A celadon jade bi disc with nine sections and inscriptions from the ‘Book of Han’ and Fujiezi and Taotie masks on reverse. From the family Collection of Liu Yunke (1792 - 1864), governor of Zhejiang. Gianguan Auctions image.

Gianguan Auctions to offer scroll paintings, zisha teapots Sept. 15

A celadon jade bi disc with nine sections and inscriptions from the ‘Book of Han’ and Fujiezi and Taotie masks on reverse. From the family Collection of Liu Yunke (1792 - 1864), governor of Zhejiang. Gianguan Auctions image.

A celadon jade bi disc with nine sections and inscriptions from the ‘Book of Han’ and Fujiezi and Taotie masks on reverse. From the family Collection of Liu Yunke (1792 – 1864), governor of Zhejiang. Gianguan Auctions image.

NEW YORK – Gianguan Auctions’ sale on Sunday, Sept. 15, offers a slate of more than 300 properties that recall China’s political, diplomatic and philosophic history as well as its artistic contributions. Internet live bidding will be provided by LiveAuctioneers.com.

Highlights include carved jades from the collection of 19th century Gov. Liu Yunke (1792-1864) of Zhejiang. Lot 187 is a set of nine Qing Dynasty jade carvings inscribed with excerpts form the Thirty-Six Art of War Strategy. Included are a bi bearing the Liu Yunke (He Qiao) collector seal, a notched bi, a halberd blade, a pendant, a Zhang blade, three plaques, and a ge blade. The estimate on the carved jades is $50,000-$60,000. From the same collector, Lot 188 is a massive jade bi in nine sections. Of translucent celadon coloration with russet inclusions, the center disc is formed by two half-spherical sections embellished with a pierced central medallion. The outer bi is comprised of nine sections. On the obverse, inscriptions are carved in clerical script, from the Book of Han. The reverse bears both Zhuànshū and Taotie masks. The sectional jade bi is estimated at $30,000-$40,000. Both items have been held by the Liu Yunke family for the past 150 years and are new to the market.

Lot 190 is a 15-page gilt copper-sheet album of the Pratyutpanna Sutra (Composing of the Mind) Vol. 3. More than 900 characters are inscribed in clerical script on gilt sheets. Held together by hinges, the volume is housed in a rectangular box on which the image of Maitreya is carved. The catalog estimate for the impressive Tang Dynasty album is $30,000-$40,000.

Throughout China’s history, artists have elevated everyday items to extraordinary works of art. Among the most highly prized are zisha clay teapots. The clay itself—indigenous to Yixing in the coastal province of Jiangsu—is generally purplish in color and has qualities so remarkable that it has been deemed a Chinese national treasure. When fired at temperatures as high as 2,200 degrees Fahrenheit, Zisha clay remains porous, a characteristic that allows the teapots made from it to take on the flavor of teas. Zisha teapots have been prized since the 17th century. They inspired not only the Kangxi emperor and 17th century potters such as Shi Dabin, but also recent collectors who have driven the auction price of zisha teapots well above $1 million. This auction contains a single-owner collection of five unique zisha pots valued at between $300,000 and $1 million.

Perhaps the most dramatic of the pots is Lot 224, a dragon-form teapot in the shape of a tree stump in four sections, each with intricately worked gnarled branches that form the handle while curled vines and plum blossoms form the spout, and stumpy knobs form the tightly fitted covers. The dragon’s head with open mouth and protruded tongue is worked into the first section. Lot 222, also unusual, depicts 12 zodiac figures and bears Chen Mingyuan’s maker’s mark along with a reign mark for the Imperial Palace. Lot 225 is molded in the form of a mask, a theme adapted from archaic bronze ritual vessels. Its maker’s mark is that of Shi Dabin, the 17th century artisan.

More outstanding properties include Lot 180, a Qing Dynasty carved jade brush pot with a reticulated floral and dragon design. The pierced cylindrical sides, 4 3/4 inches high, offer a continuous scene of two striding dragons amid densely layered foliage and spray that creates a 3-D effect. The rim and base are incised with a classic scroll. Of translucent jade with touches of russet at the base, the brush pot is expected to bring $200,000-$300,000.

Notably, other jade and hardstone items in the sale include jewelry, bangles and pendants (Lots 102 to 131) with estimates of a few hundred dollars each; carved jade boxes with cover such as Lot 171, estimated at $8,000-$15,000; Lot 167, a finely carved lapis lazuli flask with cover, $3,000-$4,000 and Lot 173, a figure of Maitreya carved in its natural furong stone form, $2,000-$3,000.

Meanwhile, Lot 180 is a rock crystal Guanyin carved from a single block. It weighs in at four pounds. Seated and holding a lotus spray, the Guanyin is a Ming Dynasty piece and has a catalog estimate of $10,000-$15,000.

Another homage to the Deities is Lot 248, gilt statues of the Four Heavenly Kings, Stepping on the Evils of Human Nature. Each gilded Lokapala wears festooned armor and bejeweled headdress and holds a symbol appropriate to its role. Of the period, the Tang Dynasty statues carry the incised mark of Zhenguan and are valued at $100,000-$150,000.

The broad based auction includes decorative and antique properties in all price ranges. Among the ever-popular Chinese ceramics are rare-form ritual items such as Lot 277, a tall, square Geyo Cong vase with horizontal ribs converging at the central vertical plane. Covered with a crackled rust-brown white glaze, and of the Song Dynasty, the vase is estimated at $10,000-$15,000. Lot 280 offers a vase of undulating melon shaped form. It is valued at between $2,000-$3,000. Standing in contrast to both is Lot 278, a bulbous celadon Longquan vase. With looped handles and dish mouth, the body is supported by bands of upright lappets and carved lotus floral pattern. Of the Northern Song Dynasty, the Longquan is expected to fetch $10,000-$15,000.

Lot 283 is the marquee Longquan Yuhuchunping. The pear-shaped celadon vase is carved in high relief depicting a crane in flight holding a flower thread. It is symbolic of the link between heaven and earth. Technically, the celadon glaze is of even tone. The Yuan Dynasty Longquan is expected to command $80,000-$100,000.

Other unusual ceramics include Lot 158, a junyao shallow dish with an unusual purple glaze and the numeral “six” on the underside. Its estimate is $5,000-$6,000. Lot 253 is a junyao wine vessel of compressed spherical shape with purple splashes filing from the short flared neck to the shoulder and below. A curved spout complements a curved loop handle. The pitcher is estimated at $6,000-$10,000.

The auction kicks off with a morning session of 76 classical paintings. The highlight is Lot 15, a 1971 scroll by Chinese-American artist Walasse Ting titled Lotus and Peony. Born in Shanghai, Ting left China as a child. His career took him to Paris, New York and Amsterdam. Although informed by artistic movements of the mid-20th century, he is best known for colorful figurative paintings of nudes. Lotus and Peony marks one of his rare forays into his Chinese heritage and blends classical techniques with ink splash. The ink-on-paper painting carries one artist seal. The top of the scroll reads “Entitled by Walasse Ting.” Its estimate is $100,000-$150,000.

Other modernist masters whose works will come under the hammer are Zhang Daqian (Lot 16, Portrait of Qu Yuan with His Poem, 1941; Lot 19, Magao Lady; Lot 20, Lady; Lot 24, Splashed Lotus, 1946; Lot 38, Scholar in the Shade, 1941, Qi Baishi (Lot 17, Mallard Ducks by the River Reeds and Lot 57, Alchemist, 1924 ) and Zu Beihong (Lot 42, Eagles on Rock, 1947).

Given the current appetite for Chinese master, the paintings may well exceed their market values of $40,000 to $1 million.

For details contact the gallery at info@gianguanauctions.com or call 212-226-2660.

 

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

 


ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE


A celadon jade bi disc with nine sections and inscriptions from the ‘Book of Han’ and Fujiezi and Taotie masks on reverse. From the family Collection of Liu Yunke (1792 - 1864), governor of Zhejiang. Gianguan Auctions image.

A celadon jade bi disc with nine sections and inscriptions from the ‘Book of Han’ and Fujiezi and Taotie masks on reverse. From the family Collection of Liu Yunke (1792 – 1864), governor of Zhejiang. Gianguan Auctions image.

‘Locust and Peony’ by Walasse Ting, dated 1971. Hanging scroll, ink on paper. Titled by ‘Walasse Ting’ on the top of the scroll, one artist seal. Gianguan Auctions image.

‘Locust and Peony’ by Walasse Ting, dated 1971. Hanging scroll, ink on paper. Titled by ‘Walasse Ting’ on the top of the scroll, one artist seal. Gianguan Auctions image.

Set of nine jade carvings inscribed with excerpts from ‘Thirty-Six Art of War Strategy.’ Property of 19th century governor of Zhejiang Liu Yunke. Gianguan Auctions image.

Set of nine jade carvings inscribed with excerpts from ‘Thirty-Six Art of War Strategy.’ Property of 19th century governor of Zhejiang Liu Yunke. Gianguan Auctions image.

Gilt copper album of the ‘Pratyutpanna Sutra’ (Vol. 3) (Composing of the Mind), stitched and held together with hinges, complete with carved storage box. Gianguan Auctions image.

Gilt copper album of the ‘Pratyutpanna Sutra’ (Vol. 3) (Composing of the Mind), stitched and held together with hinges, complete with carved storage box. Gianguan Auctions image.

Zisha teapot of dragon form, naturalistically fired in the shape of a tree stump cut off in four sections. A two-character maker’s mark, Jiang Rong is impressed on the body of each section. Gianguan Auctions image.

Zisha teapot of dragon form, naturalistically fired in the shape of a tree stump cut off in four sections. A two-character maker’s mark, Jiang Rong is impressed on the body of each section. Gianguan Auctions image.

An Song Dynasty but modernist looking Geyao Cong vase of square sections.  Overall crackled rust-brown white glaze. . Gianguan Auctions image.

An Song Dynasty but modernist looking Geyao Cong vase of square sections. Overall crackled rust-brown white glaze. . Gianguan Auctions image.

Gilt statues of Four Heavenly Kings, Stepping on Evils of Human Nature. Tang Dynasty, incised mark of Zhenguan and of the Period. Gianguan Auctions image.

Gilt statues of Four Heavenly Kings, Stepping on Evils of Human Nature. Tang Dynasty, incised mark of Zhenguan and of the Period. Gianguan Auctions image.

An ivory bead necklace with some pierced beads, 8 7/8 inches long. Gianguan Auctions image.

An ivory bead necklace with some pierced beads, 8 7/8 inches long. Gianguan Auctions image.

 

Guy Carleton Wiggins (New York/Connecticut, 1883-1962, genre painting of ship docked harborside, est. $7,000-$9,000. Quinn’s Auction Galleries image.

Washington puts its best foot forward at Quinn’s Sept. 15 auction

Guy Carleton Wiggins (New York/Connecticut, 1883-1962, genre painting of ship docked harborside, est. $7,000-$9,000. Quinn’s Auction Galleries image.

Guy Carleton Wiggins (New York/Connecticut, 1883-1962, genre painting of ship docked harborside, est. $7,000-$9,000. Quinn’s Auction Galleries image.

FALLS CHURCH, Va. – On Sunday, September 15th, more than 400 carefully vetted, top-quality lots of fine and decorative art and furnishings will cross the auction block at Quinn’s, located in the Washington, DC suburb of Falls Church, Virginia. The consignments chosen for this sale are from estates and private collectors in the Greater Washington, DC area, including former Speaker of the US House of Representatives Thomas S. “Tom” Foley and Mrs. Heather Strachan Foley.

Among the highlights of the Foley collection are two Harry Bertoia (Italian/American, 1915-1978) metal sculptures. Lot 94, Bertoia’s circa-1960s work titled “Bush,’ is distinguished by its radiating branches that terminate in a stunning array of bronze beads. The 9in by 10in-diameter sculpture is estimated at $15,000-$20,000. It is followed in the auction order by Bertoia’s 39in kinetic wire “Spray” sculpture, similarly estimated at $15,000-$20,000.

Also sourced from the Foley collection is Lot 243, Shri Jamini Roy’s (Indian, 1887-1972) oil-on-canvas painting titled “Flight into Egypt.” The framed 27 by 35½in (sight) tempera-on-canvas artwork depicts a royal couple with their young child traveling by donkey, and is artist-signed in Bengali. Heather Foley purchased the painting directly from the artist in August 1968. Estimate: $15,000-$20,000.

Tom Foley has long had an interest in Asia and served as US Ambassador to Japan from 1997 through 2001. But his travels to the Far East began decades ago and included an especially memorable trip to the Philippines that resulted in his purchasing a number of 18th- and 19th-century santos.

“Around the 1960s, Speaker and Mrs. Foley were part of a US Congressional group invited to spend a day on the late Filipino President Ferdinand Marcos’ yacht,” explained Quinn’s Vice President Matthew Quinn. “Some of the Members’ wives were disappointed that they hadn’t had time to shop locally before boarding the boat, so President Marcos arranged for an antique dealer to come on board with some of his antique santos. After the dealer expressed frustration that all of his figures had not sold, Tom Foley, in a diplomatic gesture, bought the man’s remaining stock to smooth things over. He and Mrs. Foley kept the santos in their collection for more than 40 years, and they’re part of the couple’s consignment to our auction.”

A large collection of Knoll furniture and other modern pieces will be offered, all with provenance from the Foley collection. Lot 79, a Hans Wegner for Knoll teak lounge chair and ottoman from the third quarter of the 20th century is expected to make $2,000-$3,000; while Lot 85, a black leather sofa designed by Mies van der Rohe for Knoll, carries an estimate of $1,500-$2,000. The perfect lighting to accompany the Knoll selections is Lot 92, a Gino Sarfatti for Arteluce Triennale 3-light floor lamp estimated at $1,500-$2,500.

Lot 339, a trio of 10ft 2in-tall bronze statues of Bodhisattva once graced a residence in Hume, Virginia. Each has an embossed robe and stands on a lotus pedestal with traditional Buddhist iconography. The group estimate is $20,000-$30,000.

A graceful bronze nude with a garland of grapes, titled “The Vine,” was created by Harriet Whitney Frishmuth (New York, 1880-1980) and cast by Gorham around 1921. Standing 12½ inches tall, it is a smaller version of the example held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Entered as Lot 233, it could reach $2,000-$4,000 on auction day.

Leading the rugs and runners category is Lot 201 a hand-knotted silk Persian rug in shades of blue, brown and orange with a leaf-and-blossom border. Made around 1900, it measures 5ft 8in by 4ft 3in and is estimated at $2,000-$3,000.

A nice surprise previously discovered in a box of mixed articles, Lot 251 is a miniature portrait on ivory confirmed as the work of James Peale (Maryland, 1749-1831). “It had been consigned to one of our weekly sales in a box lot,” Matthew Quinn explained. “The consignor had no idea it was a Peale or even that it was valuable. It was like an Antiques Roadshow moment. Of course we immediately pulled it from the weekly sale and held it over for the September 15th sale.” The diminutive portrait depicting a woman with curly hair, wearing drop earrings and red dress with fancy collar, is estimated at $2,500-$3,500.

Many outstanding European and American paintings are included in the auction lineup. A signed Guy Carleton Wiggins’ (New York/Connecticut, 1883-1962) genre painting of a ship docked at a New England town’s harbor measures 35 by 18in (sight). Entered as Lot 255 and authenticated by Wiggins’ son, artist Guy A. Wiggins, it is estimated at $7,000-$9,000.

Painted around 1944, a Stepan Fedorovich Kolesnikoff oil on canvas of a market scene in front of a church was given to the consignor’s father in 1956 as a gift from the Yugoslav government. Colorful and richly detailed, the 21¼ by 35¼-in artwork listed as Lot 163 carries a $7,000-$9,000 estimate, but Quinn believes it could well surpass expectations. “Kolesnikoff’s paintings do very well at auction. It might even double the estimate in our sale,” Quinn said.

Another European painting that warrants special attention is Lot 162, a 17th-century Dutch master landscape by Anthony Jansz Van Croos (1630-1691). The scene depicts passengers on a boat in the waters near Montfoort Castle in Utrecht. The 14½ by 23½-oil on canvas work is estimated at $4,000-$6,000.

Quinn’s Sunday, September 15 auction will commence at 1 p.m. Eastern Time, with Internet live bidding available through LiveAuctioneers. All lots will be available to preview during the week leading up to the sale (see Quinn’s website for hours). For information on any item in the sale, call 434-293-2904 or e-mail info@quinnsauction.com. Visit Quinn’s online at www.quinnsauction.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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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


Guy Carleton Wiggins (New York/Connecticut, 1883-1962, genre painting of ship docked harborside, est. $7,000-$9,000. Quinn’s Auction Galleries image.

Guy Carleton Wiggins (New York/Connecticut, 1883-1962, genre painting of ship docked harborside, est. $7,000-$9,000. Quinn’s Auction Galleries image.

Harry Bertoia (Italian/American, 1915-1978), ‘Bush,’ metal sculpture, est. $25,000-$20,000. Quinn’s Auction Galleries image.

Harry Bertoia (Italian/American, 1915-1978), ‘Bush,’ metal sculpture, est. $25,000-$20,000. Quinn’s Auction Galleries image.

Harry Bertoia (Italian/American, 1915-1978), ‘Spray,’ kinetic metal sculpture, est. $25,000-$20,000. Quinn’s Auction Galleries image.

Harry Bertoia (Italian/American, 1915-1978), ‘Spray,’ kinetic metal sculpture, est. $25,000-$20,000. Quinn’s Auction Galleries image.

Anthony Jansz Van Croos (Dutch, 1630-1691), landscape with Montfoort Castle, Utrecht, in background, oil on canvas, est. $4,000-$6,000. Quinn’s Auction Galleries image.

Anthony Jansz Van Croos (Dutch, 1630-1691), landscape with Montfoort Castle, Utrecht, in background, oil on canvas, est. $4,000-$6,000. Quinn’s Auction Galleries image.

Stepan Fedorovich Kolesnikoff (Russian, 1879-1955), scene of market and church, circa 1944, oil on canvas, est. $7,000-$9,000. Quinn’s Auction Galleries image.

Stepan Fedorovich Kolesnikoff (Russian, 1879-1955), scene of market and church, circa 1944, oil on canvas, est. $7,000-$9,000. Quinn’s Auction Galleries image.

Hand-knotted silk Persian rug, circa 1900, est. $2,000-$3,000. Quinn’s Auction Galleries image.

Hand-knotted silk Persian rug, circa 1900, est. $2,000-$3,000. Quinn’s Auction Galleries image.

Harriet Whitney Frishmuth (New York, 1880-1980), ‘The Vine,’ bronze, circa 1921, est. $2,000-$4,000. Quinn’s Auction Galleries image.

Harriet Whitney Frishmuth (New York, 1880-1980), ‘The Vine,’ bronze, circa 1921, est. $2,000-$4,000. Quinn’s Auction Galleries image.

Shri Jamini Roy (Indian, 1887-1972), ‘Flight into Egypt,’ oil on canvas, purchased directly from the artist, est. $15,000-$20,000. Quinn’s Auction Galleries image.

Shri Jamini Roy (Indian, 1887-1972), ‘Flight into Egypt,’ oil on canvas, purchased directly from the artist, est. $15,000-$20,000. Quinn’s Auction Galleries image.

James Peale (Maryland, 1749-1831), miniature portrait on ivory, est. $2,500-$3,500. Quinn’s Auction Galleries image.

James Peale (Maryland, 1749-1831), miniature portrait on ivory, est. $2,500-$3,500. Quinn’s Auction Galleries image.

Architect and now Italian Senator for life Renzo Piano (b. 1937-).

Star architect Renzo Piano named Italian senator

Architect and now Italian Senator for life Renzo Piano (b. 1937-).

Architect and now Italian Senator for life Renzo Piano (b. 1937-).

ROME (AFP) – Italian President Giorgio Napolitano on Friday named top architect Renzo Piano and conductor Claudio Abbado along with two leading scientists as senators for life.

Napolitano’s office said in a statement that the four were being rewarded “for the highest merits in the scientific, artistic and cultural fields.”

Piano is perhaps best know for the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, Potsdamer Platz in Berlin and “The Shard”, Europe’s tallest skyscraper, in London.

Abbado has worked at La Scala opera house in Milan, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Vienna State Opera, and Berlin Philharmonic orchestra.

The two scientists rewarded are Elena Cattaneo, a top biologist working in the field of stem cell research, and Carlo Rubbia, a physicist and winner of a Nobel Prize in 1984 for his work on elementary particles.

Senatorial posts are rarely awarded — the last to receive the title was economist and future prime minister Mario Monti in 2011 — and recipients have full voting powers in the influential chamber.

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ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE


One of Renzo Piano's many distinguished projects is Kansai International Airport in Osaka, Japan (1991-1994). Photo by 663highland, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

One of Renzo Piano’s many distinguished projects is Kansai International Airport in Osaka, Japan (1991-1994). Photo by 663highland, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Metropolitan Museum of Art image.

Tour company offers fresh look at Met Museum’s art

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Metropolitan Museum of Art image.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Metropolitan Museum of Art image.

NEW YORK (AP) – A new company is offering to make your visit to New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art less daunting—and fun.

Museum Hack leads two-hour tours through the Fifth Avenue museum, offering details about different works of art not found on an official museum tour.

The Wall Street Journal says it focuses on overlooked works of art and intriguing and fun facts about more celebrated art.

The $39 interactive tour is not affiliated with the Met.

The company is operated by its founder Nick Gray and Mark Rosen, who holds a master’s in museology.

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Online: www.hackthemet.com

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Information from: The Wall Street Journal, http://www.wsj.com

Copyright 2013 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

AP-WF-08-29-13 1039GMT


ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE


The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Metropolitan Museum of Art image.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Metropolitan Museum of Art image.

The Distinguished Flying Cross, a United States military medal. Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

Mo. treasurer seeks owners of abandoned military medals

The  Distinguished Flying Cross, a United States military medal. Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

The Distinguished Flying Cross, a United States military medal. Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

ST. LOUIS (AP) – Some are forgotten in the postwar fog, others lost to the passage of time or shifting circumstances. Now, in the age of instant communication, the hope is that military honors earned fighting in foreign lands will wind up where they belong.

On Wednesday, at the Jefferson Barracks military post and national cemetery near St. Louis, Missouri Treasurer Clint Zweifel promoted a new state law allowing him to publicly share the names and last-known addresses of missing military medal owners or their legal heirs.

Those honors are among the substantial amount of unclaimed property at his office, the state’s “largest lost and found,” with more than $750 million in assets awaiting return.

“These medals should not sit on a shelf gathering dust,” Zweifel said. “The more information we can make public, the more likely we can get these medals back into the hands of their rightful owners.”

The state now possesses more than 120 military medals, badges and other insignia, including at least three Purple Hearts, one of the highest battlefield honors. There are unclaimed marksmanship badges, good conduct ribbons, Bronze Stars, sharpshooter awards, World War I victory medals, nameplates and other awards obtained by the state from safe-deposit boxes at banks and from other businesses unable to track ownership.

Until several years ago, the state treated these awards like any other type of unclaimed property, Zweifel said, selling the hardware at auction to the highest bidder.

Since Zweifel took office in 2009, more than 40 medals have been returned, and his office worked with a bipartisan group of state lawmakers to help pass the Military Medal Return Bill on the final day of the 2013 legislative session.

Under the new law, which took effect Wednesday, the state publishes what few identifying details it has regarding the awards on a website. In some cases, the listings include a name and city of residence along with a description and photo of the unclaimed valor awards. In five cases, the owners are unknown.

Neal Lang, a retired Army helicopter pilot from St. Charles who attended Wednesday’s ceremony, earned a Distinguished Flying Cross in February 1970 for delivering ammunition under hostile fire to the Vietnam village of Duong Duc. The medal and Lang’s aviator wings are embedded in the tombstone he bought for himself on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, beside those of his deceased parents.

“That’s my legacy,” he said. “It’s waiting for me in Copper Harbor, Michigan.”

Lang, who has kept his medals through the years, came to Jefferson Barracks in a show of support. As a former commander in a local Veterans of Foreign Wars chapter, he and the members of other military service organizations will assist the state in spreading the word.

Dale Edwards of Blue Springs, a 27-year Army veteran, was able to recover a marksmanship badge earned by his late wife’s father during World War II. He said the surprise phone call from Zweifel’s office opened a door to family history that B-17 bomber pilot Martin Tittsworth never much talked about before his death nearly three decades ago.

“It’s something I can pass on to my son and daughter, and they can pass on to their kids,” he said.

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Online:

Military medal website: www.treasurer.mo.gov/Military

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Follow Alan Scher Zagier on Twitter at http://twitter.com/azagier

Copyright 2013 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

AP-WF-08-28-13 2104GMT


ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE


The  Distinguished Flying Cross, a United States military medal. Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

The Distinguished Flying Cross, a United States military medal. Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

The Anasazi Heritage Center in Dolores, Colo. Image by McGhiever. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

Artifacts-laden Anasazi Heritage Center marks 25th year

The Anasazi Heritage Center in Dolores, Colo. Image by McGhiever. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

The Anasazi Heritage Center in Dolores, Colo. Image by McGhiever. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

CORTEZ, Colo. (AP) – The Canyons of the Ancients National Monument received $2.40 per acre in federal funding last year. Mesa Verde National Park, in comparison, obtained more than $30.50 per acre.

With upward of 30,000 archaeological sites across a 173,000-acre expanse, the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument attracts about 50,000 visitors annually. Its headquarters, the Anasazi Heritage Center, is a world-class museum, despite operating on a shoestring budget.

“It’s unbelievable how little funding places like this receive,” said program director Diane McBride. “People tend to think that the government is taking care of things and everything is going to be fine, but that’s just the bare bones.”

The Anasazi Heritage Center is celebrating its 25th birthday. It opened in 1988 as a repository for artifacts recovered during construction of McPhee Reservoir. It continues to receive and catalog artifacts from legal excavations on public lands in Southwest Colorado, and the collection presently numbers more than 3.5 million objects.

For the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument and its Anasazi Heritage Center to exist and thrive, McBride said, outside support is essential. One recent $1,000 donation from Empire Electric Association will help enable schoolchildren to visit the center.

The Southwest Colorado Canyons Alliance is dedicated solely to helping fund the center and the monument. Earlier this summer, the alliance received a larger $20,000 grant from the Conservation Lands Foundation, which helps fund volunteer curating efforts at the Anasazi Heritage Center.

Less than a fifth of the more than 3.5 million archaeological items contained at the Anasazi Heritage Center have been cataloged. Volunteers, who must undergo extensive training and background checks, are needed to help dig through the majority of the collection to properly identify the remaining specimens.

“If it’s not catalogued, then it just becomes stuff,” McBride said. “If it’s cataloged, then archaeologists and other scientists can come in to research the items.”

Archaeology is moving away from field excavations, and instead shifting toward existing collections. McBride said shining brighter light on established collections with new research questions could reveal new information.

“Not a lot of information is needed from new archaeological items,” McBride said. “What we need is more information from older collections.”

Dozens of researchers from across the globe trek to the Anasazi Heritage Center annually to examine, for example, whether various prehistoric ceramic mugs were used for ceremonial or everyday uses. One fresh face recently studying ancient pottery from Sand Canyon is a graduate student from St. Cloud State University in Minnesota.

“I’m looking for teaching and learning traditions by studying how the pots were executed,” said Jonathon Schwartz, a self-proclaimed history buff.

By examining a list of previously researched traits, Schwartz is hoping to discover more about the skill and cognitive ability of ancient painters for his master’s thesis.

“Places like the Anasazi Heritage Center allow people to ask questions about the past and connect to the past,” he said.

While the jury is still out on why ancient civilizations migrated out of the area around the 12th century, McBride believes additional research on those historic cultures could potentially reveal clues that could help to sustain future generations in the Four Corners.

“There are lessons we could learn on how to care for this precious and precarious region,” she said.

Declared a national monument in 2000, Canyons of the Ancients contains the largest concentration of archaeological sites in the United States, representing ancestral Puebloan and other Native American cultures.

Cultural sites on the monument grounds include sweat lodges, kivas, shrines and petroglyphs. Reservoirs with stone and earthen dams, including spillways and numerous check dams, also dot the landscape, and stone towers, which may have been sentry posts or astronomical observatories, are found scattered throughout.

“Locals could take a family vacation right here in their own back yard,” McBride said. “The Four Corners is the center of the universe.”

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Information from: Cortez Journal, http://www.cortezjournal.com

Copyright 2013 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

AP-WF-08-28-13 2027GMT


ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE


The Anasazi Heritage Center in Dolores, Colo. Image by McGhiever. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

The Anasazi Heritage Center in Dolores, Colo. Image by McGhiever. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

Hovenweep House, Hovenweep National Monument. Image by Jsweida. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

Hovenweep House, Hovenweep National Monument. Image by Jsweida. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

 

'Night of the Living Dead' (Continental, 1968), one-sheet poster. Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers.com Archive and Heritage Auctions.

‘Living Dead’ fans flock to rural Pa. location for festival

'Night of the Living Dead' (Continental, 1968), one-sheet poster. Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers.com Archive and Heritage Auctions.

‘Night of the Living Dead’ (Continental, 1968), one-sheet poster. Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers.com Archive and Heritage Auctions.

EVANS CITY, Pa. (AP) – Organizers predict it will be the largest gathering of the Night of the Living Dead cast and crew since its premiere 45 years ago.

George A. Romero won’t be there—due to another commitment—but you can walk in the footsteps of many others at the Evans City Cemetery, see where the fabled farmhouse once stood, take photos or gather autographs and, of course, rewatch the 1968

The 2013 Living Dead Fest will mark the first time Russ Streiner, Judith O’Dea, Judith Ridley and Bill Cardille, all of whom appeared in key roles, will appear together since filming. Participants are coming from as far away as England as well as far-flung locations in the States.

Gates at EDCO Park, less than a mile from the cemetery, will open at 11 a.m. Friday and at 10 a.m. Saturday. It will be the staging area for the event.

Prices range from $6 to watch the movie at 9 p.m. Saturday and admission of $10 Friday, $15 Saturday or $20 for both days to $95 for the weekend access plus a collectible poster with photos of the 21 guests and the opportunity to have them sign it.

Free are a 6 p.m. Friday celebration of the repair of the “chapel” at Evans City Cemetery along with an 8 p.m. bonfire at EDCO Park. No word on whether zombies will be tossed into the flames.

New this year will be a series of celebrity meet-and-greets, each an hour long, limited to 15 to 20 people and documented by a professional photographer who will provide a color or black-and-white photo for autographs. Cost is $50, and organizers say the spots are going quickly.

On Friday, O’Dea and Streiner, who played the siblings in the opening scenes, will be at the cemetery while co-writer Jack Russo and Ridley, who was one of the survivors holed up in the farmhouse cellar, will be at the original farmhouse location.

On Saturday, celebrity guest signings will resume, and meet-and-greet opportunities will feature Cardille and George Kosana (who played the sheriff) near the onetime farmhouse, along with O’Dea and Streiner at the cemetery.

Signings end at 7:30 p.m., a question-and-answer session will be held from 8-9 p.m. and the movie will flicker to life at 9 p.m.

Photographs at the signing tables will be free, but signatures will be $20 each, standard at conventions and other events such as this. Also expected to be open nearby is the new Living Dead Museum and Gift Shop on Main Street in Evans City.

Details, directions and tickets are available through www.livingdeadfest.com, and you can also buy tickets at the door, although meet-and-greet access may be unavailable or limited.

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Online:

http://bit.ly/19NoHDZ

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Information from: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, http://www.post-gazette.com

Copyright 2013 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

AP-WF-08-28-13 1556GMT


ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE


'Night of the Living Dead' (Continental, 1968), one-sheet poster. Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers.com Archive and Heritage Auctions.

‘Night of the Living Dead’ (Continental, 1968), one-sheet poster. Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers.com Archive and Heritage Auctions.

David Hockney (American, b. 1937), 'Blue Pool,' color lithograph 1980, 43/1,000. Image courtesy LiveAuctioneers.com Archive and Trinity International Auctions image.

Mystery surrounds death of David Hockney’s assistant

David Hockney (American, b. 1937), 'Blue Pool,' color lithograph 1980, 43/1,000. Image courtesy LiveAuctioneers.com Archive and Trinity International Auctions image.

David Hockney (American, b. 1937), ‘Blue Pool,’ color lithograph 1980, 43/1,000. Image courtesy LiveAuctioneers.com Archive and Trinity International Auctions image.

LONDON (AFP) – It remains a mystery why a 23-year-old assistant to British artist David Hockney drank lethal acidic toilet cleaner, but police have ruled out anyone else being involved, an inquest into his death heard on Friday.

Dominic Elliott collapsed and died in March after drinking Knock-Out toilet and drain cleaner at Hockney’s home in East Yorkshire, as well as having snorted cocaine and ingested other drugs, the inquest has heard.

“It does remain a mystery—for an intelligent young man to drink such a noxious substance,” Detective Sergeant Thomas Napier of Humberside police told the hearing.

An autopsy showed that Elliott, who was also an avid rugby player, had taken cocaine, ecstasy and the sleeping pill temazepam before he died. He had also been drinking and smoking cannabis.

Hockney, 76, one of Britain’s most celebrated living artists who is renowned for his acrylic paintings of Californian swimming pools, told the court in a statement Thursday that Elliott was in a relationship with his own former partner John Fitzherbert.

Fitzherbert still lived at the artist’s seaside home, along with two other men working in the art industry.

Hockney himself was asleep in his own bedroom at the time, he said.

Fitzherbert told the court that he and Elliott had been drinking and smoking cannabis, and Elliott had snorted cocaine.

He said that as they lay in bed, “Dominic just got up from bed, ran towards the door laughing hysterically, and threw himself off the internal landing, “which was 9 feet high.

The two later went to sleep but Fitzherbert was awoken by Elliott standing in his underpants saying, “Can you take me to hospital?”

He saw the bottle of cleaner in the sink but did not connect it with Elliott, driving him to hospital rather than calling an ambulance.

Elliott died from the effects of drinking sulphuric acid soon after arriving at the hospital on March 15, the inquest heard.

The acid severely burned his mouth, tongue and throat before perforating his stomach, a pathologist said.

Fitzherbert said Elliott “liked living on the edge” and had been upset because he was not included in a photo of Hockney and his studio staff taken by the U.S. photographer Annie Leibovitz for Vanity Fair magazine.

Hockney said he was “completely unaware” of what the pair had been doing

that day and knew Elliott “professionally” rather than socially.

The coroner was expected to present his findings later on Friday.


ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE


David Hockney (American, b. 1937), 'Blue Pool,' color lithograph 1980, 43/1,000. Image courtesy LiveAuctioneers.com Archive and Trinity International Auctions image.

David Hockney (American, b. 1937), ‘Blue Pool,’ color lithograph 1980, 43/1,000. Image courtesy LiveAuctioneers.com Archive and Trinity International Auctions image.

Gallery Report: September 2013

 

8-gallon Red Wing pantry jar, $4,200, RWCS Convention

 

An 8-gallon Red Wing blue-banded pantry jar sold for $4,200 at the Red Wing Collectors Society convention auction held July 11 by the Red Wing Collectors Society Inc., in Red Wing, Minn. Also, a 2-gallon Red Wing “elephant ear” ice-water cooler fetched $2,100; a 2-gallon Geno Mfg. Co. advertising water cooler in mint condition brought $2,100; a Red Wing Gray Line cake stand, with a crack, went for $1,300; and a 20-gallon butterfly crock back-stamped “Red Wing Stoneware Co.” made $1,050. Prices are hammer. There was no buyer’s premium.

Read more

Leslie Hindman Auctioneers image.

Leslie Hindman Auctioneers to sell estate of supermodel Sept. 11

Leslie Hindman Auctioneers image.

Leslie Hindman Auctioneers image.

CHICAGO – Leslie Hindman Auctioneers will sell designer clothing and accessories from the estate of Betsy Pickering Kaiser on Sept. 11. Betsy Pickering Kaiser, friend and muse to the American fashion designer James Galanos, was one of the most successful models of the 1950s and early 1960s. The auction will include 380 lots of suits, coats, gowns and accessories that she collected throughout her lifetime. She died on Feb. 22. LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding.

While most of the clothing presented in the auction was designed by Galanos, the sale also includes 
items by Chanel, Bottega Veneta, Fendi, Hermès, Louis Vuitton, Salvatore Ferragamo and others.

In conjunction with the preview for the auction, there will be a tag sale held Sept. 6-8 at Leslie Hindman Auctioneers in Chicago. The tag sale will feature clothing and accessories that Kaiser purchased at Trillion, a high-end boutique in Palm Beach. Also offered in the tag sale are 174 bolts of fine vintage fabrics, including rare examples by Abraham and Gandini, which she purchased from Galanos in the late 1990s.

Throughout her career, Kaiser appeared on the cover of important publications including Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Mademoiselle, Charm, Town & Country and GQ. She was inducted into the International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame in 1971. Her listing in the Hall of Fame reads: “Mrs. Michael Kaiser (Betsy), socialite, Galanos muse, former model.”

Over the years, Kaiser made significant donations from her Galanos collection to a number of museums, in particular, the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In accordance with her wishes, the proceeds from the auction will benefit LoveLife, the largest HIV/AIDS prevention, education and awareness organization in South Africa.

For inquiries contact Yanet Ramirez, 312-447-3288 or yanetramirez@lesliehindman.com.

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


ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE


Leslie Hindman Auctioneers image.

 

Leslie Hindman Auctioneers image.

Leslie Hindman Auctioneers image.

 

Leslie Hindman Auctioneers image.

Leslie Hindman Auctioneers image.

 

Leslie Hindman Auctioneers image.

Leslie Hindman Auctioneers image.

 

Leslie Hindman Auctioneers image.

Leslie Hindman Auctioneers image.

 

Leslie Hindman Auctioneers image.

Leslie Hindman Auctioneers image.

 

Leslie Hindman Auctioneers image.