A Chinese bronze censer, a vessel created for burning incense, was the highlight of the sale, selling for £8,060 ($13,362). Dreweatts & Bloomsbury image. LONDON – As the art market was preparing to indulge in Asia Week New York, Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions celebrated Asian works of art in their March 12 Interiors sale. The sale saw unwavering bidders pushing prices high, suggesting there is no remission in the booming Asian art market.
Internet bidding was provided by LiveAuctioneers.com.
A Chinese bronze censer, a vessel created for burning incense, was the highlight of the sale, selling for £8,060. From the former residence of Rob Walker of Formula One’s successful Rob Walker Racing team and the heir of whisky mogul Johnnie Walker, the censer, with its excellent provenance, was sold in the room to a UK bidder [Lot 12].
A collection of paintings opened the Asian works of art section. A fine group of eight, framed and glazed, 19th century Chinese paintings, in inks and colors on silk, attracted fierce bidding before selling for £5,952. The paintings were all of a natural theme, depicting traditional-style floral scenes, and bird and flower subjects [Lot 7]. Other highly desired paintings included an Indian miniature depicting Maharana Jagar Singh II riding an elephant in procession which sold for £2,976 [Lot 80] and an Indian miniature depicting Maharana Sangram Singh hunting a boar [Lot 79], which sold for £1,612.
Asian ceramics also achieved top prices with a 19th century jar and cover, ornately decorated with a landscape scene, on a carved wooden stand achieving £3,968 [Lot 61] and a large Chinese blue and white dish doubling its estimate and selling for £2,300 [Lot 53].
A red and gold lacquered wood figure of a Chinese general excited bidders in the room. Despite lacking his hands, the finely carved sculpture, wearing scale armour beneath elaborate robes, sold for £6,200 [Lot 15].
The later part of the Interiors sale offered works of art and furniture from British and Continental makers. A grand pair of Continental carved giltwood Blackamoor torcheres, in 18th century Venetian style, measured 86 inches tall and doubled their estimate selling for £5,952 [Lot 121]. Proving that fine British mahogany furniture is still in demand, a William IV mahogany extending dining table, circa 1835, sold for £4,960 [Lot 129].
A Chinese bronze censer, a vessel created for burning incense, was the highlight of the sale, selling for £8,060 ($13,362). Dreweatts & Bloomsbury image.
Indian miniature painting depicting Maharana Jagar Singh II riding an elephant in a procession, circa 1740, which sold for £2,976 ($4,933.). Dreweatts & Bloomsbury image.
1932 Winter Olympics bronze medal, issued for the Olympics held at Lake Placid, N.Y., stamped ‘Robbins Co. / Attelboro’ on top edge, 1932. Price Realized: $4,312.50. Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates image. MT. CRAWFORD, Va. – Variety auctions at Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates offer diverse material, as the auction title implies. The Feb. 22 sale’s top lot was of five United States silver half dollar coins, featuring the bust of Liberty with flowing hair and a draped bust. The coins in the group dated to 1795; 1801; 1802; 1803 (with the large 3) and 1804. Formerly in the collection of Wayne Anderson of Winchester Va., and sold from the coin collection of the late John Palmer, Purcellville, Va., the coins realized $4312.50 against an estimate of $800-$1,200 (lot 1).
Internet live bidding was facilitated by LiveAuctioneers.com.
Other coins did almost as well in the auction. A complete set of 24 silver Peace Dollar coins, dated from 1921 to 1935, housed in a Littleton Custom album, sold for $2,990, (estimate: $400-$600) (lot 19); and a lot of six U.S. silver half-dollar coins, with the draped bust, dated 1803 (large and small 3); 1805 and 1807, sold for $2,300 (estimate: $300-$500) (lot 2). A lot of assorted ancient coins, sold for $2,300, exceeding its $100-$200 estimate.
The auction also included an interesting array of medals. A bronze medal awarded at the 1932 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, the first Olympics held in the United States, sold for $4,312.50 (estimate: $200-$300). The medal was stamped Robbins Co./Attleboro. Eighteen bronze medals issued by the Society of Medalists, sold for $1,840, far in excess of the $200-$400 estimate (Lots 40 and Lot 41).
A group of Chinese ceramics, including a fine Yongzheng period oxblood red dish, circa 1723-1735, sold for $4,312.50 (estimate: $80-120), and a Japanese woodblock print by Kiyosho Saito (1907-1997), Autumn in Saga, Kyoto, sold for $805 against a $400-$600 estimate (Lots 443 and 422, respectively).
A rare “Hootch Owl” figural cast-brass combination corkscrew/bottle/opener/nut cracker, stamped Pat. D-98968 for Robert Smythe’s design, patented March 7, 1936, sold for $1,725, against an estimate of $300-$500 (Lot 124).
Of local interest, four maps of Rockingham County, Va., taken from Lake’s Atlas of Rockingham County, sold for $1,495. The maps were used in Steven Spielberg’s 2012 film, Lincoln, circa 1885, a provenance that clearly influenced their selling price (Lot 69).
The 805-lot auction realized $192,343 with 2,426 registered bidders from 34 countries.
For further information, email info@jeffreysevans.com or call 540-434-3939.
1932 Winter Olympics bronze medal, issued for the Olympics held at Lake Placid, N.Y., stamped ‘Robbins Co. / Attelboro’ on top edge, 1932. Price Realized: $4,312.50. Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates image.
U.S silver Flowing Hair and Draped Bust half dollar coins, lot of five, 1795, 1801, 1802, 1803 (large 3) and 1805, sold for $4,312.50. Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates image.
Lot of four Rockingham County, Virginia maps, from ‘Lake’s Atlas of Rockingham Coounty,’ in modern frames and mats, circa 1885. Price realized: $1,495. Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates image.
‘Hootch-Owl’ figural cast-brass combinationcorkscrew / bottle opener / nut cracker, shaft stamped ‘PAT. D-98968’ for Robert Smythe’s design patent of March 7, 1936. Price realized: $1,725. Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates image.
Assorted Asian porcelain articles, lot of three, including a Chinese Oxblood low bowl with white rim and blue markings, mid 18th century, 8 inches in diameter, sold for $4,312.50. Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates image.
Chinese Export Silver pair of late 18th century Qianlong filigree vases and covers, attributed to the Canton silversmith Pao Ying. Price realized: £23,560. Dreweatts & Bloomsbury image. LONDON – Fine English, Continental and Chinese Export Silver was in high demand at Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions’ sale of Fine Silver and Objects of Vertu, held Feb. 26, with many pieces eclipsing their presale estimates.
Internet live bidding was facilitated by LiveAuctioneers.com
The closing section of Chinese Export Silver ended the sale on a high, with a pair of late 18th century Qianlong filigree vases and covers, attributed to the Canton silversmith Pao Ying, selling for £23,560 [Lot 801] .
James Nicholson, deputy chairman of Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions, said: “We are absolutely delighted with the result from today’s auction, particularly in relation to the 13 Chinese export silver items. Chinese export silver has remained one of the most globally buoyant antique silver categories throughout the economic downturn, and Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions are making bold in-roads into the Chinese market, most recently through the addition of Adrien von Ferscht as consultant in Chinese Export Silver to our already established Silver Department. Adrien has given us new expertise in this highly complex silver category.”
Other Chinese Export Silver that achieved top prices in the sale included a pair of late 18th century Qianlong gilt filigree pedestal cases and covers which sold to a Hong Kong buyer for £21,080 [Lot 800] and a silver teapot by the Canton and Shanghai retail silversmith Wo Shing selling to a Chinese buyer in Australia for £4,960 [Lot 812].
Despite the impressive prices achieved for the Chinese Export Silver, it was an English William IV silver dinner service that achieved the top sale price, selling for £26,040. The dinner service, with the maker’s mark “RG,” possibly Robert Gainsford, Sheffield in 1832, was engraved “Presented to Peter Greenall Esquire by the Inhabitants of St Helens and Neighbourhood As a token of their Esteem for his private worth and of Gratitude for his public service.” The service was impressive for two reasons: in that it had stayed together over so many generations and for its size, comprising a soup tureen and cover, a set of four entree dishes, covers and handles, a set of four sauce tureens and covers, a pair of shaped oval serving dishes and a pair of salvers, selling to the London trade for £26,040 [Lot 734].
Bidders online and on the phone competed to take home a very collectable Victorian “castle-top” card case by Nathaniel Mills, decorated with the Dublin International Industrial Exhibition Building, it sold to an English buyer in the room for £10,540 [Lot 757].
Fashionable in the 19th century, castle-top card cases were stamped or engraved with local landmarks and sold to the thriving tourist market as souvenirs. The most collectible pieces in the current market are for unusual landmarks and destinations similar to the Dublin International Industrial Building, which although the most extravagate and expensive event of 19th century Ireland, was only open from May to October 1853.
Another fine British piece to achieve a top price in the sale was an extensive late Victorian electro-plated tea service by Barker Brothers, which sold for £5,580 to a Middle East buyer. The finely decorated tea service was given by the King of Morocco, Hassan II to the Italian gynaecologist Professor Pietro Marziale, on the safe delivery of his son Crown Prince Sidi Mohammed born on Aug. 21, 1963. It was sold along with a photograph of the Crown Prince aged 6 years old and a newspaper reporting the news of the royal birth [Lot 701].
Chinese Export Silver pair of late 18th century Qianlong filigree vases and covers, attributed to the Canton silversmith Pao Ying. Price realized: £23,560. Dreweatts & Bloomsbury image.
Another Chinese Export Silver lot that achieved a hefty price in the sale was this pair of late 18th century Qianlong gilt filigree pedestal vases and covers, which sold for £21,080. Dreweatts & Bloomsbury image.
Extensive late Victorian electro-plated tea service by Barker Brothers. Price realized: £5,580. Dreweatts & Bloomsbury image.
Victorian ‘castle-top’ card case by Nathaniel Mills, decorated with the Dublin International Industrial Exhibition Building. Price realized: £10,540. Dreweatts & Bloomsbury image.
An extensive English William IV silver dinner service achieved the top sale price, selling for £26,040. Dreweatts & Bloomsbury image.
Martin Brothers triple bird tobacco jar, $111,750. Rago Arts and Auction Center image. LAMBERTVILLE, N.J. – Rago Arts and Auction Center’s 20th Century Decorative Arts and Design Auction on March 1-2 generated total sales of $5.63 million March 1 and 2. Leading the way was a Martin Brothers triple bird tobacco jar that sold for $111,750.
Internet live bidding was provided by LiveAuctioneers.com.
“Both auctions, all four sessions, were fairly solid across the board. We sold over 80 percent of the lots and hammered well into the estimate range,” said David Rago. “This is probably our strongest March sale ever. The Martin ware performed unusually well, as did some of the American art pottery. The Modern ceramics sale did similarly well, with most pieces selling in the estimate range and the occasional fireworks, this time from the rare Schreckengost charger at $93,750.”
Early 20th C. Decorative Arts Highlighted Lots:
18 – Martin Brothers triple bird tobacco jar, $111,750
100 – Mary Sheerer/Newcomb College oil lamp, $93,750
1 – John Dee Wareham / Rookwood Black Iris vase, $31,250
42 – University City glazed porcelain gourd vase, $26,250
443 – Tiffany Studios fine desk lamp with turtleback shade, $26,250
139 – John Bennett vase painted with clematis, $23,750
167 – Gustav Stickley early trapezoidal grandfather clock, $20,000
346 – Roseville Della Robbia vase with daisies, $20,000
Modern Ceramics Highlighted Lots:
500 – Viktor Schreckengost charger, Lady Godiva, $93,750
509 – Otto and Gertrud Natzler bottle-shaped vase, $17,500
516 – Peter Voulkos stoneware rice jar, $16,250
604 – Claude Conover vessel with engobe decoration, Hogzah, $10,000
600 – Wayne Higby raku-fired covered vessel, $8,125
The Modern design session had an exemplary selection of Nakashima, Evans, and other studio modernists. “Prices were consistently in or above estimate range for nearly every lot. There was more competition than usual for this session, perhaps because we intentionally kept the number of lots close to 500, raising the bar to focus on pieces mostly at $2,000 or above,” said Rago.
Modern Design Highlighted Lots
980 – Albert Paley dining table, $59,375
719 – Paul Evans / directional deep relief cabinet, $53,125
711 – George Nakashima wall hanging cabinet, $50,000
971 – Harry Bertoia stainless steel willow sculpture, $46,875
728 – Wharton Esherick sculpture, Cat with Snake, $45,000
722 – Paul Evans important steel patchwork sculpture , $43,750
709 – George Nakashima, six rare laurel conoid chairs, $37,500
718 – Paul Evans, pair of lounge chairs, $37,500
700 – George Nakashima rosewood double pedestal desk, $36,250
969 – Phil Powell floor to ceiling headboard/panel, $23,750
For details contact Rago auctions: 609-397-9374 or info@ragoarts.com.
Lot 286. Kamelot Auctions image. PHILADELHIA – Kamelot Auctions’ annual Mid-Century and Design sale was held on Saturday, Feb. 22, in Philadelphia, attracting a large bidding contingent that included designers, craftsmen, and private collectors. The sale offered a range of property including furniture, lighting, and sculpture from the Art Nouveau, Arts & Crafts, Art Deco, Modernist and Contemporary movements.
LiveAuctioneers.com facilitated Internet live bidding.
Interest in mid-century modern remains high across the board, particularly for iconic designs. The auction featured a selection of classic Gio Ponti-style designs, including a pair of commodes, each having six parchment front drawers supported on tapering bronze legs, which sold for $7,400 (lot 311). Similarly was lot 253, a mid-century modern parchment-covered dresser, circa 1960, sold for $1,680 against an estimate of $500-$700. Other stunners included an Ico Parisi-style mahogany desk having three floating drawers, circa 1960, which sold for $2,040 (lot 295); a Karl Springer-style chrome octagonal-form mirror, which brought $2,400 (lot 286); and a pair of labeled Knoll Eero Saarinen tulip tables having composite white top supported on metal base, circa 1960, which brought $1,320 (lot 458). Lot 296, a James Mont-style credenza having Asian inspired fretwork painted doors raised on a Greek key platform base, circa 1960, earned $2,280. Likewise, lot 295A, a James Mont-style painted wood and glass dining table, circa 1970, earned $1,920. Grossing over $14,000, a set of four mid-century modern Italian club chairs proved to be one of the auction’s top (lots 288 and 208), along with lot 94, a cerused oak sideboard, circa 1950, which grossed over $7,000.
The top lot of the day was a pair of Art Deco-style macassar demilune one-drawer console tables in the manner of Ruhlmann resting on tapered legs. The pair of tables far exceeded their estimate of $2,000-$3,000 and earned a final $10,200 (lot 221). Bidders responded with enthusiasm to the sale’s selection of Art Deco, and the category brought successful results across the board. Lot 207, a pair of ebonized Art Deco-style console tables having inset mirrored top supported on U-form base raised on silver trimmed plinth earned a whopping $4,560. Among other prized Art Deco pieces was a French sideboard having two diamond parquetry decorated doors that earned $3,120, a matched set of four macassar tapered pedestals that earned $1,560 (lot 204) and a good and unusual pair of carved Art Deco club chairs, circa 1930, that earned $1,800 (lot 199).
Lighting was another category that brought rewarding results. Leading the selection and with keen presale interest was a rare collection of 20 matching Murano glass shell-form sconces having gold fleck scroll decoration, circa 1970, (Lots 402, 403, 404, 405). The sconces brought a total of over $10,000. Lot 269, a substantial pair of George Kovacs mid-century modern Lucite table lamps earned $1,680, well above the projected estimate of $300-$500. Other highlights included a pair of bronze Jansen palm tree table lamps, circa 1950, which brought $1,920 (lot 166); a similar pair of Baques brass faux bamboo standing floor lamps, circa 1960, which brought $1,920 (lot 179); and a pair of stylish parchment covered floor lamps with bronze plated decoration, which brought $2,640 (lot 355).
Kamelot’s next sale will be the annual garden and architectural antiques auction to be held Saturday, April 12. For more information call 215-438-6990.
The top lot of the day was a pair of Art Deco-style one-drawer console tables in the manner of Ruhlmann. Estimated at $2,000-$3,000, the pair achieved $10,200. Kamelot Auctions image.
This table and four chairs sold for $179,000 and was one of the 14 lots offered in this collection that realized over $1.1 million. Clars Auction Gallery image. OAKLAND, Calif. – Clars’ Feb. 15-16 fine art, antiques and estates auction will go down in their history as the largest sale to date, realizing almost $3.3 million with over $1.3 million realized on the property offered from the important Gerber estate from Reno, Nev.
After the two-day sale, President Redge Martin commented, “It was also one of our longest sales due to the huge crowds in the saleroom, very strong Internet interest and so much bidding.” The presale interest in this sale was very notable as 3,000 people attended the previews and 47,000 viewed the catalog online. During the two-day sale, 900 live bidders were registered and 4,500 signed up online to participate.
LiveAuctioneers.com facilitated Internet live bidding.
Asian category
While all of the categories performed beyond expectation, it was the Asian category that stunned both staff and crowd. Coming from the Gerber estate, were 14 lots of Chinese hardwood Vietnamese huanghuali furniture ranging from tables, to chairs, screens and cabinets. Overall, the lots offered in this collection carried estimates of $1,000 to $8,000 but those were left in the dust once the furious bidding began. The top seller in this collection and the sale overall was a pair of huanghuali and mixed wood cabinets that achieved the astonishing price of $245,000. The second highest in this collection was a table and four chairs that sold for $179,000 followed by a pair of cabinets that sold for $131,000, and a table, the top inset with floating panels, which brought $101,000. In total, this 14-piece collection achieved $1,156,000. A second offering of the huanghuali furniture from this estate will be offered at Clars on March 16.
Fine art
The fine art category had a record-setting day achieving the highest U.S. price to date on a work by Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri (Australia, 1932-2002) titled Possum Dreaming, achieving an impressive $131,000.
Coming from the Ruttenberg Collection of Chicago, three works by sculptor Richard Howard Hunt (American, b. 1935) all flew past high estimate with the highest selling for $27,000. Furthering the sculpture offerings, Sphère-trame from 1962 by Francois Morrelet, also commanded an above-estimate price of $18,000.
The painting of the famous Blue Dog seated atop an unmarked grave by George Rodrigue (American, 1944-2013) went well past it’s high estimate to settle at $48,000. Theodoros Stamos’ (American/Greek, 1922-1997), Petroglyph (1947), achieved the strong price of $39,000, in the 20th century American paintings category.
Early California paintings proved strong as well with Estuary Home, by William Henry Clapp (American, 1879-1954), leading the pack achieving $20,000. Maynard Dixon’s (American, 1875-1946), Little Home, 1937, realized an impressive $18,000.
After being held in a private collection for almost five decades, a dynamic work by Adolf Schreyer (German, 1828-1899) titled The Imperial Courier, achieved a price of $17,000, indicating that quality 19th century paintings remain a good investment.
Decorative arts & furnishings
The main event in this category was the exceptional art glass, most of which came from the Gerber estate and included a host of works from artists and studios including Lundberg, Orient & Flume, David Lindsay, Michael Nourot, Steve Smyers, Zellique and Lee Hudin. More than 180 lots of paperweights, vases, bowls, chargers, stemware, and American Brilliant cut crystal realized $71,000. From another estate, was a Dante Marioni (American b. 1964) monumental art glass group that sold for $13,000.
The sterling offered had a 99 percent sell through, which included over 10 lots of Burmese silver from the Gerber estate. This collection of bowls, boxes and hanging plaques realized a total of $16,000. An American Neo-Renaissance Gorham coin silver five-piece hot beverage service, by John William Tucker, San Francisco, 1850-1886, and a Tiffany & Co. Victorian style sterling silver tea kettle on stand, both achieved $6,000. A late 19th century Japanese sterling silver teapot fetched $6,500.
The market showed appreciation for an R. Williamson leaded glass and patinated bronze floor lamp, Chicago, circa 1900, that sold for $14,000; an antique Persian Bidjar carpet, circa 1900, 17 feet 11 inches by 11 feet 8 inches, $12,000; and a French Louis XV-style bronze mounted bureau à rognon, 19th century, $10,000.
The showstopper in this category however, was certainly the 2001 Ferrari 360 Modena Spider. Sporting the deepest and richest blue and having only 10,500 original miles, this marvel of motordom zoomed off for a smooth $95,000
Peggy Fleming Collection
Significant pieces of Olympic and skating memorabilia from Peggy Fleming’s personal collection were offered and achieved winning results. Her Rolex Datejust President 18K yellow gold wristwatch achieved $11,000 and a pair of her custom-made ice skates by Harlick of California sold for $3,000. In all, these select offerings skated away for over $15,000.
Antique and estate fine jewelry
An oval cut diamond and 14K white gold ring sporting one oval cut diamond weighing 3.80 carats sold for $18,000. A 2.27-carat cushion cut diamond and platinum ring also sold for $18,000 followed by a 4.01-carat marquise cut diamond and platinum ring that sold very nicely for $14,000.
For more information for Clars’ Feb. 15-16 sale email: info@clars.com or call 510-480-0100.
This table and four chairs sold for $179,000 and was one of the 14 lots offered in this collection that realized over $1.1 million. Clars Auction Gallery image.
Coming from the Gerber estate, this a huanghuali and mixed wood cabinet (lot 1 of 2) achieved the astonishing price of $245,000. Clars Auction Gallery image.
Clars Auction Gallery achieved the price of $131,000 for ‘Possum Dreaming’ by Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri (1932-2002), making this the highest auction price ever for the artist in the United States and sixth-highest price overall for this artist. Clars Auction Gallery image.
This welded metal sculpture, one of three offered, by Richard Howard Hunt (American, b. 1935) achieved over 10 times its high estimate selling for $27,000. Clars Auction Gallery image.
This painting of the famous Blue Dog by New Orleans artist, George Rodrigue (1944-2013) sold for well past its high estimate, achieving $47,600. Clars Auction Gallery image.
This Dante Marioni (American b. 1964) monumental art glass group sold for $13,000. Clars Auction Gallery image.
This fine Louis XV-style gilt bronze mounted bureau rognon surmounted with a bronze figural sculpture of putti sold for $10,000. Clars Auction Gallery image.
This 2001 Ferrari 360 Modena Spider zoomed away for $95,000. Clars Auction Gallery image. Clars Auction Gallery image.
This oval cut diamond and 14K white gold ring sporting one oval cut diamond weighing 3.80 carats sold for $18,000. Clars Auction Gallery image.
Top lot of the sale: Bandai Flying Spaceman, tin litho, friction, original box, $55,200. Morphy Auctions image. DENVER, Pa. – An exceptional boxed example of a Bandai 12-inch “Flying Spaceman” took a wild ride on February 15th at Morphy’s before settling at $55,200 – more than three times its high estimate. Described in the Toy Auction catalog as being “possibly the best known example,” the crisp and colorful Japanese tin-litho motorcycle toy features a vinyl-caped hard-rubber “Superman” rider with a large tin “S” insignia on its chest.
“This particular toy was new/old stock with its original box and was found in a toy store in Japan. It’s very uncommon to find a Flying Spaceman in such nice condition, especially with the Superman shield still intact,” said Morphy Auctions’ owner, Dan Morphy. “There was a lot of interest in the toy prior to our sale, and it didn’t surprise me that it went for as much money as it did.”
Robots and space toys were strong across the board, Morphy said, with interest from around the world. “I’ve never seen online bidding as active as it was for this sale. From start to finish, there were at least 300 bidders on the Internet at any given time.” The auction grossed $996,000 (all prices quoted in this report are inclusive of 20% buyer’s premium). LiveAuctioneers provided the Internet live-bidding services for the sale.
Although only 8 inches in height, a beautiful Kanto tin wind-up “Television Robot” was the object of fierce bidding competition and commanded a price that one might expect of a rare and imposing Gang of Five robot. Together with its richly illustrated factory box, the near-mint extraterrestrial had been entered in the sale with a $15,000-$25,000 estimate. Collectors chased the fine example to $32,400.
Other robot highlights included a boxed tin-litho “Inter Planet Space Captain,” $19,800 against an estimate of $2,000-$4,000; and two boxed robots that each made $8,400: a Masudaya “Mighty 8 Robot,” and a Yonezawa tin-litho and painted-tin crank-wind “Astro Scout.” Space guns, which have their own dedicated following amongst sci fi collectors, were led by a boxed Hiller “Atomic Ray Gun,” $3,000 (est. $400-$600) and a boxed Yonezawa battery-operated “Electro Ray-Gun,” $2,280 (est. $100-$300).
A 6-inch Ohio Art sand pail charmed bidders with its early, colorful lithographed image of Minnie Mouse paddling a canoe, along with companions Mickey Mouse and Pluto. Estimated at a modest $200-$400, it outperformed all other Disney toys in reaching a final bid of $4,200.
Cast-iron mechanical banks were in high demand, with a near-mint-plus example of an Artillery Target bank, complete with cannonballs, at the forefront. Although the manufacturer of this particular bank is not known, its designer was Samuel Clark of Brooklyn, New York, and its patent dates to 1877. Against an estimate of $18,000-$25,000, it hit the bull’s-eye at $51,600.
Following closely behind was an 1878 J. & E. Stevens Patronize the Blind Man and His Dog bank. One of the nicest of all known examples, it more than doubled its high estimate to realize $50,400.
Other banks in the day’s top 10 included: an 1891 J. & E. Stevens Cat and Mouse, $26,400; an 1884 Kyser & Rex Mammy & Child (rare color variation), $19,200; and an 1878 Pelican with Rabbit made by Trenton Lock and Hardware Co., $15,600.
“I was very pleased with the results,” said Morphy’s owner, Dan Morphy. “There was an atmosphere of enthusiasm throughout the sale, and many new bidders took part from around the world. Ask any auctioneer and they’ll tell you there’s nothing like new blood to liven up a market. If this sale is any indication of what’s to come, 2014 is going to be a very exciting year for us and for the toy hobby.”
To contact Morphy Auctions, tel. 717-335-3435 or email serena@morphyauctions.com. Online: www.morphyauctions.com.
One of the top items in the auction was this Andrew Clemens sand bottle that sold for $19,800. Cowan’s Auctions Inc. image.
CINCINNATI – Cowan’s Auctions’ live salesroom two-day Winter Fine and Decorative Art Auction on Feb. 14-15 totaled $811,000 in sales. The auction featured a diverse and eclectic array of American and Continental furniture, fine art, works on paper, glass, silver, sculptures, portraiture and more. Many fine collections were offered in the sale, including the Clarence and Mildred Long Collection of Indiana artists, property from the Collections of St. Ann Convent in Melbourne, Ky., and property of the Convergys Corp. in Cincinnati, Ohio.
LiveAuctioneers.com provided Internet live bidding.
Paintings by well-known artists exceeded expectations in the auction. An oil on canvas depicting a match race at Newmarket by Francis Sartorius I realized $22,800, a painting by Paul Sawyier, titled Off the Rocks at Camp Nelson, sold for $14,400, a work titled Apple Pickers in Pennsylvania by Charles Wysocki realized $10,800, and portraits of George and Martha Washington attributed to Gilbert Stuart hammered down at $9,000.
Fine furniture did well in the sale, as the market for this material seems to be on the rise. A Bembe and Kimbel U.S. House of Representatives chair, circa 1857, sold for $18,000; a secretary bookcase with an Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts label brought five times its low estimate of $2,500-$5,000 and sold for $12,000; a Georgian-style secretary bookcase realized $7,200, and a walnut marble-top console table estimated at $200-$300 sold to a bidder on the phone for $4,800.
A number of silver pieces also sold well above their estimates. A Samuel Kirk coin silver pitcher, estimated at $600-$800 ended up selling to a bidder on the phone for $10,455, a Gorham silver presentation pitcher from miles greenwood realized $9,000 and a Tiffany & Co. sterling chased cocktail shaker brought $4,612.50.
Fine bronzes brought competitive bidding in the auction. An Austrian bronze Indian camp scene by Bergman realized $5,227.50, a Russian bronze troika scene after Vassily Gratchev hammered down at $4,800 and a bronze nude by P. Braecke dated to 1914 and sold for $2,706.
Additional notable items in the sale included an Andrew Clemens sand bottle that brought $19,800, a paint-decorated Noah’s ark toy with animals estimated at $800-$1,000 sold for $9,225, a set of Louis C. Tiffany pastel Favrile glass tablewares brought $7,200, and a set of salesman’s samples of sterling cane and parasol handles realized $3,997.50.
For more information about the Feb. 14-15 Fine and Decorative Art Auction, contact us at Cowan’s at 513-871-1670.
Pan Am Bermuda poster Raymond Ameijide (1924-2000) sold for £2,480. Dreweatts & Bloomsbury image. LONDON – A 1950s Pan Am airline poster was among a number of vintage posters offered at Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions on Wednesday, Feb. 12. LiveAuctioneers.com provided Internet live bidding.
The famous American illustrator and graphic designer Raymond Ameijide (1924-2000) created the piece for Pan Am airline to promote Bermuda as the holiday destination of choice. The original offset lithograph, which was created in the 1950s, helped Bermuda’s tourism reach its peak in the ’60s and ’70s. It sold for £2,480 ($4,145) (Lot 13).
A Peter Pan map of South Kensington by early 20th century graphic designer Gill MacDonald, sold to a UK buyer online for £2,232 ($3,730). MacDonald found fame for his 1914 “Wonderground Map,” a humorous but accurate representation of the London Underground map. It hung at every underground station and was sold commercially to the public (Lot 88).
Elsewhere in the sale a 1939 lithograph poster, by the Scottish-born artist Gordon Mitchell Forsyth achieved £1,736 ($2,901). Better known as a ceramic designer, Mitchell had an exceptionally successful career as the art director of the Staffordshire tileworks Minton Hollins & Co. and later as art director of Pilkington Tile and Pottery Co., near Manchester. His career spanned 40 years and left a lasting legacy on the British ceramic industry. Having fought in the World War I, he became superintendent of art instruction at Stoke and Burslem Schools of Art where he tutored a number of prominent students including Susie Cooper, Glyn Colledge, Clarice Cliff, Charlotte Rhead and Mabel Leigh. He later became an adviser to the British Pottery Manufacturers Association (Lot 79).
Outlaw Bonnie Parker’s Colt .38 pistol, retrieved from her dead body at a Louisiana funeral home, sold to an anonymous buyer for $99,450. The lot included six bullets still in the chamber and a photo archive. Case Antiques image. KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – A historic pistol, pulled from the bloody skirt of outlaw Bonnie Parker, commanded $99,450 at the Case Antiques Auction, held Jan. 25 at the company’s gallery in Knoxville (all prices include the buyer’s premium).
Internet live bidding was facilitated by LiveAuctioneers.com.
An embalmer at the Conger Funeral Home in Arcadia, La., discovered the weapon enfolded in Parker’s skirt after law enforcement officers ambushed and killed Parker and her partnert, Clyde Barrow, in 1934. According to the affidavit that accompanied the gun, the embalmer, Charles “Boots” Bailey, gave the Model 1902 Colt .38 as a souvenir to the son of fellow funeral home employee Vern Hightower. It descended directly in his family to the consignor, who lives in Tennessee. Six bullets found in the gun’s magazine clip and an archive of photographs from the infamous duo’s violent end were also included with the lot. The buyer, who was present but left the auction gallery immediately afterward, would not comment on future plans for the pistol, and wished to remain anonymous.
The single-day, 930-lot auction drew over 3,200 registered bidders participating in person, by telephone, by written absentee bid and online. Company president John Case said it was the largest and most profitable sale in the 7-year old company’s history.
Art was one of the leading categories. A large-scale oil landscape by Hudson River School artist William Louis Sonntag (1822-1900), accompanied by a copy of a letter from the artist to its original owner, realized $40,590. The painting was formerly exhibited at the Knoxville Museum of Art and its predecessor, the Dulin Art Gallery. The Columbus Museum acquired a still life by Kansas painter John Steuart Curry (1897-1946), depicting pheasants and a shotgun, for $31,590. It was exhibited at the Whitney Museum in 1941 and referenced in Patricia Junker’s book, John Steuart Curry: Inventing the Middle West.
The Historic New Orleans Collection was the successful bidder on a painting of a Vieux Carre courtyard by Boston Impressionist Abbott Fuller Graves (1859-1936), at $23,400 and on a 19th century oil on canvas portrait of Civil War Gen.P.G.T. Beauregard at $2,925. A battle between phone bidders in the U.S. and Europe ended at $36,270 for an oil on canvas moonlit canal scene by important Norweigan painter Frits Thaulow (1847-1906). A pastel/gouache duck-hunting scene by Aiden Lassell Ripley (American, 1896-1969), flew to $7,020 (est. $1,500-$2,000). A small landscape with haystacks by Tennessee’s most important female artist, Catherine Wiley (1879-1958), sold for $12,870, the same price as an oil and gouache study of a pirate by American illustrator Norman Rockwell. An Art Nouveau painting of a woman in a garden by Tennessee-born Fred Carpenter (1882-1965, active Missouri) more than doubled its estimate at $25,830, as did a Manhattan snow scene by Johann Berthelsen at $8,424.
The sale featured a large selection of bronze sculpture, much of it from a single owner. Highlights included Young Sophocles Leading the Chorus of Victory After the Battle of Salamis after John Talbott Donoghue by the Modern Art Foundry, $6,396 (est. $1,500-$1,800); Man O’War by Marilyn Newmark (1928-2013), $2,460; and two cold-painted bronze depictions of Cleopatra attributed to Franz Bergman, $5,166 and $3,936.
A pair of silver sauceboats, made circa 1770 by New York silversmith Lewis Fueter, delivered one of the day’s first surprises. Purchased by the consignor in a box lot of silver-plated dinnerware at a Tennessee country auction for less than $50, they skyrocketed to $43,290 – 10 times their low estimate. Silver buyers also pursued an Elkington sterling pitcher on stand with repousse hunting scene to $4,920, and a coin silver cup bearing the mark of W.H. Calhoun of Nashville to $1,404.
One of the hottest areas of the sale was the book/map/document category. A cache of 730 ballots from the 1864 presidential election, won by Abraham Lincoln, hammered down for $12,870. A first edition Byron book, Hours of Idleness, in jeweled leather binding by the London firm Sangorski and Sutcliffe was one of the most bid-upon items in the sale. It had a happy ending at $22,230. A scrapbook of letters and clippings related to Byron and his family, including one Byron signed note, brought $5,382. An 1835 pocket map showing Indian lands in Mississippi climbed to $4,920 (est. $500-$800), while an 1835 edition of Bradford’s Atlas, including an early Texas map, reaped $4,446. A two-volume set of David Ramsay’s History of South Carolina, also with maps, published 1809, closed at $3,198. An 1873 Tennessee railroad map opened at $150 but quickly steamed to $2,457.
A charter creating the Shelby County Agricultural Society, signed by its then-president Andrew Johnson (later U.S. president) won $2,457, while an address to the Tennessee General Assembly by then-Gov. James K. Polk, autographed by the future president, earned $1,230.
Civil War material was also popular, with several images and CDVs bringing at or above top estimate. A half-plate tintype of a seated Confederate officer in uniform soared to $2,706 (est. $350-$450), while a sixth-plate tintype of a Confederate soldier with Mississippi star belt buckle visible commanded $2,091.
Asian items continued to attract sizeable numbers of Internet bidders, and there were more bidders participating in the auction from China than from any other country except the United States. A pair of hardwood armchairs with carved dragon backs brought $20,295 against a $700-$900 estimate. A Japanese Meiji period silk embroidered landscape screen sold for $7,722. A pair of Chinese porcelain hat stands with figural and poem decoration brought $7,626. A small Chinese hardwood tabletop screen with white jade inset earned $7,020. A pair of Mille Fleur decorated porcelain vases with Qianlong marks sold for $3,075.
The sale featured a large collection of Tennessee furniture, much of it from the estate of antiquarian William Selden of Athens, Tenn. Selden’s cherry glazed-door corner cupboard, made circa 1825 in east Tennessee, competed to $13,455 (est. $3,500-$4,500). There were four furniture lots from the Fisher cabinetmaking family of Athens, all of which outperformed their estimates: a set of eight cherry Empire period side chairs, $4,446; a cherry candlestand, $2,691; a blanket chest on splayed feet, $6,084; and an Empire cherry sideboard, $2,223. A circa 1825 Knoxville-made chest of drawers with reeded quarter columns and inlaid escutcheons brought a hearty $9,594, while a Middle Tennessee Sheraton sugar chest and a Kentucky Jackson press, both cherry and dating from around the same period, sold for $8,658 apiece. A circa 1889 San Antonio, Texas, horn chair, attributed to Charles Puppe, rounded up $5,904, while an early 20th century Carlo Bugatti ebonized and inlaid plant stand realized $9,102. A 1970s Milo Baughman/Thayer Coggin credenza with bookmatched rosewood veneers served up $5,148 (est. $1,000-$1,500).
Southern Pottery is a staple at Case, and several lots in the auction exceeded estimates. They included an ovoid Tennessee stoneware jar, with incised mark “Sarah Price, 1827” formerly exhibited at the East Tennessee Historical Society, $4,212; a Staunton, Va., stoneware jar with cobalt tulip/Federal shield decoration, $3,510; a rare urn form jar attributed to the Hedgecough Pottery of Putnam County, Tenn., $2,808; and a North Carolina N.H. Dixon 3 1/4-gallon stoneware jar, $2,574. A cobalt decorated stoneware jar stoneware jar with floral decoration and signature of Henry Lowndes of Petersburg, Va., realized $2,706 and a stoneware jar by C.J. Becham of Georgia brought $2,340. A Kentucky 10-gallon stoneware jar by George W. Doane made $1,230, and an Alabama sine wave alkaline glazed jar closed at $936. There was Southwestern pottery, too: an early Tonita Roybal (San Ildefonso, 1892-1945) black on red design pottery jar, 5 inches high, brought $2,460; and an 8 1/2-inch Zia Pueblo olla with polychrome decoration doubled its estimate at $1,968.
Other Southern regional highlights included two decorative mid-19th century Middle Tennessee samplers, which brought $7,020 and $4,446. A quilt that won first place at the Tennessee state fair in 1909 proved a winner again, selling for $3,198, while a Tennessee autograph quilt with 450 names tallied $1,353. A pair of late 19th century black folk art handmade rag dolls delivered $3,042.
The estate of a descendant of Charles Link, one of the glassmakers in Victor Durand’s studio, yielded several art glass rarities including five King Tut pattern iridescent sherbets, $4,212; two pairs of King Tut goblets, $2,106 and $1,989; seven peacock feather goblets, $3,042; and a 7-inch hanging heart vase, $1,170. A rare Dresden Secession marked porcelain demitasse set with hand-painted decoration of children making music paraded to $5,166 despite a missing sugar lid. A rare pearlware glazed horse led a collection of British ceramics, galloping to $2,829, while an Obadiah Sherratt-type figural table base group titled “Tee Total” served up $1,404 despite some chips and restoration. An associated set of small Meissen figures representing the four elements brought $2,460.
Other highlights included a 1.93-carat pear shaped D-color diamond ring, $12,870; a Victorian Paillard Swiss music box on stand, $14,760; a pair of French dolls, one likely an unmarked Jumeau, $12,300; and a powder horn dated 1841 with engraved decoration of William Henry Harrison and the other presidents up to that date, $4,212.
Case is currently accepting consignments for upcoming auctions. For more information, call the gallery in Knoxville at 865-558-3033 or the company’s Nashville office at 615-812-6096 or email info@caseantiques.com.
Outlaw Bonnie Parker’s Colt .38 pistol, retrieved from her dead body at a Louisiana funeral home, sold to an anonymous buyer for $99,450. The lot included six bullets still in the chamber and a photo archive. Case Antiques image.
Measuring 76 inches by 64 inches framed, this large scale landscape by Hudson River painter William Louis Sonntag (Ohio/New York, 1822-1900) had an exhibition history and was accompanied by a copy of a letter from the artist to its original owner. It brought $40,590. Case Antiques image.
A pair of circa 1770 sauce or butter boats by Lewis Fueter of New York served up $43,290. Case Antiques image.
There were six phone lines and multiple internet bidders on this 1807 edition of Lord Byron’s ‘Hours of Idleness,’ clad in a jeweled binding by Sangorski and Sutcliffe and inset with miniature portraits of the author and his ancestral home. It had a happy ending at $22,230. Case Antiques image.
A Midwestern museum purchased ‘Wisconsin Still Life,’ an oil on canvas by John Steuart Curry (American, 1897-1946), for $31,590. Case Antiques image.
Southern furniture showed strength. This cherry corner cupboard, illustrated in ‘The Art and Mystery of Tennessee Furniture,’ tripled its estimate at $13,455. Case Antiques image.
A Southern institution was the successful bidder on this Vieux Carre courtyard scene by Boston Impressionist Abbott Fuller Graves at $23,400. Case Antiques image.
A circa 1889 San Antonio, Texas-made horn chair, attributed to Charles Puppe, won a top bid of $5,904. Case Antiques image.
Click here to view the fully illustrated catalog for this sale, complete with prices realized.
