This highly unusual Shenfelder redware wall pocket from Reading, Pa., carries a provenance of the collection of Dr. & Mrs. Donald Shelley. Estimate: $8,000-$12,000. Pook & Pook Inc. image. DOWNINGTOWN, Pa. – Pook & Pook Inc.’s first Period Furniture, Fine Art and Accessories Auction of the fall will include over 980 lots featuring the estates of Robert J. Merritt of Douglassville, Pa., Joan B. Lehner of Stirling, N.J., and Winifred S. Cheston of Philadelphia, together with pieces from the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Heritage Center of Lancaster, Pa. The sale will begin on Friday, Oct. 5, at 6 p.m. EDT and continue on Saturday, Oct. 6, at 9 a.m. LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding.
Kicking off the Friday night session will be the collection of the late Robert (Bob) J. Merritt Jr. A second-generation antiques dealer for over 50 years, Bob was the co-owner of Merritt’s Antiques in Amity Township, Pa. Many will remember the sprawling emporium that Bob and his son Rick operated. Until 2006 this “antique mall” was one of the largest antique businesses in America.
Over the years, Bob acquired his own personal collection of paintings, furniture and accessories, which Pook & Pook is now offering. Some highlights of the Merritt collection include paintings by local artists Ben Austrian, Charles Hofmann, Frederick Spang, J. Randolph Rowe, Francis Devlan, Christopher Shearer and Edward Redfield, as well as several Pennsylvania tall case clocks, a multitude of stoneware, painted furniture and accessories.
Saturday will start off with a collection of 134 firearms from a Chester County, Pa., resident including guns by Purdey, Martin, Holland & Holland, Grant, Rigby, Turner, Dickson, and Atkin.
A selection of objects sold with the approval of the trustees of the Philadelphia Museum of Art to benefit the acquisition funds will be offered on Saturday followed by items from the Heritage Center of Lancaster County.
The estate of Joan B. Lehner presents an eclectic variety of items from weather vanes to toys and painted furniture. Lehner was a legendary New Jersey collector and dealer for over 40 years.
Surprises are interspersed throughout the sale including a walnut slab table by George Nakashima, a Chester County Chandlee tall-case clock, pairs of giltwood mirrors, Chinese export, a Dutch illuminated manuscript, porcelains, a gold baby rattle, a squirrel weather vane and Chincoteague, Va., decoys.
For additional information call Pook & Pook Inc., 610-269-4040.
This highly unusual Shenfelder redware wall pocket from Reading, Pa., carries a provenance of the collection of Dr. & Mrs. Donald Shelley. Estimate: $8,000-$12,000. Pook & Pook Inc. image.
Charles C. Hofmann was an itinerant 19th century artist known for his ‘Almshouse’ paintings, made for various staff members while he was committed. This example of the Berks County Almshouse from the Merritt collection is in pristine condition with vivid colors. Estimate $50,000-$80,000. Pook & Pook Inc. image.
One of 15 Berks County, Pa., paintings by Ben Austrian (American 1870-1921). Estimate: $15,000-$20,000. Pook & Pook Inc. image.
Berks County metalsmith Peter Derr crafted this brass and wrought iron fat lamp, stamped “P.D 1844.” Estimate: $1,500-$2,500. Pook & Pook Inc. image.
A beautiful portrait of the artist’s wife titled ‘A Quiet Moment’ by Marcel Dyf (French 1899-1985). Estimate: $20,000-$30,000. Pook & Pook Inc. image.
American painter Mary Russell Smith executed this charming portrait of a group of rabbits and a kitten. (est. $20,000-30,000)
Fairfield Porter (American 1907-1975), watercolor still life, signed upper right. Estimate: $8,000-$12,000.
Philadelphia stamped copper kettle by D. Bentley. Estimate: $500-$1,000. Pook & Pook Inc. image.
This rare Dutch illuminated manuscript bearing the label ‘Ex Libris Leon Duchesne de La Sicotiere’ has approximately 197 vellum pages and a gilt and leather embossed binding. Estimate: $4,000-$6,000. Pook & Pook Inc. image.
PARIS (AFP) – A thousand-year-old Buddhist statue taken from Tibet in 1938 by an SS team seeking the roots of Hitler’s Aryan doctrine was carved from a meteorite, scientists reported on Wednesday.
In a paper published in an academic journal, German and Austrian researchers recount an extraordinary tale where archaeology, the Third Reich and cosmic treasure are intertwined like an Indiana Jones movie.
Called the “Iron Man” because of the high content of iron in its rock, the 24-centimetre(10-inch)-high statue was brought to Germany by an expedition led by Ernst Schaefer, a zoologist and ethnologist.
Backed by SS chief Heinrich Himmler and heading a team whose members are all believed to have been SS, Schaefer roamed Tibet in 1938-9 to search for the origins of Aryanism, the notion of racial superiority that underpinned Nazism.
Weighing 10.6 kilos (23.3 pounds), the statue features the Buddhist god Vaisravana seated, with the palm of his right hand outstretched and pointing downwards.
Chemical analysis shows that the rock from which it was carved came from a meteorite.
The rock survived a long trip through the solar system and the destructive friction with the atmosphere when it collided with Earth.
It is a particularly rare kind of meteorite called an ataxite, which has iron and high contents of nickel, according to the study, published in the journal Meteoritics and Planetary Science.
“The statue was chiseled from an iron meteorite, from a fragment of the Chinga meteorite which crashed into the border areas between Mongolia and Siberia about 15,000 years ago,” said investigator Elmar Buchner of Stuttgart University.
“While the first debris was officially discovered in 1913 by gold prospectors, we believe that this individual meteorite fragment was collected many centuries before.”
The exact dating of the carving cannot be established accurately, but its style links it to the pre-Buddhist Bon culture of the 11th century. Vaisravana was the Buddhist god-king of the North, also known as Jambhala in Tibet.
How Schaefer came across the statue is unclear, but the big appeal is likely to have been a large swastika, symbolising good fortune in Buddhism, carved on its chest.
Once the statue arrived in Munich, it became part of a private collection and only became available for study by Buchner following an auction in 2009.
Other meteorites have become incorporated into religious worship. The holy Black Stone in the Kaaba in Mecca is believed to be a stony meteorite.
“The Iron Man statue is the only known illustration of a human figure to be carved into a meteorite, which means we have nothing to compare it to when assessing value,” said Buchner.
“Its origins alone may value it at $20,000 (15,500 euros). However, if our estimation of its age is correct and it is nearly a thousand years old it could be invaluable.”
An important Shenandoah Valley, Va., bookcase on bureau in original surface leads the furniture offerings. It carries an estimate of $75,000-$100,000. Case Antiques Auction image. KNOXVILLE, Tenn.— A piece of important Southern furniture and a folio of Ansel Adams Yosemite photographs lead the Fall Case Antiques Auction, set for Saturday, Oct. 6, at the company’s gallery in Knoxville. Special collections of Southwestern/Native American objects and Chattanooga breweriana are also expected to draw interest, along with a pottery jar of Presidential interest, historic documents, American and Southern paintings, silver, jewelry, and Country Music/Hollywood memorabilia.
LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding on the more than 600 lots to be sold, beginning at 9:30 a.m. EDT.
The star of the sale is expected to be an 18th century Shenandoah Valley bookcase on bureau, attributed to the Martin-Frye cabinetmaking school of Winchester, Va. The piece is in its original finish and features a broken arch pediment and pullout writing surface. It descended at the historic Matin Hill / Spangler Hall home and is being sold along with a handwritten journal from 1861 inscribed “Names of the Soldiers who have called at Matin Hill.” The lot carries a presale estimate of $75,000-$100,000. It is one of several pieces of Southern furniture in the auction, which also includes an outstanding Federal inlaid secretary-bookcase; a yellow pine huntboard; a Classical period Augusta, Ga., labeled shelf clock; and a rare table cherry sewing stand with Shaker influence. A Continental marquetry desk and star-inlaid blanket chest, being sold by Cheekwood Botanical Garden and Museum of Art, are also featured, along with two signed Stickley tables and a mid-century modern Noguchi coffee table.
A portfolio of 18 Ansel Adams photographic prints from his renowned Yosemite Series crowns the fine art offerings. The prints include iconic images such as El Capitan, Mirror Lake, Yosemite Falls and Moon and Half Dome. Each image was printed under Adams’ supervision circa 1973 and bears his initials in the lower right margin; they will be sold together as a single lot. There is also a European cityscape with fountain oil on canvas by Tennessee-born Joseph Delaney (1904-1991), one of the state’s most important African-American artists. Several other sketches by him, including nudes and scenes of New York City, will be offered in three separate lots. Other fine art in the sale includes a New Hope, Pa., oil on board farm scene titled Choar (Chore) Time by Kenneth Nunamaker (1890-1957); an autumn landscape by Western artist Conrad Schwiering (1916-1986); a winter wharf scene by Hobart Nichols (New York, 1869-1962); and a large oil on canvas Antarctica scene by Leland Curtis (1897-1989), the official artist for the 1939-1949 United States Antarctica Expedition. There are several paintings from the estate of Nashville art collector Alven Ghertner and his wife, Jean, including a colorful farm scene with cows by David Burliuk (Russian/American, 1882-1967); collage by Peter Max (German/American, b. 1937); and a sculpture by Victor Halvani (Egypt/Israel, b. 1930). Prints for sale include 12 colored wood cut block prints by 20th century Provincetown, Mass., artist Beulah Tomlinson; two Joan Miro lithographs from Je Travaille Comme Un Jardinier (1963); four circa 1800 Giovanni Piranesi engravings; and an 1889 etching after Winslow Homer’s A Voice from the Cliffs by Pierre Teyssonnieres. Leading the regional art offerings is an oil on canvas depiction of the Cravens House, which figured prominently in the Battle of Chattanooga, by William Posey Silva (1859-1948); along with an oil on canvas view of the Hermitage, home of President Andrew Jackson by Mayna Avent (1868-1959); a haunting Lloyd Branson (1861-1925) rendering of a trolley against a dusky Knoxville skyline; and a plantation laundry scene titled Wash Day by Clementine Hunter (Louisiana, 1887-1988) – which is accompanied by a photograph of her holding the painting. There is also a large landscape with cows by George Riecke painted during his time in Louisiana circa 1900; a floral still life by Eleanor Wiley (1876-1977); a cubist painting by Robert Birdwell of Knoxville; two surrealist works by Nashville artist Werner Wildner (1925-2004); a city scene by self-taught artist William (Bill) Sawyer of Nashville; and an autumn scene of the East Tennessee mountains by Lorentz Kleiser (1879-1963).
Case has made a name for itself selling important Southern pottery, and this sale is no exception. Featured is an East Tennessee decorated harvest jug with inscription for President James A. Garfield and Tennessee Congressman A.H. Pettibone, likely commemorating the 1880 election. A green-glazed East Tennessee redware jar with sine save incising is also expected to draw attention, because it is the first known jar attributed to the Cain Pottery with such a glaze over the entire surface. There is also a West Tennessee jar with medial crimped flange attributed to T.W. Craven, and a selection of Tennessee and Kentucky whiskey and vinegar jugs. Art pottery in the sale includes four pieces of Newcomb College pottery; an early Jugtown, N.C., piece; and an outstanding Reissner, Stellmacher & Kessel Amphora portrait vase. Historic Staffordshire, a large Meissen style figural centerpiece, a KPM cased clock and other European porcelains round out the ceramics category.
An archive that could change how history views the Civil War actions of Union Gen. Benjamin “The Beast” Butler leads the document category. The extensive archive – offered in multiple lots – descended through the family of Thomas Major, Butler’s personal secretary, and includes items ranging from a period copy of the Texas proclamation against Butler’s actions to a document that sheds new light on his seizure of $60,000 in gold from Samuel Smith & Co. of New Orleans. (Major’s uniform is also included). There is also a rare 19th century broadside of the controversial Mecklenburg Declaration, a purported declaration of independence from England made in North Carolina in 1775 (a year before the one in Philadelphia), along with War of 1812 Tennessee Volunteer related documents and an 1857 letter of appreciation to President Franklin Pierce, written and signed by all the members of his cabinet (including Jefferson Davis). From the 20th century are letters by President John F. Kennedy Jr. and his brother, Attorney General Robert Kennedy, written in 1962 to Ernest Mike, one of the U.S. Marshals who provided protection for James Meredith as he became the first African-American admitted to the University of Mississippi. Mike was injured in the resulting riot. Both letters feature excellent content relating to the Civil Rights struggle and are hand-signed. And one of the most anticipated items in the category is a recently discovered song written and signed by country music icon Hank Williams prior to his untimely death. The song, titled I Never Cry in my Dreams, was never published or recorded. There is also a good selection of music and Hollywood memorabilia, including an Elvis Presley archive; a set of James Dean movie stills; an Andy Warhol signed Cher poster; 1960s era concert posters; and memorabilia and photos related to University of Tennessee basketball coach Ray Mears.
The weapons category includes a deringer attributed to J.E. Merriman of Memphis, a Harper’s Ferry US Model 1803 flintlock rifle, and several gun canes that are part of a larger collection of walking sticks.
A walking stick with coin silver handle is expected to draw cross-category interest, because it is also the only signed piece of coin silver by Lebanon, Tenn., silversmith James Ragland that has ever surfaced. It bears an inscription that also ties it to some early Texas settlers, the Sypert family of Nacogdoches. And a set of coin silver spoons by James B. Wells of Maryville, Tenn., whose mark was previously unpublished, is also being offered – the first time his silver has ever come up at auction. Coin silver spoons by scarce makers Paul Negrin and Edward Raworth of Nashville and ladles by Thomas Gowdy of Nashville, Hyde and Goodrich of New Orleans, and Kitts of Kentucky are featured too.
Also notable in the silver category is a George II sterling loving cup with later inscription to T.D. Rice, the American actor whose Jim Crow minstrel originated in Kentucky and eventually brought him worldwide fame. The cup – engraved with a picture of a crow – was awarded him by the “Jim Crow Club” of London on his European tour in 1837. Rounding out the more than 100 lots of silver in the sale are a large sterling repousse plateau by Jacobi and Jenkins of Baltimore, a coin silver tea service by Andrew DeMilt of New York, a Mexican silver tea service and tray weighing over 15 pounds, golf trophies by Puiforcat and Boin Taburet, and numerous sterling flatware services.
A Tiffany Acorn table lamp with bronze base and green leaded glass shade leads the selection of art glass. There is also a Handel labeled table lamp, a Lalique “Deux Poissons” sculpture, a pair of Lalique figural nude bookends, and vases by Webb, Consolidated, and Durand.
Asian Antiques have grown to become a significant category at Case. This auction features about a dozen outstanding lots of jade including a jade libation cup with dragon handle, a 24-piece lot of Chinese silver flatware, estate-fresh ivory okimono figures and snuff bottles, a Yoshida Hiroshi woodblock print of Mount Breiton and a signed Japanese Art Deco period bronze sculpture with crystal ball supported by three cranes.
A scarce Middle Tennessee needlework sampler is among the outstanding textile lots. It was made in 1835 by Sarah Donoho and includes later photographs of the sampler maker. An archive relating to her family, who lived in Wilson County, is being sold separately. Several other American and British samplers are featured in the auction including an 1843 sampler attributed to Kentucky and one signed St. Bridget’s Convent (Ireland). A textile by folk art notable Granny Donaldson, several fine Southern quilts (some signed) and a lot of two Midwestern coverlets with period dye recipe will also be offered.
Jewelry and timepiece standouts include a 2.03-carat diamond and platinum wedding ring set, an early 19th century Perrenoud pocketwatch with Baltimore retailer label, Art Deco jewelry, a Georg Jensen sterling and tourmaline brooch, Miriam Haskell jewelry, and numerous lots of gold jewelry and pocket watches.
A large selection of Southwestern and Navajo silver and turquoise/coral jewelry is complemented by a collection of Southwestern pottery and textiles, much of it assembled over two decades by a Middle Tennessee couple. The couple became friends with legendary San Ildefonso potter Crucita Calabaza (1920-1999), who in turn visited them when she traveled to Tennessee. Five of her Blue Corn pieces, including a redware jar and rare trivet form, are offered, along with pieces by Cynthia Starflower, Teresita Naranjo and the Melchor family. Several Navajo rugs and Native American baskets are also included.
Breweriana collectors will appreciate a collection of advertising from the Chattanooga Brewing Co., which operated in the early 20th century. Other notable lots include an 1828 plat book of the Chattanooga area with several large maps; two large early 20th century copper lanterns by Kahalley Lighting of Alabama; a collection of architectural instruments; a rare cast-iron turkey doorstop (attributed to Bradley and Hubbard); a clock by North Carolina folk art carver Edward McKillop; a Christian Dior mink coat; the scarce four-volume book set, Mr. Vanderbilt’s House and Collection, and a rare 1887 edition of White Cockades by Edward Prime-Stevenson.
For more information, call the gallery in Knoxville at 865-558-3033 or the company’s Nashville office at 615-812-6096 or email info@caseantiques.com.
An important Shenandoah Valley, Va., bookcase on bureau in original surface leads the furniture offerings. It carries an estimate of $75,000-$100,000. Case Antiques Auction image.
This is believed to be the first time a page of signed lyrics by Hank Williams (1923-1953) has come up at auction. The country music icon died tragically before this song could be recorded. Estimate: $6,000-$8,000. Case Antiques Auction image.
One of 18 silver gelatin prints from Ansel Adams’ Yosemite portfolio, all initialed by him and printed under his supervision circa 1973. The set of 18 is estimated at $20,000-$30,000. Case Antiques Auction image.
A rare oil on canvas view of the South Pole by Leland Curtis (1897-1989), who was the official artist for the U.S. Antarctica Expedition from 1939 to 1940 and in 1957. It is estimated at $3,500 to $4,500. Case Antiques Auction image.
This ladies diamond wedding set with 2.03-carat pear-shape diamond in platinum and baguette setting is one of several fine jewelry lots in the auction. It is estimated at $9,000-$12,000. Case Antiques Auction image.
This broadside or possibly unique printed document is a circa 1830 copy of the so-called ‘Mecklenburg Declaration’ – a declaration of independence from England supposedly made in North Carolina on May 20, 1775, a year before the one in Philadelphia. Consigned by a descendant of Ephraim Brevard along with several other family items, it is estimated at $700-$1,000. Case Antiques Auction image.
Two of 12-color white line woodblock prints in the auction by Beulah Tomlinson, an artist active in Massachusetts’ Provincetown school in the mid-20th century. This pair is estimated at $1,000-$2,000. Case Antiques Auction image.
An artistic photographic view of Kennesaw State University’s Village Apartments. Photo by Thejerm, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.
KENNESAW, Ga. (AP) – Kennesaw State University is breaking ground for an art museum outside Atlanta.
A groundbreaking ceremony for the 9,200-square-foot museum in Kennesaw is planned for 1 p.m. Tuesday.
School officials say the Bernard A. Zuckerman Museum of Art will house the university’s permanent art collection and serve as a cultural resource on contemporary art.
The museum is expected to open in the fall of 2013.
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ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE
An artistic photographic view of Kennesaw State University’s Village Apartments. Photo by Thejerm, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.
Harvey Fite (American, 1903-1976), ‘Opus 40,’ created in 1939 in Saugerties, N.Y. Photo by Dmadeo, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic license.SAUGERTIES, N.Y. (AP) – Repairs are being planned for a massive environmental sculpture in New York’s Hudson Valley after it was damaged by heavy rains.
Owners of “Opus 40” say they’ll rebuild a section of the 6 1/2-acre sculpture built by Harvey Fite between 1939 and 1976.
Fite hand-laid each stone, using no mortar and ancient techniques. Fite died while working on the sculpture when his riding mower got stuck in gear and flipped him over the edge of a channel.
Caretaker Bill Cochrane says a stone wall caved in, apparently due to water pressure building up during Tuesday’s storm.
Fite’s stepson, Tad Richards, says the damaged section has been cordoned off, but the rest of the site remains open to the public.
Richards says there’s no cost estimate or timetable yet for repairs.
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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
Harvey Fite (American, 1903-1976), ‘Opus 40,’ created in 1939 in Saugerties, N.Y. Photo by Dmadeo, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic license.
Andy Warhol (American, 1928-1987), ‘Edward Kennedy,’ 1980, edition of 300-plus proofs, published by the Kennedy for President Committee. Numbered and signed. Image/sheet size 40 x 32 inches, framed. Realized: $10,072. Skinner Inc. image. BOSTON – Skinner Inc. realized strong prices for rare and important works at its Sept. 7 auction of American & European Works of Art. The sale totaled more than $2.7 million including buyer’s premium.
“We are extremely pleased with the sale,” said director Robin Starr. “These results are evidence that great art – on both canvas and paper – continues to inspire competitive bidding and bring excellent prices.”
The auction room erupted in applause when the first lot in the afternoon Paintings & Sculpture auction sold for $666,000 after 20 minutes of spirited bidding. The top lot in the sale, this work by Willem Claesz Heda, Still Life with Tazza, Peeled Lemon, and Roemer, brought more than tenfold its estimate high of $50,000. Hidden away for years in a private collection, the Heda generated worldwide interest, particularly from the United States and Europe.
Still Life with Tazza, Peeled Lemon, and Roemer is characterized by Heda’s quiet, staid mood, created through the use of a nearly monochromatic palette. The subject matter and tone create the sense of a meal finished quickly and abandoned in haste. The overturned tazza was a relatively novel element for Heda at this point in his career, and seems to be in direct opposition to the order and stillness more typical of his works from the 1620s, and even ’30s. This distinctive thematic element likely contributed to the excitement surrounding the painting on the auction floor.
Another star of the sale, coming from the same collection, was Portrait of a Man in a Ruff of the 17th century Continental School. The hidden gem, estimated at $3,000 to $5,000, sold for $79,625. “We see this result as a testament that fresh-to-the-market material continues to drive bidding,” said Starr. Additional pieces from this collection will be featured in the Skinner auction of American & European Works of Art in February.
The excitement generated by the recent Fine Paintings auction extended from rare 17th century paintings through to important contemporary works. Walasse Ting’s Milky Way brought $93,615, more than doubling its estimated high of $40,000.
Largely a self-taught artist, Walasse Ting was raised in Shanghai. In 1952 he moved to Paris, took up “la vie boheme,” and met Karel Appel, Asger Jorn and Pierre Alechinsky. Ting moved to New York in 1958, at the height of the American Abstract Expressionist movement and met Sam Francis. The American art markets embraced Ting’s brand of abstraction, derived from the surrealism that defined so many of the COBRA artists. Ting’s abstractions exhibit an abundance of energy and enthusiasm while portraying simple pleasures and natural wonders – a summer rainstorm, a field of flowers or constellations in the night sky.
Prints and photography from old masters through contemporary artists also made a vibrant showing, highlighted by the sale of Rembrandt van Rijn’s Nude Man Seated on the Ground with One Leg Extended, which brought $23,700. Andy Warhol’s Edward Kennedy performed well in the late senator’s home state, selling for double its estimate high at $10,072. Three Images from DIE OBERFLÄCHE: Concord, Silent, and Opalescent by Josef Albers also doubled its estimate, bringing $5,332.
Photography highlights of note included Duane Michals’ The Young Girl’s Dream (in Five Parts), which sold for $5,925. Erwin Blumenfeld’s Aubade went for $8,295 and a number of works by Jerry Uelsmann and Cole Weston realized strong prices, with Weston’s Charis, Sana Monica/Nude matching Blumenfeld at $8,295.
Andy Warhol (American, 1928-1987), ‘Edward Kennedy,’ 1980, edition of 300-plus proofs, published by the Kennedy for President Committee. Numbered and signed. Image/sheet size 40 x 32 inches, framed. Realized: $10,072. Skinner Inc. image.
Willem Claesz Heda (Dutch, 1594-c. 1680),’Still Life with Tazza, Peeled Lemon, and Roemer,’ 1630, unsigned, oil on cradled panel, 15 1/2 x 22 1/2 inches, framed. Price realized: $666,000. Skinner Inc. image.
Edward Weston (American, 1886-1958), ‘Charis, Santa Monica/Nude,’ 1936, a later printing made by Cole Weston. Gelatin silver print on paper, framed. Realized: $8,295. Skinner Inc. image.
Continental School, 17th century, ‘Portrait of a Man in a Ruff,’ unsigned, oil on oval panel, 19 1/8 x 14 1/2 inches, framed. Realized: $79,625.
Erwin Blumenfeld (German, 1897-1969), ‘Aubade,’ 1937-38, published in ‘Coronet’ magazine. Annotated, titled, and signed, gelatin silver print on paper, unframed. Realized: $8,295. Skinner Inc. image.
Duane Michals (American, b. 1932), ‘The Young Girl’s Dream (in Five Parts),’ 1969, edition of 25. The first titled, signed, and numbered. Gelatin silver prints, image sizes 3 3/8 x 5 inches, framed. Realized: $5,925. Skinner Inc. image.
Rembrandt van Rijn (Dutch, 1606-1669), ‘Nude Man Seated on the Ground with One Leg Extended,’ 1646, etching on laid paper, plate/sheet size 3 3/4 x 6 inches, matted, framed. Realized: $23,700. Skinner Inc. image.
Walasse Ting (Chinese/American, 1929-2010), ‘Milky Way,’ 1966. Titled, signed and dated. Acrylic on canvas, 63 1/2 x 72 1/2 inches, framed. Realized: $93,615. Skinner Inc. image.
Butch Cassidy’s ‘amnesty’ Colt SAA .45 gun with holster and extensive documentation. Est. $150,000-$250,000. Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers.com and California Auctioneers.
VENTURA, Calif. – On Sept. 29-30, California Auctioneers will conduct a sale of historic Old West relics, with Internet live bidding through LiveAuctioneers.com. The auction’s headliner is American outlaw Butch Cassidy’s amnesty Colt .45 gun. It is the very firearm Cassidy handed over in good faith to Juab County, Utah Sheriff Parley P. Christison in Oct. 1899, in an appeal for amnesty.
Additional highlights in the sale include the beaded jacket of Sioux legend Crazy Horse, who defeated Custer on the Western Plains, the Colt Navy percussion gun of infamous James Gang member Frank James, brother of Jesse.
The Butch Cassidy Colt is extremely well documented and has been featured in a number of magazines in years past, including Gun Journal, Guns, and Guns and the Gunfighters (published by Guns & Ammo).
“We’ve come to a time when we are two generations away from the folks who knew Cassidy. Fortunately former owner E. Dixon Larson launched a pilgrimage from 1967 to 1970, documenting and interviewing people who knew Cassidy and remembered this Colt,” said auctioneer Jewels Eubanks.
One of those people was Lula Parker Betenson, Cassidy’s younger sister, who can be seen holding the Colt on Page 2 of her book Butch Cassidy, My Brother. Pages 159-160 verify the serial number 158402. A number of photographs and original letters between Larson and Betenson are offered with the Colt, in addition to over a hundred pages of research and verification documents.
Included with the Colt .45 (158402) is Cassidy’s “Brill” jacket holster and never-before-seen documents, including an original letter and photo of William Darby who “rode with [Cassidy] …into the ‘hole.'” He recollects:
“Butch’s coat gun that he carried under his arm most of the time…without a question, this is it. (#158402). He was the only one that I can recall who had a nickel one. I handled it a few times…I remember the ‘eagles’ on the grips, as most of the boys’ (guns) had wood handles, except Logan, who had white ones…Reason I remember it so well, is that I always wanted one just like it. It was a .45 and most others were .44s.”
In additional to Darby’s testimony a never-before-seen conversation with Charles Hanks from 1969 confirms he visited with “Butch” in Vernal, Utah after he was reported killed in Bolivia. He also claims that he visited him again in Salem, Ore., in 1924. He remembers being 12 years old and seeing Butch with the nickel Colt, holster and black-eagle grips.
Two binders with well over 100 pages of documents are included with the original manila tag Parley P. Christison signed in Juab County, Utah, where Cassidy turned in this Colt and his Winchester. An original photograph of the Justice document filed Jan. 2nd, 1900 (after Cassidy did not return) also verifies the Colt 158402 and his Winchester. Correspondence with the owner of the Cassidy Winchester, Jim Earle, proved to have an exact copy of the same docket.
Cassidy’s attempt for amnesty with the help of his friend Matt Warner, Sheriff P.P. Christison and his lawyer, Orlando Powers, asking to meet Governor H.C. Wells, is well documented.
It was perhaps Cassidy’s last attempt on American soil “to lay down his sword and shield,” and in so doing, he left behind a piece of the Wild West. He turned in his Colt SAA .45; the jacket gun that Hanks claims could be seen poking out of his vest, under his jacket next to his heart; and the action of turning it in represents his last attempt to cooperate with the authorities for a life more ordinary.
The amnesty Colt remains a symbol of the duality of “the men of the West;” half hero, half outlaw, forged in steel conviction, yet fueled with the hope of the American dream. It is said Cassidy homesteaded in Argentina, further proof of his desire to settle down before being forced on to Bolivia.
Many, including Cassidy’s sister and Hanks, believe Cassidy found his way back to the States. The truth may never be known, but it is certain that the Robin Hood of the Wild West will remain one of the most intriguing American legends. The Pinkerton National Detective Agency described Cassidy as “a cheerful and amiable bandit with a pleasant, square-jawed face and an almost gentle appearance.” And, extremely dangerous.
California Auctioneers’ Saturday Sept. 29 session will feature a wide range of goods including French and American estate furniture, baby grand pianos, Galle, Lalique and Tiffany; Western and plein-air paintings, fine estate and antique jewelry; clocks, Lladro, antique dolls including some by Jumeau, toys, lighting, Oriental rugs, fine pottery, porcelain and glassware.
The Sunday, Sept. 30 session will feature historic and antique firearms, Native-American artifacts and jewelry, rugs, baskets, pottery, Western art, American antique furniture, collectibles and more.
For additional information, call 805-649-2686 or e-mail info@calauctioneers.com.
View RMK and Red Sky’s short documentary on the Colt at the end of this page.
Butch Cassidy’s ‘amnesty’ Colt SAA .45 gun with holster and extensive documentation. Est. $150,000-$250,000. Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers.com and California Auctioneers.
Historic beaded jacket that belonged to Crazy Horse, war leader of the Oglala Lakota. Provenance: private Texas collection. Est. $8,000-$12,000. Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers.com and California Auctioneers.
Outlaw Frank James’ Navy Colt percussion collection. Provenance: private Texas collection, Virginia museum. Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers.com and California Auctioneers.
Photograph of Lula Betenson (Parker), sister of Butch Cassidy and author of the book ‘Butch Cassidy, My Brother,’ holding the Colt SAA .45 #158402, which will be auctioned Sept. 30. Image courtesy of California Auctioneers.
Anonymous: Japanese album of 12 erotica paintings. Estimate: $500-$700. Michaan’s Auctions Inc. ALAMEDA, Calif. – The fine art selection in Michaan’s Oct. 7 Estate Auction will include over 160 lots from the 18th to 20th centuries. The sale is composed of, but not limited to, oil paintings, watercolors, etchings and woodblock prints as well as bronze and marble sculpture. Subjects range from landscapes to portraiture to genre paintings, with a large representation from European and American artists.
LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding for the 1,000-lot auction, which will begin at 10 a.m. PDT.
American artist Frederick William Becker’s Cypress Tree is featured as lot 105 in the sale ($2,000-$4,000). Cypress Tree is one such vibrant realist landscape oil in which the artist masterfully juxtaposes two natural subjects. A cypress tree is depicted on a seaside cliff with many of its branches clinging to the earth, helping to stabilize its position. In contrast, the ocean is seen in the background, fluid and effortless in nature. The image was inspired by the scenic 17-Mile Drive route along the Carmel/Monterey stretch of the road. The painting is signed “Frederick Becker.”
The jewelry selection offers over 175 lots with a wide variety of gemstone jewelry and Native American pieces available in October. Jade pieces are also substantially represented in bracelets, rings, pendants and brooches, including multiple lots of certified jadeite jade. Highlighting the sale is a gorgeous jade ring fashionably set in an Art Deco inspired mounting. The certified jade cabochon measures a substantial 11.7 x 18.1 x 8.1 millimeters and displays an ideal clover green hue with a lovely translucency. The simplicity of the jade is complemented by the clean, angular lines of the mounting – a beautiful marriage of East and West. The ring will be offered as lot 433 at an auction estimate of $7,000-$8,000.
Michaan’s Asian department presents over 160 lots, primarily from the 19th to 20th centuries. Scrolls, porcelains, bronzes, jade objects, furniture and Japanese artworks are among the available pieces. Lot 631 is a quality Japanese artwork of particular interest and one that is almost universally misunderstood. The album is dated to the 19th century and contains 12 erotic paintings in pencil and watercolor. Generally, this type of art known as shunga sought to express an ideal view of middle-class urban Japanese society. Shunga was largely perceived as conveying the enjoyment of life and not as a form of pornography, therefore, it did not detract from the artist’s reputation or prestige. The intriguing painting collection will be auctioned at an estimate of $500-$700.
Arguably the finest teddy bear on the market, Steiff stuffed bears were born from a company unlike any other. German-born Margarete Steiff was diagnosed with polio in 1852. Despite her condition, she went on to establish a small sewing business. In 1902 Richard Steiff, Margarete’s favorite nephew, joined the company. Although Margarete was skeptical, she allowed Richard to present a bear design at the Leipzig Toy Fair. A breakthrough came when an American businessman took notice of the bear, buying 3,000 of them. From 1906 on it was then sold under the name “Teddy bear” after U.S. President Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt. Its success brought the company to new international heights and established Steiff as the inventor of the teddy bear. Lot 1007 is a collection of six original vintage Steiff teddy bears. The lot includes an “original Teddy,” two “Zotty” bears, one “Cosy Orsi” bear and two “Teddy Baby” bears ($300-$400). Three other Steiff lots of assorted stuffed animals will also be available in the sale.
For more information please phone Michaan’s front desk at 510-740-0220.
Frederick William Becker (American 1888-1974), ‘Cypress Tress,’ oil on canvas, 30 x 24 inches. Estimate: $2,000-$4,000. Michaan’s Auctions Inc.Jade, white and black stone, sterling silver ring. Estimate: $7,000-$8,000. Michaan’s Auctions Inc.Six vintage Steiff stuffed bears. Estimate: $300-$400. Michaan’s Auctions Inc.
Composite photo showing both ends of a Lytro light field camera, taken after a presentation by Lytro CEO Ren Ng at HP Auditorium, Soda Hall, University of California, Berkeley. Photo by Dcoetzee, made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.
SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) – A radical camera that lets users adjust the focus after taking pictures will be available in October at shops in Australia, Canada, Singapore, Hong Kong and the United States.
The move announced on Tuesday marked an expansion for the Lytro, which began shipping in March but has been available only by order on the Internet.
“Since introducing the Lytro camera just six months ago, nearly 400,000 light field pictures have been shared on Lytro.com,” said Lytro chief executive Charles Chi.
“We are excited to take this picture revolution one step further by making Lytro available to more photographers in the US and around the world.”
The Lytro is the creation of Ren Ng, who started work on the digital camera while studying for a doctorate in computer science at Stanford University in California.
The telescope-shaped camera uses what is known as “light field technology” to allow the focal point of a digital image to be changed after the picture is taken, a feature that Lytro calls “shoot now, focus later.”
Clicking on a Lytro picture displayed on a computer screen allows a viewer to shift the focus from a subject in the foreground, for example, to a subject in the background.
The Lytro can do this because it uses powerful sensors to capture significantly more light than a conventional camera.
Lytro executive chairman Ng, who was born in Malaysia and raised in Australia, describes the images as “living pictures” because of the ability to manipulate them.
When Lytro pictures are shared online, the “light field engine” travels with each image so anyone can change focal points as desired.
The 16-gigabyte model of the camera, which is about the same size as a stick of butter and can fit easily in a pocket, costs $499 and can hold 750 pictures. An 8GB version costs $399 and can capture 350 images.
Lytro said that expanding availability of the cameras come as demand increases for the technology around the world.
“Australians are asking for the Lytro camera and we’re excited to bring it to them,” said Dan Miall of Blonde Robot, with is distributing the cameras in that country.
“There has been a lot of excitement to be a part of this next phase in photography and start producing light field pictures in Australia.”
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ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE
Composite photo showing both ends of a Lytro light field camera, taken after a presentation by Lytro CEO Ren Ng at HP Auditorium, Soda Hall, University of California, Berkeley. Photo by Dcoetzee, made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.
Tiffany Arrowroot lamp with confetti glass. Red Baron’s Private Reserve.
ATLANTA – Red Baron’s Private Reserve – the new incarnation of the venerable auction firm formerly known as Red Baron Antiques – will hold an inaugural sale on Saturday, Sept. 29, in its new gallery facility at 8655 Roswell Road, five miles north of its previous Atlanta location. LiveAuctioneers will provide Internet live bidding, which begins at 10 a.m. EDT.
Among the 475 lots to be sold are six rare and outstanding pianos that are no longer in production.
“We are excited to be kicking off the fall season at our brand new facility with an auction packed with some of the highest quality antiques and décor items available anywhere,” said Bob Brown, Red Baron’s owner throughout its long and storied history. “Everything you’ve seen at Red Baron’s has been condensed into our new and improved location. I urge everyone to attend.”
Aside from the pianos, the auction will also feature a never-used copy of a late 1800s-style brewery, vintage and collectible automobiles, fantastic bars, statuary and fountains (staples at most Red Baron’s auctions), boats, estate jewelry, fine art, vintage guns, furniture, neons, garden accents, rare and unusual oddities and an overall inventory that can’t be found elsewhere.
The six pianos are expected to take center stage (as they no doubt have countless times in the past). One is the ultimate piano: a sleek black Steinway Model D-455 9-foot grand piano. It has graced the concert stage of virtually every performance venue in America, and boasts the largest dynamic range of any piano made, from whispering pianissimo to thundering fortissimo.
Another Steinway grand piano certain to garner attention is an important French ormolu-mounted mahogany, satin, sycamore and stained fruitwood marquetry piano, made circa 1913. Previously auctioned through Christie’s, the piano features a case made by Maison Jansen (Paris) from a model by Joseph-Emmanuel Zwiener. Movement is Steinway & Sons (serial #162332).
The other four pianos include a gold-mounted Bechstein grand piano with satinwood inlay and ormolu, circa 1883; a Samick white baby grand piano, Model SG-172; a Chickering ebonized baby grand piano, made circa 1924, Model #146544; and a Bechstein oak grand piano, Model #39038.
“To have six pianos of this caliber in one auction is extraordinary,” Brown said.
The late 19th century-style brewery is bound to attract attention, both for it rarity and its functionality. Made in Germany (and the only example currently in the United States), the gold medal-winning brewery has toured the U.S. and Germany and is valued at $400,000. It is 13 feet 1 inch by 10 feet, with a height of 12 feet. It goes with the auction’s Oktoberfest theme.
Oher notable pieces include an amazing Lalique cactus table, a Tiffany Arrowroot lamp, collectibles such as an F-16/15 aircraft ejection chair, completely authentic, polished and lacquered and ideal for use as a desk chair (and a surefire conversation starter); and a pre-Civil War pirate hook arm.
There is no admission fee for this auction, which will begin promptly at 10 a.m. and end around 7 p.m.
Red Baron’s Private Reserve is always in the hunt for quality consignments for future auctions. To inquire about consigning a single item, an estate or a collection, send an e-mail to info@rbprivatereserve.com or phone 404-640-4604.
