Stolen Munch litho recovered in Norway, two arrested

A room at the Munch museum in Oslo, where two of the artist's paintings were stolen in 2004. Image by dalbera from Paris, France. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
A room at the Munch museum in Oslo, where two of the artist’s paintings were stolen in 2004. Image by dalbera from Paris, France. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

 

OSLO, Norway (AFP) – Norwegian police on Wednesday announced the recovery of a valuable lithograph by Edvard Munch which was stolen in 2009, with two men arrested.

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Guitars, clothes and grunge at Rolling Stones exhibition

1966 Rolling Stones autographed tour program. Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers.com archive and Heritage Auctions
1966 Rolling Stones autographed tour program. Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers.com archive and Heritage Auctions

 

LONDON (AP) – From their first apartment through their most recent tours, the Rolling Stones are giving fans a chance to take a deep look into their lives as the “Greatest Rock ’n’ Roll Band in the World.”

Here are some key things to see at “Exhibitionism,” the British band’s massive exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery that opened Tuesday:
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EDITH GROVE

Shortly after the Stones got together as a band in 1962, founding member Brian Jones moved into an apartment in west London with Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and James Phelge. The apartment, at 102 Edith Grove, was notorious for being a mess, with clothes and dirty dishes strewn about the place.

The exhibition has recreated the scene with incredible detail, right down to the old empty beer bottles, a kitchen sink filled with pots and pans, and plenty of old Chuck Berry and Muddy Waters records ready to be heard by an aspiring band that was, at the time, making only a few dollars per gig.

“The milk bottles were just growing this stuff,” Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts says through a speaker as visitors walk through.
“It was very much like that, the kitchen particularly,” Watts said as he arrived for Monday’s opening.

Jagger and Richards shared the only bedroom with Phelge, a London club-goer who became their roommate and companion. Jones slept in the living room.

It was at Edith Grove that the band started writing their own music, like the Beatles were doing.

Although no photos exist of the original Edith Grove apartment, exhibition curator Ileen Gallagher said it was made from the memories of the current band.

“The real Edith Grove was like living in an alien culture,” Phelge, now 73, told The Associated Press. “You can’t replicate the spirit of the place.”

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OLYMPIC STUDIOS

Behind a wall of glass is a recreation of the studio where the Rolling Stones recorded their first single, Come On, and many of their hits in the 1960s.

There are several instruments scattered around the floor, and a portion of Sympathy for the Devil – a 1968 Jean-Luc Godard film that shows the song’s creation – plays on a screen in the background.

In honor of Ian Stewart, the original piano player kicked out of the band in its infancy because he didn’t quite fit the part, there is his personal Ajello and Sons piano. Although Stewart wasn’t officially a member, he stayed with the band as a driver, friend, helper and musician until his death in 1985.

Alongside the glass wall, there are several small screens with headphones where visitors can hear about recording methods.
“It’s come out better than I thought. It’s a fun half-hour walk-through,” Jagger said of the exhibition. “If you don’t like the Rolling Stones, probably not for you.”

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CLOTHES

There are lots of clothes, mostly from Jagger, in a room that looks like a museum.

There is the famous Omega shirt he wore on the 1969 U.S. tour. There is a replica of the flowing dress-like white shirt he wore when the Stones played a free concert at Hyde Park on July 5, 1969 – two days after the death of Jones.

From the 1970s, there are plenty of jumpsuits. And from the 1980s, you get the sporty look, when Jagger essentially wore a football uniform on tour.

“Mick kept his clothes, thank God,” Gallagher said.

More recent garments include plenty of long coats and capes, some of them designed by Jagger’s late partner L’Wren Scott.

The others contributed various articles, but Jagger’s costumes are the ones that stand out.

“I hope they’ve been cleaned,” Jagger joked.
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GUITARS

The creators of the exhibition raided the homes of Richards and Wood looking for guitars to display, and they found a few of their most iconic pieces.

Among them is the 1957 Gibson Les Paul that was hand-painted by Richards and used during the filming of Sympathy for the Devil. At the time, the Stones were involved in a drug case that threatened to ruin the band.

“Yeah, I painted it,” Richards says in the notes accompanying the guitar. “I was bored, waiting to go to jail.”
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MEMORABILIA

Another section of the exhibition is dedicated to old posters and records, the walls filled with colorful reminders of how many times the Rolling Stones have circled the globe over the decades.

Matt Lee, a 40-year-old marketing professional from London who is one of the world’s foremost Stones collectors, loaned more than 50 items to the exhibit, including many of the posters on display.

“As a general rule of thumb the earlier the poster the rarer it is, not just because it is older and less have survived, but because less were made in the first place,” Lee told the AP. “The ’60s posters are particularly rare but many of the ’70s ones are super tough to find, too, particularly in great condition.”

Another of the objects he handed over for display is the first contract signed by the band in May 1963.
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3-D MOVIE

At the end of the exhibit, visitors walk through a backstage area and into a small theater where they can watch a 3-D movie of the Stones performing (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.

Filmed in 2013 when the Stones returned to Hyde Park for a pair of gigantic shows, the video brings the viewers right into the concert.

Richards’ guitar neck protrudes from the screen. Jagger appears seemingly out of nowhere and struts right in front of your eyes.

“Frame by frame we turned it into 3-D,” said Patrick Woodroffe, who has worked with the Stones for years. “It cost a fortune.”

“Exhibitions” runs to Sept. 4, with an international tour planned to follow the London run.

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By CHRIS LEHOURITES, Associated Press

Copyright 2016 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

AP-WF-04-04-16 2044GMT

Paintings, Tiffany lamps featured at Litchfield County Auctions, April 20-21

Tiffany Studios 'Poppy' table lamp. Estimate $25,000-$35,000. Litchfield County Auctions image
Tiffany Studios ‘Poppy’ table lamp. Estimate $25,000-$35,000. Litchfield County Auctions image

 

LITCHFIELD, Conn. – Jasper Francis Cropsey, William Merritt Chase, John Singer Sargent, J.G. Brown, Otto Dix, Elizabeth O’Neill Verner, Walter Elmer Schofield, Lynn Chadwick, Jules Lefebvre, Carlos Merida, James Carroll Beckwith, Walter Launt Palmer and Arthur Meltezer are some of the hundreds of artists whose works fill the catalog of Litchfield County Auctions’ sale of American paintings and other fine art on April 20-21.

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War, moisture took toll on Southern furniture

This eastern Tennessee decorated blanket chest exhibits a German-Swiss influence. Fred Taylor image
This Shenandoah Valley, Virginia, paint-decorated blanket chest by Johannes Spitler exhibits a German-Swiss influence. Fred Taylor image

 

CRYSTAL RIVER, Fla. – Since my family has a long history in the American South – over 250 years – it seems natural that I would be drawn to Southern furniture. The question: where the heck is it? The answer is that a great deal of it is gone thanks to two destructive forces, the hot humid climate and Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman.

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Miniature lamps post solid results at Jeffrey Evans auction

Rare Elf figural miniature lamps. Sold for $4,600. Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates image
Rare Elf figural miniature lamps. Sold for $4,600. Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates image

 

MT. CRAWFORD, Va. – A rare pink Swan figural glass lamp (below) sold for $6,325, while an equally illusive green glass version sold for $5,175 when Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates conducted a 717-lot auction of miniature and other kerosene era lighting on March 12.

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LiveAuctioneers joins eBay, Google & Etsy on White House panel addressing illegal wildlife trafficking

The White House, view of south side, photo by P Cezary, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International, 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic license.
The White House, view of south side, photo by P Cezary, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International, 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic license.

 

WASHINGTON – To further President Obama’s National Strategy for Combating Wildlife Trafficking, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell led a White House roundtable meeting yesterday with leaders from top U.S. companies that are taking significant steps to help change consumer buying behavior and reduce demand for illegal wildlife products. Joining Jewell were U.S. State Department Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Catherine Novelli; and U.S. Wildlife Trafficking Alliance Chair David J. Hayes. The e-commerce/Internet technology sector was represented at the invitation-only meeting by Jason Finger, CEO of LiveAuctioneers.com; and decision-makers from Google, eBay and Etsy.
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New comic book Zombie-Proof: Zombie Zoo unleashes the animals

Zombie-Proof: Zombie Zoo, a new one-shot comic book from American Mythology Productions
Zombie-Proof: Zombie Zoo, a new one-shot comic book from American Mythology Productions

 

BALTIMORE – Twenty years ago, Billy Bob Driwahl began having visions of zombies descending on his tiny West Texas hometown. His only mistake was letting people find out. Now, as the world and things closer to home devolve into chaos with the onset of a zombie apocalypse, the people who ostracized him for two decades have turned to him to save them. Can he do it? And what about the zombie Chihuahuas? Zombie-Proof: Zombie Zoo, a new one-shot comic book from American Mythology Productions, tackles those questions and more.

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Gallery Report: April 2016

ATLANTA – At the start 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:
Chinese bracket clock

 

Chinese bracket clock, $332,750, Fontaine’s Auction Gallery
A Chinese two-sided animated bracket clock, set up for two time zones and showing an Asian theme on one side and a Western theme on the other, sold for $332,750 at an antique and clock auction held Feb. 27 by Fontaine’s Auction Gallery in Pittsfield, Mass. Also, a Chinese triple fusee animated bracket clock, housed in a carved teak and wood bracket case, soared to $102,850; and a Tiffany & Co. banded Dogwood table lamp, 27 inches tall with an 18-inch signed shade, fetched $36,300. Prices include a 21 percent buyer’s premium.

 

Michael Jordan 1991 sneakers

 

Michael Jordan 1991 sneakers, $12,000, Philip Weiss Auctions
A pair of black sneakers worn by Michael Jordan during the 1991 NBA championship playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers while he was a member of the Chicago Bulls, signed by the star, sold for $12,000 at an auction held Feb. 27 by Philip Weiss Auctions in Lynbrook, N.Y. Also, an original color art page by the French artist and cartoonist Moebius (1938-2012) brought $56,500; and original cover art for the comic book Hawkman #103 by the legendary Joe Kubert (1926-2012) hit $15,800. Prices include a 13 percent buyer’s premium.

 

Pair of British portraits

 

Pair of British portraits, $14,160, Ahlers & Ogletree
Two 17th century portraits of British nobility, painted by English artist John Hayls (1600-1679), sold as one lot for $14,160 at an estates auction held March 5-6 by Ahlers & Ogletree in Atlanta. Also, a pair of palatial European 20th century Bohemian-style dore bronze mounted crystal floor urns fetched $12,980; a large hand-blown Murano glass sculptural charger by Lino Tagliapietra (Italian, b. 1934) reached $7,670; and a bronze artwork by the Spanish surrealist Salvador Dali (1904-1989) made $6,785. Prices include an 18 percent buyer’s premium.

19th century Russian icon

 

19th century Russian icon, $17,220, Crescent City Auction Gallery
A 19th century Russian icon of the Virgin of Kazan, with a gilt silver relief decorated oklad (Moscow, 20th century), marked “DS” in Cyrillic, 12 1/2 inches tall, sold for $17,220 at an auction held Feb. 27-28 by Crescent City Auction Gallery in New Orleans. Also, a terra-cotta figure by Enrique Alferez (Louisiana, 1901-1999), titled Mother and Child (1959), pen signed, 29 1/2 inches tall, made $10,200; and an oil on board painting by noted folk artist Clementine Hunter (1886-1987), titled A Burial (1969), hit $6,765. Prices include a 23 percent buyer’s premium.

 

Masonic historical flask

Masonic historical flask, $56,160, Norman C. Heckler
A rare Masonic emblem historical flask, produced circa 1820-1830, probably by Coventry (Connecticut) Glass Works and showing the Masonic crossed keys and star logo, sold for $56,160 at an online auction held from March 7-16 by Norman C. Heckler & Co. of Woodstock, Conn. Also, a “Firecracker” pint historical flask showing a bust of George Washington, one of only a few known and made circa 1820-1830 by Kensington Glass Works (Philadelphia), changed hands for $49,140. Prices include a 17 percent buyer’s premium.

 

1864 Lincoln campaign flag

 

1864 Lincoln campaign flag, $23,656, Hake’s Americana
An 1864 Abraham Lincoln-Andrew Johnson oilcloth campaign parade flag with the candidates’ names across the banner’s 13 stripes sold for $23,656 at an auction held March 15-17 by Hake’s Americana in York, Pa. Also, an 1812 $5 gold capped bust half eagle coin graded MS63 went for $22,264; a linen-mounted one-sheet poster from the 1954 movie Creature From the Black Lagoon gaveled for $18,108; and an 1848 Lewis Cass-William Butler presidential/VP campaign coattail ribbon made $12,523. Prices are inclusive of the buyer’s premium.

 

Colt-Vickers machine gun

 

Colt/Vickers machine gun, $16,100, Rock Island Auction
A Colt/Vickers Model 1915 “Balloon Buster” Class III machine gun sold for $16,100 at a firearms auction held Feb. 25-28 by Rock Island Auction Co. in Rock Island, Ill. Also, a pair of engraved Henry rifles, the predecessor to the Winchester rifle, hit the mark for a combined $23,000; a 4-inch Smith & Wesson lever-action pistol, chambered in .31 caliber, hammered for $10,350; and a Steyr Schwartzlose Model 07/12 Class III machine gun, mounted on its tripod, went for $14,950. Prices include a 15 percent buyer’s premium.

 

1849 pattern $10 coin

 

1849 pattern U.S. $10 coin, $35,520, Legend Rare Coins
An 1849 pattern $10 coin, struck in copper at the Paris mint, sold for $35,250 at a Regency XVI auction held Feb. 18 by Legend Rare Coins, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Also, a copper 1883 Hawaiian pattern $1 coin sold for $117,500; a gem 1907 high relief $20 gold coin, graded PCGS MS66, soared to $67,562; an 1898 Morgan dollar, PCGS PR67+, gaveled for $39,950; a 1964-D JFK half-dollar, PCGS MS68, brought $22,325; and a cameo proof 1942 Walking Liberty half-dollar went for $13,512. Prices include a 17.5 percent buyer’s premium.

 

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6.25-carat diamond ring, $46,875, Doyle New York
A diamond ring set with a cut-cornered step-cut, emerald-cut diamond of approximately 6.25 carats, S-T, VS2, sold for $46,875 at a jewelry auction held Feb. 24 and 25 by Doyle New York in New York City. Also, a pair of diamond stud earrings with two cushion-cut diamonds, totaling about 4.08 carats, each D color, SI1 and VVS2, fetched $31,250; and a bib necklace fashioned from 13 Tahitian gray and light golden cultured pearls and diamonds sailed past its estimate of $4,000-$6,000 to sell for $18,750. Prices include a 25 percent buyer’s premium.

 

Chinese brush washer

 

Chinese brush washer, $89,250, Clars Auction Gallery
A Chinese Longquan type ice-crackled brush washer sold for $89,250 at a fine art, decorative, jewelry and Asian art sale held Feb. 20-21 in Oakland, Calif. Also, a Chinese celadon wall vase rose to $77,350; a painting by Maurice Utrillo (French, 1883-1955), titled Eglise de Chatou, gaveled for $77,350; a Chinese turquoise gauze Jifu dragon robe went for $45,750; a painting by Jasper F. Cropsey (American, 1823-1900), titled Mallards on the River, brought $44,625; and a George III double fusee bracket clock made $35,700. Prices include a 19 percent buyer’s premium.

 

Delacroix Dalpayrat vase

 

A. Delacroix-P. Dalpayrat vase, $118,750, Rago Arts & Auction Center
A symbolist vase designed by Alphonse Voisin-Delacroix and Pierre Adrien Dalpayrat sold for $118,750 at a three-day 20th century design auction held Feb. 26-28 by Rago Arts & Auction Center in Lambertville, N.J. Also, a pair of massive hand-carved columns, displayed by T. Kingsford & Son Starch at the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia, commanded $100,000; a Judy Kensley McKie “Cat Bench” realized $75,000; and an exceptional Tiffany Studios Dragonfly chandelier fetched $100,000. Prices include a 25 percent buyer’s premium.

 

Benoit Rougelet sculpture

 

Benoit Rougelet sculpture, $10,000, Litchfield County Auctions
A circa-1875 white marble sculpture by Benoit Rougelet, titled Three Putti, sold for $10,000 at an antiques sale held Feb. 10-11 by Litchfield County Auctions in Litchfield, Connecticut. Also, a pair of Chinese bronze Bodissatva hammered for $6,562; a set of four circa-1900 Italian bronze and iron Faldistorio stools sold as one lot for $6,250; a Native American beaded basket from the Pome tribe in California fetched $1,812; and a wooden sculpture by David Hostetler, titled Woman in Flowing Gown, made $4,800. Prices include a 25 percent buyer’s premium.

 

Jim Dine abstract oil painting

 

Jim Dine abstract oil painting, $45,000, Palm Beach Modern
An abstract oil on canvas painting by Jim Dine (America, b. 1935), titled Room Painting, signed and dated 1958, sold for $45,000 at an auction held Feb. 20 by Palm Beach Modern Auctions in West Palm Beach, Fla. Also, an Italian-made Gabriella Crespi ‘Elisse’ coffee table with four leaves, lacquered wood and brass, coasted to $27,500; a signed, original painting by Larry Rivers (American, 1923-2002), fetched $16,250; and a signed, limited edition lithograph by Tom Wesselmann (American, 1931-2004), went for $12,500. Prices include a 22 percent buyer’s premium.

 

Queen Anne doll

 

Queen Anne doll, $46,360, Morphy Auctions
A 17-inch-tall, all-original Queen Anne doll in a presentation case and detailed with leather gloves and several layers of clothing, sold for $46,360 at a toy, doll and figural cast-iron auction held March 4-5 by Morphy Auctions in Denver, Pa. Also, a rare Japanese friction tin litho Imperial toy car rolled off for $11,590; the same amount was paid for a large, onionskin marble with blizzard mica; a Lionel No. 381 Green State toy train set (five pieces) brought $7,320; and a Bru Jne 7 bebe doll hit $7,930. Prices include a 22 percent buyer’s premium.

 

Framed Tibetan Thangka

 

Framed Tibetan Thangka, $59,375, Schwenke Auctioneers
A framed Tibetan Thangka depicting Padmasambhava, founder of Tantric Buddhism, in pigment and gilt on fabric, 52 inches by 28 inches, sold for $59,375 at a Connecticut Fine Estates Auction held Feb. 28 by Schwenke Auctioneers in Woodbury, Conn. Also, an Asian gilt bronze figure of Guanyin in elaborate dress on a foliate base, 8 1/2 inches tall, realized $29,280; a Mid-Atlantic inlaid Federal clock, 98 inches tall, hit $24,400; and a pair of signed Chinese snuff bottles, 2 inches and 2 1/2 inches tall, rose to $12,700. Prices include a 20 percent buyer’s premium.

 

M33089-38 001

 

Matisse color aquatint, $93,750, Swann Auction
A circa 1935-1936 color aquatint of an Henri Matisse color aquatint titled La Danse sold for $93,750 at a sale of 19th & 20th Century Prints & Drawings held March 8 by Swann Auction Galleries in New York City. Also, an 1889 Winslow Homer etching titled Fly Fishing, Saranac Lake hammered for $87,500; a 1930 etching by Giorgio Morandi realized $54,600; a drypoint and sand-ground work by Martin Lewis titled Shadow Dance (1930) hit $47,500; and a circa 1890 lithograph by Georges Seurat made $45,000. Prices include a 25 percent buyer’s premium.

 

Rare early map of Texas

 

Rare early map of Texas, $10,500, Heritage Auctions
A rare early map of Texas and related historical documents, purchased for $10 at an estate sale decades ago, sold for $10,500 at a Texas History Auction held March 12 by Heritage Auctions in Dallas. Also, an 1853 edition of Jacob de Cordova’s Map of Texas went for $10,000; and an 1876 first-edition copy of Fourteen Hundred and 91 Days, in the Confederate Army, one of the most coveted books on the U.S Civil War, and one of only 100 copies hand-printed by the author, rose to $45,000. Prices include a 25 percent buyer’s premium.

 

 

Chinese bottle vase

 

Chinese bottle vase, $411,000, Skinner Inc.
A Chinese sky blue-glazed bottle vase with six-character Qianlong mark sold for $411,000 at an Asian Works of Art Auction held March 19 by Skinner’s in Boston. Also, a Junyao tea bowl with a delicate pale blue glaze with purple splashes soared to $315,000; a 19th century Asian Sang de Boeuf beehive water coupe realized $255,000; a Chinese blue and white bowl decorated with dragons and phoenixes climbed to $104,550; and a pair of blue and green covered dragon jars, possibly Daoguang period, hit $195,000. Prices include the buyer’s premium.

 

Hudson Valley kas

 

Hudson Valley 18th century kas, $10,000, Carlsen Gallery
An 18th century Hudson Valley kas, a large Dutch-made cabinet, sold for $10,000 at an auction held March 6 by Carlsen Gallery in Freehold, N.Y. Also, an American silver teapot attributed to Barent Ten Eyck hit $8,500; an oil on canvas rendering of the Mona Lisa, after Leonardo Da Vinci, gaveled for $8,000; and an oil on canvas painting signed by Arthur Parton, titled From the Clove, went to a determined bidder for $6,000. Prices are hammer, exclusive of the buyer’s premium.

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By Ken Hall

 

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