The West London gallery of the late American artist Thomas Kinkade, whose multimillion dollar estate has finally been settled following a heated battle between the painter's widow and former girlfriend. Image Auction Central News.

London Eye: December 2012

The West London gallery of the late American artist Thomas Kinkade, whose multimillion dollar estate has finally been settled following a heated battle between the painter's widow and former girlfriend. Image Auction Central News.

The West London gallery of the late American artist Thomas Kinkade, whose multimillion dollar estate has finally been settled following a heated battle between the painter’s widow and former girlfriend. Image Auction Central News.

The genteel middle-class London suburb of Chiswick likes to think of itself as culturally sophisticated, boasting a noble artistic pedigree that stretches back into the 18th century and beyond. Chiswick House, by the 18th-century designers Lord Burlington and William Kent, is regarded as London’s finest surviving example of neo-Palladian architecture, while Chiswick graveyard’s more notable long-term residents include the daughter of Oliver Cromwell — and, legend has it, the head of the Lord Protector himself.

Whether it was the example of another former Chiswick resident, the 18th-century painter and prolific printmaker William Hogarth, that inspired the late American landscape artist Thomas Kinkade (1958-2012) to choose Chiswick as the location of his only London gallery, remains a mystery. While a bronze statue of Hogarth looks benevolently down on shoppers on the Chiswick High Road, a hundred yards away the gallery of Thomas Kinkade — the self-styled “Painter of Light” — has remained open since Kinkade’s death from an overdose of valium and alcohol in April this year.

This week it was reported that the artist’s $66 million estate has finally been settled, thereby bringing to an end a torrid public battle between the painter’s widow and his girlfriend for control of the estate.

“I didn’t even know the estate had been settled,” said the Chiswick gallery’s representative when Auction Central News visited earlier today. “They have been squabbling over money for so long.” The gallery continues to do brisk business among overseas visitors charmed by the limited-edition chocolate box prints hand-finished by the late artist’s assistants. “They found hundreds of other works in his studio that have never been editioned,” said the gallery assistant, “so there is still a lot of capacity left in the Kinkade brand.”

Elsewhere in the UK art calendar, the new year is often a busy time as the trade hopes to hit the ground running. The National Fine Art & Antiques Fair at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham has traditionally offered an early indicator of how the year might pan out. Thus it was less than encouraging to hear that this year’s event had been canceled due to what the organizers, Clarion Events, described as “insufficient commitment” from the trade. “This has been a very difficult decision, but we believe our reputation for delivering an impressive variety of antiques and fine art would be compromised and ultimately the visitor and exhibitor experience would be adversely affected,” said fair director Tiffany Pritchard.

Whether this cancellation will have a positive effect on another significant new year fair — the Luxury Antiques Weekend at the Mere Golf Resort & Spa in Knutsford, Cheshire, from Jan. 25 to 27, remains to be seen. It is possible that the dealers slated to appear at the canceled NEC Fair were unable to find stock of sufficient quality to justify the journey to Birmingham. That seems not to the be the case with those dealers booked to appear in Cheshire. Elford Fine Art of Tavistock, Devon, is making the long trip north from the West Country to show, among other items, a fine oil on canvas entitled The Red Hat by Charles A. Buchel,

'The Red Hat,' an oil on canvas by Charles A. Buchel (exhibited 1895-1935), which will be offered at £14,000 ($22,635), by Elford Fine Art at the Cheshire Luxury Antiques and Fine Art Fair at the Mere Golf Club and Spa in Knutsford, Cheshire on Jan. 25-27. Image courtesy Image courtesy Cheshire Luxury Antiques and Fine Art Fair and Elford Fine Art.

‘The Red Hat,’ an oil on canvas by Charles A. Buchel (exhibited 1895-1935), which will be offered at £14,000 ($22,635), by Elford Fine Art at the Cheshire Luxury Antiques and Fine Art Fair at the Mere Golf Club and Spa in Knutsford, Cheshire on Jan. 25-27. Image courtesy Image courtesy Cheshire Luxury Antiques and Fine Art Fair and Elford Fine Art.

which will be for sale at £14,000 ($22,635), while Norfolk dealer T. Robert will be showing an Irish gold cannetille brooch in the form of a harp decorated with natural pearls and Columbian emeralds, circa 1820,
This Irish gold cannetille brooch with natural pearls and Columbian emeralds, circa 1820, is priced in the region of £5,000 ($8,080) when it is offered by T. Robert at the Cheshire Luxury Antiques and Fine Art Fair. Image courtesy T. Robert and Cheshire Luxury Antiques and Fine Art Fair.

This Irish gold cannetille brooch with natural pearls and Columbian emeralds, circa 1820, is priced in the region of £5,000 ($8,080) when it is offered by T. Robert at the Cheshire Luxury Antiques and Fine Art Fair. Image courtesy T. Robert and Cheshire Luxury Antiques and Fine Art Fair.

priced at around £5,000 ($8,080). Among the fine furniture on offer is a handsome William and Mary period laburnum oyster-veneered chest of drawers, circa 1695,
A William & Mary period laburnum oyster veneer chest of drawers, circa 1695, priced at £19,800 ($32,015) from S & S Timms Antiques at the Cheshire Luxury Antiques and Fine Art Fair. Image courtesy S & S Timms Antiques and Cheshire Luxury Antiques and Fine Art Fair.

A William & Mary period laburnum oyster veneer chest of drawers, circa 1695, priced at £19,800 ($32,015) from S & S Timms Antiques at the Cheshire Luxury Antiques and Fine Art Fair. Image courtesy S & S Timms Antiques and Cheshire Luxury Antiques and Fine Art Fair.

for which Ampthill, Bedfordshire dealers S&S Timms will be asking £19,800 ($32,015).

Not everything in the forthcoming fairs diary conforms to the traditional and occasionally rather staid fine art and antiques template, as can be seen by an interesting image of the Rolling Stones which is due to be shown at the Watercolours and Works on Paper Fair at the Science Museum, South Kensington from Jan. 31 to Feb. 3.

The Rolling Stones are hardly under-represented in the annals of contemporary art history. As well as the numerous memorable photographs of the band, what will probably linger longest in the archive is the image of a handcuffed Mick Jagger in the back of a cab alongside the notorious junkie art dealer Robert “Groovy Bob” Fraser in Richard Hamilton’s famous Swingeing London painting of 1968-69 (Tate Britain). The pair had just been arrested following a drugs bust at the house of Stones guitarist Keith Richards. Richards and Jagger were acquitted on appeal; “Groovy Bob” was sentenced to six months hard labor.

The recent Rolling Stones tour has again reinvigorated media interest in the band and this can surely only add commercial luster to the rare 1965 drawing of the Stones by David Oxtoby, titled Stone, Stone, Stone + 1, which will be offered at the Watercolour and Works on Paper Fair priced at £1,400 ($2,260).

A rare 1965 drawing of the Rolling Stones by rock 'n' roll artist David Oxtoby, which will be for sale with Price Davies Fine Art at the Watercolours and Works on Paper Fair at the Science Museum, South Kensington from Jan. 31 to Feb. 3 priced at £1,400 ($2,260). Image courtesy Watercolours and Works on Paper Fair and Price Davies Fine Art.

A rare 1965 drawing of the Rolling Stones by rock ‘n’ roll artist David Oxtoby, which will be for sale with Price Davies Fine Art at the Watercolours and Works on Paper Fair at the Science Museum, South Kensington from Jan. 31 to Feb. 3 priced at £1,400 ($2,260). Image courtesy Watercolours and Works on Paper Fair and Price Davies Fine Art.

The drawing, in ballpoint pen and blue ink and inscribed, signed and dated “Minneapolis 1965,” was drawn from a photograph while Oxtoby was teaching in Minneapolis at the time. The artist devoted much of his work to images of rock ‘n’ roll performers but the present image is seen as particularly treasurable given that much of Oxtoby’s work of the 1960s was lost in a warehouse fire.

On a more traditional note, the ever-reliable Fleming Collection at 13 Berkeley St., London W1 — the spiritual home of Scottish art in London — is about to stage an exhibition to mark the 80th birthday of James Morrison, one of Scotland’s most respected landscape artists. The retrospective, titled “Land and Landscape,” will range from 1950s paintings of the artist’s home city of Glasgow, to more recent images inspired by rural and coastal Scotland and journeys overseas. Morrison’s patrons include the Royal Family and Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling, as well as museums and corporate and private collections. The images shown here — the oil on canvas view of a terrace of grimy Glasgow brownstones titled Crown Terrace (1957),

This depiction of a grimy Glasgow terrace, entitled 'Crown Terrace' (1957), is included in a retrospective of the work of Scottish landscape artist James Morrison at the Fleming Collection, Berkeley Street, London W1 from Feb. 19 to April 6. Image courtesy the Fleming Collection.

This depiction of a grimy Glasgow terrace, entitled ‘Crown Terrace’ (1957), is included in a retrospective of the work of Scottish landscape artist James Morrison at the Fleming Collection, Berkeley Street, London W1 from Feb. 19 to April 6. Image courtesy the Fleming Collection.

the more recent, lushly brushed and atmospheric Montreathmont Forest (1990),
'Montreathmont Forest' (1990) by James Morrison, included in the retrospective of Morrison's work at the Fleming Collection, Berkeley Street, London W1. Image courtesy the Fleming Collection.

‘Montreathmont Forest’ (1990) by James Morrison, included in the retrospective of Morrison’s work at the Fleming Collection, Berkeley Street, London W1. Image courtesy the Fleming Collection.

and the luminous oil on board coastal scene titled Old Montrose Winter (1984)
This luminous oil on board coastal scene titled 'Old Montrose Winter' (1984) by Scottish landscape painter James Morrison is part of a retrospective of the artist's work at the Fleming Collection in London. Image courtesy the Fleming Collection.

This luminous oil on board coastal scene titled ‘Old Montrose Winter’ (1984) by Scottish landscape painter James Morrison is part of a retrospective of the artist’s work at the Fleming Collection in London. Image courtesy the Fleming Collection.

offer an indiction of Morrison’s extraordinary technical range and ability to capture the spirit of a place, be it rural or urban. The exhibition runs from Feb. 19 to April 6.

While the Fleming Collection is celebrating the Caledonian tradition of landscape painting, the Royal Academy is genuflecting toward the English legacy of landscape masters in an exhibition titled “Constable, Gainsborough, Turner,” which includes numerous familiar images, including Constable’s famous The Leaping Horse of 1825

John Constable RA, 'The Leaping Horse of 1825,' oil on canvas, included in the exhibition at the Royal Academy entitled Constable, Gainsborough, Turner until Feb. 17. Photo: John Hammond. Copyright Royal Academy of Arts, London.

John Constable RA, ‘The Leaping Horse of 1825,’ oil on canvas, included in the exhibition at the Royal Academy entitled Constable, Gainsborough, Turner until Feb. 17. Photo: John Hammond. Copyright Royal Academy of Arts, London.

. The show, which explores the full range of English landscape painting at its height, from the traditions of the awe-inspiring Sublime to that of the pleasing Picturesque, is sure to have the queues snaking out onto Piccadilly for the next several weeks. In yet another of the increasingly common collaborations between cash-strapped institutions and the art trade, the show is supported by leading London dealers Lowell Libson Ltd.

Finally, a brief mention for one of the more significant hammer prices registered outside London over the past few weeks: Yorkshire auctioneers Dee Atkinson and Harrison had a marvelous small bronze by the late British sculptor Dame Elisabeth Frink (1930-1993) at their Nov. 30 sale. Man Standing, 13 3/4 inches high, numbered 8 from an edition of 8, had been estimated at £14,000-£16,000 but eventually coaxed a winning bid of £22,500 to top the sale.

With many of the UK’s towns, villages and interconnecting roads still partly submerged thanks to several weeks of interminable rain, the ever-peripatetic trade will be praying for an end to the floods so that the seasonal fair-going and auction-attending can continue uninterrupted.

'Man Standing' by Dame Elisabeth Frink' (1930-1993), which realized £22,500 ($36,380), the top price of the November auction held by Yorkshire auctioneers Dee Atkinson & Harrison. Image courtesy Dee Atkinson & Harrison.

‘Man Standing’ by Dame Elisabeth Frink’ (1930-1993), which realized £22,500 ($36,380), the top price of the November auction held by Yorkshire auctioneers Dee Atkinson & Harrison. Image courtesy Dee Atkinson & Harrison.

 

20th century, Italian sommerso vase, Fulvio Bianconi for Mazzega, circa 1950-60, 12inches high. Estimate: $1,000-$2,000. Kaminski Auctions image.

Kaminski Jan. 13 auction stays up to date with modern design

20th century, Italian sommerso vase, Fulvio Bianconi for Mazzega, circa 1950-60, 12inches high. Estimate: $1,000-$2,000. Kaminski Auctions image.

20th century, Italian sommerso vase, Fulvio Bianconi for Mazzega, circa 1950-60, 12inches high. Estimate: $1,000-$2,000. Kaminski Auctions image.

BEVERLY, Mass. – Kaminski Auctions will host a 20th century decorative art and design sale, Sunday, Jan. 13, starting at 10 a.m. EST. LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding.

Covering all collecting categories, the sale will feature outstanding 20 century photography, furniture, pottery, glassworks, art and sculpture with exciting examples from all periods and origins from turn-of-the-century Art Nouveau, Arts and Crafts, Art Deco, Early American Modernism, Streamline/Machine Age Design, and Mid-Century Modern.

Lamp offerings from several estates and important collections are many and varied, including an outstanding Venetian Murano art glass chandelier of clear, pink and light blue glass at an estimated $500-$700, and another of clear and gold aventurine glass attributed to Barovier at $600-$800. There is a signed Handel hanging octagonal form light fixture with eight sunset tree lined views, circa 1910, estimated at $3,000-$5,000, and two Pairpoint reverse-painted lamps, one signed F.K. Guba and the second C. Durand estimated $1,500-$3,500.

Also featured are 14 lots of early mid-century lighting from City Lights Antique Lighting of Cambridge, Mass., including two French Art Deco hanging ceiling lamps of alabaster valued between $800-$1,500, a French polychrome chandelier of wrought iron and frosted glass with rose pattern in yellow, green, pink and white, circa 1920s, and an Italian modern three-shade chandelier of brass, chrome and green glass circa 1960s-70s.

Glassworks include an Orrefors crystal punk profile sculpture, signed Lagerbielke, estimated at $3,000-$5,000, and a 20th century, Italian sommerso vase designed by Fulvio Bianconi for Mazzega, circa 1950-60 estimated at $1,000-$2,000.

Sculpture is strongly represented with a large bronze work by David Aronson estimated at $18,000-$25,000, and a carved elm and polychrome work from 1967, titled Red Stockings by David Hostetler estimated at $9,000-$12,000 and an unusually large Curtis Jere mixed metals tree with bird and nest, from the late 1960s valued at $600-$1,000. There is also an impressive Bijan Bahar Lucite diamond sculpture, valued at $500-$800 while a Jean-Louis Toutain (1948-2008) Figure with Guitar bronze sculpture, circa 1990s, is valued at $2,000-$5,000.

Important photography features a Kodak colorama photograph by Ralph Amdursky and Charles Baker circa 1957 that was exhibited in Grand Central Terminal, New York. Art director for the shoot was Norman Rockwell, and the photograph was featured in “Rethinking the American Dream” in Vanity Fair magazine in April 2009. It is estimated at $4,000-$7,000. A large gelatin silver print by noted mid-century photojournalist Arthur Leipzig of seagulls is valued at $300-$500.

There are also two signed Jock Sturgis gelatin silver prints valued at $1,500-$2,000, a Flor Garduno (Mexican b. 1957), gelatin silver print, matted under glass, signed and titled verso estimated at $1,600-$2,600 and a portfolio of 11 color photographic prints by Jennifer Bolande (American b. 1957), titled City at Nightfall estimated at $1,500-$2,500.

Hans Wegner, Thomas Moser, Phillipe Stark and many more sought after furniture makers are represented in the sale. There is a pair of Hans Wegner side chairs, oak with black leather seats, early 1960s, each with a branded mark under the seat, C.M. Madsens Fabriken, Haarby Danmark, and a Thos. Moser continuous arm settee/bench, signed Thos. Moser Cabinetmakers, Auburn, Maine 1992. Both are estimated at $400- $600. Also included are a number of hard-to-find Danish and Scandinavian modern case and accessory pieces, including two floor lamps, two bar carts, and a good selection of fine small tables. Late arrivals in furniture include a Sabre Leg dining set by T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings for Widdicomb, and large console/server.

Fine art in the sale features a large and unusual oil on canvas by noted social realist painter James Carlin, of a public pool scene, circa late 1930s early ’40s. This is likely the best work offered publicly at auction by this artist in 25 years valued at $3,000-$5,000. Also included in the sale is a Joan Miro (Spanish 1893-1983) color lithograph titled After the Storm, Après Orage, 1957, estimated at $1,400-$2,400 and a Jean Lucrat (French 1892-1966), Apocalypse des mal assis, gouache on paper, from series a of works, titled, numbered, and signed 1945 estimated at $1,200-$2,400.

A portrait of an African American golf caddy, oil on canvas, signed lower left, circa 1945, by J.D. Whiting is estimated at $1,600-$2,400, while a Ron Schrubbe, Seagull Series 1, acrylic on canvas, with the exhibition label Collector’s Gallery Milwaukee Art Center is estimated at $1,600-$2,200. Other notable entries include a Guy Bascom St. John (b. 1878), street scene, a William Gear (British 1915-1997) Landscape, and a Rick Griffin (American 1944-1991) paper collage, signed lower right, circa 1974. Griffin is best known for his work on the Grateful Dead album covers and was part of the San Francisco Psychedelic School.

There are also two screen prints, the first by Richard Hamilton, Putting on De Stijl, collotype/screen-print, 1979 and the second by Joseph Alberts, Never Before K, screen-print on paper circa 1976.

Finally, aviation collectors will love a fantastic industrial Fan-O-Plane, streamline modern hanging airplane fan by the Aircraft Mfg. Co. Dayton, Ohio, Serial no. BD6684, circa 1920-30, with vintage drop hanger, complete and with age commensurate patina is estimated at $800-$1,20 and a Frank Fletcher aviation wing shaped modern executive desk of Honduran mahogany from a Pasadena, Calif., estate, circa 1945, estimated at $1,800-$2,200. There are also Art Deco and Streamline Modern/Machine Age utilitarian objects by a number of noted industrial designers from the early 20th century. They are well represented in multiple lots of smalls.

For more information on these lots call Kaminski at 978-927-2223. LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding.

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


20th century, Italian sommerso vase, Fulvio Bianconi for Mazzega, circa 1950-60, 12inches high. Estimate: $1,000-$2,000. Kaminski Auctions image.

20th century, Italian sommerso vase, Fulvio Bianconi for Mazzega, circa 1950-60, 12inches high. Estimate: $1,000-$2,000. Kaminski Auctions image.

Jean Lucrat (French 1892-1966), ‘Apocalypse des mal assis,’ gouache on paper, from series of works, titled, numbered, signed and dated lower margin, 1945. Estimate: $1,200-$2,400. Kaminski Auctions image.

Jean Lucrat (French 1892-1966), ‘Apocalypse des mal assis,’ gouache on paper, from series of works, titled, numbered, signed and dated lower margin, 1945. Estimate: $1,200-$2,400. Kaminski Auctions image.

Kodak colorama by Ralph Amdursky and Charles Baker circa 1957, art director-Norman Rockwell, colorama photograph, circa 1957. Estimate: $4,000-$7,000. Kaminski Auctions image.

Kodak colorama by Ralph Amdursky and Charles Baker circa 1957, art director-Norman Rockwell, colorama photograph, circa 1957. Estimate: $4,000-$7,000. Kaminski Auctions image.

Pair of Hans Wegner designed side chairs, oak with black leather seats, early 1960s, each with branded mark under seat, C.M. Madsens Fabriken, Haarby, Denmark. Estimate: $800-$1,200. Kaminski Auctions image.

Pair of Hans Wegner designed side chairs, oak with black leather seats, early 1960s, each with branded mark under seat, C.M. Madsens Fabriken, Haarby, Denmark. Estimate: $800-$1,200. Kaminski Auctions image.

Orrefors punk profile sculpture, crystal, signed Lagerbielke, 13 inches high, 8 inches wide, 3 inches deep. Estimate: $3,000-$5,000. Kaminski Auctions image.

Orrefors punk profile sculpture, crystal, signed Lagerbielke, 13 inches high, 8 inches wide, 3 inches deep. Estimate: $3,000-$5,000. Kaminski Auctions image.

Jean-Louis Toutain (1948-2008), ‘Figure with Guitar,’ bronze sculpture, circa 1990s, 9 inches high. Estimate: $2,000-$5,000. Kaminski Auctions image.

Jean-Louis Toutain (1948-2008), ‘Figure with Guitar,’ bronze sculpture, circa 1990s, 9 inches high. Estimate: $2,000-$5,000. Kaminski Auctions image.

Historical photograph of miners and prospectors climbing Alaska's Chilkoot Trail during the Klondike Gold Rush, September 1898. The trail ran from Dyea, Alaska to Bennett, British Columbia, in Canada, and led to the Yukon goldfields. The trail became obsolete in 1899 when a railway was built along a parallel trail.

Ephemera gift illuminates life in 19th century Alaska

Historical photograph of miners and prospectors climbing Alaska's Chilkoot Trail during the Klondike Gold Rush, September 1898. The trail ran from Dyea, Alaska to Bennett, British Columbia, in Canada, and led to the Yukon goldfields. The trail became obsolete in 1899 when a railway was built along a parallel trail.

Historical photograph of miners and prospectors climbing Alaska’s Chilkoot Trail during the Klondike Gold Rush, September 1898. The trail ran from Dyea, Alaska to Bennett, British Columbia, in Canada, and led to the Yukon goldfields. The trail became obsolete in 1899 when a railway was built along a parallel trail.

FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) – Last spring, without much warning, an elderly woman quietly dropped off a cache of old documents and photos at the Washington offices of the Alaska Commercial Company.

That low-key deposit, from the widow of the late AC President John Larson, is now illuminating life in pre-territorial 19th century Alaska. The collection brings to life a colorful snapshot in Alaska’s history — the era when it abruptly shifted from being a Russian colony to a U.S. territory.

Kegs of lard, 25-pound shipments of dry mustard, barrels of tar and even a new safe were among the items recorded in invoice logs being shipped to the largely uninhabited frontier. The records are all written in immaculate cursive handwriting, showing products delivered by companies such as Taylor & Bender Wholesale Grocers, “sole agents for Dr. Hufeland’s celebrated Swiss stomach bitters.”

The Alaska Commercial Company donated the documents last month to the University of Alaska Fairbanks Rasmuson Library, which is working to record and parse through the details of the intriguing collection. They provide a deeper understanding of a sometimes blurry period in Alaska history.

Dennis Moser, department head of UAF’s Alaska and Polar Regions Collections and Archives, said the collection already includes lots of material from the era, but in “dribs and drabs” that don’t always add up to a larger view of everyday life. A log book of items that were shipped to the port of St. Michael and Yukon River villages in about 1870 provides clarity in a sometimes blurry period.

“It says everything about what people were doing at that time,” Moser said.

The invoices include the earliest known shipment of “Bost. Pilot Bread” into Alaska, with 25 cases entering the state on Oct. 4, 1869. Pilot bread — a sturdy, non-perishable cracker — remains a staple of rural Alaska diets.

It also showed the powerful link between San Francisco merchants and Alaska in the years after Russia sold the area to the United States. Dozens of companies from the city are represented in the invoice book — Goodwin & Co., Hawley & Co. Importers of Jobbers and Hardware among them — providing everything from nails to peanuts for the remote outposts.

Turning over the documents to UAF is important to AC Company president Rex Wilhelm, whose more than 200-year-old company dates back to days of Russian ownership, when it was known as the Russian American Company. Wilhelm has a job steeped in such history that he can trace his title back to the famed fur-trader Alexander Baranov, the first governor of Russian Alaska.

The position has helped make him an amateur historian at AC, working to uncover historic documents from online auctions or old records. For a company that dates back to 1799, he said, there are surprising gaps in its history.

“There’s just a lot to look at, but the unfortunate thing is that we didn’t have a lot of the heritage materials you’d expect of a company 200 years old,” Wilhelm said.

Wilhelm actually mailed Larson’s widow a decade ago inquiring about old records, but heard nothing until they were dropped off last spring. He said the deeply private woman didn’t provide details about how the collection of invoice books, drawings and more than 600 photographs had been stored, but he said it was a thrilling gift.

The collection also includes detailed color drawings of each turn-of-the-century Northern Commercial Company store, with vivid enough backgrounds that the site of each building could still be located today.

“I would think that archaeologists, if they wanted to go back and see where some things could be found, could use them for that,” Wilhelm said.

Maritime historian J. Pennelope Goforth, of Anchorage, helped facilitate the transfer of the documents between the AC Company and UAF, which will work to preserve the delicate papers and photos.

Moser said the records are particularly fascinating because the significance of items purchased by Alaskans in the 1870s can be easily grasped by modern residents of the state. The AC Company and its predecessors are a big part of that history, he said.

“When you have an institution that has a very deep significance, you want to include them in the story,” Moser said. “We’re excited to get this — they’re an extremely significant player.”

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Information from: Fairbanks (Alaska) Daily News-Miner, http://www.newsminer.com

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Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE


Historical photograph of miners and prospectors climbing Alaska's Chilkoot Trail during the Klondike Gold Rush, September 1898. The trail ran from Dyea, Alaska to Bennett, British Columbia, in Canada, and led to the Yukon goldfields. The trail became obsolete in 1899 when a railway was built along a parallel trail.

Historical photograph of miners and prospectors climbing Alaska’s Chilkoot Trail during the Klondike Gold Rush, September 1898. The trail ran from Dyea, Alaska to Bennett, British Columbia, in Canada, and led to the Yukon goldfields. The trail became obsolete in 1899 when a railway was built along a parallel trail.

'Greener & Greener Pastures,' a sculptural group located at the Veteran's Memorial in Casper, Wyoming. Photo taken Sept. 24, 2010 by Jimmy Emerson. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic license. Visit Emerson's online photostream at http://www.flickr.com/photos/auvet/

Anonymous donor restores Casper sculpture

'Greener & Greener Pastures,' a sculptural group located at the Veteran's Memorial in Casper, Wyoming. Photo taken Sept. 24, 2010 by Jimmy Emerson. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic license. Visit Emerson's online photostream at http://www.flickr.com/photos/auvet/

‘Greener & Greener Pastures,’ a sculptural group located at the Veteran’s Memorial in Casper, Wyoming. Photo taken Sept. 24, 2010 by Jimmy Emerson. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic license. Visit Emerson’s online photostream at http://www.flickr.com/photos/auvet/

CASPER, Wyo. (AP) – An anonymous donor has made a sculpture exhibit in Casper whole again after a thief made off with part of the installation.

The sculpture is called “Green & Greener Pastures” and is located in Pioneer Park in Casper. The sculpture features two grown sheep and two lambs.

Last year, a thief made off with one of the lambs in the sculpture. Whoever stole the lamb had to cut through bolts that were cemented into the ground.

The Casper Star-Tribune reports a replacement lamb recently turned up in a nativity scene in Pioneer Park. The lamb was installed alongside the rest of the “Green & Greener Pastures” sculpture on Monday.

Natrona County officials say they’re thankful for the donation.

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Information from: Casper (Wyo.) Star-Tribune, http://www.trib.com

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ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE


'Greener & Greener Pastures,' a sculptural group located at the Veteran's Memorial in Casper, Wyoming. Photo taken Sept. 24, 2010 by Jimmy Emerson. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic license. Visit Emerson's online photostream at http://www.flickr.com/photos/auvet/

‘Greener & Greener Pastures,’ a sculptural group located at the Veteran’s Memorial in Casper, Wyoming. Photo taken Sept. 24, 2010 by Jimmy Emerson. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic license. Visit Emerson’s online photostream at http://www.flickr.com/photos/auvet/

House of Fabergé, Henrik Wigström, workmaster, Imperial Tsesarevich Easter Egg, 1912, egg: lapis lazuli, gold, diamond; frame: diamond, gold, platinum or silver, lapis lazuli, watercolor, ivory. Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond. Bequest of Lillian Thomas Pratt (photo: Katherine Wetzel. © Virginia Museum of Fine Arts)

Faberge exhibition entering final weeks in Detroit

House of Fabergé, Henrik Wigström, workmaster, Imperial Tsesarevich Easter Egg, 1912, egg: lapis lazuli, gold, diamond; frame: diamond, gold, platinum or silver, lapis lazuli, watercolor, ivory. Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond. Bequest of Lillian Thomas Pratt (photo: Katherine Wetzel. © Virginia Museum of Fine Arts)

House of Fabergé, Henrik Wigström, workmaster, Imperial Tsesarevich Easter Egg, 1912, egg: lapis lazuli, gold, diamond; frame: diamond, gold, platinum or silver, lapis lazuli, watercolor, ivory. Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond. Bequest of Lillian Thomas Pratt (photo: Katherine Wetzel. © Virginia Museum of Fine Arts)

DETROIT (AP) – A display featuring more than 200 objects made under the direction of Karl Faberge at an art exhibition in Detroit is entering its final weeks.

“Faberge: The Rise and Fall” runs through Jan. 21 at the Detroit Institute of Arts. The museum will be open to celebrate Martin Luther King Day.

Visitors can view imperial Russian treasures made by the House of Faberge, including jewel-encrusted parasol handles, enameled frames, animals carved from semi-precious stones and miniature egg pendants.

The exhibition also includes six imperial Easter eggs.

“Faberge: The Rise and Fall” is organized by the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, in collaboration with the DIA.

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Online:  http://www.dia.org

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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


House of Fabergé, Henrik Wigström, workmaster, Imperial Tsesarevich Easter Egg, 1912, egg: lapis lazuli, gold, diamond; frame: diamond, gold, platinum or silver, lapis lazuli, watercolor, ivory. Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond. Bequest of Lillian Thomas Pratt (photo: Katherine Wetzel. © Virginia Museum of Fine Arts)

House of Fabergé, Henrik Wigström, workmaster, Imperial Tsesarevich Easter Egg, 1912, egg: lapis lazuli, gold, diamond; frame: diamond, gold, platinum or silver, lapis lazuli, watercolor, ivory. Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond. Bequest of Lillian Thomas Pratt (photo: Katherine Wetzel. © Virginia Museum of Fine Arts)

IRS auctioning off seized Native American artwork

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) – Native American artwork owned by a Sioux Falls nonprofit organization has been seized by the Internal Revenue Service and will be auctioned next month, but a local coalition hopes to buy the art so it can be put on public display.

The IRS seized the 16-piece collection of artwork in September from the Washington Pavilion’s Visual Arts Center, where it had been on loan for more than a decade, the Argus Leader reported.

Federal tax liens filed with the Minnehaha County Register of Deeds between November 2011 and March 2012 show that the collection’s owners, American Indian Services, owed the government $118,157. The IRS has put a minimum bid of $24,750 on the artwork to help satisfy those liens.

The IRS auction is set for Jan. 31. The artwork includes sculpture, beadwork, ledger art and other pieces.

When American Indian Services established the North Plains Tribal Arts show in 1988, it solicited original artwork each year and purchased it to use in marketing the art show. The collection being sold includes pieces selected in the first 16 or 17 years of the show. After American Indian Services said it would no longer sponsor the show, Sinte Gleska University took over the art show in 2004 and renamed it the Northern Plains Indian Art Market.

Tax records show that the primary function of American Indian Services is “family strengthening,” including housing assistance for Native American families.

Pavilion President Larry Toll said a group has been formed from the community to raise money to bid on the collection. The group hopes to reach at the minimum bid in an attempt to buy the artwork and make it a permanent exhibit at the Pavilion, a community arts, science and entertainment organization.

Toll said the collection represents a long history in getting the Indian art market established.

“We’re talking to a lot of people who have been involved with it in the past and have a warm spot in their heart for tribal art, as well as for that particular collection,” Toll said.

David Merhib, director of the Pavilion’s Visual Arts Center, said the collection has only been shown in its entirety at his gallery. He said being able to purchase it now would in a sense be bringing it home.

Linda Boyd, owner of the Prairie Star Gallery art store in Sioux Falls, said there are many valuable items in the collection that could push the overall collection past the minimum bid price.

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Information from: Argus Leader, http://www.argusleader.com

Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Kirby Ferguson. Image courtesy of Rago Arts.

Kirby Ferguson to speak at Rago open house Jan. 8

Kirby Ferguson. Image courtesy of Rago Arts.

Kirby Ferguson. Image courtesy of Rago Arts.

LAMBERTVILLE – New York writer and filmmaker Kirby Ferguson will be a guest speaker at an open house at Rago Arts and Auction Center on Tuesday, Jan. 8, at 6 p.m. EST. His talk is titled “Everything is a Remix.”

Ferguson will discuss whether remixing is a form of creativity, a production of the new on the shoulders of what precedes it, or is it just copying? The 30-minute talk is followed by a presentation by Meredith Hilferty, who directs Rago’s fine art department, and Jad Attal, Rago’s senior Modern specialist, to talk about remix/appropriation in their fields.

The open house will be part of the preview for the Rago Unreserved Auction Jan. 12-13. The auction house opens to the public at noon Tuesday. A reception begins at 5 p.m. Ferguson will speak at 6 p.m.

RSVP to 609-397-9374 ext. 119 or raac@ragoarts.com. If unable to RSVP in advance, please attend if possible. All are welcome.

Rago Arts and Auction Center is located at 333 N. Main St., Lambertville, NJ 08530.

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The wanton killing of elephants for their ivory tusks began in Africa in the 1880s. Western traders purchased the ivory from East African natives, as seen in this vintage photograph. The white-suited men depicted center left and right may have been the Zangaki brothers, who based their business in Egypt and Palestine during the last two decades of the 20th century. Public domain image in the United States.

NY tightens restrictions on illegal ivory trade

The wanton killing of elephants for their ivory tusks began in Africa in the 1880s. Western traders purchased the ivory from East African natives, as seen in this vintage photograph. The white-suited men depicted center left and right may have been the Zangaki brothers, who based their business in Egypt and Palestine during the last two decades of the 20th century. Public domain image in the United States.

The wanton killing of elephants for their ivory tusks began in Africa in the 1880s. Western traders purchased the ivory from East African natives, as seen in this vintage photograph. The white-suited men depicted center left and right may have been the Zangaki brothers, who based their business in Egypt and Palestine during the last two decades of the 20th century. Public domain image in the United States.

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — In an effort to shutter the U.S. as a modern elephant graveyard, New York regulators are now demanding more proof that intricately carved artwork and fine white jewelry abide by state law.

In New York, it is illegal to sell ivory from elephants killed after 1978. The state is now requiring retailers and wholesalers licensed to sell older ivory to show detailed provenance of all their pieces.

“The laws have been the same in New York since the late ’70s. What’s changed is because of the plight of the elephant, our department has changed posture as far as what proof you need to show that you owned this prior to it being listed back in the ’70s,” said Maj. Scott Florence, chief state environmental crimes investigator.

Wildlife groups say African poachers, including militias and armed gangs, accelerated the lucrative slaughter to about 30,000 elephants last year.

“It’s up hugely,” said Liz Bennett of the Wildlife Conservation Society. She noted the recent seizure in Malaysia of about 1,500 tusks.

The International Fund for Animal Welfare said authorities worldwide confiscated about 27 tons of ivory in 2011, estimating 25,000 to 50,000 elephants were killed that year.

Investigators over the past two years have confiscated two tons of ivory that passed through New York City, considered a primary black market supporting the slaughter of the world’s largest land mammals.

New York requires ivory dealers to be licensed, although officials acknowledge there are untold numbers of unsanctioned sellers.

About 110 retailers and wholesalers were previously licensed, but the number is down to about 60 under the new, tighter provisions. More than a dozen applications were rejected, some outright and some for partial inventories, said wildlife biologist Joseph Therrien of the Department of Environmental Conservation’s special licensing unit. Other dealers’ license applications are pending.

“We had to do it across the board: a new applicant, anybody renewing a license, or anybody who’s even amending,” he said.

In a recent seizure, the DEC found thousands of smooth white bracelets with silver clasps, the ivory identifiable by its faint Shrager lines. A single bracelet was tagged at $270 wholesale, $540 retail. The haul included nearly a ton of mass-produced statues and jewelry, with estimated value above $2 million. Officials said it is probably headed to a federal repository in Colorado.

The state investigation in New York City’s diamond district began with a tip from an off-duty federal inspector who saw ivory that looked new at New York Jewelry Mart Corp. Pristine white pieces are often a giveaway; older ivory tends to discolor.

DEC Lt. John Fitzpatrick said undercover investigators bought enough to establish a felony state offense and identified the wholesaler as Raja Jewels Inc., which was selling to other jewelers by appointment. There were 1970s invoices for some ivory, but none for the bracelets that apparently came from India, and neither company had a state ivory sales permit.

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance obtained guilty pleas from both sellers this summer to state felony charges of illegal commercialization of wildlife. They gave up the ivory and agreed to pay almost $50,000 altogether to the Wildlife Conservation Society. DEC’s focus is in-state sales, with some other investigations pending, while the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service focuses on smuggling and interstate cases and had other major New York City prosecutions in 2010.

Attorney David Holland, representing Raja owner Mukesh Gupta, said New York restricts post-1978 sales, while federal smuggling enforcement and an international treaty impose a 1989 cutoff.

“There is a general state of confusion for individuals who have contemplated purchasing or selling ivory as they are unaware that the Endangered Species Act and New York state law are the controlling principles and not the international treaties related to the ban of the sale of ivory worldwide, which came later,” he said.

In September, art dealer Victor Gordon of Philadelphia pleaded guilty to felony smuggling in Brooklyn federal court and gave up a ton of ivory, including intricately carved whole tusks. Investigators said it was deliberately stained to make it appear antique. Gordon agreed to pay $150,000. Free on $1 million bond, he could face up to 20 years in prison, though that’s considered unlikely. Gordon’s attorney Daniel-Paul Alva declined to comment with his client facing sentencing in April.

Hundreds of tusks and carvings were seized in Philadelphia, with others confiscated in Bryn Mawr and Carversville, Pa.; Brooklyn and Valley Stream, N.Y.; Lawrence, Kan.; Columbia, Mo.; Hillsborough, Calif.; and Miami. Several pieces were taken from buyers. The case was prosecuted in New York because much of the ivory came through Kennedy Airport in Queens.

“We try to go after the larger organizations commercializing or doing most of the damage to the species,” said Ed Grace, deputy chief of law enforcement for the wildlife service.

He said it would be difficult to estimate the size of the U.S. market for ivory, probably second only to China, and the New York-New Jersey area seems to be the epicenter.

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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


The wanton killing of elephants for their ivory tusks began in Africa in the 1880s. Western traders purchased the ivory from East African natives, as seen in this vintage photograph. The white-suited men depicted center left and right may have been the Zangaki brothers, who based their business in Egypt and Palestine during the last two decades of the 20th century. Public domain image in the United States.

The wanton killing of elephants for their ivory tusks began in Africa in the 1880s. Western traders purchased the ivory from East African natives, as seen in this vintage photograph. The white-suited men depicted center left and right may have been the Zangaki brothers, who based their business in Egypt and Palestine during the last two decades of the 20th century. Public domain image in the United States.

Popup Shop by United Colors of Benetton, New York City. Photo by Kelsey Savage.

Reading the Streets: Sexualized yarn designs in Soho

Popup Shop by United Colors of Benetton, New York City. Photo by Kelsey Savage.

Popup Shop by United Colors of Benetton, New York City. Photo by Kelsey Savage.

NEW YORK – United Colors of Benetton has renovated a garage into a popup on Crosby Street in Soho. The Art of Knit, which opened in September during Fashion Week, specializes in knitwear and extends its chosen theme to the décor and exterior. The wool is demonstrated with yarn-wrapped mannequins displayed in explicit positions and wallpaper papering the outside with images of wool scraps. The sexual positions of the “mannequins’’ have attracted the same outrage the Italian brand has become used to garnering – their advertising campaign has often featured provocative images and social confrontation.

The effect of all the yarn-themed imagery and sculpture is visually exciting and easily differentiates the garage from the rest of the stores on the street, especially with a pair of mannequins in the throes of pleasure perched on the top of the building. The frisky sculptures are part of a collection called Lana Sutra by Erik Ravelo, and the rest of the converted space represents the creative minds of You Nguyen, the Director and FABRICA, Benetton Group’s Communication Research Center. As public art, the result is stimulating and certainly effective at getting people in the store … however, the art far outpaces the creativity of the Fair Isle sweaters and other bulky winter-weather-ware, which are pretty standard and don’t stand up to the outrageous environment.


ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE


Popup Shop by United Colors of Benetton, New York City. Photo by Kelsey Savage.

Popup Shop by United Colors of Benetton, New York City. Photo by Kelsey Savage.

Popup Shop by United Colors of Benetton, New York City. Photo by Kelsey Savage.

Popup Shop by United Colors of Benetton, New York City. Photo by Kelsey Savage.

Popup Shop by United Colors of Benetton, New York City. Photo by Kelsey Savage.

Popup Shop by United Colors of Benetton, New York City. Photo by Kelsey Savage.

Mahogany with mother-of-pearl inlay was used to make this 1910 Edwardian settee. The back, with open spaces and scrolls, and the seat pad are typical of the period. It auctioned for only $344 at a Doyle New York auction last summer.

Kovels Antiques & Collecting: Week of Dec. 31, 2012

Mahogany with mother-of-pearl inlay was used to make this 1910 Edwardian settee. The back, with open spaces and scrolls, and the seat pad are typical of the period. It auctioned for only $344 at a Doyle New York auction last summer.

Mahogany with mother-of-pearl inlay was used to make this 1910 Edwardian settee. The back, with open spaces and scrolls, and the seat pad are typical of the period. It auctioned for only $344 at a Doyle New York auction last summer.

The Edwardian period of furniture design falls in the years between Victorian and Art Deco. It is named for King Edward VII of England, who reigned from 1901 to 1910. Some experts say it is not just the years that the furniture was made but also the design that makes it Edwardian. Some claim influences from earlier periods and say that a combination of Georgian, Victorian and Art Nouveau created the new Edwardian style.

Collectors have to rely on appearance, since it is so difficult to know exactly when a chair was made. Designers working after 1901 created a chair that looked lighter in weight than a Victorian chair and used pastels rather than dark colors. Fabrics and wallpaper with flowers became popular. Chairs had scrolled backs and legs, similar to Art Nouveau designs but thinner and less “tangled.” Bamboo and wicker were introduced, and many pieces were made of lightweight wood and mother-of-pearl inlay. Seats were made with thin padding and thin fitted cushions.

It has not been a popular style with collectors, but it’s enjoyed by decorators and homeowners. Today both period and reproduction pieces are a good buy. Most are made of solid wood, not plywood, and use upholstery fabrics of damask, silk or other natural materials, not modern synthetics. A 1910 Edwardian settee sold for $344 at a Doyle New York auction this year. Chairs sell for a few hundred dollars. Sofas go for less than $500 at auction.

Q: My friend who gave me her old upright piano also gave me the antique piano shawl she always draped over the piano. It’s 52 inches square and appears to be black silk crepe. It’s reversible and covered in embroidered pink roses. The fringe around the whole shawl is 15 inches long, with smocking around the edge of the fabric. Is the shawl valuable?

A: Many piano shawls like yours were made in Spain in the 1890s. They sell for $50 to $100 if they’re in very good condition, with full fringe and without holes.

Q: My mother-in-law gave me one of her old alligator purses. It’s in great shape and has a label inside that reads “Rosenfeld.” Have you heard of that maker? How old is the purse?

A: Harry Rosenfeld was an American designer active from the 1930s into the ’70s. His designs were made by several different manufacturers. The bags were sold at high-end department stores and at Harry Rosenfeld Handbags, a shop on Madison Avenue in New York City. Rosenfeld designed bags in all sorts of styles, using all kinds of materials. But it is likely that your alligator purse dates from the 1930s, ’40s or ’50s, when alligator bags were at the peak of their popularity. The value of your bag depends not only on designer and condition, but also on style. It could sell for less than $100 or more than $300.

Q: My dad owned a funeral home in Cincinnati and liked collecting antiques. He left me his collection of paperweights made by Crane & Breed, a Cincinnati coffin manufacturer. The paperweights include an Egyptian sarcophagus, Scottie dog, alligator, camel, frog, turtle, bear, sailboat and ghost. I don’t want to sell them, but I’d like to know how old they are and what they’re worth.

A: Crane & Breed took over a Cincinnati coffin-manufacturing business in 1854 and stayed in business until 1973. The company held several patents on coffins and coffin parts, and sold coffins to funeral homes in several states. Today collectors know about Crane & Breed mainly because of its collectible paperweights. From the late 1800s into the early 1900s, the company gave away promotional bronze novelty paperweights to funeral homes and their employees. Today, the sarcophagus paperweight sells for close to $400, but most of the others are going for less than $20.

Q: I own a glass dish that has a portrait of a man in the center and the words “We mourn our nation’s loss” inscribed around it. There’s a wide border of swags around the dish. We think the dish has something to do with President Garfield and also something to do with Vermont. It has been in our family for more than 70 years and we would like to know its history and value.

A: Your plate was made as a memorial to President James A. Garfield, who was assassinated in 1881. The center picture is a bust of Garfield. The pattern is called “Garfield Drape,” but it’s sometimes called “Canadian Drape.” It has been attributed to Adams & Co. of Pittsburgh, but more recent research suggests that it may have been made by Burlington Glass Works of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Perhaps that’s how it got the name “Canadian Drape.” The pattern was first made in the 1870s. After Garfield died, memorial plates in that pattern were made with his bust in the middle. The only connection to Vermont is that Vice President Chester A. Arthur, who became president after Garfield’s death, was born in Vermont. Different versions of your plate were made. Some include the words “Born Nov 19, 1831, Shot July 2, 1881, Died Sep 19, 1881.” A colored glass Garfield memorial plate retails for about $75.

Q: My vintage alligator handbag includes the taxidermied head of the alligator. The bag, made in Cuba, was originally purchased at a high-end New York City store. What is it worth?

A: We frequently see alligator-head bags like yours at antiques shows. They sell for about $150 to $200, depending on quality and condition.

Tip: Moths seem to like to eat natural undyed horsehair but, strangely, do not eat dyed hair. Use mothballs and other detergents to protect braided hair-work and stuffed furniture.

Terry Kovel answers as many questions as possible through the column. By sending a letter with a question, you give full permission for use in the column or any other Kovel forum. Names, addresses or email addresses will not be published. We cannot guarantee the return of any photograph, but if a stamped envelope is included, we will try. The volume of mail makes personal answers or appraisals impossible. Write to Kovels, Auction Central News, King Features Syndicate, 300 W. 57th St., New York, NY 10019.

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.

  • Depression glass bonbon, English hobnail, hexagonal, handle, 6 inches, $15.
  • Dome-top trunk, oak, blue paint, iron strapping, handles, 1700s, 22 1/2 x 36 1/2 inches, $230.
  • Tobacco jar, dog, double head, black, white, Staffordshire, 6 x 4 inches, $298.
  • Wedgwood ewer, Greek figures, black basalt, handle, impressed, mark, 7 inches, $369.
  • Flip the Frog figurine, celluloid, moveable arms, hat and bowtie, c. 1930, 6 1/2 inches, $511.
  • Fireplace fender, brass, tin, reticulated Gothic designs, ball feet, 1800s, 9 1/2 x 30 1/4 inches, $776.
  • Slipper chair, Aesthetic Revival, giltwood, carved, pietra dura plaque, turned legs, c. 1880, $1,315
  • Solar lamp, Gothic Revival, etched glass, bronze, cluster column, c. 1840, 33 3/4 inches, $1,554.
  • Ladle, soup, silver, Gothic style, William Gale & Son, 1853-66, 14 inches, $2,270.
  • Harp, Gothic style, 47 strings, gilt, R. & L. Lewis, N.Y., c. 1850, 69 inches, $6,871.

Kovels’ American Collectibles, 1900 to 2000 is the best guide to your 20th-century treasures – everything from art pottery to kitchenware. It’s filled with hundreds of color photographs, marks, lists of designers and manufacturers and lots of information about collectibles. The collectibles of the 20th century are explained in an entertaining, informative style. Read tips on care and dating items, and discover how to spot a good buy or avoid a bad one. And learn about hot new collectibles and what they’re worth so you can make wise, profitable decisions. The book covers pottery and porcelain, furniture, jewelry, silver, glass, toys, kitchen items, bottles, dolls, prints and more. It’s about the household furnishings of the past century – what they are, what they’re worth and how they were used. Out of print but available online at Kovels.com; by phone at 800-303-1996; or send $27.95 plus $4.95 postage to Kovels, Box 22900, Beachwood, OH 44122.

© 2012 by Cowles Syndicate Inc.


ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE


Mahogany with mother-of-pearl inlay was used to make this 1910 Edwardian settee. The back, with open spaces and scrolls, and the seat pad are typical of the period. It auctioned for only $344 at a Doyle New York auction last summer.

Mahogany with mother-of-pearl inlay was used to make this 1910 Edwardian settee. The back, with open spaces and scrolls, and the seat pad are typical of the period. It auctioned for only $344 at a Doyle New York auction last summer.