Cash4 at Wallplay, New York City. Photo by Cindy Caroli via Frank151.com.
NEW YORK – I’d seen the Cash4 tags along the JMZ line, sleepily riding the train home after concerts in Williamsburg, looking like lettering from an eight-bit video game from my childhood. Turns out the JMZ wasn’t the only place I could see the work of the man known to his mom as Cassius Fouler. The name is a play on generic graffiti names, and on desire for money.
Fouler no longer tags the subways, and is now latest participant in the Wall Play project, a combination gallery and public art space that spans billboard space on the walls above the corner of Delancey and Orchard streets. In a refreshing change from soda ads, and the lingerie photos that make you regret the influence that said soda ads have over us, Wall Play uses the billboards to showcase the work of street and street-inspired artists. No shame included!
This addition features two billboards with the words FORGIVE (on Orchard Street) and 4GET (on Delancey), incorporate Cash4’s signature eight-bit style. Between them, the phrase “BUT DON’T FOURGET” is revealed after hours on the roll-down gates between the two billboards, completing the thought, at least to those who are lucky enough to walk by at night. If you miss the video in person, you can see it online at http://vimeo.com/84180128.
Should the artic temperatures return, go see Cash4’s work inside the Wallplay gallery at 118 Orchard St., including 10 paintings, and over 50 works on paper.
ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE
Cash4 at Wallplay, New York City. Photo by Cindy Caroli via Frank151.com.Cash4 at Wallplay, New York City. Photo by Instagram user Untz_Untz.Cash4 at Wallplay, New York City. Photo by Cassius Fouler.Cash4 at Wallplay, New York City. Photo by Luna Park via Thestreetspot.com.
Cave painting of a bison the great hall of policromes. Image by Rameessos, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
MADRID (AFP) – The Altamira Cave in northern Spain and its well-preserved paintings will again be open to the public starting Thursday, albeit to very small groups because of the spread of micro-organisms due to human visitors.
The cave located at Santillana del Mar, in the Cantabria region, was closed in 2002 after damages had been reported to its polychrome prehistoric paintings from the carbon dioxide in the breath of the large number of visitors.
In January the foundation which manages the cave, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, said it could reopen but only to groups of five people a week, and for 37 minutes, until August when the impact of the visits on the paintings would be reassessed.
The culture ministry in Madrid said that on Thursday a first group would be allowed into the cave and selected at random among visitors to the nearby museum.
Overall 192 visitors would be allowed in under the program.
Visitors will have to comply with a strict dress code and wear special suits, masks and shoes.
The cave whose walls are covered with paintings that include abstract shapes and animal subjects over a length of more than 270 meters was discovered in 1868.
It was inhabited approximately 35,000 to 13,000 years ago.
ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE
Cave painting of a bison the great hall of policromes. Image by Rameessos, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Doucai dragon double-gourd flask of compressed form, with bat medallion below a gilt rim and a Shou symbol defined by descending dragons in an overall pattern of feathery foliage on undulating stems. Lot 185. Estimate: $500,000-$800,000. Gianguan Auctions image. NEW YORK – To mark the 11th running of its spring auction during New York’s Asia Week, Gianguan Auctions has assembled a top-notch collection of more than 300 properties, including remarkable Chinese ceramics, historic and modern scroll paintings, scholars’ items, jade carvings, jewelry and objects of beauty. The auction, slated for Sunday, March 16, at 295 Madison Ave., will be conducted in two sessions.
LiveAuctioneers.com will facilitate Internet live bidding.
The day’s marquee lot is a diminutive pair of Qing Dynasty Famille Rose floral bowls with grasshoppers. Of thinly potted translucent porcelain, the bowls are enameled with a grasshopper amid blossoms on one and pea pods on the other. Each is inscribed with a poem. Merely 3 5/8 inches (9.2 cm) in diameter and 1 1/2 inches (3.8 cm) tall, they have rounded sides and stand on a short circular foot. Both bear blue glazed seal marks on the recessed base. Grasshoppers are symbols of good luck and abundance, symbolic for the imperial reign. They also signify speed in achieving success. It is anticipated that the pair, lot 190, will quickly reach their $1 million to $1.5 million estimate.
The highlight of the paintings is Spring Time, an ink and color on paper scroll by Southern Song Dynasty court painter Ma Lin (circa 1180-after 1256), whose famous father Ma Yuan taught him the art of painting. The scroll depicts two parrots on a cherry blossom limb above a peacock atop rockery and a peahen on the ground. The work is further enhanced with prominent cherry blossoms. Bearing the artist’s signature and seal, its provenance is evidenced by nine emperors’ seals and 12 collectors’ seals. It has a colophon by Fan Qin. Lot 38 has an estimate of $1 million to $1.5 million.
Also on the list of highly desirable paintings is Two Racing Stallions by Xu Beihong (1895-1953). One of the first Chinese artists to apply Western oil painting techniques to epic Chinese themes, Xu Beihong was instrumental in organizing the first international exhibition of Chinese artists in 1933. He later introduced Qi Baishi and Ren Bonian to art lovers at the Royal Albert Hall. Two Racing Stallions, created at the height of the master’s oeuvre, typifies one his favorite subject matters, horses. The ink and color on paper is dated 1942. It is signed Beihong and caries two artist seals. Lot 32 is valued at $150,000-$200,000.
Two Solitary Hermits by Zhang Daqian (1899-1983) is a dramatic depiction of Boyi and Shuqi, the Zhou Dynasty pacifists whose protest against an unfeeling emperor ended in death by starvation. Portrayed in a tranquil mountain landscape, color fields of strong blue (for the ground) and red (the robe on one brother) create artistic tension. The highly acclaimed 20th century master Zhang Daqian dedicated this painting to a friend. It is an ink and color on paper, dated 1945, inscribed and signed Zhang Daqian. It carries two artist seals. Positioned at lot 23, the estimate is $50,000-$70,000.
Contemporary ink collectors will find Running Script Calligraphy by Fu Shan (1607-1685) an important historic link to today’s trends in calligraphy. The painting by one of the leading art theorists of the 17th century was created on the cusp of the Ming/Qing Dynasty, during which transformative foundations were set for the stele school of calligraphy. The signed ink on paper scroll carries one artist seal. Lot 45, it is expected to fetch $50,000-$80,000.
Chrysanthemum by Me Lanfang (1894-1961), the multitalented artist also known for his operatic Qingyi roles, is representative of the many fine moderate-level paintings in the sale. This signature floral scroll painting, ink and color on paper, is inscribed by the artist and bears two artist seals. The estimate of Lot 24 is $6,000-$8,000.
Museum quality objects of beauty in the afternoon session include a fine doucai dragon double-gourd flask set with loop handles above a short splayed foot. Of compressed form, the flask has an olive-shaped upper bulb that features a bat medallion below a gilt rim enameled with a scrolling wreath. The lower bulb is decorated with center gilt Shou symbol defined by descending dragons in green and aubergine. An overall pattern of feathery foliage on undulating stems adorns the vase. The arched handles are painted with blossoms on a yellow ground. A key-fret band encircles the foot. The interior and underside are glazed in pale turquoise. A recessed reign mark in underglazed blue is apparent. Of the Qing Dynasty, the flask has the Qianlong six-character mark. The 7 1/2-inch-tall porcelain flask is Lot 185. Its estimate is $500,000-$800,000.
In the mid-range offerings is a delightful pair of Famille Rose caparisoned elephant Jun ware vases. Each animal stands four-square with its head to one side and has an upwards-curling trunk. Each wears a decorative harness upon which rides a handsome Jun, gu-shaped enameled beaker vase with brocade ground and writhing dragons amid clouds chasing flaming pearls. Cast in mirror images with different color enamels, the elephants make an auspicious rebus that symbolizes Taipingyouxiang, or great peace in the world. Of the period, the elephants carry the Qing Dynasty six-character mark. Standing 11 7/8 inches tall, they comprise lot 206, valued at $10,000-$20,000.
A collection of unusual porcelain items capture the improvements in porcelain-making that occurred during the Yuan Dynasty. This transitional age brought developments in the firing techniques of blue and white porcelain and the maturity of underglazed red porcelain. Both set the stage for further refinements during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Among the items is a charming water dropper modeled as a houseboat with a roof and a figure. White with an underglaze of copper-red, the vessel is 6 inches long. It is Lot 233, estimated at $3,000-$5,000.
Also of copper red overglaze is a pair of bird feeder jars. On the globular bodies is a band of floral sprays. Above the short neck is a lipped rim flanked by a circular aperture. At 2 1⁄2 inches (6.4 cm) tall, they make a delightful presentation. Lot 215 is valued at $2,000-$3,000.
A spectacular collection of snuff bottles will enchant buyers the world over. Typical of the collection is a rare Famille Rose snuff bottle with red glass overlay carved in a lotus petal design that divides the surface into windows of decoration. Within each are birds and floral scenes. A lotus bud finial tops the unusual bell-shaped cover. A blue reign mark is apparent in the recessed base. The snuff bottle is of the period and identified by the Qianlong four-character mark. Lot 160 has a $2,000-$4,000 estimate.
Another example from the collection is a well-carved red and yellow overlay glass snuff bottle with four Famille Rose windows of figural story scenes. Ovoid in form, the scenes are set within a molded cartouche below two bats and a lappet collar. The stopper is coral. Again, the blue reign mark is clear in the recessed base. Of the Qing Dynasty, the snuff bottle carries the Qianlong four-character mark. It is Lot 156, valued at $1,500-$2,000.
Scholars’ items that define their owners’ personalities and accomplishments are another fascinating aspect of Gianguan Auctions’ Asia Week sale.
For instance, a finely carved Shou Lao Tianhuang scholar seal imparts prosperity and longevity. The God of Longevity holding a peach sits atop a cube of rich russet and vivid hematin silk red muscle. The immortal is portrayed with incised beard beneath his tonsured head. Script on the seal reads, “Shou Bi Nan Shan,” translated as longevity. Nearly 5 inches tall (11.1 cm) and weighing 460 gm, the seal is Lot 126. Its estimate is $8,000-$10,000.
A 5-pound Songhua stone square seal with double ink wells is well worth its weight in value. It is carved of striated grayish-green rectangular stone and has a double grinding surface reminiscent of Double-Happiness. Each has a recessed water pool. The reverse is inscribed with a four-character seal: Huang Di Zhi Bao, Imperial Treasure in Manchurian and Seal Script. Nearly 4 inches tall, it is Lot 149, estimated at $3,000-$5,000.
For condition reports, call the Gianguan Auctions gallery director at 212-867-7288 or email info@gianguanauctions.com.
Session 1 begins at 11 a.m. Eastern on March 16. Session 2 starts at 2 p.m.
Doucai dragon double-gourd flask of compressed form, with bat medallion below a gilt rim and a Shou symbol defined by descending dragons in an overall pattern of feathery foliage on undulating stems. Lot 185. Estimate: $500,000-$800,000. Gianguan Auctions image.
A pair of Qing Dynasty Famille Rose floral bowls with grasshoppers amid blossoms on one and pea pods on the other. Each is inscribed with a poem. Lot 190. Estimate: $1,000,000-$1,500,000. Gianguan Auctions image.
‘Spring Time,’ a Southern Song Dynasty painting by painter Ma Lin with parrots, peacocks and cherry blossoms. Lot 37. Estimate: $1,000,000-$1,500,000. Gianguan Auctions image.
Color fields of blue and red dramatize ‘Two Solitary Hermits,’ Zhang Daqian’s depiction of Boyi and Shuqi, the Zhou Dynasty pacifists whose protest against an unfeeling emperor ended in death by starvation. Lot 23. Estimate: $60,000-$80,000. Gianguan Auctions image.
‘Two Racing Stallion’ by Xu Beihong, who is known for his paintings of horses. Lot 32. Estimate: $150,000-$200,000. Gianguan Auctions image.
‘Running Script Calligraphy’ by Fu Shan (1607-1685) is an important historic link to contemporary ink. Lot 45. Estimate: $50,000-$80,000. Gianguan Auctions image.
A mirror-image pair of caparisoned elephant Jun vases, in different color enamels. They are an auspicious rebus symbolizing ‘Taipingyouxiang,’ or great peace in the world. Lot 206. Estimate: $10,000-$20,000. Gianguan Auctions image.
Yuan Dynasty bird feeder jars with copper overglaze, representative of the evolution in porcelain during this period. Lot 215. Estimate: $2,000-$3,000. Gianguan Auctions image.
From an extensive collection of snuff bottles, a Qianlong period Famille Rose snuff bottle with red glass overlay creating windows of bird and floral decoration, with four-character Qianlong mark. Estimate: $2,000-$4,000. Gianguan Auctions image.
Joan Gorman of the Midwest Art Conservation Center working on the Max Beckmann painting. Photo: Minneapolis Institute of Arts.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – In 1944, the German artist Max Beckmann lived in exile in Amsterdam, laboring secretly over a painting he dared not expose to public view.
Beckmann had been the toast of Germany’s art world, winning acclaim and the admiration of art collectors around the globe. But his art could be edgy, and it sometimes showed a dark side of human existence instead of the idealized images favored by Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. The Nazis labeled painters like Beckmann degenerates. Beckmann had to hide the huge canvas, for fear it would be confiscated and destroyed.
Seventy years later art conservator Joan Gorman is at work on the same painting. But instead of laboring secretly in Amsterdam, she’s working in Minneapolis, with an audience.
The painting is Blind Man’s Buff. It measures nearly 7 feet by 14 feet, and shows a cabaret scene. No one is smiling, but the colors are vibrant and jump off the canvas. “Deep blacks and navy blue to bright reds, yellows, light blue, greens,” Gorman observed at her gallery workspace in the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. “It’s spectacular.”
“They had no heat,” Gorman said. “They finally got candles and an oil lamp but they don’t have any matches.”
After the Nazis came to power in Germany, Beckmann’s work was no longer exhibited. He lost a prestigious art teaching job. “The man was nothing in Germany,” Gorman told Minnesota Public Radio. “He’d lost everything.”
The artist and his wife tried to find safety in Amsterdam, but Amsterdam’s Nazi occupation lasted until nearly the end of the war. Beckmann was under constant surveillance.
In-laws made room for him in cramped quarters in their house, near where many of the city’s Jews lived. Beckmann, who was not a Jew, watched as people were rousted from their homes and marched off. And it was in Amsterdam, in 1944-45, that he created the painting Gorman is now working to conserve.
Diminutive and precise with delicate fingers, Gorman seems well matched to the detailed and meticulous work of art conservation. She peers through a binocular microscope to locate sections of flaking paint. Using a very fine brush, she fills tiny gaps with special resins.
Conservators strive to stay in the background, Gorman explained, and make sure their work shows no hand but the artist’s. “We do our work so that the viewer, the eye, is not interrupted by damage,” she said.
Even so, the results can be dramatic. In 1999, thousands of gallery visitors watched as Gorman and her colleague David Marquis cleaned and repaired a 7-by-12-foot, 364-year-old oil painting by Castiglione called The Immaculate Conception.
“We removed many layers of varnish from the surface,” she said. “It was just as brown as a bear, as we like to say.” The restoration brightened the painting by a third.
Gorman and Marquis are conservators for the Midwest Art Conservation Center, a nonprofit located at the Arts Institute. The Conservation Center’s website describes the organization as a “full-service fine arts conservation laboratory.”
Gorman studied to be a museum curator at the University of Michigan and then an art conservator at the State University of New York. She grew up in suburban Detroit, attending a parochial school that gave no special attention to art. But on Saturdays she visited the Detroit Institute of Arts with her sister.
“We’d just crawl all over the museum, two little girls,” she recalled. “She ended up being an objects conservator. Our older brother has just retired from restoring stained glass.”
And soon Gorman herself will retire, after a career that spanned more than 40 years and thousands of pieces of art. She called the conservation of Blind Man’s Buff her swan song.
She hopes viewers take the time to learn the story of how the painting came to be.
“The political and cultural climate that he and his wife lived through during the war years,” she mused, is “greater than the object itself … that’s worth preserving.”
16-piece carved ruby matrix dragon tea set. Estimate $160,000-$180,000. I.M. Chait image. BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. – Last year I.M. Chait took a different approach in planning their Asia Week sale. Rather than conducting the popular annual auction in New York amid the frenetic pace of Asia Week, they opted to hold the sale in the comfortable, low-key environs of their Beverly Hills gallery. That way, reasoned company founder Isadore M. Chait, visitors traveling from Asia to New York could stop over in Los Angeles and get a relaxed head start on their buying. Chait’s experimental 2013 California-based sale was a smashing success, taking in $3.4 million. This year, their Asia Week auction will be held at the firm’s Beverly Hills gallery on March 23rd, the Sunday immediately following Asia Week New York. Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.
“We’re confident that Asia Week buyers will say the best was saved for the last stop on their itineraries before returning home this year,” said I.M. Chait Director of Operations Joshua Chait. “The selection we’ve prepared reflects our clients’ broadening tastes and interest in exploring new areas of art. In addition to the ongoing demand for classic Chinese porcelains and antique ivories, which hold a place of reverence with collectors, we’ve noticed that Asian art buyers are becoming more interested in bronzes, calligraphy, carved jades, fine jewelry and gems; embroidered silks, and Japanese prints and screens. We kept those trends in mind in curating the collections and pieces chosen for March 23rd.”
Several noted collections lead the auction lineup, including the exceptional Chinese snuff bottle collection of real estate developer F. Trammell Crow (1914-2009), which opens the sale. Nearly 100 bottles are cataloged, including examples carved from ivory, agate, glass, chalcedony, quartz crystal, jadeite and jade; and other precious and semi-precious materials. A rare and exquisitely detailed lac burguate snuff bottle is in the form of a lady in a mother-of-pearl inlaid dress, playing a “stringed” instrument. Estimate $1,500-$2,000. Another figural bottle, depicting an empress holding a fan and a musical instrument, doubles as a brooch/pendant and is estimated at $1,200-$1,500.
Fine Chinese ceramics from two collections include treasures of the Han, Tang, Yuan and Ming Dynasties, plus Transitional and numerous Qing pieces. Large (15½ inches) and important, a 14th-century Yuan Dynasty blue and white porcelain jar exhibits ovoid form with unusually molded dragon-fish handles. The body is decorated with narrative scenes depicting Xiao He on horseback pursuing Han Xin by moonlight. Exceptional in every way, it is estimated at $150,000-$250,000.
Leading the bronzes is a superb 15th-century early Ming Dynasty Xuande gilt-bronze Bodhisattva in a graceful seated pose. The 9 7/8-inch figure is elaborately decorated with cast “jewelry,” headdress and other adornments, and is expected to make $250,000-$350,000 at auction.
A selection of rare, scholarly Chinese calligraphy scrolls comes to auction with provenance from the Songwon Collection and the Young-Ig Min and Pyong-U Min family. Among the offerings is a pair of finely detailed ink and color on silk scroll paintings, each with a depiction of a Lohan – or one who has followed the Eightfold Path and achieved deliverance of earthly existence. Each of the signed and sealed scrolls measures 94½ by 27 inches, and together they are expected to achieve $12,000-$15,000. A Chinese ink and color on silk landscape painting by Pu Ru is inscribed and signed, with two artist’s seals and an additional collector’s Chongsog (Pyong-U Min) seal. The 22½-inch-long artwork is estimated at $10,000-$20,000.
An exercise in perfection, a 16-piece carved ruby matrix tea set with gilt mountings and accents includes a covered teapot with carved dragon inside, a chocolate/water pot, creamer, four claw-foot shallow dishes, four dragon-form tea cups, serving accessories and a carved dragon centerpiece. A thick ruby zoisite freeform slab serves as the tray. A sensational work of art, the set is entered with a $160,000-$180,000 estimate.
An antique oil-on-panel painting by Ivan K. Aivazovsky (1817-1900) adds a Russian accent to the sale. Dated “1849,” the 10¾ by 15½-inch seascape depicts a ship in the distance beneath a softly diffused sun, with cresting blue-green waves in the foreground. Auctioned previously at Sotheby’s (in the 1970s), the painting is offered by I.M. Chait with a $70,000-$90,000 estimate.
Magnificent jewelry may be found in many forms in the March 23rd auction. A pair of chic, square-cut ruby-with-diamond cluster earrings in the style of Van Cleef & Arpels replicate flowers with distinctly formed petals. The earrings have a total ruby weight of (approx.) 40 carats and are mounted in 18K yellow gold. Estimate: $12,000-$15,000. Among the other treasures in this category are Imperial jadeite pieces, diamonds and other gems; watches and clocks; fine pens, Tiffany and Chinese export silver; and Faberge-style objects.
Superior-quality prints and screens from an estate local to Beverly Hills include pieces by Toko Shinoda, Kyoshi Saito, Kaku and other prestigious artists. Pre-Columbian and South Pacific primitive art from two other California collections will also be offered.
I.M. Chait’s Asia Week Important Chinese Paintings, Ceramics & Works of Art Auction will take place at the Chait gallery on Sunday, March 23, 2014, commencing at 1 p.m. Pacific Time. The gallery is located at 9330 Civic Center Dr., Beverly Hills, CA 90210. Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.com.
For additional information on any lot in the sale call 1-800-775-5020 or 310-285-0182; or e-mail joey@chait.com.
Large and important 14th-century Yuan Dynasty blue and white porcelain ovoid jar with molded dragon-fish handles, narrative scenes on body. Estimate $150,000-$250,000. I.M. Chait image.
Superb Xuande gilt-bronze Bodhisattva, 15th century, early Ming Dynasty. Estimate $250,000-$350,000. I.M. Chait image.
Ivan K. Aivazovsky (Russian, 1817-1900) oil-on-panel seascape, signed and dated 1848. Estimate $70,000-$90,000. I.M. Chait image.
Pair of ruby and diamond floral earrings in 18K gold setting, Van Cleef & Arpels style. Estimate $12,000-$15,000. I.M. Chait image.
Chinese ink and color on silk landscape painting by Pu Ru. Provenance: The Songwon Collection, from Young-Ig Min and Pyong-U Min family. Estimate $10,000-$20,000. I.M. Chait image.
This table and four chairs sold for $179,000 and was one of the 14 lots offered in this collection that realized over $1.1 million. Clars Auction Gallery image. OAKLAND, Calif. – Clars’ Feb. 15-16 fine art, antiques and estates auction will go down in their history as the largest sale to date, realizing almost $3.3 million with over $1.3 million realized on the property offered from the important Gerber estate from Reno, Nev.
After the two-day sale, President Redge Martin commented, “It was also one of our longest sales due to the huge crowds in the saleroom, very strong Internet interest and so much bidding.” The presale interest in this sale was very notable as 3,000 people attended the previews and 47,000 viewed the catalog online. During the two-day sale, 900 live bidders were registered and 4,500 signed up online to participate.
LiveAuctioneers.com facilitated Internet live bidding.
Asian category
While all of the categories performed beyond expectation, it was the Asian category that stunned both staff and crowd. Coming from the Gerber estate, were 14 lots of Chinese hardwood Vietnamese huanghuali furniture ranging from tables, to chairs, screens and cabinets. Overall, the lots offered in this collection carried estimates of $1,000 to $8,000 but those were left in the dust once the furious bidding began. The top seller in this collection and the sale overall was a pair of huanghuali and mixed wood cabinets that achieved the astonishing price of $245,000. The second highest in this collection was a table and four chairs that sold for $179,000 followed by a pair of cabinets that sold for $131,000, and a table, the top inset with floating panels, which brought $101,000. In total, this 14-piece collection achieved $1,156,000. A second offering of the huanghuali furniture from this estate will be offered at Clars on March 16.
Fine art
The fine art category had a record-setting day achieving the highest U.S. price to date on a work by Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri (Australia, 1932-2002) titled Possum Dreaming, achieving an impressive $131,000.
Coming from the Ruttenberg Collection of Chicago, three works by sculptor Richard Howard Hunt (American, b. 1935) all flew past high estimate with the highest selling for $27,000. Furthering the sculpture offerings, Sphère-trame from 1962 by Francois Morrelet, also commanded an above-estimate price of $18,000.
The painting of the famous Blue Dog seated atop an unmarked grave by George Rodrigue (American, 1944-2013) went well past it’s high estimate to settle at $48,000. Theodoros Stamos’ (American/Greek, 1922-1997), Petroglyph (1947), achieved the strong price of $39,000, in the 20th century American paintings category.
Early California paintings proved strong as well with Estuary Home, by William Henry Clapp (American, 1879-1954), leading the pack achieving $20,000. Maynard Dixon’s (American, 1875-1946), Little Home, 1937, realized an impressive $18,000.
After being held in a private collection for almost five decades, a dynamic work by Adolf Schreyer (German, 1828-1899) titled The Imperial Courier, achieved a price of $17,000, indicating that quality 19th century paintings remain a good investment.
Decorative arts & furnishings
The main event in this category was the exceptional art glass, most of which came from the Gerber estate and included a host of works from artists and studios including Lundberg, Orient & Flume, David Lindsay, Michael Nourot, Steve Smyers, Zellique and Lee Hudin. More than 180 lots of paperweights, vases, bowls, chargers, stemware, and American Brilliant cut crystal realized $71,000. From another estate, was a Dante Marioni (American b. 1964) monumental art glass group that sold for $13,000.
The sterling offered had a 99 percent sell through, which included over 10 lots of Burmese silver from the Gerber estate. This collection of bowls, boxes and hanging plaques realized a total of $16,000. An American Neo-Renaissance Gorham coin silver five-piece hot beverage service, by John William Tucker, San Francisco, 1850-1886, and a Tiffany & Co. Victorian style sterling silver tea kettle on stand, both achieved $6,000. A late 19th century Japanese sterling silver teapot fetched $6,500.
The market showed appreciation for an R. Williamson leaded glass and patinated bronze floor lamp, Chicago, circa 1900, that sold for $14,000; an antique Persian Bidjar carpet, circa 1900, 17 feet 11 inches by 11 feet 8 inches, $12,000; and a French Louis XV-style bronze mounted bureau à rognon, 19th century, $10,000.
The showstopper in this category however, was certainly the 2001 Ferrari 360 Modena Spider. Sporting the deepest and richest blue and having only 10,500 original miles, this marvel of motordom zoomed off for a smooth $95,000
Peggy Fleming Collection
Significant pieces of Olympic and skating memorabilia from Peggy Fleming’s personal collection were offered and achieved winning results. Her Rolex Datejust President 18K yellow gold wristwatch achieved $11,000 and a pair of her custom-made ice skates by Harlick of California sold for $3,000. In all, these select offerings skated away for over $15,000.
Antique and estate fine jewelry
An oval cut diamond and 14K white gold ring sporting one oval cut diamond weighing 3.80 carats sold for $18,000. A 2.27-carat cushion cut diamond and platinum ring also sold for $18,000 followed by a 4.01-carat marquise cut diamond and platinum ring that sold very nicely for $14,000.
For more information for Clars’ Feb. 15-16 sale email: info@clars.com or call 510-480-0100.
This table and four chairs sold for $179,000 and was one of the 14 lots offered in this collection that realized over $1.1 million. Clars Auction Gallery image.
Coming from the Gerber estate, this a huanghuali and mixed wood cabinet (lot 1 of 2) achieved the astonishing price of $245,000. Clars Auction Gallery image.
Clars Auction Gallery achieved the price of $131,000 for ‘Possum Dreaming’ by Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri (1932-2002), making this the highest auction price ever for the artist in the United States and sixth-highest price overall for this artist. Clars Auction Gallery image.
This welded metal sculpture, one of three offered, by Richard Howard Hunt (American, b. 1935) achieved over 10 times its high estimate selling for $27,000. Clars Auction Gallery image.
This painting of the famous Blue Dog by New Orleans artist, George Rodrigue (1944-2013) sold for well past its high estimate, achieving $47,600. Clars Auction Gallery image.
This Dante Marioni (American b. 1964) monumental art glass group sold for $13,000. Clars Auction Gallery image.
This fine Louis XV-style gilt bronze mounted bureau rognon surmounted with a bronze figural sculpture of putti sold for $10,000. Clars Auction Gallery image.
This 2001 Ferrari 360 Modena Spider zoomed away for $95,000. Clars Auction Gallery image. Clars Auction Gallery image.
This oval cut diamond and 14K white gold ring sporting one oval cut diamond weighing 3.80 carats sold for $18,000. Clars Auction Gallery image.
‘Arizona’ is the name of this unusual side table made in 1986. It sold for $23,750 at an auction of 20th-century art and antiques held at Rago Arts & Auction Center in 2012. The table is made of painted wood, granite and copper. It is marked
BEACHWOOD, Ohio – Collectors and collections are getting younger. So the old 1950s favorite, Chippendale furniture, has now been replaced by 1950s Eames pieces. And 18th-century English Staffordshire ceramics are not as wanted as much as Ohio-made 20th-century Rookwood pottery. Many auction galleries are holding special auctions that feature furniture, glass, pottery, jewelry and even toys made after 1950.
A unique table made by Judy Kensley McKie (b. 1944) sold at a 2012 Rago auction for $23,750. The artist started making furniture soon after she graduated from Rhode Island School of Design in 1966. She wanted to furnish her home, so she taught herself how to make one-of-a-kind pieces. By the 1980s, she was receiving national awards for her work. Her tables were made of carved and painted wood, bronze, marble and even plastic. Many resembled animals, including horses, bears and rhinoceroses. They are imaginative, often humorous and very usable. McKie is one of many studio artists who have been working since the 1950s and whose works are now included in museum collections. Collectors should look for quality in the almost-new as well as the old when going to sales.
Q: I have a sterling-silver bracelet and earrings that were made in Denmark. Each earring is shaped like two leaves, and the bracelet is made of links of two leaves each. The back is marked “Sterling A8K Denmark.” Can you tell me who made it and what it’s worth?
A: The mark actually is “A&K.” It was used by Aarre & Krogh of Rander, Jutland, Denmark. The company was in business from 1949 to 1990. It’s known for modernist designs of stylized leaves and flowers. Your set could sell for $200 to $250.
Q: My wife’s estate included a 1-liter Lalique perfume bottle that has two birds on the stopper. It is 9 inches tall and 6 inches wide and still is filled with perfume. Can you give me a value?
A: The perfume bottle was designed in 1947 by Marc Lalique for Nina Ricci’s fragrance “L’Air du Temps.” The clear glass bottle has fluted sides and a frosted stopper with the fragrance’s iconic figural doves in flight. This 9-inch bottle is a “factice,” a store display bottle. A few L’Air du Temps perfume bottles the size of yours have sold at auction for $200 to more than $500.
Q: I inherited a large neon clock from my uncle, who was a meat inspector in Los Angeles in the 1950s. It was made by the Glo-Dial Corp. and has the words “Hungarian Salami” around the dial. It has green neon lighting and is 32 inches across. The patent number is 1994950. Can you tell me the history and value of this clock?
A: The Glo-Dial Corp. was in business from the 1930s until the 1950s or later. Charles Hoffritz, who founded Glo-Dial in Los Angeles, was granted a patent for an illuminated clock dial in 1934. The dial had a black background, beveled white hands, white numerals and a neon tube concealed behind the dial. The white surfaces diffused the light, which reflected off the glass covering the dial and illuminated the numbers and hands. Advertising clocks are collectible. Your clock is worth about $400 to $500.
Q: Years ago, I bought a box of dinnerware made with rice carefully imbedded and baked into the porcelain. The rice pieces are translucent when the piece is held toward the light. The dishes are white with blue designs and blue dragons in the middle. The bottom of the dishes are marked “Made in China,” and there are Chinese characters above the mark. Can you tell me something about these dishes?
A: Although this type of porcelain is sometimes called “rice” porcelain, it’s not made with rice. The porcelain is pierced to make rice-shaped holes before the first firing. Later the holes are filled with glaze and the piece is refired, creating the translucent rice-like appearance. “Rice porcelain” was first made in China in the 1300s, but the technique may have originated in Persia more than 1,000 years ago. Rice porcelain also has been made in modern times. The words “Made in” on your dinnerware indicate that your dishes were made after 1915. A 20th-century rice porcelain dinner plate sells for about $10 to $15.
Q: I own an Orphan Annie child’s plate with drawings of Annie in each of the three sections. It’s marked on the back, “Copyright 1935 King Features Syndicate Inc., Made in Japan.” I’m a little confused, though, because Annie and her dog are identified in one drawing as “Little Annie Rooney and Zero,” not “Little Orphan Annie and Sandy.” She has straight brown hair, not red curly hair, and her dog is white, not light brown.
A: No wonder you’re confused. The comic character pictured on your plate is not Orphan Annie, the famous “star” of a Chicago Tribune comic strip that ran from 1894 to 1968. Annie Rooney was the main character in a different comic strip titled “Little Annie Rooney” and syndicated by King Features. The Annie Rooney strip, based on a song and movie character but obviously meant to compete with the Orphan Annie strip, ran from 1927 to 1966 – but it never became as well-known as Orphan Annie. Japanese manufacturers exported countless children’s dishes to the United States during the 1920s and ’30s. Those that feature Disney characters are probably the most valuable. Your sectional plate, called a grill plate, would sell for about $25.
Tip: Do not store scrapbooks or other paper items on unlined wooden shelves. The acid in wood is harmful to paper, textiles and many plastics. Line the shelves with acid-free paper.
Terry Kovel and Kim Kovel answer questions sent to the column. By sending a letter with a question, you give full permission for use in the column or any other Kovel forum. Names, addresses or email addresses will not be published. We cannot guarantee the return of photographs, but if a stamped envelope is included, we will try. The amount of mail makes personal answers or appraisals impossible. Write to Kovels, Auction Central News, King Features Syndicate, 300 W. 57th St., New York, NY 10019.
CURRENT PRICES
Current prices are recorded from antiques shows, flea markets, sales and auctions throughout the United States. Prices vary in different locations because of local economic conditions.
Grueby Pottery bowl, green, carved stylized leaves, round stamp, circa 1905, 2 x 6 inches, $875.
Campaign chest, mahogany, walnut, five drawers, circa 1850, 44 x 42 inches, $1,534.
Folk art eagle, spread-wing, arrows shield talons, giltwood, painted, circa 1950, 22 x 76 inches, $2,242.
Ralph and Terry Kovel, syndicated newspaper columnists, best-selling authors, avid collectors and national authorities on antiques, hosted the HGTV series Flea Market Finds with the Kovels. Watch the Kovels’ HGTV shows to become an expert on almost anything you see at a flea market. DVD sets of Seasons 1 and 2 (12 episodes each, plus a DVD of the final episodes of Seasons 1-4.) are available online at KovelsOnlineStore.com for $59.90 plus $4.95 postage; by phone at 800-303-1996; or by mail sent to Kovels, P.O. Box 22900, Beachwood, OH 44122.
‘Arizona’ is the name of this unusual side table made in 1986. It sold for $23,750 at an auction of 20th-century art and antiques held at Rago Arts & Auction Center in 2012. The table is made of painted wood, granite and copper. It is marked
LONDON – The National Portrait Gallery has released a photograph of its patron HRH The Duchess of Cambridge being shown the Van Dyck self-portrait it is campaigning with the Art Fund to save for the nation. The Duchess was given a private view of the portrait, on display at the gallery, with director Sandy Nairne, during the Portrait Gala on the Feb. 11.
As the government export bar has been extended to allow a further five months of fundraising to prevent the portrait from going overseas to a private collection, the Gallery and the Art Fund have announced a current total of more than £3.5 million including over 6,000 individual contributions received from supporters both nationally and internationally.
The total amount includes a six-figure pledge from the Garfield Weston Foundation and multiple five-figure gifts from an anonymous individual supporter, who has significantly boosted funds at each crucial stage of the campaign. This follows the recent pledge of £1 million from the Monument Trust, the largest single gift yet given to the campaign.
The campaign began with an initial £1.2 million raised from the Gallery and the Art Fund including a grant of £500,000 toward the acquisition from the Art Fund (with an additional £150,000 offered toward a nationwide tour of the painting) and £700,000 from the gallery’s portrait fund and acquisition budget.
The National Portrait Gallery was given an initial three months to acquire Van Dyck’s exceptional Self-portrait (1640-1) priced at £12.5 million, following a temporary government export bar (issued on Nov. 14) to prevent it from being taken overseas. That export bar expired on Feb. 14 and has now been extended to July 13.
The painting has been in British private collections for nearly 400 years but has been sold to a private collector who now wishes to take it abroad. This is the only chance a museum or a gallery in the United Kingdom has of acquiring the masterpiece.
The gallery and the Art Fund have also launched two new social media initiatives in support of the Save Van Dyck fundraising campaign, a Thunderclap aiming to attract a minimum of 250 sign-ups by Friday, Feb. 28, and a cutout of Van Dyck’s frame that supporters can add to their social media profiles as a Twibbon. Go to www.savevandyck.org for more information.
“The growing support for the Van Dyck campaign is hugely encouraging. Everyone at the National Portrait Gallery is determined that this great painting should be on public view for the next 400 years,” said Nairne.
Sir Anthony Van Dyck’s last self-portrait is a work of huge international importance and the only portrait of the artist made during his time in Britain ever likely to be made available for acquisition by a British public collection. Given its key place in British art and history, the gallery, with the support of the Art Fund, plans to display the portrait both at its London home and, from early 2015, at partner museums and galleries around the country.
This enigmatic portrait dates from the end of Van Dyck’s life and presents an intimate image of an artist at work. He shows himself apparently in the act of painting, his hand raised in the process of applying paint to a canvas just out of sight. For today’s viewer, it conveys a sense of direct engagement with the artist as an individual, despite the passage of almost 400 years.
As well as enriching its present holding of three works by the artist, this Van Dyck painting, would make a significant addition to the National Portrait Gallery’s striking collection of self-portraits. These include works by Reynolds, Zoffany, Hogarth and Stubbs and, amongst twentieth-century and contemporary artists, Gwen John, Barbara Hepworth, Frank Auerbach, L S Lowry, Julian Opie, Gillian Wearing, Lucian Freud and David Hockney.
Born in Antwerp in 1599, Van Dyck was an artistic prodigy who worked as an assistant to Peter Paul Rubens. He came to Britain in 1632 at the invitation of King Charles I, making London his home until his death in 1641. Charles I was Van Dyck’s most famous patron, rewarding him with a knighthood and the title of Principal Painter. Van Dyck established himself at the heart of the English court, producing magnificent portraits of the royal family and many courtiers. However, beneath the shimmering surface of the court was a sense of growing unease. The late 1630s were a time of political upheaval and by the end of 1642 civil war had broken out in Scotland and England. Within a year of producing this portrait Van Dyck was dead, buried in Old St Paul’s Cathedral with the epitaph: ‘Anthony Van Dyck – who, while he lived, gave to many immortal life.’
Donations to the National Portrait Gallery’s Save Van Dyck’s Self-portrait appeal can be made online at www.savevandyck.org . Checks, made payable to the National Portrait Gallery, can be sent to Save Van Dyck, Development Department, National Portrait Gallery, St Martin’s Place, London, WC2H 0HE.
A female African Bush Elephant in Mikumi National Park, Tanzania. Photo by Muhammad Mahdi Karim, licensed under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation Licanse, Version 1.2.
WASHINGTON – Contrary to popular belief, it is the United States, not Asia, where the majority of ivory and other byproducts of endangered wildlife are bought and sold in the retail marketplace. In a sweeping reform aimed at saving the 500,000 or fewer remaining elephants, whose ranks are dwindling by the day, the Obama administration has effected a National Strategy for Combating Wildlife Trafficking.
Commercial importation or exportation of elephant ivory is now illegal in the United States, except for bona fide antiques and a few other exceptions permitted under the Endangered Species Act. Sellers of ivory or objects made of ivory must be prepared to prove beyond any doubt that such articles are more than 100 years old. Furthermore, the new law bans sales of ivory across state lines or within a state unless it can be proved that the item both qualifies as an antique and was lawfully imported prior to 1990 (African elephants) or 1975 (Asian elephants), unless the seller has a specific exemption document.
“All antique dealers or other sellers of ivory, rhino horn and other materials obtained from endangered species must familiarize themselves with the federal government’s new directive,” said LiveAuctioneers CEO Julian R. Ellison. “If poachers can’t find a lucrative market for their ivory, there will be no incentive for them to slaughter the remaining herds of elephants. Last year 32,000 elephants were killed by poachers in Africa for export.”
“LiveAuctioneers takes a very firm stand about ivory and rhino horn,” Ellison continued. “If it is a true antique by the government’s definition, and the seller can absolutely warrant both its age and legality, an ivory object or rhino horn can be listed on LiveAuctioneers. If not, it must not be included in an online auction catalog on LiveAuctioneers.”
On Feb. 11, 2014, the White House issued a fact sheet that is helpful in clarifying the various points covered by the new law. Here is the document in its entirety:
Today the United States announced a National Strategy for Combating Wildlife Trafficking. The Strategy will strengthen U.S. leadership on addressing the serious and urgent conservation and global security threat posed by illegal trade in wildlife.
In addition to the strategy, we are also announcing a ban on commercial trade of elephant ivory, which will enhance our efforts to protect iconic species like elephants and rhinos by prohibiting the import, export, or resale within the United States of elephant ivory except in a very limited number of circumstances.
Taken together, these actions will help ensure that the United States is not contributing to poaching of elephants and illegal trade in elephant ivory.
THE STRATEGY
The National Strategy for Combating Wildlife Trafficking establishes guiding principles for U.S. efforts to stem illegal trade in wildlife. It sets three strategic priorities: strengthening domestic and global enforcement; reducing demand for illegally traded wildlife at home and abroad; and strengthening partnerships with international partners, local communities, NGOs, private industry, and others to combat illegal wildlife poaching and trade.
THE IVORY BAN
Today we are also announcing a ban on the commercial trade of elephant ivory, which will enhance our ability to protect elephants by prohibiting commercial imports, exports and domestic sale of ivory, with a very limited number of exceptions. This ban is the best way to help ensure that U.S. markets do not contribute to the further decline of African elephants in the wild.
To begin implementing these new controls, federal Departments and Agencies will immediately undertake administrative actions to:
Prohibit Commercial Import of African Elephant Ivory: All commercial imports of African elephant ivory, including antiques, will be prohibited.
Prohibit Commercial Export of Elephant Ivory: All commercial exports will be prohibited, except for bona fide antiques, certain noncommercial items, and in exceptional circumstances permitted under the Endangered Species Act.
Significantly Restrict Domestic Resale of Elephant Ivory: We will finalize a proposed rule that will reaffirm and clarify that sales across state lines are prohibited, except for bona fide antiques, and will prohibit sales within a state unless the seller can demonstrate an item was lawfully imported prior to 1990 for African elephants and 1975 for Asian elephants, or under an exemption document.
Clarify the Definition of “Antique”: To qualify as an antique, an item must be more than 100 years old and meet other requirements under the Endangered Species Act. The onus will now fall on the importer, exporter, or seller to demonstrate that an item meets these criteria.
Restore Endangered Species Act Protection for African Elephants: We will revoke a previous Fish and Wildlife Service special rule that had relaxed Endangered Species Act restrictions on African elephant ivory trade.
Support Limited Sport-hunting of African Elephants: We will limit the number of African elephant sport-hunted trophies that an individual can import to two per hunter per year.
The United States will continue to lead global efforts to protect the world’s iconic animals and preserve our planet’s natural beauty for future generations. Combating wildlife trafficking will require the shared understanding, commitment, and efforts of the world’s governments, intergovernmental organizations, NGOs, corporations, civil society, and individuals. At this week’s London Conference on the Illegal Wildlife Trade, we hope other countries will join us in taking ambitious action to combat wildlife trafficking. In the coming months, we will take further steps to implement the National Strategy, and will work with the Congress to strengthen existing laws and adopt new ones to enhance our ability to address this global challenge.
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ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE
As part of Operation Crash in 2013, federal agents raided a New York apartment and seized four black rhinoceros mounts, three of which did not have horns and one that had fake horns attached. Photo courtesy of United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of New York.The wanton killing of elephants for their ivory tusks began in Africa in the 1880s. Western traders purchased the ivory from East African natives, as seen in this vintage photograph. The white-suited men depicted center left and right may have been the Zangaki brothers, who based their business in Egypt and Palestine during the last two decades of the 20th century. Public domain image in the United States.
Lithograph by Cuban-American folk artist Mario Sanchez (1908-2005) depicting life in Key West. Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers.com Archive and Alexander Historical Auctions.
KEY WEST, Florida (AP) – Sandra Ramos has never wanted to emigrate from Cuba, but in her more than four decades on the island, she has seen many people leave.
Their absence resonates throughout her work. The image of her as a 10-year-old is plastered behind a wall of palm trees, trapped on the island. In another piece, her school girl’s body lies across a gaping space in the middle of a bridge, trying to connect two separate lands.
“It’s a perspective on immigration from those who stay,” Ramos said.
Now, Ramos and other Cuban artists, all of whom were raised on the island and have launched international careers from there, are exhibiting their works in Key West. Organizers say it is the first exchange between Cuban and U.S. museums in more than five decades.
The exhibit is called “One Race” and was launched in Havana with a show featuring the work of the late Cuban-American artist Mario Sanchez at the flagship National Museum of Fine Arts in January. The Key West component opened Thursday and, in addition to the seven artists from Cuba, also includes the work of Xavier Cortada, an artist born in the U.S. to Cuban parents who is working with children in Florida to send drawings to young students on the island.
Collectively, the exhibit offers a unique vantage point of the Cuban experience – providing a glimpse of life in the U.S. through the eyes of Sanchez to viewers in Havana, and sharing the viewpoint of artists who grew up with the revolution to gallery-goers in Florida.
“I think what’s important about this exhibit is precisely to get a more realistic view,” Ramos said.
Among each other, the artists have explored the revolution that divided them not just with their art, but in words.
“I suffered,” Cortada, who was born in New York, told Ramos at Thursday’s opening. “I didn’t have a homeland. I had parents who lost everything.”
Ramos nodded, but pointed out that their experiences are different.
“I think here in the U.S. there’s a very drastic view of the island,” she said. “It’s a vision from afar, and from stories of parents.”
The exhibit is the brainchild of Nance Frank, a curator who lives and grew up in Key West, an island with strong historical ties to Cuba.
Frank visited Cuba’s National Museum of Fine Arts and approached curator Hortensia Montero about showing Sanchez’s work. Sanchez was renowned for his woodcarvings depicting everyday life in Key West, and many of his pieces touch on the island’s Cuban linkages. They also discussed bringing Cuban artists to Key West.
Montero said that in 38 years working as the museum’s curator, no one had approached her with such an idea.
“To me it seemed important because he’s an artist who is the son of Cubans and because his work reflects the idiosyncrasy of Cubans and our identity, translated to other lands,” said Montero, adding that Sanchez’s work was placed in the museum’s Cuba collection.
Working together, they selected a half-dozen artists from Cuba who they say represent the island’s diversity and some of its most important talent. In addition to Ramos, the exhibit features Manuel Mendive, an artist who both paints and arranges performance art that draws on Afro-Cuban traditions. He painted four dancers in Key West for the Thursday opening, their nude bodies covered in bright blue, red and white images of plants, animals and faces.
Painter and illustrator Roberto Fabelo, whose art explores the relationship between man and nature, also has his work on display. And an innovative group of three artists called The Merger, two of whom live in Cuba and the third in Miami, have crafted sculptures inspired by the life of Ernest Hemingway.
Many Cuban artists have been able to travel freely since the early 1990s, particularly to Canada and Europe. But Rachel Weiss, a professor at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, noted that now is a time of even greater aperture, where changes in Cuban travel laws are allowing artists to stay out of the island for longer periods of time. That, in turn, is impacting the conversations among artists and even the themes of their work.
“The kind of work that was so focused on what was happening in Cuba just doesn’t make all that sense to make anymore, if you’re showing it in galleries in Europe,” she said.
Ramos herself is currently taking part in a six-month artist’s residency in Miami. She said she feels not so much divided between Cuba and the U.S., two countries where she has many family and friends, as she does co-existing with a part of herself on each side.
“In life in general, not only in Cuba, one always has to be trying to surpass the limits,” she said. “You have to overcome where you live, the boundaries around you.”
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Lithograph by Cuban-American folk artist Mario Sanchez (1908-2005) depicting life in Key West. Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers.com Archive and Alexander Historical Auctions.
