Rare petroliana fired on all cylinders at Morphy’s $3M auction, Oct. 14-15

The top lot of the two-day auction was a rare and especially fine double-sided porcelain service station sign advertising Penn Trump Motor Oil. New/old stock with original metal hanging bracket. Sold for $52,275 against an estimate of $10,000-$20,000

DENVER, Pa. – Superior-quality gas and oil advertising signs, early gas pumps and globes; and other antique motoring memorabilia performed like Indy 500 champs on October 14-15 at Morphy Auctions’ gallery. The 1,162-lot Automobilia & Petroliana sale – a visual testament to America’s century-long obsession with motorcars – tallied $3 million, with many estimate-defying twists and turns along the way. Absentee and Internet live bidding was facilitated by LiveAuctioneers.

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The great divide: male vs. female Chinese artists

Pan Yuliang was widely known for her still life paintings. This watercolor and ink on paper earned $11,500 + the buyer’s premium in April 2019 at Time Auction Global LLC. Photo courtesy of Time Auction Global LLC and LiveAuctioneers

NEW YORK — While the most sought-after male artists from China routinely command strong auction prices and enjoy an enviable art market following, their female contemporaries struggle to gain equal footing, even after a century of struggle and protests to promote women’s equality in Asia.

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