Chinese Qing Period porcelain vase, reticulated design, with an inset medallion depicting auspicious waves in front of crashing waves; above and below the geometric dragon band features foreign lotus scrolls borne on lobed-tipped branches; flared rim decorated with a narrow meander register above pendant trefoil shaped heads; six-character Qianlong Mark on base; H: 41 cm, D: 25 cm. Estimate $30,000-60,000. Image courtesy of 888 Auctions. RICHMOND HILL, Canada – 888 Auctions is proud to highlight fine Chinese ceramics in its Feb. 23 Chinese Antiques and Estates sale. Internet live bidding will be provided by LiveAuctioneers.com.
With high estimates ranging from $200 to $60,000, bidders from all spectrums of the Asian art collecting field will be pleased to find there is something for everyone. The sale will be composed of jade and shoushan stone carvings; Chinese ceramics and Sino-Tibetan bronze deities; horn and ivory carvings; and traditional antique Chinese furniture.
Leading the charge for Chinese ceramics is lot 421, a Qing Period porcelain vase with carp design. Boasting a high estimate of $30,000-60,000, this reticulated vase features foreign lotus scrolls borne on lobed tipped branches with a reticulated body featuring a central medallion depicting a pair of carp.
From the assortment of blue and white porcelains, a standout can be found at lot 386, an 18th/19th century blue and white porcelain yuhu vase. The pear-shaped body features a landscape scene and caries a six-character Qianlong Mark on the base.
From a local collection, collectors will be pleased to find a plethora of horn carvings. Connoisseurs of rhinoceros horn carvings will be delighted to find at lot 241 an 18th century Chinese rhinoceros horn carved libation cup. The sides feature a continuous figural scene of scholars in a wooded river retreat with detailed bamboo trees in deep relief and the base carved with an auspicious shou design. This rich toffee tone rhinoceros horn carving carries a $15,000-20,000 estimate.
Highlighting the collection of jade carvings is lot 182, a Ming Period imperial white jade hu-shaped vase. Carved in an archaistic style, this imposing imperial Hetian jade vase is carved with typical Taotie-like masks on the body with the openwork handles in the form of mythical beasts. The domed cover is surmounted by a Qilin finiale and supported on four legs in cabriole form. It is expected to surpass its $12,000-15,000 estimate.
From the bronzeware is a pair of 19th century Chinese cloisonné imperial yellow vases at lot 291. Designed with auspicious peaches borne on branches and each possessing a distinct body, the pair is expected to fetch $15,000 to $20,000.
For additional information on any lot in the sale, call 888 Auctions at 905-763-7201.
View the fully illustrated catalog and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet at www.888auctions.com.
Chinese Qing Period porcelain vase, reticulated design, with an inset medallion depicting auspicious waves in front of crashing waves; above and below the geometric dragon band features foreign lotus scrolls borne on lobed-tipped branches; flared rim decorated with a narrow meander register above pendant trefoil shaped heads; six-character Qianlong Mark on base; H: 41 cm, D: 25 cm. Estimate $30,000-60,000. Image courtesy of 888 Auctions.
WINDER, Ga. (AP) – The Barrow County Historical Society is seeking stories and old photos of the Granite Hotel, which is scheduled to be demolished soon.
The Athens Banner-Herald reports the historical society plans to turn the remembrances into a brochure or a display in the county’s museum.
Kathy White, president of the historical society, says the company that’s been hired to take down the dilapidated building is scheduled to start demolition any day now. Cummins Enterprises has received the permit it needs to start demolishing the structure, and already has started to secure the site in preparation for the work.
The Granite Hotel was built in 1899 to give newcomers a place to stay while they built homes.
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Information from: Athens Banner-Herald, http://www.onlineathens.com
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Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
This 1861 photo depicts Union soldiers in an unidentified setting.
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio (AP) – Civil War artifacts passed among generations have sparked a modern family feud in Ohio.
The Blade in Toledo reports the great-grandson of a Union soldier is suing a cousin, alleging she won’t give other relatives access to the pair of Civil War-era medals and a key to a Confederate prison cell.
Timberlake resident Albert Ward says he has more of a right to the items than his cousin, Linda Schwartz of Perrysburg, because she’s a fourth-generation descendant of soldier Wilson Brown. Ward’s attorney says Ward surveyed dozens of Brown’s relatives, and most thought the disputed items should be put in a museum for others to view.
The newspaper says Schwartz declined to comment.
A hearing in the possession battle is scheduled Feb. 15 in a Wood County court.
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Information from: The Blade, http://www.toledoblade.com/
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Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE
This 1861 photo depicts Union soldiers in an unidentified setting.
Francisco Jose de Goya (Spanish, 1746-1828) Image #43 from ‘Los Caprichos,’ titled ‘The sleep of reason brings forth monsters.’ Scanned from a lithograph in a 1925 German edition of ‘Caprichos.’
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) – A first edition of Francisco Goya’s “Caprichos” prints will be on display at The Albuquerque Museum of Art and History through May 13.
The exhibition includes a complete set of 80 etchings. The set is one of four acquired directly from the artist in 1799 by the Duke of Osuna.
The collection eventually passed to Pedro Fernandez Duran, a great Spanish collector of the 19th century and a major donor to the Museo del Prado in Spain. His collector’s mark appears on all 80 prints in the set.
Other works include a few later edition prints from the “Caprichos” series along with examples from each of Goya’s other major series.
With “Caprichos,” the museum says Goya set out to analyze the human condition and denounce social abuses and superstitions.
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Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE
Francisco Jose de Goya (Spanish, 1746-1828) Image #43 from ‘Los Caprichos,’ titled ‘The sleep of reason brings forth monsters.’ Scanned from a lithograph in a 1925 German edition of ‘Caprichos.’
The current Flag of South Dakota. Image licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
PIERRE, S.D. (AP) – A South Dakota House panel rejected a proposal Monday to change the state flag after opponents said they are not ready to abandon a design that’s changed little in more than a century.
The bill was sponsored by more than 80 of the Legislature’s 105 House and Senate members, but it lost support in the past two weeks as lawmakers were bombarded with phone calls and emails urging them to leave the flag alone, committee members said.
The measure’s main sponsor, House Democratic Leader Bernie Hunhoff of Yankton, said the current flag does not do enough to promote South Dakota because it consists of the official state seal on a blue background. The state flag should have a more recognizable design that promotes South Dakota, he said.
“We need a flag of the future, a flag for future generations,” Hunhoff said.
But Rep. Brian Gosch, R-Rapid City, said he sees no reason to modify the flag, which has remained mostly unchanged for decades.
“I’m just not sure it’s a good idea to throw away history just because someone thinks they have a better idea,” Gosch said.
Hunhoff’s bill originally proposed to replace the current flag with a new design done by Spearfish artist Dick Termes, who is known for painting spheres. Termes’ design features a Native American medicine wheel surrounded by sunshine rays on a sky-blue background.
Before the State Affairs Committee killed Hunhoff’s bill Monday, the panel allowed Hunhoff to change it so it would have set up an appointed commission to seek proposals and recommend a new design. The 2013 Legislature would have decided whether to accept the recommendation.
The committee still voted 7-4 to defeat the measure.
South Dakota gained statehood in 1889 but had no flag until 1909, when a flag was adopted with a blazing sun on one side and the state seal on the other. The flag was changed to include only the seal in 1963.
The flag now features the seal, which includes a farmer plowing, a smokestack resenting the mining industry, and depictions of the Missouri River and the Black Hills. Around the seal are the phrases “South Dakota” and the “Mount Rushmore State” on a blue background.
Termes, who said he gets $20,000 for one of his spherical paintings, said he would donate his proposed new design for free if the state decides to adopt a new flag. South Dakota should pick a new flag because the current one is not easily recognized as a symbol of the state, he said.
Secretary of State Jason Gant urged the panel to keep the current flag, which he said represents the state’s history and is recognized by people across South Dakota.
“I think the state flag is pretty fine the way it is,” Gant said.
John Moison, an artist and retired state worker, said the current state flag should be retained because South Dakota troops have fought under it in all wars since at least World War II.
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ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE
The current Flag of South Dakota. Image licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.The Flag of South Dakota from 1909-1963.
This rare Tiffany ‘Aztec’ presentation designed by G. Paulding Farnham, will be a highlight of Clars’ Antiques and Fine Art Sale on Feb. 19. Estimate: $10,000-$20,000. Image courtesy of Clars Auction Gallery. OAKLAND, Calif. – Clars Auction Gallery’s February Antiques and Fine Art Sale will be a significant event for collectors and investors. The two-day event will be held on Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 18 and 19, at their gallery. Investment quality items across the categories will see competitive bidding from across the continents. LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding.
Turning first to the exciting fine art category, both American and European offerings are both impressive and diverse including rare Charles Marion Russell drawings and Andy Warhol’s screenprint homage to the age of advertising, Apple.
Clars Auction Gallery is honored to offer three rare pencil drawings by Charles Marion Russell (American, 1864-1926). Being offered as one lot, this series of three drawings is entitled The Camping Trip and was done by Russell in 1899 as a personal remembrance of the camping trip he took with his life-long friend, Dr. John Louis Weitman, in the mountains of Montana. The sketches were given to Weitman as a gift from Russell and have descended through the Weitman family to his granddaughters, who have consigned them to Clars.
These sketches were on exhibit in 1957 and 1985-87 at the C.M. Russell Museum in Great Falls, Mont. Now, for the first time, they will be offered publicly along with many of Dr. Weitman’s personal items including a letter dated 1905, which mentions Russell. This important offering has been assigned a presale estimate of $60,000 to $80,000.
Andy Warhol’s screenprint, Apple from the “Ads” Suite (FS II-359) (estimate: $20,000-$40,000) comes up to the block in the wake of the Apple company’s CEO, Steve Jobs untimely passing as a remembrance of the innovation he inspired within both the technological and artistic sectors.
Furthering the fine art category, both American and European offerings are impressive. Important 19th- and 20th-century American works include: Bessie Potter Vonnoh’s (American, 1872-1955) 1908 bronze sculpture The Dance, (estimate $10,000-$15,000) visualized in Julie Aronson’s 2008 monograph (publisher: Cincinnati Art Museum) of the sculptress. The graceful depiction of dancer Isadora Duncan embodies both the artist’s and sitter’s passion for creative movement.
The 1814 oil on canvas, Portrait of Mrs. Saunders Lewis (Hannah Saunders Lewis) by Thomas Sully (American, 1783-1872) (estimate: $10,000-$15,000) exemplifies the artist’s position as the leading 19th-century commissioned portrait artist. Supported with brilliant East Coast provenance, the work is accompanied by the original notarized letter detailing a $1 transaction for the painting.
Modern and contemporary American paintings highlight Bay Area figurative and nonobjective genius with Mel Ramos’ (b. 1935) 1960 Portrait of Philip Guston (estimate- $20,000-$40,000) and Lee Mullican’s (1919-1998) 1971 Dance of the Elders (estimate- $8,000-$12,000).
Interieur d’une Ecurie, 1962, by Andre Brasilier (French, 1929-2004) headlines the modern European division with a composition perfectly balancing the artist’s enthusiasm for equine subject matter and compartmentalized abstraction. This oil painting has been exhibited in galleries worldwide as well as at the Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia. Additional European works by Theodule Ribot, Antonio Zucchi, Jaroslav Setelik, and Jan Stanislawski are included among February’s fine paintings. Moving into French Modernism, Henri Matisse’s lithograph, Odalisque au Magnolia, 1923, (estimate: $15,000-$25,000) is a stunning example of the artist’s post-Fauve Nice period, representing a return to traditional figuration.
Important American and European prints and photographs round out the fine art for sale Feb. 19. Pablo Picasso’s color lithograph Columbe Volant and etching Femme nue Assiste et Trois Tetes Barbues (both estimated at $6,000-$8,000) are also highly collectible prints to be offered.
A gelatin silver print Aspens, Northern New Mexico, 1958, by Ansel Adams (Californian, 1902-1984) (estimate: $25,000-$35,000) acquired directly from the artist in 1959, reigns supreme in a photography collection also including works by Julia Margaret Cameron, Aaron Siskind, Paul Caponigro, Christopher Burkett and Leroy Grannis.
In addition, a number of fine art pieces from San Francisco MOMA will be offered.
Decoratives Category —
The decoratives category will be equally impressive. A rare “Aztec” Tiffany dagger will be one of the highlights of this category and sale. Designed by G. Paulding Farnham in the early 1900s, this powerful piece is executed is sterling, ivory and faceted obsidian. His use of obsidian was in direct homage to the Aztec culture where they used obsidian to create the sharpest daggers possible, even sharper than diamonds.
Farnham’s creations are scarce and highly sought after worldwide. In 2009, his Tiffany “Aztec” bowl, executed in sterling and copper, sold to the Dallas Museum of Art for $305,000. “It is a pleasure to be handling such an important piece of American Decorative Art,” said Deric Torres, specialist at Clars. “The beauty of this piece is testament to his creative genius and will be one of the highlights of our February sale.”
Farnham was Tiffany’s chief jewelry designer from 1891 to 1908 and is regarded as the best designer Tiffany ever employed. Inspired and trained by his predecessor Edward C. Moore, Farnham became an unequaled colorist in design and his creations reflected international sources including Asian, Egyptian, Russian, Celtic and Native American. Charged with creating significant presentation pieces for Tiffany to be judged at world expositions, Farnham’s work received a gold medal for jewelry at the Paris Exposition Universelle of 1889, the grand prize for his Native American-style silverware at the Paris Exposition of 1900, and a gold medal for silverware at the Pan-American Exposition for his jeweled and enameled “Viking” and “Saracenic” silver.
Additional sterling offerings will be rich with two sets of Georg Jensen flatware, a seven- piece Gorham coffee and tea suite as well as American, Gorham and Wallace sterling offerings.
The decoratives category will also feature a very nice selection of 19th-century Native American basket collection including a large Pomo burden basket estimated at $1,500-$2,500, and a large Mission cooking bowl estimated at $2,500-$3,500.
Special Collections —
Clars’ February sale will also offer several special collections on investment note. On Saturday, the major stamp collection from a life-long collector and dealer will be offered including U.S. and world stamps, both mint and used plus a nine-album Global Stamp collection, British Empire lots, albums of World and United Nations stamps plus boxes of U.S. cut corners by cities and town. This collection is estimated at $30,000 to $50,000.
On Sunday, an impressive collection of over 200 lots of U.S. and world gold and silver coins take the block including $20 gold, Liberty and Saint-Gaudens examples, 450 British Sovereigns, Modern U.S. and world gold plus two albums of better grade U.S. silver dollars. The bullion value of this collection is estimated at $500,000.
California gold quartz is an area of investment of great interest to both collectors and historians, and this sale will feature a California gold quartz presentation walking stick which was presented by the Engrossing Clerks of the California State Assembly to Hugh B. Newell, a member of the assembly from 1867-1870 from El Dorado county. He was prolific and had ownership interests in mines in Gold Hill. This important piece is estimated at $7,000 to $9,000. In addition, a large selection of gold rush-era gold quartz jewelry will be offered.
The historic journals and photographs of Albert Chandler Brown (1855-1920) will be offered, including his Civil War diaries with accounts as the official paymaster in the War Department Telegraph Office and his conversations and interactions with President Abraham Lincoln and Edwin McMasters Stanton the Secretary of War. The collection has a $20,000-$40,000 estimate.
A bit of recent history will be of interest, particularly to those who remember the difficulties associated with the 2000 presidential election and the “chad” issues. Indeed, a Palm Beach voting machine from this election will be offered. The election, between then Republican candidate George W. Bush and Democratic candidate Al Gore was hotly contested as many undervotes were potentially caused by the machine resulting in hanging, dimpled or pregnant chads. This lot also includes a typed and signed cover letter from Theresa LePore, Supervisor of Elections, Palm Beach County, the county that became pivotal in the U.S Supreme Court’s decision. This legendary voting machine is estimated to sell for $2,000 to $4,000.
A marvelous contemporary special collection will be offered on Sunday. Handwritten letters by Mick Jagger to Jerry Hall, Elizabeth Scarlett Jagger and more will interest rock ’n’ roll memorabilia collectors (estimate $2,000 to $4,000).
A collection of memorabilia from Brig. Gen. Robert Lee Scott Jr. (1908-2006) will also be offered. Scott is best known for his autobiography God is My Co-Pilot about his exploits in World War II with the Flying Tigers and the United States Army Air Forces in China and Burma. The book was eventually made into a film of the same name. The collection will include his Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters displayed on the medal and ribbon, in the original presentation box, together with a “Past Commander” cloth badge and lapel pin; an Asiatic Pacific Medal, American Defense Medal, Air Force Good Conduct Medal, World War II Victory Medal, and an autographed black and white photograph of Col. Robert L. Scott Jr. in his P-40 Warhawk in 1943. Scott flew 388 combat missions in 925 hours from July 1942 to October 1943, shooting down 13 Japanese aircraft to become one of America’s earliest fighter aces of the war. This collection is estimated at $2,000-$4,000.
Estate Jewelry —
An exquisite Bulgari ruby rondelle bead and opal two-strand choker necklace set with sapphire and emerald cabochons is estimated to sell for $125,000-$175,000. In addition, works from both Buccelatti and David Yurman will complement the Bulgari nicely. Overall, this sale will feature a particularly extensive collection of quality jewelry. Clars is known for this category but this sale will be over the top.
Asian Category —
The Asian category will feature a wide assortment of Asian items from the collection of the USC Fisher Museum of Art in Los Angeles. These will include a collection of Chinese bronze mirrors and snuff bottles, two Chinese reticulated jade plaques set as Edward Farmer sterling silver dishes and a selection of Chinese enameled porcelains from the Qing dynasty and Republic period. A small lacquered wood fu-lion of the Qing dynasty consigned from a Bay Area estate will be offered together with a wide selection of works from China and Japan from various personal collections. Offerings will include Chinese and Japanese ceramics, ivory carvings, metalwork, and jade and hardstone carvings. A Qing dynasty polychrome enameled porcelain screen depicting the Eight Daoist Immortals will be offered as well. In addition, Japanese glassware by Kyohei Fujita (1921-2004), including a red mottled translucent glass box with gold leaf accents, a red glass shell-form plate and a red and white glass vase of frosted translucent glass mottled with bands of opaque white and red flecks will be among the highlights.
Clars very important Feb. 18 and 19 Antiques and Fine Art sale brings to auction investment level opportunities in all categories. The Saturday session will begin at 9:30 a.m. Pacific and the Sunday session start promptly at 10 a.m. Previews will be Friday, Feb. 17, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. and 9 a.m. until sale time Saturday and Sunday or by special appointment. A full catalog will be available online at www.clars.com prior to the auction.
For details on this sale, please call (510) 428-0100, email: info@clars.com or visit their website at www.clars.com. Clars Auction Gallery is located at 5644 Telegraph Ave. Oakland, CA 94609.
This rare Tiffany ‘Aztec’ presentation designed by G. Paulding Farnham, will be a highlight of Clars’ Antiques and Fine Art Sale on Feb. 19. Estimate: $10,000-$20,000. Image courtesy of Clars Auction Gallery.
These three pencil sketches by Charles M. Russell will be offered at Clars Auction Gallery for the first time on Sunday, Feb. 19. Estimate: $60,000-$80,000. Image courtesy of Clars Auction Gallery.
Andy Warhol’s screen print titled ‘Apple’ from his ‘Ads’ Suite (FS II-359). Estimate- $20,000-$40,000. Image courtesy of Clars Auction Gallery.
The journals and photographs of Albert Chandler Brown (1855-1920) will be offered including his Civil War diaries with accounts as the official paymaster in the U.S. War Department Telegraph Office. Estimate: $20,000-$40,000. Image courtesy of Clars Auction Gallery.
This exquisite Bulgari ruby rondelle bead and opal two-strand choker necklace is set with sapphire and emerald cabochons and is estimated to sell for $125,000 to $175,000. Image courtesy of Clars Auction Gallery.
NEW YORK (AP) – Ten new scrolls have been installed at the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibition in New York City.
They replace 10 other scrolls that have been removed. The ancient scrolls must be rotated due to their fragile nature and sensitivity to light.
“Dead Sea Scrolls: Life and Faith in Biblical Time” opened at Discovery Times Square Oct. 28. It runs through April 15.
Exhibition curator Risa Levitt Kohn says the newly installed scrolls include one of only six scrolls written with red ink and a Psalms scroll with poetry that is still part of Jewish liturgy today.
She said the exhibition now has on display at the same time scrolls in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek.
The exhibit is created by the Israel Antiquities Authority from the collections of the Israel National Treasures.
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Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
This oil on canvas of a mother and child, painted by Catherine Wiley in 1913 before her career-ending breakdown, sold to a museum for $107,880. The price was an auction record for a Tennessee female painter. Image courtesy of Case Antiques Auction. KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – An Impressionist oil on canvas of a mother and child in a sun-dappled meadow fetched $107,880, a record auction price for a Tennessee female artist, at the Winter Case Antiques Auction held Jan. 28 at the company’s gallery in Knoxville. (All prices include the buyer’s premium). The painter was Anna Catherine Wiley (1879-1958), who became a tragic figure in the art world.
Wiley studied at the Art Students League in New York under Frank DuMond, and with Robert Reid, Jonas Lie and Martha Walter, before returning to her native Tennessee, where she helped establish formal art education at the University of Tennessee. A mental breakdown in 1926 is believed to have ended her painting career; she remained institutionalized until her death.
The high bidder was the Knoxville Museum of Art, which mounted a fundraising campaign upon learning of the painting’s existence and had to beat out competition from collectors and dealers in Tennessee, New York and Florida to win it.
“This is not just a great painting by a regional female artist—it’s a great American Impressionist painting,” said company president John Case. “This is one instance where an artist is disadvantaged by scarcity. If Catherine Wiley had been more prolific, her name would probably be mentioned today alongside her mentors when people talk about great American Impressionist painters.”
The auction drew unprecedented participation: over 2,000 bidders registered for the sale and approximately 200 of them attended in person.
There were other art records as well. A 19th-century landscape with hunting dogs set what is believed to be an auction record for Wilhelm Eilerts of Kentucky, selling for $9,280, and an oil on canvas of a ship on turbulent seas churned up $6,728, an American auction record for French marine painter Emile Maillard (1846-1926).
There were three works by Joseph Delaney (American, 1904-1991), all of which sold above estimate: an oil on board of New York’s Williamsburg Bridge, $19,720; a reclining female nude, $6,728; and a circus scene, $5,568.
A small early Italian Mannerist school painting on copper depicting the Baptism of Christ, after Tintoretto, brought $3,480 (est. $600-$800), the same price as an unsigned early 20th-century painting of Confederate flags. Bidding hit $3,132 for an early 19th-century miniature portrait by Constantina Coltellini, depicting Richard Bayley Seton, son of the first American born Catholic saint Elizabeth Bayley Seton, and a collector paid $5,104 for a portrait of a man by Randall Vernon Davey (American, 1887-1964).
In the category of Southern regional art, a rare still life of a basket of strawberries by George Dury, a 19th-century Tennessee painter best known for his portraits, made $2,668, while a river scene by Thomas Campbell doubled its high estimate at $1,972 and a Cezanne-inspired still life by Nashvillian Charles Cagle (1907-1968) brought $812. An Alfred Hutty drypoint, Deep South, was a bargain at $2,552, while a 1934 Charleston street scene signed R.B. Rogers brought $1,508 (est. $225-$335). A Smoky Mountain landscape by Louis Jones earned $1,400, while a pair of mountain views by Jacob Anchutin (North Carolina, 1893-1964) brought $1,624 and a pencil drawing of multiple figures by Carroll Cloar (Tennessee, 1913-1994) competed to $1,276 (est. $350-$450). A WPA-period watercolor mural study by Texas artist Horst Schreck sold to a local buyer for $928.
Featured in the 800-lot auction were more than 200 lots from the estate of Salli LaGrone, a well known dealer from Nashville, Tenn., and frequent contributor to Martha Stewart’s broadcasts and publications.
LaGrone’s American silver collection included a Winchester, Va. coin silver beaker by Daniel Hartman and William Phillips (working 1802-1816), with later inscription for Winchester Revolutionary War hero “Daniel Morgan,” which competed to $6,728; a Bailey and Co. coin silver mug with inscription for the Polk family of Tennessee, $1,972; and a coin silver cup by unknown maker, bearing an inscription from the Nashville Female Academy to Mary Polk as a prize for achievement in art, $3,016. A coin silver tray by William Adams of New York with inscription for 19th-century financier Moses Taylor earned $1,742, and LaGrone’s 61-piece set of Tiffany’s Audubon pattern flatware achieved $9,280. A196-piece set of sterling flatware in Gorham’s Versailles pattern, earned $10,672, a set of nine Tiffany sterling strawberry forks in the Olympian pattern brought $1,508 and a single rare sterling mint julep “muddler” spoon brought $319.
A complete 10-volume Octavo edition of John J. Audubon’s Birds and Quadrupeds of North America topped the books and documents category, finishing at $34,800. An 1862 letter from Robert E. Lee to Gov. Pickens of South Carolina rallied to $6,264, and an archive of letters and tape recordings related to James Earl Ray’s legal case in the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King sold for $6,728. A late 19th-century folding pocket map of the Battle of Franklin brought $1,856, while an 1802 hand-drawn map of Georgia competed to $1,392.
Pottery, always a staple at Case, included an exceptionally early Middle Tennessee stoneware rundlet inscribed “J. C. Crawley 1851.” It sold to the Tennessee State Museum for $5,220. A diminutive 7-inch redware jug attributed to the Cain Pottery fetched $1972. A Southwest polychrome Zia pottery jar realized $850, while a Zuni jar with deer and geometric designs made $754.
A late Classical Navajo wearing blanket doubled its top estimate, reaching $8,120, while a late 19th-century Northwest Coast carved wooden totem pole with four figures, with original red and black paint, drew $3,364. A Yavapi Apache coiled basket tray brought $812, and a Hopi carved and painted Kochina doll, signed James Kewonwytewa, sold for $928.
Asian material continued to be in demand, with more registered bidders from China participating in the auction than from any other country of origin except United States and Canada. A pair of Famille Rose porcelain Buddha figures competed to $11,136 against a $350-$450 estimate, while a yellow ground bowl with raised floral design exterior and central peach decoration was picked off for $4,872, the same price as a carved hornbill snuff bottle hanging in a wooden stand. A small porcelain cup and saucer in solid robin’s-egg-blue brought $1,512, and a finely carved ivory netsuke in the form of a basket of fish brought $1,276. A white jade snuff bottle with carved basket-weave design earned $1,856 despite lacking a lid, while a pair of celadon jade belt hooks realized $1,508 and a Mughal style jade teapot served up $1,160.
Furniture lots included a heavily refinished Hepplewhite-style Middle Tennessee sugar chest, $3,712, a Sheraton-style cherry sugar chest with turned legs, $2,900, and a miniature (6 1/2 inches tall) sugar chest form box in original surface which brought nearly as much at $2,320. A Tennessee candlestand with tilt top over a birdcage pedestal competed to $3,480, and a North Carolina painted box whose construction from a single piece of wood suggested attribution to the Swisegood School realized $2,320. A pair of round mid-century modern Dunbar nightstands with walnut veneer and brass-tacked, cream vinyl coverings rested at $1,508, while a lot comprised of a Dunbar walnut-veneered chest of drawers and gentleman’s cabinet closed at $1,160.
Jewelry highlights included a lot containing 14-karat gold and turquoise earrings, ring and bracelet with Persian and Egyptian marks, which sold for $1,392, and two mixed sets of Scottish agate jewelry, each containing eight brooches, which sold for $2,346 and $2,320. A Hermes stainless steel Cape Cod ladies watch realized $1,740 (est. $400-$600).
Other notable lots were a Masonic gold medal with 1839 inscription, $3,248, and a relief decorated Masonic watch fob, $1,276; a pair of 19th-century Sevres porcelain lidded urns with heavy gilding, $2,436; and a Baroque wooden knife carved in the form of the Biblical character Delilah from the William Hearst collection, $812. A Western Cartridge Co. Ammunition poster hit its mark at $1,102, and a Buckingham Brothers brass cigar cutter lamp earned $870. A blue glass mineral water bottle from the 19th century Tate Springs Tennessee resort effervesced at $1,102 (est. $100-$200), the same price as an East Tennessee quilt in the Great Divide/Rocky Mountain pattern. A red, white and green tulip and triangle pattern quilt, attributed to Pennsylvania, realized $928. Several lots of Tennessee-made baskets met with strong demand. The category’s top lot was a set of graduated miniature buttocks baskets attributed to Mary Prater (Cannon County, born circa 1920). Ranging in size from just 1 1/2 inches to 5 inches tall, they fetched nearly twice their estimate at $870.
Case Antiques is accepting quality art and antique consignments for its June 2 auction. For more information, call the gallery in Knoxville at (865) 558-3033 or the Nashville office at (615) 812-6096.
This oil on canvas of a mother and child, painted by Catherine Wiley in 1913 before her career-ending breakdown, sold to a museum for $107,880. The price was an auction record for a Tennessee female painter. Image courtesy of Case Antiques Auction.
An oil on board of New York’s Williamsburg Bridge by Joseph Delaney (American, 1904-1991) crossed the block for $19,720. Image courtesy of Case Antiques Auction.
There was healthy demand for Southwestern objects. This late Classical Navajo wearing blanket doubled its top estimate, reaching $8,120. Image courtesy of Case Antiques Auction.
Retaining its original surface and measuring just 6-1/2 inches tall, this little box in the form of a sugar chest brought a big $2,320. Image courtesy of Case Antiques Auction.
A pair of Famille Rose porcelain Buddha figures sold to an Asian buyer for $11,136. Image courtesy of Case Antiques Auction.
An oil on canvas seascape by French marine painter Emile Maillard (1846-1926) sold for $6,728. Image courtesy of Case Antiques Auction.
Marburger Farm Antique Show, Fall 2011, Round Top, Texas. Image by Studio Detro – Jenna Dee Detro.
ROUND TOP, Texas – When the Marburger Farm Antique Show burst onto a Texas cow pasture in the fall of 1997, everyone knew that something unique was being branded in this town halfway between Houston and Austin.
Dealers called the new show “a breath of fresh air.” Shoppers just said, “Here we come!”
But no one knew the disasters of nature and history that America and the twice-yearly show would face for its first 30 shows over the last 15 years.
On Tuesday, April 3, through Saturday, April 7, the 30th edition of the Marburger Farm Antique Show will feature over 350 national and international exhibitors, with a crowd of shoppers from across the United States and around the world.
“Through rain, sleet, snow or 100-degree weather, here they come,” said Tallahassee, Fla., exhibitor Carol O’Steen. She could have added: through 9/11, through Hurricanes Katrina and Ike, when gas hit $5, when the banks melted down, through two wars and with one show opening in the worst week in the economy in generations.
Why has the Marburger Farm Antique Show been able to flourish during such a difficult era in America?
O’Steen continued, “In spite of all that has happened in the world, people still need a break. Marburger Farm is a kind of retreat. Some years people may buy more than other years, but they still come. People look forward to coming to Marburger Farm all year.”
The Marburger Farm site includes 43 rolling acres, Lake Marburger, a herd of Texas Longhorns and 10 huge tents and a dozen historic buildings, packed with antique dealers and select artisans.
At the spring show O’Steen will offer over 600 sterling napkin rings and early American coin silver, including rare Southern coin silver. “My goal at Marburger is that each person will take time to relax and enjoy the moment—and go home with packages and wonderful memories.”
Judy Hill of J Hill Designs agrees. “It takes strong people to create something that gives other people an outlet in the face of disasters. Antique shows are a stress reliever. We are a community, an antiques community. We love to be together and we love what we do. We love the people who come because we all have this in common: We connect over antiques. I don’t even call them customers. They are people who love the same things that I do.” Hill will offer what she calls “soft industrial” antiques in metal and wood, plus an arbor and other garden antiques, with lots of white for a spring palette.
Other reasons for the success of Marburger Farm have to do with its original founding by veteran dealers John Sauls and Ed Gage. As Sauls puts it, “We wanted a top-quality show that was focused on taking care of vendors. Our thought was: If vendors are happy, customers will be happy.” Sauls’ defining goal for Marburger Farm? “Quality.”
In 2007 Margaret Marsh Mebus and her children, their spouses and six grandchildren purchased the show. Marburger took on a more family-friendly feel but the word “quality” continues to guide Marburger Farm—quality, now, on a massive scale. Jerry Watkins of Sniktaw Antiques in Gurney, Ill., says, “Marburger Farm has such an eclectic and quality mix of antiques that it appeals to a wide range of people of all ages. Anyone who is interested in anything can find something at Marburger Farm. And, even in economic down times, quality still sells. Plus, you can find things there that will be nowhere else.”
Michael Roberts of Roberts Antiques in Homer, Mch., lifts up the customer-friendly vibe at Marburger Farm. “We do shows all over America and Marburger Farm is the only place that is consistent, show in, show out. Parking is easy, not a lot of hassle. And Marburger has something for everyone. We have a wide price range.” Roberts will alight in Texas with antiques from France and Italy, plus art, garden antiques, lighting and wicker.
There are other reasons for the success of the Marburger Farm Antique Show: the overflowing booth spaces that allow more space for so much more merchandise than at other shows; the long three-day setup that gives dealers the time to bring in this unusually massive amount of merchandise. Then there are those stunning booth displays that are now the norm at Marburger Farm. And then there is that strong Texas economy and all those store owners, interior designers, and moms and dads and kids and multiple generations who enjoy being together in the midst of antiques, history and beauty.
Why does Marburger Farm flourish? Lowell Dunn, Canterbury Court, Corsicana, Texas, echoes the theme: “It’s the excellent mix and quality of the antiques. Even with all that goes on in the world, people still want comfortable homes and to be surrounded with things that they love. That’s what Marburger Farm dealers offer.” Dunn takes great effort to offer it, traveling to England to unearth pottery, Staffordshire, majolica and furniture with an English country home style.
Ashley Ferguson, co-owner of the show, said she “just had an email from a couple in New Zealand, wanting to purchase early buying tickets.” For its 30th show, Marburger Farm customers will come from across oceans, they will come by SUV, pickup and by limos, sometimes they come by horseback or helicopter. “In spite of all that has happened in the world, we have been very fortunate and feel very blessed,” says Ferguson. “We seek out the most creative dealers and artisans from all over the world and they scour the planet for the best antiques on earth. And then it’s all gathered in one place, for only a precious few days—in a unique setting that can only be Texas.”
So come to the Marburger Farm Antique Show this spring and help celebrate their 30th show. There will be a full-service cafe, endless supplies of ice tea and lemonade, wi-fi, air-conditioned restrooms, daily cash drawings, cold beer and frozen “Marburitas.” And, if our luck holds out, bluebonnets will be in bloom.
The Marburger Farm Antique Show opens for early buying with $25 admission on Tuesday, April 3, from 10 a.m. through 2 p.m, when regular $10 admission begins. One admission is good all week, with the show running on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Saturday, April 7, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Advance tickets and group tickets are available.
Antiques, vintage and artisan creations will include American, French, English, Continental, architectural, fine art, jewelry, textiles, mid-century modern, silver, western, garden, painted furniture, early Texas and more. A portion of the spring show proceeds will benefit the Texas Children’s Hospital. Parking is free and admission is free for children 15 and under. Dogs on a leash are always welcome.
See information on vendors, the new Marburger Farm mobile app, travel, maps, lodging, on-site shipping and special events at www.roundtop-marburger.com or call Rick McConn at 800-999-2148 or Ashley Ferguson at 800-947-5799.
ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE
Marburger Farm Antique Show, Fall 2011, Round Top, Texas. Image by Studio Detro – Jenna Dee Detro.Marburger Farm Antique Show, Fall 2011, Round Top, Texas. Image by Studio Detro – Jenna Dee Detro.Marburger Farm Antique Show, Fall 2011, Round Top, Texas. Image by Studio Detro – Jenna Dee Detro.
Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers.com and Antique Reader Inc.
HONG KONG — Nicolas Chow places a magnifying glass against a Ming Dynasty vase to inspect the potter’s 600-year old workmanship.
Chow, the international head of Chinese ceramics and works of art at auction giant Sotheby’s, points out layers of uneven bubbles invisible to the naked eye along the early 15th Century blue and white porcelain.
The distinctive markings are just one tell-tale sign that experts rely on to determine if a piece is a multi-million dollar original or worthless fake.
“That happens in the firing process — they did not have an even temperature in (kilns) during the 15th century,” Chow said of the piece, which fetched nearly US$22 million at auction in Hong Kong late last year, setting a world record price for Ming Dynasty porcelain.
“The feel of the glaze is also incredibly important. Just running your hands over it will give you the answer.
“Potters in the old days would do lots and lots of these, one after the other. They breathed it, they lived it. It’s very difficult for fakers to recreate….But there is still a degree of fear in the market.”
The demand for Chinese antiquities has exploded, helping propel Hong Kong to third spot in the global auction market behind London and New York as collectors slap down eye-popping sums for a piece of the country’s history.
Helping drive the boom is a growing class of super-rich Chinese looking for opportunities to exploit their net worth while also “reclaiming” parts of Chinese history from Western collectors.
Auction houses Sotheby’s and Christie’s together raised over $460 million from sales of Chinese antiquities and art works last year, but the market has also generated a slew of fakes from con-men hoping to make big bucks.
“There are many fakes on the market, and there are probably more now because the price of these antiquities have increased dramatically,” Tang Hoi-chiu, chief curator of Hong Kong’s Museum of Art, told AFP.
“There are some very good copies out there.”
The problem was highlighted again last month when questions arose about the authenticity of a jade dressing table and stool from the Han dynasty, which had fetched about $35 million at a mainland Chinese auction.
Experts are now publicly questioning the piece since Chinese were believed to have sat on the floor, not stools or chairs, during the ancient period which ran from about 206 BC to AD220, the South China Morning Post reported.
Facts and figures about the black market in antiquities are difficult to come by, although many fakes are produced in mainland China, said Rosemary Scott, international academic director to Christie’s Asian art departments.
Scott has seen fakes many times larger than they should be and other amateur mistakes that can make determining authenticity a 30-second operation.
“Some are absolutely dreadful and some are very good,” she said.
“In one case, a person presented me with (a piece) that was taller than me when it’s only supposed to be a foot tall.”
But other items can take weeks or longer to determine if they’re genuine, demanding a rigorous checklist, she said.
Auction houses use various means including carbon dating to pinpoint a piece’s age, but that requires taking a value-denting sample and threatens to make an item less appealing to keen-eyed collectors.
“You have to decide if it’s worth it because (carbon dating) could make the piece less aesthetically pleasing or just plain disfiguring,” Scott said.
The art expert said she runs pieces through a slew of criteria before making a determination and often brings in colleagues to gauge their opinion.
“Does it have the right shape?” she said. “Is it the right texture, the right colour, was it painted with the right kind of brush?”
And when a piece fetches a giant price tag, auction houses are sure to be flooded with offers of similar antiquities, though most don’t pass muster.
“Within a few weeks, we are being offered copies of that piece,” said Pola Antebi, head of Chinese ceramics and works of art at Christie’s Hong Kong.
“The turnaround is pretty scary.”
Complicating matters, some Chinese emperors ordered underlings to recreate works from earlier periods, which do not count as fakes, while there are also genuine pieces that have been retouched over the centuries.
“That is a restoration issue, it is not an authenticity issue. But collectors prefer untouched, so something has not been altered in any way,” Antebi said, adding that retouching can slash a piece’s value by half or more.
Most genuine works come from established collectors, but ordinary people also tap auction houses to authenticate pieces that may have been in their families for years, or ones they bought without first confirming their credentials.
“People’s expectations of the value are quite high. So when you tell them (the piece) is not going to pay for school fees or their retirement, it’s terribly difficult,” Antebi said, adding that she delivers the news “as politely as possible.”
In other cases, phony collectors “just ask too many questions” when they are told a piece is not genuine, suggesting they are trying to learn how to make a more convincing fake that will evade detection, Scott said.
Auction houses have even pulled items displayed in pre-sale catalogues when doubts about their authenticity lingered.
“Our reputation is paramount — it’s what we stand by,” Scott said.
For Chow at Sotheby’s, spotting fakes means taking stock of every minute detail, although experts are not keen to reveal all their secrets for fear they could fall into the wrong hands.
“But after some time you just get a feel,” Chow said.
“If you lift 50 similar Ming vases and know this one is not the right weight, then you know something is wrong — it’s like your bag with and without a laptop,” he added.
“I’m not saying fakers can’t get one thing right, but to get it all right is really difficult.”
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ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE
Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers.com and Antique Reader Inc.
