Embroidered on one of the blocks of the Jane Stickle quilt is the phrase: ‘In War Time 1863.’ Created by Jane A. Stickle. Collection of the Bennington Museum.
BENNINGTON, Vt. – The year 2013 marks the 150th anniversary of the Jane Stickle Quilt, which was created in Vermont during the Civil War.
Quilters, quilt collectors, and folk art enthusiasts travel from around the country and world to see the Jane Stickle Quilt during the brief period it is on display each year. In celebration of the quilt’s 150th year, the museum developing an expanded exhibition that incorporates the results of new research on the history of the quilt, the woman who created it, and the troubled times in which it was created. The Jane Stickle Quilt will be on display at the Bennington Museum in Bennington from Aug. 31 through Oct. 14.
The quilt, one of the Bennington Museum’s greatest treasures, is comprised of 169 five-inch blocks, each in a different pattern, containing a remarkable total of 5,602 pieces, all surrounded by a unique scalloped border. The craftsmanship of the quilt has been mentioned in numerous quilting books, and is the topic of Dear Jane, The Two Hundred Twenty-Five Patterns from the 1863 Jane A. Stickle Quilt, by Brenda Papadakis. This quilt is world-renowned and a perfect example of American folk art.
Recently discovered information from the museum’s records and rarely seen artwork by Stickle, along with some items related to both the quilt and quilter, will be on view for the first time.
Additionally, Pam Weeks, a recognized scholar of 19th-century/Civil War-era quilts, will be a contributing writer to the museum’s scholarly journal, the Walloomsac Review. Week’s article will be the result of new research findings on the history of the Stickle Quilt and its ties—personal and otherwise—to the Civil War.
Jane Stickle was born Jane Blakely on April 8, 1817 in Shaftsbury, Vt. She married Walter Stickle sometime before 1850. The two did not have a family of their own and led a simple life in Shaftsbury. During a period when she was alone in the 1860s, Jane lovingly created what is now known as the Jane Stickle Quilt. As a lasting reminder of the turbulent times the country was going through, she carefully embroidered “In War Time 1863” into the quilt. Due to its extreme rarity and fragility, the quilt is shown for only a short period each year to limit light exposure.
ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE
Embroidered on one of the blocks of the Jane Stickle quilt is the phrase: ‘In War Time 1863.’ Created by Jane A. Stickle. Collection of the Bennington Museum.Jane Stickle Quilt, 1863. Created by Jane A. Stickle. Collection of the Bennington Museum.
Crosier of Abbot Erkanbald. German (Hildesheim), circa 997 or before 1011. Silver with gilding, 4 1/2 inches high. Dom-Museum Hildesheim (DS 7).
NEW YORK – Germany’s Hildesheim Cathedral in Lower Saxony has one of the most complete surviving ensembles of ecclesiastical furnishings and treasures in Europe, including many medieval masterpieces made between about 1000 and 1250. The cathedral was designated a UNESCO world cultural heritage site in 1985. Major renovations that are currently underway provide the opportunity for “Medieval Treasures from Hildesheim”—an extraordinary selection of about 50 medieval church treasures, most of which have never been shown outside Europe—to travel to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where they will be on view beginning Sept. 17.
The first section of the exhibition will focus primarily on the legacy of Bishop Bernward of Hildesheim (960–1022), one of the greatest patrons of the arts in the Middle Ages. During his time, Hildesheim was a center for bronze-making and other artistic activities. In addition to the famous monumental bronze doors and the column in Hildesheim Cathedral that cannot travel, Bernward commissioned many smaller precious works of art, mostly for his Benedictine monastic foundation. These include the Golden Madonna, a silver crucifix, a pair of richly decorated silver candlesticks and sumptuously illuminated manuscripts, all of which will be included in the exhibition. The monumental life-size wood carving known as the Ringelheim crucifix is one of the earliest surviving three-dimensional sculptures of the Middle Ages. It will provide a focal point for the gallery, which will contain one of the most impressive groups of 11th-century works of art ever seen in North America.
The exhibition will also examine the continuing artistic production of Hildesheim in the high Middle Ages. Opulent jeweled crosses, as well as reliquaries and portable altars decorated with enamel and ivory will be featured. The late-12th-century St. Oswald reliquary surmounted by a silver-gilt bust of the saint and decorated with finely drawn niello plaques is a highlight as are the three gilt-bronze liturgical fans with openwork decoration and cabochon stones, each over 16 inches in diameter.
Hildesheim re-emerged as a major center for bronze casting in the early 13th century. The cathedral’s monumental bronze baptismal font from that time will be the centerpiece of a group of objects that includes a cast bronze eagle lectern, a lion aquamanile, a candlestick and a crozier (a religious staff of office, in the shape of a shepherd’s crook). The baptismal font, dating to about 1226, is one of the most important works to survive from the Middle Ages. The basin and its lid rest on free-standing kneeling figures of the four Rivers of Paradise and the complete ensemble measures 6 feet in height. Richly decorated in relief, the basin depicts the Baptism of Christ and the Virgin Enthroned flanked by scenes from the Hebrew Bible that were understood in the Middle Ages to prefigure the Baptism of Christ. The lid has four additional scenes in relief, and ancillary figures and lengthy inscriptions further enrich the font.
The exhibition will be accompanied by a fully illustrated catalog written by scholars on the museum’s staff in collaboration with scholars in France and Germany. This first comprehensive overview of the Hildesheim collection in English is published by the Metropolitan Museum and distributed by Yale University Press, and will be available in the museum’s book shops ($24.95, hardcover).
Among the education programs organized in conjunction with the exhibition will be a series of gallery talks and a “How Did They Do That?” weekend program for all ages. On Oct. 6, a “Sunday at the Met” program includes the showing of a film on the creation of a bronze aquamanile, followed by a discussion by Peter Dandridge, conservator, Sherman Fairchild Center for Objects Conservation at the Metropolitan Museum, and Ubaldo Vitale, renowned metalsmith and 2011 MacArthur Foundation Fellow. The conversation will focus on the baptismal font, eagle lectern, and other major cast works from Hildesheim within the context of medieval metal casting.
The exhibition will be featured on the website of the Metropolitan Museum (www.metmuseum.org).
ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE
Crosier of Abbot Erkanbald. German (Hildesheim), circa 997 or before 1011. Silver with gilding, 4 1/2 inches high. Dom-Museum Hildesheim (DS 7).
‘Vitruvian Man’ by Leonardo da Vinci, Galleria dell’ Accademia, Venice (1485-90). Luc Viatour / www.Lucnix.be, courtesy Wikimedia Commons.
VENICE, Italy (AFP) – Fifty-two drawings by Renaissance genius Leonardo da Vinci are going on show in Venice from Thursday, including the famous but rarely seen Vitruvian Man charting the ideal proportions of the human body.
The show in the city’s Galleria dell’Academia displays works from the museum’s own archives as well as from the collections of the British Royal Family, the Ashmolean Museum, the British Museum and the Louvre.
“Leonardo da Vinci: The Universal Man” charts his artistic and scientific research, including drawings on botany, mechanics, optics and warfare as well as preparatory sketches for some of his most famous works.
The Vitruvian Man, from the museum’s collection, has not been seen in public in 30 years but is an iconic image seen on T-shirts and posters around the world.
It was based on the writings of the ancient Roman architect Vitruvius, who sought the same proportions of the human body in nature and used them in building.
The exhibition runs from Aug. 29 to Dec. 1.
Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) was a polymath who embodied the humanist values of the Renaissance.
Exhibition curator Annalisa Perissa Torriani said the display was intended to give visitors an insight into the inner workings of Leonardo’s mind.
It “shows Leonardo reasoning and translating from his brain to his hand but always retracing his steps to add corrections and additions,” she said.
ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE
‘Vitruvian Man’ by Leonardo da Vinci, Galleria dell’ Accademia, Venice (1485-90). Luc Viatour / www.Lucnix.be, courtesy Wikimedia Commons.
Tabby cast-iron mechanical bank, embossed ‘Tabby Bank’ with nodding chick, original paint, by J. & E. Stevens & Co., fourth quarter 19th century, 4 1/2 inches high. Price realized: $5,750 against $300-$500 estimate. Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates image.
MT. CRAWFORD, Va. – In the company’s largest Variety sale to date, an Aug. 24 auction of 1,149 lots, Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates sold a Chinese carved jade buckle in the form of a dragon for $7,475. The buckle (lot 785), which dated to the late 19th or early 20th century, was estimated at $100-$200. LiveAuctioneers.com provided Internet live bidding.
Other Asian artifacts brought strong bidding and high prices. A lot of 18 assorted Asian beads in amber and glass court beads (lot 792) realized $4,312.50. The original estimate of $100-$200 was exceeded by Internet bidders, enthusiastic for several different objects in the lot. A lot of three snuff bottles sold for $2,990, against a $100-$200 estimate. The bottles were made of Peking glass and rare stonewares. A Chinese yellow silk altar cloth, which depicted a five-clawed dragon amid chrysanthemums and dated from the late 19th century, sold for $2,070, also against an estimate in the hundreds.
A wooden box made to hold a Magician mechanical bank (lot 167), embossed on one end “J. & E. Stevens,” and dating to the end of the 19th century, sold for $6,900. Such boxes are rare survivors, and the buyer, a New York-area collector, has the bank that fits within the box. Originally estimated at $200-$300, the box became a focus for collectors, with bids on the phone, via absentee bidders and in the room.
The bank box was part of the massive collection of the late Betty Jane Renn of Sunbury, Pa., which included over 375 banks of all types. Of these, a rare “Tabby Bank” by J. & E. Stevens & Co. (lot 178) sold for $5,750 over the $300-$500 estimate. This set a new auction record price for this bank. Bidding was between a phone bidder and a bidder in the house. Another bank, the Black Americana specimen of the “Bad Accident,” (lot 163), sold for $4,025, nearly four times the estimate.
The daylong sale included a selection of occupational shaving mugs. Of these, a rare example painted with a male gymnast on a horizontal bar (lot 1083), marked for Limoges, France, sold for $4,312.50
In a small but strong section of fine art, an 1846 Philadelphia Circus lithograph print of “Madame Macarte, In Some of Her Favorite Acts,” (lot 66), dated 1847, sold for $2,645 against a $200-$300 estimate. Another print, Georges Rouault’s “Circus of the Flying Stars: The Ballerinas,” (lot 701), dated 1934, sold for $1,725 against an $800-$1,200 estimate. Hisao Domoto’s abstract watercolor/gouache, (lot 656), dated 1966, realized $1,265, nearly three times the $300-$500 estimate.
These are highlights but the entire sale was very strong, and included such collectible areas as dolls, toys, knives, silver, and costume and fine jewelry. In each of these categories bidding was very aggressive and prices were strong. More than 7,000 live and absentee bids came in from Internet bidders in addition to those entered by more 150 phone and in-house bidders at the Evans gallery. The sale realized $281,307 including the 15 percent buyer’s premium, with participating bidders from 18 countries.
After the auction, Jeffrey S. Evans noted, “This was our highest grossing variety auction to date with all categories performing well, especially the banks, knives and silver. Bidders responded very positively to the fresh, quality merchandise that we were able to offer with no reserves and with attractive estimates. In addition, our detailed catalog descriptions including accurate condition reports, instills confidence and draws repeat buyers to our auctions.”
Tabby cast-iron mechanical bank, embossed ‘Tabby Bank’ with nodding chick, original paint, by J. & E. Stevens & Co., fourth quarter 19th century, 4 1/2 inches high. Price realized: $5,750 against $300-$500 estimate. Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates image.
Jade buckle, in the form of a dragon, late 19th or 20th century, 5 1/2 inches long. Sold for $7,475 against $100-$200 estimate. Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates image.
Gymnast occupational shaving mug, lettered ‘Joe Hensley’ above, marked under base for ‘W.G. & Co, Limoges, France’ and ‘E. Berninghaus, Cincinnati, Ohio’ retailer. Price realized: $4,312.50 against the $300-$500 estimate. Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates image.
Hisao Domoto (Japanese, b. 1928), abstract painting, watercolor/gouche, verso dated 1966, framed, 30 inches x 20 inches. Price realized: $1,265 against the $300-$500 estimate. Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates image.
Blane David Nordahl, 51. Image courtesy of Nassau County (Florida) Sheriff’s Department.
HILLIARD, Fla. (ACNI) – A skillful cat burglar known for targeting celebrities and outsmarting even the most sophisticated security systems is once again in police custody.
On Monday, police detectives in Hilliard, a town outside Jacksonville, Florida, arrested Blane David Nordahl, 51, the notorious “burglar to the stars.” Nordahl was wanted for two outstanding warrants from Atlanta, authorities said – one for burglary with intent to commit a first-degree felony, and another for conspiracy to commit a felony.
Police across the South are interested in interviewing Nordahl about a rash of silver robberies from stately homes in seven states. Antiques taken in those robberies include a silverware set crafted by Paul Revere and a stein that originally belonged to King George II.
Nordahl allegedly has netted $3 million in goods – mostly silver – from about 150 burglaries during his 30-year criminal career. Nordahl’s high-profile victims have included Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel and the late sportscaster Curt Gowdy.
Nordahl has been prosecuted and sentenced to prison several times for his serial offenses. Charges have included burglary and conspiracy to transport stolen goods across state lines. In one of his more widely publicized criminal escapades, Nordahl made off with 120 pairs of silver salt and pepper shakers from the Greenwich, Connecticut home of Ivana Trump.
Nordahl’s burglaries follow a distinct and predictable pattern. He targets the homes of wealthy families after conducting research at local libraries or studying the pages of glossy society magazines.
His usual method of home entry is to cut through or remove panes of glass from a home’s French doors or windows and crawl through the opening, thus avoiding alarms that would trigger if a door or window were opened. This meticulous process can take more than an hour. Reportedly, Nordahl can also disable home alarm systems and sneak past sleeping dogs without awakening them.
Nordahl is known to be very particular about the items he takes. He is only interested in hallmarked silver – preferably antique – and will even test pieces using a silver-testing kit before absconding with them. Any pieces that aren’t sterling silver are left behind. This selective approach has earned Nordahl a second nickname: “the silver thief.” When arrested in 1996, police found in his possession a copy of an up-to-date antiques and collectibles price guide, and a directory of wealthy Americans.
Over the years, Nordahl has made it his mission to learn from mistakes and adjust his methods to stay one step ahead of the law. For example, after police used a shoe print to connect him with a New Jersey burglary, Nordahl started throwing away his clothes and shoes after each heist. He became so adept at covering his tracks, many victims did not even realize they had been robbed until months later when they attempted to lay out their fine silver for special occasions.
Nordahl is expected to be extradited to Georgia from Florida in the next few weeks.
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ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE
Blane David Nordahl, 51. Image courtesy of Nassau County (Florida) Sheriff’s Department.
Other bronze sculptures by Walker K. Hancock include the Gen. Douglas MacArthur Monument at the United States Military Academy at West Point. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) – A southwest Missouri man has been sentenced to probation for stealing a statue from Wichita State University more than 25 years ago.
Mitchel R. Potter of Lamar, Mo., has pleaded guilty to receiving stolen property in connection with the 1987 theft of a bronze bust of poet Robert Frost from WSU. Potter, who was not a student at Wichita State, was sentenced to two years of probation and 100 hours of community service.
Potter says he stole the statue when he was a 19-year-old fraternity pledge and that he should have left the sculpture alone. The Frost piece was acquired in 1983 and is one of two sculptures of the poet by Massachusetts artist Walker Hancock.
“It’s embarrassing to have something come back after years,” said Potter, 45.
He was arrested last year after a tip led authorities to the bust at Potter’s home. The piece has since been returned to WSU, where it’s in storage.
Potter contacted The Wichita Eagle to apologize to WSU and explain why he stole the bust. He has declined to say where he was a student at the time of the theft or which fraternity he belonged to.
“I just wanted to let the university and Wichita know that I am truly apologetic for my actions as a youth, and I just didn’t want people to think that I’d come up there and took it maliciously,” he said.
He said he and friends were running around the WSU campus that day and ran into the statue, which teetered and shook. Potter said the bolts securing it to its concrete pedestal loosened, and the statue fell to the ground.
“It was like, ‘Wow! Look at that. That’s cool,’” Potter said. So they picked it up and fled, Potter said.
He said the statue sat in his basement in Lamar for more than 25 years.
Martin Bush, who worked for WSU from 1971 to 1989, reported it missing 25 years ago. Bush said he always thought the statue disappeared as part of a prank.
“I think he’s paid his penalty, as far as I’m concerned,” bush said. “I’m delighted that the university has it back.”
Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
AP-WF-08-26-13 1649GMT
ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE
Other bronze sculptures by Walker K. Hancock include the Gen. Douglas MacArthur Monument at the United States Military Academy at West Point. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
WASHINGTON –Robert Indiana’s sculpture AMOR, conceived 1998 and executed 2006, is now on view in the National Gallery of Art’s Sculpture Garden. A play on his own famed LOVE sculpture, AMOR is constructed from red and yellow polychrome aluminum.
The first sculpture by Indiana (American, born 1928) to enter the gallery’s collection, the work significantly advances the gallery’s holdings of monumental modern sculpture. The sculpture was given to the gallery in May 2012 by Simon and Gillian Salama-Caro in memory of Ruth Klausner.
Indiana originally conceived the familier “Love” graphic in drawings, paintings and sculptures between 1964 and 1966. The first sculptural version was displayed at an exhibition at the Stable Gallery in Manhattan in 1966, and the artist has continued working with the motif since.
The image became most widely known through a commission for a Museum of Modern Art card in 1965 and the 8-cent “Love” stamp issued in 1973 by the U.S. Postal Service. The graphic became an emblem of the 1970s in the U.S., associated with the relaxation of social strictures. The monumental AMOR made its first appearance in the center of Madrid in 2006. With its inclinded “O” and vibrant colors, it extends the spirit of “Love” into several languages and cultures.
The National Gallery of Art and its 6.1-acre Sculpture Garden are at all times free to the public. They are located on the National Mall between Third and Ninth streets at Constitution Avenue NW, and are open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Gallery is closed on December 25 and January 1. With the exception of the atrium and library, the galleries in the East Building will be closing gradually beginning in July 2013 and will remain closed for approximately three years for Master Facilities Plan and renovations. For specific updates on gallery closings, visit www.nga.gov/renovation.
For information call 202-737-4215 or visit the gallery’s website at www.nga.gov.
Edward Hopper, ‘Blackwell’s Island,’ oil on canvas.
BENTONVILLE, Ark. (AP) – Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art will soon display its newly acquired painting of a New York scene by modernist Edward Hopper.
The museum in Bentonville on Monday didn’t disclose a purchase a price but said it recently acquired the work from a private collection. Crystal Bridges says the work should be on exhibit by mid-September in its Early 20th Century Art Gallery.
The painting is titled Blackwell’s Island and depicts what’s now known as Roosevelt Island, which is off Manhattan in the East River.
Blackwell’s Island is among the largest of Hopper’s oil paintings and incorporates sky, water and a skyline. Crystal Bridges President Don Bacigalupi says the painting is considered one of Hopper’s most ambitious compositions.
There is no admission charge to view the museum’s permanent collection.
Copyright 2013 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
AP-WF-08-26-13 1928GMT
ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE
Edward Hopper, ‘Blackwell’s Island,’ oil on canvas.
Jean-Michel Basquiat (American, 1960-1988), ‘Last Rights/AM Nightime,’ acrylic, oil paint stick and spray paint on canvas, 1981. Clars Auction Gallery image. OAKLAND, Calif. – Clars Auction Gallery’s Sept. 7- 8 Fine Art and Antiques Auction will likely surpass all previous sales in the firm’s rich history. Highly prominent works in fine art, decorative arts, jewelry and Asian art will fuel spirited bidding at this important two-day sale. LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding.
Headlining the fine art category will be a rare sculpture by Frederic Remington (American, 1861-1909). Titled The Cheyenne (1901), this work captures the dramatic moment of an Indian, with spear clutched in hand, on horseback at full gallop. Edition number 14, this sculpture was created at the renowned Roman Bronze Works foundry. This impressive bronze is estimated at $70,000-90,0000.
Another highlight is a monumental bronze by renowned abstract expressionist Peter Voulkos (1924-2002). This 1968 work, Untitled Stack (CR486.S18-AP1-B), stands 29 inches tall and is estimated to achieve $20,000 to $40,000.
Clars will also be featuring some brilliant California paintings one of which is Vista, an oil on canvas landscape by William Wendt (1865-1946), which is estimated at $25,000-$35,000. Maynard Dixon’s California landscape titled Hills Through the Oak (1915) has been estimated at $10,000 to $15,000, and an oil on canvas by San Francisco area artist Joseph Raphael (1869-1950) titled, Still Life with Green Vase and Flowers, will be offered for $20,000-40,000. All three important paintings come from impressive private collections in Piedmont, Belvedere and San Francisco.
Highlighting the American Modern pieces offered in Clars’ September sale is a Richard Pettibone (American, b. 1938), Andy Warhol, ‘Marilyn Monroe,’ 1962 (silver), 1973, silkscreen and acrylic on canvas. This piece depicting the American icon comes with great provenance originating from the artist to his ex-wife, and will certainly reach its expected estimate of $10,000-$15,000.
From a prominent Tiburon, California collection, comes two spectacular etchings by Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881-1973); Sculpteur, Modèle accroupi et Tête sculptée (from La Suite Vollard), for $18,000-22,000 and 347 Series: Plate 18 for $15,000-20,000. Furthering etchings to be offered will be 11 color drypoints from Salvador Dali’s important “La Venus aux Fourrures” (1969) suite. Coming from a prominent San Francisco Gallery, these carry an estimate of $10,000 to $15,000.
Clars’ sale will also include numerous 19th and 20th century, Italian paintings from the Property of the Marquis C. Landrum Trust (donated to The Montclair Foundation for support of the Van Vleck House and Gardens and The Montclair Art Museum). One of which is an abstract still life painting by Fausto Pirandello (Italian, 1899-1975), Natura Morta con Girasole, 1950, will be offered at $15,000-$20,000. Another one of the highlights from this collection is a mesmerizing oil on linen composition by Julio Larraz (American/French, b. 1944), titled Study for Conclave, which will have an estimate of $20,000-40,000. Also featured, a poignant oil on canvas by Italian artist, Gaetano Previati (1852-1920) titled Christ Fallen Along One of the Stations of the Cross estimated at $8,000-12,000. Lastly, two paintings by Felice Carena (Italian, 1879-1966), one of which is Ritratto di Marzia con il Ventaglio, will be for sale at $10,000-$15,000 each.
From the Far East, will be contemporary Chinese artworks by renowned artists including Li Guanglin (Chinese, b. 1962) and Shang Ding (Chinese, b. 1954). Li’s colossal oil on canvas, Pious Back, 2010, of an elder monk praying should reach the heights with an estimate of $30,000-$40,000, while his painting Holy Kid, 2011-2012, of a young girl praying will be offered at $20,000-$30,000. Rounding out the Chinese offerings with an estimate of $15,000-$20,000 is Shang Ding’s Contemplation, an oil on canvas of a young Chinese ballerina caught contemplating her next move.
Also to be offered will be an “attributed to” Jean-Michel Basquiat (American, 1960-1988), acrylic, oil paint stick and spray paint on canvas titled Last Rights/AM Nightime, 1981. This important work bears signature and date in the lower right, bears initials and date verso, title inscribed verso with former title crossed out and measures 66 1/4 inches high by 114 inches wide. Provenance: Property of a San Juan Bautista, Calif., collector; purchased from the estate of Charles Teller (Beverly Hills, Calif.); estate of John Wallace (Los Angeles, Calif.). Wallace purchased the painting from the artist in 1981/1982. This work is being offered for $100,000 to $200,000.
Exciting decorative arts and furnishings range from the finest in historic Tiffany to classic cars. A Tiffany & Co. Civil War presentation sword inscribed “Presented/To/Lt/Col/ James J. Walsh/ By The / Enlisted Men of Co. E / 13th Artillery / N.Y.S.V” is estimated at $4,000 to $6,000.
From the master of studio art glass, Richard Marquis (American b. 1945), will be three of his works. To be offered will be two stunning teapot goblets and a Kylix vessel. Each of these offerings will be offered for $6,000 to $8,000. Turning back several centuries, a possibly 16th century Italian Urbino majolica vase attributed to the Fontana workshop is estimated at $4,000 to $6,000. Crossing the Pacific to Hawaii, of particular note will be the offering of a selection of Hawaiian koa wood poi bowls, one of which dates to the18th century. Estimates for these works range from $2,000 to $8,000. Stepping back even further, this sale will feature an impressive selection of pre-Columbian vessels and figures from a prominent San Francisco Bay area private collection with estimates ranging from $2,000 to $7,000. Turning back to America, an exquisite Simon Willard tall-case clock, Boston, circa 1800, executed in the Federal taste, is being offered for $8,000 to $12,000.
In sterling, a beautiful George III covered tureen suite by Robert Sharp, London, 1800, is expected to achieve $35,000 to $45,000. A pair of American sterling silver three-light candelabra by Howard & Co., New York, 1866-1922, each Renaissance Revival form inspired by Tiffany & Co., 15 inches high by 12 inches wide, 85.08 troy ounces, will be offered for $25,000 to $30,000 estimate.
And finally, for lovers of muscle cars, a 1968 Camaro convertible from a single California owner is expected to bring $16,000 to $25,000.
Topping the Asian art and antiques category will be a pair of Chinese huali official’s hat-form armchairs that are being offered for $15,000 to $25,000. A pair of Chinese monumental cloisonne enameled covered urns measuring 50 1/2 inches high, with a yellow ground enameled with lotus tendrils, bats and shou emblems, is estimated at $8,000-$12,000.
A Chinese Longquan celadon glazed tea bowl, Southern Song dynasty, of conical form raised on a small foot, is expected to earn $3,000 to $5,000 and a Ming dynasty large Longquan celadon bowl incised with flowers, carries an estimate of $2,000 to $4,000. A pair of Chinese stone inlaid lacquer wood plaques, featuring flowering magnolia tree with jade petals and peonies with amethyst inlay within a carved red lacquer frame, is estimated at $4,000 to $6,000 and a group of Chinese textile and robes, including a Qing dynasty brocade hanging featuring meandering dragons executed in gilt wrapped threads on a blue ground, is being offered for $3,000 to $5,000.
Highlights of the incredible offerings on the jewelry category will be a Burmese ruby, diamond, 18K yellow gold and silver ring, highlighting one oval cabochon cut ruby weighing 12.84 carats and 12 old mine cut diamonds totaling 4.01 carat. (estimate: $10,000 to $15,000); a man’s Patek Philippe 18K yellow gold rectangular and curved wristwatch, 1950s (estimate: $4,000 to $6,000); a Victorian gold-in-quartz, 14K rose gold pocket watch chain and fob (estimate: $4,000 to $6,000); an Ancient Revival micro mosaic and 18K yellow gold demi parure fringe brooch and earring suite, circa 1870 (estimate: $4,000 to $6,000); and a stunning fine star sapphire, diamond and 18K yellow gold ring, star sapphire weighing approximately 7.60 carats (estimate: $5,000 to $7,000).
For details on Clars’ Sept. 7- 8 Fine Arts Sale, call 510-428-0100 or email: info@clars.com.
The Illinois Capitol in downtown Springfield. Image by Daniel Schwen. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) – Two years ago, plywood walls went up inside the Capitol sealing the west wing from the rest of the building while a massive renovation project was undertaken.
The walls are about to come down and when they do, people may not recognize the place.
Gone is the institutional beige paint scheme, replaced with stenciling and colors that were there when the building first opened.
Longtime fixtures like the first floor newsstand and the basement cafeteria are also gone, as is the mezzanine that once housed offices for news outlets that covered the Statehouse.
The maidens have returned, light fixtures originally designed for the building but deemed too risqué for 19th century Illinois sensibilities and never installed.
The period flavor extends right down to the exit signs, specially designed for the project to convey a turn-of-the-century feel as much as an electric exit sign can.
The work has come at a cost. The project price tag has grown to about $50 million from the $43.3 million when bids were awarded. The project includes not only historic restoration of the west wing, but replacement of the outdated heating, air-conditioning and ventilation system, and bringing the area up to modern life safety and disability access standards.
“This project is on budget,” said Capitol architect Richard Alsop. “We had money in the budget for contingencies, so we are still within our budget range.”
Money for the project is coming from bonds issued by the state to pay for public works projects. Alsop acknowledged the price tag would have been lower had the work been limited to upgrading mechanical, electrical, plumbing and ventilation systems as well as required public safety and disability access improvements. More than half the cost was for “work we needed to do,” Alsop said.
However, he said it would have been a mistake to ignore historical renovations while the wing was undergoing the extensive repairs.
“If we’re not going to touch this wing for 50 to 75 years, let’s try to bring it back to what we call its period of significance, 1867-1908,” Alsop said. “It wasn’t all for life safety, but as long as we are going through that step and doing renovations that are going to last 100 years, you should really take advantage of it. Having a building like this is a jewel, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with the state Capitol being a building that draws the public in.”
One thing that might draw in the public are the new doors on the Capitol’s west entrance. They are wood clad with copper on the exterior. Right now the copper is as shiny as a new penny, but Alsop said they will lose their shine over the next four to five months and become a deep brown.
“The original doors were oak on the outside and black walnut on the inside, but they had a lot of bronze ornamentation,” Alsop said. “Bronze is 90 percent copper.”
Metal-clad wooden doors are not new, he said, and without the copper the doors would probably have to be replaced in 20 to 30 years. Alsop could not provide a price for the doors.
“We didn’t create the palace, the palace was already here,” Alsop said. “We just short of shined it up a little bit.”
Alsop also said he could not provide a cost for the elaborate light fixtures installed through most of the wing to replicate fixtures in place during the late 19th century and early 20th century. Two of the fixtures are in offices that will be occupied by state senators that once were the offices of the attorney general. The medieval-looking fixtures each have a number of small lamps that now contain bulbs, but once would have held oil to burn for light.
St. Louis Antique Lighting fabricated the fixtures relying on historical photos and its own archives of lighting fixtures, Alsop said.
Restoring the decorative painting was a similar process. In many areas, layers of paint were scraped away until the plaster was exposed. Then restorers took a step back to the first layer of paint to uncover stenciling and colors that were part of the original building. Evergreene Painting Studios did much of the work, both repainting and creating the original designs on canvas that were then installed on walls and ceilings.
If old photographs and paint samples didn’t provide enough information, the state could always turn to Iowa. Its Capitol is identical to Illinois’, only it is about three-fourths the size. Both were designed by Alfred Piquenard. There was a limit to Iowa’s cooperation, however.
As part of the Illinois renovation, the maidens bronze light fixtures have been installed at the bottom of the staircase leading to the third floor. The maidens were designed by Piquenard and were supposed to be installed in the original building, but they were deemed too risqué for Illinois.
“There was an Iowa delegation in town who said we’ll take them. They’re not too risqué for us,” Alsop said. “Illinois let them have them because the same architect designed both Capitols.”
They are in the Iowa Capitol to this day.
No longer thought to be too risqué, Illinois approached Iowa about getting back the maidens that were originally meant for Illinois.
“We said, hey, can we have these back. They said no,” Alsop said.
Illinois then asked to make molds of the maidens. Again, no. In the end, St. Louis Lighting scanned the Iowa maidens in 3-D, allowing the company to make replicas.
Some of the restorations will seldom be seen by the public. Third floor offices to be used by Senate Republicans and their staffs had the elaborate ceiling restored. The office area itself resembles a library, appropriate for a space that once housed the state library. The offices include an elevator that goes just from the third floor to a fourth floor section that will be occupied by state senators, something required by ADA codes, Alsop said.
ADA codes are indirectly responsible for the end of the cafeteria in the Capitol basement. The basement floor had to be made level, which meant lowering in some places by as much as 18 inches. That exposed the massive limestone footings that support the building. The footings weren’t spaced far enough apart to accommodate a commercial kitchen, hence no cafeteria. Much of the space will now be used by the news media displaced when the mezzanine was removed.
“The mezzanines weren’t done for any other reason than space,” Alsop said. “That’s not always the best reason to do something, just for more space.”
Workers are still putting some finishing touches on parts of the west wing. Alsop said he expects lawmakers, staff and others will be moving back in by late September and the west wing reopened to the public.
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AP-WF-08-26-13 1902GMT
ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE
The Illinois Capitol in downtown Springfield. Image by Daniel Schwen. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
