Swords, netsukes on the rise in Asian arts auction April 8

Japanese tanto, Mino province, signed Kanenori, 1532-1555, 11¾in. Estimate: $4,000-$5,000. Jasper52 image

NEW YORK – Antique Japanese bladed weapons and finely carved netsukes are the featured attractions in an Asian arts auction that will be conducted online by Jasper52 on Wednesday, April 8. Bid absentee or live online exclusively through LiveAuctioneers.

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Statue of African American artist brings a legacy to S.C. city’s downtown

Photograph of William H. Johnson painting a portrait, circa 1930-1945. Image from U.S. National Archives and Records Administration

FLORENCE, S.C. (AP) – It took a trip to New York City for Florence City Councilman George D. Jebaily to learn about William H. Johnson.

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The Hot Bid: Buddy Holly poster could break record

The ‘Winter Dance Party’ concert poster starring Buddy Holly and the Crickets will likely sell for $50,000 to $100,000. Image courtesy of Heritage Auctions

What you see: A Winter Dance Party concert poster, touting Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens, all of whom would die in a plane crash on Feb. 3, 1959—aka “The Day the Music Died.” Heritage Auctions issued no formal estimate for the poster, but its likely range is between $50,000 and $100,000.

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KAWS: artist, brand or both?

KAWS Pinocchio & Jimmy Cricket cast vinyl figures with original fitted box. Stamped to the underside of the feet ‘© Disney / KAWS’ and ‘Medicom Toy / 2010 / China’ (Pinocchio). Pinocchio figure 10¼in tall, est. $100-$500, sold for $2,048 at an auction held March 3, 2020. Napoleon’s Fine Art and LiveAuctioneers image

NEW YORK – Brian Donnelly (American, b. 1974-) is the graffiti artist and designer better known as KAWS. His toys, paintings, clothes and prints – which routinely and intentionally blur the lines between fine and commercial art – are wildly popular with fans and collectors worldwide. Pop Art and culture help define his cheeky, cartoonish Companion series of figurines, which at times can resemble the work of the contemporary artist Takashi Murakami (Japanese, b. 1962).

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Gallery Report: Grahame Sydney painting tops $64K

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 Gallery Report. All prices include the buyer’s premium.

Grahame Sydney painting, $64,350, Thomaston Place

An oil on linen painting by New Zealand contemporary artist Grahame Sydney (b. 1948), titled Cook House, Home Hills, sold for $64,350 held Feb. 28-29 and March 1 by Thomaston Place Auction Galleries in Thomaston, Maine. Also, a rare 35-star flag from the 1864 Lincoln and Johnson presidential campaign brought $38,025; a Cartier Ming Tree platinum brooch finished at $18,720; and a collection of Civil War-related ephemera went for $36,708.

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Preview Doris Day auction via Julien’s virtual video tour

Martin Nolan of Julien’s Auctions leads the virtual video tour.

LOS ANGELES – Julien’s Auctions, the auction house to the stars, has launched a virtual video tour of its upcoming world-class exhibition of Property from the Estate of Doris Day. The video preview can be viewed on Julien’s YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/HkwVE9BdW6s

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Complete set of DC comic books offered in private sale

From left: Detective Comics No. 27, the first appearance of Batman, May 1939; Action Comics No. 1, the first appearance of Superman, June 1938; Sensation Comics No. 1, the first appearance of Wonder Woman, January 1942. Sotheby’s image

NEW YORK – Sotheby’s will offer the Ian Levine Collection of DE Comics, an exclusive private sale offering of every comic book released by American publisher DC Comics from 1935 – 2016, including complete runs of Superman, Batman, Action Comics and Detective Comics.

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Freeman’s first online jewelry auction a sparkling success

An assortment of sold items in the March 24 fine jewelry auction. Freeman’s image

PHILADELPHIA – Freeman’s successfully hosted its first online-only jewelry auction on March 24. The auction achieved just short of $250,000. Forty-four percent of successful bidders in this sale were new to the house. Absentee and Internet live bidding was available through LiveAuctioneers.

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Van Gogh painting stolen from Dutch museum

Van Gogh’s ‘The Parsonage Garden at Nuenen.’ Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) – A painting by Dutch master Vincent van Gogh was stolen in an overnight smash-and-grab raid on a museum that was closed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, police and the museum said Monday.

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Model railroad museum is Gulf Coast destination

A small portion of a layout at the museum. Image courtesy of the Mississippi Coast Model Railroad Museum

GULFPORT, Miss. (AP) – Founded more than 20 years ago and initially housed in a now-shuttered shopping mall, the Mississippi Coast Model Railroad Museum has grown from that single store space to a facility that now boasts three buildings filled with trains and intricate displays and an outdoor area that includes a small working train that kids and adults alike can ride.

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