April 2, 2015 - Auction Central News

Gallery Report: April 2015

ATLANTA – On the 1st of each month, ACN columnist Ken Hall gathers top auction highlights from around the United States and beyond. Here’s what made headlines since last month’s report:

Queen Anne tea table, $299,000, Cottone Auctions

A lovely 18th century Virginia Queen Anne tray-top tea table with a scalloped skirt, pad feet and a fine old refinish sold for $299,000 at a Fine Art & Antiques Auction held Feb. 20-21 by Cottone Auctions in Geneseo, N.Y. Also, a stainless steel gyratory kinetic sculpture by George Rickey (American, 1907-2002), titled Three M’s and One W II (1987), made $115,000; a Sevres cobalt and gold enameled tureen, dated 1812, rose to $59,800; and a rose medallion punch bowl with the monogram of Ulysses S. Grant hit $12,075. Prices include a 15 percent buyer’s premium.

Lalique glass vase, $148,750, A. B. Levy’s

A Lalique frosted glass vase titled Nadica, circa 1930, 10 1/2 inches tall, sold for $148,750 at an estates auction held Feb. 19 by A. B. Levy’s (based in Palm Beach, Fla.) in West Palm Beach, Fla. Also, an oil on canvas painting by Jean Metzinger (French, 1883-1956), titled Paysage aver un Bosquet, realized $177,500; a patinated and gilt figural bronze statue by Marius-Jean-Antonin Mercie (French, 1845-1916), titled Gloria Victis, made $108,000; and a Louis XV-style ormolu-mounted malachite bureau plat hit $30,000. Prices include the buyer’s premium.

Circa 1900 Sioux dress, $7,475, Allard Auctions

A circa 1900 Sioux dentalium and tradecloth dress that was featured on an episode of Antiques Roadshow prior to auction, sold for $7,475 at Big Spring Phoneix, an auction event held March 7-8 by Allard Auctions Inc. (based in St. Ignatius, Mont.) in Mesa, Ariz. Also, a woman’s outfit from the Shoshone plateau tribe of Wyoming, made circa 1960s, made $5,463; and a near-room size Navajo Crystal rug, circa 1940s or ’50s, with geometric design, went for $4,025. Prices include a 15 percent buyer’s premium.

1944 Palestine banknote, $12,980, Archives International

A Palestine Currency Board 5-pound note dated 1944 and with a rare “F” prefix sold for $12,980 at an auction held March 10 by Archives International Auctions, at the firm’s offices in Fort Lee, N.J. Also, two Imperial Bank of Persia specimens, for 1 Toman and 20 Toman, hit $3,304 and $7,965, respectively; a Lebanon, Banque de Syrie et du Liban specimen, 1945, for 25 livres, made $2,950; and a Reserve Bank of Australia $1 ND 1979 serial #1 note went for $737. Prices include an 18 percent buyer’s premium.

Chinese wall pocket, $50,000, Ahlers & Ogletree

A late 19th or early 20th century Chinese porcelain urn form wall pocket, hand-painted and in a gilt and red stand, sold for $50,000 at a Spring Estates Auction held March 21-22 by Ahlers & Ogletree in Atlanta. Also, a circa-1960s oil on canvas painting by the legendary Highwayman artist Albert Ernest “Beanie” Backus (1906-1991), titled View of Florida Coastline, brought $20,000; and a second pattern Confederate national flag, possibly issued to the Confederate States Navy, with 13 stars, went for $15,000. Prices are hammer, exclusive of a buyer’s premium.

Remington Model 40 rifle, $26,400, Morphy Auctions

A Remington Model 40 sniper rifle, of the type used by the U.S. Marine Corps in Vietnam, in original unmodified condition, sold for $26,400 at a Firearms Auction held Jan. 31-Feb. 1 by Morphy Auctions in Denver, Pa. Also, a Custer-era 1875 Springfield U.S. Officers Model trap-door rifle, made under special order for commissioned officers, hit $13,200; and a Civil War-era Sharps New Model 1859 rifle, the type issued in 1862 to Hiram Berdan’s 1st and 2nd Regiment of the U.S. Sharpshooters, fetched $10,800. Prices include a 20 percent buyer’s premium.

Mickey and Minnie display, $29,222, Hake’s Americana

A Mickey and Minnie Mouse mechanical store display pair, made circa 1935 for Old King Cole, sold for $29,222 at an absentee and online auction (#214) held March 17 and 19 by Hake’s Americana & Collectibles in York, Pa. Also, a single panel Sunday comic page from Nov. 3, 1935, showing a brick throwing scene from Krazy Kat, signed by artist George Herriman, brought $17,014; a 1934 Two-Gun Mickey black-and-white production cel made $13,800; and a Marx Batman factory prototype bagatelle game hit $11,828. Prices include a 15 percent buyer’s premium.

Noguchi ‘Rudder’ group, $110,000, John Moran

A set of three Noguchi “Rudder” stools and table, offered as single lots, collectively sold for just over $110,000 at a Decorative Arts Auction held Feb. 17 by John Moran Auctioneers in Pasadena, Calif. Also, a Regence-style Vernis Martin vitrine cabinet, with gilt bronze mounts possibly by the French bronzier Paul Sormani (1817-1887), gaveled for $60,000; an artwork by Roy Lichtenstein (New York, 1923-1997), titled Best Buddies, realized $18,000; and an Italian Renaissance automaton cabinet rose to $9,600. Prices include a 20 percent buyer’s premium.

Chinese fusee clock, $270,000, Clars Auction

A Chinese triple fusee and gilt bronze bracket clock with automaton sold for $270,000 at a Fine Art, Decoratives, Jewelry & Asian Antiques Auction held Feb. 21-22 by Clars Auction Gallery in Oakland, Calif. Also, a painting by Wolf Kahn (American/Germman, b. 1927), titled Open Woods (1993) rose to $47,600; an Impressionist oil on canvas by William Merritt Chase (American, 1849-1916), titled Still Life With Cherries and Copper Bowl, also went for $47,600; and a 3-carat diamond and platinum ring went for $26,100. Prices include a 19 percent buyer’s premium.

Boston & Sandwich lamp, $18,400, Jeffrey S. Evans

A Boston & Sandwich cut overlay banquet lamp, 39 inches tall to the top of the shade and made circa 1860, sold for $18,400 at a 19th and 20th Century Glass & Lighting Auction held Jan. 31 by Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates in Mt. Crawford, Va. Also, a Boston & Sandwich frosted Madonna figural night clock lamp, circa 1875, realized $9,775; a Boston & Sandwich deep fiery opalescent open-work fruit basket on a stand, circa 1850, earned $8,050; and a Tiffany Studios Favrile 4-inch cabinet vase, circa 1905, hit $2,875. Prices include a 15 percent buyer’s premium.

1875 $20 gold coin, $38,940, Michaan’s

A U.S. 1875 $20 Liberty Head gold coin, graded MS64, sold for $38,940 at a sale of rare coins from the estate of Barbara Riggins held March 6 by Michaan’s Auctions in Alameda, Calif. Also, a 1909 $5 piece changed hands for $15,340; a 1914 $5 coin went for $11,210; a 1902 $20 piece, minted in San Francisco, sailed past its estimate of $5,000-$6,000 to hammer for $17,700; and a pair of multiple lots containing 1878 Morgan dollars each brought an identical price of $2,006. Prices include a 17 percent buyer’s premium.

Alex Diggelmann poster, $30,000, Swann Auction

A poster from 1934 by Alex Diggelmann titled Gstaad sold for $30,000 at a Vintage Posters Auction held Feb. 12 by Swann Auction Galleries in New York. Also, a poster with four decorative panels by Alphonse Mucha, done in 1898 and titled The Flowers, sold for $30,000; and a poster for Milan, Italy’s 1907 automobile and cycle show by Leopoldo Metlicovitz, titled Mostra del Ciclo e Dell’Automobile / Milano, hammered for $30,000. The Metlicovitz and Diggelmann prices were new auction records. Prices include a 25 percent buyer’s premium.

Louis Vuitton trunk, $6,875, Schwenke

A vintage Louis Vuitton steamer trunk with original label in the interior, having a key but no interior tray, sold for $6,875 at an Americana and Native American Decorative Arts Auction held March 8 by Schwenke Auctioneers in Woodbury, Conn. Another vintage Louis Vuitton cabin trunk with iron handles and raised on wheels, brought $2,875. Also, an early, decorated scrimshaw dolphin jaw bone, 15 1/4 inches long, made $5,312; and a carved wood ladle, possibly Northwest coast, on a wrought iron stand hit $2,500. Prices include a 25 percent buyer’s premium.

Chinese snuff bottle, $48,000, Auctionata

A Chinese carved white jade snuff bottle from the 18th or 19th century sold for $48,000 at an Asian Works of Art Auction held March 15 by Auctionata in New York City. Also, a Chinese Tang Dynasty Sancai Phoenix ewer gaveled for $31,200; an 18th or 19th century Sino-Tibetan Kubera hammered for $22,800; an 18th century Sino-Tibetan Dakini also changed hands for $22,800; and an 18th or 19th century Chinese carved yellow jade abstinence plaque went for $8,400. Prices include a 20 percent buyer’s premium.

Mary Martin’s Tony Award,

Mary Martin’s Tony Award, $43,750, RR Auction

The 1959-60 Tony Award given to Mary Martin (far left), for her performance in The Sound of Music on Broadway, sold for $43,750 in an auction held March 19 by RR Auction in Boston. The award was originally acquired from the estate of actor Larry Hagman, Martin’s late son. Also, an extensive archive of material owned and relating to the legendary Hollywood B-movie cult figure Ed Wood realized $13,750; and an archive celebrating Jimmie Rodgers, “The Father of Country Music,” fetched $5,625. Prices include a 25 percent buyer’s premium.

Jim Bowie signed note, $62,500, Heritage Auctions

A rare promissory note drafted and signed by the legendary frontiersman Jim Bowie sold for $62,500 at a Texana Grand Format Auction held March 14 by Heritage Auctions in Dallas. Also, one of two known copies of Sam Houston’s historic broadside, appealing to the citizens of Texas for aid on the day the state declared its independence, soared to $52,500; a hand-colored 1867 map of Texas by Charles W. Pressler made $50,000; and a letter penned and sent by Davy Crockett changed hands for $37,500. Prices include a 25 percent buyer’s premium.

Puiforcat flatware service, $40,625, Doyle New York

A circa 1930 flatware service by Jean Puiforcat (Paris), in the Monaco pattern, sold for $40,625 at a Belle Epoque Auction held Feb. 18 by Doyle New York. Also, a circa 1974-1978 assembled Elizabeth II silver-gilt service by C.J. Vander (London), in the Pierced Vine pattern, brought $34,375; a late 19th or early 20th century KPM painted porcelain plaque of Psyche, after Wilhelm Kray, fetched $37,500; and a Louis XVI-style gilt-bronze and champleve mantel clock retailed by Tiffany & Co. hit $25,000. Prices include a 25 percent buyer’s premium.

Tennessee inlaid chest, $19,470, Case Antiques

An East Tennessee Federal inlaid chest of drawers with extensive inlay sold for $19,470 at a Winter Auction held Jan. 24 by Case Antiques in Knoxville, Tenn. Also, a pair of portraits depicting the Reverend Hardy Murfree Cryer and, most likely, his wife garnered $24,780; a Confederate CSS Shenandoah diary and archive went for $19,470; an oil on canvas landscape painting by Maurice Braun rose to $24,780; and an abstract oil on fabric pillowcase painting by Beauford Delaney changed hands for $24,180. Prices include an 18 percent buyer’s premium.

Avedon exhibit features portraits of 1960s-70s newsmakers

George H.W. Bush, Director, CIA, Langley, Va., March 2, 1976. Photograph by Richard Avedon © The Richard Avedon Foundation. From the Collection of The Israel Museum, Jerusalem. Joint gift of Gagosian Gallery and the American Contemporary Art Foundation, Leonard A. Lauder, President, to American Friends of the Israel Museum

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A new exhibit focusing on Richard Avedon’s photos of political and cultural newsmakers invites visitors to rethink the concept of portraits in the age of the selfie.

“Richard Avedon: Family Affairs” opened Wednesday at the National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia.

The collection starkly depicts dozens of U.S. movers-and-shakers from the 1960s and ’70s in the artist’s trademark black-and-white style. Also featured is a small biographical display on Avedon, who was raised Jewish in New York.

“Avedon’s work is generally shown in art museums as art, with very little historical interpretation,” said chief curator Josh Perelman. “We invite Avedon in both as a creator and a character.”

Avedon made his name shooting fashion models for magazines like Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue, but “Family Affairs” stems mainly from his work covering the 1976 presidential election for Rolling Stone magazine.

Originally planning to spotlight the campaigns of incumbent Gerald Ford and challenger Jimmy Carter, Avedon soon realized he wanted to include a wider array of the era’s most influential people, Perelman said.

Men in suits comprise nearly all his subjects, distinguished by variations in their stances and expressions: Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, former California Gov. Ronald Reagan, consumer advocate Ralph Nader and NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle, to name a few.

Only a handful of the 12-by-15-inch framed images portray women or minorities, among them Washington Post publisher Katharine Graham and labor activist Cesar Chavez.

Rolling Stone called the 69 portraits “The Family,” though the only people with biological ties are Ted Kennedy and his mother, Rose. Visitors can also page through hard copies of the 40-year-old magazine issue, or look at a digital edition.

Yet the exhibit space is dominated by a wall-size display of poet Allen Ginsberg’s family. It’s one of four featured group portraits that Avedon took between 1969 and 1971. Much smaller pictures include Andy Warhol and members of The Factory; the Chicago 7, who were arrested during the 1968 Democratic National Convention; and the Mission Council, who were key players in the Vietnam War.

The exhibit notes Avedon stood next to his camera, not behind it, when making his photos.

“I am close enough to touch the subject, and there is nothing between us except what happens as we observe on another during the making of the portrait, Avedon said.

Museum officials have set up a computer to take Avedon-inspired pictures of guests against a white backdrop edged in black; the images can be both printed and shared via social media, blending the concepts of portraits and selfie.

Avedon died in 2004, before selfies entered popular culture, but even he wasn’t immune to the concept. As a teen, Avedon used a mirror to take a picture of himself and high school classmate James Baldwin, who later went on to literary fame. That photo is on display as well.

“Family Affairs” is based on an exhibition held last year at The Israel Museum in Jerusalem. The Philadelphia site will be the only U.S. venue for the images, which are on view through Aug. 2.

___

Online:www.nmajh.org

___

Follow Kathy Matheson at www.twitter.com/kmatheson

AP-WF-04-01-15 1548GMT

School’s Thomas Hart Benton painting on loan to Kansas City museum

Thomas Hart Benton, American (1889–1975). 'Utah Highlands,' 1954. Gouache on paper mounted to board, 21 x 28 inches (53.3 x 71.1 cm). Lent by the Shawnee Mission School District, Shawnee Mission, Kansas. Art © T.H. Benton and R.P. Benton Testamentary Trusts/UMB Bank Trustee/Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Thomas Hart Benton painting that once hung on the library wall at Shawnee Mission North High School will be on view in late April at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Utah Highlands, with vivid yellow trees spread across rolling green hills, was purchased from Benton in 1957 by students as a class gift for their school.

After an appraisal in 2008, the Benton painting was removed to storage due to safety and security concerns, and a digital replica was placed on view. Recognizing a need to provide high-quality care for this important gift along with an interest in identifying a solution for securely displaying the painting for public view, Shawnee Mission School District officials contacted representatives with the Nelson-Atkins.

Now the painting is on long-term loan to the Nelson-Atkins, which has 130 Benton paintings, drawings, and prints in its permanent collection, the largest public collection of Benton’s work.

“It is fitting that this painting has found a home in the Nelson-Atkins, since the museum has such a strong history with Benton,” said Julián Zugazagoitia, CEO and director of the Nelson-Atkins. “We are delighted the students who purchased the painting will be able to come and see it. And the timing is perfect, because we have a major Thomas Hart Benton exhibition coming in the fall.”

The painting will be on view in late April in the Enid and Crosby Kemper Rotunda in the museum’s American Wing.

On Oct. 10, the first major exhibition on Thomas Hart Benton in more than 25 years, “American Epics: Thomas Hart Benton and Hollywood,” will open at the Nelson-Atkins. The exhibition will reveal the fascinating but overlooked relationship between Benton’s art, movie making and visual storytelling in 20th-century America.

Auctionata to sell meteorites, natural history in 2 sessions April 19

2015_0402_Auctionata_Lot 46_Tissint Martian Meteorite

NEW YORK — Auctionata will conduct two auctions of meteorites and fossils and natural history on April 19. History and natural beauty are united in the exciting sale of meteorites, highlights of which include a piece of Mars, a complete Allende meteorite, and a Sikhote-Alin meteorite from the renowned Russian meteor shower. The fossils and natural history sale will offer prehistoric and geological wonders, from a baby mosasaur skeleton—the sea monster of recent news—a delicate dragonfly fossil and a T-rex skull cast to an opalescent ammonite gemstone.

LiveAuctioneers.com will provide absentee and Internet live bidding.

Geoff Notkin of the Science Channel’s Meteorite Men will join the auctioneer on set, auctioning off items from his own personal collection and providing insight into the fascinating pieces of physical history.

Meteorites Sale

The auction will stream live online on Sunday, April 19 at 10 a.m. EDT.

Highlights include:

Lot 12: Chelyabinsk meteorite, Russia. Starting Price: $1,000

Chelyabinsk was the world’s most documented meteorite fall. Many of the recovered individuals were small, only two to five grams, and easily mistaken for black gravel. Bigger pieces, such as the one offered here, are considerably less common and will only increase in rarity.

Lot 46: Tissint Martian meteorite, Morocco. Starting Price: $7,500

Among the rarest substances, only approximately 100 kilograms of Mars substances are known to exist on Earth. This example is a small specimen that was fractured as a result of its hard landing.

Lot 63: Sikhote-Alin meteorite, Russia. Starting Price: $15,000

Wrapped in a pewter-hued patina with charcoal accents, this is a captivating example of the largest known meteorite shower of modern times. No new meteorites from this—the world’s largest crater field—are being found today, and streamlined natural space sculptures such as this superb example are highly sought after and rarely offered.

Fossils & Natural History

The auction will stream live online on Sunday, April 19 at 3 p.m. EDT.

The most anticipated highlights include:

Lot 17: tourmaline on quartz. Starting Price: $9,000

The name “tourmaline” comes from the Sinhalese word “turmali” or “thoramalli,” which relates to different gemstones found in Sri Lanka. This semiprecious stone is bicolored with light green and pink sections and is enveloped in white Clevelandite crystals and faceted quartz and is one mineral among many offered in the sale.

Lot 44: petrified wood table. Starting Price: $11,000 Buried deep beneath volcanic ash, this specimen slowly petrified into an incredible mineral over millions of years. The rich color of the wood table highlights the deep natural colors of the ancient fossil, creating a statement piece that would fit with any décor.

Lot 91: baby mosasaur skeleton, Morocco, Late Cretaceous. Starting Price: $40,000

The fossil presented here originated from the Maastrichtian age of the Late Cretaceous period in the Oulad Abdoun Basin in Morocco. This specimen is 60 percent complete with a few built up areas to complete the skeleton and is situated on a tall stand, making the mosasaur a 3D display piece.

Lot 99: T-rex tooth, Wyoming, Cretaceous. Starting Price: $1,500

This rare tooth, of chocolate brown to espresso color, is from the premaxillary section of the frontal jaw and exhibits a D-shaped cross section while incisiform with a serrated edge. This type of tooth was usually only numbered eight out of the average total of 60 teeth in the jaw, increasing its rarity.

All the lots will be available to view in person at the meteorites, fossils and natural history auction preview from April 17-18. Geoff Notkin will host a book signing and free meteorite giveaway while guests take in the specimens in this museum-quality showing. For more information, contact eventsny@auctionata.com.

[button color=”black” size=”big” alignment=”center” rel=”follow” openin=”samewindow” url=”https://www.liveauctioneers.com/catalog/69744_fossils-and-natural-history/page1″]Click to view this catalog at LiveAuctioneers[/button]

Petrified Wood Table. Starting Price: $11,000

Baby Mosasaur Skeleton, Morocco, Late Cretaceous.

A&D Gallery to auction art suited to smaller spaces, April 18

Sketch for 'Monogram' by Robert Rauschenberg. A&D Gallery image

LONDON – A&D Gallery will conduct its “Small Art” auction on Saturday, April 18.

LiveAuctioneers.com will provide absentee and Internet live bidding.

All 60 lots are 20th/21st century art less than A4 in size (no side longer than 12 inches).

While many art collectors would love to possess a giant triptych by one of the great modern artists, there are a few drawbacks:

1) The prices of major works by major artists are rising faster than property prices.

2) Property prices mean that most collectors don’t have room for giant triptychs.

It’s fortunate, therefore, that many of the most significant artists of the last 50 years have produced originals, prints, and multiples in sizes smaller than A4. That simple requirement (plus a notable reputation) has been the curatorial benchmark for inclusion in this exhibition.

While most of the works are multiples, there are a few original drawings, sketches and unique prints.

The artists include Jim Dine, Jeff Koons, Tracey Emin, Roy Lichtenstein, Richard Hamilton, Man Ray, Tim Head, Claes Oldenburg, Jenny Holzer, Eduardo Paolozzi, Robert Indiana, Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns, Ed Ruscha, Ray Johnson, Cy Twombly, Allen Jones and Andy Warhol.

The opening bid is the reserve. Estimates range from 30 pounds to 3,000 pounds ($45 to $4,450).

[button color=”black” size=”big” alignment=”center” rel=”follow” openin=”samewindow” url=”https://www.liveauctioneers.com/catalog/69285_small-art/page1″]Click to view this catalog at LiveAuctioneers[/button]

'Seasons' by Jasper Johns. A&D Gallery image — ‘Seasons’ by Jasper Johns. A&D Gallery image

'Rosso' Allen Jones. A&D Gallery image — ‘Rosso’ Allen Jones. A&D Gallery image

Postcards: Easter greetings celebrate springtime renewal

Bold colors and the eggshell border make this farmyard vignette stand apart from the other Easter postcard greetings. It’s postmarked April 18, 1911, Minneapolis, Minn. Karen Knapstein image, courtesy of Antique Trader

[av_heading tag=’h3′ padding=’10’ heading=’Postcards: Easter greetings celebrate springtime renewal’ color=” style=’blockquote modern-quote’ custom_font=” size=” subheading_active=” subheading_size=’15’ custom_class=”][/av_heading]

[av_image src=’https://www.liveauctioneers.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/2015_0402_AllEaster-Greeting-Egg-View.jpg’ attachment=’56898′ attachment_size=’full’ align=’left’ animation=’no-animation’ styling=” hover=” link=” target=” caption=’yes’ font_size=” appearance=’on-hover’ overlay_opacity=’0.4′ overlay_color=’#000000′ overlay_text_color=’#ffffff’]
Bold colors and the eggshell border make this farmyard vignette stand apart from the other Easter postcard greetings. It’s postmarked April 18, 1911, Minneapolis, Minn. Karen Knapstein image, courtesy of Antique Trader
[/av_image]

[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”]
IOLA, Wis. – After a long winter, everyone looks forward to spring – a season of renewal that carries with it feelings of possibility and optimism. Since ancient times, eggs have been associated with renewal and rebirth. Before artificial lighting, when sunlight was the only available light source, hens in locations without adequate daylight, stopped laying eggs through the winter. The resumption of egg-laying was a portent that spring was not far off.

Early Christians assimilated the egg as a symbol of Christ’s rising from the. Late 19th and early 20th century artists often incorporated several symbols of spring in their postcard designs. The monetary values on all of the cards illustrated here are minimal. Estimating these cards at a dollar or two apiece is generous. Easter postcards are abundant and for the most part are modestly priced.

The card with the simple text “Easter Greeting” on the front illustrates many springtime elements: four chicks, a hen, colored Easter eggs and a rabbit amid lush grass and shrubbery.

“A Merry Easter” is the greeting on a lovely embossed card made in Germany. The elaborate embossing is accentuated with simplistic coloring and outlines of applied glitter. The card depicts a chick perched atop an overturned basket with colored eggs tumbling out amid a bouquet of purple forget-me-nots.

“Loving Easter Wishes” was published by Raphael Tuck & Sons and printed in Germany. It was postally used and postmarked from Broad Street Station, Philadelphia, on March 28, 1907. The designer took artistic license by placing two chicks inside the cracked eggshell – unless, of course, the chicks just happened to find an empty goose egg shell in and around which to explore. Placing two or more chicks inside an egg is a common design element; perhaps it’s meant to symbolize abundance. A fun design, really, made more endearing by the sender writing “Auntie” on the front. Unfortunately, the card has some condition issues that makes it unsuitable for framing.

The “Easter Greeting” card stands apart from the rest in this grouping because of the vibrant colors and the artist’s use of a cracked egg to “frame” the scene of a nesting hen and rooster. The embossing adds an attractive dimension, too. This card was postmarked in Minneapolis, Minn., April 18, 1911.

Produced by the Stecher Lithographic Co. of Rochester, N.Y., the “Easter Gladness” card has a lot going on. It has tasteful embossing outlining the design and defining the texture of the cross. The card design is almost white-on-white with colored accents; the cross is set apart from the background by subtle shadowing. A chick stands atop a cracked egg and is framed by a wreath of what appears to be forget-me-nots.

The chick on the “With Best Easter Wishes” card isn’t particularly attractive, but it is adorned with vibrant forget-me-nots, pussy willows and rich coloring and embossing. I’m surprised the design isn’t centered on a cross, but on a vertical bar. The part of this card that’s the most fun is the greeting: “Hello Thelma. Did the rabbits lay any eggs for you? How is Houston? From Mark.”

A girl with her arms filled with chicks, sitting on the ground beside a nest filled with eggs covers the “Easter Greeting” card mailed in 1921. A brightly plumed rooster commands even more attention on the design than the child. I find the message on the card most endearing: “Dear Helen: I wonder what you are doing today. I bet you are in school. I wish you and Dorothy would write me and tell me what you study in school, and what you do when not at school. With love from Aunt Alice.”

Easter, whether your celebrations are secular or religious, can be a time of reflection and renewal. Not just a renewal of the season, or a reminder of your religious views, but an opportunity to renew friendships and family relationships that may have lapsed. Here’s hoping for an abundant season of renewals.

To enjoy more of what Antique Trader has to offer, view this complimentary digital issue: http://media2.fwpublications.com/ATR/2015DigitalIssues/Comp.pdff.

This ‘Easter Greeting’ postcard by Whitney of Worcester, Mass. Karen Knapstein image, courtesy of Antique Trader

This ‘Easter Greeting’ postcard is marked ‘Copyright 1906 by B.I. Robbins, Boston.’ Karen Knapstein image, courtesy of Antique Trader Karen Knapstein image, courtesy of Antique Trader

The symbolism on this ‘Easter Gladness’ card clearly depicts rebirth and renewal. It was published by Stetcher Lithographic Co. of Rochester, N.Y., and is marked ‘Made in USA’ and ‘Series 24 D.’ Karen Knapstein image, courtesy of Antique Trader

From the delicately colored chicks  to the flowering shrubs in the background, this German-printed Raphael Tuck & Sons card depicts a lush vision of springtime. It’s postmarked March 28, 1907, Broad Street Station, Philadelphia. Karen Knapstein image, courtesy of Antique Trader

This heavily embossed card, made in Germany, is covered with forget-me-nots and a chick perched atop an overturned basket spilling out colored eggs.

‘Easter Greeting’  (608) postcard is postmarked Salem, Mass., April 4, 1912.

‘With Best Easter Wishes’ embossed postally used postcard, postmarked March 26, 1910, (city name obscured), Ohio.

[/av_textblock]

London Eye: March 2015

The traditional flower-strewn entrance to the 2015 European Fine Art Fair in Maastricht. The display is eagerly anticipated by visitors and rarely disappoints. Image Auction Central News.

LONDON — Here the main political parties have begun the breathless sprint towards voting day for the general election on May 7. Never before has the likely outcome been so unpredictable, nor induced so many yawns from the public. Meanwhile, British summer time has officially begun. Daffodils line the roadside and the trees are brimful of blossom. This would normally put a spring in one’s step, but the unsavory prospect of the looming general election tends to take the shine off things.

On the upside, those of us fortunate enough to have attended this year’s installment of the European Fine Art Fair (TEFAF) in Maastricht, were treated to another intoxicating taste of available fine and decorative art. This brightened the month of March considerably, despite us being unable to make the purchases our hearts desired. Still, the entrance foyer looked stunning and as usual the fair provided another stimulating, if exhausting, visual treat.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, given the wealth that descends on Maastricht for TEFAF week, the organizers have been celebrating another successful year. This rather chimes with the latest findings of their annual research report, which indicated that the art market is blooming like the Dutch tulips that adorn the fair.

The art market blossoms: The aisles of the European Fine Art Fair in Maastricht were once again blooming with traditional tulips at this year’s event. Image Auction Central News.

Prior to the 2008 global credit crunch, the TEFAF report was registering annual global revenues of around 47 billion euros. It is often said that when a recession strikes, the art market feels the pinch later than other asset classes and rebounds sooner. That would seem to have been confirmed by this year’s report, which shows that while most European economies are languishing in the financial doldrums and the majority of working families are struggling to stay afloat, the art market has again taken flight. Its global revenues now stand at 51 billion euros, the highest ever recorded total. This might come as good news to those who see the art market as a foretaste of an imminent, broader economic recovery. Wiser minds know that it is little more than confirmation of how the rich continue to get richer, despite the economic crisis.

One does not have to be at TEFAF for long to get a sense of how seriously the trade takes these events, some claiming to do up to 50 percent of their annual business during the 10 days of the fair. The stand of Munich dealers Röbbig offered the clearest indication of how some dealers regard it as no longer enough to simply bring the stock. It also has to be shown within a convincing recreation of the interior of a Parisian aristocrat’s ancien régime hôtel, or the palace of some minor Hapsburg prince.

The elaborate stand of Munich dealers R öbbig at the European Fine Art Fair in Maastricht. Image Auction Central News.

Peter Osborne, director of London-based Modern British dealers Osborne Samuel spoke to Auction Central News about the punishing travel schedule that dealers now have to undertake in order to keep pace with the event-driven global market. “This is the way it is now, and this is the future,” he said, commenting on the number of fairs stacked into a four-month period from March to July across several continents. “You simply have to go with it.”

The TEFAF fair traditionally has one or two blue-chip works of art in the Old Master category, but this year it seemed notably short on true masterpieces. It was, however, packed with antiquities of one kind or another, a worrying development given the widespread looting of ancient sites across the Middle East and developing world. We spotted a Cambodian statuette with no provenance to the label, a surprising omission at a fair as prestigious as Maastricht, particularly given how Cambodian temple sites are still being ravaged by subsistence looters. (Fig. 4) One assumes that this particular object has a legitimate provenance, even if it wasn’t clearly displayed as one might expect.

This 10th-century Cambodian statuette of a devi or goddess, from Pre-Rup in Angkor, was one of numerous antiquities on sale at the European Fine Art Fair in Maastricht in March. Image Auction Central News.

Should we take comfort from the fact that TEFAF is strictly vetted? Well, it has just emerged that a painting recently identified as having been looted by the Nazis from a Viennese family in 1944 was offered for sale at TEFAF just a few years ago. An enquiry to TEFAF’s organizers as to how this might have happened is yet to receive a response.

‘Portrait of a Gentleman’ by El Greco, shown a few years ago at the European Fine Art Fair, and subsequently found to have been looted from a Viennese family by the Gestapo. It has now been restituted to the heirs of its original owner. Image courtesy the Commission for Looted Art in Europe and Art Recovery International.

The picture, Portrait of a Gentleman by El Greco, was seized by the Gestapo in 1944 from the noted Viennese industrialist Julius Priester, along with the entire Priester family collection. The portrait has now been restituted to the descendants of Julius Priester by the Commission for Looted Art In Europe working with Art Recovery International, the new London-based due diligence service for the international art trade.

Before moving on to a few other interesting events in the UK in the coming month, a brief mention of one or two of the more striking objects at the TEFAF fair. London and New York dealers Mallett have been enjoying a significant resurgence of good fortune over the past couple of years, seemingly since moving to their new premises at Ely House, Mayfair. Their TEFAF stand looked terrific, combining traditional furniture and works of art with a few selected works of modern design. These included a “Fig-Leaf” wardrobe by Dutch designer Tord Boontje, although the term wardrobe doesn’t really do it justice as the accompanying image shown here makes clear.

‘Fig-Leaf,’ a bronze and enameled wardobe by Dutch designer Tord Boontje, featured on the stand of London and New York dealers Mallett at the European Fine Art Fair in Maastricht. Image courtesy of Mallett and Tord Boontje.

Fans of C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe might have nightmares with this in the room, but instead of opening onto Mr. Tumnus, a tree-form coat-hanger appears. Every leaf of the doors has been individually designed and enameled, making it a classic example of what is now being described as “meta-luxury.” Its innovative design and exquisite craftsmanship amply justified its price tag, which good manners (and the fact that it had sold) prevents us from disclosing.

The open interior of Tord Boontje’s bronze and enameled ‘Fig-Leaf’ wardobe, with Mallett at the European Fine Art Fair in Maastricht in March. Image courtesy of Mallet and Tord Boontje.

Elsewhere Parisian dealer François Laffanour’s Galerie Downtown had teamed up with top-drawer art adviser and consultant Philippe Ségalot to present a superb display titled “Masterpieces of Shaker Design. Star” of the stand was a birch trestle table by a Massachusetts maker dating from 1840. It was long enough to accommodate the entire cast of Amish barn-builders from Harrison Ford’s Witness movie and yet it was constructed from a single plank of a noble birch tree.

A shaker birch trestle table, Massachusetts, circa 1840, on the stand of François Laffanour’s Galerie Downtown at the European Fine Art Fair in Maastricht in March, where it was priced at 250,000-300,000 euros ($270,000-$323,000). Image Auction Central News.

Priced at 250,000-300,000 euros ($270,000-$323,000), it had been reserved for a client, demonstrating, like the wardrobe mentioned above, that objects of extraordinary rarity in any category are likely to find buyers.

By now, most people will be suffering from a surfeit of fairs news but on a more local and affordable level it is worth casting a brief glance toward the Cotswolds Art and Antiques Dealers’ Fair, which opens on April 16 until April 19 at the famous Blenheim Palace in Woodstock, Oxfordshire. Now in its fourth year, the fair will host 24 exhibitors, all members of the Cotswolds Art and Antiques Dealers Association, so it comes with a stamp of quality. We have been alerted to far too many objects appearing at the fair to mention them all here, but we were struck by a splendid papier-mâché tea caddy decorated with a scene of cattle in a landscape by Henry Clay, circa 1800. It is priced at 5,500 pounds ($8,150) from Hampton Antiques, while Catherine Hunt Oriental Ceramics will no doubt be hoping for Asian interest in a transitional double gourd blue and white bottle vase priced at 13,500 pounds.

This charming painted papier-mâché tea caddy is priced at 5,500 pounds ($8,150) with Hamptons Antiques at the Cotswolds Art and Antiques Dealers’ Fair at Blenheim Palace. Image courtesy of Cotswolds Art and Antiques Dealers’ Fair.

Catherine Hunt Oriental Ceramics will be showing this Chinese transitional double-gourd bottle vase at the Cotswolds Art and Antiques Dealers’ Fair, where it is priced at 13,500 pounds ($20,000). Image courtesy of Cotswolds Art and Antiques Dealers’ Fair.

Finally, the ever-reliable Jerram Gallery in Sherborne, Dorset, is about to stage a mixed exhibition of new landscapes and still lifes by Charles Jamieson, Elsa Taylor and Vivienne Williams, which opens on April 11 until April 29.

Charles Jamieson, ‘Yellow Field,’ oil on board, to be included in the Jerram Gallery’s group show of landscapes and still lifes in Sherborne, Dorset. Image courtesy of Jerram Gallery.

Vivienne Williams, ‘Kitchen Still Life with Lemons and Beans,’ mixed media, at the Jerram Gallery’s group exhibition in Sherborne, Dorset. Image courtesy of Jerram Gallery.

Elsa Taylor, ‘Fishing Huts II,’ oil on board, included in the Jerram Gallery’s group exhibition in Sherborne, Dorset. Image courtesy of Jerram Gallery.

Exhibitions like this are a welcome reminder that the so-called “art market” comprises not only the high-ticket masterworks that so preoccupy the wealth-obsessed media, but also includes affordable work shown by regional galleries keen to support local artists and to serve the many less well-heeled, but no less passionate, collectors.

Next month we’ll be previewing an exhibition of works by Jeff Koons in, of all places, Norwich. Quite what the gentle folk of East Anglia will make of Jeff’s ironic take on popular culture remains to be seen.

Sign up for daily highlights by email