PALMETTO, Fla. – Only rarely does a collection come to the auction marketplace that can match for quality and provenance the one Manatee Galleries is offering on July 27th. The Ambassador Ragnar Petri and Mrs. Ingrid Burdin Petri collection of European and Asian fine and decorative art is a testament to the connoisseurship of two world travelers driven by a passion for beauty and cultural history.

“Ambassador and Mrs. Petri are both originally from Sweden and now retired in Florida. Ragnar Petri served as Swedish ambassador and consulate to many nations, including Japan, Ecuador, Germany, Spain and Colombia,” explained Adrienne Falconer, president of Manatee Galleries. “Ingrid Petri was born into a family of collectors. Her father was Gylfe Burdin, a prosperous Stockholm businessman and art aficionado who acquired only the finest antique Asian porcelain, which Ingrid eventually inherited.”

Over a period of 65 years, the Petris have formed an exceptional collection that blends the Gylfe Burdin collection with antiques judiciously purchased during their years of diplomatic travels. The collection has remained solely in the Petris’ hands, and they have never before offered it for sale. The majority of the art to be auctioned on July 27 is fresh to the market, and most of the Chinese pieces with provenance from the Burdin collection were kept within the Burdin/Petri family by direct descent for over a century.

Manatee Galleries has opted to place conservative estimates on all pieces. The Petris’ favorite Chinese work is a rare Chongzheng (1628-1643) transitional “Wucai boys” covered jar. The 11½-inch vessel is richly painted with a depiction of genteel ladies seated in a garden, watching boisterous young boys at play. A similar jar sold for HK$275,000 at Christie’s May 2012 sale in Hong Kong. It is entered in Manatee’s sale with a $3,000-$5,000 estimate.

An important famille verte covered jar, 18th/19th century, has a Chinese signature on the side of the jar and an underglaze blue double-circle mark, possibly of the Kangxi Period 1662-1722). Its motif depicts a robed dignitary holding a bolt of silk, followed by a servant with a large hand fan. Standing 8 inches tall, it is expected to make $1,000-$5,000.

Another famille verte highlight is the brightly enameled 17th-century Kangxi Period Chinese plate, 9¼ inches (dia.), with an image of two elegant ladies in a verdant pavilion garden. The wonderfully decorative border features four cartouches with colorful winged insects. A similar example sold for $17,276 at Christie’s South Kensington’s Sept. 19, 2012 Interiors sale. The plate from the Petri collection carries a $2,000-$5,000 estimate.

Manatee Galleries’ catalog describes a rare and important 17th-century Chinese verte covered box as having “the finest-quality painting [we] have seen on a piece that is well over 300 years old.” Its lid is vibrantly filled with the image of two boys – possibly twins – bound together at the waist but running in opposite directions. The 4.1-inch diameter box retains a 1950s label from the Amsterdam gallery “Kunstzalen A. Vecht” and is estimated at $3,000-$5,000.

An eye-filling early 17th-century Ming Zhangzhou (Swatow) polychrome basin has steep flaring sides and is generously decorated in iron-red, green, turquoise and black enamels. Its central image is of a bird in full flight amongst peony blooms, and the medallions at each quarter turn bear Chinese marks. On verso, there are old collectors’ labels and a six-character Chinese mark. With no chips, cracks or repairs, the 15½in-diameter basin is entered in the sale with a $1,000-$5,000 estimate.

Yet another premier lot is a Chinese Guangxu blue and white dish with underglaze blue six-character mark, and of the period 1875-1908, featuring a central motif of a curled dragon and flaming pearl amongst thunderbolts. The 7¼-inch dish is estimated at $2,000-$3,000.

A showcase for Chinese artistry at its most appealing, an antique huanghuali wood screen is embellished with jade and hardstone on its panels, each with a lively scene of activities within an imperial or noble court. The multicolored screen measures 72 inches by 72 inches and is estimated at $4,000-$5,000.

Of the Asian scrolls to be auctioned, the most significant is a signed Kanou Motonobu (Japanese, 1476-1559) metallic scroll painting that measures 49 inches long by 19½ inches wide. Centered with an ethereal depiction of three horses standing in water – one of them leaning down to drink – the painting is of particular importance because it was created by the eldest son of Kano Motonobu, founder of the famous Japanese school of painting.

“The Kano family is one of the most important lineages in Japanese history,” said Adrienne Falconer. “They dominated the painting world from the end of the Muromachi Period (1333-1568) to the end of the Edo Period (1600-1868).”

The Motonobu Kanou scroll painting exhibits a technique known as wa-kan, a hybrid of Japanese and Chinese painting that requires careful brushwork techniques. The scroll is estimated at $3,000-$5,000.

The Petri collection also includes an outstanding selection of English Staffordshire, silhouettes and miniature paintings; and even some mid-century modern design. The star of the European antiques section, however, is a 19th-century “blue john,” white marble and slate urn on pedestal that has been electrified to function as a lamp. Blue john, which was discovered by the Ancient Romans nearly 2,000 years ago, is a rare natural variety of calcium fluorite known as “radix amethysti” for its distinctively colored deep purple veins. The only known deposit of this unusual mineral – also known as Derbyshire spar – was found in the hills of Derbyshire’s Hope Valley in England. Highly prized blue john was a favorite mineral of Birmingham silversmith and ormolu manufacturer Matthew Boulton, who used it in the production of candelabra, urns, candlesticks and other decorative and functional pieces.

The blue john mines and seams are now largely exhausted, making the urn/lamp in the Petri collection all the more valuable. Its auction estimate is $3,000-$5,000.

Manatee Galleries’ auction of the Ambassador Ragnar Petri and Mrs. Ingrid Burdin Petri collection will take place on July 27, 2013, starting at 4 p.m. Eastern time. Preview July 24-26 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., on July 27 (auction day) from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., or by appointment. The gallery is located at 1007 10th Avenue West in Palmetto, Florida 34221. All forms of bidding will be available, including absentee, phone and live via the Internet through LiveAuctioneers.com.

For additional information on any item in the auction, call 941-722-4800 or email info@manateegalleries.com. Visit Manatee Galleries online at www.manateegalleries.com.

 

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

 

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ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – Southeast Shows & Auctions is hosting their first Fine Art, Sculptures and Objects of Art auction Saturday, July 13, at 7 p.m. Eastern. This live and online auction represents a diverse collection of art items from estates, private collections and select dealer inventory. LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding.

The 110-lot auction features paintings, etchings, drawings from the 17th century to modern time; lithographs and photographs; bronze, marble, stone, terra-cotta sculptures and woodcarvings; European and American clocks, lamps, candelabras, sterling silver tea and coffee sets; Daum Nancy and Galle vases; Tiffany and Co. items; jewelry; antique firearms; and original Japanese samurai armor.

Selections include a masterful genre painting by Meyer von Bremen titled Not My Bread, a Naples Harbor scene by 20th century master Emile Gruppe, and other Florida paintings by various artists, not the least of which is Workers Shanties by Emmett Fritz.

Sculptures and objects of art are diverse in their offerings including The Lady with Moon and Stars, a marble bust by R. Battelli, circa 1850, to B. Bennett’s bronze Morning Sun dated 1981.

There is a 19th century massive bas-relief walnut wood carving The Abduction of Persephone by Hades and a Daté Masamune clan daimyo grade samurai armor from the 1580s. Fine antique clocks, Tiffany items, Daum Nancy glass and more round out a collection, which has something for almost any collector.

For more information about the auction, call Southeast Shows & Auctions 904-347-3144 or email southeastshows@hotmail.com.

 

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

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OAKLAND, Calif. – The lifetime collection of Ray Siou (1925-2013) including mechanical music rolls, player pianos and orchestrions will be auctioned at Clars Auction Gallery on July 13-14 as part of the auctioneer’s important Fine Arts and Antiques Sale. LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding.

Even if you’ve never heard the terms mechanical music or orchestrion, chances are you’ve heard the music. Think carousel rides at amusement parks and fairs. Remember how exciting it was to hear the carousel music and know that you were going to be able to pick your favorite horse or tiger or swan to take a spin for as long as the song lasted? Orchestrions are the instruments that played these wonderful songs. Also known as band organs, these player instruments play, not only the piano, but an entire band’s or orchestra’s worth of instruments.

Orchestrions and player instruments had their heyday at the turn of the 20th century before radio or television. They played rolls. For the big orchestrions, multiple rolls were necessary to play a song. Mechanical music rolls are long strips of paper with holes punched at intervals and come in as many different types and varieties as the pianos, band organs or orchestrions that play them. These rolls are based on the punch cards originally used in textile mills to make jacquard fabric. Essentially, they are an early computer programing mechanism. When threaded into a player piano or orchestrion, the instrument “plays” by following the holes in the paper roll. Mechanical music machines ceased to be popular with the general public as radios became more affordable and can now be found only rarely. A die-hard group of collectors and enthusiasts remain, however. Ray Siou was a part of this group, serving as a member and “Honor Roll” inductee of the Automatic Musical Instrument Collector’s Association, which will be holding its 50th anniversary convention the weekend of July 13 in San Francisco.

Siou collected for decades. When he retired from the family business he bought two player pianos on a whim. The pianos came with large collections of paper rolls and Siou was hooked. He became the “Roll Mogul” using his impressive collection of rolls as templates to recut difficult to find types and titles. Siou sold his new rolls to collectors and institutions at modest prices. His pricing and large selection helped institutions across the country build or rebuild collections. For example, Sious helped the caretakers of Glen Echo Park in Maryland build a collection of rolls for their historic 1921 Denzel carousel, whose music is played on a 1926 Wurlitzer band organ using mechanical rolls.

Clars Auction Gallery will bring Siou’s private collection to market this weekend. Among the offerings will be a “Ray Siou Special” orchestrion, a Seeburg E Special Orchestrion and a 1928 Steinway Duo-Art Grand Piano. Clars will also offer his remaining inventory of antique and recut mechanical music rolls.

For complete information on Clars’ July 13-14 Fine Arts and Antiques Auction, phone 510-428-0100 or email: info@clars.com.

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

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BEVERLY, Mass. – Kaminski Auction will conduct a Summer Tent Auction on July 20 that will feature some 400 items ranging from paintings and American-made furniture, to Americana items and two vintage cars. LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding.

The two vehicles, one a 1979 Land Rover, and the other a 1967 Morgan drophead, are already attracting curious passersby while parked at the Kaminski property. The 1979 Land Rover is a two-door utility Series Three with an 88-inch wheelbase. With 70,000 miles and extensive interior restoration, the Land Rover is valued at $14,000 to $18,000. The Morgan roadster will be sold with title and also has received restoration. It is estimated to sell for between $20,000 and $50,000.

The sale will also feature a selection of fine American furniture. Highlights of the collection include a beautiful piecrust tea table and an intricate pair of William and Mary side chairs.

The piecrust table, produced in Essex County, Mass., has rat-claw feet at the base of well-proportioned legs embellished with detailed shell carvings at the knee. The shaft is subtly tapered and grounded in a spiral turned ball where the legs meet the body. This rich walnut tea table is estimated at $9,000 to $12,000.

Also exquisite are a pair of William and Mary period (1690-1715) chairs. Produced around the turn of the 18th century, the scallop-carved chairs are made from walnut and predicted to sell for between $3,500 and $4,500. Other furniture offerings include an early American Queen Anne cherry highboy with fan carvings and cabriole legs estimated at $4,000 to $7,000.

American art will also be offered in the sale, including work by the American George Stubbs (1724-1806). Although best known for his seascapes that have previously sold at Kaminski, the example of his work to be sold in July depicts a pastoral landscape. The Stubbs painting is predicted to sell for between $3,000 and $5,000.

Among the most eye-catching paintings of the sale are a watercolor by the 20th century artist John Whorf and an oil on canvas by George R. Barse. The painting is titled Reflections at the Dock, and captures in Whorf’s signature painterly style the liveliness of bouncing sunlight and swaying boats in the summer. It is predicted to fetch between $5,000 and $7,000.

From George Barse comes an elegant portrait of a lounging nude, interestingly poised in a neutral colored background brought to life with dynamic brushstrokes. The small painting, signed and dated 1890, has an estimate of $4,000 to $6,000.

Americana of note will also feature prominently in the auction. Highlights include a Mississippi rifle from 1857, used in both the Mexican and Civil Wars. The rifle carries stamped markings and an estimate of $2,500 to $3,500.

Those interested in military history will also be drawn to Lot 4127, a vellum document recording John Adams’ naval appointment of Joseph Tuffs as a midshipman. The document is signed by John Adams and Benjamin Stoddart as secretary of the Navy. Kaminski has valued the document at between $3,000 and $5,000.

 

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

 

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