June 16, 2014 - Auction Central News

Dreweatts & Bloomsbury to sell works by WWI artist June 27, July 3

C.R.W. Nevinson (1889-1946), 'The Road from Arras to Bapaume,' lithograph, 1918. Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions image.

LONDON – An early painting from C.R.W. Nevinson’s rare series of aerial battles, Bridge of the Thames, will appear at auction for the first time on Friday, June 27. A print of The Road from Arras to Bapaume, purchased by Capt. Samuel Davenport Charles (1886-1962) in 1919 as an evocative memento of his service in Arras, France, will also be offered alongside the war hero’s medals in a sale of modern and contemporary prints at Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions on Thursday, July 3. LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding.

Capt. Samuel Davenport Charles of the Lincolnshire Yeomanry was stationed at Arras during World War I. Serving with distinction, he was awarded the Military Cross for his exemplary gallantry on the Western Front, and was later awarded the Imperial Service Order for his work in civilian life as Principal of the Ministry of Town and Country Planning.

The London Gazette on Sept. 16, 1918 read: “Captain Samuel Davenport Charles, Yeo(manry). For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. Throughout six days’ operations this officer did splendid work until badly wounded. Whilst hold (sic) a railway line he kept the enemy at bay the whole day, his offensive patrolling being of great value, and carried out with conspicuous judgment. On the last day he beat off four determined attacks, and when wounded in the arm and side he remained on duty till all was quiet.”

In 1919, soon after being demobilized from the British Army, Capt. Samuel Davenport Charles happened upon this print of The Road from Arras to Bapaume by the Great War artist C.R.W. Nevinson at the Leicester Gallery in London where Nevinson’s held his first solo exhibition.

With Arras and his time on the Western Front fresh in his memory, the captain purchased this haunting image of the area where he served, as a meaningful pictorial memento of not only his service, but also as a reminder of his remarkable bravery and survival at the Western Front, where so many sadly perished.

This poignant lithograph print is signed in pencil and is estimated to achieve £40,000-£60,000 [Lot 16]. The group of six medals awarded to Capt. Samuel Davenport Charles with be offered in a separate lot estimated at £1,500-£2,000 [Lot 15].

Much is known of Nevinson’s work as an official war artist from 1915-18, a large part of which continues to be housed at the Imperial War Museum in London. At the time, images like The Road from Arras to Bapaume were translated into lithography for an immediate wider audience, and their fame and popularity was sealed. Less is known about the artist’s work that focus on battles away from the trenches, those in the air and at sea.

One such example is an oil on canvas, Bridge over the Thames, circa 1920, which will be appearing at auction for the first time in a sale at Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions Modern & Contemporary Art sale on Friday, June 27.

An RAF biplane is engaged in an aerial battle with a German Fokker bomber over the skies of London. Particular attention is paid to the cloud formations the aircrafts are weaving through, but through the clearing one can clearly see the River Thames winding its way into the distance.

Nevinson is known to have continued painting these aerial battles well into the 1920s, of which the current work is probably an example. It was acquired directly from the artist by Mary Smith, the grandmother of the current owner. The painting is estimated to achieve £40,000-£60,000 [Lot 11].

The Modern & Contemporary Art sale will be held on Friday, June 27, followed by Modern & Contemporary Prints sale on Thursday, July 3.

View the fully illustrated catalog and register to bid absentee or live via the Internet as the sale is taking place by logging on to www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

Medals awarded to Capt. Samuel Davenport Charles for valor while serving in France during World War I. Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions image.

C.R.W. Nevinson's 'Bridge over the Thames,' oil on canvas, circa 1920. Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions image. — C.R.W. Nevinson’s ‘Bridge over the Thames,’ oil on canvas, circa 1920. Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions image.

Sigmar Polke exhibition coming to Tate Modern in October

Sigmar Polke (1941-2010), 'Girlfriends' (Freundinnen) 1965/66, © 2013 Estate of Sigmar Polke / ARS, New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn

LONDON – “Alibis: Sigmar Polke 1963-2010,” the first full retrospective of the German artist’s career, will be on exhibit at Tate Modern Oct. 9 through Feb. 8.

Sigmar Polke (1941-2010) was one of the most experimental artists of recent times. Alongside Gerhard Richter and Blinky Palermo, Polke was a key figure in the generation of German artists who first emerged in the 1960s. This autumn Tate Modern will bring together paintings, films, sculptures, notebooks, slide projections and photocopies from across five decades, including works that have never before been exhibited.

“Alibis: Sigmar Polke 1963-2010” will be the first exhibition to fully encompass the enormously varied range of materials with which Polke worked. He explored ideas of contamination and transformation, working with antiquated and sometimes poisonous pigments, extracting dye from boiled snails, and using materials as varied as gold leaf, meteorite powder, bubble wrap, potatoes and soot. Photographs were made by exposing the paper to uranium, while paintings were created by brushing photosensitive chemicals onto canvas. The exhibition will include several films where Polke played with double-exposure, just as paintings would have layers of transparent imagery.

Polke was born in Silesia, in present day Poland, in 1941. As World War II ended, Polke’s family fled to East Germany, and then to West Germany in 1953. In the 1960s, while a student at the influential Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, he created sharp critiques of the growing consumer society of West Germany, transcribing by hand the cheaply printed images he found in mass media to create such works as Girlfriends (Freundinnen) 1965/1966. Political and social commentary was a constant thread throughout Polke’s work, from The Sausage Eater 1963 to Police Pig (Polizeischwein) 1986. His irreverent attitude and ironic humor were products of the cynicism with which he viewed all forms of authority, and he often confronted the remnants of National Socialism in his imagery, for instance in his haunting series of Watch Towers from the mid-’80s which evoke the structures on the perimeters of concentration camps.

The radical cultures of the 1970s played a role not only in Polke’s art but also in his eccentric and unconventional lifestyle. He experimented with hallucinogenic substances and made many works featuring mushrooms. In 1973, he moved to a farm to live and work collaboratively with family, friends and other artists. He also traveled extensively and works in the exhibition will reveal the impact of his visits to Afghanistan, Pakistan, Brazil, Australia, Papua New Guinea and New York.

Polke became even more experimental toward the end of his career, pushing the boundaries between different media right up until his death in 2010. The exhibition will show how he used photocopiers to make new distorted compositions, while the Lens Paintings made in the 2000s attempt to emulate holograms in their use of semi-transparent layers of materials.

“Alibis: Sigmar Polke 1963 – 2010” is curated at Tate Modern by Mark Godfrey, curator of international art, Tate Modern, and Kasia Radeisz, assistant curator, Tate Modern. The exhibition is a collaboration with the Museum of Modern Art, New York, where it was curated by Kathy Halbreich, associate director, and Lanka Tattersall. The exhibition has been organized by the Museum of Modern Art, New York with Tate Modern and will travel to the Museum Ludwig, Cologne, next spring.

ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE

Max Ernst, Rosetta works leave impression at Capo Auction

Max Ernst (German, 1891-1976), 'Homme,' silver cast sculpture, conceived in 1960, cast by 1970. Price realized: $60,000. Capo Auction Fine Art and Antiques image.

NEW YORK – Capo Auction Fine Art and Antiques’ final spring auction on Saturday, May 31, featured two sculptures that generated a lot of attention leading up to the sale.

All items were available via Internet live bidding through LiveAuctioneers.

The impressive 5-foot-high Rosetta (Jan Schockner) (American, 20th century) bronze Vigilance, also known as the MGM Lion, on a marble base, which was signed, dated 1996 and numbered 1/10, sold for $9,000.

The much sought after Max Ernst (German, 1891-1976) silver cast sculpture titled Homme that was conceived in 1960 and cast by 1970 sold for $60,000. It’s from an edition of 1/6 with two artist’s proofs, was stamped with signature and numbered exemplaire d’ auteur 2/2. It carries the serial number 1523/1848 (on underside) and is stamped with silversmith’s mark on the back of the base. This sculpture stands 11 1/4 inches high and includes a custom fitted box and certificate of authenticity issued by Pierre Hugo.

Capo Auction’s other Max Ernst sculpture, this one in bronze with black patina, sold for $18,000, much higher than its $ 8,000-$10,000 estimate. Cheri Bibi was conceived in 1964 and cast before 1973, having been cast by Valsuani Paris. It’s signed, numbered 62/175 and stamped by foundry (on plinth), standing 13 1/4 inches.

Both Max Ernst pieces came from come from a prominent Manhattan collector and was acquired from Galerie Frederic Gollong, St. Paul-de-Vence by the family of the present owner in 1992.

Click here to view the fully illustrated catalog for this sale, complete with prices realized.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

Rosetta (Jan Schockner) (American, 20th century), 'Vigilance (MGM Lion),' bronze with marble base, 1996, signed, dated and numbered 1/10, height 60 inches. Price realized: $9,000. Capo Auction Fine Art and Antiques image. — Rosetta (Jan Schockner) (American, 20th century), ‘Vigilance (MGM Lion),’ bronze with marble base, 1996, signed, dated and numbered 1/10, height 60 inches. Price realized: $9,000. Capo Auction Fine Art and Antiques image.

Max Ernst (German, 1891-1976), sculpture 'Cheri Bibi,' bronze with black patina, conceived in 1964 and cast before 1973, cast by Valsuani, Paris. Price realized: $18,000. Capo Auction Fine Art and Antiques image. — Max Ernst (German, 1891-1976), sculpture ‘Cheri Bibi,’ bronze with black patina, conceived in 1964 and cast before 1973, cast by Valsuani, Paris. Price realized: $18,000. Capo Auction Fine Art and Antiques image.

Auction Gallery of the Palm Beaches to host June 23 Summer Estates Auction

Yaacov Agam (Israeli, born 1928), ‘Paris Memory,’ verso signed, titled and inscribed ‘1969-1982,’ acrylic on aluminum corrugated panel, 21 inches x 17 3/4 inches. Estimate: $40,000-$60,000. Auction Gallery of the Palm Beaches Inc. image.

W. PALM BEACH, Fla. – Auction Gallery of the Palm Beaches Inc. will conduct an Important Summer Estates Auction of Fine Art and Antiques on Monday, June 23. The auction features the property of Jacqueline Goldman of Palm Beach and Paris, France. Goldman, who is a well-known local philanthropist, is downsizing her Palm Beach home. Goldman, along with her brother, Nicolas Landau, were the consignors of a one-owner auction at Sotheby’s in Paris in April 2013. The auction will have 300 lots of French antiques, fine art, Chinese porcelains, a collection of 17th-19th century silver beakers, jades, and Oriental antiques with additional consignments from South Florida and the Palm Beaches.

LiveAuctioneers.com will facilitate Internet live bidding. The auction will begin at 6 p.m. Eastern.

The auction is certainly an eclectic collection from a lady dignitary who was a world traveler and collected over a lifetime. The objects range from 17th century bronzes and Bibles to contemporary art from Yaacov Agam. Fine French furniture is featured with Lot 187; with a late 18th century carved and painted giltwood console desserte with provenance from Mallett, London and New York, with an estimate of $15,000-$20,000. Lots 24 to 26 are Renaissance period bronzes of draped figures, each no more than 7 inches, that are rare and unusual. Also, there are two early Bibles that have not seen the light of day in many years. Both Lot 232, a copy of a 1715 Bible by John Baskett, and Lot 233, an Imperial-size Bible by John Field dated 1660 are heavily illustrated with full-sheet engravings that are rare and desirable. They are estimated at $2,500-$3,000 and $5,000-$7,000 respectively.

In contrast to the antiques is Lot 238 an original acrylic on corrugated aluminum by Israeli artist Yaacov Agam. The work titled Paris Memory was painted by the artist over the years from 1969-1982 and reflects the variety and eclecticism in the collection. The works by Agam are well known for their abstract and kinetic qualities with optical illusions. The painting is estimated at $40,000-$60,000. Goldman and the artist are friends, and this work was specially created for the consignor. Agam has important public work projects all over the world and recently celebrated his 86th birthday.

Additionally, the auction will feature a fresh selection of American, European and Latin American fine art to include Lot 255 a watercolor by internationally known local artist Stephen Scott Young (b. 1958). The painting is a study portrait of a young black man, Quenton, a subject he has painted before. Young is considered as one of the premier watercolorists of our time. His sensitive and detailed brushwork is compared to be in the ranks with Homer and Whistler’s work. The watercolor is estimated at $10,000-$15,000. Lot 54 is a good American painting of cows watering titled The Pond, Morning by Henry Singlewood Bisbing (1849-1933). Bisbing was a student of master Belgian animal painter JHL de Haas (1832-1908) in Brussels, who called Bisbing a great animal painter. The painting is in estate found condition and will have an estimate of $3,000-$4,000. Additional art by Edmund Adler, Victor Henry Lesur, Ernest Lawson, Rufino Tamayo, Alexander Calder, Ruth Schloss and Angelo Asti will be offered.

At last month’s auction held on May 12 and 13, a fine quality white type-A jade mountain, 4 inches high, with provenance from Spink & Co., London, soared past its estimate of $15,000-$18,000 to sell to an internet bidder for $145,000. In contrast, Lot 261 is a monumental work in green jade of nine realistic dragons chasing the flaming pearl above the clouds. While the piece is certainly contemporary and not the fine type-A jade serious collectors are attracted to, this piece is carved from one solid piece and is certainly a showstopper. This is the largest piece of jade ever offered for sale by the gallery and has an estimate of $30,000-$40,000.

Auction Gallery of the Palm Beaches Inc. is celebrating their 11th year in business with this sale and has gained an outstanding reputation for offering good and fine estate art and antique property at auction. The gallery’s first auction was held on LiveAuctioneers in June 2003 and at the end of last year the gallery passed their 100th auction on-line.

Commenting on the auction business, gallery president Brian Kogan stated, “The on-line auction business has revolutionized the bidder participation at auction and with this unprecedented technology has been unprecedented returns for the consignors and the gallery. The auctions are now seen with live audio/video feed for the bidders console, so they feel the action in the room, and this is has been a real boon for bidding.”

View the fully illustrated catalog and register to bid absentee or live via the Internet as the sale is taking place by logging on to www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

Rare and early copy of ‘The Holy Bible’ containing the books of the Old and New Testament, Cambridge, printed by John Field, Printer to the Universitie, 1660, with full-sheet engravings by P. Lombart and W. Hollar, 17 inches x 11 inches. Auction Gallery of the Palm Beaches Inc. image.

French Empire carved, painted and giltwood console desserte, late 18th century, with later marble top. Estimate: $15,000-$20,000. Provenance: Mallett & Sons, London, New York. Auction Gallery of the Palm Beaches Inc. image.

Outstanding carved jade group, Chinese, 20th century, the pale green stone carved with nine realistic dragons chasing the flaming pearl above the clouds, height 31inches, width 48 inches, depth 23 1/2 inches. Auction Gallery of the Palm Beaches Inc. image.

Henry Singlewood Bisbing (American, 1849-1933), ‘The Pond, Morning,’ oil on canvas, 20 inches x 29 inches. Auction Gallery of the Palm Beaches Inc. image.

Stephen Scott Young (American, born 1957), ‘Study for Quenton,’ signed upper left in ink and inscribed lower left, ‘Quenton Study 198?, watercolor on paper. Auction Gallery of the Palm Beaches Inc. image.

Gilt bronze figure of Sakyamuni Buddha, Mongolian, seated in dhyanasana, holding a vessel in each hand, hair tightly curled and seated on a double lotus base, 10 5/8 inches. Auction Gallery of the Palm Beaches Inc. image.

Dior to return as lead sponsor of Guggenheim Int’l Gala

The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City. Image courtesy of The Guggenheim.

NEW YORK — After sponsoring the highly successful 2013 Guggenheim International Gala (GIG), Dior is returning as lead sponsor for the prestigious art museum’s 2014 edition of the festive event.

Richard Armstrong, Director, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation; Jennifer Blei Stockman, President, Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation; Sidney Toledano, President and CEO, Christian Dior Couture; and Raf Simons, Artistic Director, Christian Dior Couture, made the announcement today.

GIG 2014 will take place November 5 and 6. The event will honor artists Carrie Mae Weems, whose retrospective was on view at the museum this spring; Heinz Mack, Otto Piene, and Günther Uecker. Additional honores include well as members of the German artist group Zero, whose work will be presented in the exhibition ZERO: Countdown to Tomorrow, 1950s–60s, on view at the museum from October 10, 2014, through January 7, 2015; and Beijing-based contemporary artist Wang Jianwei, whose commissioned work will be exhibited in Wang Jianwei: Time Temple, on view at the museum from October 31, 2014, through February 16, 2015.

Visit the Guggenheim website at www.guggenheim.org.

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ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE

Modern families choosing cash over ‘stuff’ and sentiment

This Chickering mahogany baby grand piano, circa 1934, together with a mahogany music bench, sold for $500 at an auction in New Orleans last year. Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers.com archive and Crescent City Auction Gallery.

HUNTINGTON, Ind. (AP) – A few weeks ago, Jean Allen found herself revisiting a stately Victorian-style home in Huntington to wait while someone picked up an antique grand piano.

The piano was a Chickering, a quality name, from the early part of the last century and in relatively good shape, Allen says. A generation ago, such an item might have been jealously passed down among members of a family.

But not anymore. Folks just aren’t holding on to family heirlooms the way they used to, Allen says.

“It was beautiful, and I sold it for a pittance,” says Allen, owner of JS Allen Estate Sales of Monroeville, Ind., a company that helps people clean out houses and liquidate their contents.

“Children don’t know what to do with all this stuff, and don’t have room for it, and just get to the point that they throw their hands up and say, ‘This has got to go,’” she tells The Journal Gazette.

It’s a trend that dealers in used items and antiques around the region have noticed. They point to a variety of reasons folks are ditching family heirlooms.

Families are smaller, with fewer brothers and sisters among whom to divide possessions, they say. A plethora of baby boomers are downsizing. The cost of moving or storing bulky items such as furniture is high, and rapidly changing technology makes things obsolete more quickly.

Even decorating and lifestyle trends play a role.

Got a dining room set with a giant matching hutch stacked with Grandma’s fine china? Some homes don’t even have dining rooms, so not everyone can use the furniture, Allen says.

And as for those old dishes, if they’ve got gold or silver trim, they won’t go into today’s microwave or dishwasher. “Nobody wants to wash dishes by hand,” she says.

Besides, adds Ron Wiegmann, owner of Wiegmann Auctioneers, 812 E. Tillman Road, “With men and women working and kids playing sports, it’s paper plates and plastic forks and eating out. The china and dinnerware doesn’t mean as much.

“The younger generation, I think, are kind of letting the family heirlooms go,” he adds. “Some families are more sentimental than others, but most of them are turning them into cash.”

While the trend to dispose of items might seem to mean a boom for their businesses, auctioneers and antiques dealers say the trend cuts both ways – the stuff that people want to sell is often the same stuff people don’t want to buy.

Shirley Ward, who works in sales at Stollers Antique Mall, 909 Coliseum Blvd. N., says collectible porcelain dolls are a case in point.

The dolls were popular as decorator items in the 1980s and ’90s, and some cost hundreds of dollars then, she says. But few want them today, so they’re not worth as much at resale.

“They’re nice dolls, but there’s thousands of them,” she says.

“Even Barbies don’t sell like they used to.”

And, as for collectible plates and figurines – well, let’s just say they’re going through a down market phase, too.

“Cherished Teddies, and Hummels and Pretty as a Picture, Precious Moments – we’ve got hundreds of them. We carry them, and people still buy them, if you get the right buyer or somebody just broke one.

“But we’re not looking to buy more.”

With eBay and other resale websites, people don’t see such items as being as scarce as they once might have when the only place they could get them was the village gift shop, Ward says.

Allen says she often has to deliver bad pricing news to clients.

For example, she often wants to split up bedroom sets because she’s found individual pieces sell better. Most new homes today have walk-in closets with built-in storage, so folks don’t want those bulky matching dressers, she’s found.

“People don’t have that kind of space anymore,” she says. And, she notes, a single item doesn’t require as big an outlay on the part of a buyer.

“You see all these people (selling items) struggle because everybody thinks their stuff is worth 10 times more than it is.”

However, some people are finding new ways to hang on to sentimental items, says Debra McClintock, in sales with Keepsake Threads, 7615 W. Jefferson Blvd.

That business takes textiles with sentimental value and repurposes them into items for display, décor or other reuse.

Among the company’s products have been stuffed animals made from a deceased husband’s ties, a quilt made with a grandmother’s old dresses and scarves made from old handkerchiefs.

“We also can incorporate text, like love letters or Grandma’s recipes, and photos. If it can be scanned into a computer, we can print it on fabric,” she says.

“A lot of people have things in a closet, textiles, that they got from Mom and Grandmom, and they don’t know what to do with them. Instead of knowing things are there and thinking, ‘What can I do with them?’ why not do something,” McClintock adds.

Repurposed items can become cherished gifts for occasions such as weddings, anniversaries, christenings and birthdays, she says.

Indeed, Wiegmann says, many of the heirloom items that sell quickly today are inexpensive items that people turn into other things.

He recalls an old farm implement, a rotary hoe that a buyer bought to turn the wheel into a wall hanging.

“A stuffed chair that you paid $300 for – it might go for $30,” he says. But an old metal gasoline sign might fetch $300.

“You see crazy prices on oil cans and gasoline signs,” Wiegmann says. “Crazy stuff. They (buyers) want goofy stuff nowadays.”

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Information from: The Journal Gazette, http://www.journalgazette.net

AP-WF-06-12-14 2008GMT

ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE

Chinese bronze vessel sells for $722,500 at Hindman auction

Chinese bronze ritual gong vessel having a fitted cover depicting a horned beast. Price realized: $722,500. Leslie Hindman Auctioneers image.

CHICAGO – A Chinese bronze ritual gong vessel sold for $722,500 at Leslie Hindman Auctioneers’ Wednesday, June 11 sale of Asian Works of Art from the Collection of Phillip and Kay Cha.

Leslie Hindman Auctioneers followed up on Thursday, June 12 with an “Asian Marketplace” auction, again with impressive results bolstered by online bidding through LiveAuctioneers.com. On that day a LiveAuctioneers.com bidder created excitement by buying a Chinese polychrome decorated ceramic figure of a lama estimated at $400-$600 for $266,200.

LiveAuctioneers.com facilitated Internet bidding for both auctions.

Online bidders utilizing LiveAuctioneers.com made their presence known in Hindman’s “Asian Marketplace” session, adding $407,255 to the gross. The sell-through rate by number of lots purchased by LiveAuctioneers bidders was a substantial 44.24 percent. Just over 3,400 visitors viewed the online catalog for Thursday’s event. More than 380 absentee bids were placed through LiveAuctioneers for Hindman’s Asian Marketplace sale, and there were 982 underbids from online bidders.

Wednesday’s session featured Chinese works of art assembled by Phillip and Kay Cha over a period of more than 30 years. The sale included paintings, ceramics and furniture from both their private collection and Asian House, their Chicago gallery.

The auction’s top three lots on Wednesday alone grossed more than a million dollars. The gong vessel attracted numerous buyers who flew into Chicago to view it firsthand, and had been in the Chas’ personal collection for several years after having been purchased decades ago from the storied Gurie Gallery in Montreal.

A gui vessel, also with Gurie Gallery provenance, sold for $266,500; and a yu, an unusual ritual vessel covered with pointed “bosses,” each brought $182,500. Both bronzes bear archaic inscriptions and were part of the Chas’ personal collection, kept and admired in their Chicago home for several years.

“Mr. and Mrs. Cha are two of the warmest, most generous, and intelligent people that anyone could meet. The success of this auction reflects their discerning taste and intuition in this field,” said Phyllis Kao, director of Asian works of art at Leslie Hindman Auctioneers.

Another highlight of the sale was an important Chinese painting on silk, which sold for $55,440 after a long struggle between telephone and online bidders. The painting depicted Vanavasa meditating in a grotto, and once hung in the Chas’ sitting room.

Click here to view the fully illustrated catalogs for these sales, complete with prices realized, on LiveAuctioneers.com.

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Click here to view the fully illustrated catalog for this sale, complete with prices realized.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

Chinese polychrome decorated ceramic figure of a lama, 13 3/4 inches. Price realized: $266.200. Leslie Hindman Auctioneers image.

Chinese bronze ritual gui vessel, early Western Zhou style. Price realized: $266,500. Leslie Hindman Auctioneers image.

Bronze yu ritual food vessel. Price realized: $182,500. Leslie Hindman Auctioneers image.

Chinese painting on silk of Vanavasa meditating, anonymous, late Song Dynasty or later. Price realized: $55,440. Leslie Hindman Auctioneers image.

Stephenson’s to auction dolls, toys and Lionel trains, June 20

Lionel pre-war train set. Stephenson's Auction image

SOUTHAMPTON, Pa. – Dolls, toys and trains representing a timeline of more than 130 years will cross the auction block on Friday, June 20th at Stephenson’s in suburban Philadelphia. The 400-lot offering spans a legacy of toy making that begins with a cast-iron African-American-themed “Jolly” bank made in 1883 and runs all the way through the boomer era, represented by lithographed-tin toys of the 1950s-’60s, Lionel trains, and dolls. Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

“The auction includes a mixed selection with approximately half of the lots being dolls and the other fifty percent divided almost evenly between trains and toys of various types,” said Cindy Stephenson, owner of Stephenson’s Auctioneers & Appraisers.

Impressed with a patent date of March 2, 1883, the Shepard Hardware “Jolly” bank is estimated at $400-$800. It is the only mechanical bank in the sale, but is accompanied by several still banks and circa-1960 Book of Knowledge banks that faithfully replicate antique productions.

A wide variety of toys will be offered, including 1960s GI Joes – most of them boxed and many with vehicles; pressed-steel trucks by Tonka and Nylint; and Matchbox by Lesney die-cast toy cars. Tin toys are led by colorful carnival rides: a roller coaster and Ferris wheel by Chein, and a Wolverine carousel with horses, riders and airplanes. A varied array of miniature lead figures – some manufactured by the prestigious Britains company of England – features both military and civilian examples. The figures will be sold in group lots.

A box containing 12 sets of magic lantern slides – each set comprised of 12 slides – is stamped “Germany” and almost certainly dates back to the 1930s. “We believe each of the sets is the same, so the box was probably shipped to a retailer or distributor,” said Stephenson. One of the 12 sets was carefully unwrapped and revealed within its selection a slide depicting an early, long-snouted Mickey Mouse in an encounter with a bully.

Many of the trains in the sale are by Lionel, with both pre- and postwar types included. Among the top Lionel railway entries is a No. 5340 Hudson locomotive with 700T tender, est. $300-$500. A prewar No. 225E locomotive with 2235W tender, plus cars and caboose; and a No. 2360 postwar Pennsylvania electric locomotive are individually estimated at $200-$400. Always popular with collectors, train station and track accessories will be up for bid, as well.

There will be dolls to suit every taste and pocketbook. The list includes miniature German all-bisque dolls, a 14-inch Ideal composition Shirley Temple with original clothing, and a 21-inch composition Wendy-face doll designed in the 1940s by Madame Alexander. Several bisque-head dolls are entered in the sale – among them, one by Kestner and another by Simon & Halbig Heinrich Handwerck.

For the many collectors of early 1950s Vogue Ginny dolls, Stephenson’s will offer several desirable examples dressed in their original outfits, including some in novelty attire, such as a skating outfit.

A few older Barbies and dolls depicting Ken, Midge and other Barbie friends will cross the auction block, as well, together with original tagged clothing and a few Barbie trunks. Additionally, the doll portion of the sale will include accessories and RenWal doll house furniture.

A nice addition to the auction session is an assortment of vintage Christmas decorations. Many are mid-century productions made of shiny glass.

Stephenson’s Friday, June 20 Dolls, Toys & Trains Auction will commence at 10 a.m. Eastern Time at the company’s gallery located at 1005 Industrial Blvd., Southampton, PA 18966. Inspection is on Thursday, June 19 from 3-6 p.m., and on auction day from 9-10 a.m. A general antiques session will follow at 4 p.m.

For additional information on any lot in the sale, call Cindy Stephenson at 215-322-6182 or e-mail info@stephensonsauction.com. Visit Stephenson’s Auctioneers online at www.stephensonsauction.com.

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

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View the fully illustrated catalog and register to bid absentee or live via the Internet as the sale is taking place by logging on to www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

Madame Alexander Cissy doll. Stephenson's Auction image — Madame Alexander Cissy doll. Stephenson’s Auction image

21in Alexander Wendy-face doll. Stephenson's Auction image — 21in Alexander Wendy-face doll. Stephenson’s Auction image

1952 strung Vogue Ginny in 'Rich Aunt' trunk. Stephenson's Auction image — 1952 strung Vogue Ginny in ‘Rich Aunt’ trunk. Stephenson’s Auction image

Lionel 2360 Pennsylvania locomotive. Stephenson's Auction image — Lionel 2360 Pennsylvania locomotive. Stephenson’s Auction image

Collection of magic lantern slides in set box. Stephenson's Auction image — Collection of magic lantern slides in set box. Stephenson’s Auction image

Closeup of magic lantern slide showing early depiction of Mickey Mouse. Stephenson's Auction image — Closeup of magic lantern slide showing early depiction of Mickey Mouse. Stephenson’s Auction image

Kestner German bisque-head doll. Stephenson's Auction image — Kestner German bisque-head doll. Stephenson’s Auction image

Lionel No. 2340 Hudson locomotive and tender. Stephenson's Auction image — Lionel No. 2340 Hudson locomotive and tender. Stephenson’s Auction image

Shepard Hardware Co. cast-iron 'Jolly' mechanical bank. Stephenson's Auction image — Shepard Hardware Co. cast-iron ‘Jolly’ mechanical bank. Stephenson’s Auction image

Kovels Antiques & Collecting: Week of June 16, 2014

This pyramid-shaped tin lithographed can is hand-soldered. It probably was made before 1940. It sold for $4,830 at a William Morford auction in Cazenovia, N.Y., in March.

BEACHWOOD, Ohio – Vintage motor oil cans are popular among men. There is very little information available about the cans, but there’s a lot about the companies that made the oil. So it’s easy to date a can by its logo and style, which makes it easy to find great early examples.

The tin can was invented in 1810 to hold food for Napoleon’s army. Cans were made by hand in the early 19th century. About six could be made by one man in an hour. By 1900 the main products stored in tin cans were food and petroleum products. Cans made around the turn of the 20th century had a soldered seam on the side that looks like a gray strip.

Cardboard cans were introduced in the 1940s but were widely used from the 1950s to the 1980s. The first soft drink aluminum cans were used in 1953. The first aluminum cans for motor oil were made in 1958. The square cardboard quart oil can came into use in the 1960s.

Most popular with collectors are the quart size, then the gallon, then the 5-gallon, and it does not matter if the can is full or empty.

An unusual Marathon motor oil container sold in 2014 at a William Morford auction. It’s shaped and decorated to look like an oil well. The 15-inch-high can has the brand’s “Running Man” logo, a silhouette of an ancient Greek runner and the slogan “Best in the long run.” The logo dates back to the 1920s, but the brand was purchased by the Ohio Oil Co. in 1930.

Q: I have a New York Mets pennant from the 1969 World Series. It’s red with white and blue lettering that reads “New York Mets, 1969 National League Champions.” It has the Mets logo, Mr. Met, and the words “World Series.” The last names of all the players and the manager are listed. The pennant is in good condition. What is it worth?

A: The New York Mets was an expansion team that ended up in last place in 1962, its inaugural season, and second to last the following seasons until 1969, when they clinched the National League pennant. The “Miracle Mets” upset the Baltimore Orioles and won the World Series that year, too. Mets pennants like yours in good condition sell for about $50 to $100.

Q: We have a Fleischmann’s model steam engine that’s 9 1/2 inches tall. It’s in a box marked “Fleischmann 105/1” and “Western Germany.” There also are operating instructions. We can’t find a date or any other information, but it seems to be an old toy. Can you give us any information about this model?

A: Jean Fleischmann founded his toy company in 1877 in Nuremburg, Germany. The company began making steam toys after World War II. Model steam engines were made to power model trains and other toys. Fleischmann was taken over by Modelleisenbahn (Model Railways) in 2008 but continues as a separate brand. Your model steam engine was made between about 1950 and 1964. The steam engine sells for under $50.

Q: My small Victorian parlor table is made of oak. It has a shaped top and intricately turned legs and four little claw feet, each holding a little glass ball. I cannot find a mark or label. What would the table sell for today?

A: Those glass ball-and-claw feet were popular during the late Victorian Golden Oak period of furniture-making. If your table is in excellent condition, it could sell for $300 or more.

Q: I have a deck of playing cards with pictures of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, and his henchmen. The joker lists the ranks of Iraqi military next to ranks of the U.S. military. Can you tell me anything about these cards and their value?

A: A set of “personality identification playing cards” like yours was developed in 2003 to help members of the U.S. military identify “wanted” Iraqi government officials and party chairmen. Each card had the person’s picture, if available, his or her last known location, and their government or committee position. High-ranking officials were pictured on the aces and face cards, and less important people on low-number cards. Saddam Hussein was pictured on the highest-ranking card, the ace of spades. The day the deck of cards was announced, an enterprising civilian downloaded the images from the U.S. Department of Defense website and offered them for sale on eBay. Soon other people also were selling the cards. Decks of Iraqi Most Wanted Playing Cards have sold online for $5 or less.

Q: In the 1970s, I was a salesman for Wilson’s tennis equipment. I recently uncovered long-forgotten boxes of unused tennis rackets from the days when Wilson was far and away the leading manufacturer of rackets. The rackets are in perfect condition. Most of them have never been strung and most also come with a cover. Is there a market for these?

A: There is a market for vintage tennis rackets, although competitive players would never use them today – technology has improved rackets too much. You should contact a dealer or auctioneer who specializes in sports collectibles. And organize your collection and any related printed material to prove the age of each model. It is likely that a single racket could sell for $25 to $50.

Tip: Check wires and screw eyes before hanging an old picture.

Take advantage of a free listing for your group to announce events or to find antique shows, national meetings and other events. Go to the Calendar at Kovels.com to find, publicize and plan your antiquing trips.

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.

Postcard, “To Dear Dad,” flowers, anchor, embossed, 1908 postmark, $5.
Factory wheel tool, six spokes, wood, metal, Gifford Wood Co., Hudson, N.Y., circa 1900, 40 inches, $20.
Accordion, metal, cutout design, ivory keys, side strap handles, Alfred L. Fischer, case, 1950s, $70.
Cuff links, oval, mother-of-pearl, 10K gold, 3/4 inches, $120.
Teplitz pottery pitcher, applied dragon handle, berries, impressed Amphora mark, Austria, circa 1900, 11 inches, $270.
Shaving mug, occupational, cooper, man standing with barrel, gilt lettering, Haviland, stamped CFH/GDM, 1800s, 3 1/4 inches, $330.
Victorian chair, griffin-shaped arms, carved front legs, grotesque masks, shaped top rail, upholstered, late 1800s, 53 x 27 inches, $425.
Radiator cap topped by Indian hood ornament, headdress, thermometer, metal, H. Briand, Paris, circa 1930, 6 inches, $900.
Napoleon figurine, wearing coronation robes, porcelain, Scheibe-Alsbach mark, Germany, circa 1945, 14 inches, $1,000.
Cigar store Indian, standing, zinc, multicolor paint, William Demuth & Co., circa 1859, 65 inches, $2,070.

Contemporary, modern and mid-century ceramics made since 1950 are among the hottest collectibles today. Our special report, “Kovels’ Buyers’ Guide to Modern Ceramics: Mid-Century to Contemporary,” identifies important pottery by American and European makers. Includes more than 65 factories and 70 studio artists, each with a mark and dates. Works by major makers including Claude Conover, Guido Gambone, Lucie Rie, as well as potteries like Gustavsberg, Metlox and Sascha Brastoff, are shown in color photos. Find the “sleepers” at house sales and flea markets. Special Report, 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches, 64 pp. Available only from Kovels for $19.95 plus $4.95 postage and handling. Order by phone at 800-303-1996; online at www.Kovels.com; or mail to Kovels, Box 22900, Beachwood, OH 44122.

ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE

Jeffrey S. Evans sale features heirloom Americana June 21

Important folk art carved patriotic cane of exceptional quality attributed to Zachariah S. Robinson (Virginia/Illinois, 1806-1873). Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates.

MT. CRAWFORD, Va. – Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates will auction Americana and fine antiques in a sale slated for Saturday, June 21. Highlights of the auction include important material descended in early Virginia families including the Harris family of Buck Island Farm, Albemarle Co., material from a Rockingham County, Va., collection assembled in the 1970s, and additional estate property and private collections from Virginia, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Maryland, and New York.

LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding.

Several fine chairs lead the sale, including examples from Petersburg and Fredericksburg, both interpreting Chippendale style in Virginia, circa 1745-1760. The corner chair has a history in an old Richmond family; the side chair is attributed to the shop of Robert Walker (circa 1710-1777), of Fredericksburg. A rare Richmond Windsor writing-arm chair attributed to the shop of Andrew and Robert McKim (circa 1795-1805), is also on the block.

A group of seven fine school maps, executed by Mary and Elizabeth Craig, while young students at the Domestic Academy of Washington County, Ky., are among a large offering of folk art in this auction. The maps remind us of the history of female education in the early 19th century, as well as the history of a relatively new area of the United States in its nascent stage. The artistry is naïve and the maps present the territory and history in a delightful fashion. The maps have descended in the family of the original makers.

Additionally, the sale includes a 35-year Augusta County, Va., collection of country Americana purchased locally and at major antiques shows; rare 18th and 19th century Virginia and other Southern furniture; decorative arts and silver; American formal and country furniture; Oriental carpets; good Virginia, West Virginia and Pennsylvania folk pottery; American folk art; fine art and statuary; samplers and quilts; country accessories including collections of painted boxes, baskets and ironware; 18th and 19th century primitive lighting; decorative accessories; English and American silver; early ceramics including White House porcelains; antique reference volumes and more.

For further information, email info@jeffreysevans.com, or call 540-434-3939.

View the fully illustrated catalog and register to bid absentee or live via the Internet as the sale is taking place by logging on to www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

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