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 – Cambi Casa D’Asti anticipates a strong response to its auction of important Chinese art on May 27-28. Day 1, Tuesday, will offer works of art in coral, bronze, jade, ivory and wood. Day 2, Wednesday, will feature works in bronze, jade, ivory and wood. LiveAuctioners.com will provide Internet live bidding.
Many of the items were brought to Italy as early as the end of the 17th century by the great noble families of Turin, Genoa and Milan, said Dario Mottola of Cambi auction house.
Coral and jade stand out in this wide-ranging auction. One highlight is an 8-kilogram carved red coral depiction of Guanyin, animals and vegetation (China, Qing Dynasty, late 19th century), which is estimated at €50,000-€70,000.
Among the jades are some exceptional objects. An extraordinary imperial white jade plate engraved on two sides with “taotie” figures and archaic elements, China, Qianlong period, 1736-1796, carries an estimate of €20,000-€30,000.
Another important lot is an emerald green jadeite incense burner with cover (China, Qing Dynasty, late 19th century). With its original box, the burner is is expected to sell for €40,000-€60,000.
Among the important figures is a 22-inch-tall gilt bronze and copper Vajrapani, protector of the Buddha. From China’s Qing Dynasty, 18th century, it has an estimate of €30,000-€50,000.
For details, phone Cambi at +39 010 8395029.
View the fully illustrated catalog and register to bid absentee or live via the Internet as the sale is taking place by logging on to www.LiveAuctioneeers.com.
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.Important gilt wood Buddha, China, Yuan Dynasty, 95x58x50cm (38 x 23.2 x 20 inches.) Estimate: €30,000-€50,000, $27,364-$68,394. Courtesy Cambi, Genoa.
The auction is packed with many Tiffany art glass pieces, especially Favrile vases. Woody Auction image. WICHITA, Kan. – Fresh from the first of a planned five-part series of auctions to liquidate the lifetime collection of mostly porcelain and fine art glass gathered over the course of five decades by the late Dr. Ernest Rieger and his wife, Karin, Woody Auction will now turn its attention to the Part 2 sale, to be held Thursday, May 29, at the Double Tree (Airport Hilton) in Wichita.
LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding.
Part 1 was a huge success, as 400 lots came up for bid in an auction that grossed $1.3 million – and that represented only a fraction of the Riegers’ collection overall (plus the couple’s period antique furniture items, which were displayed in their Wichita home and will be sold at Parts 3 Aug. 1-2) and 4 (date to be determined). Part 2, starting at 1 p.m. Central, will feature 432 lots.
“Part 2 will be equal to Part 1 in terms of quality of merchandise,” said Jason Woody of Woody Auction, based in Douglass, Kan. “We literally pulled items for Part 1 from the left side of the Riegers’ many display cabinets, and the items for Part 2 will come from the right side of the cabinets. Part 3 will feature what still remains in the cabinets, plus the cabinets themselves.”
The Riegers were discerning, serious collectors, seeking out only the finest names in porcelain and glass, such as Tiffany, Galle, Meissen, Webb, Daum Nancy, KPM and others. “This is by far the finest antique collection we’ve ever offered, and it might be the finest ever offered in the state of Kansas,” Woody said. “All items will be sold to the highest bidder, without reserve.”
Thomas Webb & Sons was founded in England in 1842. It was known for the high quality of its cameo glass. Examples in the sale will include a finely carved cameo art glass vase signed “G. Woodall 1887,” a cameo art glass vase also signed by G. Woodall showing a young woman and a bird, and a 21-inch gem cameo vase signed by Tiffany & Co. and Thomas Webb.
Emile Galle (1846-1904) was a founder of the French Art Nouveau movement and a master glass designer. Galle pieces in the auction will feature an 18-inch signed French cameo art glass vase, dark green, with a forest and insect décor and a Victor Hugo quote around the base; and a signed French cameo appliqué and marquetry two-handle bowl having a clear and amber background.
The name Tiffany will be chanted throughout the day, especially Favrile, the metallic iridescent art glass produced by the firm. Examples will include a bulbous 4-inch signed red paperweight vase, an 11 1/2-inch signed art glass pedestal vase with green body and Egyptian design around the neck and foot, and a 7-inch signed art glass wide shoulder vase with blue translucent body.
Additional Tiffany Favrile pieces will include a 7-inch signed decorated art glass vase with an iridescent red body and gold iridescent design; a 13 1/2-inch signed iridescent art glass vase having an iridescent body with golden hues and four sections of pulled feather raised décor, and a 13 3/4-inch signed decorated red vase with red iridescent body and Egyptian décor.
Still more Tiffany Favrile lots: an 8 3/4-inch signed art glass vase with iridescent blue background and green-gold heart and vine décor; a 7-inch signed art glass vase with a cobalt blue body and iridescent Egyptian décor; a 17 1/4-inch signed art glass vase with red body and green iridescent decorated neck; and a 12-inch signed art glass vase with green iridescent exterior and leaf design.
Daum et Cie was the French glassworks firm established in 1875. Nancy is the town in France where it set up shop, producing wonderful cameo and art glass pieces. Daum Nancy in the sale will feature a 14-inch signed French cameo art glass boudoir lamp with winter and blackbirds scenic décor; and a 9 3/4-inch signed French cameo art glass vase with a great fall season décor.
Other Daum Nancy pieces will include a 10-inch figural bronze lamp base with a figural young girl in a dress holding a lantern, artist signed “Leo Laporte-Glaizsy”; a 6-inch signed four-color French cameo art glass pedestal vase having a carved vintage décor with spider web background; and an 11-inch French cameo art glass blown-mold vase with a blue and black dark forest décor.
Mount Washington, the art glass factory founded in Massachusetts in the 19th century, will also be represented in the auction. Pieces will include a 22 1/2-inch Royal Flemish kerosene lamp with figural cherub metal base and camel scene decoration; a 12 1/2-inch decorated “Monkey” vase with rare monkey and ape décor; and an 8 1/2-inch glossy Burmese lyre stem candlestick holder.
Fans of French cameo art glass will be impressed by a pair of vases, both signed “Muller Freres Luneville” (one 14-inch, white and yellow with dark brown winter scene showing wild boars, the other 13 inches, with an Asian-style scenic “windows” décor featuring cranes, lake scenes and Geishas). Also sold will be a magnificent 25 1/2-inch-by-20-inch KPM porcelain plaque, artist-signed (“Pfeiffer”) and showing a detailed scene titled “The Sacrifice of Jephthah’s Daughter.”
Two lots expected to spark a fierce bidding war are 37 1/2-inch signed Moser two-part pedestal vase having a yellow opaque background with extensive multicolor leaf and applied acorn décor – the finest piece of Moser ever offered by Woody Auction – and a 6-inch-by-11 1/4-inch marked Wedgwood Fairyland luster pedestal punch bowl with poplar trees exterior and mermaid interior.
Rounding out just some of the auction’s expected top lots are a rare 8-inch figural French enamel “Windmill” music box (jewel box) with nine individual panels featuring various courting scenes (the music box does not play); and a 5 1/4 inch Russian enamel egg-shaped covered box boasting an embossed swan design with colorful enamel highlights and inset with seven “Ruby” jewels.
For details call Woody Auction at 316-747-2694 or email them at info@woodyauction.com.
The auction is packed with many Tiffany art glass pieces, especially Favrile vases. Woody Auction image.Much of the English cameo in the sale was purchased by the Riegers while on trips to Europe. Woody Auction image.French cameo glass pieces, like these shown, will be sold without reserve. Woody Auction image.Fans of French cameo glass will be interested with the selection and variety in the auction. Woody Auction image.The Riegers collected Burmese pieces such as these, all of which will come up for bid. Woody Auction image.
First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy in the Diplomatic Reception Room, Dec. 5 1961. Photo by Robert Knudsen, in the public domain in the United States. DUBLIN – The Irish Indepentent (www.independent.ie) reported today that letters written by the late Jackie Kennedy to an Irish priest have been withdrawn from an auction in Ireland next month.
Sheppard’s Irish Auction House in County Laois, Ireland, estimated the correspondence between the wife of assassinated U.S. president John F. Kennedy to Father Joseph Leonard in the 1950s and ’60s could sell for up to $1.6 million.
The reason for the withdrawal was not disclosed.
Mrs. Kennedy wrote the letters over a 14-year period, during which time she was First Lady, and after her husband was assassinated. She began corresponding with Father Leonard after meeting him on a trip to Ireland. The priest died in 1964.
The letters were discovered this year at All Hallows College in Dublin. The college is under directions of the Vincentians, a Roman Catholic order of priests, of which Father Leonard was a member.
ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE
First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy in the Diplomatic Reception Room, Dec. 5 1961. Photo by Robert Knudsen, in the public domain in the United States.
Prototype Jeep Wrangler neon sign, 37in by 25in. Mosby & Co. image FREDERICK, Md. – Approximately 450 lots of antique toys, coin-ops and advertising will cross the auction block at a Saturday, June 7 sale conducted by Mosby & Co., at the firm’s gallery located at 5714-A Industry Lane in Frederick, Maryland. The auction will start at 10 a.m. Eastern Time. Approximately 350 lots will be dedicated to toys and toy trains. Internet bidding will be facilitated by LiveAuctioneers.com.
“There’s good, solid merchandise in this sale, including wonderful antique toys from two major single-owner collections, plus other quality consignments,” said Keith Spurgeon, owner of Mosby & Co. “One of the collections is so massive, it will take three auctions to liquidate it all. Part I includes fine examples of German, American and Japanese toys.”
Trains also feature prominently. A strong candidate for top-lot honors is an original Lionel gouache painting depicting a Santa Fe Super Streamliner train roaring through the desert. The work is from the estate of a former Lionel executive and was created as catalog art in 1952. In its wood frame, it measures 29½ inches by 10 inches.
Also in the train section is an impressive collection of American Flyer examples, many of them in their original boxes; and a large selection of 1950s-60s Plasticville toy buildings for train layouts. Plasticville train accessories were introduced in 1946 by Bachmann Industries of Philadelphia, but in 1984 the company was taken over by Kader Industries in China.
Antique toys will feature several German-made Gunthermann toys, 20 battery-operated toys (all original in the box), a nice selection of boxed American and Japanese toys, 1950s-60s Marx playsets and a group of animals and bears by Germany’s premier soft toy manufacturer, Steiff. Another highlight is a 24-inch-long Fleischmann ocean liner made circa 1930-1935.
Toys expected to attract keen bidder interest include an American National pressed steel tandem pedal car (front and rear seating), made around 1930 and professionally restored; and a very rare, fresh-to-the-market Gendron Columbia pressed steel bi-plane pull toy, 30 inches in length and all original. The names American National and Gendron are actually connected. The Gendron Iron Wheel Company was founded in 1872 in Toledo, Ohio, and starting in 1890 the firm produced die-cast toy replica pedal cars and other children’s items up until World War II. In 1927, Gendron became a subsidiary of American National, which sold its assets in 1941.
Two full-size cars will cross the auction block. The first is a white 1962 Ford Thunderbird hardtop with 77,000 original miles. The car has been in the same family since being purchased new. It has been repainted once. The other auto is a 1995 cherry red Dodge Viper, the rare roadster version, with less than 6,000 miles. A Viper that age with so few miles is quite unusual.
Several extremely rare, if not unique, neon signs from automobile dealerships of the 1950s are in tested, working order and accompanied by their transformers. Three were displayed in Hudson showroom windows and come from the collection of a man who used to own a car dealership in Maryland. The largest measures 50 by 30 inches. Another neon rarity advertises Willys Aero-Lark, a sedan built in the 1950.
Although of later manufacture, a neon sign made in 1997 for Jeep Wranger may be the one of its type in existence. “Chrysler sent out a brochure to Jeep dealers that year soliciting them to order this sign for their showrooms, but they didn’t get enough orders to warrant a production run, so only a few prototypes were made. We think this may be the only surviving sign of its type, but it’s impossible to know,” said Spurgeon.
Coin-ops include a Jennings Standard Chief 25-cent slot machine from the first half of the 20th century, all original and unrestored. Music will be provided by an all-original AMI model D-40 jukebox from the early 1950s. In good working order, it plays 45 rpm records. “AMI is a company with a long history,” said Spurgeon. “It began in 1909 as a manufacturer of automatic player pianos. They started making jukeboxes in 1927 and produce them to this day under the name Rowe International.”
An original and unrestored circa-1950 Vendo Model 44 Coca-Cola vending machine, with a nickel slot, will be offered, as will a Merchantman Novelty Crane (a skill machine also known as a digger or claw machine). The crane was made in the 1930s by Exhibit Supply Company of Chicago, which supplied such machines to upscale hotels. Hence, they were known as hotel or floor model coin-ops. Their modern counterparts are often seen in cinema and restaurant lobbies.
Also being offered is a Bimbo 3-Ring Circus puppet machine, made in the 1950s by the United Billiards Company. Players insert a quarter and try to get the clown to dance while music is being played. In addition, pinball machines and other coin-ops will also be sold. The advertising category will feature Coca-Cola signs, promotional thermometers and other collectible items.
The preview for Mosby & Co.’s June 7 auction will be held on Friday, June 6, from 4-7 p.m.; and on auction day from 8-10 a.m. (or by appointment). The gallery is located at 5714-A Industry Lane in Frederick, Maryland, near the juncture of I-70 and I-270 and an easy drive from both Baltimore and Washington, D.C.
For additional information on any item in the sale, call Keith Spurgeon on 240-629-8139 or email keith@mosbyauctions.com.
View the fully illustrated catalog and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.
24in Fleischmann George Washington ocean liner. Mosby & Co. image
1995 Dodge Viper with 4,050 original miles. Mosby & Co. image
All original, unrestored and working Vendo 44 Coca-Cola machine. Mosby & Co. image
Rare circa-1890 porcelain Kodak Camera sign. Mosby & Co. image
Boxed Lionel standard gauge train set No. 344. Mosby & Co. image
Original gouache on artist’s board depicting the Santa Fe Super Stream Liner, created for 1952 Lionel catalog. Provenance: California estate of retired Lionel executive. Mosby & Co. image
Blue and white Hudson neon sign, 50in by 30in. Mosby & Co. image
Oil on academy board painting by William Aiken Walker (South Carolina, 1838-1921), titled ‘Woman With Bales of Cotton on the Docks.’ Estimate: $2,500-$4,500. Crescent City Auction Gallery image. NEW ORLEANS – An important oil on academy board painting by South Carolina artist William Aiken Walker, a French Belle Epoch Louis XV-style marble-top bombe chest, three outstanding pieces of English sterling silver, two highly collectible Newcomb College pottery pieces, a pair of early 20th century parcel gilt polychromed carved wood blackamoor torcheres, and a sculpture of a pheasant and lizard by Alfred Dubucand will all be sold June 7-8.
They are part of a massive two-day estates auction being held by Crescent City Auction Gallery, in the firm’s gallery located at 1330 St. Charles Ave. in New Orleans, beginning promptly at 9 a.m. (Central time) both days. Internet live bidding will be provided by LiveAuctioneers.com.
Nearly 1,300 lots will come up for bid, in the categories Crescent City Auction Gallery has become renowned for throughout the South: original artworks (much of it by noted regional artists), period American and European furniture, pottery pieces, sterling silver, estate jewelry, antique lamps and lighting, Mardi Gras collectibles, Asian items and fine decorative accessories.
“We are really excited about the June auction,” said Adam Lambert of Crescent City Auction Gallery. “There are very strong examples across all major categories, including art, French, English and American furniture, Southern pottery, Asian arts, silver and bric-a-brac.”
The unsigned painting by Walker (1838-1921), is a slave rendering titled Woman With Bales of Cotton on the Docks. It is housed in a possibly original ornate period gilt and gesso frame (est. $2,500-$4,500). The 19th century sculpture titled Pheasant and Lizard by Alfred E. Dubucand (French, 1828-1894) is patinated bronze on a brass base (est. $4,000-$6,000).
The Newcomb College pottery pieces include a glazed art pottery circular trivet, made in 1909 with an unknown maker’s mark, and a matte glaze baluster vase made in 1924 by Henrietta Bailey, 8 1/4 inches tall. The pair of early 20th century carved wood blackamoor torcheres stand on faux marble stepped octagonal bases and are each 80 inches in height (est. $4,000-$6,000).
The French Louis XV-style ormolu mounted and marquetry inlaid rosewood marble-top bombe chest is in the style of Francois Linke (1855-1946) and is 35 1/4 inches tall by 35 1/2 inches wide (est. $2,400-$3,600). Also, a French Empire-style figured mahogany marble-top commode, made in the 19th century and 37 3/4 inches tall by 50 1/2 inches wide, should hammer for $900-$1,500.
The three pieces of English sterling silver consist of a diminutive footed punch bowl (London, 1899, by Charles Stuart Harris), a loving cup (London, 1899, by Daniel and John Welby), and an engraved presentation chalice (London, 1861 by Daniel and Charles Houle). Also sold will be an 88-piece set of sterling silver flatware by Gorham, in the Strasbourg pattern (est. $3,000-$5,000).
Two notable but very different paintings carry identical estimates of $1,500-$2,500. One is a signed oil on board by Colette Heldner (Louisiana, 1902-1990), titled Swamp Idyll, Louisiana Bayou Country (15 1/2 inches by 19 1/2 inches). The other is an early 19th century Continental School oil on canvas titled Allegorical Scene of Spring, depicting putti in a garden offering fruit to Venus.
Two clock lots also have the same presale estimate of $900-$1,500. The first is an English inlaid mahogany tall case clock, made circa 1850 with time and strike by Th. Robson, Shildon, 90 inches tall. The second is a marble and gilt bronze mantel clock, circa 1870, with an urn surmount atop a highly figured ochre marble case. It is 19 1/4 inches tall by 9 1/4 inches wide.
One clock expected to attract keen bidder interest is a French gilt spelter and marble figural mantel clock, made in the 19th century by Japy Freres and featuring a blown glass dome on an ebonized base (est. $1,200-$1,800). Also sold will be 25 Mardi Gras bulletins, to include a 1907 parade bulletin (Comus), titled Tennyson, shrink-wrapped and lithographed by Walle & Co.
Returning to artwork, two lots to watch are a fine bronze sculpture of an elephant figure with ivory tusks, made circa 1900 on a sloping highly figured black marble base, 14 3/4 inches tall (est. $3,000-$5,000); and an early 20th century oil on board by Peter Lanz Hohnstedt (1872-1957, Texas/Louisiana), titled Court of the Two Sisters, 19 1/2 inches by 15 1/2 inches (est. $1,500-$2,500).
European furniture pieces will feature an unusual French provincial Louis XV-style marquetry inlaid carved oak armoire, made in the 19th century and standing 91 1/4 inches tall (est. $1,200-$1,400); and a French Louis XIV-style gilt ormolu mounted boulle inlaid ebonized marble-top cabinet, also made in the 19th century (and later), standing 43 3/4 inches tall (est. $3,500-$4,500).
Also from France is a late 19th century Brittany Louis XV-style carved oak armoire, made into a bookcase (est. $2,000-$4,000). American furniture will include a Victorian Renaissance Revival carved mahogany and burl walnut cylinder desk, circa 1870, 68 inches tall (est. $2,000-$4,000); and a late 19th century classical carved mahogany armoire, 92 inches tall (est. $3,000-$5,000).
A pair of 19th century porcelain baluster vases, with gilt grape and leaf decoration and central reserves of classical figures each on a deep blue background, each vase 16 3/4 inches tall, is expected to breeze to $1,200-$1,800. Fine estate jewelry pieces will feature dazzling diamonds, tanzanites, rubies, emeralds, pearls, Rolex watches and more, in a wide range of price points.
Crescent City Auction Gallery, LLC is always accepting quality consignments for future sales. To consign a single item, an estate or a collection, call them at 504-529-5057 or e-mail them at info@crescentcityauctiongallery.com.
Oil on academy board painting by William Aiken Walker (South Carolina, 1838-1921), titled ‘Woman With Bales of Cotton on the Docks.’ Estimate: $2,500-$4,500. Crescent City Auction Gallery image.
French Bell Epoch Louis XV-style ormolu mounted marquetry inlaid rosewood marble-top bombe chest. Estimate: $2,400-$3,600. Crescent City Auction Gallery image.
Pair of early 20th century parcel gilt polychrome carved wood blackamoor torcheres on marble stepped bases, both 80 inches tall. Estimate: $4,000-$6,000. Crescent City Auction Gallery image.
Three pieces of wonderful English sterling silver, such as this loving cup by Daniel and John Welby (London, 1899) will come under the gavel. Crescent City Auction Gallery image.
Patinated bronze sculpture on stepped circular brass base by Alfred Dubucand (French, 1828-1894), titled ‘Pheasant and Lizard.’ Estimate: $4,000-$6,000. Crescent City Auction Gallery image.
SAN JOSE, Calif. – EBay Inc. (Nasdaq: EBAY) said beginning later today it will be asking eBay users to change their passwords because of a cyberattack that compromised a database containing encrypted passwords and other non-financial data. After conducting extensive tests on its networks, the company said it has no evidence of the compromise resulting in unauthorized activity for eBay users, and no evidence of any unauthorized access to financial or credit card information, which is stored separately in encrypted formats. However, eBay said in a statement that changing passwords is “a best practice and will help enhance security for eBay users.”
Cyberattackers compromised a small number of employee log-in credentials, allowing unauthorized access to eBay’s corporate network, the company said. Working with law enforcement and leading security experts, the company is aggressively investigating the matter and applying the best forensics tools and practices to protect customers.
The database, which was compromised between late February and early March, included eBay customers’ name, encrypted password, email address, physical address, phone number and date of birth. However, the database did not contain financial information or other confidential personal information. The company said that the compromised employee log-in credentials were first detected about two weeks ago. Extensive forensics subsequently identified the compromised eBay database, resulting in the company’s announcement today.
The company said it has seen no indication of increased fraudulent account activity on eBay. The company also said it has no evidence of unauthorized access or compromises to personal or financial information for PayPal users. PayPal data is stored separately on a secure network, and all PayPal financial information is encrypted.
Beginning later today, eBay users will be notified via email, site communications and other marketing channels to change their password. In addition to asking users to change their eBay password, the company said it also is encouraging any eBay user who utilized the same password on other sites to change those passwords, too. The same password should never be used across multiple sites or accounts.
Max Ernst (German, 1891-1976), ‘Homme,’ silver cast sculpture. Estmate: $70,000-$90,000. Capo Auction image.
NEW YORK – At Capo Auction Fine Art and Antiques’ final spring auction on Saturday, May 31, will feauture a Max Ernst (German, 1891-1976) silver cast sculpture titled Homme that was conceived in 1960 and cast by 1970. It’s from an edition of 1/6 with two artist’s proofs, is stamped with signature and numbered “exemplaire d’ auteur 2/2.”
It carries the serial number 1523/1848 on the underside and is stamped with silversmith’s mark on the back of the base. The sculpture stands 11 1/4 inches high and includes a custom fitted box and certificate of authenticity issued by Pierre Hugo, with an estimated value of $70,000-$90,000.
LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding.
Another Max Ernst sculpture, from the same owner, will also be offered. This one, Cheri Bibi is in bronze with black patina, was conceived in 1964 and cast before 1973 by Valsuani Paris. It’s signed, numbered 62/175 and stamped by the foundry on its plinth. It stands 13 1/4 inches high. This work is estimated at $8,000-$10,000.
Both pieces come from a prominent Manhattan collector and were acquired from Galerie Frederic Gollong, St. Paul-de-Vence, by the family of the present owner in 1992.
Also featured at Capo Auction this month, from the same collector, is the Cesar Baldaccini (Italian, 1921-1998) sculpture Compression made of compressed flatware. It’s signed on the side, is 11 inches high and 5 3/4 inches wide. This piece was also acquired from Galerie Frederic Gollong, St. Paul-de-Vence, in 1984 and is estimated at $50,000-$70,000.
Ad Reinhardt (American, 1913-1967), Untitled (Blue-Purple Painting), 1952, oil on canvas, 36 x 24 inches (91.4 x 61.0 cm), bears inscription, includes artist’s original painted strip frame. Estimate: $1 million-$1.5 million. Heritage Auctions image. DALLAS – Untitled (Blue-Purple Painting), 1952, Ad Reinhardt’s minimalist masterwork, is expected to bring $1 million as part of a 370-lot Modern & Contemporary Art Signature® Auction May 31 at Heritage. Works by giants ranging from Jasper Johns, Andy Warhol, and Robert Rauschenberg and sculpture by Fernando Botero, Joan Miró and François-Xavier Lalanne, among others, will be offered.
LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding.
The auction is the first for the venue in 2014 and comes on the heels of Heritage’s April 23 $1.2 million 20th and 21st Century Design Auction and the firm’s nearly $4 million sales of Modern & Contemporary Art in November 2013.
“The Reinhardt has a wonderful provenance and represents the fresh-to-market character of this auction,” said Frank Hettig, director of modern and contemporary art. “Like most works offered, the iconic work has remained with the same family of collectors for generations.”
Known for his geometric paintings, Reinhardt’s Untitled (Blue-Purple Painting), 1952, is an excellent example from the artist’s celebrated monochrome abstractions. The work is a model combination of varying hues and a masterwork by the pioneer of conceptual and minimal art. It was acquired by the late Ethel Epstein, an art collector and a founder of the New York Studio School and the Washington D.C. Gallery of Modern Art. Epstein’s husband, Henry, served as a New York State Supreme Court Justice while Mrs. Epstein served as the labor secretary under New York mayor Fiorello H. LaGuardia.
Additional highlights include two paintings by Sam Francis, Untitled, 1988, an expressive use of color and a signature example of the artist’s vibrant abstract work of his later years (est. $300,000+), and Bright Saddle, 1985, (est. $150,000+). The Umbrellas (Project for Japan and USA), 1987, by Christo and Jeanne-Claude (est. $120,000+) is one of six works by the American artist on offer. Andy Warhol is well represented with $ (9), 1982 (est. $80,000+), 25 Cats Name(d) Sam and One Blue Pussy, circa 1954 (est. $40,000+), Life Savers (from the Ads series), 1985 (est. $30,000+), and Flowers, 1964 (est. $10,000+).
The auction also features 17 works by Robert Rauschenberg, spanning 30 years of his career, including Rush I (from the Cloister series), 1980 (est. $200,000+) and Apple Run (Shiner), 1988 (est. $150,000+) from the peak of his rich body of work produced in the 1980s to his pop-culture-infused screenprints such as L.A. Uncovered #3, 1998 (est. 10,000+).
Leading the selection of Latin American artists is Fernando Botero’s Hand with Cigarette, 1981, (est. $180,000+) and three works from Gunther Gerzso to include Rojo-Azul-Naranja, 1973 (est. $25,000+); Calle de Tequisquipan, 1961 (est. $15,000+); and Untitled, bronze, (est. $8,000+).
A selection of sculpture includes three works by François-Xavier Lalanne, Bélier (Ram) (from Les Nouveaux Moutons), 1994, (est. $50,000+) and editions of Mouton transhumant, 1987, (est. $50,000+ each) as well as Le Pèlerin (The Pilgrim), 1972, a bronze by Joan Miró (est. $70,000+) and Machine Guns, 1973, (est. $40,000+) by Arman.
Highlights from the Estate of Ray Frost Fleming, a Cranbrook Academy of Art graduate, notable studio artist, and owner of the Robert Kidd Gallery in Birmingham, Michigan, include contemporary works from Larry Rivers, such as The Young Archer, 1995, (est. $25,000+) and Moses, 1978, a mud, reeds and steel sculpture by Deborah Butterfield (est. $25,000+).
Works on paper by Italian artist and composer Giacomo Balla range from Compenetrazione Bis, 1913, (est. $25,000+) to Study for the Line of Velocity No. 2 (double-sided), circa 1913 (est. $7,000+).
Additional highlights include, but are not limited by:
Feed Folks, 1974, by David Hammons (est. $120,000+).
Savarin, 1977, by Jasper Johns (est. $100,000+).
Collage with Stick Figures-Journal au profil, 1964, by Pablo Picasso (est. $50,000+).
Parking Lots, (the complete set, group of 30), 1967/1999, by Ed Ruscha (est. $50,000+).
Easter Realness #1, 2003, by Kehinde Wiley (est. $40,000+).
Ad Reinhardt (American, 1913-1967), Untitled (Blue-Purple Painting), 1952, oil on canvas, 36 x 24 inches (91.4 x 61.0 cm), bears inscription, includes artist’s original painted strip frame. Estimate: $1 million-$1.5 million. Heritage Auctions image.
Sam Francis (American, 1923-1994), Untitled, 1988, acrylic on canvas, 79 1/4 x 120 inches (201.3 x 304.8 cm). Estimate: $300,000-$400,000. Heritage Auctions image.
Christo And Jeanne-Claude, ‘The Umbrellas (Project for Japan and USA),’ 1987, graphite, charcoal, pastel, wax crayon; map and acrylic on paper collage laid down on panel, in two parts, together: 65 x 57 inches (165.1 x 144.8 cm). Estimate: $120,000-$180,000. Heritage Auctions image.
Andy Warhol (American, 1928-1987), ‘Life Savers’ (from the Ads series), 1985, screenprint in colors, 38 x 38 inches (96.5 x 96.5 cm) sheet, ed. 182/190. Estimate: $30,000-$50,000. Heritage Auctions image.
Robert Rauschenberg (American, 1925-2008), ‘Rush I’ (from the Cloister series), 1980, solvent transfer on paper and collage laid on panel, 98 1/4 x 74 inches (249.7 x 188.0 cm) sight. Estimate: $200,000-$300,000. Heritage Auctions image.
Fernando Botero (Columbian, b. 1932), ‘Hand with Cigarette,’ 1981, bronze with brown patina, 35 x 21 x 19-3/4 inches (88.9 x 53.3 x 50.2 cm), ed. 2/6, signed and stamped with foundry mark: ‘Botero 2/6 Fonderia / M / Italy.’ Estimate: $118,000-$220,000. Heritage Auctions image.
Larry Rivers (American, 1925-2002), ‘The Young Archer,’ 1995, oil on canvas mounted on sculpted foamboard, 56 1/2 x 45 x 5 inches (143.5 x 114.3 x 12.7 cm). Property from the Estate of Ray F. Fleming, Birmingham, Mich. Estimate: $25,000-$35,000. Heritage Auctions image.
The inscription on the back of the pocket watch commemorating the 25th anniversary of the opening of Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. Image courtesy of SCP Auctions.
LOS ANGELES (AP) – A gold pocket watch owned by baseball Hall of Famer Babe Ruth has sold for $650,108 at an auction in Southern California.
SCP Auctions said Sunday that the watch was from the 25th anniversary celebration in 1948 of the opening of Yankee Stadium. The stadium came to be dubbed “The House That Ruth Built” because of the number of fans the baseball legend drew to the venue.
SCP says other top sales include a 1965 Sandy Koufax-autographed L.A. Dodgers home jersey worn in a game that fetched $268,664. The auction house says Satchel Paige’s 1971 National Baseball Hall of Fame induction ring set a world record for a baseball-related ring, selling for $259,642.
More than 1,000 sports memorabilia items were sold Sunday for a total of $4.5 million.
Copyright 2014 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
AP-WF-05-18-14 2323GMT
ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE
The inscription on the back of the pocket watch commemorating the 25th anniversary of the opening of Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. Image courtesy of SCP Auctions.The Longines pocket watch presented to Babe Ruth, which sold for $650,108 on Sunday. Image courtesy of SCP Auctions.
Copyright Damien Hirst and Science Ltd. All rights reserved, DACS 2014.CANNES, France (AP) – Famed British artist Damien Hirst has created a gilded woolly mammoth skeleton encased in a gold tank to be auctioned off at the annual amfAR Cinema Against AIDS gala this week.
Titled “Gone but not Forgotten,” the three-meter mammal joins Hirst’s famous shark in formaldehyde and bisected cow in his “Natural History” series.
The one-of-a kind piece is expected to raise millions of dollars for the charity’s work in the fight against AIDS. Past auction items have included a trip to space with Leonardo DiCaprio and a kiss from George Clooney.
Held at the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, the amfAR gala is one of the highlights of the Cannes Film Festival attracting support from global stars such as Sharon Stone, Heidi Klum and Aishwarya Rai. This year’s guest list includes Jessica Chastain, Berenice Bejo, Adrien Brody and Robin Thicke, who will perform at Thursday’s event.
