery beginning at at 10 a.m. The sale features a large selection of diamond jewelry, as well as an incredible collection of unique Miriam Haskell jewelry. Right in time for the holiday, bidders will also be tempted by fine designer watches, earrings, necklaces, rings and bracelets by Cartier, Tiffany, Buccellati and Harry Winston.

LiveAuctioneers will provide Internet live bidding.

DIAMONDS:

The sale is highlighted by an amazing assortment of diamonds that will appeal to both seasoned collectors and those looking to buy their first piece. Featured diamonds include a platinum and heart-shaped diamond solitaire by Van Cleef & Arpels, 4.33 carats with GIA report estimated at $60,000-$80,000; a platinum and diamond solitaire weighing 5.05 carats and estimated at $12,000-$15,000; another platinum and diamond solitaire, this one weighing 7.03 carats and estimate at $40,000-$60,000; and a diamond ring weighing 10.36 carats and estimated at $100,000-$125,000.

Other diamonds of note include an oval-cut platinum and fancy intense yellow diamond solitaire weighing 4.69 carats and with GIA report, estimated at $30,000-$40,000; a marquise-cut platinum and diamond solitaire weighing 11.62 carats and estimated at $30,000-$40,000; and a stunning Graff platinum and diamond solitaire weighing 5.55 carats and with GIA report estimated at $175,000-$225,000.

MIRIAM HASKELL JEWELRY:

With this sale, Skinner auction house is offering fashionistas everywhere the rare opportunity to own an original, vintage Miriam Haskell piece. The auction will feature more than 30 lots of Haskell jewelry from the private collection of Susan Kelner Freeman, a well-known collector from New York City. These pieces inspired today’s most sought after looks worn by fashion forward celebrities and mainstream consumers alike and have translated effortlessly over the years. Highlights of the collection include an impressive vintage grape cluster festoon necklace, circa 1950s, designed by Frank Hess, estimated at $800-$1,000 and a rare prototype and butterfly festoon necklace, circa 1960, designed by Robert F. Clark and estimated at $1,000-$1,500.

ART DECO:

Art Deco offerings are abundant and include fabulous Deco silver items from Fahrner featured by a gem set suite of brooch and ear pendants estimated at $500-$700. Other interesting Art Deco pieces include a floral Art Deco enamel and gem-set bracelet and brooch estimated at $800-$1,200 and an Art Deco sterling silver, enamel, and marcasite bracelet, Germany, estimated at $600-$800. Stunning Lalique jewelry will also be offered such as an Art Deco molded glass “Crene” bracelet estimated at $1,000-$1,500 and an Art Deco molded glass “Fleurs” ring estimated at $500-$700.

ANTIQUE JEWELRY:

Antique offerings include several coral pieces such as a fine antique serpent bracelet estimated at $1,000-$1,500; a four-strand bead necklace estimated at $1,500-$2,000; and an impressive cameo brooch depicting a maiden with corkscrew curls and wearing a garland of grape vines estimated at $800-$1,200. Other great antique pieces include a goldstone glass and seed pearl heart pendant estimated at $200-$400 and an 18K gold, pink topaz and diamond brooch, retailed by Jones, Ball & Poor and estimated at $1,500-$2,000.

ARTS AND CRAFTS JEWELRY:

Collectors of Arts and Crafts works won’t be disappointed with highlights such as a gem-set brooch attributed to Dorrie Nossiter, designed as a wreath and estimated at $3,000-$5,000; an 18K gold, sapphire, and freshwater pearl necklace by Margaret Rogers estimated at $6,000-$8,000; and a pair of jadeite ear pendants, Tiffany & Co., also estimated at $6,000-$8,000.

ART NOUVEAU:

Rounding out the sale is a fine offering of Art Nouveau pieces. Featured works from the genre include an 18K gold, plique-a-jour enamel, and enamel brooch by Joe Descomps for Leon Gariod, depicting a nude maiden and estimated at $4,000-$5,000 and the cover lot, an 18K gold, carved opal, enamel, pearl, and diamond pendant estimated at $15,000-$25,000.

MISCELLANEOUS PIECES:

Finally, an unusual 18K gold and ruby spider brooch, estimated at $2,000-$3,000; and a pair of 14K gold gem-set “sign language” clip brooches by Paul Flato estimated at $5,000-$7,000 will be offered.

Previews for the auction will be Sunday, Dec. 5, noon-5 p.m. and Monday, Dec. 6, noon-7 p.m.

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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