DALLAS (AP) – A Texas man’s collection of bovine-theme art and collectibles has sold for more than $500,000 in an Oct. 14 auction conducted by Dallas Auction Gallery.

After about half a century of collecting, former Neiman Marcus fashion executive Derrill Osborn decided to part with his collection. The auction featured about 350 items.

Dallas Auction Gallery spokeswoman Lauren Shuford Laughry said Thursday that among the auctions highlights was a Donna Cook oil painting depicting 5,000 cattle, titled Chisholm Trail Cattle Drive, which sold for $10,755. Also, she said, a collection of more than 300 vintage toy cows and other farm animals sold for $5,975.

Seventy-year-old Osborn grew up on a New Mexico ranch and then went on to a 40-year fashion career with the legendary Dallas-based department store before retiring in 2002.

LiveAuctioneers provided the Internet live bidding for the sale. View the fully illustrated catalog with prices realized at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

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On the Net:

Dallas Auction Gallery: www.dallasauctiongallery.com

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AP-ES-10-15-09 1840EDT

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – A monumental mahogany front and back bar made around 1893 by Brunswick, Balke & Collender Co. – the desirable Los Angeles model and with an original matching liquor cabinet – soared to $302,500 at Showtime Auction Services’ sale of the living estate of Ron Wallace. Antiques amassed over many years by Wallace – a dedicated collector and former president of UPS – were offered in a high-profile Oct. 2-4  auction conducted at the Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds.

The front and back bar suite was one of the top earners of about 1,700 lots that changed hands in a sale that grossed around $2.2 million. “It was our best auction ever in terms of average dollar amount per lot,” said Showtime’s Mike Eckles. “It was a very successful sale with several records set.”

One of those records was the one set by the Brunswick front and back bar – 24 feet in wide and 11 feet tall, with hand-carved, life-size nude supports between beveled mirrors, each weighing 140 pounds and standing 5 feet 4 inches tall. The matching liquor cabinet had adjustable shelves and a zinc-like base. “We’ve only seen two of these bars in 25 years, and only one with a matching original liquor cabinet,” Eckles said.

Another record was established by a set of circa-1902 saloon doors, also made by Brunswick, Balke & Collender Co., at $77,000. The solid mahogany swinging saloon doors, 96 inches wide by 78 inches tall, were originally from a saloon in Milwaukee and had applied carvings at the top. They were refinished 25 years ago and had a great patina, with beveled glass incorporated in all the panels.

A larger-than-life figure, Ron Wallace resides in a spectacular, 44,000-square-foot home in suburban Atlanta, where his collections of vintage firearms, advertising, gambling, saloon, brothel and country store items were kept. But the auction also featured a treasure trove of over 1,000 rare and vintage toys, plus barber shop, soda fountain and advertising collectibles, and other items.

About 350 bidders attended the auction in person, while another 100 people bid by phone and 125 others submitted absentee bids. Online bidding was facilitated by LiveAuctioneers.com, with more than 150 people registered to bid online. “The bidders in attendance had a great time and really enjoyed room-hopping at the Weber’s Inn in Ann Arbor,” Eckles said. “We didn’t see much evidence of a recession. People came to spend money.”

Following are additional highlights from the sale. All prices quoted include a 10 percent buyer’s premium:

A rare Gold Medal Oil two-sided porcelain sign, made by Veribrite Signs (Chicago), 30 inches in diameter and one of only three known to exist, realized $44,000; a Rock Island System Railroad reverse glass and mother of pearl inlaid sign, one of only a few known and in excellent condition, went for $33,000; and a rare Ashbury Bar, Jackson Lager reverse glass corner sign (circa 1910) hit $24,150.

A later replica Rolls-Royce version of a Moxiemobile car, made in the 1930s and used in parades to promote the soft drink Moxie, topped out at $21,850; a straight razor display case with 18 assorted celluloid handle straight razors, with brass price tags, climbed to $16,500; and a La Preferencia Cigar reverse glass sign in original frame (Tuchfarber Co., Cincinnati, Ohio, 1909) also went for $16,500.

A Consumers Brewing Company label under glass display mug, 10 inches tall, with handle, achieved $15,400 despite some minor flaws; an Early Hazard or Big Six table, with wheel, chip rack, hazard horn and disc (marked Evans, Chicago, Ill.), with claw feet, made $15,400; and extremely rare gambling ring guns, six-shot, with original bullets and case, in excellent condition, commanded $14,300.

An American National pedal car of a Hudson (Toledo, Ohio, 1932), with original paint and minor scratches, 48 inches long, sped off for $11,000; an extremely rare double roulette table by B.C. Willis Co. (Detroit, Mich.), with William Ellis early layouts, one of only three known, brought $11,000; and an Ivory Poker Buck (circa 1880), with a front that reads “You Deal,” changed hands for $10,350.

A hand-carved Ivory Playing Card Press from the 1880s, with an unusual screw mechanism and the only example known, possibly a gift to a gambling industry executive, rose to $9,350; a prostitute’s garter (circa 1890s), with fancy beaded trim and reading “Oh Stop!,” 7 inches, breezed to $8,800; and an Oliver Chilled Plow Wood Sand sign (circa late 1880s), in excellent original condition, realized $7,700.

A Daisy Air Rifles paper banner titled “The Happy Daisy Boy ,” with metal bands top and bottom, 14 inches by 21 inches, hit the mark for $7,150; a late 1800s trade sign for Eagle Halls Light Divine Optometrist with great visual appeal, 54 inches by 30 inches, fetched $6,600; and a Lucky Strike three-dimensional die-cut quad-fold store window cardboard display with four athletes brought $6,325.

Rounding out the top lots: a cast-iron cigar advertising clock for Katy Flyer Cigars in the shape of a train engine, possibly a one-of-a-kind and an exceptional example of tobacciana, made by Golden Novelty Mfg. Co. (Chicago, Ill.) crossed the finish line at $5,775; and a Will & Finck Faro Case Keeper in a cherry wood frame, with hand-carved boxwood cards, pips and ivory beads, garnered $5,463.

Showtime Auction Services already has four exciting sales lined up for 2010, starting with a catalog auction that ends Jan. 15. A wonderful selection of country store, advertising and miscellaneous items will be offered in the absentee, phone and Internet only auction.

Then, on Apr. 9-11, a live auction will be held at the Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds in Ann Arbor (catalogs ready March 1).

A summer catalog auction (absentee, phone and Internet bidding only) will end July 9, then the year will conclude with Showtime’s live Fall Auction Oct. 1-3, also in Ann Arbor. Like the Apr. 9-11 sale, the fall 2010 event will feature a nice selection of gambling, coin-op, country store, advertising and miscellaneous items. Absentee, phone and Internet bids through LiveAuctioneers.com will also be accepted.

Showtime Auction Services is always accepting quality consignments for future auctions. To consign an item, an estate or a collection, call Mike Eckles at 951-453-2415 or e-mail mikeckles@aol.com. Visit the company online at www.showtimeauctions.com.

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KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – A vivid painting by 20th-century artist Friedel Dzubas upstaged a strong lineup of early Southern antiques to become the top-selling lot at the Fall Case Antiques Auction, conducted Sept. 26.

The 40- by 40-inch acrylic on canvas, titled Malmoe, dated from 1974 and bore the signature of Friedel Dzubas, a German-born painter who settled in New York in the 1940s and became associated with Color Field art in the 1960s. He died in 1994. An East Coast dealer won the painting at $24,175. Prices in this report include the 13.5 percent buyer’s premium.

Other fine art in the sale included a portrait of a Southern belle attributed to 19th-century Nashville painter Washington Cooper, which despite some condition problems sold for $2,837, and a small watercolor of a locomotive by noted train artist Howard Fogg, which brought $1,475. A landscape by one of Tennessee’s premier female painters, Willie Betty Newman (1863-1935), sold for $2156. An early 19th-century portrait miniature of Dr. Hugh McGavock Kent of Virginia brought $1,702, and a portrait miniature of the same period depicting a child in red dress made $1,249.

Early Southern material, a mainstay at Case auctions, was in good supply, with scarce pieces in excellent condition commanding the best prices.

A large North Carolina jug with distinctive glass rutile drip by Daniel Hartsoe (Lincoln County, N.C., 1836-1916) saw spirited bidding before hammering down at $8,172 (est. $2,000-$3,000).

“Of the relatively few marked pieces by Hartsoe which have come on the market, this was one of the best in terms of condition – almost pristine – and the price reflected that,” said company president John Case.

Other Southern pottery highlights included a Sand Mountain, Ala., double-dipped alkaline glazed jug, $3,632 (est. $2,000-$2,200), and a 6-gallon cobalt decorated churn with retailer’s mark for W.R. Elam of Columbia, Tenn., $1,475. A whiskey jug bearing the mark of a Knoxville saloon earned $1,248 (est. $400-$450), and a lot of two mid-20th century Tennessee Iron Mountain stoneware sculptures, one a Japanese-style racing vehicle, hit $1,135 (est. $400-$500).

Leading the furniture was an East Tennessee press in figured cherry with arched pediment and carved pilasters at $9,080. A Federal inlaid slant-front desk, attributed to Kentucky, tallied $7,264. A three-drawer walnut chest with turned feet and inlaid half-crescent and circles on the skirt, signed Knoxville, brought $3,859. A Tennessee two-drawer cherry stand with well-turned legs tripled its high estimate to make $1,816, and a small half-round table in old surface with square tapered legs and hidden drawer drew surprisingly heavy bidding at $1,078 (est. $100-$200). A painted Mid-Atlantic Windsor settee sold for $1,135, and a period Sheraton globe stand with 1960s globe competed to $1,475.

Other strong regional material included a small Kentucky alphabet sampler signed and dated 1811, $908, and a Tennessee long rifle stamped William Beals (working 1850-1870), $3,632. A scarce 1844 Mitchell’s map of Missouri and Arkansas reached $1,248 (est. $700-$900).

An Edward S. Curtis orotone entitled The Maid of Dreams, in original frame with label remnants, made $7,377. An Alaskan baleen basket, made and signed by Marvin Sabvan Peter (1911-1962), brought $1,078, and a carte-de-visite of the 10th U.S. Calvary encampment, Grierson’s Springs, Texas, along with a CDV of three Native Americans soared to $1,362 (est. $200-$300).

A Hawaii Calabash poi bowl, 15 1/4 inches in diameter and with numerous repairs, brought $3,859, while four smaller poi bowls, signed “Kamani,” brought $737 and $794 per pair. Case noted the consignor’s grandmother purchased the bowls from the Iolani Palace in the early 1940s. The winning bidder was acting on behalf of the Iolani Palace, which became a museum in 1978.

Other notable lots included a 1925 Steinway Model M baby grand piano, $10,442; an elaborate late-19th century carved ivory bust of Mary Queen of Scots, which opened to reveal a triptych with a scene from the assassination of Joseph Riccio, $2,610; and an elaborate Rococo-style chased coin silver water pitcher with retailer’s mark for J.E. Caldwell, which descended in a Virginia family, $2,497.

For more information, contact the main gallery in Knoxville at (865) 558-3033 or the Nashville branch office at (615) 812-6096, or visit the company’s website, www.caseantiques.com.

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‘J.B. Harlow, Knoxville, Tenn.,’ signed the back of this Tennessee chest of drawers. With its scalloped and inlaid skirt and original brasses, the chest finished at $3,859. Image courtesy Case Antiques.” title=”3 drawer chest TN.jpg
‘J.B. Harlow, Knoxville, Tenn.,’ signed the back of this Tennessee chest of drawers. With its scalloped and inlaid skirt and original brasses, the chest finished at $3,859. Image courtesy Case Antiques.” class=”caption” />

HILLSBOROUGH, N.C. – A late 18th-century Pennsylvania Chippendale desk, probably Lancaster County and crafted from strikingly figured tiger maple, sold for $41,400 at an estates auction conducted Sept. 19 by Leland Little Auction & Estate Sales Ltd. The desk was the top achiever of the more than 700 quality lots that changed hands at Little’s latest Historic Hillsborough Auction.

It was just the second major auction held at Leland Little Auction & Estate Sales’ new state-of-the-art gallery facility, located at 620 Cornerstone Court in Hillsborough. Hundreds of lots of fine art, period furniture and decorative accessories were sold, with the centerpiece being the estate collection of the late W. Samuel Tarlton, the respected art dealer and co-owner of an antique shop in Raleigh.

“This was quite simply the best sale we’ve ever had,” said Leland Little. “I feel a renewed freshness and energy in the auction business I haven’t experienced in some time. The mid-range market items, especially, such as jewelry and decorative accessories, did extremely well, much better than in previous sales. This is all very encouraging to us and the industry.”

Little added, “Our decision last year to build a new facility, which gives us greater access and visibility near the interstate, was a timely and prudent one. The new location is equipped with specialized gallery lighting, greatly expanded exhibit space and green building components. This building is a major asset to our business.”

The auction, which grossed a little under $1 million, attracted a standing-room-only crowd of more than 300 people. In addition, 752 bidders were registered online and more than 700 prebids were posted via LiveAuctioneers.com. Phone and absentee bidding was active, as 1,200 absentee and phone bids were lined up prior to sale. In all, close to 1,000 people registered to bid live.

All prices quoted include a 15 percent buyer’s premium.

The Chippendale sale-topping desk came out of the Tarlton collection. Other furniture pieces from his estate included a set of six Knoll & Saarinen white tulip chairs, circa 1960, and pedestal dining table, $3,336; an18th-century American Queen Anne maple center table, possibly from the North Carolina Chowan River Basin, $4,830; and an 18th-century Massachusetts Chippendale oxbow slant-lid desk ($4,600, est. $2,000-$3,000).

Also from the Tarlton estate, a New Hampshire Federal bowfront chest of drawers, circa 1800-1810, 12-panel form, sold for $5,750 and an American miniature Hepplewhite inlaid chest, early 19th century, went for $2,530. Artwork featured a bronze by Anna Hyatt Huntington (American, 1876-1973) titled Yawning Tiger that achieved $12,075 (est. $3,000-$5,000); and a still life oil on board by Jacques Blanche (French, 1861-1942) that made $4,140.

Staying in the fine art category, the sale also included many pieces acquired in the 1960s and ’70s by the Mead Corp. of Richmond, Va. Top earners included an oil on canvas painting by Robert Harvey (b. 1924), titled Brother Home on Leave and signed and dated 1964, which brought $4,370 against a $1,000-$2,000 estimate, and an oil on canvas painting by Jim Herbert (Georgia, b. 1938) titled Oriental, which made $1,840.

Two clocks sparked interest. One was a French cloisonné mantel clock with two matching candlesticks, stamped to indicate the maker won a silver medal in 1855, which swept past a $400-$800 to sell for $5,520. The other, a late 18th-century English Chippendale tall case clock, mahogany, 89 inches tall, topped $3,220.

Intriguing offerings included a Turkoman asmalyk, circa 1890, wool and silk with allover decoration, woven edging and five-sided camel decoration for the wedding procession carrying the bride. Estimated at $300-$600, it sold for $7,762. A pair of vintage concrete foxes with bushy tails and attractive weathering went to $2,415; and an antique toleware tray, 19th century, with a painted harbor scene depicting a Spanish galleon came in at $1,265.

A 163-piece sterling silver flatware service in the Pointed Antique pattern by Dominick & Haff and Reed & Barton climbed to $4,370 (est. $1,500-$2,500), while a beautiful Southern coin silver ladle by Linebach of Salem, N.C., went for $3,680 (est. $600-$900). In estate jewelry, a 1.15-carat round brilliant cut diamond brought $2,070 (est. $1,000-$1,500), and a 1.09-carat emerald cut diamond garnered $2,070.

Returning to fine art, a signed oil on panel by Julian Onderdonck (Texas, 1882-1922) titled Rock Quarries fetched $29,900; and an oil on linen signed by French artist Adolphe Binet (1854-1897) and titled Les Alezans, breezed to $23,000. An acrylic on canvas by John McCracken (New York/Calif., b. 1934), titled Mandala IV, made $19,550.

A pair of works by Richard Anuskziewicz (New Jersey, b. 1930) got the attention of bidders. An acrylic on canvas titled Soft Cover Vermilion topped out at $25,300, while an untitled oil on pressed board realized $10,350. Also, two large 18th-century French School murals, oil on canvas, each measuring 120 inches by 96 inches and depicting tranquil landscape scenes, sold for a respectable $18,400 and $14,950 against estimates of $3,000-$5,000 each.

Cellarets wowed the crowd. A George III example with mahogany veneer in the rare diminutive form, soared to $4,830, while an English wine cellaret, circa 1830, casket form on carved paw feet, hit $4,370. Also, a 19th-century tortoiseshell tea caddy, octagonal form with pagoda lid, rose to $1,725; and an Eero Saarinen for Knoll grasshopper chair, circa 1950s, with laminated wood frame garnered $1,265.

Vintage car enthusiasts weren’t disappointed. A bright red 1985 Ferrari 308 GTS Quattrovalvole with just 49,013 miles sped off for $24,150. Also, a 1930s Jugtown Chinese blue Persian jar, rich red with a strong blue contrast, achieved $16,100 ($3,000-$6,000); a rare group of six Baccarat Czar crystal-stem blown and cut glasses coasted to $4,600; and a unique pair of 19th-century famille rose garden seats hit $2,990.

From the entertainment and movie memorabilia collection of Bill Morrison, former art critic of the Raleigh News & Observer, a 1935 lobby card for the Alfred Hitchcock thriller 39 Steps went for $2,530, while a 1977 Star Wars movie poster fetched $920. Also, a rare 18th-century cookbook and an inscribed first-edition book by author Ayn Rand each brought $1,265.

Leland Little’s next Historic Hillsborough Auction will be Dec. 5-6, also in the new gallery. For information phone 919-644-1243, or e-mail them, at info@LLAuctions.com. To learn more about Leland Little Auction & Estate Sales, Ltd., log on to www.LLAuctions.com.

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CINCINNATI – An important 19th-century Eskimo seal mask from the St. Michael’s area was the top-selling lot in Cowan’s American Indian and Western Art Auction on September 11, 2009, more than doubling its $30,000-$40,000 estimate with a winning bid of $88,125. Constructed of two planks in red and black paint pinned together, with panels pierced for attachments and feathers, the mask is a fine example of the form. The auction grossed $950,000, with nearly 560 bidders competing for 456 lots.

“I am very pleased with the results of the auction,” said Danica Farnand, Cowan’s director of American Indian Art. “One of the stars came early in the sale, lot 10, a beautifully carved and very tactile Eskimo seal mask. Additionally, the California baskets were a hot spot. The overall atmosphere of the sale was positive, which was reflected in the prices overall.”

Two 19th- to early 20th-century American Indian garments were among the highest-grossing lots in the auction. A late 19th-century Fort Berthhold war shirt with bright quilled strips of blue, yellow, white, and red sold for $22,325, above its $15/20,000 estimate. A complete Chippewa man’s dance ensemble, including two bandolier bags with traditional floral motifs, velveteen leggings and sleeves with beaded decoration, a breech clout, a loom-beaded belt, and two pairs of beaded hide moccasins, brought $18,800, doubling its $8/10,000 estimate.

A surprise winner in the auction was a Navajo Third Phase chief’s blanket, which realized $16,450, well surpassing its $1,000/1,500 estimate. “The blanket’s final price was a surprise in part because the condition of the piece is very rough. However, the blanket is an early piece, dating to around 1870, with amazingly bright colors of hand-spun indigo and bayetta. It is beautiful with a very classic design, which made it desirable,” said Farnand.

Western art from several important collections, including the Estate of Dr. Edward Woliver of Cincinnati, Ohio, made up a quarter of the lots in the auction. Featured works by the genre’s best-known artists, including Henry Farny, Charles Russell, and John Hauser, among others, were top sellers.

“The Western Art portion of the auction was a success overall. We offered solid examples that had great purchase histories, and we estimated them conservatively. I think we’ve proven that by staying conservative for great works such as these, the consignor is better off in the long run,” commented Graydon Sikes, director of Paintings and Works on Paper.

The highlight of Dr. Woliver’s collection, an oil on canvas by Joseph Henry Sharp titled Hunting Son, Taos, brought $81,075 against an estimate of $40/60,000. The painting depicts Elk Foot Jerry, Sharp’s often-used American Indian model, and is representative of Sharp’s Southwestern oeuvre.

Indian Portrait by fellow Cincinnatian Henry Farny, a small watercolor and gouache on paper, is likely derived from a sketch made during one of Farny’s many trips west and is a fine example of his realist Dusseldorf style. It garnered $18,800, above its $10/15,000 estimate.

“I was thrilled with the participation of Cincinnati collectors in the auction, as they bid aggressively for works by artists with Cincinnati roots such as Farny and Sharp,” noted Sikes.

Eanger Irving Couse’s Turkey Hunter realized $47,587.50, within its $30/50,000 estimate. Couse, a member of the Taos Society of Artists, often painted Indian hunter scenes, and this was a sterling example. A watercolor on paper by Charles Marion Russell titled The Brave brought $38,187.50, within its $35/55,000 estimate. Though not known for works such as this, Russell painted several bust-length portraits of Indians, some of which are dated from 1899-1902. This watercolor was likely executed during that time.

View the fully illustrated catalog for this, complete with prices realized, at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

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