Cole Porter at the piano. Image courtesy of Leslie Hindman Auctioneers.
CHICAGO – Leslie Hindman Auctioneers has announced that property from the estate of Cole Porter will be included in their Fine Furniture and Decorative Arts auction on Feb. 12-14. LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding.
The 41 lots include Continental and Asian furniture, Chinese ceramics, English silver, Baccarat and Steuben stemware, and other fine tablewares.
A pair of Italian bergères come from Porter’s Manhattan library, which the decorator Billy Baldwin famously outfitted with brass étagères fabricated by P.E. Guerin. The property comes to the auction house from the living trust of Porter’s first cousin’s daughter, Louise Cole Schmitt.
Cole Porter was born on June 9, 1891 in Peru, Ind., the only child of a well-established family. Porter’s talent and affinity for music became evident at a young age and was central to his studies at Worcester Academy and Yale University. After his education at Yale, he moved to Paris where he kept a luxurious apartment. It was there that he met his wife, Linda Lee Thomas, and received his first commission for music.
Cole Porter’s brilliance as a composer and songwriter, in particular for Broadway musicals, made an indelible impression in the history of American popular music.
The sophistication evident in his musical compositions carries over to his masterfully cultivated collection of furnishings.
Cole Porter died in 1964. He is buried with his wife in his hometown of Peru, Ind., and his property has withstood descent through the family for more than 45 years.
Leslie Hindman Auctioneers is honored to conduct the sale of these objects in memory of one of 20th-century music’s greatest luminaries. Preview exhibition for the sale begins Feb. 8. For more information contact Corbin Horn at 312-280-1212.
Steuben glass pitcher and eight glasses, American, 20th century. Estimate $800-$1,200. Image courtesy of Stefek’s Auctioneers & Appraisers.
GROSSE POINTE FARMS, Mich. – A fine selection of mid-century modern furniture will be offered along with a collection of fascinating Chinese export porcelain and a notable Tiffany Studios lamp in Stefek’s Auctioneers & Appraisers Important Modern and Decorative Art Auction on Thursday, Feb. 16. The auction will begin at 6 p.m. A preview will begin Friday, Feb. 10, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. or by appointment.
LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding.
The multifaceted Italian-American metal sculptor Harry Bertoia (1915-1978) attended the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., and later taught metal crafts at the Academy from 1939-1943. Bertoia’s work is known for challenging the definition of art. His creations include modern jewelry, furniture, utilitarian objects and stunning sculptures, notably his innovative Sonambient sound sculptures.
As a child, Bertoia was fascinated with the hammered copper bowls created by the vagabond gypsies passing through his hometown of San Lorenzo, Italy. He created a series of utilitarian metal objects with this in mind during his time at Cranbrook, including a hammered copper vase with flaring rim ($4,000-$6,000), which is in Stefak’s auction. This vase was purchased directly from Bertoia in 1941 by a student at Cranbrook.
In 1899, years before Bertoia taught at Cranbrook, Louis Comfort Tiffany commissioned the Meridian, Conn., Art Nouveau sculptor Louis A. Gudebrod to design the elegant Tiffany Studios “Nautilus” lamp ($20,000-$30,000). The lamp is one of the earliest electrified designs produced by Tiffany.
Gudebrod, who studied in Paris under the Beaux-Art sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens, was well known as a bright young American sculptor. Gudebrod’s skillful design depicts a strong, reserved bronze mermaid raising a glowing nautilus shell to the sky as she emerges from the sea with waves gently lapping at her waist.
Waves are also rendered in the complex grisaille painting of a Chinese port that decorates the border of the polychrome Chinese export plate, produced in the first quarter of the 18th century ($4,000-$5,000). At 11 1/4 inches in diameter, the plate is an early example of the grisaille decoration. The miniscule details in the border are breathtaking; they employ perspective and chiaroscuro and surround a prominent polychrome armorial.
The designs of the talented American mid-century furniture designer John Vesey were as exclusive in the mid-20th century as fine Chinese export porcelain was to the nobility of the 18th century. His clever designs were conceptualized with reference to his Harvard education in museum studies and reinforced by his background as an art dealer specializing in 18th-century furniture. He was known for taking classic designs, such as the Napoleonic campaign chair, Cuban provincial veranda chair, or a Louis XIV commode, and turning them into clean, modern pieces that fit perfectly in mid-century interiors.
Vesey interpreted the classic Chesterfield-style sofa into something thoroughly modern, as exemplified here. The sofa, created in 1960, is covered in tufted black leather and is an impressive 8 feet long ($20,000-$30,000). Its sharply wrought metal legs are an iconic Vesey detail, who explained to the New York Times in 1958, “the abundance of wood in modern homes causes a crying need for the glossy surface that metal gives to a room.”
Designs by Vesey were purchased by international tastemakers including the Duchess of Windsor, Nelson Rockefeller, Hubert de Givenchy, Andy Warhol’s muse Jane Holzer, Bobby Kennedy and Anne McDonnell Ford. This exact Chesterfield sofa anchors John Elmo’s design for a pop art living room published in the New York Times in 1965.
The complete catalog for Stefek’s Important Modern and Decorative Art Auction is available at www.stefeksltd.com and www.liveauctioneers.com. Bids can be also placed through Stefek’s office by emailing Stefeks@stefeksltd.com or calling 313-881-1800.
Steuben glass pitcher and eight glasses, American, 20th century. Estimate $800-$1,200. Image courtesy of Stefek’s Auctioneers & Appraisers.
Tiffany Studios bronze ‘Nautilus’ desk lamp, modeled by Louis A. Gudebrod, American, early 20th century. Estimate $20,000-$30,000. Image courtesy of Stefek’s Auctioneers & Appraisers.
Dunbar Constellation table, designed by Edward Wormley, American, 20th century, Model 479, Estimate $1,600-$2,000. Image courtesy of Stefek’s Auctioneers & Appraisers.
Three Trompe L’Oeil Decorated Metal Chairs Designed by John Vesey, American, 20th Century. Estimate $500/700. Image courtesy of Stefek’s Auctioneers & Appraisers.
Harry Bertoia (Italian/American 1915-1978), hammered copper vase with flaring rim and globular body. Marked underfoot ‘HB’ and ‘CA’. Purchased by the present owner from Harry Bertoia in 1941 while a student at Cranbrook Academy of Art. Estimate $4,000-$6,000. Image courtesy of Stefek’s Auctioneers & Appraisers.
Export porcelain armorial decorated plate, Chinese, second quarter 18th century. Estimate $4,000-$5,000. Image courtesy of Stefek’s Auctioneers & Appraisers.
Export porcelain tureen on stand, Chinese, late 18th or early 19th century. Estimate $1,300-$1,500. Image courtesy of Stefek’s Auctioneers & Appraisers.
Contemporary aluminum and black leather Chesterfield-style sofa designed by John Vesey, American, circa 1950. During his short-lived 20th-century career, American designer John Vesey had a great impact on modern furniture. His creations implemented contemporary media such as metal, glass, and leather yet were inspired by his Harvard education in museum studies and his work as an 18th- century furniture dealer. The result is beautiful and accessible modern design. Image courtesy of Stefek’s Auctioneers & Appraisers.
Johannes Vermeer (Dutch, 1632-1675), ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring,’ 1665, a faithful photographic reproduction of the original artwork from the collection of the Mauritshuis gallery in The Hague, Netherlands. The artwork is sometimes referred to as ‘the Dutch Mona Lisa.’
ATLANTA – The High Museum of Art in collaboration with the Mauritshuis, The Hague, will present a major exhibition of Dutch masterworks in 2013, including Johannes Vermeer’s iconic Girl with a Pearl Earring, which has not been on view in the United States for 15 years and has never been seen in the Southeast. Drawn from the Mauritshuis’s collection, “Girl with a Pearl Earring: Dutch Paintings from the Mauritshuis” will highlight the artistic genius of Dutch Golden Age painters, including Vermeer, Rembrandt van Rijn, Frans Hals and Jan Steen, through the presentation of more than 35 exceptional paintings. Opening in Atlanta on June 22, 2013, the exhibition will remain on view through Sept. 29, 2013.
“For a selection of works from this renowned collection to be shown in the Southeast is a rare and extraordinary opportunity,” said Michael E. Shapiro, Nancy and Holcombe T. Green Jr. director of the High Museum of Art. “Paintings of this caliber are underrepresented in this part of the country and this exhibition will create an opportunity for our community to study and admire these works of art that rarely travel outside of Europe.”
“Girl with a Pearl Earring: Dutch Paintings from the Mauritshuis” will showcase such masters as Johannes Vermeer, Rembrandt van Rijn, Frans Hals, Jan Steen, Jacob and Salomon van Ruysdael, Paulus Potter, Meindert Hobbema and Jan van Goyen. Through landscapes and portraits, the exhibition will explore the idea that Dutch artists more readily embraced genre paintings of secular subjects than their southern European contemporaries and focused on capturing commonplace scenes of daily life. Dutch artists not only recorded representations of the domestic interior, still lifes and revelrous crowds, but often imbued these scenes with moral undertones and humorous, sarcastic wit.
Key paintings featured in the exhibition include:
Johannes Vermeer, Girl with a Pearl Earring, circa 1665
Carel Fabritius, Goldfinch, 1654
Rembrandt van Rijn, “Tronie” of a Man with a Feathered Beret, circa 1635
Jan Steen, The Way You Hear It, Is The Way You Sing It, circa 1665
Jacob van Ruisdael, View of Haarlem with Bleaching Grounds, 1670–1675
“Girl with a Pearl Earring: Dutch Paintings from the Mauritshuis” is organized by the Mauritshuis, The Hague, and will premiere at the de Young Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (Jan. 26, 2013–June 2, 2013). The exhibition will then travel to the High Museum of Art, Atlanta (June 22, 2013–Sept. 29, 2013), and a condensed version will be on view at The Frick Collection, New York (Oct. 22, 2013–Jan. 12, 2014). Before traveling to the United States, the majority of the works will go to Japan, where they will be exhibited first at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum and then at the Kobe City Museum, both in 2014.
ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE
Johannes Vermeer (Dutch, 1632-1675), ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring,’ 1665, a faithful photographic reproduction of the original artwork from the collection of the Mauritshuis gallery in The Hague, Netherlands. The artwork is sometimes referred to as ‘the Dutch Mona Lisa.’
Changu Narayan, an ancient Hindu temple in the Kathmandu Valley of Nepal. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.
KATHMANDU (AFP) – It is said that the medieval era never really ended in Nepal, its historic towns and architectural jewels blessed by an unbroken continuity of life and ritual that links the present with the past.
The lasting image for tourists flying out of Kathmandu is of the multi-roofed pagodas of palaces and temples and the 16th century courtyards, which were once the basic unit of city planning.
But much of the capital’s ancient architecture will soon be no more than a memory, according to one of the world’s leading authorities, Niels Gotschow, as haphazard urbanisation and a desire for modernity change Kathmandu.
“To put things into a book is an act of preservation because one day this will be the only way to remember,” says Gutschow, who has dedicated the last four decades to chronicling and preserving Nepal’s architectural treasures.
Gutschow, 70, has pulled up countless floors and chipped endlessly at concrete to reveal the long-lost craft of the Newars — the Kathmandu Valley’s indigenous inhabitants renowned for their striking brickwork and wood carving.
The Hindu and Buddhist monuments of the three cities of the valley on which the German national has worked — Bhaktapur, Kathmandu and Patan — were collectively designated as the first Asian UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979.
But every year bahal courtyards with richly-carved doors are demolished, balconies and lintels removed, and cornices and roof struts pulled down to make way for new homes in the fast-expanding capital.
Significant monuments, monasteries, temples and historic houses across the valley are being lost in their entirety.
“Until ten years ago a person did not even need a demolition permit,” says Gutschow. “So you’d demolish your house, even in the so-called World Heritage Sites.
“An amendment of the law now requires a demolition permit but that doesn’t mean much. There’s no enforcement because no municipality can ask the (authorities) to send a policeman to enforce the law. It’s a lawless country.”
Born in Hamburg, the son of an architect, Gutschow studied architecture at the University of Darmstadt and spent time as an apprentice carpenter in Japan in the 1960s.
He came to Nepal in 1971 to volunteer on the restoration of the Pujari Math Hindu monastery in Bhaktapur, a Newar city around 13 kilometres (eight miles) east of Kathmandu where he made a home with his wife, Wau.
Gutschow’s stock-in-trade is rescuing historical buildings from ruin with a holistic approach that takes account of ancient rites and building techniques, relying on old photographs and historical detective work.
His latest project is on the restoration of the Patan Royal Palace and the Bhandarkhal Archaeological Garden, a trove of buried archaeological treasures dating back to the 12th century.
But local communities, preoccupied with moving towards a decent standard of 21st century living rather than preserving medieval character, are not always appreciative of his work.
He recalls the at times violent resistance to his conservation efforts, particularly over the Itum Bahal, one of the largest Buddhist courtyards in Kathmandu, where his workers were attacked with hammers.
He says his work is about documenting a period which is largely beyond salvation. But while the last Newari house may be gone in a generation, he is trying to preserve the “key monuments” of Kathmandu.
“Architecture of Newaris”, Gutschow’s three-volume labour of love 40 years in the making and the latest in a canon of work stretching to more than a dozen books, was published at the end of last year.
It is the “ultimate” chronicle of Newari building techniques, says Gutschow, but it may soon also be the only record of an age consigned to history by the thrust for modernity.
“I do not get depressed,” he says. “It’s part of life.”
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ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE
Changu Narayan, an ancient Hindu temple in the Kathmandu Valley of Nepal. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.
The 1964 Cadillac hearse that transported the body of President John F. Kennedy from the hospital in Dallas to Air Force One sold for $176,000 at the 41st annual Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Auction last weekend. Image courtesy of Barrett-Jackson Auction Co.
DALLAS (AP) – The man who paid $176,000 for the white hearse used to transport President John F. Kennedy’s body following his assassination in Dallas plans to include it in his collection of about 400 cars in Colorado.
Stephen Tebo, a collector and real estate developer from Boulder, bought the hearse Saturday that was being offered by Barrett-Jackson Auction Co. of Scottsdale, Ariz. It sold for a bid of $160,000, plus a $16,000 buyer’s premium.
The 1964 Cadillac hearse carried Kennedy’s body as well as first lady Jacqueline Kennedy from Parkland Memorial Hospital to Air Force One at Dallas’ Love Field for the flight back to Washington on Nov. 22, 1963, according to the auction company.
“It was a solemn duty that it had taking him from the hospital where he was pronounced dead to Air Force One,” said Craig Jackson, CEO and chairman of the auction company. “I think everybody in the world remembers watching the hearse leave the hospital, heading toward Air Force One. It just sort of sunk into everybody that he’s gone.”
The hearse had been on display at a funeral home directors’ convention in Dallas in October 1963, the auction company said. After the convention, O’Neal Funeral Home of Dallas bought the hearse. It was that funeral home that was called upon to transport the president’s body.
In the late 1960s, the hearse was bought by Arrdeen Vaughan, a Texas man who owns funeral homes and a funeral vehicle business. He kept it in a private collection for more than four decades before selling it to the person who eventually put it up for auction.
Tebo said he plans to turn his car collection into a museum, hopefully in five to 10 years. The collection in Longmont, just outside of Boulder, is not currently open to the public, but Tebo does open it up four times a year to different nonprofit groups to help them raise money.
Other cars in his collection include a 1965 Rolls Royce custom made for John Lennon, a taxi used in the TV show Seinfeld and a jeep Frank Sinatra used on his ranch.
Tebo said he had expected the hearse would sell for anywhere from $500,000 to $1 million, so he wasn’t planning on bidding. But he jumped it when he saw the bids weren’t likely to go that high. As a collector, he said he tries to buy significant vehicles when possible.
Tebo said he wanted the hearse because of its historical significance.
“We remember specifically seeing the hearse leaving the hospital and driving very, very slowing to Air Force One and loading the casket on Air Force One. It was just an incredibly dramatic time in our lives,” Tebo said.
Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE
The 1964 Cadillac hearse that transported the body of President John F. Kennedy from the hospital in Dallas to Air Force One sold for $176,000 at the 41st annual Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Auction last weekend. Image courtesy of Barrett-Jackson Auction Co.
Exhibition poster for the ‘I Love Aldi’ exhibition at WilhelmHack museum in Ludwigshafen, Germany. Image courtesy of the museum.
LUDWIGSHAFEN, Germany (AFP) – A shopping trolley immersed in seven tonnes of white sugar, 2,000 vacuum-packed sausages littering the floor, thousands of slices of bread forming little houses.
These installations are not classic art exhibit fodder but part of a modern art display at a German museum exploring discount culture, as pioneered by supermarket giants such as Aldi.
The exhibition, “I Love Aldi,” runs at the WilhelmHack museum in the western industrial city of Ludwigshafen, situated on the banks of the Rhine, until March 4.
“The ‘Aldi-isation’, or the search for low cost, has long since become a social phenomenon which has swept through all social classes and companies,” said museum director Reinhard Spieler.
“It’s a very German phenomenon, especially for food. The Germans are among those in Europe who spend the least on food and the competition in this market is very stiff.”
The exhibition evokes the Pop Art and Fluxus movements which in the 1960s raised questions about art and mass industrial production and blurred the line between the two.
The exhibition challenges consumerism with objects such as a giant shopping trolley, which could be seen as a celebration of the shopper’s purchasing power or as threatening to squash the consumer.
Aldi itself reached out to the art world in its own way in 2003 and 2004 when it sold in its German stores reproductions of paintings by renowned artists — on bread rolls.
This Philadelphia William and Mary mahogany spice or valuables box on frame has a large center drawer that conceals a secret drawer. The important cabinet sold for $112,575. Image by Pook & Pook Inc. DOWNINGTOWN, Pa. – Pook & Pook Inc.’s first sale of the year began the season with a bang. The 1,100-lot auction showcased items from various estates, collections and educational institutions encompassing a myriad of objects that included fine art, silver, American and Continental furniture, Pennsylvania folk art, carpets, textiles and decorative accessories. With over 825 registered bidders the standing room only crowd took the Jan. 13-14 sale well over the high estimate to $2,782,662.
The sale began on Friday evening with a selection of pieces from three collections: Margaret Schiffer of West Chester, Pa.; the Studdiford family of Point Pleasant, N.J.; and a southeastern Pennsylvania collection.
Items from the collection of Margaret B. Schiffer, a well-known Chester County, Pa., author and expert in the antique field and a specialist in historical needlework, toys and Christmas ornaments, were the first to cross the block. The volume Historical Needlework of Pennsylvania, written in 1958, was a definitive reference book for the time, recording the origins and progression of the art in the 18th and 19th centuries primarily in southeastern Pennsylvania. With her husband, Herbert, and son Peter, Schiffer Publications, printed numerous books on antique furniture and accessories.
A Pennsylvania painted chest that was most likely made by Jacob Knagy sold for $15,405. With its stenciled urns, flowers and pinwheels, it encompassed many folk art designs. An unusual Soap Hollow miniature painted blanket chest dated 1868, with stencil decoration on a salmon ground came from Harry Hartman and did well at $8,295.
A Pennsylvania or Maryland low-back Windsor bench in a nice old red painted surface, pictured in Santore’s book Windsor Style in American, plate 206, sold for $21,330.
Asian art did well as expected. A low estimate did not prevent a Peking vase from reaching $15,405. Other Chinese items included a crystal censor for $4,740, a yellow Peking bowl and vase for $4,977 and a jade buckle for $5,346.
An earthenware sugar bowl was a rare Alamance County, N.C., piece originally bought by Titus Geesey from Joe Kindig Jr. in 1930. This hand-painted covered bowl brought $37,920.
A painting by John Edward Costigan, which was exhibited at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts 118th annual exhibition, depicted sheep and a girl in a grove of trees. It sold for $45,030.
Local Pennsylvania artist Fern Coppedge was represented by a beautiful winter landscape titled The Delaware Valley. It sold for double the high estimate for $65,175. An entrancing snow scene of a Quakertown street by Walter Emerson Baum finished within estimate at $30,810. An oil on canvas painting of the American side wheeler J.B. Schuyler by James Edward Buttersworth had the phone lines busy as it made $94,800.
An important Philadelphia Queen Anne brass face tall clock by one of the earliest and best known makers, Edward Duffield, was presented in an excellent state of preservation. A collector took it to his home for $118,500.
The surprise of the day was a Queen Anne walnut fire screen with candlestand that sold for $49,770.
For details contact Pook & Pook Inc. at 610-269-4040.
This Philadelphia William and Mary mahogany spice or valuables box on frame has a large center drawer that conceals a secret drawer. The important cabinet sold for $112,575. Image by Pook & Pook Inc.
The first lot of the sale, a Chester County, Pa., mahogany tall case clock by Benjamin Garrett of Goshen Township, went to a local collector for $45,030. Image by Pook & Pook Inc.
A William and Mary armchair, circa 1735, sold for $28,440. This early Chester County or southeastern Pennsylvania example had a baluster back and old black painted surface with punched star decorations. Image by Pook & Pook Inc.
This oversize Noah’s Ark set measuring 31 inches long and having 124 animals and figures sailed to $21,330. Image by Pook & Pook Inc.
This Chester County walnut desk on frame attracted a lot of interest. Dating to circa 1745, this is an early and unusual form. It easily surpassed the high estimate of $8,000 to sell for $30,810. Image by Pook & Pook Inc.
Magdalena Briner Eby of Perry County, Pa., made this hooked rug during the second half of the 19th century or the beginning of the 20th century. Measuring 45 inches by 115 inches, it is one of the largest examples of her work known. It sold for $11,850. Image by Pook & Pook Inc.
The vibrant colors with red ground made the difference in this Pennsylvania tole-decorated tin coffeepot from the Keller-Keener family in Manheim. It brought $15,405. Image by Pook & Pook Inc.
Having been exhibited at the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Center in 1968, this oil on zinc scene of the Berks County Almshouse by John Rasmussen, a Pennsylvania itinerant painter, earned $33,180. Image by Pook & Pook Inc.
ALLENDALE, N.J. – On Jan. 19, Leighton Galleries showcased over 400 lots in their new gallery located at 6 Pearl Court in Allendale.
“Long in the making but worth the wait,” said owner Evelyn Leighton. “The gallery was built to our specifications.”
The 5,000-square-foot space includes a gorgeous showroom, a nice big warehouse and a “bullpen” office area “where we make it all happen.”
“After being in business for over 20 years, it is nice to finally have our own space,” said Leighton. “Especially in an upscale commercial park with a great location in such a beautiful town. This has been a blessing to us.”
Due to zoning issues, Leighton is not yet permitted to hold the auctions at the site. Therefore, the auctions will continue to be held at their longtime venue, the Knights of Columbus hall in Washington Township. “That was the one caveat,” said Leighton. “Albeit, our Jan. 19 auction was a huge success. We had a strong turnout for our previews in our new gallery, as well as a full auction audience at the Knights hall that is less than 10 minutes away.”
The Thursday evening fine and decorative arts auction offered American artworks, silver, fine jewelry, designer couture, elegant glass, fine porcelains, formal furniture and a collection of Tiffany items including lamps, bronzes, silver, glass and jewelry. Bidding was highly competitive and at times fierce between Internet, phone and floor bidders, with many lots exceeding high estimate.
Among the surprises of the evening was a French bronze and champlevé regulator clock selling for $7,600 (est. $2,000-$3,000), a Hermes tricolor Kelly bag bringing $5,700 (est. $1,500-$2,000), a Chinese carved ivory tusk bridge reaching $4,500 (est. $1,500-$2,000), a pair of Russian Niello vodka cups bringing $3,600 (est. $200-$300), and a Charles Levier oil on canvas, Les Soeurs, went for $2,200 against a $600-$800 estimate.
American art offered included three Norman Rockwell works in progress including a watercolor study Browning Superposed selling for $5,300, a mixed media Dodge City bringing $4,900, and a baseball sketch realizing $3,300. A Keith Haring and Andy Warhol drawing Andy Mouse sold for $4,600, two Andy Warhol artworks including an offset lithograph Campbell’s Soup Box and a drawing on paper Merry Boot each realized $1,900, a Dr. Seuss ink drawing Cat in the Hat garnered $1,500, and a Hahn Vidal canvas painting Water Lilies reached $1,000. Antique portraits also fared well with three separate portraits by Paul Peel of the Myers family of the Ohio textile mill garnering a total of $6,000, and an oil on canvas portrait painting of a classical woman sold for $2,300.
A nice collection of Tiffany was also offered. A Tiffany Studios leaded glass and bronze lamp sold for $5,000, a French bronze regulator clock brought $1,900, a Tiffany Studios dore bronze candelabra garnered $1,400, a Favrile glass candle lamp realized $1,200, a Tiffany & Co. Makers sterling centerpiece bowl sold at $900, an Olympian ice-cream server and a pair of 14-karat cufflinks each reached $550.
Highlighting the jewelry was a platinum and diamond engagement ring reaching $3,100 (est. $1,000-$1,500), a Matl Matilda Poulat necklace and earring set bringing $1,500 (est. $500-$700), a diamond mechanical flower brooch selling for $1,400 (est. $1,000-$1,200), a pair of diamond stud earrings realizing $900 (est. $200-$300), and a Boucher bunny pin fetched $750 (est. $450-$550).
Bidding continued to be strong in the porcelain and glass category. A Lechenet majolica jardinière and pedestal garnered $2,100 (est. $800-$1,200), a 108-piece Wedgwood Florentine china set fetched $1,800 (est. $600-$800), a 150-piece Royal Worcester Cradley china set brought $1,200 (est. $300-$500), a Lladro figural group, “Seamaids Playing,” sold for $1,050 (est. $250-$350), a pair of Steuben Ivrene vases sold for $1,400 (est. $1,000-$1,500), a Baccarat Rubina Swirl lemonade set realized $1,200 (est. $300-$500), and a Rubina Swirl dresser set fetched $800 (est. $300-$500).
Other items in the sale far exceeded their high estimates. A Chinese carved ivory fu lion group realized $4,200 (est. $2,000-$3,000), a group of 265 assorted ivory poker chips garnered $2,000 (est. $1,000-$1,500), an antique carved gesso mirror sold for $1,600 (est. $500-$800), a grotto-style stool with dolphin base brought $1,000 (est. $400-$600), a German bronze sculpture of an amazon cast by Gladenbeck fetched $1,600 (est. $500-$700), a Sino-Tibetan silver and jade ceremonial ax sold at $1,050 (est. $300-$500), a Bucherer bracket clock went for $750 (est. $250-$350), and an Austrian cold-painted peacock brought $575 (est. $250-$350).
Prices shown in this report include a 17 percent buyer’s premium. To contact Leighton Galleries, call 201-327-8800.
1932 photo of Frida Kahlo and her husband, the renowned Mexican muralist and artist Diego Rivera. Estate of Carl Van Vechten.
ARLINGTON, Virginia (AP) – Hundreds of photographs by Mexican artist Frida Kahlo that were sealed away when she died will be publicly displayed for the first time in the United States next month at the Artisphere arts center in Arlington, Virginia.
Artisphere is announcing plans Wednesday for an exhibition titled “Frida Kahlo: Her Photos,” which includes more than 250 images from her personal collection. They were packed away in 1954 when Kahlo died, along with items from her husband, artist Diego Rivera, and were unsealed in 2007.
The exhibit opens Feb. 23, and Artisphere is adjusting its hours to accommodate more visitors. It will be the largest exhibit since the museum’s 2010 opening.
Artisphere landed the unique exhibit because Kahlo was a lifelong resident of Arlington’s sister city, Coyoacan, Mexico, a suburb of Mexico City.
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Online:
Artisphere: http://artisphere.com/
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Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE
1932 photo of Frida Kahlo and her husband, the renowned Mexican muralist and artist Diego Rivera. Estate of Carl Van Vechten.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – Local officials have approved plans to move the Susquehanna Art Museum to a new location in Harrisburg on condition at least some of the work is done by city residents.
Harrisburg City Council approved a $5.5 million construction project Tuesday night that will move the museum to a former bank building. The museum’s former main gallery closed in December.
The Patriot-News of Harrisburg reports council members want to ensure money spent on the project stays in the community.
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Information from: The Patriot-News, http://www.pennlive.com/patriotnews
Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
