Signed ‘Raphael Coronel’ lower left and inscribed ‘De Paseo No. 456,’ this large oil painting, 48 inches by 39 1/2 inches, sold for $50,400. Image courtesy of Morton Kuehnert Auctioneers & Appraisers. HOUSTON – One hundred twenty lots of Latin American art and antiques were on the block recently at Morton Kuehnert Auctioneers & Appraisers. Lot 6, Rafael Coronel’s De Paseo oil on canvas, was the frontrunner at the Dec. 12 auction, with a winning bid of $50,400.
The majority of the lots were the property of a private collection in South Texas. All prices listed here include the buyer’s premium.
“Morton Kuehnert is pleased with the results from our first serious Latin American art auction,” said Lindsay Davis, the auction house’s Fine Art Specialist. “The interest in the early religious art, as well as pieces from strong 20th-century artists, helps us chart a path for our Latin American art auctions scheduled for May and November 2011,” she added.
Morton Kuehnert and partner Morton Subastas in Mexico City are combining resources for the enrichment of Latin American art and artists, as Houston continues to garner national attention with the Museum of Fine Arts/Houston emphasis in that area.
Bidders’ choices included 18th- and 19th-century religious paintings in the style of the Mexican School, such as Lot 21, the Virgin of Guadalupe oil on canvas, selling for $7,200, and Lot 23, the Virgin of Guadalupe oil on burlap, selling for $3,300. Lot 28, Nino Muerto, an oil on canvas which sold for $9,000, was also of the Mexican School.
Elena Climent’s 2006 Shelf with St. Anthony and His Visions, Lot 1, sold for $6,600. Lot 38, an untitled 1948 Diego Rivera pastel and ink on paper of a young boy, sold for $36,000.
Lot 2, C. Anton Goering’s 1880 Venezuelan Scene watercolor on heavy paper sold for $7,800 and Lot 4, Guillermo Gomez’ Mayorga’s circa 1930s untitled oil on canvas of a view through a Mexico City gateway, sold for $10,800.
Lot 11, the oil on canvas of the Enthroned Madonna and Child, also from the Mexican School of religious paintings, sold for $4,800.
Lot 20, a circa 17th-18th-century religious oil on panel portrait from the Spanish Colonial School depicting Saint Nicolas de Tolentino, sold for $4,200. Lot 22, an 18th-century oil on canvas from the Peruvian School/Lima Academy titled Santa Rosa de Lima sold for $4,800.
Lot 80, a mid-century landscape of mixed media on paper entitled Patzcuro, Michoan Coast, by Alfredo Zalce, 1965, sold for $3,600. Lot 89, A. Orellana’s 1890 Pueblan Family oil painting on board sold for $3,600 as well.
Three oils on canvas by 20th-century Mexican artist Alberto Ruiz Vela were sold, including Lot 97, a cowboy herding scene, at $1,320; Lot 98, a town center scene, sold at $1,140; and Lot 99, a town scene, sold at $1,320. Lot 100, an oil on canvas by Pablo Almela, another 20th-century Mexican artist, entitled Guanajuaro, 1947, sold for $1,200.
Two oils on board by artist Sergio Bustamante sold, (Mexican, b. 1942) including Lot 65, an untitled painting Lions on a Rainbow, at $660, and Lot 66 of Lions in a Tree at $1,140.
Two Jaimes Murillo (Mexican, b. 1940) paintings sold, including Lot 69, an oil and sand on masonite entitled El Peluquero, 1983, selling at $360 and Lot 105 oil on canvas of an African Fertility Female, 1997, selling for $1,800.
Lot 53, a 19th-century hand-painted marriage cupboard, fetched $18,000 and Lot 16, a Bolivian silver censer, sold for $1,440.
Anyone interested in consigning Latin American art and antiques for Morton Kuehnert’s May 2011 auction may e-mail photos and descriptions to Lindsay Davis at ldavis@mortonkuehnert.com.
For information on Morton Kuehnert, please visit our website at www.mortonkuehnert.com or our Facebook page.
To receive announcements on Latin American consignments and auctions, please send your contact information to LatinArt@mortonkuehnert.com.
C. Anton Goering (German, 1836-1905) Venezuelan scene, 1880, watercolor on heavy paper, signed and dated ‘A. Goering 1880,’ 13 1/2 x 23 inches, $10,800. Image courtesy of Morton Kuehnert Auctioneers & Appraisers.Mexican School, 18th century, ‘The Enthroned Madonna and Child,’ oil on canvas 49 1/2 x 37 1/2 inches, provenance: Christie’s The House Sale, Oct. 1-3, 2007, lot 904, New York, $4,800. Image courtesy of Morton Kuehnert Auctioneers & Appraisers.A. Orellana (Mexican School, 19th century) Pueblan Family, 1890, oil on board, signed ‘A. Orellana 1890’ lower left, 12 x 8 inches, $3,600. Image courtesy of Morton Kuehnert Auctioneers & Appraisers.
Pair of carved early Continental alabaster and marble statues of Cleopatra and Judith, $132,250. Image courtesy of Fontaine’s Auction Gallery. PITTSFIELD, Mass. – A pair of carved, early Continental alabaster and marble statues of Cleopatra and Judith, each standing 23 inches tall and having exceptional detail, sold for $132,250 at a cataloged antique auction held Nov. 13 by Fontaine’s Auction Gallery. The statues were the top earner of the more than 500 lots sold. Overall, the sale grossed about $1.4 million.
Around 300 people packed the Fontaine’s Auction Gallery showroom, located at 1485 W. Housatonic St., for the standing room only event. In addition, there were about 800 Internet bidders who participated online via LiveAuctioneers.com and the Fontaine’s website, www.fontainesauction.net. Phone and absentee bidding was also brisk all day long.
“It’s kind of refreshing that the market seems to be picking up,” said John Fontaine of Fontaine’s Auction Gallery, acknowledging that the antique business in general has ebbed and flowed over the last couple of years, ever since the financial crisis wreaked havoc on the economy. “Activity in all areas of our auction business has increased. People are bidding more freely and enthusiastically.”
Following are additional highlights from the auction. All prices quoted include a 15 percent buyer’s premium.
The sale’s top lot may have been statuary artwork, but vintage lamps and antique clocks dominated the list of top earners. A Tiffany 10-light Tulip lamp with pulled feather tulip shades on a signed Tiffany base, 21 inches tall, went for $40,250, while an E. Howard #71 regulator wall clock from the 1880s, 70 inches tall, black walnut with ebony trim case, garnered $25,875.
Keeping with lamps, a 16-inch Tiffany Studios Poinsettia shade with red flowers with blue, gold and green centers fetched $25,875; an 18-inch Handel Riverbed scenic lamp (#6752), artist signed “HB” (Henry Bedigie), and in excellent condition soared to $24,150; and a 16-inch signed Tiffany Studios Pomegranate table lamp with dichroic and mottled shade rose to $12,650.
Rounding out the category, a Handel Floral & Butterfly lamp (#6688), with an 18-inch reverse-painted shade showing apple blossoms and butterflies brought $11,500; an Anton Chotka Austrian cold-painted bronze lamp titled “The Jewelry Merchant,” 15 1/2 inches tall, hit $9,775; and a Duffner & Kimberly leaded table lamp with 21-inch fern pattern shade commanded $8,050.
A James Condliff astronomical clock with 12-inch silvered dial, inscribed on the movement dust cover (“Ino B. McFadden A.D. 1832”) coasted to $19,550 to a bidder from England, where the clock was made; a circa 1905 Waltham #14 ball regulator with quartered oak case, 74 inches tall, rose to $14,950; and a three-piece French figural gilt bronze owl clock set with 3-branch candelabra brought $10,350.
Other clocks that did well included an Elliott grandfather clock with great proportions and detailed carvings, and signed nine-tube movement ($10,350); a J.L. Ruetter perpetual Atmos desk clock featuring a nice chrome base with beveled glass ($6,325); and a Guilmet French industrial balance beam engine clock with painted silver and gilt brass base ($4,600).
Fine art included an oil on canvas portrait of a harlequin (jester) by Emilio Pettoruti (Argentine, 1892-1971), 22 inches by 28 inches ($8,625); a hand-painted 10-inch Royal Vienna 10-inch portrait plate after Bluthen, artist signed and in excellent condition ($3,737); and a pair of 19th- century carved marble angels, both shown kneeling and with long flowing robes ($7,475).
Dazzling pieces of estate jewelry were also offered. A lady’s 14K white gold platinum and diamond pendant with a main round brilliant cut diamond weighing 1.87 carats with VS-1 clarity garnered $13,800; and a lady’s 14K yellow gold handmade custom ring containing 16 square cut genuine rubies totaling 2.40 carats, with 17 brilliant round cut diamonds, hit $4,025.
Sterling silver pieces really got paddles wagging. Star lots included a figural repousse tankard by Emile Puiforcat of Paris, with a scene showing maidens dancing and playing music in a vineyard, 102.5 troy ounces ($6,612); and a circa 1910 Russian silver figural rhinoceros with diamond eyes by Julius Rappaport, a noted Faberge workmaster, weighing 6.56 ounces ($4,312).
Decorative accessories featured an exceptional American rosewood rococo chevelle dressing mirror with grape carved crest and elaborate legs with carved stretcher ($5,750); a Raoul Larche gilded bronze inkwell depicting a figural nude woman on a rock ($5,750); and a nice triform Daum Nancy cameo cut Dragonfly tray with green and yellow water lilies ($4,140).
Rounding out the day’s top lots: a fully restored 1894 popcorn and peanut wagon made by C. Cretors & Co. (Chicago) changed hands for $14,950; a matching set of 12 chairs from the Renaissance Revival period, including two armchairs, breezed to $7,762; and a set of six figural Stag Russian silver shot glasses, each one 3 inches high and marked “KL,” fetched $4,312.
For more information, or to consign an item, estate or collection, call 413- 448-8922 and ask to speak to John Fontaine. Or, you may e-mail him at info@fontaineauction.com. For more info, log on to www.fontainesauction.net.
Tiffany 10-light Tulip lamp with pulled feather tulip shades on a signed Tiffany base, $40,250. Image courtesy of Fontaine’s Auction Gallery.E. Howard #71 regulator wall clock, circa 1880s, 70 inches tall, black walnut case, $25,875. Image courtesy of Fontaine’s Auction Gallery.Oil on canvas portrait of a harlequin (jester) by Argentine painter Emilio Pettoruti, $8,625. Image courtesy of Fontaine’s Auction Gallery.Lady’s 14kt white gold platinum and diamond pendant, diamond weighing 1.87 carats, $13,800. Image courtesy of Fontaine’s Auction Gallery.Fully restored 1894 popcorn and peanut wagon made by C. Cretors & Co. of Chicago, $14,950. Image courtesy of Fontaine’s Auction Gallery.
MADRID (AP) – Spanish police say they have recovered artworks including pieces by Picasso, Colombian artist Fernando Botero and Spanish sculptor Eduardo Chillida that were stolen from a Madrid warehouse.
Specialized Crimes unit chief Dionisio Martin said Monday the art was found in a stolen truck in an industrial area on Madrid’s southern outskirts.
The pieces, recovered Saturday, had a total value of some euro5 million ($6.5 million), Martin said.
He said 35 pieces were stolen and one remains missing. No arrests have been made so far.
Martin said the thieves had tried to sell one of Chillida’s metal sculptures to a scrap dealer.
The works were stolen on Nov. 27 by thieves who broke into the warehouse and stole a vehicle containing them.
Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Chippendale walnut bureau, Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, $48,875. Image courtesy of Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates Inc.
MOUNT CRAWFORD, Va. – On Saturday, Nov. 13, Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates conducted its 20th annual Fall Americana & Fine Antiques Cataloged Auction. The 724-lot sale began at 9:30 a.m. Eastern and concluded in just over seven hours.
For the past decade the firm’s fall auction has had a special focus on material from Virginia and other Southern states, and this auction included one of the more impressive regional groupings that Jeffrey Evans and his team has assembled in recent years. Featured consignments to the auction included material from the estate of longtime Shenandoah Valley collector Dr. Jean Wine of Harrisonburg, Va.; possessions of a Loudoun Co., Va., family comprising items descended from renowned 19th-century thoroughbred race horse owner and breeder James Robert Keene (1838-1913); items deaccessioned by a Virginia institution; heirlooms descended in an early Pendleton County, (W.)Va. family; along with material from prominent Virginia, Maryland and Ohio private collections.
The broad range of fresh material offered resulted in a near capacity crowd throughout most of the day. Total in-house bidders numbered 250, another 160 absentee and phone bidders registered through the firm’s website, and more than 450 bidders participated through LiveAuctioneers, generating an additional 6,700-plus bids. Evans and his staff processed nearly 9,000 bids for the single-day auction.
The sale’s most coveted lot was an important Shenandoah Valley of Virginia Chippendale walnut three-over-three-drawer bureau attributed to the circle of Gideon Morgan (1751-1830) of Staunton, Va. The circa 1790 diminutive bureau – today commonly referred to as a chest of drawers – stood only 39 inches high x 38 inches wide x 20 1/2 inches deep. It was in virtually untouched original condition with its only replaced elements being the brasses on the lower three drawers. The bureau also retained an historical and possibly original surface, an extremely rare feature that added immensely to its remarkable state of preservation.
The Shenandoah Valley bureau had been purchased at an on-site estate auction in Rockbridge Co., Va., in 1999 by an agent for collectors John and Lil Palmer of Purcellville, Va., and had resided in one of the Palmers’ bedrooms until they consigned it with Evans. Before the auction Evans commented that not since his firm sold the now famous Johannes Spitler decorated cupboard in 2004 had he entertained so many requests for early preview of a specific lot.
“Everyone that inspected the bureau absolutely loved it,” Evans remarked.
The bidding quickly surpassed the $10,000-$15,000 estimate with numerous in-house bidders participating. At the $30,000 level the bidding was between an advanced Virginia collector and a representative of a prominent Virginia museum, with the collector finally prevailing at $48,875. All prices quoted here include a 15 percent buyer’s premium.
After the auction Evans said that he had been trying to persuade the Palmers to let him sell the bureau since they acquired it in 1999, relating that “John, who is an advanced collector of Virginia pie safes, always said if it would bring enough to buy a great safe or two he would let it go, and well you can guess the rest of the story.” Evans added, “The bureau’s outstanding condition, the rock-solid attribution that we were able to build, and the fact that it was sold unreserved, all greatly contributed to the strong interest and final price the bureau achieved.”
Other Virginia furniture that drew abundant interest and aggressive bidding included a rare signed Presley Cordell (1779-1849), Leesburg, Va., walnut tall-case clock from the collection of Leah and the late Bill Pollard of Purcellville, Va. The stately circa 1800 timepiece, which stood 103 inches high, was in outstanding running condition and sold to a Virginia phone bidder for $25,300. A fine circa 1840 Pendleton Co., (W.)Va. cherry child’s chest of drawers featured carved and turned ornaments and was signed by cabinetmaker Adam Waggoner (1807-1885) of Pendleton County, Va. This finely constructed diminutive chest measured only 24 inches high and 18 inches wide and had survived in near pristine original condition. It quickly surpassed its $3,000-$5,000 estimate selling for $10,350. Another Virginia piece acquired by an out-of-state buyer was an exceptional walnut diminutive sideboard pie safe set with 10 finely punched tulip tins and featuring a bold cutout gallery. This little jewel was only 38 inches high x 55 1/2 inches wide and retained its original black surface and remnants of blue paint on the tins. It was made around 1860, probably in Greene or Madison counties, and sold for $8,625 to an Internet bidder from Missouri.
A large selection of Virginia country accessories crossed the block including two exceptional Valley of Virginia painted white oak splint baskets from the Pulaski/Craig/Giles Co. area. The first (lot 82) was a finely woven diminutive example retaining its original dry red wash and measuring only 3 inches high at the rim. The second larger example (lot 83) stood 6 1/2 inches high at the rim and displayed an original dry, blue painted exterior and green painted interior. Each dated to the late 19th or early 20th century and sold for $3,737.50 against an $800-$1,200 estimate.
The fine art section of the auction was also led by a Virginia-related work. A well-documented Charles Balthazar Julien Fevret de Saint-Memin (French/American, 1770-1852) chalk on paper portrait of Dr. Amos Newhall (1773-1835) of Essex County, Va., drew much interest. The likeness had been drawn in Richmond around 1807 or 1808 and was still housed in its original 26-inch x 19 1/2-inch gilt and gesso frame with eglomise painted glass. It was first published by Ellen G. Miles in her 1942 seminal catalogue raisonne, Saint-Memin and the Classical Profile Portrait in America, p. 361, and later on page 821 of the June 1966 issue of the periodical, Antiques. The abundance of historical information that Evans compiled for the portrait, including provenance dating back to the 1920s, undoubtedly contributed to the work tripling its low estimate to sell to a Maryland phone bidder for $14,950 (lot 281).
A number of Virginia prints and maps were highlighted by a fine hand-tinted lithograph image of Natural Bridge in Rockbridge County after Edward Beyer (1820-1865). Taken from Beyer’s renowned Album of Virginia published in 1857, the example offered by Evans was in excellent condition and displayed strong colors. A determined phone bidder and an Internet bidder battled until it sold at $6,325 (lot 259), establishing a record price for a Beyer print.
The auction also included a highly important group of silver horse racing and polo trophies won by and descended from James Robert Keene (1838-1913), a renowned 19th-century thoroughbred owner, breeder, and winner of six Belmont Stakes. The top lot of the group was a Whiting Manufacturing Co. two-handle trophy awarded in 1883 to Spendthrift, one of Keene’s Belmont Stakes winners. The handsome 11-inch-high prize weighed in at nearly 60 troy ounces and sold for $10,350 (lot 520) to an elated in-house bidder.
A collection of antique firearms assembled by Dr. Joseph E. Gardner of Harrisonburg, Va., included a Second Model Virginia Manufactory flintlock pistol marked “RICHMOND / 1813” and “VIRGINIA” on the lock plate. Despite a replaced frizzen and part of the hammer, the relic realized $6,900 (lot 483).
Other auction material of note included a complete set of 13 Royal Doulton “Soldiers of the Revolution” figures issued in 1976 and limited to only 350 sets (lot 246, $10,925); a group of Shenandoah Valley domestic earthenware, much of which had been exhibited at the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts in Hagerstown, Md., including five polychrome-glazed pitchers ranging from 6 inches to 10 inches high (lots 11-15, $1,380 to $2,300); a collection of American Rockingham-glazed pottery highlighted by a signed Bennington Toby-form 4 1/4 inches high snuff jar in near mint condition (lot 590, $1,725); and a labeled “Ideal Bookcase Unit” by Globe-Wernieke Co., Grade 598, mahogany three-stack barrister bookcase with a lower drawer and original beveled glass (lot 447, $2,875).
Reaction to the auction from firm-president and auctioneer Jeffrey Evans was upbeat. “While there are still a tremendous number of fabulous bargains to be found in the current antiques market, especially in the furniture sector, we are encouraged by the large increase in the number of bidders participating in our auctions. One of the big keys to our success is that we are able to secure desirable, fresh material for each auction, 99 percent of which is unreserved, and present it with very attractive presale estimates that reflect the current market trends.” Evans added, “We choose not to fill our sales with well-traveled shop-worn merchandise protected by unrealistic reserves.”
Asked to expound on the current state of the American antiques trade, Evans offered, “It remains a buyer’s market – what something sold for five years ago or a decade-old appraisal value are no longer relevant in today’s economy. Well-cataloged, regional material in good condition continues to sell for solid prices when it carries a conservative estimate, while generic Americana is drawing very little interest at present. Today’s collectors seem to focus more on objects that display social or historical importance within a specific region or culture. The all-embracing antiquarians of years past who collected primarily by form and function are no longer driving the market. Because of this, the majority of general-line material is now selling at less than secondhand store prices. This presents a great opportunity for someone to furnish a home with nice antique furniture for pennies on the dollar compared to what it would have cost five or ten years ago.”
Contact the auction house or check the firm’s website at www.jeffreysevans.com for a detailed schedule of 2011 auctions, educational events and additional information. Updates are also posted on the firm’s Facebook page. Call 540-434-3939 for additional information or e-mail info@jeffreysevans.com.
Presley Cordell, Leesburg, Va., walnut tall-case clock, $25,300. Image courtesy of Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates Inc.Child’s cherry chest of drawers, Pendleton County, (W.)Va., $10,350. Image courtesy of Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates Inc.Saint-Memin portrait of Dr. Amos Newhall, Essex Co., Va., chalk on paper, $14,950. Image courtesy of Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates Inc.Whiting sterling silver thoroughbred trophy, 1883, $10,350. Image courtesy of Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates Inc.Earthenware 7-inch pitcher, polychrome-glaze, Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, $2,300. Image courtesy of Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates Inc.
Official Royal Wedding china produced to commemorate the union of Prince William and Catherine Middleton. Image courtesy of The Royal Collection Shop.
LONDON (AP and ACNI) – Britain’s royal wedding is still four months away, but the first official memorabilia went on sale yesterday – a range of wedding china personally approved by the couple.
Prince William’s office said the items had been commissioned by the palace department responsible for the royal family’s art collection and made in Stoke-on-Trent in central England, a traditional center for British ceramics.
The three souvenirs – a tankard, plate and pill box – each feature the couple’s entwined initials, the prince’s coronet emblem and the date of the wedding: April 29, 2011.
On sale at royal palaces and a website, profits from the collectibles will be donated to the charity which curates the royal family’s artworks, known as the Royal Collection.
“The Royal Collection has been working on the design since around the time of the engagement – it’s a very fast moving process,” William’s office said in a statement.
His office said that the prince and his future bride had both approved the wedding merchandise. However, the officially sanctioned goods, which do not include images of William and fiancee Catherine “Kate” Middleton, have met with a rather lukewarm response from the British media.
Stephen Bayley, cultural and design critic for The Telegraph, went so far as to describe the conservatively themed china with muted foliage, ribbons and doves as “polite and dull…lazy and insipid.”
He offers one positive note, though: “The decoration thankfully disdains cloying sentimental portraits and hints at the pleasantries of The Festival of Britain in the Fifties – but it fails to be anything more exciting than pallid.”
The future King and Queen Consort made their first joint public appearance on Saturday since announcing their engagement. The couple attended a cancer charity fundraising event in eastern England.
The Royal Wedding will take place at Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011.
Auction Central News International contributed to this report.
Copyright 2010 Associated Press and Auction Central News International. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
AP-WF-12-20-10 0004GMT
ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE
An alternative to the officially commissioned goods, the Royal Wedding round tray by Royal Worcester has a retail price $26.49. Image courtesy of UK Gift Company.Although not officially commissioned, the Royal Engagement tankard by Aynsley features images of the betrothed couple and retails at $39.76. Image courtesy of UK Gift Company.Halcyon Days produced their own line of "unofficial" Royal Wedding goods, including this Royal Engagement box, limited edition of 250, with a retail price $232.35. Image courtesy of UK Gift Company.
Saguaro cacti dot the landscape around Tucson. Copyrighted photo by Jeff Dean, taken Jan. 22, 2008.
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) – A grassroots effort is developing a new map and guide of historic neighborhoods and sites in Tucson’s Old Pueblo.
A committee made up of neighbors and organizations is developing the free map and guide with information about more than two dozen historic neighborhoods, sites and landmarks in Tucson.
The Arizona Daily Star reports it will be printed in the spring and distributed in such places as resorts, shops, museums and galleries.
Alan Myklebust of the Blenman-Elm Neighborhood Association says the committee came together last spring after discovering a similar map and guide from the Phoenix area.
Each association is writing a description about its historic structures, home styles, famous people and events.
A core committee led by members of the Tucson Historic Preservation Office will ensure the information’s accuracy.
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Information from: Arizona Daily Star, http://www.azstarnet.com.
Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Signed oil on canvas by Abraham Bisschop (1660-1731), titled Birds in a Landscape, $27,600. Image courtesy Leland Little Auction & Estate Sales Ltd.
HILLSBOROUGH, N.C. – A gorgeous 19th-century Chinese pagoda-form wood and ivory display cabinet in overall good condition breezed to $34,500 at a two-session weekend cataloged auction held Dec. 3-4 by Leland Little Auction & Estate Sales, Ltd. The cabinet was the highest price realized of the 650 items sold. All prices quoted are inclusive of 15% buyer’s premium.
The auction, which grossed $925,000 – the second-highest total ever posted by the firm – was held at Leland Little’s new, state of the art gallery in Hillsborough. Internet live bidding was provided by LiveAuctioneers.com.
“Our final cataloged sale of 2010 was such a success, a real statement to our dedicated team and quality consignments,” said company owner Leland Little.
Following are additional highlights from the Dec. 3-4 auction:
The entire first session, on Dec. 3, was dedicated to fine wine, a category the firm has nurtured along in recent sales. Top lots included a pair of cases (12 bottles each) of 1982 Chateau Haut-Brion, a fine French wine. Each case sold for $7,820. Also, two lots of three bottles each of Chateau Lafite Rothschild (French, 2000), with the original tissue, hammered for $6,440 per lot.
Asian arts seemed to dominate the Dec. 4 session. Top achievers included a monumental late 19th-century Chinese tester bed, 99 inches tall, made from mahogany with bone and lighter wood inlays throughout ($29,900); and a 19th-century Chinese porcelain jardinière (or goldfish bowl), with interior decoration simulating an underwater landscape of fish and plants ($26,450).
Other Asian objects included a beautiful Chinese Export orange Fitzhugh pattern platter, made for the American market and showing an eagle with spread wings ($10,350); a Southeast Asian standing Buddha, circa late 18th-century, bronze and gilt bronze on a circular lotus base ($4,600); and a large Japanese cloisonné floor vase with flaring mouth and decorations ($3,680).
Continental artwork did exceptionally well. An oil on canvas by Abraham Bisschop (1660-1731), titled Birds in a Landscape, signed and dated (1695) realized $27,600; a signed oil on canvas by Albert Dawant (Fr., 1852-1923), titled Eve of Austerlitz, rose to $16,675; and an oil on Masonite work by Rafael Durancamps (Sp., 1891-1978), titled Shoreline, garnered $4,600.
American art did well, too. A woodcut by Anna Heyward Taylor (S.C., 1879-1956), depicting vendors at the Old City Market in Charleston, signed and numbered (23) hit $4,600; an oil on board by Adele Williams (Va., 1868-1952), titled Market Scene, signed, rose to $3,450; and an oil on canvas by David B. Walkley (Ohio/Conn., 1849-1934), titled Boat House, made $3,220.
Southern American furniture was a big crowd-pleaser. A fine late 18th-century Eastern North Carolina center table, walnut with cedar secondary, topped out at $10,063; a circa 1800 Southern cellaret on frame, walnut with yellow pine secondary, rectangular form, made $8,625; and a North Carolina leather key basket with tooled line decoration changed hands for $4,600.
Tops in the Continental and English furniture category were an important 18th-century English Sheraton Pembroke table, satinwood veneer with oak secondary, coasted to $6,325; a finely crafted and visually stunning Louis XV-style bureau plat with a tooled black leather top went for $4,600; and an Italian gilded rococo-style console table with marble top brought $3,910.
Mid-century furniture featured a cabinet custom-designed by Tommi Parzinger in the early 1970s and consisting of a four-door front with central inset mirror ($3,910); a circa 1950 solid walnut sideboard attributed to Peter Hvidt and produced by John Stewart ($2,185); and an Eames-style modern reclining lounge chair with cream leather upholstery and chrome ($1,495).
Fine estate jewelry has been a strong and growing department for the firm. This sale featured a 2.10-carat diamond bypass solitaire ring nicknamed “Pure Perfection,” mounted by Claude Thibadeau in platinum and 18kt yellow gold ($10,925); a fine 1.68-carat emerald cut diamond ring flanked by tapered baguettes ($9,775); and a suite of Victorian coral jewelry, to include a necklace, brooch, bracelet and earrings ($7,188).
Additional jewelry pieces included necklace consisting of a long single strand of 89 near-round Akoya cultured pearls with great luster ($6,325); and a beautiful Victorian diamond and pearl bracelet with two finely detailed female period portraits on ivory ($4,600). Also sold was a circa 1920s Mariano Fortuny silk Delphos tea gown made of pleated silk, made in Italy ($6,038).
Continental silver wowed the crowd, beginning with a pair of George III entrée dishes and covers, each piece bearing the sponsor’s mark for Paul Storr (London, 1799). The set went for $10,925. Also, a George IV sterling silver tray with armorial crest (London, 1814) realized $6,038; and a Danish silver tea urn in the Regency style (Michelsen, 1980) brought $3,220.
American silver did nearly as well. A Tiffany & Company “Winthrop” sterling flatware service for 12, with the original price list dated Aug. 1921 and weighing 103.6 total troy oz., fetched $3,680; a set of 12 Mexican sterling stemmed wines, 81.28 total troy oz., commanded $2,185; and a Towle “Old Master” sterling flatware service for 8, 35 total troy oz., hit $1,725.
The undisputed king of the Southern pottery category was a monumental Dave the Slave jar (Edgefield, S.C., inscribed Oct. 1857). The jar, ovoid form with applied wide ear handles, knocked down at $25,300. Also, a late 1920s C. B. Masten earthenware glazed footed vase sold for $1,610; and a fine pair of circa 1940 North Carolina earthenware floor vases made $2,300/pr.
Tops among sculptures and bronzes was a large antique Italian blackamoor carving, circa 18th century or earlier, with polychrome decoration and attired in a plumed costume, on a custom black painted wood plinth ($10,925); and an Art Deco sculpture by Roland Paris (Ger., 1894-1915), depicting a dapper gentleman serenading a swooning woman with his guitar ($4,140).
Lighting examples illuminated the room, starting with a fine Georgian-style chandelier, made circa 19th century and featuring 10 lights, draped with crystal cut swags and five upper bell form crystal arms ($10,925). Also, a pair of Empire bronze and ormolu mounted candelabra, converted to table lamps and each raised on a stepped square base with four paw feet hit $2,185.
Militaria also prompted vigorous bidding. Among the offerings were a Confederate officer tintype with an 1864 letter pertaining to cavalryman Capt. William Jones White of Warrenton, N.C. ($4,370); antique bronze models of a cannon and caisson, elaborately engraved and based on weaponry from the Napoleonic wars ($1,955); and a Confederate-used Pattern 1853 Enfield rifle-musket ($1,265).
Leland Little’s next big cataloged auction is slated for March 18-19, 2011. To consign a single item, an estate or a collection, call 919-644-1243, or e-mail info@LLAuctions.com. For more information, log on to www.LLAuctions.com.
View the fully illustrated catalog for the Dec. 3-4 sale, complete with prices realized, at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.
19th-century Chinese pagoda form wood and ivory display cabinet in good condition, $34,500. Image courtesy Leland Little Auction & Estate Sales Ltd.Two lots of three bottles each of Chateau Lafite Rothschild wine (2000) went for $6,440 each. Image courtesy Leland Little Auction & Estate Sales Ltd.Chinese export orange Fitzhugh pattern platter, made just for the American market, $10,350. Image courtesy Leland Little Auction & Estate Sales Ltd.Victorian diamond and pearl bracelet with a pair of female period portraits on ivory, $4,600. Image courtesy Leland Little Auction & Estate Sales Ltd.Pair of George III sterling silver entrée dishes and covers by Paul Storr (London, 1799), $10,925. Image courtesy Leland Little Auction & Estate Sales Ltd.
After the original winning bidder failed to consummate his purchase, a Philadelphia cardiologist stepped up to the plate and paid the auction price – $220,000 – for this rare Honus Wagner baseball card, one of about 60 known to exist. Image courtesy of Heritage Auction Galleries.
BALTIMORE (AP) – It’s been a blessed year for the School Sisters of Notre Dame, who catapulted to prominence when they put a rare Honus Wagner baseball card up for auction to support their charitable mission. Problem was, the winning bidder never paid up.
On Monday, the Baltimore-based order of Roman Catholic nuns got their $220,000 – the original bid – but have a different collector to thank.
Dr. Nicholas DePace, a Philadelphia cardiologist, wired them the money and owns the card. He’s been collecting sports memorabilia for 30 years, and he’s a longtime client of Dallas-based Heritage Auctions. A staff member at the auction house reached out to him in early December after the winning bidder misse d a 30-day deadline to purchase the card, and DePace agreed immediately to buy it.
“God bless him,” said Sister Virginia Muller, the former treasurer of the School Sisters of Notre Dame, who was entrusted with the card.
The winning bidder was Doug Walton of Knoxville, Tenn., who owns seven sports card stores in the Southeast. He told The AP at the time that he was willing to overpay for the card because of the story behind it and said he was the highest bidder by $45,000.
Walton did not return a message left on his cell phone Monday. Greg Rohan, president of Heritage Auctions, said the auction house had been unable to reach Walton.
“Once in a blue moon, every auction company has a strange situation like this,” Rohan said. “It doesn’t happen very often, but you have to be prepared for it.”
The Wagner card, produced as part of the T206 series between 1909 and 1911, is the most sought-after baseball card in history. About 60 are known to exist, and one in near-perfect condition sold in 2007 for $2.8 million, the highest price ever for a baseball card.
The School Sisters of Notre Dame inherited their card from the brother of a deceased nun after he died earlier this year. It had been in the man’s possession since 1936 and was unknown to the sports memorabilia marketplace. It’s in poor condition, but collectors prize any Wagner card.
The American Tobacco Company ended production of the card shortly after it began. According to sports historians, Wagner was either upset about his image being used to promote tobacco products or the shortstop simply thought he wasn’t being paid enough.
“The Flying Dutchman,” played for 21 seasons, 18 of them with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He compiled a .328 career batting average and was one of the five original inductees into baseball’s Hall of Fame.
DePace, a Catholic, said he was moved that the nuns planned to use the money for their schools and ministries for the poor in 35 countries and didn’t want to see them shortchanged. He bid on the card when it was auctioned but thought the price was too high. Now, he feels the price is more than fair.
“I’m ecstatic about it. … I will argue that this Wagner card is the most significant Wagner card because it’s the American story about how people just get a baseball card and they hide it in the safe,” DePace said. “There’s a treasure there, and the treasure comes out, and now the treasure’s going to be shared with tens of thousands of people.”
Muller said the order wasn’t informed until Monday about the snag in the sale. She said she was surprised by the 11th-hour development but said Heritage Auctions handled the matter appropriately.
“If we hadn’t received the money today, then I would have been concerned,” Muller said. “They went ahead and pursued someone else. There was no reason for us to know.”
DePace’s vast memorabilia collection includes game-worn uniforms of Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson and Wilt Chamberlain and a game ball from the 1958 NFL championship game between the Baltimore Colts and New York Giants, known as “The Greatest Game Ever Played.”
He plans to open a nonprofit museum next year in Collingswood, N.J., a Philadelphia suburb, to showcase his holdings, and will display the card there.
Copyright 2010 Associated Press and ACNI. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
This rare John Lehman stoneware political jar featured the head of Jefferson with ‘Hurrah for Jefferson’ on one side with George Washington and ‘Hurrah for Washington’ verso. In fine condition, the 20 3/4-inch jar may have been made in either Alabama or Georgia. The Birmingham Museum of Art purchased it for $74,750. Image courtesy of Brunk Auctions. ASHVILLE, N.C. – Gail Andrews, director of the Birmingham Museum of Art, knew what she wanted and it didn’t take her long to get it. The two political jars she sought crossed the block during the first hour of Brunk Auctions sale on Nov. 13. Both were Alabama treasures made by one of the state’s most celebrated potters: German-born John Lehman (1825-circa 1885).
Lehman covered his stoneware jars with a Southern alkaline glaze and carefully decorated them with eagles, banners and vines. Just below the shoulder on one, he fashioned a relief head of George Washington; verso was the head of Thomas Jefferson. “I had seen the jars before in Joey Brachner’s exhibition at the museum,” said Andrews, “and I wanted to add them to our collection. But I was worried they could go very high.” With the help of the Frank and Nelle Newton Fund and the museum’s acquisition fund, Andrews bid the Washington/Jefferson jar to $74,750 (est. $40,000-$50,000). It will be added to the two other Lehman pieces in the Birmingham collection. All selling prices include a 15 percent buyer’s premium.
A second Lehman jar with the heads of Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson was taller than the 20 3/4-inch Washington/Jefferson jar by a half inch, but carried a lower estimate – $30,000-$50,000. Perhaps our third and seventh presidents had a bit less cache than presidents No. 1 and No. 3. And the word “Hurrah” in the banner over the heads of Jefferson and Jackson was misspelled as “Hurah.” Nevertheless, the jar was an almost perfect match to the Washington/Jefferson.
The couple that traveled with Andrews to Asheville took the lead in bidding for the second Lehman jar. After winning it for $32,200, the benefactors told Andrews that they would like to live with the Lehman jar a while before gifting it to the museum. Both jars will be exhibited at the museum in January.
The jars came from the extensive collection of Mr. and Mrs. Levon C. Register of Franklin Springs, Ga. In addition to the Alabama pots, the Registers had consigned silver, clocks, etchings, painted furniture and a stunning 14K gold basket by Gorham. Of the more than 100 items they consigned, the basket tied for fourth high dollar lot after the Lehman jars and six Chippendale chairs. With flared rim, openwork scroll, engraved border and openwork bellflower handle, the gold basket sold to the phones for $12,650 (est. $10,000-$15,000). That equaled the selling price of their banjo clock by Simon Willard. The early 19th-century mahogany and gilt clock with cast eagle finial and leaf and berry decoration carried an estimate of $4,000-$6,000.
Like the Willard banjo clock, the Registers six Chippendale chairs from 1760-1770 consigned also doubled its high estimate. The mahogany chairs were exhibited at the White House and pictured in the book, The White House: An Historic Guide. A phone bidder took the chairs for $19,550 (est. $5,000-$7,000) making them the Register’s third highest selling lot.
Exceeding high estimates was taken to extremes by bidders for a 1909 Steinway grand piano. From a New York family, the professionally restored grand was cherry with ornate gilt Louis XVI-style ornamentation. It opened at $5,000, its low estimate, and finished with a crescendo at $74,750. The piano’s selling price, almost seven times its high estimate, was tied with the Washington/Jefferson jar as the sale’s top lot.
Not quite as spectacular was a doubling of the high estimate on a 16th-century Italian majolica footed bowl. The scene was the slaying of Medusa by Perseus with Pegasus emerging from the Gorgon’s spilled blood. From the Umbrio workshop, the 12 1/2-inch bowl sold for $12,650 (est. $3,000-$5,000). From the same collection as the bowl was a Tuscan majolica two-handled jug. It too more than doubled its high estimate. Dating from the mid-16th century with sea creatures for handles and decorated with fruit, flowers and pinecones, the 13 1/2-inch jug opened at $1,500 and closed at $7,475.
Among the nonpainted Southern furniture in the sale, possibly the most dramatic was a walnut and poplar sideboard attributed to the Burgner family of Greene County, Tenn., dating from the 1840s. Even from across the wide Brunk gallery one could not miss its boldly cut dovetailed splash panel. The panel resembled crashing waves or large animal ears. Its surface was original untouched varnish. A collector of Tennessee furniture in the room bought it for $33,350 (est. $20,000-$30,000).
Then there was the 100 1/2-inch-high inlaid tall-case clock from Northern Virginia or Baltimore. What made this clock so clever and attractive were the birds painted in the arched dial and a bird figure inlaid in the tympanum. In figured walnut with poplar and yellow pine secondary, it went to a phone bidder for its reserve, $16,100 (est. $20,000-$30,000).
Between 1730 and 1830, furniture makers along Virginia’s famed Eastern Shore, that strip of land on the Delmarva Peninsula between the Atlantic Ocean and the Chesapeake Bay, produced attractive raised panel furniture. A prime example surfaced at this sale: a single-case construction Chippendale sideboard from the second half of the 18th century. Its patina may best be described as “mellow.” In yellow pine with maple cornice molding and standing on its original straight bracket feet, the sideboard opened at its $10,000 reserve and sold within estimate for $13,800.
There are six dovetailed drawers in this sideboard that descended in the Burgner family of Greene County, Tenn. From the 1840s and with its original varnished surface, original and ornate splash panel and original drawer pulls, the sideboard sold for $33,350 (est. $20,000-$30,000). Image courtesy of Brunk Auctions.A paneled Chippendale sideboard from Eastern Shore Virginia, nearly identical to this one, sold at Sotheby’s. Wrought iron H-hinges are original and its backboards were undisturbed. It sold for $13,800 (est. $12,000-$18,000). Image courtesy of Brunk Auctions.Dating to 1795-1805, this 100 1/2-inch-high case clock from Northern Virginia or Baltimore sold for $16,100 (est. $20,000-$30,000). Look carefully for the proud bird inlaid in the tympanum. Image courtesy of Brunk Auctions.One of five banjo clocks consigned by Mr. and Mrs. Levon Register, this one topped all. From the early 19th century by Simon Willard of Roxbury, Mass., it brought $12,650 (est. $4000-$6000). Image courtesy of Brunk Auctions.Inscribed ‘50th Anniversary/Oct. 7, 1956,’ and weighing 516 grams, this Gorham gold basket measured 11 inches x 16 1/4 inches x 8 1/4 inches. It sold for $12,650 (est. $10,000-$15,000). Image courtesy of Brunk Auctions.A description of the scene on this 16th-century Italian tin-glazed earthenware footed bowl was on the bottom in blue under glaze. From a private New York City and Chapel Hill, N.C., collection, it brought $12,650 (est. $3,000-$5,000). Image courtesy of Brunk Auctions.Each of these 18th-century Chippendale chairs was 37 1/4 inches x 24 inches x 19 inches with needlepoint embroidered slip seats. The six sold for $19,550 (est. $5,000-$7,000). Image courtesy of Brunk Auctions.The sale’s big surprise was this 1909 Steinway long model A grand piano. It rose from a humble $5,000 to $74,750. Its professional restoration was probably by Steinway. Image courtesy of Brunk Auctions.
Very fine Regency period carved and gilt girandole mirror with eagle and candle arms by Thomas Fenthan, retaining the original label. Image courtesy of William Jenack Estate Appraisers and Auctioneers. CHESTER, N.Y. – William Jenack Estate Appraisers and Auctioneers will open their early winter season with an auction on Sunday, Jan. 9, that will include a fine collection of vintage and antique watches and pocket watches including Rolex, Tudor and Le Coultre; antique and vintage fine jewelry; Chinese pottery, porcelain and artwork; fine art including works by Burliuk, Tauzin, Firado and Alken; Oriental rugs and carpets; furniture and accessories of the 19th and 20th centuries.
LiveAuctioneers will provide Internet live bidding.
Lots of major interest to collectors will be several 19th-century micromosaic brooches, which include a view of St. Peter’s Rome, floral an elaborate Etruscan Revival brooch with a beetle; Renaissance Revival silver, enamel and gem set necklace, circa 1880; Victorian 18K gem set and enameled brooch/pin; 18K gold dragon ring set with diamonds and lapis; 18K gold Etruscan-style ring; antique silver rose-cut diamond bow pendant pin with 33.3 carat aquamarine, circa 1880; Renaissance Revival silver enameled cross; a very rare miniature portrait painting of Bahaullah, founder of the Ba’Hai faith in Persia, signed and dated 1914; and an Egyptian Revival 800 silver plique au jour brooch/pendant set with malachite and paste stones.
For watch enthusiasts Jenack will be selling several lots of vintage watches and pocket watches including a Tudor Stainless Prince Oyster Date wristwatch; Tudor Submariner; Vintage Zenith stainless El Primero 31 jewel chronograph; Le Coultre stainless Memovox HPG wristwatch; Longines 14K white gold Admiral 1200 wristwatch with diamond chapters; Gruen 18K white gold 17-jewel precision wristwatch; and a Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust.
Notable artwork will be offered including a portrait by David Burliuk; Louis Tauzin, oil on canvas lakeside with figures; F. Firado, oil on panel, interior with figure; attributed to Samuel Henry Alken, oil on canvas, hunt scene; Peter Max, acrylic and silkscreen on canvas, Liberty Head, also a rare complete set of six mixed medium lithography’s commemorating the Spirit of America.
For the interior designer or the collector of furniture and decorative accessories the sale will offer a fine, probably Philadelphia Federal, swan lyre-base carved mahogany games table; a fine French figural bronze and parcel gilt shelf clock, circa 1810; Art Deco snake form standing vase; collection of Vienna Augarten blanc de chine porcelain Lipizzaner stallion figures; KPM plaque pastoral scene with figures; seated bronze figure of a young Apollo by Albert Ernest Carrier-Belleuse; and a pair of Victorian cranberry glass covered urns with portrait plaques.
Chinese works of art will again be sold including a monumental head of Buddha from the late Song to Yuan Dynasty; several watercolor and ink scrolls; and ceramics, jades and ivories.
Previews will be held at the William Jenack auction facility located at 62 Kings Highway Bypass, Chester NY 10918 on Wednesday-Saturday, Jan. 5-8, noon-5 p.m. and on the day of the sale, 9-10:45 a.m.
For details contact (845) 469-9095 or e-mail kevin@jenack.com.
Fine Federal carved mahogany lyre base game table with swan head terminals, Philadelphia, circa 1820. Image courtesy of William Jenack Estate Appraisers and Auctioneers.Louis Tauzin (French 1845-1914) oil on canvas, lakeside landscape with figures, signed. Image courtesy of William Jenack Estate Appraisers and Auctioneers.Chinese Ming lacquered, carved and inlaid table, of the period. Collection of Ben Birillo; collected in London in the 1960s. Image courtesy of William Jenack Estate Appraisers and Auctioneers.Albert Ernest Carrier-Belleuse (French 1824-1887) Bronze of the young Apollo. Image courtesy of William Jenack Estate Appraisers and Auctioneers.Collection antique and vintage jewelry. Image courtesy of William Jenack Estate Appraisers and Auctioneers.Collection of fine vintage watches. Image courtesy of William Jenack Estate Appraisers and Auctioneers.
Click here to view the fully illustrated catalog for this sale, complete with prices realized.
