William Edmondson ‘Nurse’ leads robust winter auction at Case

There has been strong demand at the national level lately for carved limestone sculptures by self-taught African-American artist William Edmondson (Tennessee, 1874-1951). His 14-inch sculpture of a nurse earned $129,800 (est. $80,000-$90,000). Case Antiques Auction image

 

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – A William Edmondson carved limestone sculpture of a nurse injected excitement into the Jan. 21 Case Antiques Auction, drawing a healthy winning bid of $129,800 and also boosting interest in an institutional collection of outsider art (all prices include the buyer’s premium). Absentee and Internet live bidding was available through LiveAuctioneers.

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Robsjohn-Gibbings Furniture Auction, Charlie Brown & MetLife Part Ways, and More Fresh News

T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings custom-made sofa/daybed consisting of three sectional pieces plus a bolster pillow. The ensemble is depicted in situ in the book ‘Mr. Tom Davis, White Shadows, Palm Springs,’ page 17. Est. $5,000-$10,000

 

News and updates from around the arts and auction community:

  • T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings (1905-1976) was the most celebrated interior designer of the late 1930s/1940s. His custom-made furniture graced some of America’s finest mid-century homes, like White Shadow, in Rancho Mirage, California. Robsjohn-Gibbings furniture from White Shadow is being auctioned on Feb. 5. [Read more from Art Daily]
  • After 30 memorable years, MetLife is parting ways with the Peanuts characters that have been such a highly visible part of their marketing. But never fear, Peanuts fans, Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus and Snoopy have plenty of places to land. [Read more from Fortune]
  • Screen-worn costumes, handwritten lyrics and personal property of top celebrities will be auctioned by Guernsey’s on March 11-12. A portion of the proceeds will benefit St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. [Read more from KFVS-TV]
  • A 48-star U.S. flag from one of the first naval vessels to land on Utah Beach in Normandy has sold for $90,000, inclusive of buyer’s premium. Milestone Auctions in Ohio conducted the sale of the precious WWII relic. [Read more from LiveAuctioneers]

For more news and updates, follow LiveAuctioneers on Twitter and Facebook.

Vintage or modern, prize pieces sparkle in Jasper52 jewelry sale Feb. 4

Tiffany & Co. platinum diamond and sapphire bypass ring featuring a GIA-graded 1.78 carat old European cut diamond and a round cut sapphire with an estimated weight of 2.10cts, size 5 1/2. Estimate: $16,000-$20,000. Jasper52 image

 

NEW YORK – Modern and vintage pieces mingle beautifully in a diverse jewelry auction presented by Jasper52 on Saturday, Feb. 4. Tiffany, Cartier and Van Cleef are just a few of the famous names offered, boasting classic designs as well as modern interpretations. Absentee and Internet live bidding is available through LiveAuctioneers.

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Asian monochrome ceramics soar at Kaminski auction Jan. 15

Rare lime green Chinese vase, 8 1/2 inches. Price realized: $87,500. Kaminski Auctions image

 

BEVERLY, Mass. – A collection of rare Asian ceramics and a Julio Le Parc mobile stole the show at the Kaminski Auctions Jan. 15 sale. The Travis Brock collection of monochrome ceramics brought in bidders from all over the world and the prices achieved reflected it. Fifteen of the 20 top prices achieved in the auction were porcelains from the Travis Brock Collection, which was originally acquired in Derbyshire, England in 1972. Absentee and Internet live bidding was available through LiveAuctioneers.Continue reading

Artemis Gallery’s Jan. 18-19 antiquities auction draws fierce bidding, new collectors

BOULDER, Colo. – Artemis Gallery welcomed a contingent of new collectors to their Jan. 18-19, 2017 auction of classical antiquities and Asian, Pre-Columbian and ethnographic art. The 454-lot sale – the second-best in the company’s history, both in terms of the monetary total and the number of items sold – achieved a strong 65% sell-through rate, with intense competition on several pieces. Internet live bidding was facilitated by LiveAuctioneers.

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Russians protest state handover of historic cathedral


Saint Isaac’s Cathedral on Saint Isaac’s Square in Saint Petersburg, Russia. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Alex ‘Florstein’ Fedorov image

 

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) – Protesters rallied in St. Petersburg on Saturday against plans by the city authorities to give a landmark cathedral to the Russian Orthodox Church amid an increasingly passionate debate over the relationship between the church and the Russian state.

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Postcards recalling mine disaster offered in Matthew Bullock auction Feb. 18

A funeral procession of nine horse-drawn hearses travel down Main Street in Ladd, Ill., carrying victims of the Cherry Mine Disaster. Courtesy of Matthew Bullock Auctioneers

 

OTTAWA, Ill. – Illinois’ Cherry Mine Disaster ranks as the third most deadly in American coal mining history. Of the nearly 500 men and boys (as young as age 11) who reported for work on Nov. 13, 1909, 259 perished. Matthew Bullock Auctioneers is offering a cache of 60 different Cherry Mine Disaster real photo postcards – many with low minimum bids – during its Feb. 18 Winter Ephemera Discovery Auction. Absentee and Internet bidding is available through LiveAuctioneers.

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Tate Modern to stage landmark Picasso exhibition in Spring 2018

Pablo Picasso, ‘Le Rêve’ (The Dream), 1932. Private collection © Succession Picasso/DACS 2017

 

LONDON –Tate today announced the first solo exhibition of Pablo Picasso’s work ever to be held at Tate Modern. Starting in March 2018 “The EY Exhibition: Picasso 1932 – Love, Fame, Tragedy” will be one of the most significant shows the gallery has ever staged. It will take visitors on a month-by-month journey through 1932, a time so pivotal in Picasso’s life and work that it has been called his “year of wonders.”

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