Neal Auction’s Winter Estates Auction achieves $3.1M

The highlight of the auction was one of the 18th century Chinese rhinoceros horn libation cup from the Headley-Whitney Museum, which sold for $185,000 to a U.S. bidder on LiveAuctioneers.com. Neal Auction Co. image.
The highlight of the auction was one of the 18th century Chinese rhinoceros horn libation cup from the Headley-Whitney Museum, which sold for $185,000 to a U.S. bidder on LiveAuctioneers.com. Neal Auction Co. image.

The highlight of the auction was one of the 18th century Chinese rhinoceros horn libation cup from the Headley-Whitney Museum, which sold for $185,000 to a U.S. bidder on LiveAuctioneers.com. Neal Auction Co. image.

NEW ORLEANS – Neal Auction’s Winter Estates Auction raked in $3.1 million in sales on Feb. 23-24. LiveAuctioneers.com provided Internet live bidding.

One hundred twenty-four lots from the Headley-Whitney Museum consignment achieved $1.05 million. Six antique Chinese rhinoceros horn libation cups totaled $470,000. A Chinese painting of an eagle soared to $125,000 and a romantic Woodward oil painting quadrupled its presale estimate to achieve $105,000.

The highlight of Neal Auction Company’s was an 18th century Chinese rhinoceros horn libation cup carved as a large open flower borne on openwork branches issuing fruit and flowers. The extraordinary cup saw widespread competition from collectors around the world, ultimately selling for $185,000 to a U.S. bidder on Liveauctioneers.com vying against 17 telephone bidders, six absentee bidders and lively salesroom participation.

A second 17th/18th century Chinese rhinoceros horn libation cup carved as a partly rotted tree stump with new-growth chrysanthemum, peony and grasses, was won by a U.S. bidder on Liveauctioneers.com for $62,000 competing against 12 phone bidders, three absentee bidders, and several bidders in the room.

Four more carved Chinese rhinoceros horn libation cups from the Headley-Whitney Museum sold for prices ranging from $53,000 to $58,500. A rare 17th/18th century Chinese “eccentric” carved hardwood libation cup modeled as an inverted mountain peak enveloped in the leafy branches and tendrils of a fruiting grapevine above a small squirrel at the base, sold for $33,500.

Also from the Lexington, Ky., museum, a Chinese scroll painting of an Eagle and Autumn Leaves bearing the signature of Emperor Song Huizong as well as the collector’s seal of the Qianlong Emperor, also garnered considerable attention worldwide. The bidding for the painting started at $1,800 and quickly soared upward, selling to a Chinese painting collector in the room for $125,000.

Carrying a presale estimate of $20,000 to $30,000, lot 384, a 1921 William Woodward (American/New Orleans 1859-1939) oil on canvas depicting a romantic gulf shore scene sold to a Mississippi collector for $105,000. The work, which was painted as a wedding present for the consignor’s parents, featured two oaks with intertwined branches symbolic of the young couple’s love for one another.

A Mississippi River scene painted by William Henry Buck (American/Louisiana, 1840-1888) featuring a man poling on a raft beside sawn logs on the banks, achieved $87,000, selling to a New Orleans collector. The painting, contemporaneous with Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Hick Finn, powerfully captured the late 19th century way of life along the banks of the great Mississippi.

A vibrant, 1974 oil on canvas by Ida Rittenberg Kohlmeyer (American/New Orleans, 1912-1997) titled Transverse #3, saw active participation among collectors on the floor competing against six telephone bidders. The work ultimately sold for $60,000, against a presale estimate of $15,000-$25,000.

A seven-volume, first edition of John James Audubon’s The Birds of America, From Drawings Made in the United States and Their Territories received considerable interest, selling for $50,000 to a bidder in the room.

A rare circa 1850-1860 American Rococo carved rosewood bedstead bearing the patent stamps of John Henry Belter, New York, sold for $36,000.

William Henry Buck’s (American/Louisiana, 1840-1888) oil on canvas painting titled Louisiana Bayou: Live Oaks and Water Lilies at Dusk discovered in the estate of a St. Louis, Mo., collector, was won by a New Orleans collector in the room for $30,500.

Selling for $30,000 was a circa 1845 American carved cherrywood tallcase clock by Thomas R. J. Ayers of Danville, Ky.

An important 1902 Newcomb College art pottery vase decorated by Mary Wolcott Richardson (1873-1968) with panels of dancing African-American figures beneath the inscription “Rastus on Parade” sold for $29,000.

A Turkish embroidered silk textile exquisitely worked overall in couched metallic threads, saw great interest from the salesroom floor as well as from the telephones. The extraordinarily intricate 18th century textile sold to a bidder in the room for $26,000.

A rare, circa 1898 pastel counterproof by Mary Cassatt (American, 1844-1926) titled Baby Embracing Her Mother realized $22,000. The lovely example of the artist’s experimentation with pastel counterproofs was won by an absentee bidder.

An early 19th century Lexington, Ky., coin silver teapot marked “A·BLANCHARD” (working 1808-1838) sold for $21,750. Also by Blanchard, a signed coin silver pitcher sold for $19,500.

Prices realized include Neal Auction Co.’s buyer’s premium. Neal Auction Company’s Buyer’s Premium is 22 percent of the hammer price up to and including $200,000, plus 10 percent of the hammer price greater than $200,000. For purchases made by cash, check or wire transfer the buyer’s premium is reduced by 2.5 percent of the 22 percent.

For information call Neal Auction Co. at 504-899-5329.

View the fully illustrated catalog for Neal Auction Co.’s  Feb. 23-24 sale, complete with prices realized, online at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

The highlight of the auction was one of the 18th century Chinese rhinoceros horn libation cup from the Headley-Whitney Museum, which sold for $185,000 to a U.S. bidder on LiveAuctioneers.com. Neal Auction Co. image.
 

The highlight of the auction was one of the 18th century Chinese rhinoceros horn libation cup from the Headley-Whitney Museum, which sold for $185,000 to a U.S. bidder on LiveAuctioneers.com. Neal Auction Co. image.

Titled ‘Eagle and Autumn Leaves,’ this Chinese scroll painting bearing the signature of Emperor Song Huizong as well as the collector’s seal of the Qianlong emperor, sold for $125,000. Neal Auction Co. image.

Titled ‘Eagle and Autumn Leaves,’ this Chinese scroll painting bearing the signature of Emperor Song Huizong as well as the collector’s seal of the Qianlong emperor, sold for $125,000. Neal Auction Co. image.

Carrying a presale estimate of $20,000-$30,000, this 1921 William Woodward (American/New Orleans 1859-1939) oil on canvas depicting a romantic ‘Gulf Shore’ scene sold for $105,000. Neal Auction Co. image.

Carrying a presale estimate of $20,000-$30,000, this 1921 William Woodward (American/New Orleans 1859-1939) oil on canvas depicting a romantic ‘Gulf Shore’ scene sold for $105,000. Neal Auction Co. image.

The Mississippi River scene painted by William Henry Buck (American/Louisiana, 1840-1888) featuring a man poling on a raft achieved $87,000. Neal Auction Co. image.

The Mississippi River scene painted by William Henry Buck (American/Louisiana, 1840-1888) featuring a man poling on a raft achieved $87,000. Neal Auction Co. image.

A vibrant, 1974 oil on canvas by Ida Rittenberg Kohlmeyer (American/New Orleans, 1912-1997) titled ‘Transverse #3,’ sold for $60,000, against a presale estimate of $15,000-$25,000. Neal Auction Co. image.

A vibrant, 1974 oil on canvas by Ida Rittenberg Kohlmeyer (American/New Orleans, 1912-1997) titled ‘Transverse #3,’ sold for $60,000, against a presale estimate of $15,000-$25,000. Neal Auction Co. image.

This seven-volume, first edition of John James Audubon’s ‘The Birds of America, From Drawings Made in the United States and Their Territories’ fetched $50,000. Neal Auction Co. image.

This seven-volume, first edition of John James Audubon’s ‘The Birds of America, From Drawings Made in the United States and Their Territories’ fetched $50,000. Neal Auction Co. image.

Thomas R.J. Ayers of Danville, Ky., crafted this American carved cherrywood tall-case clock circa 1845. It sold for $30,000. Neal Auction Co. image.

Thomas R.J. Ayers of Danville, Ky., crafted this American carved cherrywood tall-case clock circa 1845. It sold for $30,000. Neal Auction Co. image.

Described as rare and important, this 1902 Newcomb College art pottery vase decorated by Mary Wolcott Richardson (1873-1968) made $29,000. Neal Auction Co. image.

Described as rare and important, this 1902 Newcomb College art pottery vase decorated by Mary Wolcott Richardson (1873-1968) made $29,000. Neal Auction Co. image.

14th-century Yuan Dynasty jar tops $1.3M at I.M. Chait Asia Week sale

Magnificent and highly important 14th-century Yuan Dynasty blue and white ovoid porcelain jar with narrative scene from the Yuan zaju drama ‘The Savior Yuchi Gong.’ Sold for $1,324,000. I.M. Chait image.

Magnificent and highly important 14th-century Yuan Dynasty blue and white ovoid porcelain jar with narrative scene from the Yuan zaju drama ‘The Savior Yuchi Gong.’ Sold for $1,324,000. I.M. Chait image.

Magnificent and highly important 14th-century Yuan Dynasty blue and white ovoid porcelain jar with narrative scene from the Yuan zaju drama ‘The Savior Yuchi Gong.’ Sold for $1,324,000. I.M. Chait image.

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. – Records were shattered on March 17th at I.M. Chait’s Beverly Hills gallery as the family-owned company known for its expertise in Asian art auctioned the most expensive antique and achieved the highest gross in its 44-year history. The sale of Chinese ceramics and Asian works of art exceeded $3.4 million and was led by a highly important 14th-century Yuan Dynasty porcelain jar that sold for a breathtaking $1,342,000 (inclusive of 22% buyer’s premium). A prominent American collector placed the winning bid over the phone.

I.M. Chait’s director of operations, Josh Chait, described a tense battle that pitted the ultimate winner against an Internet (LiveAuctioneers) and absentee bidder, as approximately 100 guests in the gallery looked on. 

“It was the same feeling as watching a high-stakes gambling event. There’s no way of knowing who will come out on top. Also, whenever there’s a phone or Internet bidder involved, you can never be sure what their limit is,” Chait said.

Beyond the million-dollar threshold, bids on the precious Chinese artifact increased in $10,000 increments. When bidding ceased at $1.1 million, presiding auctioneer and company founder Isadore M. Chait called out, “Going once – going twice – sold!” and brought down the hammer to thunderous applause.

“There was tremendous excitement,” Josh Chait said, describing the scene that followed. “Some 20 people swarmed around the glass display case to take pictures and video the jar for Chinese Facebook and Twitter – and for posterity. Shortly afterward, the Southern California affiliate for NBC called us. It didn’t take long for the story to get out.”

In spectacular condition, the 14-inch blue and white ovoid jar is a revered historical icon from China’s Yuan Dynasty period. Its decorative motif narrates a scene from the Yuan zaju drama “The Savior Yuchi Gong” and describes how General Yuchi Gong saved the Tang Emperor Taizong from assassination. Isadore Chait had correctly predicted the vessel would reach or exceed one million dollars at auction.

Several bronze, jade and furniture lots brought stellar prices, as well. Lot 224, a 7 7/8in spinach jade brushpot with a continuous landscape scene of sages in a courtyard, came to auction with provenance from the Cleveland Museum of Art Collection. Estimated at $35,000-$45,000, it rose to $122,000.

Lot 186, a highly important early 15th-century Ming Dynasty gilt bronze Bodhisattva of Manjushri with six-character Yongle mark under its base finished well within estimate at $274,500. A Sino-Tibetan gilt bronze shrine with jeweled borders and eight elaborately chased repousse Buddhist emblems, entered as Lot 101, was bid to $36,600 against an estimate of $6,500-$8,000. The 295-lot auction’s closer, a pair of Chinese huanghuali wood armchairs, settled at $43,750, more than six times the high estimate.

According to I.M. Chait’s records, most of the bidders taking part in the March 17 auction were either American or Chinese. Some had stopped over in Los Angeles specifically to attend the auction en route to Asia Week New York.

“Holding our annual Asia Week auction at the Beverly Hills gallery was something new for us,” said Isadore Chait. “For the past seven years we had held our sale in Manhattan, and it had developed a strong following with Asia Week’s visitors. Unfortunately, this year we weren’t able to secure a suitable auction space in Manhattan, so we decided to conduct our Asia Week sale right here at our West Coast gallery. Some thought it was a bold move.”

Chait admits that he initially had concerns about the change of venue and feared that not being right in the thick of Asia Week New York might have a negative impact on his company’s March 17 sale.

“In fact, it turned out to be just the opposite. It ended up being the highest-grossing sale in our entire 44-year history,” Chait said. “It’s very encouraging to see that collectors will flock to a sale – no matter where it is held – and spend their hard-earned money if world-class and one of a kind items are offered.”

To contact I.M. Chait Gallery & Auctioneers, call 1-800-775-5020 or 310-285-0182; or e-mail joey@chait.com.

View the fully illustrated catalog for the March 17 sale, complete with prices realized, online at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

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Click here to view the fully illustrated catalog for this sale, complete with prices realized.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

Magnificent and highly important 14th-century Yuan Dynasty blue and white ovoid porcelain jar with narrative scene from the Yuan zaju drama ‘The Savior Yuchi Gong.’ Sold for $1,324,000. I.M. Chait image.

Magnificent and highly important 14th-century Yuan Dynasty blue and white ovoid porcelain jar with narrative scene from the Yuan zaju drama ‘The Savior Yuchi Gong.’ Sold for $1,324,000. I.M. Chait image.

Closeup of 14th-century Yuan Dynasty blue and white ovoid porcelain jar showing narrative scene from ‘The Savior Yuchi Gong.’ I.M. Chait image.

Closeup of 14th-century Yuan Dynasty blue and white ovoid porcelain jar showing narrative scene from ‘The Savior Yuchi Gong.’ I.M. Chait image.

Highly important early 15th-century Ming Dynasty gilt bronze Bodhisattva of Manjushri. Six-character Yongle mark under base. Sold for $274,500. I.M. Chait image.

Highly important early 15th-century Ming Dynasty gilt bronze Bodhisattva of Manjushri. Six-character Yongle mark under base. Sold for $274,500. I.M. Chait image.

Large spinach jade brushpot, continuous landscape scene of sages in courtyard, 7 7/8 inches tall. Ex Cleveland Museum of Art Collection. Sold for $122,000. I.M. Chait image.

Large spinach jade brushpot, continuous landscape scene of sages in courtyard, 7 7/8 inches tall. Ex Cleveland Museum of Art Collection. Sold for $122,000. I.M. Chait image.

Pair of Chinese horseshoe-form huanghuali wood armchairs. Sold for $43,750. I.M. Chait image.

Pair of Chinese horseshoe-form huanghuali wood armchairs. Sold for $43,750. I.M. Chait image.

Expectations high for Marburger Farm show April 2-6

Marburger Farm Antique Show image.
Marburger Farm Antique Show image.
Marburger Farm Antique Show image.

ROUND TOP, Texas – Remember your first antique show? Was it an experience? Did you find a treasure that you look upon daily?

On April 2-6, 2013, you’ll have a chance to visit Marburger Farm Antique Show in tiny Round Top for a first visit or for a never-missed twice-yearly swoon.

“Wow!” is how photographer April Pizana sums up her first visit to the 43-acre Marburger Farm. “You come expecting knickknacks and you have no idea of the amazing things and displays that you will see.”

What does Pizana suggest for first-time visitors? “Bring a list, dimensions, a sturdy tote, a checkbook, cash or an ATM card. Bring a friend. And wear comfy shoes,” she said.

On a recent Marburger Farm Facebook post, Katrina Lounsbury of California recalls that “on my first visit many years ago, I loved the French enamel-ware, the jewelry and the antique and vintage Santas. I have a treasure or two from every show since.”

“What I loved most about my first visit to the Marburger Farm Antique Show,” says shopper Terri Henderson on Facebook, “was the quality of the merchandise, the number of awesome dealers and the creative displays.”

For some, it will be their first trip to Round Top, while those who have been a part of the adventure since the beginning, will see for the 32nd time that over 350 top exhibitors from coast to coast will encamp on the central Texas cow pasture with antique furniture, vintage accessories, jewelry, art, lighting, folk art and more. Styles range from industrial to French, from Swedish to mid-century modern to the original creations of the Marburger artisan dealers.

Spilling out of 10 giant tents and 12 historic buildings, the antiques and repurposed objects find eager new owners among the thousands of shoppers who visit Marburger Farm.

If it’s the first time for you or a return engagement, be sure to visit French exhibitor Pascal Jones of Desiree Antiques. Jones recalls that her own first impression of Marburger Farm was “the different styles of antiques – everything is at Marburger Farm.” For the spring 2013 show, Jones will offer her own mix of classic 18th century French and European antiques alongside 1980s brass, Lucite, art, industrial end tables made from French engraving plates and early wooden type-face letters made into furniture surfaces. “I love the mix of styles,” says Jones. “It’s nice to have different centuries and styles in a home. It makes it unique.”

Originally from Italy, Philadelphia exhibitor Marco Astrologo noted that on his first visit to Marburger, he found the other dealers to be “extremely good and extremely happy. They are the cream de la cream. And the customers love to buy.” Astrologo continues with the admission that “Before I went to Marburger, I expected Texans to be strange, you know? But you quickly realize that the people who come to Marburger Farm are very knowledgeable. They come from all over the world. They breathe the past 24 hours a day and they enjoy it.” Astrologo will offer antique and vintage trunks and luggage from makers such as Louis Vuitton and Goyard. His is the largest collection of antique Louis Vuitton trunks in the country.

Texas exhibitor Melissa Whitely Vasquez creates a booth with her mother and sister, jammed with American cottage furniture, early toys, doll furnishings, advertising signs and garden antiques. “What do I remember about my very first Marburger Farm Show? There was only one tent and one Porta-Potty.”

Things have changed. Not only are there air-conditioned restrooms now, but Marburger Farm has grown to become what Newsweek magazine calls “one of the country’s best venues.”

North Carolina dealer Susan Curran-Wright carries antique Italian and American linens, sterling and jewelry. “On my very first time at Marburger,” says Curran-Wright, “I knew Marburger Farm was going to explode. The energy was there, the wonderful property was there, the potential was there. Everyone there was so infused with enthusiasm that I knew that Marburger Farm was going to become a great antique show.”

So whether it’s your first time or a rendezvous you never miss, come to Marburger Farm to be infused with the energy and wonder of the very best antiques displayed by the most creative dealers anywhere.

In addition to the antique and artisans exhibitors, the April 2-6 show will also feature benefit booths for Dwell with Dignity of Dallas and for the Brookwood Community near Houston. The Brookwood exhibit will offer plants grown by and specialty décor, garden and kitchen items made by the special needs adults who are served by residential community. See www.brookwoodcommunity.org

Founded by interior designers, Dwell with Dignity transforms donated furnishings into dignified interiors for families escaping poverty and homelessness. Their booth at Marburger, located near the food pavilion, will bring to life such a sample interior. At the end of each Marburger Farm week, the show’s dealers donate antiques and vintage objects that will go back to Dallas to be used in dwellings or to be sold in the Dwell with Dignity Thrift Studio sale April 18 – May 18 in the Dallas Design District. See www.dwellwithdignity.org

The Marburger Farm Antique Show opens on Tuesday, April 2, with early buying from 10 a.m. through 2 p.m. for $25 for adults, free for children 15 and under. Regular $10 admission begins April 2 at 2 pm. One admission is good all week, with the show running on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 9 a.m, to 5 p.m. and on Saturday, April 6, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Advance tickets and group tickets are available.

Parking is free. Dogs on a leash are always welcome.

See information on travel, maps, vendors, special events, the Marburger Farm blog and mobile app, lodging, on-site shipping and the Marburger Cafe at www.roundtop-marburger.com or call Ashley Ferguson at 800-947-5799. Follow show news on Facebook or on the show blog at www.marburgerfarmshow.blogspot.com.

ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE

Marburger Farm Antique Show image.
Marburger Farm Antique Show image.
Marburger Farm Antique Show image.
Marburger Farm Antique Show image.

Ceramics Collector: Face jugs – expressions in clay

The devil face jug became best-selling variation on the form. This example, covered in an olive green alkaline glaze and signed by Georgia potter Lanier Meaders (1917-1998), sold for $2,000 at Case Auction in 2009. Courtesy Case Auctions.
The devil face jug became best-selling variation on the form. This example, covered in an olive green alkaline glaze and signed by Georgia potter Lanier Meaders (1917-1998), sold for $2,000 at Case Auction in 2009. Courtesy Case Auctions.
The devil face jug became best-selling variation on the form. This example, covered in an olive green alkaline glaze and signed by Georgia potter Lanier Meaders (1917-1998), sold for $2,000 at Case Auction in 2009. Courtesy Case Auctions.

Since ancient times, potters have made rounded jugs in the shape of the human head. There are early examples from Athens, jugs with humorous expressions were made by English potteries, and even Pablo Picasso applied his unique style to head-form vases.

Face jugs from the American South belong to separate tradition that continues to the present day. These vessels have roots in African-American cultural heritage but later become a bestselling product for regional potteries in the 20th century. Both the early folk creations and the signed works of later potters are sought out by collectors.

“Face Jugs: Art and Ritual in 19th Century South Carolina,” a traveling exhibition organized by the Chipstone Foundation and the Milwaukee Art Museum, is now view through April 7 at the Birmingham Museum of Art. The show explores the early history of this form as it first appeared in the Edgefield District of South Carolina in the second half of the 19th century. At that time, the face jug was a small vessel of turned stoneware with eyes and teeth made from pale kaolin, a locally available clay.

The exhibition text explains, “Historians originally believed that the face jug was utilitarian and used to store water. Multiple theories later surfaced involving its function as a container of magical materials and its ritualistic use. New research has shown that the vessel was likely multipurpose – and a coded object meant to be misunderstood.”

Dr. Graham Boettcher, curator of American art at the Birmingham Museum of Art, is delighted to have the show: “It fits in beautifully with our strong ceramics focus. Clay is the one material that connects all the departments in our museum. Whenever we have the opportunity to host a ceramics exhibition – particularly one that covers new territory – we are delighted to take it. This is the first time that all of these face jugs have been brought together in one place. In the course of researching and curating the exhibition, Claudia [Mooney of the Chipstone Foundation] uncovered face jugs that were sitting in private collections which had never been on public view.”

He continued, “It’s a small show with great visual impact – I think there are 18 full jugs and a number of fragments. In a corner of the exhibition, we have added pieces from our own African collection, which are very clearly marked. We thought that was appropriate, since we have a major collection of African ceramics – I believe it’s the largest institutional collection in the United States. There are figural traditions in African ceramics, and so we show some African face jugs.”

The Birmingham Museum of Art presented its first Bunting Biennial Ceramics Symposium in February 2013. The theme – “Clay Embodied: Ceramics and the Human Form” – was a perfect complement to the face jug exhibition. Ceramic artist Magdalene Odundo was the keynote speaker, and well-known researcher Garth Clark gave a presentation on the vessel form. Curator Emily Hanna spoke on the museum’s recent acquisition of the Dick Jemison collection of African Ceramics mentioned above.

Serious collectors will enjoy reading more about the early pieces in the exhibition in the blog posts written by Claudia Mooney of the Chipstone Foundation, which can be found on the Milwaukee Museum of Art website, www.mam.org. She discusses at length the possible implications of a rare inscription on the back of one example in the exhibition, which was made around 1862.

She states: “We know that Edgefield face jugs were created by slaves, and later free African Americans in that district of South Carolina. We know that they were made from about 1860 to about 1880 or so, when they suddenly stopped being produced. We know that the form was appropriated by white potters in the 1880s.”

Working the clay with traditional techniques, a number of these later potters achieved national recognition as folk artists. Their signed face jugs are avidly sought after by collectors when they appear at southern auction houses, including Brunk Auctions in Asheville, N.C., and Case Auctions in Knoxville, Tenn.

One of the best-known makers of 20th century face jugs is Georgia potter Lanier Meaders (1917-1998), who became a National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellow in 1983. He took over the pottery founded by his grandfather and continued by his father, when he fulfilled an order for face jugs to sell at the first Festival of American Folk Life in the 1960s.

The NEA profile of the artist estimates that Meaders may have made 10,000 examples of the form during his career: “All his life, he continued the alkaline-glazed stoneware tradition of the area, working alone with a foot-powered treadle wheel and a rectangular wood-fired ‘tunnel’ kiln.”

“The face jugs produced by Lanier underwent a considerable evolution. The first ones featured blobs of clay representing eyes, now, and mouth applied to a jug wall. Later ones featured careful attention to facial details.”

Another important maker was Burlon Craig (1914-2002) who worked in the town of Vale, N.C, and was named a National Heritage Fellow in 1984. Daisy Wade Bridges, former associate curator, contributed the chapter on “North Carolina’s Ceramic Heritage” to North Carolina Pottery: The Collection of the Mint Museums (2004), which includes a number of examples of Craig’s face jugs.

She wrote, “One other popular product of the Catawba Valley kilns has been face jugs. Probably brought to North Carolina from the Edgefield district of South Carolina, face jugs have puzzled ceramic historians for decades. … There are many folktales about their use, but about the only thing known for certain is that they are popular with collectors and sell well. As a result, they have been produced in large numbers for the past half-century. Burlon Craig’s large jugs with weeping eyes are particularly fine examples of the form.”

Many examples of earlier and later face jugs have passed through the hands of Southern pottery expert John Case. Most have molded features, but in 2011 the auction house sold a mid-19th century jug discovered in Washington County in southwest Virginia, which had a profile portrait head painted in cobalt, rather than a sculpted face. He notes, “That’s was a very fascinating piece because we have few early face vessels from the East Tennessee-Southwest Virginia area.” The exceptional unsigned jug brought $5,800.

Asked what sort of consignments of the face jug form he would like to see in the future, he refers back to the early types on view in the current exhibition: “What I would like to see is a 19th century example with exaggerated features. Some of the early brown ones are fairly simplistic, but there is an elegance in the simplicity.”

After closing in Birmingham in April, “Face Jugs: Art and Ritual in 19th Century South Carolina” travels to the Georgia Museum of Art in Athens for a May 4 – July 7 run.

ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE

The devil face jug became best-selling variation on the form. This example, covered in an olive green alkaline glaze and signed by Georgia potter Lanier Meaders (1917-1998), sold for $2,000 at Case Auction in 2009. Courtesy Case Auctions.
The devil face jug became best-selling variation on the form. This example, covered in an olive green alkaline glaze and signed by Georgia potter Lanier Meaders (1917-1998), sold for $2,000 at Case Auction in 2009. Courtesy Case Auctions.
‘Face Jugs: Art and Ritual in 19th Century South Carolina’ is on view at the Birmingham Museum of Art through April 7. Organized by the Chipstone Foundation and the Milwaukee Art Museum, the exhibition includes this circa 1862 head with a rare inscription on the reverse. Chipstone Foundation Collection.
‘Face Jugs: Art and Ritual in 19th Century South Carolina’ is on view at the Birmingham Museum of Art through April 7. Organized by the Chipstone Foundation and the Milwaukee Art Museum, the exhibition includes this circa 1862 head with a rare inscription on the reverse. Chipstone Foundation Collection.
W.T.B. Gordy (1877-1955) of Greenville, Ga., made this sculptural face jug covered in smooth brown Albany glaze around 1900. In the 2009 Brunk auction of the Griffin Collection the lot, which came with an excellent provenance, sold for $8,200 (est. $2,000-$4,000). Courtesy Brunk Auction.
W.T.B. Gordy (1877-1955) of Greenville, Ga., made this sculptural face jug covered in smooth brown Albany glaze around 1900. In the 2009 Brunk auction of the Griffin Collection the lot, which came with an excellent provenance, sold for $8,200 (est. $2,000-$4,000). Courtesy Brunk Auction.
Collectors prize the “weepy” eyes on face jugs signed by potter Burlon Craig (1914-2002) who worked Vale, Catawba County, N.C. Brunk Auctions in Asheville, N.C., sold this 19-inch piece for $5,200 in 2007. Courtesy Brunk Auction.
Collectors prize the “weepy” eyes on face jugs signed by potter Burlon Craig (1914-2002) who worked Vale, Catawba County, N.C. Brunk Auctions in Asheville, N.C., sold this 19-inch piece for $5,200 in 2007. Courtesy Brunk Auction.
Discovered in Washington County in southwest Virginia, this mid-19th century jug has a profile portrait head painted in cobalt, rather than a sculpted face. The unsigned piece brought $5,800 at Case Auctions in 2011. Courtesy Case Auctions.
Discovered in Washington County in southwest Virginia, this mid-19th century jug has a profile portrait head painted in cobalt, rather than a sculpted face. The unsigned piece brought $5,800 at Case Auctions in 2011. Courtesy Case Auctions.
Unlike the more polished products of 20th century potters, early face jugs are often roughly modeled with exaggerated features. This example – only 4 1/4 inches high – is on view in the traveling face jugs exhibition. Private Collection.
Unlike the more polished products of 20th century potters, early face jugs are often roughly modeled with exaggerated features. This example – only 4 1/4 inches high – is on view in the traveling face jugs exhibition. Private Collection.
This Lanier Meaders-signed early rock tooth face jug brought $1,300 at the May 2010 Case Auction in Knoxville. Courtesy Case Auctions.
This Lanier Meaders-signed early rock tooth face jug brought $1,300 at the May 2010 Case Auction in Knoxville. Courtesy Case Auctions.

FBI says it has identified Gardner museum art thieves

The Concert, c.1658-1660, Johannes Vermeer. Stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum on March 18, 1990.
The Concert, c.1658-1660, Johannes Vermeer. Stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum on March 18, 1990.
The Concert, c.1658-1660, Johannes Vermeer. Stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum on March 18, 1990.

BOSTON (AFP) – The FBI said on Monday that they finally know who conducted a daring art heist in Boston exactly 23 years ago — but the thieves can no longer be prosecuted.

For two decades the 1990 theft of 13 works of art from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, including rare paintings by Rembrandt and Vermeer, has been one of America’s greatest unsolved crimes. Now, says the FBI’s Boston chief Richard DesLauriers, agents “confirmed the identity of those who entered the museum and others associated with the theft.”

In a press conference, he touted “significant investigative progress.”

But there are two big hitches.

First, the thieves who hit the museum dressed as Boston police officers essentially got away with it — because the robbery “occurred 23 years ago, the statute of limitations has run,” US Attorney Carmen Ortiz told reporters.

The prosecutor said the only likely prosecutions were over “criminal liability for anyone in possession.”

In addition, the FBI still doesn’t know where the masterpieces are hidden.

DesLauriers said it was clear now for the first time that the art had been stolen by “a criminal organization with a base in the mid-Atlantic states and New England” and about a decade ago was brought, in part, to Philadelphia.

“We do not know where the art is currently located,” he said, describing the paintings’ fate as having been “secreted, unseen and unappreciated.”

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ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE

The Storm on the Sea of Galilee, 1633, Rembrandt van Rijn. Stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum on March 18, 1990.
The Storm on the Sea of Galilee, 1633, Rembrandt van Rijn. Stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum on March 18, 1990.
Landscape with an Obelisk, 1638, Govaert Flinck, until recently attributed to Rembrandt. Stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum on March 18, 1990.
Landscape with an Obelisk, 1638, Govaert Flinck, until recently attributed to Rembrandt. Stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum on March 18, 1990.

Kovels Antiques & Collecting: Week of March 18, 2013

The mirror-frame man holding seven fingers up may be warning about the seven years of bad luck awaiting someone who breaks a mirror. The unique piece of folk art auctioned for $5,700 at Cowan's Auctions in Cincinnati.
The mirror-frame man holding seven fingers up may be warning about the seven years of bad luck awaiting someone who breaks a mirror. The unique piece of folk art auctioned for $5,700 at Cowan's Auctions in Cincinnati.
The mirror-frame man holding seven fingers up may be warning about the seven years of bad luck awaiting someone who breaks a mirror. The unique piece of folk art auctioned for $5,700 at Cowan’s Auctions in Cincinnati.

Folk art is unique and often is both useful and humorous. At a Cowan’s auction in late 2012, an example of these traits was seen in a mirror offered for sale. The 19th-century mirror’s pine frame was carved to look like a man, with his head at the top, shoe-clad feet at the bottom and hands held up near his neck. One hand holds five fingers up, the other just two. The artist seems to be referring to the seven years of bad luck that awaits anyone who breaks a mirror. Or perhaps it was a gift for a seventh anniversary or just a suggestion of the lucky number seven. It was good luck for the seller. The mirror, only 17 inches high, was estimated at $1,000 to $1,500. It sold after a bidding battle for $5,700.

Q: I am thinking about remodeling my home office and am agonizing over replacing my old desk and chair. I bought the heavy desk about 20 years ago from an elderly couple. It was made by the Imperial Desk Co. of Evansville, Ind. It has a few nicks, but it’s in very good shape. The chair was made by Domore Chair Co. of Elkhart, Ind. I had it reupholstered about 18 years ago. It has a cast-metal frame and also is heavy. Are the desk and chair valuable antiques I should keep? And if so, is it OK to use them?

A: Your desk and chair are not valuable antiques. But they are good, solid pieces of office furniture. Depending on their style and condition, the desk might sell for about $350 and the chair for about $200. Base your decision on how useful the pieces are and if you like their “look.”

Q: I recently found what I thought was a unique item at a yard sale. It’s a ceramic pig with many tiny holes on its back. It took me all weekend to figure out what it is. I think it’s an hors d’oeuvres server because the holes are just the right size to it hold toothpicks. Is it unique and valuable?

A: Toothpick holders in the shape of animals became popular in the 1950s. Hedgehogs and porcupines probably were the first animal shapes made, since inserted toothpicks look like the animal’s quills. After that, cats, dogs, pigs and other animals were made in pottery, wood, plastic, silver and other metals. They are fun to use at a party, but most aren’t worth more than $20 to $25. Toothpick holders made of silver are worth more.

Q: We have an 8-inch gold-rimmed plate with a painting of a large hotel on it. At the bottom of the plate is the phrase, “New West Baden Springs Hotel, West Baden, Ind., The Carlsbad of America.” It’s marked on the back, “Hand Painted, the Jonroth Studios, Germany.” We don’t know how old it is, but my mother is 93 years old, and she recalls that her mother bought it on one of the family’s trips to West Baden when she was a little girl. Can you tell us its approximate age and value?

A: The “new” West Baden Springs Hotel was built in 1902, after the original hotel burned down. It was advertised as “The Eighth Wonder of the World” because it’s main circular building is topped by the world’s largest dome. It was called “The Carlsbad of America” because of nearby mineral springs, similar to those in Carlsbad, Germany. Jonroth Studios was a name used by an American importing company, John H. Roth & Co. The company was founded in 1909 and imported china from Germany, Japan and England. Your plate probably was made in the 1920s and is worth about $30.

Q: I have a lithograph published by Associated American Artists. I’ve seen some sell for thousands of dollars. Can you tell me something about this group?

A: During the Depression, most people couldn’t afford fine art, so Reeves Lewenthal founded Associated American Artists in 1934 to provide art for the middle class. He hired well-known American artists, including Thomas Hart Benton and Grant Wood, to make lithographs, which were reproduced and sold in department stores. Later, the art was sold in the Associated American Artists gallery in New York City and by mail order. Watercolors, oil paintings and other works, including home furnishings and accessories, were also sold. Prints originally sold for $5 unframed and $7 framed. Today, some sell for hundreds or even thousands of dollars, depending on the artist.

Q: My father was always buying stocks and bonds. When he died, I inherited two certificates for 100 shares of stock in Cobalt Silver Queen Ltd. They are dated Dec. 12, 1908. Can you tell me anything about this company, and what the value of these certificates might be?

A: Cobalt Silver Queen Ltd. was organized in 1906 in Cobalt, Ontario, Canada. Silver was discovered in the area in 1903, and by 1905 prospectors and mining companies were rushing to the area to stake claims. Cobalt Silver Queen mined silver and cobalt. Stock in the company was offered for $1.50 per share in 1908. By the 1930s, most of the mines had closed. Stock certificates for companies that are no longer in business may be redeemable (ask your library for help) or collectible. Collectors look for certificates with historical value, elaborate engraved designs, interesting graphics or the signature of a well-known person. The hobby of collecting old stock and bond certificates is called “scripophily.” Certificates are bought and sold online as well as at auctions.

Tip: Never touch the surface of a watercolor or drawing. Lift unframed paper by the corners.

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.

  • Cracker Jack toy, girl riding ostrich, dark yellow plastic, $12.
  • Baseball card, Willie Mays, Topps, San Francisco Giants, 1960, 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 inches, $25.
  • Effanbee Patsy Ann doll, composition, blue sleep eyes, short floral dress, white shoes, 19 inches, $50.
  • Salon chair, round back, tufted upholstery, carved frame, c. 1930, 35 x 20 inches, $90.
  • Lalique bowl, “Elizabeth,” molded and frosted plump birds, leafy branches, footed, 1900s, 5 3/8 x 5 3/4 inches, $400.
  • National Cash Register candy-store cash register, Model S88019, cast metal, marble shelf, 10 x 16 inches, $405.
  • Trade stimulator, Pikes Peak, coin-operated, key, Groetchen Tool & Manufacturing Co., 1930s, 13 x 13 inches, $570.
  • Wedgwood cup and saucer, molded Egyptian band, red, black, impressed, c. 1805, 6 1/2 inches, $615.
  • Compote, sterling silver, satyr, nymph, grapes, vines, twig-shape standard, dome foot, Italy, 9 3/8 x 10 inches, $2,125.
  • Statue, carved marble, child cradling puppy, white, American, 1800s, 28 inches, $2,690.

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.

© 2013 by Cowles Syndicate Inc.

 

ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE

The mirror-frame man holding seven fingers up may be warning about the seven years of bad luck awaiting someone who breaks a mirror. The unique piece of folk art auctioned for $5,700 at Cowan's Auctions in Cincinnati.
The mirror-frame man holding seven fingers up may be warning about the seven years of bad luck awaiting someone who breaks a mirror. The unique piece of folk art auctioned for $5,700 at Cowan’s Auctions in Cincinnati.

Japan’s Toyo Ito to receive top architectural award

Architect Toyo Ito. Image by Jerome Tobias. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
Architect Toyo Ito. Image by Jerome Tobias. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
Architect Toyo Ito. Image by Jerome Tobias. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

LOS ANGELES (AFP) – Architecture’s highest honor is going to Toyo Ito, a Japanese architect who has designed many innovative homes and public buildings in his country, the head of the award jury announced Sunday.

“Throughout his career, Toyo Ito has been able to produce a body of work that combines conceptual innovation with superbly executed buildings,” Peter Palumbo, the Pritzker Prize jury chairman, said in a statement announcing the 2013 winner.

“A professional of unique talent, he is dedicated to the process of discovery that comes from seeing the opportunities that lie in each commission and each site.”

Palumbo said Ito had been creating “outstanding architecture” for more than 40 years, including libraries, houses, parks, theaters, shops, office buildings and pavilions.

Ito, 71, is the sixth Japanese architect to earn the prestigious prize. He will receive a $100,000 grant and a bronze medallion at the formal awards ceremony in Boston, on May 29.

A 1965 graduate of Tokyo University’s Department of Architecture, Ito began his career with the firm of Kiyonori Kikutake & Associates.

In 1971, he founded his own studio in Tokyo under the name Urban Robot (Urbot). In 1979, the firm was renamed Toyo Ito & Associates, Architects.

He has received numerous international awards, including the Royal Gold Medal from the Royal Institute of British Architects in 2006.

In a statement of gratitude for the award, Ito said he will never be completely satisfied with his work.

“However, when one building is completed, I become painfully aware of my own inadequacy, and it turns into energy to challenge the next project,” he said.

ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE

Architect Toyo Ito. Image by Jerome Tobias. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
Architect Toyo Ito. Image by Jerome Tobias. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
Toyo Ito Museum of Architecture in Imabari, Japan. Image courtesy of Toyo Ito - Steel Hut. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
Toyo Ito Museum of Architecture in Imabari, Japan. Image courtesy of Toyo Ito – Steel Hut. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

Rembrandt self-portrait at British stately home confirmed

Buckland Abbey, where the Rembrandt self-portrait has been confirmed. Image by Wigulf. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
Buckland Abbey, where the Rembrandt self-portrait has been confirmed. Image by Wigulf. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
Buckland Abbey, where the Rembrandt self-portrait has been confirmed. Image by Wigulf. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

LONDON (AFP) – A painting hanging in a British stately home has been confirmed as a self-portrait by Rembrandt worth tens of millions of dollars, the National Trust heritage body announced on Friday.

The picture, which has been at Buckland Abbey in Devon, southwest England, since it was donated to the trust in 2010, was thought for decades to be a portrait by one of the Dutch Master’s pupils.

But the world’s leading Rembrandt expert has now reattributed it to the 17th-century master himself.

It has been given a new value of £20 million ($30 million, 23 million euros) – though the National Trust said it can never be sold as the organization holds items on behalf of the nation forever.

“These latest investigations are incredibly exciting and important,” said David Taylor, the trust’s curator of paintings and sculpture.

“Conservation work and technical analysis being undertaken over the winter will give us further confirmation regarding the picture’s authorship.”

The self-portrait, dated 1635, shows the artist aged 29 wearing a cap with large white ostrich feathers.

The painting was donated to the National Trust by the widow of a wealthy property developer in her estate.

The painting will hang at the 700-year-old abbey – which was formerly the home of 16th-century explorer Francis Drake – for another eight months before being sent for cleaning and further examination.

When it first arrived at the abbey it was kept in storage for 18 months as there was nowhere to hang it, but it now becomes one of the National Trust’s most important paintings.

“It’s amazing to think we might’ve had an actual Rembrandt hanging here on the walls at Buckland Abbey for the past couple of years,” said Jez McDermott, the abbey’s property manager.

“Many of our visitors will have just passed by it, in what is sure to be a real contrast to the attention it is now going to receive.”

ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE

Buckland Abbey, where the Rembrandt self-portrait has been confirmed. Image by Wigulf. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
Buckland Abbey, where the Rembrandt self-portrait has been confirmed. Image by Wigulf. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

British police probe death of David Hockney’s assistant

LONDON (AFP) – A young man who was at the home of renowned British artist David Hockney has died in mysterious circumstances, police said on Monday.

Officers are investigating events leading up to the death of the 23-year-old – identified by media as Dominic Elliott, an assistant and close friend of the painter – over the weekend.

The man was taken to hospital from Hockney’s home in the seaside town of Bridlington in northeast England early on Sunday morning. It is unclear whether he died in hospital or at the artist’s place.

“The circumstances of the man’s death are not clear and officers are currently undertaking inquiries to establish events leading to his death,” a spokeswoman for Humberside Police said. “There were no signs of violence and a post mortem examination is due to take place tomorrow (Tuesday) which is hoped may provide further information.”

The man was taken to Scarborough General Hospital, 30 kilometres (18 miles) from Bridlington, at around 6 a.m. GMT on Sunday.

Hockney, 75, reportedly recruited Elliot to help with a series of works depicting Bridlington. The artist painted a portrait of Elliott in his trademark bold style in 2008.

Hockney is best known for his sunshine-drenched paintings of California, where he has lived on and off for the past three decades. But in recent years he has turned to the scenery of his native Yorkshire for inspiration.

More than 600,000 people went to see a major exhibition of his giant, vivid Yorkshire landscapes at London’s Royal Academy of Arts last year.

 

 

Melbourne plans tallest building in southern hemisphere

The Melbourne skyline. Image by Diliff. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
The Melbourne skyline. Image by Diliff. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
The Melbourne skyline. Image by Diliff. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

MELBOURNE, Australia (AFP) – Australia’s second-largest city could possibly have the tallest building in the southern hemisphere after approval Monday for a new 1,280-foot-tall (388 meters) apartment and hotel complex.

The Victorian state government said Australia 108 would become the world’s 19th tallest building on completion and would be “an outstanding addition to Melbourne’s skyline.”

“I am proud to approve a tower that will define our city for many years to come,” Planning Minister Matthew Guy said.

There were some concerns that the construction of the 108-story tower in the city’s Southbank area, expected to be ready in five years, would cast a shadow over the Shrine of Remembrance war memorial, one of the city’s best-known landmarks.

But Guy said the trustees of the shrine did not object to the proposal which he said was a Aus$600 million investment in the state economy that would create 300 jobs in construction and hospitality.

Architect Nonda Katsalidis said the tall, slender building which will have 646 apartments, a 288-room six-star hotel plus retail and office space, was designed to throw a spotlight on the city’s international identity.

“We don’t have an Opera House (like Sydney) but we have a complex culture and all those ideas were thrown into this project,” Katsalidis told ABC radio.

“The hotel at the top is designed as a starburst. We took the inspiration from the stars on the Australian flag,” he added.

The world’s tallest building is Dubai’s Burj Khalifa at 828 metres high while Europe’s tallest skyscraper, the Shard in London, stands at 310 meters (1,017 feet).

The current tallest residential building in the southern hemisphere is the Q1 tower on Queensland’s Gold Coast in Australia, which soars 323 metres to 71 storys.

But Australia 108 could be trumped by South Africa’s Centurion Symbio City, a 447-meter tower to be built by 2018 near Pretoria.

ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE

The Melbourne skyline. Image by Diliff. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
The Melbourne skyline. Image by Diliff. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.