October 2012 - Auction Central News

Clars Auction Gallery devoting entire sale to fine art Nov. 11

This impressive pen and ink drawing by Pablo Picasso titled ‘Nue Accroupi’ will be offered for $50,000 to $70,000. Clars Auction Gallery image.

OAKLAND, Calif. – Clars Auction Gallery will offer an impressive array of important fine art in every major category on Sunday, Nov. 11. LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding.

In the 20th century European, Modern category, one of the highlights of the sale is an impressive pen and ink drawing by Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881-1973), titled, Nue Accroupi (1902 – Cat Ref. Zervos, Vol. VI, no. 459) for $50,000-$70,000. In addition, Clars will be featuring a rare, Surrealist painting (that was purchased from the Atlantic Richfield Collection) titled, Vagaries of War (1946), by French artist, Henri Bernard Goetz (1909-1989) for $20,000-$40,000. Also, Clars will offer a beautiful post-expressionistic oil on canvas, St. Tropez, by Paul Augustin Aizpiri (French, b. 1919) for $20,000-$25,000.

The American, Modern and Contemporary categories will be equally as astounding. For the fourth time in less than a year, Clars will be offering another powerful work by sculptress Elizabeth Catlett (1915-2012) titled, Mother and Child, for $8,000 to $12,000. Also from the Atlantic Richfield collection, a painted steel sculpture titled Lippincott I (Maquette) by abstract sculptor, James Rosati (American, 1911-1988) for $10,000 to $15,000. Rounding out the sculpture category is a whimsical bronze by Richard MacDonald titled Whiteface (from the Mime series) for $6,000 to $8,000. In the paintings area, Clars will be offering a marvelous, yet complex, oil on canvas by William Theophilus Brown (American, 1919-2012) titled Football Players, 1952, for $6,000 to $8,000. Also featured is a voluptuous portrait of actress Jayne Mansfield by renowned, pin-up painter Earl Moran (American, 1893-1984) for $10,000-$15,000. Lastly one of the highlights in the prints category will be a mesmerizing woodcut composition by Helen Frankenthaler (American, 1928-2011) titled Cameo (1980 – Cat. Ref. 75, Harrison) that will be at offered at $5,000 to $7,000.

In the classic, late 19th and early 20th century department, there will be numerous important American and European paintings, prints and sculpture to choose from beginning with a large, richly executed painting by William Keith (American, 1838-1911) titled California Oaks for $20,000 to $40,000. Another painting titled Hawaiian Coast by Maurice Logan (American, 1886-1977) for $10,000 to $15,000, exemplifies the artist’s colorful, but dramatic use of color. On the European side, a striking, Orientalist painting titled A Moment of Prayer by Swiss painter, Rudolf Johann Weisse (1846-1933) will be offered for $40,000 to $60,000. For the passionate French Barbizon collector, a lovely, yet large, bucolic oil on panel titled Figures and Cows in a Country Landscape, 1874, by Charles Daubigny (1817-1878) will be available for $40,000 to $60,000. In the late 19th century sculpture category, there will be an astounding bronze by Henri Godet (French, 1863-1937) titled Le Ravissement de Psyche (after Bouguereau) for $15,000 to $20,000.

For Old Master enthusiasts and collectors, Clars will be featuring a monumental painting by Dutch still life artist Simon Pietersz Verelst (1644-1721) titled Roses, tulips, carnations, a butterfly and other flowers in a vase on a table. This important work is being offered for $25,000 to $35,000.

Clars’ Nov. 11 Fine Art Sale will be held in conjunction with their Nov. 10 and 11 auction of fine furnishings, decoratives, jewelry and Asian antiques.

For details call 510-428-0100 or email: info@clars.com.

Bidding for Clars auctions is available through www.liveauctioneers.com.

View the fully illustrated catalog and register to bid absentee or live via the Internet as the sale is taking place by logging on to www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

Estimated at $20,000 to $40,000 is this rare Surrealist painting titled ‘Vagaries of War’ by French artist Henri Bernard Goetz (1909-1989). Clars Auction Gallery image.

Among the key offerings from the late 19th and early 20th centuries is this striking Orientalist painting titled ‘A Moment of Prayer’ by Swiss painter Rudolf Johann Weisse (1846-1933), which will be offered for $40,000 to $60,000. Clars Auction Gallery image.

For the fourth time in less than a year, Clars will be offering another powerful work by sculptress Elizabeth Catlett (1915-2012). This work, titled ‘Mother and Child,’ is estimated to earn $8,000 to $12,000. Clars Auction Gallery image.

This monumental old master by Dutch still life artist Simon Pietersz Verelst (1644- 1721) titled ‘Roses, tulips, carnations, a butterfly and other flowers in a vase on a table,’ is being offered for $25,000 to $35,000. Clars Auction Gallery image.

This large bucolic oil on panel titled ‘Figures and Cows in a Country Landscape,’ 1874, by Charles Daubigny (1817-1878) will be available for $40,000 to $60,000. Clars Auction Gallery image.

New Jersey’s Bertoia Auctions issues post-storm statement

Marklin “Jolanda” clockwork luxury yacht with canopy over bow, circa 1915-1925, 16 inches long, est. $25,000-$27,000. Bertoia Auctions image.

VINELAND, N.J. – Situated only 38 miles from the Atlantic Ocean, Bertoia Auctions might have seemed an unavoidable target as Hurricane Sandy barreled up the East Coast on Monday. “But miraculously, we were spared,” said the firm’s owner, Jeanne Bertoia. “In fact, we never even lost our power, telephone or Internet service.”

Bertoia believes her gallery in Vineland avoided the storm’s destructive fury because of the particular path it took as it moved across coastal New Jersey toward New York. “The eye of the storm passed right through the city of Vineland. That was what saved us,” she said.

Today Bertoia’s issued a statement thanking customers for the “many thoughtful phone calls and e-mails” received after the storm. The statement also assured customers that business has continued without interruption at the gallery.

The statement reads, in part: “We want to assure you that our Saturday, Nov. 10 auction of the Dick Claus Collection Part II will take place as originally scheduled, with a start time of 1 p.m., Eastern US time. If you have arranged for a telephone line or plan to bid absentee or live via the Internet through LiveAuctioneers.com, please be assured that there has been no disruption and there is no reason for concern. Absolutely everything is running smoothly as we make our final preparations leading up to the sale.”

Jeanne Bertoia also noted that roads between I-95 and Vineland are clear and unaffected by flooding. “We look forward to greeting a full house of bidders on auction day,” she said.

View the fully illustrated catalog for the Nov. 10 auction of the Dick Claus Antique Toy Boat & Nautical Toy Collection – Part II and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

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View the fully illustrated catalog and register to bid absentee or live via the Internet as the sale is taking place by logging on to www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

ADDITIONAL LOT OF NOTE

London Eye: October 2012

The stand of Paris-based Galerie Meyer at the recent London Frieze Masters fair. The event

London has once again emerged, blinking, from the annual Frieze contemporary art fair that sweeps the city every October. This year, the usual disorientating dollop of up-to-the-minute contemporary art was tempered by the inaugural Frieze Masters event at the other end of Regents Park, where fairgoers feasted on classic modern works of art mixed with more ancient objects. Most of the punters we polled chose to visit just the contemporary fair, suggesting that the price of the joint ticket was beyond many recession-strapped pockets.

The trade seemed to approve of the new Frieze Masters, however, London Modern British dealers Osborne Samuel enjoying a positive reception for their Henry Moore solo show. Peter Osborne told London Eye it had been “an extremely good fair and long overdue. It put Frieze into context and all round did what we hoped it would. It was very well received; we sold five things including the most expensive and we met loads of really good new collectors from all over, many of whom had come for Frieze and found Frieze Masters afterwards. We’d do it again without hesitation.”

Similar feedback came from Paris-based Galerie Meyer, dealers in Oceanic art. Anthony Meyer told London Eye it was “a wonderful event, extremely well-organized with, of course, a few inconsequential growing pains which will be ironed out in the future.” Meyer concluded it was “worthwhile both in immediate sales and meeting the right people,” describing the clientele as “a very interesting, eclectic crowd, many of whom had never really seen high quality tribal art on display for sale in the UK because of the departure of the tribal auctions to Paris and New York.”

As for whether Frieze Masters could challenge The European Fine Art Fair (TEFAF), which takes place in Maastricht in the Netherlands every March, Anthony Meyer thinks not. “I will definitely do Frieze Masters again,” he said, “but it will not, and cannot, replace TEFAF.”

Ancient and modern is a developing theme in London at present. This week we were treated to an early preview of a fascinating loan exhibition which will take place at the British Antique Dealers’ Association (BADA) Fair in London early next year (March 13 to 19). The exhibition will feature a selection of watercolors by the influential painter and “topographer of the picturesque” William Payne (1760-1830). Curated by Payne expert and BADA Fair exhibitor John Spink, the show contrasts watercolor landscapes executed by Payne in the 18th century with the same scenes photographed today. The view across the Plym estuary to Saltram Park near Plymouth seems barely to have changed at all since Payne executed his View of Saltram Park from near Crab Tree,

William Payne's 'View of Saltram Park from near Crab Tree (left),' painted in the late 18th century, and the same scene today. Payne's topographical watercolors will feature in the loan exhibition to be shown at the BADA Fair from March 13 to 19. Image courtesy British Antiques Dealers' Association. — William Payne’s ‘View of Saltram Park from near Crab Tree (left),’ painted in the late 18th century, and the same scene today. Payne’s topographical watercolors will feature in the loan exhibition to be shown at the BADA Fair from March 13 to 19. Image courtesy British Antiques Dealers’ Association.

while his Swansea Bay from near Oystermouth Castle in south Wales is also strikingly similar to the same view today, save for the absence of a few picturesque peasants in the foreground and the Norman castle now obscured by trees.

William Payne's Swansea Bay from near Oystermouth Castle (right), painted in the late 18th century, and the same scene today. Among a series of works by Payne to be shown at the BADA Fair loan exhibition from March 13 to 19. Image courtesy British Antiques Dealers' Association. — William Payne’s Swansea Bay from near Oystermouth Castle (right), painted in the late 18th century, and the same scene today. Among a series of works by Payne to be shown at the BADA Fair loan exhibition from March 13 to 19. Image courtesy British Antiques Dealers’ Association.

The exhibition looks set to offer reassuring confirmation that despite the galloping pace of technological progress, the British landscape remains relatively unchanged—surely an appropriate theme for an antiques fair.

One person who will doubtless be hoping that her own paintings are still being enjoyed 200 years from now is Morag Donkin, a talented final year student at Edinburgh College of Art, whose Redhall House 1, an atmospheric oil and ink painting of a disused children’s home in Scotland, has just won the new Fleming-Wyfold Award.

Morag Donkin, first winner of the Fleming-Wyfold Award, with 'Redhall House 1,' her oil and ink on canvas view of a disused children's home in Scotland. Image courtesy of the Fleming-Wyfold Art Foundation. — Morag Donkin, first winner of the Fleming-Wyfold Award, with ‘Redhall House 1,’ her oil and ink on canvas view of a disused children’s home in Scotland. Image courtesy of the Fleming-Wyfold Art Foundation.

Named after the Fleming-Wyfold Art Foundation—the charity that runs the noted Fleming Collection, which supports emerging artists with Scottish heritage—the £2,000 award will give Donkin a welcome boost of confidence as she nears graduation. “It’s fantastic, I didn’t expect to win,” she said afterwards, adding that her work is grounded in research based around films, particularly horror movies. “I take an uncanny look at normal life,” she said. The spooky approach seems to be paying off.

It is often remarked that England had no school of home-grown painters during the 17th century, having to rely on the imported talents of the likes of Rubens and van Dyck for its visual culture. A new exhibition at the Courtauld Gallery places the German-born, Dutch-trained Peter Lely back among the greats of the Stuart painters, revealing him as an artist of true poetry and sensuality.

Peter Lely (1618-80), 'The Concert,' c. 1650. Oil on canvas, included in 'Peter Lely: A Lyrical Vision' at the Courtauld Gallery, London, until Jan. 13. Image courtesy the Courtauld Gallery. — Peter Lely (1618-80), ‘The Concert,’ c. 1650. Oil on canvas, included in ‘Peter Lely: A Lyrical Vision’ at the Courtauld Gallery, London, until Jan. 13. Image courtesy the Courtauld Gallery.

“Peter Lely: A Lyrical Vision,” currently on show until Jan. 13 features a largely forgotten group of early paintings depicting shepherds, nymphs, musicians and other naked or loosely attired figures luxuriating in pastoral landscapes. The canvas entitled Nymphs by a Fountain

Peter Lely (1618-80), 'Nymphs by a Fountain,' c. 1654. Oil on canvas. Included in the exhibition: 'Peter Lely: A Lyrical Vision' at the Courtauld Gallery, London, until Jan. 13. Image courtesy Dulwich Picture Gallery, London and the Courtauld Gallery. — Peter Lely (1618-80), ‘Nymphs by a Fountain,’ c. 1654. Oil on canvas. Included in the exhibition: ‘Peter Lely: A Lyrical Vision’ at the Courtauld Gallery, London, until Jan. 13. Image courtesy Dulwich Picture Gallery, London and the Courtauld Gallery.

is fairly representative of the unabashed eroticism that Lely excelled in at this time, recently prompting the loquacious London art critic Brian Sewell to label the exhibition “a bonne bouche of a show, a delicious morsel.” Certainly Lely’s Boy as a Shepherd

Peter Lely (1618-80), 'Boy as a Shepherd,' c. 1658-60. Oil on canvas. On view in 'Peter Lely: A Lyrical Vision' at the Courtauld Gallery, London until Jan. 13. Image courtesy Dulwich Picture Gallery, London and the Courtauld Gallery. — Peter Lely (1618-80), ‘Boy as a Shepherd,’ c. 1658-60. Oil on canvas. On view in ‘Peter Lely: A Lyrical Vision’ at the Courtauld Gallery, London until Jan. 13. Image courtesy Dulwich Picture Gallery, London and the Courtauld Gallery.

confirms why he won so many admirers at the time, despite the prevailing instability of the Civil War, by managing to evoke a timeless arcadian idyll using contemporary pictorial language.

As Lely’s show makes clear, the Old Masters were able to justify their liberal portrayal of naked flesh by framing their visions as mythological scenes. If the Peter Lely show at the Courtauld leaves your craving yet more disrobed cellulite, you might wander over to the Wallace Collection in Manchester Square where they are celebrating the recent restoration of the Allegory of Fruitfulness by the Flemish master Jacob Jordaens.

Jacob Jordaens, 'Allegory of Fruitfulness,' at the Wallace Collection, prior to conservation. Image courtesy of the Wallace Collection. — Jacob Jordaens, ‘Allegory of Fruitfulness,’ at the Wallace Collection, prior to conservation. Image courtesy of the Wallace Collection.

It perhaps goes without saying that this marvelous example of Golden Age painting is a rather more appropriate presence in the Wallace Collection’s red flock interiors than the Damien Hirst canvases parked there a year or two ago.

The Jordaens restoration also happens to be a good news story for the art market, for the conservation was made possible thanks to a generous donation of £40,000 from the Masterpiece Fair. The fair organized a charity gala dinner, inviting illustrious patrons and prominent museum curators with the aim of raising funds for one of London’s most treasured museums. Philip Hewat-Jaboor, chairman of Masterpiece, said, “We are delighted that Masterpiece London has been able to contribute to the conservation of this stunning and important work,” the unveiling of which serendipitously coincided with Harvest Festival Week earlier this month.

Jacob Jordaens, 'Allegory of Fruitfulnesson' view at the Wallace Collection and recently conserved thanks to a donation from London's Masterpiece Fair. Image courtesy of the Wallace Collection. — Jacob Jordaens, ‘Allegory of Fruitfulnesson’ view at the Wallace Collection and recently conserved thanks to a donation from London’s Masterpiece Fair. Image courtesy of the Wallace Collection.

And so to a contemporary theme. There is still time to catch the exhibition of typically innovative new paintings by Bruce McLean (born 1944) at the Bernard Jacobson Gallery in London’s Cork Street (until Nov. 3). The show, titled “The Shapes of Sculpture,” demonstrates McLean’s tireless exploration of what sculpture means today.

Bruce McLean in his studio. The artist's exhibition of paintings, titled 'The Shapes of Sculpture,' continues at the Bernard Jacobson Gallery in Cork Street until Nov. 3. Photograph by Gill Vaux, courtesy Bernard Jacobson and the artist. — Bruce McLean in his studio. The artist’s exhibition of paintings, titled ‘The Shapes of Sculpture,’ continues at the Bernard Jacobson Gallery in Cork Street until Nov. 3. Photograph by Gill Vaux, courtesy Bernard Jacobson and the artist.

Bruce McLean (b. 1944), 'The generation game of sculpture, a cuddly toy, a .... no I've said that,' (2010). Oil on canvas. © Bruce McLean. Image courtesy Bernard Jacobson and the artist. — Bruce McLean (b. 1944), ‘The generation game of sculpture, a cuddly toy, a …. no I’ve said that,’ (2010). Oil on canvas. © Bruce McLean. Image courtesy Bernard Jacobson and the artist.

As the gallery phrases it, McLean has, since the 1960s, been interrogating “the condition of sculpture, the nature of its validity, its diverse possibilities of meaning, its propositions and pretensions, its presentations, positionings and re-positionings, its private and public settings, indoor and outdoor, and its critical contexts.” Phew!

Given the brouhaha about public sculpture recently reignited by the installation of Damien Hirst’s monumental bronze écorché figure of a pregnant woman in the sleepy little north Devon seaside town of Ilfracombe, McLean’s show promises a welcome and thoughtful meditation on a perennially controversial topic.

As we indicated in an earlier London Eye, London’s famous Cork Street remains an endangered focal point of the art trade, despite its long and noble history. Watch this space for more news on whether it will survive the recent decision to evict the galleries to make way for radical commercial property development.

Joyce Gallery Auction to sell Chinese ceramics, art Nov. 10

Pair of Chinese carved bamboo incense cylinder, carved with continuous landscape of figures conversing and playing games beneath a large openwork pine tree. 25 centimeters high by 8.2 centimeters diameter. Joyce Gallery Auction image.

HONG KONG – Joyce Gallery Auction will present Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art II on Nov. 10. The auction will be composed of more than 287 lots and featurw a broad range of art and objects – jade, porcelain, ceramics, and archaic and later bronzes. LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding.

Highlighting the sale is a large painted Cizhou jar, Yuan dynasty, which was heavily potted and freely painted with three large medallions enclosing figures and lotus blossoms in dark iron-brown on a cream ground.

Additional highlights include:

Lot 026: Chinese fine jade brushwasher with three boys, Qing Dynasty, carved with three children playing with ruyis knot of ribbon and instrument, 10.5 centimeters high.
Lot 209: pair of Chinese carved bamboo incense cylinder, carved with continuous landscape of figures conversing and playing games beneath a large openwork pine tree. 25 centimeters high by 8.2 centimeters diameter.
Lot 231: Chinese bronze curved shaped boar decoration, Western Zhou period, 10.6 centimeters wide.
Lot 247: Chinese bronze dagger ax, Spring and Autumn period, 21.5 centimeters wide.
Lot 248: Chinese bronze wine vessel, Zhi, Late Shang period,12cm high by 9.1 centimeters wide.

The auction will begin Saturday, Nov. 10, at 5:30 p.m., PST (Sunday, Nov. 11, 9:30 a.m. Hong Kong time).

For details regarding lots, bidding or any assistance, contact Joyce Gallery Auctions via phone +852 2517 0180 or email joycegalleryauction@gmail.com.

Internet live bidding will be provided by LiveAuctioneers.com.

View the fully illustrated catalog and register to bid absentee or live via the Internet as the sale is taking place by logging on to www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

Chinese fine jade brushwasher with three boys, Qing Dynasty, carved with three children playing with ruyis knot of ribbon and instrument,10.5 centimeters high. Joyce Gallery Auction image.

Chinese bronze curved shaped boar decoration, Western Zhou period, 10.6 centimeters wide. Joyce Gallery Auction image.

Chinese bronze dagger ax, Spring and Autumn period, 21.5 centimeters wide. Joyce Gallery Auction image.

Chinese bronze wine vessel, Zhi, late Shang period,12 centimeters high by 9.1 centimeters wide. Joyce Gallery Auction image.

Large painted Cizhou jar, Yuan Dynasty. Estimate: $15,000-20,000. Joyce Gallery Auction image.

Jewish former owners want return of Monet masterpiece

Claude Monet (French, 1840-1926), 'Poppy Field near Vetheuil,' completed 1879.

GENEVA (AFP) – The grandson of a wealthy Jewish businessman is demanding that a Swiss foundation return a Monet masterpiece that the family was forced to sell for a fraction of its value as they fled Europe during World War II, a Swiss newspaper reported Wednesday.

Juan Carlos Emden, the Chilean grandson of Max Emden who bought French master Claude Monet’s “Poppy Field near Vetheuil” in the 1920s, is seeking to recover the painting from the Swiss Buehlre collection, the Neue Zuercher Zeitung (NZZ) reported.

Max Emden was forced to flee Nazi Germany in 1933 for Ticino in Switzerland, where he built the Villa Emden to house his large art collection, including “Poppy Field near Vetheuil”, one of Monet’s most famous paintings.

After his death in 1940, his only son Hans Erich Emden was forced to sell his father’s art collection in haste to finance his trip fleeing Europe for South America.

He sold the Monet for just 30,000 Swiss francs to a Jewish German merchant, who in turn sold it to Swiss citizen Emil Buehrle for 35,000 francs.

According to NZZ, the painting is today valued at around 25 million francs ($27 million, 21 million euros).

Juan Carlos Emden, who has reportedly been fighting for years to regain ownership of his grandfather’s painting, is planning to travel to Zurich to discuss with his lawyers how to recover the masterpiece, the paper said.

The Buehrle foundation, which houses a renowned collection that also includes other works by Monet, as well works by Manet, Renoir and Van Gogh among others, could not be immediately reached for comment.

“Poppy Field near Vetheuil” was stolen during a spectacular heist at the Buehrle museum in Zurich in 2008 with three other works of art, but it was found several days later in the trunk of a car in a Zurich parking lot.

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ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE

Noteworthy table to head Lewis & Maese auction Nov. 7

Raoul Dufy's 'Les Marins a Toulon.' Estimate: $50,000-$60,000. Lewis & Maese Antiques and Auctions image.

HOUSTON – It was the evening of June 11, 2004, following President Ronald Reagan’s state funeral in Washington, D.C. Robert and Mica Mosbacher Sr. held an informal 80th birthday dinner party for President George H.W. Bush in their River Oaks home on Lazy Lane in Houston. Seven heads of state were at their dining room table that night.

This historic table will be sold to the highest bidder, along with more than 350 additional lots of antiques, wine and fine furnishings from Houston estates, on Wednesday, Nov. 7, at 6:30 p.m. CST at Lewis & Maese Antiques and Auctions. LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding.

Guests at the Mosbacher home that evening included former president of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev, Vice President Dick Cheney, former British Prime Minister John Major, former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, former Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Perez, former president of Mexico Carlos Salinas, former Vice President Dan Quayle, Secretary of State James Baker and former Saudi ambassador Prince Bandar.

During the evening, Cheney and Gorbachev had a long meeting which the vice president recounts in his 2011 autobiography In My Time. Robert Mosbacher was a U.S. Secretary of Commerce from 1989-1992 during Bush’s term as president.

Auction items include a $300,000 fine wine collection and works by artists Raoul Dufy, Pablo Picasso, Paul Signac, Alexander Calder, Henri Matisse and William Wissing. Also featured are Minton and Wedgwood china, Lalique, Baccarat, Waterford crystal and sterling silver serving pieces.

Other important items include four Greco-Roman stone sculptures dating back approximately 2,000 years.

Bronze statuary, torchieres, French antiques and contemporary fine furnishings by Ralph Lauren and Baker will also be auctioned. Twelve antique Louis XVI-style dining room chairs used with the Mosbacher table will be sold in a separate lot. The table includes two leaves and can seat 22 persons using Chivari chairs. Diamond and sapphire estate jewelry, Persian rugs and an 18th century French mirror will also be sold.

David Joseph Lewis will be auctioneering, TX license #16317. For details call 713-869-1335.

View the fully illustrated catalog and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet at LiveAuctioneers.com.

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View the fully illustrated catalog and register to bid absentee or live via the Internet as the sale is taking place by logging on to www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

ADDITIONAL LOT OF NOTE

Famed Britains collection leads march to Old Toy Soldier’s Nov. 16-18 sale

Courtenay #H13 Louis Sieur de Brosse, signed by Richard Courtenay on the base. Est. $300-$450. Old Toy Soldier Auctions image.

PITTSBURGH – The renowned Dr. Arthur Puglisi collection will serve as the centerpiece of Old Toy Soldier Auctions’ big Nov. 16-18 sale of antique, vintage and contemporary soldiers and figures. In addition to the Puglisi collection, OTSA will offer other important properties during the 1,500-lot specialty event with bidding methods including absentee, by phone or live via the Internet through LiveAuctioneers.com.

The Friday session, which will start at 3 p.m., is devoted to contemporary toy soldiers whose production dateline begins in 1972. There are many examples of popular King & Country figures, as well as soldiers from Nostalgia, Ducal and Lucotte, a French brand that was actually founded in 1785.

“Pre-World War I Lucotte soldiers are very rare, very desirable and very pricey,” said OTSA owner Ray Haradin. “A century later, in the 1990s, Lucotte starting producing figures that were of a higher quality than what many of their competitors were manufacturing. Their range was even more expensive than Mignot’s contemporary line. Where a 1990s set from Mignot typically might have been priced around $200, a Lucotte set would have sold for $300 to $500. Many collectors look for Lucotte soldiers from this era, and we have quite a few in the sale.”

Around 50 sets by Washington, DC master painter and modeler Neil Rhodes will be offered. The sets were created at the behest of a famous Britains collector in Cleveland named William J. Miele, who is actually the consignor.

“Mr. Miele had the largest collection of Britains ever assembled. He sold it in the 1990s,” Haradin explained. “At that time, he commissioned Neil Rhodes to make sets that looked like Britains and titled them ‘sets that Britains should have made.’” Among the sets to be auctioned is a custom-painted Boer War RFA oxen-drawn 4.7 Naval Gun Team with crew, officer and handlers. It is expected to realize $500-$700.

The 370-lot opening session will also feature Alymer’s (Spanish) Banners Forward medieval knights, plus toy soldiers by Fusilier and Hiriart; and a selection of Dante Troiani Civil War figures.

The Saturday and Sunday sessions will be devoted primarily to the Dr. Arthur Puglisi collection, which Haradin described as “heavy on Britains, from the earliest of ‘first versions’ through to the postwar period. Dr. Puglisi has always been a completist who wanted an example of everything.” The collection comprises approximately 540 sets, half of which retain their original boxes.

The collection is rich with highlights, including an extremely rare Britains Set 316 Royal Horse Artillery at the Halt, with original boxes. The set is estimated at $2,500-$3,500.

Sets of bands are particularly well represented in the Puglisi collection. A very rare 23-piece Salvation Army Band Set 1317 is entered in the sale with a $4,000-$6,000 estimate. Another coveted set is the Bahamas Police Band #2186, which is valued at $2,000-$3,000.

A very nice array of Courtenay figures will be auctioned, as well as some Lou Steinberg dime store conversion figures. Steinberg figures have done exceptionally well in OTSA’s past events, with one particular figure exceeding $1,000 in the company’s June sale.

Several Timpo sets are in the auction lineup. A highlight is the circa-1955 “Quentin Durward” set, near mint with figures still tied in place in their original box. The set is based on the film version of Sir Walter Scott’s “The Adventures of Quentin Durward,” about the exploits of an honorable but penniless 15th-century Scottish knight.

Additionally, the weekend sessions will include an excellent sampling of Stadden figures – including Super Staddens painted by Charles Stadden himself – some quality Rose figures, and numerous civilian figures by various manufacturers.

There will be many German-made Heyde figures in the auction, including a number of military sets. A Heyde Zoo – with giraffe cage, cat and bear enclosures; and several outbuildings – will go under the hammer on Saturday.

Old Toy Soldier’s Nov. 16-18, 2012 auction is an absentee, phone and Internet live bidding event that will commence at 3 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday, Nov. 16, and 10 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 17 and 18. Absentee bids, including those placed online via www.LiveAuctioneers.com, must be made no later than 24 hours prior to the sale in order to be accepted. Phone lines must be reserved no later than 24 hours prior to the sale in order to bid by phone as the auction is in progress.

To obtain condition reports or additional information on any lot in the sale, call Ray Haradin at 412-343-8733 (tollfree: 800-349-8009) or e-mail raytoys@aol.com.

View the fully illustrated catalog and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

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View the fully illustrated catalog and register to bid absentee or live via the Internet as the sale is taking place by logging on to www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

Lucotte (modern) 3rd Regiment Infantry of the Line, 12 pieces, boxed, excellent condition. Est. $250-350. Old Toy Soldier Auctions image.

Neil Rhodes custom-painted 18-piece Boer War RFA oxen-drawn 4.7 Naval Gun Team with crew, officer and handlers. Est. $600-800. Old Toy Soldier Auctions image.

Britains Set # 91, pre-WWI, United States Infantry at Slope. Est. $3,000-$5,000.  Old Toy Soldier Auctions image.

Britains Set # 316 Royal Horse Artillery at the Halt with escort and officer. Est. $2,500-$3,500.

Timpo circa-1955 Quentin Durward display set, 11 pieces. Est. $5,000-6,000. Old Toy Soldier Auctions image.

Heyde Zoo, 29 pieces with giraffe cage, cat and bear enclosures, other building, fencing and animals. Est. $4,500-$6,000. Old Toy Soldier Auctions image.

Britains 24-piece pre-WWII #1317 Salvation Army Band and Flag Bearer. Est. $4,000-$6,000. Old Toy Soldier Auctions image.

Austin Auction Gallery to sell Texas legends’ treasures Nov. 11

Framed Texas flag and football embroidery carried to the moon aboard U.S. space mission, Apollo 16 signed by the astronauts. Austin Auction Gallery image.

AUSTIN, Texas – While there are many true legends that call Austin their home, the late University of Texas football Coach Darrell K. Royal and renowned restaurateur and designer Beau Theriot, definitely belong on that list. Austin Auction Gallery will host a historic auction event featuring sports memorabilia and antiques from the private collections of both on Sunday, Nov. 11 at 11 a.m. CST. Live online and absentee bidding is available via LiveAuctioneers.com.

“The Coach,” as he was known by many, was the winningest coach in the University of Texas Longhorn history serving from 1957 to 1976. He and his wife, Edith, shared their lives for more than 65 years, making their love of football, country music, friendships and triumph part of it all. [Ed.- Darrell Royal passed away on Nov. 7, 2012.]

Mrs. Royal said that she and Darrell truly treasured all of the awards and mementos that will be offered at auction, but that they had found a need to downsize.

“I’m hoping that Darrell’s fans will be the ones that purchase the UT things and they will treasure them…,” said Edith Royal. “I love the memories – it was fun to rediscover them.”

The Royal collection contains sports memorabilia including University of Texas championship rings, signed footballs, vintage programs and signed photos. Also included are three rare Apollo moon flags, originally presented to Mr. and Mrs. Royal as gifts by the lunar astronauts. The highlight is a Texas Flag carried to the moon on the 1972 Apollo 16 moon mission, signed by astronauts Charles Duke, John Young and Ken Mattingly. Included is a photo of Charles Duke with arm outstretched and note to Darrell Royal, “I could not quite come up with a hook ‘um horns sign.” The flags were loaned to the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum, by the Royals, as part of the exhibit “To the Moon: The American Space Program in the 1960s,” which ran until the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing in 2009. As for this particular flag, Mrs. Royal said, “Charlie got it out and rubbed it on the moon’s surface. It is framed, so if it has any dust on it, it’s moon dust!”

The Theriot collection is composed of antiques and artifacts personally collected from around the world by iconic restaurateur, designer and builder Beau Theriot.

In the early 1980s, Theriot wanted to open up a hamburger joint on Lake Travis. His idea eventually turned into The Oasis, which has been open since 1982 and is recognized as the “Sunset Capital of Texas.” His creative journey started in Houston with the classy Brownstone Restaurant. Theriot has won recognition for over a quarter century for his work as an interior designer,which began when patrons noticed his exquisite taste in decorating the Brownstone.

“For the last 40 years, I have been an incurable collector and I’ve never bought anything that I did not want myself,” Theriot said. “If I’m going to keep collecting, it is time to let other people enjoy these beautiful things.”

The Theriot collection boasts fine antiques and home décor gathered from the Orient to Brazil. Perhaps the most interesting piece to cross the block is a Western painting titled, The Bank Robber, by Gary Lynn Roberts (Texas, Montana, b. 1953). The painting measuring 48 inches high by 72 inches wide is the only surviving piece of art from a fire that consumed the original Oasis restaurant in 2005.

Other highlights include a Continental Baroque cabinet, 18th century, elaborately carved in relief with winged cherub masks and fruit pendants. A selection of Maitland-Smith furniture and lighting will also be offered. A pair of cloisonné enamel palace urns measuring 51 inches high head a large group of Chinese antiques.

“We are selling rare, beautiful things in the auction,” said Jeff Hayes, the new director of operations for Theriot Retail Interests LP. “Each piece represents a period of time or place geographically where Beau traveled, and is dear to him.”

In early 2012, Edith Royal created the Darrell K. Royal Research Fund for Alzheimer’s Disease.

A portion of the proceeds from both collections will be donated to the DKR Alzheimer’s Research Fund.

For details contact Austin Auction Gallery at 512-258-5479, Ross Featherston, #8069.

View the fully illustrated catalog and register to bid absentee or live via the Internet as the sale is taking place by logging on to www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

2006 Texas Longhorn football national championship ring, inscribed 'Darrell Royal, SA.' Austin Auction Gallery image. — 2006 Texas Longhorn football national championship ring, inscribed ‘Darrell Royal, SA.’ Austin Auction Gallery image.

Signed Cotton Bowl game ball presented to Darrel Royal. Austin Auction Gallery image.

Autographed 15th annual Classic Sugar Bowl program, Jan. 1, 1949, North Carolina vs. Oklahoma, signed by Darrell Royal, Oklahoma coaching staff and 40 players. Austin Auction Gallery image.

Chinese cloisonne enamel gilt palace urns. Austin Auction Gallery image.

Superstorm deflates Intrepid’s Space Shuttle Pavilion

Space Shuttle Enterprise being lifted off a barge and into place at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum on June 6, 2012. Photo: NASA/Bill Ingalls.

NEW YORK — The superstorm has caused the Space Shuttle Pavilion at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum to deflate.

A statement from museum president Susan Marenoff-Zausner says unprecedented levels of water on the Hudson River flooded both the museum’s main power source and backup generators Monday.

She says the resulting power problem caused the pavilion, which is like a giant bubble of material that houses the shuttle Enterprise, to deflate.

The shuttle Enterprise itself was draped in protective cloth.

Marenoff-Zausner says rebuilding will begin when it’s safe enough to work, but that the museum is closed for now.

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ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE

Image taken on Oct. 30, 2012, shows damage inflicted by Hurricane Sandy to the vertical stabilizer of Enterprise, which is displayed at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City. Photo by Jim Henderson, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

Churchill ‘At His Darkest Hour’ painting on loan to UK’s NPG

'Winston Churchill' by William Orpen, 1916, Lent by the Churchill Chattels Trust; Image © National Portrait Gallery, London

LONDON – The National Portrait Gallery has been lent a major portrait of Winston Churchill, a rarely seen life-size painting by William Orpen, one of Britain’s most significant portrait painters and war artists. It goes on display at the gallery starting Thursday, Nov. 1, 2012.

Painted in 1916, during the darkest moment in the statesman’s career, Churchill regarded it as the finest portrait of himself. Capturing a mood of uncertainty in this introspective portrait, Orpen spoke of the misery expressed in the face. Churchill told the artist, “It is not the picture of a man. It is the picture of a man’s soul.”

Throwing himself into military strategy in the First World War, Churchill’s level of involvement ran the risk of his being held personally responsible for failure, as turned out to be the case in the Battle of Gallipoli, 1915-16, fought in the Dardanelles Straits and the Gallipoli peninsular. At Kitchener’s urging Churchill had tried to secure the Straits in a naval campaign, but it ended in disaster. By the time the troops were evacuated in 1916 some 46,000 Allied troops had been killed. As a result of this event, Churchill resigned. His public reputation was only partly rehabilitated by the Dardanelles commission, 1916-1917, which concluded that he was not personally responsible for the failure of the operation.

This portrait was painted in the year of the Dardanelles commission. At this date Churchill had lost his position in government, and was preparing to defend himself against charges of incompetent and reckless leadership. Meetings of the commission were held in secret and Churchill was constrained in the evidence he was able to submit, reluctant as he was to damage Kitchener’s reputation.

Orpen’s portrait captures an important moment – a crisis in Churchill’s career – which evokes a very different impression from that of the defiant hero of later popular imagination. This questioning, deeply personal portrait illustrates a painful episode in Churchill’s early career, offering insights not only into the sitter, but also of the harrowing responsibilities of military leadership during the First World War.

By agreement between the estate of the late Winston S. Churchill (the grandson of Sir Winston Churchill) and the National Portrait Gallery, the portrait is now on long-term loan to the National Portrait Gallery. This arrangement respects the wishes of the late Winston S. Churchill that the portrait should be shown at the Gallery, and meets the current requirements for public access for exempted works of art.

The five-by-four feet portrait is displayed prominently in the Gallery’s early 20th-century room, illustrating Churchill’s significance in the context of the First World War. In future years the portrait will be made available to the Churchill Museum (Imperial War Museum) for special displays.

The National Portrait Gallery owns paintings of Churchill by Ambrose McEvoy (c.1911-15), Walter Sickert (1927) and Graham Sutherland (1954). Churchill is also depicted by Sir James Guthrie in the large group portrait Statesmen of World War I.

Sandy Nairne, Director, National Portrait Gallery, London, said, “I am very pleased that the Churchill family has agreed that this outstanding portrait by William Orpen of Winston Churchill, the nation’s greatest 20th century statesman, should now be on public display.”

Visit the National Portrait Gallery online at www.npg.org.uk.

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