It will be Lot No. 1 of a 190-lot catalog. Internet bidding will be provided by LiveAuctioneers.com.

The Koerner painting is a winter scene of two children sledding on tailor’s dummies, or mannequins, while another tailor’s dummy appears to have been set alight in a controlled campfire.

Soulis noted that the artist, who was Jewish, fled his native Austria at the onset of World War II. While serving in the U.S. Army, Koerner created posters for the Graphics Division of the Office of Strategic Services in Washington, DC. After the war he learned his parents and adult brother had been murdered in the Holocaust. Koerner’s son, Joseph Koerner, who is an art historian at Harvard University, has speculated that the woman painted on a brick wall in the background of the picture may represent the artist’s mother. The 30-by-40-inch painting was included in Koerner’s first US solo exhibition, which was at New York’s Midtown Galleries in 1949.

During session two on Saturday, Dec. 6, Soulis will offer “Three Centuries of Decorative Arts” in a 264-lot auction. The first item of the day will be a rare piece of RS Prussia porcelain known as the “Bailey Epergne” – one of only a few known to exist. The 17½-inch-tall epergne consists of a floral-decorated bowl and a single lily trumpet of the same mold and decoration mounted in the center on a silver-plated stand. In 2006 when Mary McCaslin chose the epergne for the cover of her book RS Prussia and More, it was the only one known to exist. It is estimated at $5,000-$10,000.

Beyond Koener’s Magic Realism masterpiece, several other paintings stand out in Soulis’ art auction, which is strong in American regionalism.

One is an oil-on-panel of a black sharecropper by German-born artist Joseph Paul Vorst (1897-1947). Vorst immigrated to the United States, first settling in St. Louis and later making his way to the Ste. Genevieve Artist Colony in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, where he became both a friend and student of Thomas Hart Benton. Vorst exhibited at the Art Institute of Chicago, the Corcoran Biennial and even the New York World’s Fair. He also created several post office murals in Missouri and Arkansas for the Works Progress Administration. The painting of the sharecropper at work, one of his common themes, measures 37½ by 25 inches and has an $18,000-$25,000 estimate.

Another major work is an oil-on-canvas painting titled Tobacco Barns by Buell Whitehead (Florida, 1919-1933), which was the basis for a subsequent color lithograph.

“He’s best known for color lithography, and only of few of his oil paintings have been offered at auction,” said Soulis. The work has a $6,000-$8,000 estimate.

Several Western-theme paintings are offered in the auction, led by a signed and dated 1989 oil on canvas by James Reynolds (1926-2010) of cowboys herding cattle. The Straggler, 30 by 40 inches, presented in its original 40-by-50-inch frame, has an $18,000-$22,000 estimate. Reynolds, who lived and worked in Scottsdale, Ariz., was a prolific and highly respected Western artist.

Friday’s art auction will also feature three glass creations by Dale Chilhuly (b. 1941-): Goldenrod Macchia Olympic, 9¼ by 10 ½ inches (est. $35,000-$45,000); the two-piece Imperial Iris Persian, 7 by 2-2/5 inches (est. $3,000-$4,000); and a two-piece Bonfire Basket (est. $2,000-$3,000).

The auction will also contain about 10 pieces of studio pottery.

On Saturday, sterling silver items will likely be among the top performers, starting with a pair of 18th-century Irish salvers. The identical 18½-inch footed trays bear the hallmarks of Dublin silversmith John Craig and are dated 1747 and 1748. The ornate pair is estimated at $7,000-$9,000.

For formal holiday dining there’s a 247-piece sterling silver flatware service for twelve in the Watson Lily pattern, plus numerous serving pieces. The Art Nouveau flatware dates to the early 1900s and is estimated to fetch $6,000-$10,000.

“It’s notable to find a Watson Lily-pattern flatware set of this size,” said Soulis.

A unique collection of 19th-century European glass sulphide plaques, each featuring the bust of a historic figure, ranging from William Shakespeare to America’s Founding Fathers, will cross the auction block. They will be offered in more than 50 consecutive lots immediately following the RS Prussia epergne.

Rare 18th-century books, a vintage Louis Vuitton steamer trunk with original interior, and a Smith’s 3¾-inch terrestrial pocket globe dated 1810 are just a few of the other fine and unusual items in the auction.

Both auction sessions will begin at 12:00 noon Central Time, 1 p.m. Eastern Time.

For additional information on any item in the auction, contact Dirk Soulis Auctions, phone 816-697-3830 or 1-800-252-1501, or email dirksoulis@gmail.com.

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

#   #   #

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

LiveAuctioneers will provide Internet live bidding.

Further, some rare pieces of African art, namely spears, arrows and fetishes will be sold.

Highlights include:

• Lot 86 – Byeri Fang reliquary, Gabon, circa 1920, 20 1/2 inches high, estimate: €10,000-€12.000;
• Lot 82 – Italian wooden angels statue, 1500, 26 inches high, estimate: €5,000-€6,000;
• Lot 87 – Boshongo, female figure with hair, 23 1/3 inches, estimate: €4,000-€5,000;
• Lot 44 – Renzo Zavanella, beige armchair, circa 1940, estimate: €3,000-€4,000;
• Lot 53 – Pierre Cardin, four walnut chairs, circa 1980, €2,000-€3,000.

For details contact Nova Ars Auction by email: valeria@novaars.net, e.art.auctions@gmail.com or phone +39 328 9667353.

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.

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

Leading off is a Felix-Francois Ziem (French, 1821-1911) seascape of the Grand Canal and the Doge’s barge on Ascension Day during the Marriage of the Sea ceremony. This revered Venetian tradition that celebrates Italy’s dominance of the sea has been the subject of numerous paintings over the centuries, the most famous being those by 18th-century masters Francesco Lazzaro Guardi and Giovanni Antonio Canaletto. The 32- by 46-inch painting by Ziem is entered in Quinn’s auction with a conservative $30,000-$50,000 estimate.

Another fine-art highlight with Italian subject matter is the lakeside view of the island of Isola Bella and Palazzo Borromeo on Lago Maggiore, by British artist James Webb (1825-1895). It took 400 years and hundreds of workers to transform Isola Bella from a barren rock to a spectacular island-garden of delights. In 1632, construction began on the isle’s incomparable Palazzo Borromeo, which is now a popular tourist attraction. Housing French Marshal Louis Alexandre Berthier’s Gallery, the palazzo shelters priceless artworks which are displayed amid baroque splendor of an unimaginable level.

James Webb’s impression of Isola Bella and Palazzo Borromeo is entered with a $5,000-$7,000 estimate, but Quinn’s vice president Matthew Quinn said he feels “certain the painting will exceed that price range,” adding, “It’s an accomplished work of art, and the subject matter is timeless. Anyone with an eye for art would immediately connect with it and identify its quality as being something quite exceptional.”

It’s no surprise that Quinn’s, with its close proximity to the Nation’s Capital and long-held reputation for working with local consignors, would be chosen to auction the estate of Dorothy Wurz, widow of renowned White House interior designer Nelson Wurz, of Nelson Beck & Associates.

From the Wurz estate comes Washington DC-area artist Lucien Whiting Powell’s (1846-1930) oil-on-canvas interpretation of the Grand Canal. With its sparkling waterway, bathed in sunlight and dotted with crimson gondolas, it is sure to be of interest to both aficionados of impressionistic art and those who collect the work of local artists, said Quinn. The “Turneresque” landscape, masterfully executed in shades of gold, orange and eau de Nil, is estimated at $2,500-$3,500.

Also from the Nelson Wurz collection are two midcentury modern roundelay hanging screens created by the Michael and Frances Higgins Glass Studio. The larger of the two is 42 by 24 inches. Each is estimated at $800-$1,200.

The remainder of the sale features modern design, European furniture and a large collection of Japanese artwork, including netsuke and woodblock prints.

The auction will begin at 11 a.m. Eastern Time and will be held at Quinn’s Auction Galleries located at 360 South Washington Street in Falls Church, Virginia.

For information on any lot in the auction, call 703-532-5632 or email info@quinnsauction.com.

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

# # #

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

“It takes many years to build a great reputation and only minutes to ruin it. We have no interest in handling anything in our auctions that isn’t absolutely authentic and legal, and of very fine quality,” said Bob Dodge. All items auctioned by Artemis Gallery — and whose sales are carried on LiveAuctioneers — are guaranteed to be as described and legal to buy/sell under the United States statute covering cultural patrimony (Code 1600, Chapter 14).

Each of Artemis Gallery’s auctions reflects a deep respect for ancient cultures of all geographic regions. That’s why the template for all of the company’s sales is so intentionally multicultural, Dodge said. The 500+ lots in their December 5 Ancient Ethnographic Art Holiday Auction includes Classical Egyptian, Greek and Roman antiquities, as well as art and relics of Pre-Columbian, Native American and Oceanic peoples. Additionally, the auction includes Part II of the collection of William Norris Dale, an American diplomat who was stationed in Turkey in the early 1960s. During his tenure with the US State Department in Turkey, Dale amassed a premier collection of Classical Greek, Roman and Anatolian art.

Roman offerings are led by Lot 77E, a 1st-2nd century CE bronze figure of a satyr carrying a wineskin. Presented on a custom stand, the 3¾-inch tall satyr is beautifully detailed, with long pointed ears, a short tail, well-defined pectoral and abdominal muscles; and parted, wavy hair. Formerly in a New York City private collection, it comes to auction with a $12,000-$15,000 estimate.

Lot 23d, an exceptional circa-560 BCE Greek Boeotian aryballos, is one of the finest vessels of its type ever to have been offered by Artemis Gallery. “It was designed to hold perfume for athletes or for use in the bath. It was made in Boeotia, northeast of the Gulf of Corinth, but its decoration is attributed to an Attic painter who emigrated north from Athens,” said Dodge. The art depicts two sphinxes in a confrontational position with paws extended and wings outstretched above their arching backs, tails curled behind them. Its archaic style of art may have influenced some of Picasso’s mid-20th-century pottery designs. A Greek masterpiece with provenance from Millennium Antiquities, London, it is expected to make $8,000-$12,000.

Another irresistible Greek object, Lot 23A, is an Attic red-figure owl lekythos or handled oil vessel. Standing 4.13 inches high, it is adorned with hand-painted images a large owl staring forward and standing between two laurel sprigs. With distinguished provenance, the lekythos was exhibited at the New York 5th International Antiquarian Fine Art Fair in November 2001. Its presale estimate is $4,500-$6,000.

Anyone interested in gifting their special someone with a regal holiday bauble that isn’t available in any jewelry store need look no further than Lot 135A – an exquisite circa-17th/early 18th century Spanish gold pendant cross set with 34 table-cut emeralds. The old Spanish gold in this piece is of a high-karat content and carries the mark on verso of the pillars of Hercules. A near-identical example was sold at Sotheby’s on July 9, 2009. Artemis Gallery’s pre-auction estimate on the cross in their sale, which comes from a British private collection, is $10,000-$14,000. Also in the auction treasure chest are more than 20 other pieces of stunning gold and gemstone jewelry from Ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome and the Near East.

The face of Ancient Egypt is captured quite strikingly in Lot 2A, a circa-21st to 26th Dynasty (circa 1075-600 BCE) wood mummy mask. Carved from a fine-grained hardwood, the visage has finely delineated features, darkly outlines almond-shape eyes and finely arched, tapering eyebrows the follow the contour of the forehead. Retaining its original paint and gesso, it has original peg holes on verso for attachment to a sarcophagus. Ex-Adeon Gallery in Chicago, it is entered with a presale estimate of $2,000-$4,000.

Several Pre-Columbian treasures from Panama are expected to make the top 10. Lot 176 consists of a matching pair of Panamanian Cocle figural portrait vases – one depicting a male; the other, a female. Each stands about 6 inches tall and displays both painted and bas-relief features. With provenance from Splendors of the World, Los Angeles, the lot of two is expected to reach $8,000-$10,000 on auction day.

Also from Panama, Lot 216 is a circa-500 to 1000 CE Diquis carved-stone trophy head. Some anthropologists, including Professor John W. Hoopes, an expert on headhunters of Central America, are of the opinion that such stone effigies were created to consecrate or commemorate the taking of a human head. Measuring just under 10 inches in height, the example offered by Artemis Gallery is larger and finer than most others that have come to the marketplace in recent times. Its estimate is $6,000-$9,000.

Other Pre-Columbian highlights include Lot 173E, a circa 300-600 CE Mochica (northern coastal Peru) hollow high-karat encasement-style gold ring formed as a finger with knuckles and a nail, estimate $1,500-$2,000; and Lot 209, a spectacular Teotihuacan (central Mexico, circa 200-800 CE) tripodal vessel carved with old Aztec deities. Made of terracotta, it stands 5¼ inches tall by 8½ inches wide. It was formerly in the collection of the late Anthony M Kurland Jr, PhD, an archaeologist who earned degrees from Yale and Harvard. Estimate: $1,200-$1,500.

Lot 249 is a mid-20th-century Navajo rug from the Crystal Area (Arizona/New Mexico) and features an eagle feather design in complementary shades of cardinal red, charcoal, light grey and white. In excellent condition with no significant damage or signs of wear, the 114- by 57-inch rug is an outstanding work of art and is estimated at $5,500-$7,700.

For additional information about any item in the auction, call Teresa Dodge at 720-502-5289 or email teresa@artemisgallery.com.

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

#   #   #

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