Andy Warhol, ‘Flowers, silkscreen. Kaminski’s image.
The top-selling lot of the sale was a beautiful walnut coffee table from George Nakashima. The remarkable table was made as part of Nakashima’s Conoid Collection and features a solid walnut plank supported on an angular leg and board. The elegant and streamlined design emphasizes the natural and unique beauty of the wood – a concept central to the “free-edge” style Nakashima’s work popularized. Many expressed interest in the table, which sold for $10,000.
Furniture from designer and architect Henry Glass also performed well in the auction. Kaminski presented both a table and a hutch from the visionary designer, which reflected in their designs Glass’s interest in economy of space and material that is so relevant today. The hutch, estimated at $300 to $500, and the table, estimated at $500 to $700, both sold for $1,600.
Of the works of art presented in the sale, the most popular was Samuel L. Margolies’ etching and aquatint, “Man’s Canyons.” The image is one of the New York WPA artist’s better-known works, and has been reproduced in a number of publications and exhibitions. The masterful composition of angular shadows and rays of light commanded significant bidding competition, driving the price of the etching and aquatint to $9,000, far above the original $3,000 to $5,000.
Other notable artworks in the sale included a large-scale work by minimalist pioneer Tadaaki Kuwayama. The 60-inch by 52-inch work was comprised of six green oil0on canvas panels, and sold for $5,000. Two mixed-media works by 1960s artist Peter Max also finished in the money. Both “Liberty and Justice for All,” and “God Bless America III” sold for individual above-estimate prices of $3,000.
Both Warhol prints offered in the sale garnered much attention from bidders and visitors to the gallery. The two hand-colored silkscreen prints were part of the artist’s 1974 “Flowers” series and were hand signed by the artist. The first print, carrying a personally inscribed message from Warhol, sold for $3,750, while the second fetched $3,500.
The Twentieth Century sale also included a number of notable glass lots. The first lot of the sale, a Chihuly bowl from 1983, realized a $4,000 hammer price, exceeding its $2,000 to $3,000 estimate. A monumental Sven Palmquist for Orrefors bowl also sold above estimate, for $2,600.
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ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE
Andy Warhol, ‘Flowers, silkscreen. Kaminski’s image. George Nakashima, Conoid Collection walnut coffee table. Kaminski’s image. Dale Chihuly glass bowl. Kaminski’s image. Samuel Margolies,’Man’s Canyons,’ etching and aquatint. Kaminski’s image. Tadaaki Kuwayama, untitled, oil on canvas. Kaminski’s image. Peter Max, ‘God Bless America III,’ mixed media on paper. Kaminski’s image.
