Caryatid Luba stool, 17 inches. Estimate $20,000-$30,000. Leighton Galleries image. ALLENDALE, N.J. – Leighton Galleries’ Oct. 18 auction will feature a large collection of oceanic and African tribal arts mainly from a Mahwah, N.J., estate. Included will be woodcarvings, bronzes, masks, ivory, weaponry and some jewelry. The collection is primarily 20th century spanning from the ’50s through ’70s, as well as some antique pieces. The sale will also include American and Continental paintings, fine silver, 19th century Asian ware, decorative arts, fine jewelry and more.
Internet live bidding will be supplied by LiveAuctoners.com.
Heading up the tribal arts is a caryatid Luba stool acquired by the late South African diplomat H.L.T. Taswell in the 1940s. The piece has a number of attributes classic to a Luba chief’s ceremonial stool including the female’s elongated fingers supporting the seat, her torso decorated with ornamental scarification marks, and her prominent conical breasts. A little more unusual to the piece is the figure’s mouth, which exhibits a slightly protruding tongue between exposed teeth. It is likely 19th century and carries an estimate of $20,000-$30,000.
Several other carvings will be offered, all with moderate estimates ranging from $200 to $800. Included is a 50-inch Wakamba tribe witch doctor signed Kimanga from Kenya, a 77-inch female stick figure from Tanzania, a 73-inch Sepik River suspension hook figure, two Baumum wood and bronze doors from Cameroon, a 38-inch bull giraffe from Kenya, a signed elephant with custom-made ivory tusks from Tanzania and an interesting New Guinea polychrome ancestral carving that the owner purchased from a villager’s hut while traveling down the Sepik River by canoe.
The auction is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 18, starting at 5 p.m. EDT.
For information call 201-327-8800 or email info@Leightongalleries.com.
Henry Moore sculpture. Image courtesy of Love At First Bid.
NEW YORK – Love At First Bid is gearing up for its third sale, to be held Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012. Having begun as a specialty house for jewelry and vintage clothing, Love At First Bid’s upcoming auction marks a departure into a more inclusive selection of quality merchandise.
“We’d been approached to handle a variety of estates and decided to expand into fine and decorative arts after testing the waters in our previous sale,” said founder and president Annegret von Winterfeld.
The auction will open with an exceptional collection of fine, costume and studio jewelry including a significant private collection of vintage Bakelite jewelry and several pieces by Miriam Haskell, Kenneth Jay Lane, Valentino, Dior, Guy Laroche. The pieces are joined by many other stylish examples.
A small but choice selection of fine clothing and accessories will also go on the auction block. Featured designers include Hermes, Chanel, Gucci, Celine, Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Armani, Yves Saint Laurent, Oscar de la Renta and Schiaparelli.
Most noteworthy, however, is the collection of fine art from the estate of New York City art dealer and one-time president of the Old Masters division at M. Knoedler & Co., Jack Tanzer. Tanzer, who also collaborated with Hammer and Adelson Galleries, amassed a collection of old and modern master drawings, paintings and sculpture. This collection includes works signed or attributed to Henry Moore, Jo Davidson, Ralph Blakelock, Zero Mostel, Emile Boudin, Fletcher Martin, Rosa Bonheur, Jean-Leon Gerome, Edward Burne-Jones, Sonia Delaunay, Tony Rosenthal, J. L. Gericault, and Frederick Judd Waugh. Accompanying this impressive group are works from a private collection by Hunt Slonem, David Loeb, along with a very interesting early Andy Warhol mixed-media depiction of a boldly painted tie.
To contact Love At First Bid regarding any item in the auction, call 646-580-7443.
View the fully illustrated catalog and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.
Full figure of Michael Myers, the diabolical killer of the Halloween franchise, dressed in the mask and coveralls worn by actor Chris Durand as Myers in Halloween H2O (1998). Premiere Props image. EL SEGUNDO, Calif. – Premiere Props will be auctioning over 1,000 costumes and horror-themed props on Saturday, Oct. 13, and Sunday, Oct. 14, beginning at 11 a.m. PDT. LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding.
The event will feature items from iconic horror and sci-fi franchises, films and TV shows including Halloween, Friday the 13th, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Total Recall, Saw, Piranha 3DD, Resident Evil, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Scrooged and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Items include:
Halloween H2O – Michael Myers full size figure with Screen Worn Halloween H2O Mask and Coveralls; Michael Myers knife;
Total Recall – Douglas Quaid (Arnold Schwarzenegger) screaming head;
Friday the 13th Part VII – The New Blood – Jason’s screen used machete;
Close Encounters of the Third Kind – Alien head prototype;
Star Trek 3 – Search for Spock – screen used (young) Spock ears;
Piranha – original Piranha;
Critters Part 2 – selection of Critter puppets;
The Spirit – Octopus (Samuel L. Jackson) muscle costume;
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) – Brooke Adams bust;
Stargate – Alien head;
Nightmare on Elm Street – Freddy Kreuger face mask; and
Gremlins – rubber Gremlin head.
“The Halloween auctions are always the most colorful and fun and it is truly a fright-fest,” said Dan Levin, vice president of Premiere Props, “as we really get into the spirit of the holiday. We decorate the headquarters and we offer fans and collectors incredible props from the top horror and sci-fi franchises.”
Fans can starting bidding now, placing absentee bids online at https://www.liveauctioneers.com/news.
For more information, call 310-322-PROP or 888-761-PROP.
Full figure of Michael Myers, the diabolical killer of the Halloween franchise, dressed in the mask and coveralls worn by actor Chris Durand as Myers in Halloween H2O (1998). Premiere Props image.
From the 1984 Joe Dante film ‘Gremlins’ comes an unfinished rubber Gremlin head. The head is made from soft foam rubber and painted green. Premiere Props image.
Prototype alien head from ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind.’ the 1977 classic sci-fi fantasy. Director Steven Spielberg ultimately rejected the design as being ‘too creepy.’ Premiere Props image.
Full head and bust of Brooke Adams from the 1978 remake of ‘Invasion of the Body Snatchers.’ Made from soft silicone attached to a fiberglass base. Premiere Props image.
A background prop trunk, made to look aged, from the original horror film ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ (1974), directed by Tobe Hooper. Premiere Props image.
Mechanical ‘life mask’ from the 1990 classic ‘Total Recall,’ representing Arnold Schwarzenegger’s head almost exploding after being suddenly exposed to Mar’s deadly atmosphere. Premiere Props image.
A screen-used machete prop wielded by Kane Hodder/Jason Voorhees in the slasher flick ‘Friday the 13th Part VII – The New Blood.’ Premiere Props image.
Clement Meadmore, ‘Around and About,’ 1971, $76,900. Wright image. CHICAGO – Wright opened the fall auction season on a high note with its Living Contemporary sale. The Sept. 27 auction achieved nearly $2 million, selling 72 percent by lot and 77 percent by value.
“Living Contemporary was a good start to the fall auction season. We’re looking forward to our upcoming auctions and we’ll continue to present the finest modern design to the marketplace,” says Wright’s founder and president, Richard Wright.
The Living Contemporary auction netted strong sales for artworks by artists as varied as Clement Meadmore, Bernard Buffet and Harry Bertoia.
The top seller was lot 118, Meadmore’s Around and About, 1971, which achieved $76,900. The welded and enameled Cor-ten steel sculpture measured 28 inches high by 35 inches wide.
Lot 347, Ralph Humphrey’s Okun, 1969, an oil on shaped canvas, 24.5 x 108.25 inches, sold for $20,000 It was the highest price paid at auction for a Humphrey work in the last 20 years.
Lot 351, Takesada Matsutani’s Drop A, 1970, acrylic and latex on canvas, brought $9,375, easily surpassing its $5,000 estimate.
Lot 396, International Harvester, a 1991 oil on linen painting by Jim Lutes, reaped $14,000, a new auction record for the American artist.
These strong auction results represent Wright’s continual championing of works by underserved artists.
Also selling well were Lot 232 a pair of Mario Bellini’s Le Bambole chairs, 1972, for $27,500; Lot 236, a Paul Evans wall-mounted faceted cabinet, circa 1975, for $52,500; and Lot 219, an attractive coffee table by French architect and designer Michel Mangematin, 1958, for $6,250. The timeless design of this table is of exceptional quality and has tracked significantly higher prices in past auctions.
Possibly the best lot passed that was passed was the Osvaldo Borsani D70 sofa, 1954. The innovative D70 sofa designed by Borsani is adjustable, allowing it to assume many different positions. Its smart, industrial aesthetic makes it iconic among Italian modern designs.
Wright’s next auction is Modern Design on Oct, 18. Modern Design features mid-century classics by icons such as Charles and Ray Eames, George Nelson & Associates and highly sought-after works by modern masters such as Jean Prouvé, Pierre Jeanneret and Harry Bertoia.
French bebe. Frasher’s Doll Auctions image. OAK GROVE, Mo. – Frasher’s Oct. 20 sale titled “From the Store Before – Fancy Dolls & Dry Goods” is just that: a trip down memory lane to the stores of yesterday laden with French and German bisque dolls and all manner of clothing and accessory items for the well-dressed doll.
LiveAuctioneers will provide Internet live bidding during the sale, which will begin at 10:30 a.m. CDT.
French bebes include an exquisite 30-inch blue-eyed Triste Jumeau bebe with pale complexion, a seldom-found petite size 2 Bru Jne in original dress and bonnet, an early 18-inch model of the Schmitt bebe, a seldom-found black model of the Circle Dot Bebe by Bru, plus additional bebes by Steiner, Jumeau and Gauthier.
Close on the heels of the popular bebes is a dainty 11 1/2-inch bisque poupee in original gown accompanied by larger models which include the exceedingly rare 21-inch celluloid smiling poupee by Leon Casimir Bru, and poupees by Jumeau, Simmone and Barrois.
Along with the fine offering of French dolls, there are numerous desirable German models including an all-original 20-inch model of Kestner’s Gibson Girl, appealing 20-inch Hilda toddler and a Hilda baby by Kestner, Gebruder Heubach pouty and laughing child, a 19-inch toddler model of Simon & Halbig 1488 and a fine S&H 1498 boy, a rare mold 700 by Armand Marseille, 15-inch JDK 239 character boy toddler, also dolly-face dolls, character babies, googly-eyed dolls and fine all-bisque models.
One of the important attractions at this auction is a marvelous circa 1905 Cinnamon/Ginger Steiff bear with provenance and pictured with original family member. Also a small collection of 1950s Steiff and other animals, toys and miniatures.
American dolls offered include four models by the Schoenhut firm, two with original wigs and shoes, several sizes of Dionne Quintuplet toddlers and babies by Alexander ranging from size 8 inches to 20 inches, a nice collection of hard plastic Terri & Jerri Lee dolls, plus a Barbie No. 3, Skipper and Scooter by Mattel.
Collectors of cloth dolls will note the three early primitive folk dolls, three Lencis including the rare Jackie Coogan character, small offering of R. John Wright cloth characters, a unique set of King Henry VIII & His Six Wives portrait dolls by Alice Smith, and a large pair of Steiff-type German caricature dolls.
Treasures abound in this auction that’s overflowing with luxurious to simple antique frocks, bonnets, shoes, wigs and all manner of doll ephemera.
The auction can also be viewed on LiveAuctioneers.com. This promises to be an exciting weekend for doll collectors plus an opportunity to view and acquire choice dolls and accessories, said Barbara Frasher of Frasher’s Doll Auctions.
14th-16th century Tibetan Thangka scroll painting of Vajra Varahui (Sanskrit), Dorje Pakmo (Tibetan), 21 x 18½ inches. Provenance: Bill Liske. Est. $3,000-$4,000. PHILA., Pa. – An important artwork by Prince Twins Seven-Seven (Nigerian, 1944-2011) not only co-headlines Material Culture’s 450-lot Oct. 14 auction, it also inspired the event’s title: “The Spirits of My Reincarnation Brothers and Sisters.”
Deeply mystical and immediately identifiable, the works of Prince Twins Seven-Seven have spurred a new level of interest in the marketplace since Material Culture offered several exciting multimedia paintings by the artist in their May 5 auction debut. The self-taught Prince Twins Seven-Seven expressed his boundless imagination in themes that blended esoteric imagery with a vibrant, traditional West African color palette. The 65 by 58-inch batik dye, watercolor, acrylic and oil-on-cloth painting featured in Material Culture’s Oct. 14 sale was purchased directly from the artist in 2007 and is one of seven of his works entered in the sale. It is expected to realize $5,000-$7,000.
Other self-taught artists represented in the October offering include Vojislav Jakic, Kwame Akoto a k a Almighty God, Purvis Young and Felipe Jesus Consalvos, a Cuban-American (1891-1960) who worked as a cigar roller but whose natural talent as an artist was not widely known until after his death. Consalvos created visually stunning modernist collages that incorporate cigar bands and cigar-box paper with photographs, postage stamps and magazine images. His mixed-media collage titled “Let Dreams Come True” was created around the second quarter of the 20th century. It measures 10 x 8 inches (15¾ x 13¾ inches framed) and comes with provenance from the Fleisher/Ollman Gallery. Estimate: $1,500-$2,000.
The auction — which will feature Internet live bidding through LiveAuctioneers.com — will showcase a selection of items from the Bill Liske collection of early Chinese and Tibetan textiles, carpets and ethnographic artworks. Material Culture’s first offering of articles from the Liske collection – auctioned on May 26 – was enthusiastically received, said owner George Jevremovic, a cultural arts dealer of 30+ years.
“The Liske collection is special because it reflects the impeccable eye of a collector who lived and worked as a mountaineering guide in the Himalayan region for three decades. Textile dealers in the area taught him how to identify pieces that were genuinely exceptional,” said Jevremovic.
Liske’s expertly chosen collection has appeared at the History Museum in Denver, the Krimsa Gallery in San Francisco, the Shaver-Ramsey Gallery in Denver, and in Hali magazine.
A premier artwork in the Liske collection is a powerfully rendered early Thangka scroll painting depicting the deific reincarnation known as Vajra Varahi in Sanskrit and Dorje Pakmo in Tibetan. Dating to 14th-16th century Tibet, it is valued at $3,000-$4,000.
Another auction highlight is the Michaelian Meshed (31 feet by 47 feet), a circa-1900 Persian carpet originally custom-woven for the prestigious Union League Club in New York City. It remained in the club for decades until its purchase in the 1950s by Frank Michaelian of Michaelian and Kohlberg. Suitable for a discriminating owner with a palatial space, it will be offered for sale publicly for the first time in its history on Oct. 14, with an auction estimate of $60,000-$90,000.
An outstanding 19th-century Syrian silk and gold judge’s tunic from the collection of Samy and Sara Rabinovic, Philadelphia, was the blue-ribbon exhibition winner at the 1996 International Conference on Oriental Carpets, and is expected to fetch $3,000-$4,000. Also up for auction is a rare pre-Columbian funerary headband made with a knotted-pile technique, valued at $1,000-$1,500; and a 19th-century Tibtetan or Bhutanese bull-headed Buddhist dance mask of meditational deity Yamantaka. The mask’s vivid red hue was achieved by applying pigment to a papier-mâché of laurel or mulberry. Estimate: $3,000-$4,000.
Other categories of artifacts include an outstanding group of 17th-18th century Mughal columns and arches from northern India, 16th- to 19th-century Ottoman, Central Asian, Asian, African, Continental and pre-Columbian textiles, 17th-19th century Oriental Carpets, African, Himalayan and Oceanic Tribal Arts, antiquities from the Near East, Americas and Asia; 18th- to 20th-century folk art from Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas; and 100+ lots of vintage Navajo jewelry from a private Pennsylvania collection assembled in the 1970s.
“From the beginning it has been our goal to present pieces of diverse origin that would present collecting opportunities for every level of buyer, from beginners to advanced collectors and interior designers. In addition, we take the position that it is better to have around 400 items of very good to excellent quality – from consignors who have realistic expectations – than to create a more-specialized sale with a few stars and lots of filler,” said Jevremovic, explaining his company’s mission.
“This is an age in which corporate auction departments seek to maximize their bottom lines with million-plus-dollar items or high-profile sales that have more to do with celebrity and fashion than quality or connoisseurship. We believe some of the best collecting opportunities – particularly for younger buyers worldwide – exist in the areas we are presenting in our October 14th sale: self-taught, folk, ethnographic, decorative and traditional arts,” Jevremovic said.
Material Culture’s Sunday, Oct. 14, 2012 auction will commence at 11 a.m. Eastern Time. For additional information on any lot in the sale, email expert@materialculture.com or call 215-438-4700.
View the fully illustrated catalog and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.
14th-16th century Tibetan Thangka scroll painting of Vajra Varahui (Sanskrit), Dorje Pakmo (Tibetan), 21 x 18½ inches. Provenance: Bill Liske. Est. $3,000-$4,000.
Prince Twins Seven-Seven (Nigerian, 1944-2011), ‘The Spirits of my Reincarnation Brothers and Sisters #2,’ ink, watercolor, acrylic, and oil on cloth, stretcher; 2007, 65½ x 58 inches. Est. $5,000-$7,000. Material Culture image.
Felipe Jesus Consalvos (Cuban-American, 1891-1960), ‘Let Dreams Come True,’ mixed-media collage, circa 1920-1950, 10 x 8 inches (sheet). Est. $1,500-$2,000. Material Culture image.
Syrian judge’s robe, Aleppo, 19th century, gold-embroidered silk, tapestry weave. Provenance: Samy and Sara Rabinovic. First-prize winner at 1996 ICOC Conference. Est. $3,000-$4,000. Material Culture image.
The monumental Michaelian Meshed Carpet, Persia, circa 1900, 31 x 47 feet, custom-woven for the Union League Club, New York City; purchased in 1950s by Frank Michaelian of Michaelian and Kohlberg. Est. $60,000-$90,000. Material Culture image.
Dunand 14kt gold chronograph quarter-hour repeater pocket watch with hunter case, size 14. Woody Auction image. WICHITA, Kan. – Two major single-owner lifetime collections – one of phonographs and stereo view cards, the other of pocket watches, wrist watches and jewelry – will be sold on Saturday, Oct. 27, by Woody Auction in the 4-H Hall of the Sedgwick County Extension Center. The auction will be held without reserve (everything sells, regardless of price). It will be a two-session event. Internet live bidding will be facilitated by LiveAuctioneers.com.
The first session, starting at 9 a.m. CDT will feature the pocket watch, wrist watch and jewelry collection of Bill Middleton of Kansas.
“Mr. Middleton has been collecting a wide variety of quality time pieces for over 40 years,” said Jason Woody of Woody Auction, “and during this time he has assembled a significant collection by nearly anyone’s standard.”
The second session, starting at 12:30 p.m., will be dedicated to the collection Keith Heinrich, who amassed a sizable and impressive number of phonographs, phonograph players, Amberola cylinder records, concert-size cylinders, stereo view cards and viewers.
“Mr. Heinrich specialized in phonographs,” Woody said, “and he only collected the most desirable machines.”
Woody added, “This is an unusual and exciting auction for us. Woody Auction is best known for our sales of American brilliant cut glass and other fine decorative arts. Phonographs, jewelry, clocks and watches are outside our normal specialties. But when these two outstanding collections presented themselves at once, we just couldn’t resist offering them on the same day.”
The Bill Middleton collection will boast a dazzling array of merchandise, to include fine jewelry items such as a 2.25-carat round brilliant diamond set on a 3mm 14kt gold band ring. The diamond, graded at VS1-VS2 for clarity and color, has been estimated at a conservative $17,000, but would probably sell at Tiffany’s for $45,000. “Finest diamond I’ve ever sold,” Woody said.
Pocket watches will feature a size 16 Waltham Vanguard 23-jewel model with an open face and excellent case, made circa 1908; a size 16 Parrett Mule 18kt gold key-wind pocket watch (serial #14558), in very good working condition, with full-jeweled lever; a size 14 Dunand 14kt gold chronograph quarter-hour repeating pocket watch with hunter case in good overall condition; and a size 12 Swiss 18kt gold pocket watch with dust cover by I.A. Barnard Geneve.
Wrist watches will include a Swiss men’s Juvenia 18kt gold watch and band, automatic, with .16-ct. diamonds on four corners; a Patek Philippe 18kt gold “Ellipse” men’s watch with black leather band and 18kt gold buckle; a Cartier “Tank” automatic men’s watch, 18kt gold and stainless steel in like-new condition; and an original Rolex “Oyster Perpetual” men’s wrist watch chronometer with date-adjust feature and rare Roman numerals, 31 jewels, in good condition.
Other jewelry will include a 14kt yellow gold custom-made men’s ring with two cushion-cut Tourmaline gems weighing around 22.3 grams each, plus an emerald cut gem weighing about 1.65 carats, for a total weight of 22.3 grams. In all, 218 lots will cross the block in session one.
The afternoon session of Keith Heinrich’s collection will have numerous superstar lots, among them a pair of Edison Model A phonograph cylinder players, each with rare, wooden curve-shaped cygnet horns. One is a 36-inch Opera model with a 21-inch horn and nice label. The other is a gorgeous Fireside combination type unit, serial #57439, with black cygnet horn.
Another Edison machine certain to attract bidder interest is a rare “Concert” phonograph large cylinder player (serial #C9357), with oak case and lid and a 54-inch-long horn with stand. One other outstanding lot promises to be a 16-inch Victor “Talking Machine” phonograph disc player (serial #45254A), the “V” model, with 21-inch diameter wooden horn, in super condition.
The stereo view cards and viewers will include a wonderful Victorian burl walnut stereo card tabletop viewer with lockable top shutters to allow light in, 21 1/2 inches by 10 1/2 inches, plus cards featuring the state capitol buildings; and a rare and must-see 19-inch by 23-inch Victorian burl walnut veneer and ebony trimmed stereo viewer with extra-large magnifier.
One lot that combines vintage dolls with rare phonographs is an original 27-inch Dolly Record phonograph doll with composition head, made circa 1920s by Madame Hedren (the phonograph is cleverly set into the doll’s body and plays London Bridge). Also sold will be an Edison Amberola oak case floor model cylinder phonograph player (serial #SM-205766).
Rounding out just a few of the expected top lots in session two is a rare 15 inch by 18 inch French Pathe phonograph disc player in a beautiful tight grain oak colored case with original label and a lid that opens and acts as a horn, in great condition; and a scarce 13 1/2-inch by 14-inch Gramophone countertop slot nickel cylinder machine with oak case and curved glass.
A preferred hotel for those attending is the nearby Hawthorne Suites (316-729-5700).
Woody Auction is always accepting quality consignments for future sales. To consign an item, an estate or a collection, call the company at 316-747-2694. Or, e-mail them at info@woodyauction.com.
Woody Auction is a full-service auction house based in Douglass, Kan.
Butch Cassidy’s ‘amnesty’ Colt SAA .45 gun with holster and extensive documentation, sold to a LiveAuctioneers bidder for $175,000. Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers.com Archive and California Auctioneers.
VENTURA, Calif. (AP) – A .45-caliber gun once owned by Butch Cassidy has sold at auction in Southern California for $175,000.
A spokesman for the private seller said Sunday that the Colt Single Action Army revolver went to an anonymous bidder.
The gun is accompanied by a black leather shoulder holster and two binders filled with documentation verifying the revolver’s authenticity.
Cassidy, the infamous Old West bank robber, bought the revolver in a hardware store in Vernal, Utah, in 1896. He turned it over to Utah authorities in early 1900 in an unsuccessful attempt to gain amnesty. Known as the “Amnesty Colt,” it is the most documented of Cassidy’s guns.
The outlaw was immortalized in the 1969 film “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.” He was played by Paul Newman.
Sunday’s sale was held by California Auctioneers of Ventura.
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ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE
Butch Cassidy’s ‘amnesty’ Colt SAA .45 gun with holster and extensive documentation, sold to a LiveAuctioneers bidder for $175,000. Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers.com Archive and California Auctioneers.
Kyser & Rex ‘Mikado’ cast-iron mechanical bank, rare blue variation, top lot of the sale, $198,000. Morphy Auctions image. DENVER, Pa. – With 2,750 auction lots from which to choose, collectors of antique toys, banks, dolls and sports memorabilia felt like Christmas had already arrived Sept. 13-15 at Morphy’s Pennsylvania gallery.
“We offered a great variety and excellent quality in virtually every category in the sale. There were a lot of happy buyers, some of whom had traveled long distances to attend,” said Morphy Auctions CEO Dan Morphy. LiveAuctioneers.com provided the Internet live bidding for the sale.
Several major collections anchored the three-day auction, which realized $2.76 million, inclusive of 20% buyer’s premium. The Al Winick collection of 100 fine mechanical banks was described by Morphy as “the best mechanical bank collection to come to auction since the world-record Steckbeck sale of 2007.” More than 100 bidders turned out to bid in person during the bank portion of the event.
The Winick banks certainly lived up to Morphy’s assessment, with a rare blue variant of Kyser & Rex’s circa-1886 “Mikado” mechanical bank claiming top-lot honors at $198,000. A beautiful example in near-mint condition, the cast-iron depiction of a magician performing a sleight-of-hand shell game trick had been estimated at $100,000-$150,000.
With crossover appeal to black Americana collectors, an 1880 “Freedman’s Bank” was in enviable near-mint condition and came with provenance from both the Tudor and Steckbeck collections. It cashed out at $138,000, comfortably within its $125,000-$150,000 estimate range.
Other Kyser & Rex cast-iron mechanical banks that finished in the top 10 included a Merry-Go-Round, ex Steckbeck collection, $126,000; and Roller Skating bank depicting an old-fashioned skating rink with skaters, $84,000. Also finishing well in the money were two desirable productions by J. & E. Stevens: a football-theme Calamity bank in superb condition, $38,400; and an 1880 Chimpanzee bank, $37,200.
There was keen interest in Ed Sandford’s collection of pristine Japanese die-cast robots. Several bidders even made the trip all the way from Italy to Pennsylvania to preview and pursue prized pieces from the collection. Most of the robots were made in the 1960s by companies whose designs are now very rare and collectible, e.g., Popy, Clover, Takara and Bandai. Fetching the highest price was Takara’s Diaclone Big-Powered Convoy, a toy that inspired the later Transformer production known as Ultra Magnus. Estimated at $600-$1,000, it muscled its way to a winning bid of $10,800.
Not far behind it was a mint-boxed Popy GA-50 Daiku Maryu, which was never marketed outside Japan. With its particularly rare blue missiles and original packaging, it had no problem reaching $10,200 against an estimate of $4,000-$6,000.
At the Sept. 13-15 auction Morphy’s presented part I of the 40-year Jack Matthews collection comprising more than 2,000 scarce composition figures from the O.M. Hausser (Elastolin, Pfeiffer) and Lineol companies. A scarce Hausser eight-wheeled armored car with electric lights, Panzer driver and even its original Morse Code unit stowed in the rear compartment found favor with collectors, who bid it to $6,600.
The Friday session included 150 antique and vintage holiday lots, primarily Christmas and Halloween pieces. A fine 22-inch Santa candy container with composition face and hands, and rabbit-fur beard, came complete with a basket of toys, fir sprig and small American Flag. Estimated at $2,000-$3,000, it realized $5,100.
Every classification in the sale had its own knowledgeable following. Doll aficionados competed vigorously for a circle dot Bru bebe with bisque socket head, blue paperweight eyes and original kid body. Dressed in a blue-gray satin dress with matching hat, the blond beauty reached the midpoint of its estimate range at $10,200.
Other highlights included a Buddy ‘L’ pressed steel Huckster wagon, the largest and rarest of the company’s flivver series, $16,800; and an extremely rare 1934 Quaker cereal advertisement featuring baseball legend Babe Ruth, $4,200.
Morphy’s has a full slate of auctions planned for the fall and winter months. To contact Morphy’s, call 717-335-3435 or e-mail serena@morphyauctions.com.
View the fully illustrated online catalog for the Sept. 13-15 auction, complete with prices realized, at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.
Bonnie Parker’s Colt .38 snub-nose Detective Special .38 revolver sold for $264,000. Image courtesy of RR Auction. NASHUA, N.H. (AFP) – The handguns worn by 1930s outlaw lovers Bonnie and Clyde when they died in a hail of bullets in a Louisiana ambush have been sold at auction for more than $500,000. LiveAuctioneers.com provided the Internet live bidding for the sale.
In a statement Monday, RR Auctions said Bonnie Parker’s Colt .38 snub-nose Detective Special revolver went for $264,000 while Clyde Barrow’s Colt Model 1911 Government Model semi-automatic .45 pistol sold for $240,000.
The buyer of both guns was a Texas collector who asked to remain anonymous.
The guns were among 130-plus lots from the estate of deceased Texas author and collector Robert Davis that went under the hammer Sunday in Nashua, New Hampshire.
Bonnie, 23, and Clyde, 25, crisscrossed the central United States in the early years of the Great Depression, becoming pop culture icons as they pulled off a string of daring hold-ups and cut down several law enforcers.
The two handguns sold Sunday were unique for having been taken literally from their dead bodies after the May 1934 ambush in Bienville Parish, Louisiana, the auctioneers said.
Parker had used medical tape to strap her “squat gun” to her thigh; Barrow tucked his under his waistband.
Also sold Sunday were five items from Bonnie and Clyde’s bullet-riddled car: a woman’s silk stocking, an unused bullet, a side temple from a pair of eyeglasses; a small screwdriver and an empty tin of aspirin. As a single lot, they sold for $11,400.
View the fully illustrated auction catalog, complete with prices realized, at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.
