BOCA RATON, Fla. – A beautiful and large micromosaic table made in Rome, Italy around 1850 – circular in shape and made from black marble, with the top inlaid with semi-precious stones – is the expected headliner at the inaugural sale of AuctionLife Florida, set for Sunday, July 24, in the Ramada Boca Raton hotel at 701 Northwest 53rd St., beginning at 1 p.m. Eastern time.

Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.com.

The table carries a presale estimate of $25,000-$45,000 and depicts St. Peter’s Square in the center and four Roman sites interconnected by floral festoons, a motif popularized by the artist Cavalier Barberi, who began using it around 1840. Each scene is bordered with what appears to be coral, followed by malachite, the whole surrounded by a band of micromosaic lapis lazuli.

The table was once valued at $200,000 by the International Society of Appraisers (a valuation sheet is included with the lot). Also, the micromosaic work is attributed to the Vatican Workshop.

It is the first auction ever for AuctionLife Florida, which has offices in Palm Beach County, but chose a nice hotel in upscale Boca Raton for its debut event. “I’ve been blessed to have attracted several major estates plus other fine consignments for my first sale, said Tarek Jabaly, the owner and auctioneer of AuctionLife Florida. Jabaly has 10-plus years of auction experience in the area.

There will be just over 300 lots for bidders to consider, to include sculptures, bronzes, furniture (some of it Mid-Century Modern), jewelry, coins, artwork, porcelains, fine decorative items and a few Asian objects.

A strong candidate for runner-up top lot should be a marble sculpture by the Italian artist Luigi Guglielmi (1834-1907), titled Eve with Serpent. The 30-inch-tall sculpture, from the Belle Epoque series and executed in the late 19th century, is estimated at $5,000-$8,000.

 

 

Two lots carry estimates of $3,000-$6,000. One is a Continental marble clock candelabra garniture set (below), with the candelabra 30 inches by 10 inches and the clock 20 inches by 20 inches. The other is a pair of French 19th century Napoleon III-style ormolu and patinated bronze ewers, 33 1/2 inches tall, on round bases, with cherubs throughout.

 

 

AuctionLife Florida’s consulting specialists have over 50 years’ of combined experience in the fields of estate jewelry, fine art, sterling silver, diamonds and antiques. Auctioneer and owner Tarek Jabaly has been heavily involved in the South Florida auction industry for years, as an auctioneer, estate buyer, manager, auction coordinator, consignor liaison and other functions.

For details contact AuctionLife Florida at 561-757-1551 or email them auctionlifeflorida@gmail.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.

 

BOULDER, Colo. – Collecting fads may come and go, but one blue-chip category whose following has grown exponentially over the past century is ancient antiquities. “There will always be a fascination about the way people lived many centuries ago, from prehistoric times through more recent periods. The people may be long gone, but their cultures continue to intrigue us through the art and artifacts they left behind,” said Teresa Dodge, co-founder and executive director of Artemis Gallery.

Continue reading

 

CLEVELAND – The intense light of the American West has always been an inspiration for artists. Gray’s July 20 auction opens with a collection of paintings depicting the grandeur of the Western scenery.

Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.com.

Lot 11 is by Arthur Merton Hazard (1872–1930) a native New Englander who moved out west in 1923. Hazard was a gifted portrait and landscape artist. His mountain landscape (above) depicts The Santa Ynez Mountains, which are featured in a number of Hazard’s landscapes.

Abel Warshawsky’s (1883–1962) oil, Shepherd with Flock, lot 13, is another vibrant Californian landscape. Known for his realist portraits and his shimmering Impressionist landscapes, Warshawsky was a Cleveland School graduate. He moved to the Monterey Peninsula in California and was active in the Carmel Art Association after spending the first 30 years of his career in France.

 

 

James Abbott McNeill Whistler, (American, 1834–1903), the celebrated portraitist, was also a consummate etcher. Whistler’s lively etching of San Biagio, (below), has a $10,000-$15,000 estimate.

 

 

Frank Weston Benson, the celebrated portrait, sporting and landscape artist, decided to try watercolor painting 30 years into his career. Lot 68 is a study for Twilight, Benson’s oil that sold at Christie’s in 2007. Benson captures the quiet of the evening on the water in this sublime watercolor (below), which is estimated at $12,000-$15,000.

 

 

The auction includes two eagle sculptures by Chester Fields (American, b. 1945).

The outdoors theme continues into the furniture selections up for auction and include lot 324 a suite of antique cast-iron patio furniture by Robert Wood of Philadelphia.

A Gray’s auction would not be complete without a fine collection of jewelry and decorations.

For details contact Serena Harragin at Gray’s at 216-226-3300.

 

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.

 

MT. CRAWFORD, Va. – Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates will conduct their first auction of textiles and antique sewing items July 16 beginning at 9:30 a.m.

Continue reading