‘Kitchi Zibi Omamiwinini,’ statue depicting Anishinaabe scout/guide by Hamilton MacCarthy, 1918, Major’s Hill Park, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Was once at the base of a statue to Samuel de Champlain at Nepean Point, Ottawa. Renamed in 2013 by Algonquin Anishinabe elder Annie Smith St. Georges. Photo by D. Gordon E. Robertson, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.MADISON, Wis. (AP) – A state museum on Wisconsin’s far northern tip is planning to honor Anishinaabe culture.
Madeline Island Museum in La Pointe will host Anishinaabe Cultural Days on Sept. 27 and Sept. 28. The event is designed to commemorate the Treaty of 1854, which was signed in La Pointe and established the first Anishinaabe reservations in Wisconsin and stipulated tribal members’ right to hunt, gather and fish in the so-called ceded territory, a huge swath of northern Wisconsin the tribes handed over to the federal government.
The event will feature Anishinaabe music and art demonstrations, a treaty rights exhibit and films.
The Anishinnaabe are also known as the Ojibewe or the Chippewa.
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INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – The Indianapolis Museum of Art says it will unveil for the first time ever in August a monumental sculpture by pop artist Roy Lichtenstein.
It announced Monday the piece called Five Brushstrokes will be installed on the mall in front of the museum’s main building.
Five Brushstrokes was commissioned in the early 1980s but has never been assembled. It consists of five separate elements ranging between 19 and 40 feet tall with a striking collection of forms and colors. The museum says the sculpture is considered Lichtenstein’s most ambitious work in his Brushstroke series.
Museum Director and CEO Charles Venable said it has been working with the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation in New York for over a year to bring the work to Indianapolis.
Lichtenstein died in 1997.
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Poster for 1942 film ‘My Gal Sal,’ which was made available through 20th Century Fox. Fair use of low-resolution image under terms of US Copyright Law.LOS ANGELES (AFP) – The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is suing the family of an Oscar-winning US filmmaker for allegedlyselling his golden statuette in breach of contract.
The Oscar-awarding Academy says the family of art director Joseph Wright, who won the coveted award for the 1942 film “My Gal Sal,” auctioned it off for $79,200 last month.
Under a contract which all Oscar recipients sign with the Academy, the prestigious body says it has the right of first refusal for the sale of any of its statuettes, at a guaranteed cost of $10.
“The Academy has never intended that the ‘Oscar’ be treated as an article of trade,” said a lawsuit filed Monday in Los Angeles, and published by the Hollywood Reporter.
Wright died in 1985, and the Academy claims that Wright’s family entered into an agreement with Briarbrook auction house in Rhode Island to sell the Oscar, a sale which it says took place on June 24.
On June 23 the Academy learned about the planned sale, and tried to communicate by email and telephone with the auctioneers.
“After a number of calls originating from the Academy’s landline number went unanswered, the Academy’s counsel called Briarbrook from a cell phone without the Academy’s called identification,” says the lawsuit.
“A woman at Briarbrook answered the call, but hung up when she was informed that the caller was from the Academy. Subsequent calls went straight to voicemail,” said the lawsuit.
Briarbrook did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit.
It is not the first time the Academy has taken legal action over the sale of Oscar statuettes.
In February 2012, the Academy tried but failed to block a Los Angeles auction house from selling a collection of 15 of Oscars for than $3 million, including a Best Screenplay Academy Award for the iconic movie “Citizen Kane,” given to Herman Mankiewicz in 1941.
Currently, the confiscated artworks are being stored safely at Brazil’s National Museum of Fine Arts, in Rio de Janeiro (shown here). If the rightful owners cannot be found, the art will become the property of Brazil’s federal museums. Photo by Luís Guilherme Fernandes Pereira, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) – Brazilian authorities have discovered a cache of $4.5 million worth of art hidden in moving containers sent from Florida.
The country’s Federal Revenue Service said on Monday that a total of 20 artworks bought in auctions and from galleries abroad were hiding mostly among the belongings of a 75-year-old Brazilian woman. Officials said they suspect a company used her move as a front to evade taxes.
The works are by contemporary artists such as Brazil’s Beatriz Milhazes, as well as Otavio and Gustavo Pandolfo, known as “The Twins.” A second container had a sculpture by acclaimed Sergio de Camargo that is valued at $900,000, said a news statement by the government agency.
Ricardo Lomba, the Revenue Service’s chief inspector for Rio de Janeiro, told broadcaster Globo that officials are investigating whether the apparent smuggling is part of a money-laundering scheme. The agency said artworks can be brought into the country without paying taxes as long as they are declared as baggage. But in this case, the plot was reportedly to hide the actual buyer and the source of funds used to purchase them.
The artworks were temporarily taken to the National Museum of Fine Arts in Rio de Janeiro where they will remain in storage. If the buyer does not claim them and explain how they were purchased, they will be become property of the federal museums.
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ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE
Currently, the confiscated artworks are being stored safely at Brazil’s National Museum of Fine Arts, in Rio de Janeiro (shown here). If the rightful owners cannot be found, the art will become the property of Brazil’s federal museums. Photo by Luís Guilherme Fernandes Pereira, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license
Chantecler (Island of Capri) diamond, pink sapphire and green gemstone dragonfly ring. Total diamond weight 1.50cts. Auction Zero image LONDON – Auction Zero, London’s newest and most exclusive boutique auction house specializing in fine jewels, estate and designer jewelry, watches, gold bullion and coins, has chosen a name that quite succinctly describes its business model. They charge no commission whatsoever to consignors – zero. And there are no additional charges for photography, marketing, online exposure or unsold lots, either.
“We are taking a different approach in the marketplace. Whatever an item sells for on the hammer in our sales, that is exactly what the vendor receives. Our commission comes from the buyer’s premium,” explained Keith MacRae, the specialist consultant who is cataloging the firm’s July 17 auction of all-signed designer jewelry. Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.
Each and every piece of jewelry accepted for Auction Zero’s “Signed, Special and Affordable” sale is a genuine article, signed by its designer. The dizzying array of names represented includes literally all of the most desired luxury brands: Bulgari, Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Gucci, Dior, Hermes and Rene Boivin. The list goes on to include Buccellati, De Vroomen, Boucheron, Stephen Webster, Georg Jensen, Patek Philippe, David Webb and so many more.
“Collectors love the superior quality and imaginative designs from these distinguished design houses, and they love them even more when the pieces are signed,” said MacRae. “The items we’ve chosen for the July 17th auction are the ultimate in good taste and reflect the jewelry styles that people want today.”
A top lot in the sale is a pair of exquisite ruby and diamond earrings by David Morris. Designed as tapered hoops with two rows of alternately set gems, the earrings have a total ruby weight of 10.35 carats and a diamond weight of 7.11 carats. Originally purchased in 1986 from David Morris’ New Bond Street atelier in London, the earrings are accompanied by a copy of the store invoice.
Crescent-shape 18-carat gold earrings covered overall in round, brilliant-cut diamonds bespeak heirloom quality and are presented in a Garrard and Co., velvet-lined box. Known for their superb craftsmanship and utmost attention to detail, Garrard is a favorite of royalty the world over.
Several pieces by Bulgari have been consigned, including a pair of 1989 multi-gem Gancio ear hoops, a gold Tubogas band-style bracelet with pave-set diamonds in a double-heart shape, and a pair of ruby and diamond ear clips.
No woman can resist the allure of long, embellished chains, especially when they are adorned with gems like those used in Marina B’s design interspersing polished spheres between chalcedony and onyx beads. For decades, Marina B’s distinctive style attracted a client list that included Her Serene Highness Princess Grace of Monaco and film stars Sophia Loren, Elizabeth Taylor and Julia Roberts.
Another name favored by style icons for well over a century is Van Cleef and Arpels. A spectacular platinum ring from the revered French firm features a 13.4mm South Sea pearl at the center, surrounded by two rows of undulating pave-set diamond petals. “In terms of eye appeal and quality, it’s a 10-plus,” said MacRae.
From the island of Capri comes a stunning ladies’ ring by Chantecler, a design house whose loyal admirers included Jacqueline Kennedy, Audrey Hepburn and numerous other trendsetters. Its brilliantly hued pink sapphires, diamonds and emerald-green stones form a wonderful dragonfly with wings opened as though in flight.
Another Italian name synonymous with creativity and originality is that of the noble Milanese design house Buccellati. Auction Zero will offer a beautiful Buccellati necklace with a heart-shape jadeite drop, textured palmette spacers and diminutive cabochon-ruby accents. Measuring 41.5cm in length, it is a refined choice that combines a European aesthetic with gems long favored by Chinese jewelry buyers. Another auction lot suggestive of China’s rich and ancient culture is an 18K yellow gold, diamond and red-enamel lion’s-head bangle by Kutchinsky.
Entered as two consecutive lots are an 18K gold ring and pair of matching earrings by De Vroomen. Each piece is set with an oval Burmese cabochon ruby. Ultra chic in its simplicity, the suite displays all of the fine qualities and trademark look that result from De Vroomen’s painstaking hand-hammered technique.
An especially fine selection of jewelry by Tiffany and Co., is led by an unusual platinum and diamond necklace. Its design consists of a series of articulated geometric and floral-motif links set with circular- and square-cut diamonds. Fit for a princess, it is marked T&Co. PT 950, for “platinum” and its gross weight of 50 grams.
“Truly, our online catalog is meant to be browsed through and enjoyed, as each piece is, as the auction title states, signed, special and affordable when compared to the prices one might see elsewhere,” said MacRae.
Bidders will be in good company buying from Auction Zero. The firm is located in Hatton Garden, London’s prestigious fine-jewelry hub, but their clientele is a global one, with bidders participating in their sales from as far afield as China and Australia. Those wishing to preview auction items in person may do so by appointment during the four days leading up to the sale.
Absentee and live-online bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers. For information on any piece in the July 17 sale, or to discuss consigning an item to Auction Zero’s planned August sale, tel. 011 44 207 9938368 (from USA) or 0207 9938368 (within UK); or email auctionzero@auctionzero.co.uk.
View the fully illustrated catalog and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.
Chantecler (Island of Capri) diamond, pink sapphire and green gemstone dragonfly ring. Total diamond weight 1.50cts. Auction Zero image
David Morris ruby and diamond hoop earrings. Total ruby weight 10.35cts., diamond weight 7.11cts. Purchased directly from David Morris. Auction Zero image
Front/back views of Patek Philippe gold, enamel and diamond-set fob watch with dark green guilloche enamel back. Provenance: Lord Curzon of Kedelston, Viceroy of India. Auction Zero image
Chanel ‘Camellia’ 18K white gold earclips, each with a brilliant-cut central diamond and diamond-studded openwork ‘petal’ surround. Total diamond weight: 1.60cts. Auction Zero image
Bulgari diamond bracelet, Tubogas band with center double-heart motif of pave-set diamonds. Auction Zero image
Marina B chalcedony and onyx long chain, 87.5cm (34.4in) long. Auction Zero image
Van Cleef & Arpels platinum ring with 13.4mm South Sea pearl and two rows of undulating, pave-set diamond petals. Total diamond weight 4.30cts. Auction Zero image
Platinum and diamond necklace by Tiffany and Co., articulated geometric and floral-motif links set with circular- and square-cut diamonds (as shown in closeup), gross weight 50 grams. Auction Zero image
Circa-1920 Cartier New York necklace comprising a circular jadeite pendant suspended beneath an oval cabochon ruby, with suspended ruby drop and 36 old, brilliant-cut diamond millegrain-set collets on 51cm (20in) chain. Auction Zero image
Cartier platinum Tutti Frutti 2.12-carat cushion-shape diamond, carved sapphire and emerald leaves accented by baguette- and circular-cut diamonds. Gross weight 11.7 grams. Auction Zero image
David Webb 18K yellow cold cuff bracelet of bombe design, decorated with turquoise cabochons and round diamonds. Auction Zero image
Cartier Belle Epoque gold and diamond parasol handle with white and blue guilloche enamelwork and carved gold swag detail. Auction Zero image
Image courtesy of Smithsonian Postal MuseumWASHINGTON (AP) – Evidence from the 2001 anthrax attacks is going on public display at the Smithsonian Institution.
The Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum opened an exhibit Friday about the work of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. “Behind the Badge” explores the history of one of the nation’s oldest law enforcement agencies.
The new exhibit includes an anthrax-laced letter sent to Sen. Tom Daschle on loan from the FBI. Examination of the letter and the decontamination process left it nearly illegible. The museum also is displaying the mail collection box from Princeton, New Jersey, where the anthrax-laced letters were deposited.
From another high-profile case, the exhibit includes the handcuffs used to arrest unabomber Ted Kaczynski.
The Postal Inspection Service dates to 1776 when Benjamin Franklin sent a surveyor to investigation early U.S. mail routes.
Visit “Behind the Badge” on the Smithsonian Postal Museum Lower Level, near the Fire & Ice: Hindenburg and Titanic exhibition.
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John Vanderlyn (1775-1852) portrait of James Madison, 4th President of the United States. This portrait is in the White House Collection. White House Historical Association imageMIDDLETOWN, Va. (AP) – The owners of President James Madison’s birthplace want to restore three structures on the property.
The summer kitchen, icehouse and smoke house are Belle Grove Plantation’s oldest properties. They were built between 1720 and 1750.
Madison was born on the property on the banks of the Rappahannock River in King George County in 1751.
Owners Brett and Michell Darnell tell The Free Lance Star that initial estimates suggest the restoration work will cost between $50,000 and $75,000.
They say they want to create a living museum that would enable visitors to experience life on a plantation.
Belle Grove will launch a fundraising campaign for the project on July Fourth with a picnic and concert on the lawn.
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ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE
John Vanderlyn (1775-1852) portrait of James Madison, 4th President of the United States. This portrait is in the White House Collection. White House Historical Association imageBelle Grove, Rappahannock River, Port Royal, Caroline County, Va., birthplace of James Madison. Thomas T. Waterman photo from Library of Congress Collection
‘John of England Signs the Magna Carta,’ scan of illustration from ‘Cassell’s History of England,’ 1902
BOSTON (AP) – A rare copy of the Magna Carta, one of the pivotal documents of Western civilization, is on display at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts.
The museum has scheduled an official unveiling ceremony for Monday and the document will go on display to the public starting Wednesday and last until Sept. 1.
One of only four surviving copies of the original 1215 document, it is on loan from the Lincoln Cathedral in the United Kingdom.
The landmark document has served as a symbol of liberty and inspired the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights.
The exhibition also includes portraits, marble busts, and historical documents related to several of the Founding Fathers, presidents, and abolitionists, particularly from Massachusetts, who were inspired by the liberties enshrined in Magna Carta.
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ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE
‘John of England Signs the Magna Carta,’ scan of illustration from ‘Cassell’s History of England,’ 1902
In this historical photo, Officer Griff Roberts wears a style of uniform that Portland police wore in the 1890s. Portland Police Museum image
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – The director of the Portland Police Museum resigned amid concerns about the storage of old Police Bureau personnel files.
James Huff served as director for five years before resigning this spring. He told The Oregonian newspaper that the Police Bureau treated him well “until my last month,” when Assistant Police Chief Mike Crebs and others seized police personnel files from about 1910 to the 1970s.
He said city archivists were concerned that records were being handled by museum workers, who aren’t city employees.
City Archivist Diana Banning said her office learned the museum was storing old Police Bureau personnel records in a way that didn’t meet city security standards.
“One of the responsibilities the city of Portland Archives and Records Management Division has is to identify and secure city records stored in conditions that do not meet records storage and security standards,” Banning said. “These standards can best be met by housing the records in our facility.”
Huff said it bothered him that the seizure was done with “no coordination” with the museum. J.D. Chandler, a volunteer who helped Huff research and write the biographies of the city marshals and some police chiefs for the museum website, said the files were seized when Huff was out of town.
“They left the 16th floor a shambles up there,” Chandler said. “It was a confused mess.”
Retired Portland police Detective Dave Simpson, chairman of the historical society’s board, said he thinks the museum gained possession of the personnel files when the Police Bureau moved its headquarters three decades ago. The records were going to be destroyed and the museum stepped in to preserve them, he said.
“They’re supposed to be maintained in city archives,” Simpson said. “Finally, they got around to pick them up.”
The museum was closed to the public for about a month and a half following the departures of Huff and assistant museum director Leslie Pool.
It reopened this past week, with an officer’s college-age daughter getting paid through the summer to be there in case visitors stop in.
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ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE
In this historical photo, Officer Griff Roberts wears a style of uniform that Portland police wore in the 1890s. Portland Police Museum imageFascinating displays include antique hats, handcuffs, nightsticks and many other law-enforcement memorabilia. Portland Police Museum image
Stone stairway leading down from Rimrock Overlook in the Allegheny National Forest. Photo copyright 2005 by drlareau.com, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Generic license.
WARREN, Pa. (AP) – An anthropology professor is inviting the public to tour a site in the Allegheny National Forest where she’s dug up evidence of a settlement dating back at least 1,000 years.
Clarion University anthropology professor Susan Prezzano says the site might be up to 3,000 years old.
She’s overseeing the dig along with officials from the forest, which bought the site in the late 1980s. The land had been a family farm in the 1800s and also gives the forest land next to the Allegheny River.
The open house is Tuesday and is in Forest County.
So far, Prezzano and her students have uncovered pieces of pottery and hammer stones, which are believed to have come from a Native American settlement.
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Copyright 2014 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE
Stone stairway leading down from Rimrock Overlook in the Allegheny National Forest. Photo copyright 2005 by drlareau.com, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Generic license.
