LONDON – The amateur photography of Rupert Potter, father of the celebrated children’s book author and illustrator, Beatrix Potter, will be explored in a new display opening at the National Portrait Gallery to celebrate the centenary of his death. As well as two new acquisitions showing Beatrix Potter on holiday with her father, “The World of Rupert Potter: Photographs of Beatrix, Millais and Friends” will display portraits taken by Rupert Potter of close family friends, showing the circles within which he socialized and the influence this had on his daughter’s life and work.
A professional lawyer and a keen photographer in his personal time, Rupert Potter (1832-1914) took many carefully posed portraits, particularly during the Potters’ lengthy summer holidays in the Lake District and Scotland, which show his impressive technical skill and aesthetic ability. As a result of his particular interest in portrait photography and, through his friendship with the painter Sir John Everett Millais, Potter began taking photographs of Millais’ sitters and paintings. Millais rated Potter’s photographs so highly that he often used them to assist his working process, such as for his “Rosebery” portrait of William E Gladstone, the second of his four paintings of the prime minister.
Beatrix Potter’s journals from the 1880s and 1890s vividly reveal the influence of her exposure to the art world and the life of a working artist before becoming one herself. She later used photography to aid her work, learning with one of her father’s old cameras. With their mutual interests in art and photography, father and daughter enjoyed a close relationship and despite their closeness being tested in later years, Rupert was a significant influence in Beatrix’s development as an artist and writer. Large numbers of Potter’s photographs survive in several collections, with the earliest dating to the 1860s.
“The World of Rupert Potter: Photographs of Beatrix, Millais and Friends” will feature a carefully selected range of Potter’s photographs from the National Portrait Gallery’s extensive collection of his works, some of which were directly donated to the Gallery by Potter during his lifetime. A larger set of 186 photographs relating to his work for Millais was given to the gallery by Jack Edward Ladeveze, currently trustee of the Enid Linder Foundation, in 1993. Two new acquisitions will be on display for the first time, which show Beatrix Potter on family holidays at two different points in her life. The first of these was taken in 1894, with her father and brother, before she became a published author. The Potter family enjoyed frequent holidays in Scotland and the Lake District, which provided the siblings with the opportunity to explore the surrounding countryside and indulge their interest in animals and natural history, and inspired the illustrated children’s books for which Beatrix became famous.
The second new acquisition was taken in the Lake District in 1906, by which point Beatrix had published eight books, and shows her with the Potters’ family friend, Hardwicke Rawnsley. Rawnsley encouraged Beatrix in her literary ambitions, and as co-founder of the National Trust, his conservationist views deeply influenced Beatrix, which led to her future contributions to the trust. Other portraits on display will include photographs of the painter Sir John Everett Millais in his studio with unfinished paintings as well as portraits of sitters used by Millais for his paintings, including his daughter Effie and statesman John Bright.
Importante e monumentale corallo rosso scolpito con raffigurazioni di Guanyin, animali e vegetazione, Cina, Dinastia Qing, fine XIX secolo, gr 7570, cm 75×77. Stima: €50.000-70.000. Courtesy Cambi Genova.
GENOVA, Italia – Si svolge in questi giorni a Londra l’anteprima dell’asta di arte cinese di Cambi, casa d’aste genovese che negli ultimi anni sotto la guida dell’esperto Dario Mottola ha conquistato il primo posto in questo mercato in Italia e si sta affermando anche a livello internazionale, come si vede dalle opere consegnate per la vendita anche da paesi stranieri come Francia, Germania e Gran Bretagna.
La preview, che si svolge dal 9 al 15 maggio nei nuovi uffici londinesi di Cambi a Dover Street, presenta i lotti più importanti che andranno all’asta a Genova il 28-29 maggio. “In Italia non c’è un mercato interno per l’arte cinese”, spiega ad Auction Central News l’esperto Dario Mottola, “ma si trovano oggetti molto importanti perché già a partire dalla fine del Seicento le grandi famiglie nobiliari di Torino, Genova e Milano hanno importato oggetti dalla Cina. E non solo quelli che erano prodotti in Cina ma destinati al mercato estero, quindi con un gusto più decorativo, ma anche quelli che erano fatti per il mercato e il gusto cinese e che ora i collezionisti cinesi stanno ricomprando per recuperare il loro patrimonio artistico e culturale disperso nei secoli”.
Secondo Mottola rispetto all’anno scorso, quando Cambi ha segnato diversi record per l’arte cinese in Italia, il mercato non è cambiato e si mantiene forte. Anche il catalogo del 28-29 maggio – che secondo Mottola è il più interessante dal punto di vista scientifico delle aste fatte finora – presenta diversi lotti importanti che, nonostante le stime conservative, possono arrivare molto in alto. “I cinesi sono imprevedibili”, dice Mottola, “quando sono disposti a pagare per un oggetto, si può arrivare a prezzi impensati”, come nel caso della figura di begtse in bronzo dorato e dipinto passata da Cambi nel 2012, stimata 20.000-25.000 euro e venduta per 596.000 euro, oppure un paravento che nel 2013 è passato da una stima di stima 12.000-15.000 euro ad un risultato di 2.072.000 euro.
L’asta di quest’anno copre tutti i settori dell’arte cinese ma spiccano i coralli e le giade. È divisa in tre cataloghi di cui uno che mette in luce, appunto, i coralli. Tra questi ce ne sono due di peso straordinario: uno da quasi 8 kg di rosso intenso, scolpito con raffigurazioni di Guanyin (figura religiosa), animali e vegetazione (Cina, Dinastia Qing, fine XIX secolo, cm 75×77, lotto 23, stima 50.000-70.000 euro) e uno da 10,5 kg di colore arancio con Guanyin e dignitari con due iscrizioni (Cina, Dinastia Qing, fine XIX secolo, cm 62×85, lotto 32, stima 40.000-60.000 euro).
Un altro catalogo è dedicato alle porcellane, alle giade e ai bronzi. Mentre le porcellane sono tutte del XIX secolo e prevalentemente decorative, tra le giade ci sono alcuni oggetti eccezionali. Primo fra tutti il lotto raffigurato sul retro del catalogo: una straordinaria piccola ascia rituale in giada bianca incisa sui due lati con decorazioni “taotie” ed elementi arcaici (Cina, periodo Qianlong, 1736-1796, cm 7,3×6, lotto 138, stima 20.000-30.000 euro). È straordinaria sia per il colore, che per il tipo di incisione, che per la simbologia. “In più di 30 anni non ho mai visto un oggetto di così alta qualità concentrata in dimensioni così piccole”, ha commentato Mottola.
Per le giade cinesi il colore è una discriminante significativa nella formazione del prezzo. Le più importanti e le più care sono quelle bianche, seguite da quelle gialle che però sono rarissime. Poi viene il bianco celadon, il grigio e il verde. Per la giadeite, invece, scoperta più tardi, quella più preziosa è del colore verde smeraldo traslucido che rappresenta il massimo. Segue il colore verde smeraldo, il color verde mela e infine il bianco.
Sempre tra le giade, l’asta di Cambi presenta un importante incensiere in giadeite verde smeraldo con coperchio (Cina, Dinastia Qing, fine XIX secolo, cm 14×14,5, collezione Bulgari in scatola originale, lotto 191, stima 40.000-60.000 euro).
Un altro incensiere importantissimo è tra i bronzi: si tratta di un incensiere tripode rituale in bronzo cesellato della dinastia Shang che risale al 1750-1028 a.C. (cm 16,5, proviene dalle collezioni Tucci di Roma e Giuganini, stima 30.000-40.000 euro). Sempre tra i bronzi c’è una grande ed importante figura in bronzo dorato e rame di Vajrapani (protettore del Buddha, Cina, Dinastia Qing, XVIII secolo, cm 55, stima 30.000-50.000 euro).
Ma questi sono soltanto alcuni dei pezzi eccezionali offerti nella vendita. Il terzo catalogo, invece, è un catalogo ad offerta libera, un nuovo esperimento, con oggetti di minor valore ma comunque degni, pensato per avvicinare nuovi collezionisti a questo mercato.
ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE
Importante e monumentale corallo rosso scolpito con raffigurazioni di Guanyin, animali e vegetazione, Cina, Dinastia Qing, fine XIX secolo, gr 7570, cm 75×77. Stima: €50.000-70.000. Courtesy Cambi Genova.Straordinaria piccola ascia rituale in giada bianca incisa sui due lati con figure di taotie ed elementi arcaici, Cina, marca a rilievo e del periodo Qianlong (1736-1796), cm 7,3×6. Stima: €20.000-30.000. Courtesy Cambi Genova.Incensiere in giadeite verde smeraldo con coperchio, Cina, Dinastia Qing, fine XIX secolo, h cm 14 diam cm 14,5, collezione Bulgari in scatola originale. Stima: €40.000,-60.000. Courtesy Cambi GenovaIncensiere tripode rituale in bronzo cesellato, Cina, Dinastia Shang (1750-1028 a.C.), h cm 16,5. Provenienza: Collezione Tucci – Roma, Collezione Giuganini. Stima: €30.000-40.000. Courtesy Cambi GenovaGrande ed importante figura in bronzo dorato e rame di Vajrapani, Cina, Dinastia Qing, XVIII secolo h cm 55. Stima: €30.000-50.000. Courtesy Cambi Genova
An important carved red coral with Guanyin, China, Qing Dynasty, late 19th century, 7,570 grams, 75×77 cm. Estimate: €50,000-70,000. Courtesy Cambi, Genoa.
GENOA, Italy – A preview of Cambi’s auction of Chinese art is taking place through Thursday in London. The Genoa-based auction house, under the guidance of Dario Mottola, in recent years has won first place in this market in Italy and is becoming important at international level, as well, as shown by the fact that works offered for sale were consigned even from foreign countries such as France, Germany and Great Britain.
The preview, which takes place in Cambi’s new London offices on Dover Street, presents the most important lots that will be auctioned in Genoa on May 28-29. “In Italy there is not an internal market for Chinese art,” specialist Mottola explains to Auction Central News, “but one can find very important objects because, as early as the end of the 17th century, the great noble families of Turin, Genoa and Milan imported objects from China. And not just those that were produced in China, but destined to foreign markets, which had a more decorative taste, but also those that were made for the market and the taste of China and that Chinese collectors are now buying back to retrieve their artistic and cultural heritage scattered throughout the centuries.”
According to Mottola the market has not changed from last year, when several records for Chinese art in Italy were set at Cambi, and it remains strong. The catalog of May 28-29, which according to Mottola is Cambi’s most interesting from a scientific point of view, has several important pieces that, despite conservative estimates, can go very high. “Chinese buyers are unpredictable,” Mottola says. “When they are willing to pay for an item, you can get unthinkable prices,” as in the case of the begtse figure in gilt and painted bronze offered at Cambi in 2012 that was estimated €20,000-25,000 and sold for €596,000, or a screen offered in 2013that increased from an estimate of €12,000-15,000 to a result of €2,072,000.
This year the auction covers all areas of Chinese art, but coral and jade stand out. The sale is divided into three catalogs including one that highlights the corals. Among these are two of extraordinary weight. One is almost 8 kg and is carved red coral with depictions of Guanyin, animals and vegetation (China, Qing Dynasty, late 19th century, cm 75×77, lot 23, estimate €50,000-70,000). The other is 10.5 kg orange with Guanyin and dignitaries with two inscriptions (China, Qing Dynasty, late 19th century, cm 62×85, lot 32, estimate €40,000-60,000).
Another catalog is dedicated to porcelain, bronzes and jades. While the porcelain items are all from the 19th century and mainly decorative, among the jades are some exceptional objects. Depicted on the back cover of the catalog is an extraordinary imperial white jade plate engraved on two sides with “taotie” figures and archaic elements (China, Qianlong period, 1736-1796, 7.3×6 cm, lot 138, estimate €20,000-30,000). It is extraordinary for the color, for the type of incision and for its symbols. “In more than 30 years I have never seen an object of such high quality concentrated in so small dimensions,” Mottola said.
For Chinese jade, color is a significant factor in the formation of prices. The most important and the most expensive ones are the white examples, followed by the yellow ones, which are rare. White celadon jades come next, followed by gray and green. In jadeite, which was discovered later, the most precious ones are the emerald translucent. Next in line are the emerald-green pieces, following by apple-green and finally the white ones.
Also among the jades, Cambi’s auction presents an important emerald green jadeite incense burner with cover (China, Qing Dynasty, late 19th century, 14×14.5 cm, Bulgari collection in original box, lot 191, estimate €40,000-60,000).
Another incense burner is among the most important bronzes. It is a ritual tripod incense burner in gilt bronze dating back to the Shang Dynasty, which goes from 1750 to 1028 B.C. (16.5 cm, from the Tucci collection in Rome and Giuganini collection, estimate €30,000-40,000). Also among the bronzes is a large and important gilt bronze and copper figure of Vajrapani (protector of the Buddha, China, Qing Dynasty, 18th century, 55 cm, estimate €30,000-50,000).
These are only some of the exceptional pieces offered at the sale. The third catalog is a free-offer catalog, a new experiment with objects of lesser value but still worthy, designed to bring new collectors to this market.
ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE
An important carved red coral with Guanyin, China, Qing Dynasty, late 19th century, 7,570 grams, 75×77 cm. Estimate: €50,000-70,000. Courtesy Cambi, Genoa.An extraordinary imperial white jade plate engraved on two sides with taotie figures and archaic elements, China, relief mark and the period Qianlong (1736-1796), 7.3×6 cm. Estimate: €20,000-30,000. Courtesy Cambi, Genoa.An emerald green jadeite incense burner and cover, China, Qing Dynasty, late 19th century, 14 cm high, 14.5 cm diameter, Bulgari collection in original box. Estimate: €40,000-60,000. Courtesy Cambi Genoa.A small bronze ritual tripod censer, China, Shang Dynasty (1750-1028 B.C.), 16.5 cm high, provenance: Tucci collection – Rome and Giuganini collection. Estimate: €30,000-40,000. Courtesy Cambi, Genoa.A large and important gilt bronze and copper Vajrapani, China, Qing Dynasty, 18th century, 55 cm high. Estimate: €30,000-50,000. Courtesy Cambi, Genoa.
This platinum and diamond ring, with a central 8.54-carat brilliant-cut diamond, is expected to go home with one lucky buyer for between $90,000 and $110,000. John Moran Auctioneers image. PASADENA, Calif. – John Moran Auctioneers’ jewelry specialists have been busy culling private estates and collections for fresh, high quality pieces for their May 20 HQ Jewelry and Luxury Auction. Offering over 300 lots of both fine and costume jewelry spanning many styles and eras, including signed pieces by legendary designers, the sale promises to excite serious collectors as well as those simply looking to add a little sparkle to their summer ensembles.
Internet live bidding will be provided by LiveAuctioneers.com.
The large number of statement jewels set with colored stones is sure to dazzle. A set of amethyst and 18K gold jewelry by two design greats has already piqued the interest of a few collectors. The brooch by Jean Schlumberger is centered with seven gorgeous hexagonal-cut stones, and paired with the later-made matching ear clips by David Webb makes an irresistible ensemble. The set should easily fetch a price within its $8,000-$12,000 estimate, and possibly more.
Echoing some of Schlumberger’s more whimsical designs, an 18K gold brooch by Van Cleef & Arpels is modeled as a lion with green gem-set eyes, an onyx nose, and a muzzle made of 14 full-cut diamonds. The friendly looking cat is estimated to find a new caretaker for $1,500-$2,500.
Striking a classic note is a green jadeite and 14K white gold ring. Accompanied by a GIA report, the translucent cabochon is certified to be of natural color with no indications of treatment, and is surrounded by 24 full-cut diamonds, totaling approximately 0.95 carats. The stunning ring is expected to sell in the realm of $1,500-$2,000.
The supply of diamonds, both colored and colorless, will be plentiful at Moran’s May HQ auction, with a wide range of prices and styles to suit every taste and every budget. An Art Deco diamond and platinum ring featuring rubies and an old European-cut diamond weighing approximately 2.35 carats is estimated at $9,000-$11,000.
A gold and platinum ring set with a 2.85-carat cushion-shaped light yellow diamond flanked by brilliant-cut yellow diamond shoulders carries a $12,000-$15,000 estimate.
On the upper end of the price spectrum is a true showstopper, a platinum ring set with an 8.54-carat G-color round, brilliant-cut diamond flanked by two tapered baguettes, estimated at $90,000-$110,000.
Buyers should also be on the lookout for delicate Victorian and Edwardian pieces, which continue their ascent in popularity begun several years ago, as well as for the many modern design classics that will make an appearance. Among the latter is an iteration of designer Aldo Cipullo’s iconic Love bracelet for Cartier in 18K yellow gold and styled all over with the locking mechanism motif. It is paired with a Cartier 18K tri-color rolling ring. The two pieces together carry an estimate of $1,000-$1,500.
A number of impressive timepieces by Swiss makers will make their star turns. Among the expected performers is an IWC Schaffhausen Portuguese automatic watch with seven-day power reserve, modeled with a white dial and polished stainless steel case, and offered for $4,000-$6,000. A Baume & Mercier watch with an 18K rose gold case and black dial, hailing from the sleek, thin-cased Classima collection, would make a chic addition to any collection. It is expected to earn $2,000-$4,000. Another tempting choice is a Rolex Danaos from the Cellini collection, so-called in homage to Renaissance sculptor and goldsmith Benvenuto Cellini, featuring a black dial and a polished 18K yellow gold case (estimate: $3,000-$5,000).
Luxury buyers will be delighted with the opportunity to purchase an iconic Hermes Kelly bag in much sought-after cognac-colored ostrich leather. This handmade fashion icon is expected to go home on the arm of a lucky buyer for $5,000-$7,000.
The sale will be conducted at the John Moran Headquarters. Interested parties are encouraged to contact the John Moran Offices directly via phone: 626-793-1833 or email: info@johnmoran.com for additional information regarding consignment.
This platinum and diamond ring, with a central 8.54-carat brilliant-cut diamond, is expected to go home with one lucky buyer for between $90,000 and $110,000. John Moran Auctioneers image.
A stunning Schlumberger brooch in 18K gold and amethyst, paired with matching earrings by David Webb, is expected to earn between $8,000 and $12,000. John Moran Auctioneers image.
Dating to about 1920 and featuring a 2.35-carat diamond, this platinum and ruby ring is expected to hammer for $9,000 – $11,000. John Moran Auctioneers image.
A platinum and yellow cushion-cut diamond ring, 2.85 carats, with brilliant-cut yellow diamond shoulders, has been assigned an estimate of $12,000 – $15,000. John Moran Auctioneers image.
This impressive IWC Schaffhausen Portuguese Automatic is a classically styled statement piece fit for any Swiss watch connoisseur. Estimate: $4,000 to $6,000. John Moran Auctioneers image.
This Hermes Kelly bag, in cognac-colored ostrich leather, is in excellent condition. Estimate: $5,000 – $7,000). John Moran Auctioneers image.
Ray Parker’s (American, 1922-1990) ‘Untitled, Brown, Blue, Orange,’ from 1960, is a quintessential example of the artist’s work in the late 1950s through early 1960s. Estimate: $15,000-$20,000. Clars Auction Gallery image. OAKLAND, Calif. – For three days, May 18, 19, 20, Clars Auction Gallery will host what is truly an extraordinary auction. Composed of important fine art, rare cars, jewelry that almost defies description, world-class sterling silver, and Asian furniture and art and fine art that will slam the gavel to new levels, this sale will likely go down in Clars history as their most important and successful to date.
LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding.
Fine Art
Clars will once again feature another monumental work by Clifford “Possum” Tjapaltjarri titled, Honey Ants Dreaming, with an estimate of $100,000-$200,000. This is another important example of the artist’s richly colorful, as well as visually powerful, acrylic “dot” paintings. The result is both visually spectacular, as well as mesmerizing.
Several important mid-century paintings by pioneers in the field will be offered, one of which will be Ray Parker’s (American, 1922-1990) Untitled, Brown, Blue, Orange from 1960, which carries an estimate of $15,000-$20,000 and is a quintessential example of the artist’s work in the late 1950s through early 1960s. Following will be the monumental work, Dark Barrier, 1983, by Friedel Dzubas (German/American, 1915-1994), which will be offered for $40,000-$60,000.
In postwar offerings will be the painting titled Quedado, circa 1958, by Elaine de Kooning (American 1918-1989), which depicts an abstracted bull juxtaposed against a colorful background (estimate: $10,000-$15,000). Another significant highlight will be a set of three hand-painted polychrome porcelain enamel on steel tiles by Sargent Johnson (American, 1888-1967) titled Two Women, The Bulls and Dogwhich, which will be offered for $25,000-$35,000 for the set. This will be the first time these tiles will be coming to auction. An exciting monotype by Sam Francis, untitled, will be presented to the market after 30 years in a private collection in San Francisco. It carries an estimate of $20,000-$40,000.
Several important sculptures will be offered including one by Pietro Consagra (Italian, 1920-2005), untitled, 1957, which carries an estimate of $15,000-$20,000 and comes from the collection of David C. and Sarajean Ruttenberg Collection, Chicago. Another will be a dramatic bronze titled Tribal Woman by Elizabeth Catlett (American, 1915-2012), which will be offered at $10,000-$15,000.
Andy Warhol (American, 1928-1987) will be represented with his screenprint Geronimo (from the “Cowboy and Indians” series), which will be offered for $15,000-$20,000. Adding to the already impressive Warhol print selection will be Electric Chair #79, 1971, a silkscreen, in dim purple hues. Although dark in subject matter, this print will be sure to light up the bidding room with an estimate of $8,000-$12,000. Another offering by an artist whose work was formed by abstract expressionism is LeRoy Neiman’s (American, 1921-2012) At the Racetrack, 1964, which carries an estimate of $25,000-$35,000.
In the 19th century, American fine art category, a portrait of Senator Barbour by Charles Willson Peale (American, 1741-1827) will be offered at auction for the first time since 1854. Also from this era, will be the largest painting to come to auction by Harrison Bird Brown (American, 1831-1915) titled Picnic by the Falls (White Mountains, Maine), which will be offered for $10,000-$15,000.
Spectacular watercolors top the list in the category of early 20th century American art. One highlight will be A Mexican Smuggler, 1914, by Frank Tenney Johnson (American, 1874-1939) will be offered for $30,000-$50,000. Two beautiful works by Percy Gray (American, 1869-1952) will also be offered. One of these is a rare portrait of Chief Gall that captures the facial intensity of this renowned Native American figure. The other Gray watercolor is a rich green and indigo blue landscape of the Carmel Valley in California. Twentieth century Western art continues to shine with two richly painted oils: Taos Valley, New Mexico, 1937 by Howard Schleeter (American, 1903-1976) estimated at $12,000-$16,000 and Lindsburg, Kansas, 1945 by Birger Sandzen (American/Sweden, 1871-1954) at $10,000-$15,000. Up to the north, a beautiful and luminescent oil on canvas by Alaska’s pre-eminent painter, Sydney Mortimer Laurence (American, 1865-1940), titled Mount McKinley, AlaskaHeight 20,300 Ft” will be offered with an estimate of $30,000-$50,000.
Decorative Arts & Furnishings
This category for May finds exceptionally rich offerings in historical ephemera, furniture, sterling and some very cool cars.
In history, an important American historical archive relating to Madison E. Hollister of Illinois (1808-1896), includes his Supreme Court appointment signed by President Ulysses S. Grant, his diplomatic appointment to the Consul of the United States at Buenos Aires signed by both President Andrew Johnson and William H. Seward, and a ship’s passage awarded to Robert Murray signed by President Thomas Jefferson plus other significant historical documents. Descended through his family, this collection is being offered for $10,000-$15,000.
A furniture highlight is a Hans Wegner Papa Bear chair that is estimated at $6,000-$8,000. In lighting, a pair of John Dickinson table lamps will be offered for $5,000-$7,000 and an important 18th century Hawaiian koa wood poi bowl is expected to achieve $4,000-$6,000.
The sterling to be offered at this sale is exceptional. There will several early British examples including a George III sterling silver tankard, London 1784, weighing 30.36 troy ounces and an Irish sterling silver covered server, by James Le Bas, Dublin, 1812, weighing 60.37. Both are expected to fetch $5,000-$7,000. Also included in this collection are Georgian salvers dated 1751 and 1762 and tea caddy dated 1788.
The highlight of the Continental offerings will be an impressive Italian sterling silver centerpiece mounted with lapis cabochons, by Buccellati, Milan, weighing 74.62 troy ounces, which is expected to fetch $15,000-$20,000. Continuing with the Continental theme, a collection of Georg Jensen includes two flatware services in the Acorn and Antik patterns, both of which are expected to sell for $5,000-$7,000. There will also be six hand-hammered service plates, designed by Johan Rhode, weighing 121.09 troy ounces, with a $5,000-$7,000 estimate and a Cosmos pattern five-piece hot beverage service estimated at $6,000-$8,000.
From Tiffany will be four Chrysanthemum pattern candleholders, 1907-1947, estimated to achieve $22,000-$24,000. A monumental Tiffany & Co. sterling silver-mounted Hawkes cut crystal gallon decanter in the Basket Weave pattern will be offered for $8,000-$12,000.
Chinese Export sterling offerings include a silver-mounted five-piece vanity set by Luen Wo, Shanghai, late 19th/early 20th century. Each piece is elegantly handcrafted and carries a $6,000-$8,000 estimate. A Chinese Export silver tea service, Woshing, Shanghai, circa 1870-1910, is estimated at $4,000-$6,000. Also featured will be a Burmese .900 silver wine/champagne cooler and a Thai bowl.
Now for fast cars and music to help move them, a scarce C.F. Martin guitar model 00-42 serial number 15607, is one of only 14 produced in November-December 1920. In unrestored condition, this gem will be offered at $6,000-$8,000.
As for the cars, behind door number one is a 1954 Chevrolet Corvette in original condition, estimated at $65,000-$75,000. Behind door number two is a 1952 MG Model TDC (Mark II) competition example carrying an estimate of $16,000-$18,000 and behind door number three is a 1905 Surrey replica built in 1957 by Oldsmobile with a Cushman engine (estimate: $5,000-$7,000).
For the two-wheeled muscle machines, a 2009 FLHTC Harley-Davidson has only 3,624 miles; a 2001 Harley-Davidson Soft Tail Heritage edition, comes with 18,786 original miles; a Simms Custom Cycle with a Thug 140 ci engine3 has only 322 original miles and 2007 Simms blue Custom Cycle has even less with 290 original miles. Each of these is being offered for $10,000- $15,000.
And finally there’s the real thing: California gold. Two natural California gold nuggets will be offered – one weighing in at 9.9 ounces, the other 11.2 ounces. These carry estimates of $12,000- $15,000 and $15,000-$20,000 respectively.
Antique and Estate Jewelry
Headlining the amazing offerings will be a fancy brownish pink diamond, near colorless diamond and platinum ring. The pink diamond weighs 3.04 carats with VVS1 clarity. This stunning ring is estimated at $100,000- $150,000.
Emeralds dazzle in the next offering which is a fine 3.90-carat emerald, diamond, platinum and 18K yellow gold ring that is expected to fetch $25,000-$45,000. With the same estimate is a fine jadeite, sapphire, diamond and 18K white gold ring. The jadeite cabochon measures 17.5 by 13.9X.
Asian
The highlight of the Asian offerings will be the continuation of offerings of Chinese huanghuali furniture from the estate of Edward Gerber, Reno, Nev. The initial offering huanghuali furniture from this important estate realized $1.3 million at Clars’ March sale. For sale in May will be a huanghuali three-section desk, a five-drawer coffer and a square table, each estimated at $15,000- $25,000. Along with the different tables are huanghuali chairs of various styles including official’s hat, Southern official’s hat and lamp hanger chairs. In addition to the furniture, this sale includes a four-panel screen inset with 16 enameled porcelain plaques from the Republic period, depicting narrative scenes of a scholar and a beauty, (estimate: $8,000-$12,000). There will also be a good selection of Chinese porcelain, including a collection of Chinese 18th/19th century export armorial porcelain featuring various crest of arms.
The sales will begin promptly at 9:30 a.m. Pacific.
For more information, email: info@clars.com or call 510-480-0100.
Ray Parker’s (American, 1922-1990) ‘Untitled, Brown, Blue, Orange,’ from 1960, is a quintessential example of the artist’s work in the late 1950s through early 1960s. Estimate: $15,000-$20,000. Clars Auction Gallery image.
This important work by Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri (Australian, 1932-2002) titled ‘Honey Ants Dreaming’ will be offered at Clars Auction Gallery on Sunday, May 18. The estimate on this work is $100,000-$200,000. Clars Auction Gallery image.
This important and monumental work by Friedel Dzubas (American/German, 1915-1994) titled ‘Dark Barrier’ will be offered for $40,000-$60,000. Clars Auction Gallery image.
‘A Mexican Smuggler,’ 1914, by Frank Tenney Johnson (American, 1874-1939) will be offered for $30,000-$50,000. Clars Auction Gallery image.
This important American historical archive relating to Madison E. Hollister, Illinois (1808-1896), is being offered for $10,000-$15,000. Clars Auction Gallery image.
The highlight of the Continental offerings will be this impressive Italian sterling silver centerpiece by Buccellati, Milan. Estimate: $15,000-$20,000. Clars Auction Gallery image.
This 1954 Chevrolet Corvette in original condition is estimated at $65,000-$75,000. Clars Auction Gallery image.
This astounding fancy brownish pink diamond, near colorless diamond and platinum ring will be offered for $100,000-$150,000. Clars Auction Gallery image.
This Chinese huanghuali three-section desk will be among the highlights of the Asian antiques and art offerings. Clars Auction Gallery image.
View of La Samaritaine department store in Paris, as seen from the Pont Neuf. Photo by Pierre Camateros, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
PARIS (AFP) – A French court Tuesday cancelled one of the permits for the renovation of Samaritaine, a legendary Paris department store, after a complaint that a planned undulating glass wall would be an eyesore.
The historic building on the Right Bank with a commanding view of the Seine is owned by luxury-goods conglomerate LVMH. It has been closed since 2005 when the building fell foul of safety codes.
A 460-million-euro ($631 million) renovation is underway with plans for a luxury hotel, offices, shops and flats in the complex which includes the main building and three adjacent properties.
Under the plan, the art deco facade will remain unchanged but Japanese architecture firm Saanaa planned an undulating glass wall with silk screens for the building behind the hotel.
That enraged the Society for the Protection of Landscapes and Aesthetics which said it was not in keeping with the feel of the historic quarter and it filed a suit.
A Paris court ruled that the glass wall “clashed” with the look of the other buildings in the area.
The Paris mayor’s office said it would appeal the ruling.
The renovated Samaritaine was supposed to have opened in 2013 but this been pushed back to at least 2016.
Samaritaine was created in 1870 as a small shop and rapidly expanded in a few years to being the largest department store in Paris.
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View of La Samaritaine department store in Paris, as seen from the Pont Neuf. Photo by Pierre Camateros, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
From the Walters Art Museum’s online archive of downloadable images, ‘Christ and the Tribute Money’ by Domenico Fetti (Italian, circa 1589-1623), after Titian (Italian, circa 1488-1576). Image courtesy of the Walters Art Museum, Baltimore.BALTIMORE (AP) – The Walters Art Museum in Baltimore says it has digitized and catalogued more than 600 American paintings and other artworks, making them available for download and public use.
The new digital archive includes rarely seen works from John Singer Sargent, Mary Cassatt and John La Farge, among other artists. The museum said it used a $111,615 grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services to pay for the project.
Curators say the museum’s spring exhibition also highlights works from its collection of American art. The show “American Artists Abroad” looks at how American artists reinvented themselves during their time abroad.
The exhibit is on view through June 22, and all of the works are available online.
Copyright 2014 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE
From the Walters Art Museum’s online archive of downloadable images, ‘Christ and the Tribute Money’ by Domenico Fetti (Italian, circa 1589-1623), after Titian (Italian, circa 1488-1576). Image courtesy of the Walters Art Museum, Baltimore.
The Henry Diltz photograph that became the cover of the first Crosby, Stills and Nash album in 1969. Photo credit: Henry Diltz. Image courtesy of the Grammy Museum. LOS ANGELES (AP) – Laurel Canyon wasn’t much to look at – a few modest bungalows and log cabins crammed between an occasional faded mansion that had been left over from the days when it was a secluded, semi-rural retreat for Hollywood’s silent-movie stars.
And yet from the quiet of the densely wooded canyon came a music revolution that would change popular culture.
The likes of David Crosby and Graham Nash worked on their music – or in some cases created new genres like folk-rock and country-rock – pretty much in anonymity during the 1960s and 1970s, in a place where no one bothered to go in those days unless they lived there.
Now, the sights and sounds of the canyon have been captured and transported from its narrow serpentine streets to downtown LA’s Grammy Museum in an exhibition called “California Dreamin’: The Sounds of Laurel Canyon 1965-1977.”
The exhibition, a senses-shaking assault of music, memorabilia and visuals, hits as you enter a gallery that features everything from reminisces by Jackson Browne to hand-written lyrics by Frank Zappa and Gram Parsons.
There are brief video performances by the Turtles, music by the Eagles and the Doors, and scores of candid photos, like one of Joni Mitchell perched idyllically on a canyon hillside, playing a dulcimer.
But “California Dreamin’” also seeks to document what its curator, Grammy Museum Executive Director Bob Santelli, believes is one of the most important and overlooked moments in pop music history.
While the media were documenting the folk music renaissance Bob Dylan helped launch in New York’s Greenwich Village in the early 1960s and the psychedelic scene that sprung from San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury District a few years later, Santelli said, musicians who took up residence by the score in Laurel Canyon were actually doing much more.
They quickly launched several new music genres, Santelli said, including the laid-back, LA-centric singer-songwriter movement that came to flower with the emergence of Browne, Mitchell, James Taylor, John Mayall and others.
Although the canyon’s dirty brown hills rise up above Hollywood’s Sunset Strip and the neighborhood’s many music clubs and recording studios, many of the canyon’s streets were unpaved then, giving the place a rural, backwoods feel.
To this day the place only has one store and roads so narrow that on some of them two cars can’t pass unless one backs up.
Thus the Byrds were free to experiment pretty much uninterrupted and unbothered until they created music’s first true folk-rock album, merging electric-guitar chords with lyrics by Dylan and others to create Mr. Tambourine Man.
Nearby, Jim Morrison was creating the ethereal sounds that would make the music of the Doors everlasting, while Zappa was putting together his neo-classical arrangements from a faded mansion that silent-era movie star Tom Mix had once owned.
From a house on Lookout Mountain Road, Mitchell was drawing inspiration for the album Ladies of the Canyon, while boyfriend Nash was immortalizing the modest abode they shared in Our House, arguably his most beautiful song.
“I heard the Eagles writing songs up there, writing Desperado, sitting around the piano. Don Henley, Glenn Frey and J.D. Souther, all on one piano bench, all sticking their hands on the keys,” said rock music photographer Henry Diltz, who lived there.
His iconic images fill a wall of the exhibit.
Along with those of Linda Ronstadt, Neil Young and others is the classic pose of Nash, Stephen Stills and Crosby sitting on the porch of a rustic canyon house. It would become the cover of their eponymous first album, Crosby, Stills and Nash.
The three, who formed rock’s first so-called supergroup, had been brought together at another canyon home, that of Cass Elliot of The Mamas & the Papas.
As to why all these musicians settled in Laurel Canyon and not, say Paris, in the 1960s and ’70s, the answer is simple, said Mark Volman of the Turtles.
“It was cheap and musicians are cheap,” guffawed Volman, who rented a house for $280 a month in 1965 with Poco’s Richie Furay. “It housed musicians because musicians made no money in those days and when they did the record companies stole it.”
Eventually of course, they would make money, and would leave the canyon for neighborhoods where there was more than one store and the streets actually had sidewalks.
“You know what happens,” said Diltz, who moved to the San Fernando Valley. “You get married, right, and then you have kids. And when you have kids you have to move downhill to where the schools and the birthday parties and the supermarkets are.”
Meanwhile, in the years afterward, the canyon’s legacy brought in the wealthy, who priced out future generations of struggling musicians. Even the modest homes like the place Volman and Furay shared go for $1 million or more now.
“But Laurel Canyon was always more than just a scene,” Santelli said. “It was also a mindset.”
Until the end of November that mindset lives on the second floor of the Grammy Museum.
Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
AP-WF-05-11-14 1724GMT
ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE
The Henry Diltz photograph that became the cover of the first Crosby, Stills and Nash album in 1969. Photo credit: Henry Diltz. Image courtesy of the Grammy Museum.
Fair use of low-resolution image of cover of Captain America Comics #1 (Mar, 1941). Published by Timely Comics. Art by Jack Kirby.The copyrighted image is from the comic in which Captain America first appeared, an issue that is therefore of historical significance to the character discussed in the article.ELKHART, Ind. (AP) – The Hall of Heroes Super Hero Museum has acquired what owner Allen Stewart says is the coolest item they’ve ever had — one of six shields used in the 2011 film “Captain America: The First Avenger.”
Stewart purchased the shield about two weeks ago at C2E2, an annual comic and entertainment expo in Chicago. He tried to buy it two years ago at an auction but was outbid.
“You could buy a car for what we spent for it,” Stewart told The Elkhart Truth.
The shield, which was used during filming by actor Chris Evans, is signed by the cast of the 2014 sequel, “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” as well as the cast of the TV series “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”
Right now the shield is on display at the museum in a glass case. At the museum’s Marvel Day event on May 31, fans will get a chance to hold it and get a photo with it for a minimum donation of $5.
The donations will go toward the restoration of the museum’s original copy of Captain America Issue 1, a rare comic that can go for up to $500,000 if it’s in mint condition, Stewart said.
That issue debuted in 1941 with the cover featuring Captain America slugging Hitler in the face.
“We’re the only museum that has a copy. We’re trying to raise about $2,500 to restore this book because it’s so important, historically,” Stewart said.
The museum is open most afternoons after 2 p.m. and most weekends after 10 a.m. Those interested in visiting are recommended to call 522-1187 to schedule their tour. Admission is $6 for people 10 and older and $4 for kids 9 and younger.
Hall of Heroes Super Hero Museum is at 58005 17th St., Elkhart, Indiana.
Copyright 2014 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE
Fair use of low-resolution image of cover of Captain America Comics #1 (Mar, 1941). Published by Timely Comics. Art by Jack Kirby.The copyrighted image is from the comic in which Captain America first appeared, an issue that is therefore of historical significance to the character discussed in the article.
Independent Presbyterian Church in Savannah. Image courtesy of Independent Presbyterian Church. SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) – The 123-year-old steeple of one of Savannah’s historic churches is covered in scaffolding while it undergoes $650,000 worth of maintenance.
The Savannah Morning News reports the Independent Presbyterian Church in downtown Savannah has no major structural issues. Associate pastor Ron Parrish says the cast-iron steeple merely needs sandblasting, painting and sealing. He says the project’s biggest cost is the scaffolding that took a month to erect.
The church dates to 1819, but its original wooden steeple burned in a large fire 70 years later. That’s why the congregation made its replacement out of cast iron.
Church officials say maintenance work on the steeple is supposed to be finished in August, though it could be sooner.
