Marcel Breuer, designer, American (b. Hungary), 1902–1981; Isokon Furniture Co., manufacturer, London, 1935–1939; Long chair, 1936, plywood; Carnegie Museum of Art, DuPuy Fund and Decorative Arts Purchase Fund, 90.19.
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Like an early version of the Internet, the World’s Fair brought ideas from all over the globe to one place.
The first opened in London in 1851 with the goals of showing how technology can inspire art and help sell new products. The best ideas drew adoring masses, competitors, and copycats.
Now visitors to the Carnegie Museum of Art can see what all the fuss was about. A new traveling exhibit – “Inventing the Modern World: Decorative Arts at the World’s Fairs” – features a variety of pieces displayed at World’s Fairs over the years, up until 1939. The exhibit highlights the marriage of art, science and industry.
“It was their Internet. This is where they came to see what was new and what was great in decorative arts,” said Dawn Reid, a curatorial assistant for the show.
While craftspeople have experimented for thousands of years, the combination of international audiences and new technologies led to intense bursts of innovation and competition at the fairs, said Jason Busch, a co-curator of the exhibit.
For example, one dressing table was made entirely of silver – something that Colonial craftsmen would never have dreamed of doing.
“It’s about 1,200 ounces of silver, and 2,500 hours of labor to create it,” Busch said.
Sometimes the techniques were traditional, but the end product had a modern feel.
One multiscreen panel created by Japanese artists used thousands and thousands of strands of silk, in 250 shades, to create a shimmering, shifting picture of waves and a horizon at sea. The work is so detailed that from a distance it can be mistaken for a photograph.
A quirky masterpiece is an 1867 piano made out of exquisite layers of papier-mache with mother-of-pearl inlays. And when a Pittsburgh-area religious order, the Harmonists, made silk textiles, they raised the silkworms themselves.
Over time designers experimented with less precious materials, such as a curved lounge chair from 1936 made out of bent plywood. Pyrex, nylon and stainless steel were used, too. In 1925, J. & L. Lobmeyr added uranium to the glass in a group of bowls, causing the colors to change under different types of light.
The exhibit opened Saturday and runs through Feb. 24. It also will make stops at the New Orleans Museum of Art and the Mint Museum in Charlotte, N.C. The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, Mo., co-curated the show.
Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE
Marcel Breuer, designer, American (b. Hungary), 1902–1981; Isokon Furniture Co., manufacturer, London, 1935–1939; Long chair, 1936, plywood; Carnegie Museum of Art, DuPuy Fund and Decorative Arts Purchase Fund, 90.19.
AMSTERDAM, N.Y. – On Sunday, Oct. 28, 2012, Carden Family Auction Services will offer a selection of fine art by Lithuanian artist the late Matthew M. Orante IV. The sale will feature more than 300 lots, with Internet live bidding through LiveAuctioneers.com.
Auction lots include Orante artworks from the 1930s through 2003. Among the offerings are oils on canvas, woodcarvings, stone sculptures and a fantastic line of Orante hand-made violins.
“The violins are of the highest quality in both looks and sound,” said auctioneer Kenneth E. Carden. “We will also auction many other instruments hand crafted by Matthew Orante.”
The event will open with several of Orante’s paintings of kings, knights, battle scenes, and castles, along with shields, landscape art and some florals. The grouping will be followed by 59 lots of musical instruments and additional Orante artworks.
The sale will close with several lots of oils displaying symbols and shields reflecting Orante’s Lithuanian homeland, as well as some of his unique hand-carved wood belt buckles, several medieval folk art instruments and weapons. Standing guard over the collection is a complete knight’s suit of armor, which will be auctioned, as well.
The Sunday, Oct. 28 auction will commence at 2 p.m. For additional information on any item in this sale, contact Kenneth E. Carden by e-mailing papaken23@yahoo.com or calling 518-369-1467.
View the fully illustrated catalog and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.
James A.M. Whistler (American, 1834-1903), ‘Eagle Wharf,’ etching, est. $1,400-$1,600. Auctions Neapolitan image.NAPLES, Fla. – At this year’s fall edition of their popular Collectors’ Delight auction, Auctions Neapolitan will offer 640 lots of excellent-quality fine and decorative art from several local consignors. The Oct. 20 auction features two headliners: the personal art collection of the late Margaret “Peg” Longstreath-Goldberg, who owned a respected contemporary art gallery in Naples; and hand-picked selections from a local residence in elite Port Royal.
An overview of the auction reveals an abundance of 19th- and 20th-century fine and decorative art, contemporary paintings, American, English and Continental silver; Tiffany glass, Meissen and Sevres; Asian ivories, French clocks and furniture. LiveAuctioneers.com will provide the Internet live bidding.
An oil-on-canvas forest scene with figures – regarded as one of the top paintings in the sale – was a collaboration between two accomplished Continental painters: Hendrick Pieter Koekkoek (Dutch, 1843-circa 1890) and Belgian artist Albert Roosenboom (1845-1873). Roosenboom was a student of Constantin Meunier, while Koekkoek, known for his Dutch and English landscapes, was a member of the four-generation Koekkoek family dynasty of artists. The beautifully framed Koekkoek/Roosenboom oil in Auctions Neapolitan’s sale is expected to make $3,000-$5,000.
Thirteen etchings by James A.M. Whistler (American, 1834-1903) will cross the auction block. All appear to be depictions of landmarks and scenes in England, where Whistler lived for several years. Among the titles of the Whistler artworks to be sold are: “Old Westminster Bridge,” “Chelsea Bridge and Church,” and “Early Morning Battersea.” The average estimate is $1,400-$1,500 per etching.
Art highlights from the Longstreith-Goldberg contemporary collection include works by Mark Chatterly and Kurt Larisch; a large, colorful acrylic on canvas by David Meyers, est. $1,200-$1,400; and an “outsider”-style work by Sontina Reid, est. $400-$600.
The art lineup continues with a G.H. Rothe (American, 1935-2007) mezzotint engraving of Bolshoi ballerinas, $300-$500; an array of French posters including an automotive-theme advertisement for Phares Ducellier headlights by Phillippe Chapellier, $1,100-$1,300; and a Russian wartime propaganda painting that translates, “Want Peace? Go to War.” The latter is estimated at $400-$600.
The soft sheen of old sterling silver filled Auctions Neapolitan’s gallery with the arrival of numerous flatware sets and pattern pieces by Tiffany, Wallace (including Grand Baroque), Gorham (including Chantilly) and many other top names. There are both decorative and utilitarian pieces in the silver category, from salvers and fish sets to elegant candelabra. Silver teapots include an 18th-century pot by John Eames.
A teapot is never far from a tea caddy, and there is a wide variety from which to choose in Auctions Neapolitan’s sale. A particularly attractive example is the Lac Burgaute painted and lacquered caddy with mother-of-pearl embellishment.
Additionally, there is a collection of approximately 20 Russian silver spoons, each enameled and hallmarked. Fashioned from another precious metal and exhibiting timeless chic, a vintage 14K yellow gold mesh purse weighs in at 154.2 dwt and is expected to make $6,000-$8,000.
A wonderful 25-piece L.C. Tiffany set consisting of a decanter with stemmed cordial and wine glasses will be offered as one lot with an estimate of $6,000-$8,000. “This is an exceptionally beautiful set,” commented Auctions Neapolitan’s owner, Kathleen Pica. “The glass is gold Favrile with strong pink and blue highlights – it’s quintessential Tiffany and quite special.”
Pica believes there will be strong interest in three 19th-century Meissen figurines of children by the German designer Konrad Hentschel (1872-1907). “Unfortunately, Hentschel did not live a long life, so he did not leave an extensive legacy of his work. The juvenile subjects in his painted porcelain figurines are very endearing and always in demand with collectors,” Pica said. Hentschel’s “Girl with Doll Stroller” produced by Meissen carries a presale estimate of $800-$1,200.
Other porcelain and china lots in the auction include productions by Sevres, Herend, Royal Copenhagen and Bing & Grondahl, as well as Chinese export, Old Paris, Meissen Blue Onion and other blue-and-white wares. An early Daum Nancy floral cameo glass bowl could realize $1,500-$2,000.
The Asian selection includes Satsuma pottery, famille rose, Chinese and Japanese carved ivories; and a handsome rhinoceros-shape incense burner carved from jade.
Also listed among the sale’s noteworthy lots are a Black Forest humidor carved as a dog, a particularly nice18th-century Chippendale walnut slant-front desk, and a lavishly carved Victorian wall mirror with fan-shape glass and putti in high relief.
Auctions Neapolitan’s Saturday, Oct. 20 auction will commence at 12 noon Eastern Time. For additional information, call 239-262-7333 or e-mail sales@auctionsN.com.
View the fully illustrated catalog and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.
L.C. Tiffany 25-piece Favrile art glass decanter and stemware set, est. $6,000-$8,000. Auctions Neapolitan image.
Early Daum Nancy floral cameo glass bowl, est. $1,500-$2,000. Auctions Neapolitan image.
Hendrick P. Koekkoek (Dutch, 1843-circa 1890) and Albert Roosenboom (Belgian, 1845-1873) landscape with figures, oil on canvas, est. $3,000-$5,000. Auctions Neapolitan image.
Konrad Hentschel for Meissen porcelain figurine, ‘Girl with Doll Stroller,’ est. $800-$1,200. Auctions Neapolitan image.
Chinese carved jade rhinoceros incense burner, est. $700-$900. Auctions Neapolitan image.
Rococo-style carved walnut mirror with putti, est. 400-$600. Auctions Neapolitan image.
DETROIT — More than 200 precious objects made under the direction of Karl Fabergé provide a glimpse into a bygone era of Russian imperial glory in the exhibition Faberge: The Rise and Fall, Collection of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, on view at the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) now through Jan. 21, 2013. In addition to the array of stunning artworks, the exhibition explores Fabergé’s rise to international fame and the eventual demise of his designer brand, House of Fabergé.
For more than 40 years, the House of Fabergé, led by Karl Fabergé, produced world-renowned luxury objects during one of the most decadent and turbulent eras in modern Russian history. At the height of its success, the company employed more than 1,500 craftsmen and was selling today’s equivalent of $175 million worth of goods per year. The exhibition traces the story of Fabergé’s business savvy, artistic innovations and privileged relationship with the Russian aristocracy, especially the Romanov imperial family.
“Visitors will certainly be fascinated by the quality, craftsmanship and sheer beauty of these exquisite objects,” said Graham W. J. Beal, DIA director. “Their opulence is a reflection of the lifestyles of the people for whom they were created, and while it’s tempting to just present an exhibition of ‘pretty things,’ we also provide a look at the House of Fabergé’s rise to prominence and how social and political factors led to its downfall.”
Visitors have the rare opportunity to view imperial Russian treasures, including jewel-encrusted parasol handles, an array of enameled frames, a menagerie of animals carved from semi-precious stones, and one-of-a-kind miniature egg pendants. The DIA is privileged to showcase six imperial Easter eggs, of which only 50 survive. Highlights include the Imperial Tsesarevich Egg (1912) and the Peter the Great Egg (1903). These eggs continue to capture popular imagination, both as relics of aristocratic excess and pinnacles of artistic ingenuity.
The DIA’s display will be complemented by thought-provoking text, large-scale photo murals and hands-on activities to help visitors imagine the ways in which such luxury objects would have been hand-crafted in a workshop, viewed in a storefront and used to adorn the interior of the imperial palace. The museum will feature a variety of public programs from lectures and artist demonstrations to rare silent films accompanied by live music.
The exhibition is organized by the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, in collaboration with the Detroit Institute of Arts. Educational programming is provided by the GM Foundation.
Tickets are $15 for adults, $8 for children, $12 per person for groups of 15+, and free for DIA members. Member tickets now available; general public tickets go on sale Sept. 17. Purchase at the DIA Box Office, by phone at 313-833-4005 or at www.dia.org. A $3.50 handling charge applies to nonmember tickets not purchased at the DIA. Tickets are timed and advance purchase is recommended. Final entry is one hour prior to closing.
Museum hours are 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, 10 a.m.–10 p.m. Fridays, and 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. NOTE: Beginning Tuesday, Nov. 13, the DIA will be open on Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $8 for adults, $6 for seniors, $4 for ages 6–17, and free for DIA members and residents of Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties. For membership information call 313-833-7971.
About the Detroit Institute of Arts:
The Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA), one of the premier art museums in the United States, is home to more than 60,000 works that comprise a multicultural survey of human creativity from ancient times through the 21st century. From the first Van Gogh painting to enter a U.S. museum (Self-Portrait, 1887), to Diego Rivera’s world-renowned Detroit Industry murals (1932–33), the DIA’s collection is known for its quality, range, and depth. The DIA’s mission is to create opportunities for all visitors to find personal meaning in art.
Programs are made possible with support from the City of Detroit and residents of Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties.
Rare teapot by George Ohr. Estimate: $40,000-$60,000. Rago Arts & Auction Center image. LAMBERTVILLE, N.J. – On Oct. 26-28 the Rago Arts and Auction Center will auction a significant collection of 20th-21st century furnishings and decorative arts. Among the more than 1,650 lots are Roycroft furnishings, lighting and metal ware, pottery, Navajo rugs and more from the Colorado home of Christopher Forbes.
LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding.
On Friday, Oct, 26 at noon EDT, a full afternoon of 356 lots is dedicated to Arts & Crafts pottery, glass and 20th century ceramics. Saturday, Oct. 27 at 11 a.m. will be 589 lots of Arts and Crafts furnishings and decorative arts. Day three, Sunday, Oct. 28 at 11 a.m. will offer 766 lots of Modern design.
“This is the greatest collection of property we’ve offered in the last four years,” said David Rago. “The contents from the Forbes family Colorado ranch; Michael and Marilyn Gould’s collection of Arts and Crafts furniture, ceramics and silver – over 30 years in the making and offered here in its entirety – and a large portion of Ken Forster’s encyclopedic selection of mostly American art pottery are just the beginning. There are gems in all categories, from enamels to silver to lighting. Add to that fine arrays of Nakashima, Paul Evans, Phil Powell, and many more great 20th-21st century makers.”
Friday’s sale is a day dedicated to a selection of American, European and modern art pottery and art glass from the 20th century. There are significant collections of better lines by Roseville, Owens and Weller, such as Decorated Matt, Matt Green, Futura, Henry Deux, Ferella, Sunflower, Greora and Coppertone. There is a large group of fine Clewell pots in patinated copper jackets.
From the Washington, D.C., area is a lifetime collection of Zuid-Holland Gouda; also a large group of Amphora by Ernst Wahliss, and Riessner, Stellmacher & Kessel; many examples of Clement Massier.
There are fine American tiles and china-painted items, including a vase by Dorothy Warren O’Hara; many birds by Stangl, vases by Fulper, Grueby, Marblehead, S.E.G., Walrath and Walley; lots of Van Briggle, North Dakota School of Mines, and many rare student vessels.
The second portion of the sale will offer lots of glass by Tiffany Studios, Steuben, Durand, Galle, Legras, Lalique, Schneider, Loetz and others.
The Early 20th Century Design Auction begins on Saturday with early 20th century furnishings, lighting and metalware, pottery, art glass, woodblock prints, textiles and more, many from notable prominent private collections. Rago’s is privileged to represent the collection of American Arts and Crafts from Christopher Forbes’ Colorado retreat, with much rare Roycroft. Other collections in the sale include that of Marilyn and Michael Gould, connoisseurs of American art and antiques; and Ken Forster, noted scholar, collector, gallery owner, speaker and curator.
Saturday’s sale kicks-off with the distinguished collection of American Arts and Crafts from Christopher Forbes’ two houses in Colorado’s Sangre de Cristo Mountains (lots 1-132), one of the strongest groupings of Roycroft furniture, metalwork, and lighting to come to market in recent years. Christopher “Kip” Forbes, son of publishing magnate Malcolm Forbes, has been accruing this collection for over three decades, buying furniture, lighting, and accessories made by the Roycroft Community, circa 1900-1915, to furnish a pair of 1915 houses on the Forbes family ranch.
Among the Roycroft property for sale is a one-of-a-kind chair made by Dard Hunter. Illustrated in the 1994 Head, Heart and Hand: Elbert Hubbard and the Roycrofters, it bears the legend “Sit Down And Rest Thy Weary Bones.” Several pieces come from the Roycroft Inn in East Aurora, N.Y.. Among those are two window seats, the carved door sign from the “Victor Hugo” room, a leaded-glass window from the peristyle and an original drawing of the Inn, both by Dard Hunter. Lot 47 is a candlestick telephone purportedly used by Elbert Hubbard. There are two exceptional bookcases, double- and triple-door, the first being especially rare with two drawers below, in untouched original condition. There is an extremely rare, possibly unique Roycroft Double Morris Chair, in addition to three Morris chairs of customary size; a tall magazine pedestal; a mouse-hole tabouret; a dining room set with table, chairs, sideboard and server; several chests; a 10-foot-long harvest table; numerous pieces of Roycroft copper work including two American Beauty vases, a fernery, and a jardinière, along with other decorative arts including pottery and Navajo rugs.
Lots 556 to 618 are from the collection of Marilyn and Michael Gould, devotees and connoisseurs of American art and antiques and longtime friends. The Goulds collected American Modernist art, folk art, Civil War ephemera, American Arts and Crafts furniture, pottery and silver. In 1976, upon moving to Wilton, Conn., Marilyn became involved with the local historical society. In 1985 she took its faltering antique show in hand. Over the years, Marilyn managed the DAR Wilton Antiques Show, the Wilton Outdoors Antiques Show, the Berkshire Gardens Show in Stockbridge, Mass., the Hancock Shaker Village Antiques Show and many others. The New Britain Museum of American Art exhibited Michael’s collection of American Modernism in 2007. He died in May after a long illness. Rago’s is grateful for the opportunity to present their collection the American Arts and Crafts in its entirety.
The Gould’s collection includes furnishings by Limbert, Stickley Brothers, L. & J.G. Stickley, Gustav Stickley; lighting by Dirk Van Erp, Duffner & Kimberly, Handel, Grueby/Gorham; pottery by Grueby, Teco, George Ohr, Saturday Evening Girls; and metalwork by Kalo, Falick Novick, LeBolt, Roycroft, Gustav Stickley, Dirk Van Erp and Tiffany Studios.
Following the Forbes collection on Saturday, the sale continues with lot 500, an exceptional enameled triptych In Praise of Womanhood, England, 1901, by Alexander Fisher, estimated at $14,000-$19,000. The triptych was purchased by its original owner, Mrs. Easton of La Crosse, Wisconsin for the sum of £100. The lot is accompanied by a reprint of Fisher’s The Art of Enameling upon Metal, in which the triptych is featured, and by four letters of correspondence between Mr. Fisher and Mrs. Easton. Alexander Fisher was a preeminent force in the early 20th century enamelwork revival and among the very best of its proponents, known for his mastery of design in objects of vertu. Some of his finest pieces are in the permanent collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
European ceramicists and potteries in Saturday’s sale include: Moorcroft; Liberty & Co.; Zsolnay; Rozenburg; Royal Copenhagen; Clement Massier; Clarice Cliff; Rorstrand; Paul Dachsel; Eduard Stellmacher; Riessner, Stellmacher & Kessel; and Zuid-Holland Gouda.
American potters in the sale include: Saturday Evening Girls, George Ohr, Fulper, Tiffany Studios, Overbeck, University City, Frederick Rhead, William Jervis, Marblehead, Walrath, Mosaic Tile Co., Dedham, Ott & Brewer, Clifton, Grueby, Teco, Van Briggle, Rookwood, Newcomb College, Shearwater and Clewell.
The noted scholar, collector, gallery owner, speaker and curator Ken Forster has written about and dealt in decorative ceramics for 40 years. His books, which include Alternative American Ceramics and University of North Dakota Pottery: A History and Comparative Study, focus on the best of America’s esoteric potteries, both known and obscure. His personal collection, lots 749-804, includes pieces by Mary Yancey, Iowa State; Marblehead, Saturday Evening Girls, North Dakota School of Mines, Charles F. Binns, William Jervis, Frederick Rhead, Adelaide Robineau, Mary Louise McLaughlin, University City, Newcomb College, Rookwood, Clarice Cliff and Rorstrand.
Lighting in the sale is highlighted by these famous makers: Fulper, Dirk Van Erp, Duffner & Kimberly, Handel, Grueby, Tiffany Studios, Roycroft, Jefferson, Pairpoint, Miller, Riviere and Quezal.
Notable lighting lots include: lot 535, a Fulper Mushroom-shaped table lamp, estimated at $7,000-$10,000; lot 619, a rare table lamp with a Tiffany Studios acorn shade and Grueby base, estimated at $10,000-$15,000; and lot 683, a Duffner & Kimberly rare and large floor lamp with water lily shade, estimated at $20,000-$25,000.
Metalwork in the sale includes Liberty, Christopher Dresser, Kalo, Lebolt, Roycroft, Stickley, Dirk Van Erp, Samuel Yellin, Albert Berry, Rebecca Cauman, Shreve & Co., Gebelein, Jarvie and Tiffany Studios.
Early 20th century furnishings in the sale is by makers such as: Limbert, Stickley Brothers, Brooks, L. & J. G. Stickley, Gustav Stickley, Roycroft, Charles Rohlfs, Shop of the Crafters, Old Hickory. Among these is a large collection of Shop of the Crafters inlaid furniture; a rare Gustav Stickley stand with Grueby tile; two rare pieces by Charles Rohlfs, a hall chair and a log holder; and several rare Limbert cutout pieces.
American and European glass comprises lots 895-952, concluding Saturday’s sale. Emile Galle, Daum, Lalique, Loetz, Durand, Steuben, and glass and lamps by Tiffany Studios will be offered. We single out a fine Art Deco lamp by Daum; a single-owner collection of Durand glass in the King Tut pattern; and several fine Tiffany lamps.
Sunday’s Modern Design auction features over 750 lots of furniture, lighting, decorative arts, art glass, and fine art. Famous makers include George Nakashima, Dan Johnson, Finn Juhl, Hans Wegner, Paul Evans, Philip and Kelvin LaVerne, Vladimir Kagan, Claude Conover, Beatrice Wood, Otto and Gertrud Natzler, Pablo Picasso, Peter Voulkos,and Dale Chihuly.
Among the top furnishings are a fine carved cabinet by Phil Powell of New Hope, Pa.; a carved and unique desk by Wharton Esherick of Paoli, Pa.; a rare soldered metal table by artist Sol LeWitt; and a fine small lamp table by Judy McKie.
Notable lots of sculpture by Harry Bertoia include: lot 1451, a tall Sonambient sculpture, estimated at $35,000-$45,000; lot 1452, a bronze bush sculpture, estimated at $19,000-$24,000; and lot 1453, an untitled (Bush) sculpture, estimated at $37,500-$47,500.
There are lots of Feliciano Bejar glass Magiscope sculptures; and Miles Van Rensselaer sculptures of glass and cast bronze; and a run of Oxidized bronze sculptures by Klaus Ihlenfeld.
Studio pottery is highlighted by a bust by Robert Arneson, a large selection of Takaesu, from small to very large, a group of strong teapots by Peter Shire and a couple of interesting vases by Dame Lucie Rie.
Notable lighting lots in the modern sale include: two lots, 1211 and 1212, of six arm chandelier by Angelo Lelli for Arredoluce, estimated at $15,000-$20,000 each; lot 1601, a large eight-branch chandelier by Stilnovo, estimated at $8,000-$12,000; and lot 1636, a pair of Sculpture table lamps by Karl Springer, estimated at $8,000-$10,000.
Notable Lina Tagliapietra glass lots include: lot 1224, a tall glass sculpture with internal swirl in red and yellow glass, estimated at $5,000-$7,000; and lot 1225, a large glass vessel, estimated at $6,000-$8,000. Also of note, lot 1226, a Dale Chihuly five-piece Sapphire Persian glass set with red lip wrap, estimated at $7,500-$11,000; lot 1231, an untitled sculpture by William Morris of blown glass, estimated at $4,000-$6,000; lot 1239, a John Lewis console table of cast glass, estimated at $7,000-$9,000; and lot 1250, is a set of blown glass rocket jars by Richard Marquis, estimated at $6,500-$8,500.
There is modern jewelry by Earl Pardon, William Harper, Richard Fishman, Ed Wiener, Paul Lobel and Dorothy Feibleman.
Silver in the sale is by Georg Jensen, Arne Jacobsen / A. Michelson, Gio Ponti for Reed & Barton, Sant Elia and Roberto Ceccherini.
A notable jewelry lot is no. 1628, a mosaic bracelet by Earl Pardon of sterling silver, gold, enamel, gemstones, abalone, and onyx, estimated at $3,500-$4,500. Lot 1543 is a Georg Jensen 56-piece sterling flatware set for eight in the Continental-Antik pattern, Denmark, designed 1906, estimated at $4,000-$6,000.
The sale includes tapestries after the works of several great artists, such as Pablo Picasso, Niki De Saint Phalle, Alexander Calder, Salvador Dali, Jean Miotte and Andy Warhol. There is a fine grouping of rugs by David Shaw Nicholls.
On Thursday, Oct. 25, Rago Arts and Auction Center will hold an open house that will feature a lecture by George H. Marcus, What’s ‘Modern’ about Modern Design? There will be a reception at 5 p.m. and his lecture at 6 p.m. RSVP to 609-397-9374 ext. 119 or raac@ragoarts.com.
Consignments are being accepted for the 20th-21st Century Design Auction on Saturday/Sunday, March 2-3. Call 609-397-9374 or email: info@ragoarts.com.
BEAUFORT, S.C. (AP) – Beaufort will be the setting for a new reality television show.
The Beaufort Gazette reported that Jeff Lowe of Beaufort Liquidation says his company and auction house will be the focus of an as-of-yet untitled reality show similar to Pawn Stars, Storage Wars and Baggage Battles.
Lowe says the show will air on A&E.
People interested in buying and selling liquidated goods at auction are being sought to audition for the program.
Lowe says the crew will film an Oct. 20 auction.
He says the crew wants to see how he operates in taking trucks from stores like Walmart and Kmart.
Lowe says one plot will be the liquidation business and the second will deal with how someone can earn money by selling a pallet of random items.
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Information from: The Beaufort Gazette, http://www.beaufortgazette.com
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Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Family photo of the Hatfield clan, including guns and family dog, taken in 1897.
WILLIAMSON, W.Va. (AP) – The home of a historic Appalachian feud has a new tourist attraction: the Hatfield McCoy Geo Trail.
Geocaching is a modern-day version of treasure hunting and a global pastime.
The trail is a partnership between the Tug Valley Chamber of Commerce in Williamson and Tour Pike County in Pikeville, Ky. It opened last month with a special event for 518 visitors from 18 states.
There are 15 caches in Mingo, Logan and Pike counties, each in historic locations linked to the families who were featured in a History miniseries this spring.
Hunters can get a passport and collect special stamps at each cache.
Anyone who finds them all takes home a collectible coin featuring the family patriarchs, Devil Anse Hatfield and Randall McCoy.
Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE
Family photo of the Hatfield clan, including guns and family dog, taken in 1897.Map showing Hatfield-McCoy feud site along the Tug Fork tributary (right) in the Big Sandy River watershed. Art created by Kmusser, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
The oldest town on Cape Cod and now an official state cultural district in Massachusetts, Sandwich was the home of Sandwich glass production. The Sandwich Historical Society operates the Sandwich Glass Museum, shown here. Photo by Andrewrabbott, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) – The Massachusetts Cultural Council has designated four new state cultural districts, one each in Cambridge, Essex, Marlborough and Sandwich.
The districts are walkable areas with a concentration of cultural attractions. The designation by the state agency is meant to, among other things, help attract artists, enhance property values and promote tourism.
Friday’s announcement brings the number of cultural districts to 14 statewide in just over a year since the initiative was launched.
The new districts include the Central Square area in Cambridge, home to a mix of startups and independently owned shops.
The Essex River district includes the seaside town of Essex’s historic shipyards and marinas.
The downtown Marlborough district includes a skyline unchanged over time because utility wires are underground.
The district in Sandwich, on Cape Cod, is focused on the Sandwich Glass Museum.
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Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE
The oldest town on Cape Cod and now an official state cultural district in Massachusetts, Sandwich was the home of Sandwich glass production. The Sandwich Historical Society operates the Sandwich Glass Museum, shown here. Photo by Andrewrabbott, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.A view from Boston looking across the Charles River to Harvard’s Weld Boathouse. Cambridge is now an official state cultural district in Massachusetts. Image licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
Large, vibrant painting by the late Philadelphia artist Anne E. Lisette Boysen, titled ‘Cynthia’s Flowers.’ Gordon S. Converse image. MALVERN, Pa. – More than 200 vibrant, large-scale paintings by the late Philadelphia artist Anne E. Lisette Boysen (1939-2011) will be sold in Session II of a two-session auction planned for Saturday, Nov. 10, by Gordon S. Converse & Co., in the Philadelphia suburb of Malvern, Pa. LiveAuctioneers.com will provide the Internet live bidding for the sale.
Session I, starting at 11:30 a.m. (EST), will feature antique clocks, period furniture, Asian objects, decorative accessories and collectibles, pulled from prominent local estates and collections. Session II, starting at 3:30 p.m., will be dedicated exclusively to Boysen’s work.
Boysen died last year at age 72. Proceeds from the auction will benefit the Anne E. Lisette Boysen Memorial Scholarship Fund at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and will be matched by up to $25,000 with a grant program from the university.
Ms. Boysen once said, “The ultimate beauty in life is nature,” and her art reflected that philosophy. Her creations are reminiscent of Arthur B. Carles and inspired by Monet. Boysen’s works are held in many prominent corporate and private collections. “This is a rare opportunity to add to your existing collection or begin a new one,” said auctioneer Gordon S. Converse.
The selection of paintings in the auction reflects Ms. Boysen’s love of nature and her energetic, vivacious personality. The subject matter ranges from her earlier tranquil landscapes to more recent floral abstractions. Paintings expected to do particularly well include Sunday’s Flowers, Cynthia’s Flowers and Delft. All are large and are estimated to bring $1,000-$2,000.
Rare and antique clocks will dominate Session I, with the expected top lot of the day being a fine 19th century gilt bronze carriage mantel clock bound by glass and featuring a carrying handle (est. $8,000-$12,000). The clock boasts a double fuse movement and has a strike and repeat mechanism with the original lever jeweled platform. It measures 7 inches by 3 inches.
Other clocks expected to make $5,000 or more will include an arch-top style mahogany striking clock signed on the back plate by Charles Frodsham (est. $5,000-$8,000), an American girandole clock signed Elmer O. Stennes, numbered inside the pendulum box (#29) and with an E. Howard movement (est. $4,000-$6,000), and a 19th-century brass and Sevres-style porcelain paneled clock signed “James Murray, Calcutta” on the dial, six inches tall (est. $3,000-$5,000).
Additional noteworthy timepieces will feature a marine chronometer signed J. Bruce & Sons, Liverpool, with a working chronometer escapement and original brass-bound mahogany carrying box (est. $2,500-$5,000); 17th/18th-century forged iron and brass “birdcage” movement pillared clock in an oak “hooded” case (est. $2,000-$3,500), and a 90-inch-tall early 19th century tall case clock with engraved brass dial signed W. Hunter, Dunssermlin (est. $2,000-$3,000).
Rounding out the best of the clocks category will be a solid walnut Chippendale tall case clock, under eight feet tall, apparently with the original 8-day bell strike clockworks (est. $2,000-$3,000); an unusual and stylish 14½-inch sphinx-shaped Egyptian-style bronze mantel clock, made circa 1850 (est. $1,500-$3,000); and an early 19th-century double steeple-form mantel clock with a fusee clockworks and strap brass movement plates, 23½ inches tall (est. $850-$1,250).
Decorative accessories will feature a pair of finely decorated Dutch Delftware lidded garniture jars from the 18th or 19th century with bird form knops, both 15 inches tall (est. $1,800-$3,000); a rare 19th-century ceramic teapot, 6 inches by 11 inches (est. $250-$400); and a large 19th century ceramic bull, probably English, in a brown treacle colored glaze (est. $300-$500).
Asian objects certain to excite the crowd will include a huge Japanese Aritaware Imari porcelain punch bowl, of superior quality and standing 8 inches tall and 18 inches in diameter (est. $1,200-$3,000); a framed Chinese scroll of fish signed Yong Qiang Chen, 32 inches by 66 inches (est. $800-$1,200); and a Chinese jade bangle bracelet (est. $100-$200).
Original artwork in Session I will include an oil on canvas signed by Walter Lewis, 32 inches by 42 inches (est. $2,500-$4,000); an oil on canvas landscape of a village scene by Christopher H. Shearer (Am., 1846-1926), signed lower left (est. $2,500-$3,500); an oil on canvas still life by Czech artist Antouin Hudecek (1872-1941), 30 inches by 31 inches (est. $1,200-$3,000); and two 18th or 19th century unframed portraits (est. $800-$1,500 for the pair).
Also offered will be an oil on board of sailboats by the shore attributed to Philadelphia-born artist Elisha K.K. Wetherill (1874-1929), 13 inches by 16½ inches (est. $1,200-$2,400); a framed landscape by L. Lancaster Hager, probably American (est. $800-$1,200); and a marine rendering of a schooner by Max Wildman, framed in the shadowbox form (est.; $150-$300).
Period furniture will feature a set of six hand-made and carved Chippendale-style side chairs with inset seats (est. $2,400-$4,000); and a solid mahogany drop-leaf breakfast sized table with open top and saber legged chairs (est. $300-$500). Also sold will be an African king’s vest from the Yoruba people, 27½ inches by 21 inches (est. $600-$1,000); and two Staffordshire dogs, 6½ inches tall (est. $40-$60).
For additional information on any lot in the sale, call 610-722-9004 or e-mail Gordon@ConverseClocks.com.
View the fully illustrated catalog and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.
This smiling porcelain figure represents a ‘Kinder Bringen,’ a German folklore figure who brings children to brides. This jester and his children sold for $969 at a Theriault’s auction in Annapolis, Md.
Babies don’t always arrive as soon as they are wanted. Today a woman might consider getting medical help to conceive, but since ancient times the fertility symbol was thought to be an aid.
Frogs, rabbits, entwined snakes and even shoe figures were at one time given to the want-to-be mother. Some ancient peoples took small pottery figures of pregnant women to a religious service as an offering. American Indians put pictures on textiles and pottery of an old, bent man playing a flute or carrying a cane who brought babies to a household. Perhaps most interesting to collectors is the German “Kinder Bringen.” He or she was a figure, often a jester, who carried armloads of babies dressed for baptism. The babies were covered in tight cloth wraps much like swaddling clothes but called “taufling.” All of these German words are used today, even by English-speaking collectors, to describe the dolls or figurines given to a new bride as a wish for children.
A few of these figures have sold at recent doll auctions. At a 2012 auction, a 19th-century 5-inch porcelain figure of a smiling jester holding four wrapped babies sold for almost $1,000.
Q: I have six oval-back dining room chairs made by the Aimone Manufacturing Co. of New York. Please tell me something about the company.
A: Aimone Manufacturing Co. was in business in New York City from the late 1870s until at least 1919 and perhaps until the Depression hit. It started as an importer of English, French and Italian furniture and decorative arts, but later concentrated on manufacturing its own furniture at factories on East 22nd and East 23rd streets. Under the name Aimone Furniture Co., it operated wholesale showrooms in Jersey City, N.J., and on East 32nd Street in New York City.
Q: My husband and I have an old bottle and I was wondering what it’s worth. A picture of the White House is embossed on the bottle. It says “White House Brand” above the picture and “Vinegar” below it. On the bottom of the bottle, it reads “Bottle patented March 6, 1909.” The bottle has a pouring spout and a little handle. It’s in good condition. Is it valuable?
A: White House vinegar has been made for more than 100 years. In 1908 Frank Armstrong and B. Fleet Board bought a cider vinegar business in Alexandria, Va., and renamed the business Board, Armstrong and Co. In 1913, after Board died, Armstrong organized National Fruit Product Co. White House Foods is part of that company. National Fruit Product Co. is still in business and makes apple juice, applesauce, specialty apple products and vinegar. White House vinegar is still available, but it’s sold in modern bottles with paper labels. In earlier years, it was sold in bottles, jugs, jars, cruets and pitchers in several different sizes, shapes and colors and with different embossed designs or lettering. Bottles shaped like an apple, lighthouse or the Unisphere at the 1964 New York World’s Fair were made. Some were embossed with ballerinas and cabbage roses. Bottles or jugs embossed with the White House design like yours were made in the 1920s and usually sell for $10 to $50.
Q: I have a purse from the early 1950s, when just about everything was plastic. This purse has a hard, flat plastic top that opens to the oval pierced-metal body. The handle attached to the top is plastic, too, and the top is latched to the bottom with an attractive metal hook. You could put a colorful scarf inside the clear purse to match your outfit and hide the purse’s contents. I can’t find a maker’s name on it, but I’m wondering what my purse would sell for.
A: Plastic purses from the 1950s are very collectible. Some women not only display the purses, but also use them. We couldn’t find any old ads that showed clear plastic purses with a colored scarf inside, but we have friends who remember using a scarf that way. Even if you don’t know who made your purse, if it’s in good condition it could sell for $250 or more.
Q: I own a small wringer-style clothes washer that I think is a salesman’s sample. It’s 7 inches wide, 8 inches tall and about 4 inches deep. It has a 10-inch-long metal handle with a wooden grip. The words “American Wringer Co., N.Y.” are stamped on the wood. It’s also marked with a horseshoe and the initials “AWC.” I bought it in a thrift store for $20. Can you tell me if it’s a salesman’s sample and what it might be worth?
A: The first mechanical clothes wringer was invented by Selden A. Bailey in 1859. Bailey began producing Wringers in 1860 and founded the Bailey Wringer Co. in Woonsocket, R.I., a short time later. The company became the American Wringer Co. in 1899. It remained in business until the 1950s. Your wringer probably is not a salesman’s sample. It may have been made to launder lingerie or other small items. Small wringers like yours sell for about $100 to $200.
Tip: Natural, unpainted wicker is more valuable than painted wicker, so do not paint a natural piece. It will lower the value.
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CURRENT PRICES
Current prices are recorded from antiques shows, flea markets, sales and auctions throughout the United States. Prices vary in different locations because of local economic conditions.
Foot warmer for buggy, sheet metal, pierced sides, lid, two embossed lions on front and back, wooden strips to rest feet, bail handle, 9 x 5 1/2 x 4 3/4 inches, $160.
Miss Ginger doll, vinyl, blond hair, sleep eyes, red lips and nails, knit top, plaid pedal pushers, high heels, Cosmopolitan Doll and Toy Corp., late 1950s, 10 inches, $185.
Hooked rug, brown Scottie dog in profile, red ground, gray border, 1920, 23 x 36 inches, $400.
Hotel counter bell, turtle shape, brass, mechanical, wound from below, rings when tail or head is pressed, signed CSS, Germany, circa 1910, 2 1/2 x 7 inches, $775.
George Nakashima chest of drawers, walnut, rectangular top joined to sides with exposed dovetails, five drawers with recessed handholds, 1967, 53 x 36 inches, $9,800.
Contemporary, modern and mid-century ceramics made since 1950 are among the hottest collectibles today. Our special report, “Kovels’ Buyers’ Guide to Modern Ceramics: Mid-Century to Contemporary,” identifies important pottery by American and European makers. Includes more than 65 factories and 70 studio artists, each with a mark and dates. Works by major makers including Claude Conover, Guido Gambone, Lucie Rie, as well as potteries like Gustavsberg, Metlox and Sascha Brastoff, are shown in color photos. Find the “sleepers” at house sales and flea markets. Special Report, 2010, 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches, 64 pp. Available only from Kovels. Order by phone at 800-303-1996, online at Kovels.com, or send $19.95 plus $4.95 postage and handling to Kovels, Box 22900, Beachwood, OH 44122.
This smiling porcelain figure represents a ‘Kinder Bringen,’ a German folklore figure who brings children to brides. This jester and his children sold for $969 at a Theriault’s auction in Annapolis, Md.
