April 2013 - Page 6 of 17 - Auction Central News

Kovels Antiques & Collecting: Week of April 22, 2013

Ferns were often pictured on expensive pieces of glass or ceramics in the mid-1800s. This Stevens & Williams purple mother-of-pearl glass vase, with a gilt fern pattern called Pompeian Swirl, sold for $920 at a 2012 Early's Auction in Milton, Ohio.

BEACHWOOD, Ohio – Most people have heard about the bout of “Tulipmania” that spread through the Netherlands in the 17th century, but few know about “Pteridomania,” or fern madness.

In the 19th century, ferns were part of a popular health regimen. People would go into the woods to hunt for ferns or to study nature. It was good exercise for body and soul. People from all levels of society joined in searching for new varieties of ferns they could record, plant or dry and put in albums.

The many varieties of ferns were soon featured on porcelains and iron garden furniture, and in paintings and interior decors. Green majolica plates shaped like fern leaves, iron benches by Coalbrookdale and children’s toy porcelain dishes by Ridgways were decorated with ferns. The madness continued into the 1880s, but even today ferns are popular house and garden plants. More than 10 varieties are offered in new mail-order garden catalogs, and even more can be found in nurseries in cities with a fern-friendly climate. It would be easy to find decorative examples of Pteridomania and form a collection today.

Q: I’m 92 years old and am trying to get rid of some old possessions. A copy of the April 20, 1865, Philadelphia Inquirer has been in my family for ages. The front page has several articles about President Abraham Lincoln’s funeral. There are drawings (not photographs) of the funeral car and coffin. I’d like to sell it but don’t know the value. Can you help?

A: Newspapers covering the death of President Lincoln are collectible. The value of old newspapers varies, depending on the importance of the historical event covered as well as condition and rarity. A front-page article with graphic art is more important than articles on inside pages or those without pictures. Before photography was commonly used, illustrations were made from woodcuts. Some newspapers that are old but don’t cover significant events sell for under $10, while newer papers covering important events can sell for hundreds of dollars. Old newspapers become yellow and crumble if not stored properly, but newspapers printed on paper made from rag linen, common before 1876, don’t deteriorate as quickly as those made on modern paper. Newspapers should be stored flat and away from light, heat and moisture. Don’t store them in the attic or basement. Newspapers with stories about Lincoln have sold in recent years for $10 to a few hundred dollars, depending on condition and content.

Q: I was given an antique secretary, but the desk section is locked and I have no key. How can I open it without ruining the lock?

A: Don’t try to pick the lock. Call a few professional locksmiths and find one who is comfortable working with an antique lock. You will find someone who can open it safely.

Q: I have a tea cart that my parents bought in England in the early 1950s. It has been used by our family ever since, but not for serving tea. It’s on wheels and has two removable trays. There are two metal tags on the rail. One reads, “Staples Trolley, Prov Patent 22852/52.” The other reads, “Made by Staples & Co. Ltd., Wire Mattress & Bedstead Maker to the late King George VI.” Can you tell me how old the tea cart is, and if it has any value?

A: The patent is a United Kingdom patent dated June 12, 1952, for improvements to “tea trolleys, dinner wagons and like dispensing trolleys.” Your tea trolley was made shortly before your parents bought it in the 1950s. A tea trolley is what the English call a tea cart or tea wagon, a wheeled cart that usually has two shelves and can be pushed from room to room. It’s handy for transporting dishes or food from kitchen to table and back. The patent lists Staples & Co. Ltd. and Robert Garnett Heal as applicants. Staples & Co. was founded by Harold Heal and received a royal warrant of appointment as wire mattress and bedstead maker in 1923. Wooden trolleys from the 1950s sell for about $200 to $600, depending on design and condition.

Q: My old creamer is marked with the outline of what looks like Ohio and the words “Leigh Ware by Leigh Potters, Inc., U.S.A.” inside. Underneath that it reads, “Patent applied for, warranted 22K gold.” Is this worth anything?

A: Leigh Potters was in business in Alliance, Ohio, from 1926 to 1931. The company’s mark is outlined by the shape of the state of Ohio. Leigh Potters made dinnerware, kitchenware and decorative art ware. Your creamer is part of a set of dishes and has a low value if it’s not partnered with the sugar bowl. Price: under $20.

Q: Can you give me any information about a “John Bull” chess set made in India? The elaborate carved ivory pieces are British soldiers versus Indian Raj soldiers. I never see them for sale on the Internet.

A: Sets like yours usually are referred to as “John Company” sets because that was the nickname for the British East India Co. The origins of the game of chess can be traced to India before the sixth century, and the game continues to be very popular there. During the British Raj (British rule) from 1858 to 1947, many sets with ivory pieces—some elaborate and some simple—were made. The value of yours depends on how elaborately it was carved and what condition the pieces are in. Sets that predate 1989 can sell for very high prices. That’s the year a worldwide ban on the sale of ivory was implemented. But you won’t see the sets for sale on eBay. It will not allow the sale of any ivory on its site. If you want to sell, contact a reputable auction house.

Tip: For best results, schedule your house sale at the beginning or middle of the month (near paydays), but not during holiday weekends.

Sign up for our weekly email, “Kovels Komments.” It includes the latest news, tips and questions and it’s free if you register on our website. Kovels.com has lists of publications, clubs, appraisers, auction houses, people who sell parts or repair antiques and more. Kovels.com adds to the information in this column and helps you find useful sources needed by collectors.

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.

Hummel figurine, “Let’s Sing,” No. 110/4, 3 inches, $15.

Silver pin, openwork flowers, amber, oval mount, Continental, circa 1900, 1 1/4 inches, $60.

Bellows, leather, cornucopia and leaf design, 18 inches, $135.

Pepsi-Cola cardboard sign, “More Bounce to the Ounce,” woman holding tray picturing bottle cap, 1940s, 12 5/8 x 29 inches, $255.

Cartier pin, gold, rope knot, 1 3/4 inches, $295.

Regency-style etagere, ebonized, gilt, shelves, pierced brass gallery, turned uprights, 74 x 17 inches, $675.

Newcomb Pottery pitcher, jonquils, blue, green, white, matte glaze, Anna Frances Simpson, 1927, 5 1/2 inches, $800.

Side table, rectangular top, banded, stretcher shelf, square legs, fret-carved feet, circa 1900, 32 x 17 inches, pair, $1,105.

Coin-operated target game, Big Game Hunter, 1 cent, A.B.T. Manufacturing Co., key, 10 1/2 x 18 inches, $1,650.

Bronze sculpture, rabbit, ears down, Blue John Stone cube pedestal, attributed to Antoine-Louis Barye, 3 1/8 x 2 inches, $2,870.

Keep up with changes in the collectibles world. Send for a free sample issue of our 12-page, full-color newsletter, “Kovels on Antiques and Collectibles,” filled with prices, news, information and photos, plus major news about the world of collecting. To subscribe at a bargain $27 for 12 issues, write Kovels, P.O. Box 8534, Big Sandy, TX 75755; call 800-829-9158; or subscribe online at Kovelsonlinestore.com.

ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE

Auction Gallery of Palm Beaches plans sale Apr. 22-23

Guy Wiggins oil painting. Auction Gallery of the Palm Beaches Inc.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – On Monday, April 22, and Tuesday, April 23, Auction Gallery of the Palm Beaches Inc. will conduct their Spring Estates Fine Art and Antiques Auction. LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding.

The two-session auction with over 500 lots of estate consigned property from the Palm Beaches and South Florida will feature a blooming selection of fine art and antiques. Featured in the auction is a collection of antiques from a North Palm Beach Estate with Sporting Paintings and Mexican Colonial Fire Gilded Bronze Candleholders; a European Porcelain and Meissen Collection from a Hallandale Beach Estate; a Polish Art Collection from a Hollywood, Florida Gentleman; and a Boynton Beach Estate with a Fine Art, Antiques, and a Collection of Antique Stereo Viewers.

Each auction session will begin at 6 p.m. EDT.

Highlights in the sale include Chinese and Japanese antiques to include jade, ivory, horn, porcelains, and coral carvings. Of note is Lot 448, a large pair of cloisonne vases decorated with white lotus flowers on branches, having four character marks with imperial inscriptions in reserves. Additionally, Lot 193, the Chinese Celadon jade ting, is extensively carved with fine piercing and a dragon finial and Lot 106, a large white coral carving of five quan-yin figures. Both are exemplary in quality and execution. Two Japanese okimono ivories, Lots 392 and 393, Meiji period, are noted for their fine detail and large in size with intricate carved details to the figures.

From the North Palm Beach Estate is Lots 338 and 405. Both are attributed to Manuel Tolsa, a Spaniard who went to Mexico in 1791 and was a neo-classical architect and sculptor. Tolsa is responsible for finishing the cupola and façade of the Cathedral of Mexico City in 1813 and for producing furniture and adornments for altars, including these two pairs of 19th century ormolu bronze candleholders. Each is illustrated and documented in the book, Los Artes Industriales en la Nueva Espana, 1928. The book will accompany the sale of the candleholders.

The auction has a wide and varied selection of antiques including Lot 114, a Rene Lalique “Salmonides” vase, circa 1932, 11 1/2 inches high; Lot 375, a 19th century Sebastian Erards, London classical harp; a collection of Meissen figures and groups with Lot 413, a group of six figures gardening will be featured. The auction will also include many bronzes by J.-P. Aube, After F. Botero (eight), After G. Coustou, V.D.F. de Brousse (two), E. Drouot, G. Guesnet, R. Joanny, E.A. Lanceray, R. Leight, J.E. Masson, after P.J. Mene and after F. Remington.

Most interesting, is Lot 201, a pair of French Empire-style 19th century twin beds. Each is stamped in numerous places on the rails by Jacob Jeanselme. The beds with scrolled headboard are ormolu mounted with finely cast anthemia, rinceaux, masks and chariots. Also, Lot 200, a pair of French Empire-style late 19th century mahogany commodes is embellished with ormolu mounts and is of fine quality.

The auction has a very special and unusual lot. Lot 469 is a large Italian marble sarcophagus, after the antique, of a bacchanal with Bacchus and followers dancing. The sarcophagus has an inscription celebrating Pope Urbanos 12 year jubilee in the year 1625 and an additional inscription in the 19th century. The sarcophagus has been repaired but is remarkably intact with robust sculpting to the large size figures. The estimate is $40,000-$60,000 and should bring considerable interest for its rarity and uniqueness.

There is a large selection of American, European, and Asian paintings and prints, including Lot 477, a Guy Wiggins painting of Fifth Avenue, New York City; Lot 476, a Karel Appel painting with Christie’s provenance; and Lot 442, a romantic painting by Italian artist Antonio Paoletti of Young Fruit Sellers in Venice.

For information, details, and condition reports contact the gallery.

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

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

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

Pair Chinese cloisonne vases. Auction Gallery of the Palm Beaches Inc.

Pair of Jacob Jeanselme beds. Auction Gallery of the Palm Beaches Inc.

Pair of Mexican colonial ormolu torcheres attributed to Tolsa. Auction Gallery of the Palm Beaches Inc.

Italian marble sarcophagus. Auction Gallery of the Palm Beaches Inc.

‘The Lady and the Unicorn’ tapestries head to Japan

'The Lady and the Unicorn,' also called the the Tapestry Cycle, is a series of six Flemish tapestries depicting the senses. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

PARIS (AFP) – The tapestry cycle The Lady and the Unicorn, considered one of the greatest artworks of Europe’s Middle Ages, is being sent to Japan for six months for a rare foreign showing, the Cluny Museum in Paris said Thursday.

The six tapestries, woven around 1500, will be on display at Tokyo’s National Art Center from April 24 to July 15, and then Osaka’s National Museum of Art from July 26 to Oct. 20.

It is only the second time the famed tapestries will be shown outside France, after they were lent to New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1973-74 by the Cluny, where they have been held since 1882.

The tapestries each depict a woman with a unicorn—a mythical creature that resembles a horse with a long horn projecting from its forehead—and other animals on red backgrounds.

Five of the six are meant to depict the five senses, while the meaning of the sixth tapestry is obscure.

The tapestries are being lent as the area holding them at the Cluny Museum, which specializes in Europe’s Middle Ages, is being refurbished. About 40 other items from its collection will also be temporarily sent to Japan.

ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE

Jeffrey S. Evans launches pottery, porcelain auction Apr. 24

Large Ewenny (Wales) sgrafitto puzzle jug, dated 1830. Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates image.

MT. Crawford, Va. – Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates will hold its first specialty auction of 18th and 19th century American, English, Continental, Asian pottery and porcelain on Wednesday, April 24, starting at 9 a.m. EDT. LiveAutioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding.

The sale includes material of interest to a wide group of collectors, whether of English Imari; Vieux Paris (Old Paris) figural and vase forms; teawares or Chinese Export porcelain.

The sale includes a group of English and Continental puzzle jugs, from a New York private collection. Puzzle jugs are designed as playful ceramics, with a “secret” way to drink the beverage within the vessel without spilling its contents on the partaker. There are 18th, 19th and 20th century examples in the auction from Portugal, France, England and Wales. The largest example is from Ewenny in Wales, and sgrafitto-decorated to commemorate “Mary Morgans ounr [sic] Thomas Thyr meker [sic]; the lower body under the handle dated “june 19/1830.” The jug is estimated to $1,200-$1,800. The rarest is an English pearlware pottery jug with an applied winged figure of Fame, dated 1790, one of four known examples of this type. (estimate: $ 800-$1,000).

Among the fine Chinese Export wares is a Mandarin palette large bowl, decorated with finely enameled figures on a mosaic-patterned ground. Dating to the 18th century, the bowl is expected to realize $1,000-$1,500. It is one of many items being sold from the personal collection of Long Islander Lillian Galinsky. The Galinsky home was lined with glass cabinets loaded with porcelain and glass, virtually all of which is to be sold at Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates over a span of several months. The glass will be offered in sales in May and September, the 20th century ceramics in a sale in October. Mrs. Galinsky’s long history as a dealer is continuing, but at a slower pace than previously.

Among a large selection of English porcelain, there are several offerings of 18th century Liverpool, Worcester, Caughley, as well as large group of cobalt-blue ground 19th century wares from Coalport, Spode, Ridgway, etc. Continental wares from Nymphenburg, Paris, Vienna are also included in the auction.

Property from a distinguished Long Island collector, who amassed a wonderful collection of Imari-decorated 19th century dinnerware, will also be auctioned. Among the highlights of this part of the sale, a group of Mason’s Ironstone dinnerwares with a deep ground and bright enamels in Chinese-style, is expected to realize $800-$1,200. This is but one of many ironstone lots in the auction.

A pair of large Haviland and Co., Limoges porcelain vases from the Rudolph Evers Estate Collection is expected to realize $1,200-$1,800. The Rococo Revival vases are of a type of garniture vase made to display on a mantel. Haviland made such wares in France for the American market, and date to the late 1850s-1860s. The vases, each decorated with large, gilt foliate handles, are finely painted with views inspired by Old Master paintings of courtiers and princesses.

The sale also includes a collection of parian porcelain from the estate of Herbert Mitchell, former archivist of Columbia University’s Avery Library; ceramics de-accessioned from the Reeves Collection at Washington & Lee University and sold to benefit the acquisitions fund; American-interest Staffordshire transferware from a Callifornia collection; a selection of Japanese ceramics from the estate of Beate Sirota Gordon; and Chinese Export porcelain from the Veronica “Ronnie” Riefler Strathmann estate.

Jill Fenichell is the new ceramics specialist hired by Jeffrey S. & Beverley Evans. Surrounded by the nearly 400 lots in the ceramics sale, she said, “I’m excited about this auction which includes such a varied range of material. For the last 10 years, the market has been in a state of flux, dominated by generational shifts and the movement away from decorating with ceramics as compared to buying researchable archaeological finds. I hope to help collectors realize you can still buy gorgeous things; old things and rare things and utilize them as you see fit. This auction reaches out to appeal to collectors of all kind of porcelain, from the plainest to the richest; from the mid-18th century forward. All of the material being offered has been in private collections for years, and that always means there will be some surprises on auction day.”

For further information about this auction, please call 540-434-3939.

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

Rare pearlware pottery puzzle jug dated 1790. Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates image.

Attractive Chinese export porcelain 18th century 'Mandarin' palette bowl from the collection of Lilian Galinsky. Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates image. — Attractive Chinese export porcelain 18th century ‘Mandarin’ palette bowl from the collection of Lilian Galinsky. Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates image.

Mason’s Ironstone dinnerware service, Chinoiserie decoration. Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates image.

Haviland Limoges large vases, from the Estate Collection of Rudolf Evers. Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates image.

Superman’s 75th birthday puts spotlight on Cleveland roots

1948 New Haven 'Superman' wristwatch, which will be sold by Saucon Valley Auction on May 4. Image by Saucon Valley Auction and LiveAuctioneers.com.

CLEVELAND (AP) – Superman’s 75th anniversary is giving his creators’ blue-collar hometown a renewed chance to claim the superhero as its own.

Fans hoped Thursday’s anniversary, including lighting city hall with Superman’s colors, will raise the profile of co-creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.

The city is making a start with a Superman day proclaimed by the mayor and giving out birthday cake at the airport’s Superman display.

The June release of Hollywood’s latest Superman tale, Man of Steel, also should renew fan interest. The film offers a fresh start for the kid from Krypton, with Henry Cavill as the boy who falls to Earth and becomes its protector.

Siegel and Shuster labored on their creation for years in the throttling grip of the Great Depression before finally selling Superman to a publisher.

The Man of Steel became a Depression-era bootstrap strategy for the Siegel/Shuster team, according to Brad Ricca, a professor at nearby Case Western Reserve University who uses Superman in his classes.

“They really just saw it as a way out,” he said.

In his upcoming book Super Boys, Ricca says the story of Superman’s creation is mostly about their friendship: two boys in the city’s Glenville neighborhood dreaming of “fame, riches and girls” in a time when such dreams are all the easier to imagine because of the crushing economic misery.

Ricca said Siegel and Shuster reflected Cleveland’s ethnic mix: both were sons of Jewish immigrants, struggled during the Depression and hustled to make something of themselves.

Superman’s first appearance, in Action Comics No. 1, was April 18, 1938.

The first and greatest superhero has gone on to appear in nearly 1,000 Action Comics and has evolved with the times, including a 1940s radio serial, a 1950s TV series and as a reliable staple for Hollywood. Pop culture expert Charles Coletta at Bowling Green State University said Superman ranks globally with George Washington and the Super Bowl as American icons.

But it wasn’t just hardscrabble circumstances that tempered the Man of Steel, Siegel’s daughter said.

Laura Siegel Larson said Cleveland’s public library, comic pages and high school mentors all nurtured her father’s creativity.

“The encouragement that he received from his English teachers and the editors at the Glenville High School newspaper and the literary magazine gave my dad a real confidence in his talents,” she said by phone Monday from Los Angeles. She plans to be in Cleveland for the Thursday anniversary.

The tale of Superman’s first moments begins in Siegel’s bedroom. He once recalled coming up with the idea while looking up at the stars and imaging a powerful hero who looked out for those in distress.

Today, Siegel’s home is easy to pick out on a street with a mix of renovated and dilapidated homes: a stylized red Superman “S” adorns the fence and a sign identifies the home as “the house where Superman was born.”

And like the Man of Steel, the neighborhood is tough.

“You better have ‘S’ on your chest if you come out after dark,” grinned Tommie Jones, 50, helping move furniture several doors away.

Hattie Gray, 61, who moved into the home nearly 30 years ago unaware of its history, has gotten used to the parade of Superman fans walking by or knocking, trying to savor a piece of comics lure.

“I get people all the time, people all the way from Japan, from Australia,” she said. “It’s a great joy to live here.”

The top floor, where Siegel went to write, still offers the nighttime view of the sky over Lake Erie that inspired Siegel.

Gray has heard the talk about Glenville being tough, but said crime that might merit Superman’s attention can be found anywhere. “The neighborhood is not really bad, it’s just the people are poor. That’s all,” she said.

Shuster’s home has been demolished and replaced by another, but the fence has oversized Superman comic book pages displayed. The nearby commercial strip has a state historic marker detailing Superman’s Cleveland roots.

But there isn’t an outsized Superman profile in Cleveland like the way the city celebrates its role in music history with the iconic Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.

Comic store owner Markus Benn thinks hometown fans want to see the Man of Steel rendered in granite.

“I don’t understand why Cleveland won’t own up to owning Superman,” he said. “What do I suggest for a Superman statue? He should be downtown, he should have the shield or the eagle, that classic pose where he’s standing up there with the eagle on his arm.”

The low Superman profile in Cleveland may be because Siegel and Shuster weren’t self-promoters and sold their rights to Superman so early, according to Mike Olszewski, a longtime Cleveland broadcaster and president of the nonprofit Siegel & Shuster Society.

Last year the $412 check that DC Comics wrote in 1938 to acquire Superman and other creative works by Shuster and Siegel sold for $160,000 in an online auction.

Funky Winkerbean creator Tom Batiuk shares roots in the Cleveland area with Superman and that inspired him.

“When I was in elementary school, I found an entry in a school encyclopedia about Jerry Siegel,” Batiuk said in an email to The Associated Press.

“The fact that he was the one of the creators of Superman immediately caught my attention, but what was even more astounding to me was the fact that he was from Cleveland. The fact that someone from my area could do something like that was revelatory and inspirational.”

AP-WF-04-17-13 1648GMT

ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE

Fudge family opens new auction company in Fla.

Charles Fudge and his daughter Amy Stalker, owner of ATM Antiques and Auctions LLC.

CRYSTAL RIVER, Fla. – Charles Fudge, formerly of Professional Appraisers & Liquidators LLC, is passing the auction gavel to his eldest daughter, Amy Stalker, owner of ATM Antiques & Auctions LLC.

Fudge has been in the antique business for the last 40 years and says he is ready to slow down, not wanting to see the family business close. Stalker decided to open her own auction house, so under the supervision of her father, she will apprentice for the next year. ATM is an acronym keeping this a family business: A—Amy Stalker, T—Tammy Fudge and M—Melissa Fudge.

Amy, is the owner, Tammy is Amy’s mother and Melissa is Amy’s younger sister and daughter to Charlie and Tammy.

ATM’s first auction is April 27 at 6 p.m. EDT and features a nice selection of antiques, collectibles, art glass, bronzes, furniture, jewelry and more. Items of interest are a J.W. Fiske fountain, Remington bronzes, a large selection of Cambridge and Fenton art glass along with pieces of jewelry.

The auction will be featured live online via www.liveauctioneers.com.

ATM Antiques & Auctions LLC is accepting quality consignments for future auctions as well as buying. Complete terms of sale can be found on the company’s website at www.charliefudge.com. For more information phone 352-795-2061 or 1-800-542-3877.

ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE

From left to right: Amy Stalker, Tammy Fudge and Melissa Fudge of ATM Antiques and Auctions LLC.

Palm Beach Show Group unveils its new Chicago event

Navy Pier, site of the inaugural Chicago International Art, Jewelry & Antique Show. Image by Banpei. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

Chicago's Navy Pier, site of the new Chicago International Art, Antique & Jewelry Show. Image by Banpei. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. — Chicago’s Navy Pier, site of the new Chicago International Art, Antique & Jewelry Show. Image by Banpei. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

CHICAGO – The Palm Beach Show Group is adding a seventh event to its portfolio of fine art, antique and jewelry shows: the inaugural Chicago International Art, Antique & Jewelry Show, set to take place next spring at Navy Pier—April, 24-28.

The Chicago Show will feature the finest and most prominent exhibitors showcasing their impressive collections of fine art, antique and estate jewelry, Asian antiquities, sculpture, textiles, American and European silver, furniture, contemporary art and more.

This prestigious show is set to feature more than 100 of the world’s most acclaimed exhibitors and will make its debut at the internationally celebrated Navy Pier. Located just east of Chicago’s downtown, Navy Pier offers a unique experience of shopping, dining and entertainment that attracts more than 8.6 million visitors annually, making it the Midwest’s No. 1 tourist and leisure destination. Chicago’s Navy Pier is a destination unmatched by any other, making it the idyllic location for a Palm Beach Show Group Event.

Chicago is a major metropolitan city with an affluent consumer and collector. It has recently been recognized as a rising design city, setting the stage for exhibitors to connect with designers and architects, which represent a vast majority of buyers of art and antiques.

“There is a remarkable legacy for trade shows and art fairs that began at Navy Pier,” said Laurette Lutiger, newly appointed managing partner of the Chicago Show. “In recent years, Chicago has established itself as a leading arts and cultural city in the Midwest and represents collectors of every age and level of interest who have been waiting for a show of this caliber to emerge.”

The Chicago International Art, Antique & Jewelry Show will kick off with a private opening night preview party, offering museum patrons, high profile private collectors and elite attendees a first glimpse of the rare treasures available for purchase. Guests will be greeted with complimentary champagne and hors d’oeuvres while being charmed by remarkable collections from all corners of the globe. The show will be open to the public for the remaining four days, Friday, April 25 through Monday, April 28.

“Chicago is an established market and the Chicago collector is one of the best in the world, with a proven track record of purchasing from art, antique and jewelry shows,” said Scott Diament, president and CEO of the nationally expanding Palm Beach Show Group. “Our research has shown that we will also pull collectors from Canada, which is experiencing tremendous growth in high net worth individuals. We know this is a great market for dealers.”

Owned and produced by the Palm Beach Show Group, the inaugural Chicago International Art, Antique & Jewelry Show is designed to meet the needs of galleries, antique seekers, art buyers, interior designers and enthusiasts of all fine things. The Palm Beach Show Group is committed to creating environments to grow dealer and collector relationships through pleasant experiences, networking opportunities and powerful marketing campaigns.

ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE

A bird's-eye view of the Palm Beach Jewelry, Art and Antiques Show. Palm Beach Show Group image. — A bird’s-eye view of the Palm Beach Jewelry, Art and Antiques Show. Palm Beach Show Group image.

Skinner closes Boston gallery in accordance with lockdown order

BOSTON – Skinner Auctioneers and Appraisers will not open for business today, April 19, in accordance with Massachusetts Governor Deval L. Patrick’s orders following the Boston Marathon bombings and subsequent crimes of the past 24 hours. The governor has instructed Boston residents to remain in their homes and for businesses to remain closed for the day.

In an announcement issued by Skinner, CEO Karen Keane says the company is “monitoring the situation” and urges customers to consult Skinner’s website for updates.

“If you are in the Boston area, we hope you stay safe and secure during this difficult time,” Keane said.

Visit Skinner online at www.skinnerinc.com.

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Contemporary art, design mesh at Wright auction April 25

Victor Vasarely, ‘Okta-Pos-Va.’ Estimate: $70,000-90,000. Wright image.

CHICAGO – Wright’s highly anticipated lifestyle auction, Living Contemporary, which mixes modern and contemporary art with 20th century design, will be conducted April 25. LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding.

Notable in the sale is an outstanding selection of studio ephemera and artwork by Christopher Wool, including a subversive business card and an early word painting with PRANKSTER broken over three lines (estimates range from $200 to $200,000). The works by Wool, belonging to a former longtime studio assistant, have never before been presented at auction.

Also featured is the collection of Joseph and Janet Shein, who have spent the past 50 years collecting contemporary, folk and outsider art. Their unique vision is exemplified by the eclecticism of their collection, where superb modern paintings are presented alongside folk art and objects. Significant among the Shein collection is a large portrait by Barkley Hendricks, Stanley (estimate: $200,000-300,000), Continuel Mobile Transparent, a sculpture by the Argentinian artist Julio Le Parc (estimate: $100,000-150,000) and Will Barnet’s Woman Reading, the iconic work that was the basis for the print reproductions (estimate: $50,000-70,000). A collection of American washboards, two 19th century weather vanes and a scarab beetle sculpture that is memorabilia from a political campaign (estimates range from $1,000 to $2,000) are all excellent examples of folk art from the Shein’s extraordinary collection.

Modern, Pop and contemporary art figures prominently in Living Contemporary with All American Nude by Tom Wesselmann (estimate: $30,000-40,000), paintings and sculptures by Victor Vasarely (estimates range from $3,000 to $70,000), works by Robert Rauschenberg (estimates range from $1,000 to $30,000) and three paintings by Kenny Scharf (estimates: $20,000-30,000 each) among the selection. A superb assortment of photography includes works by Candida Höfer (estimate: $50,000-70,000 each), Thomas Struth (estimates: $10,000-15,000 each), and a collection of 58 photographs by Wingate Paine (estimate: $10,000-15,000).

In the spirit of a truly contemporary lifestyle, these works of art are featured alongside exceptional and accessible examples of design including a Woosh sofa by Zaha Hadid (estimate: $30,000-50,000), a custom dining table by John Vesey (estimate: $20,000-30,000), a pair of Diamonte table lamps by Paolo Venini and Carlo Scarpa (estimate: $10,000-15,000), as well as a collection of six candlesticks by Donald Drumm (estimate: $1,000-1,500), a signature rope-covered stool by Christian Astuguevieille (estimate: $1,000-1,500) and a set of six wall lights by Charlotte Perriand (estimate: $3,000-4,000).

Edited for both beginning and experienced collectors alike, the broad spectrum of offerings in Living Contemporary make it among the most exciting auctions of the year. From chic designs to works of rarity and importance, this sale defines high style.

“With impressive offerings of postwar and contemporary art, ranging from large format photography by Candida Höfer to a 1971 Barkley Hendricks painting, the sixth installment of Living Contemporary is an exciting sale,” said Peter Jefferson, Wright specialist.

Join Wright in celebrating this inspired and thoughtfully curated sale on April 25. Living Contemporary begins at noon CDT and directly follows Pablo Picasso: Master Drawings from an Important Private Collection. Each work will be featured in our specialized, full-color auction catalog.

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

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

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

Zaha Hadid Woosh Sofa. Estimate: $30,000-50,000. Wright image.

Julian Stanczak, ‘Frigid Light,’ Estimate: $15,000-20,000. Wright image.

Candida Hofer, ‘Bayerische Staatsoper in Munchen II,’ Estimate: $50,000-70,000. Wright image.

Candida Hofer, ‘Santuario dom Bosco,’ Estimate: $40,000-60,000. Wright image.

Carstens Galleries sale features fine art, ivories Apr. 25

Ivory sculpture. Carstens Galleries image.

BOCA RATON, Florida – On April 25, commencing at 6 p.m. EDT, Carstens Galleries will present its, Fine Art, Ivories and Antiquities Auction. Internet bidding will be provided by LiveAuctioneers.com.

This event will present a special collection of 18th and 19th century paintings from Clarence Roe, Francis Wheatley, Jean Capeinick, James Burrell Smith, Gertrude Cutts, Francisco Ribera Gomez, Johan Zoffany, Cornelis Petrus T’Hoen, Raffaellino Del Colle, and oils on canvas from the Hudson River School and the Reynolds School. From China, two hanging scrolls will be presented, lots 362 and 363 by Zhang Daqian and Huang Zhou, respectively. Also, from Latin American masters, oils by Epifanio Ortega and Gabriel Bracho, pencils and gouache on paper by Diego Rivera, and an F. Zuniga pastel.

There will be an important sample of Oriental sculptures in green and white jade and pink quartz, and a nice selection of old Oriental ivory sculptures, as well as some exceptional netsukes. Lot 371 is a unique and authentic mammoth tusk carved and signed by the Chinese master, with about 70 individual figures of the young celebrating the company of the elders. This lot is a world rarity for its size and quality.

Other offerings among some 300 lots in this auction of Carstens Galleries include Hagenauer sculptures, Sevres and Dresden vases, an F. Zuniga beautiful sculpture (lot 260), and Famille Rose plates. Also present is a choice selection of old pocket watches and wristwatches by Rolex, Vacheron Constantin, Audemars Piguet and Longines. To complement the auction, there is an interesting collection of archeological artifacts from Central America, jewelry boxes, porcelains and original Limoges hand- painted miniatures that will surely be of interest to bidders.

As usual, Carstens Galleries as a service to bidders, specifies in its catalogs the estimated shipping cost of almost all its lots, and for very heavy or large items, requests information about possible destination of a lot to provide the buyer with correct information and coordination of shipping by Carstens Galleries.

For additional information about any lot in this sale, call Claudio Calderon at Carstens Galleries 561-393-6067 or email him at carstensgalleries@yahoo.com.

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

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

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

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