Erzia bust leads Auctions at Showplace May 9 sale

Stepan Erzia carved hardwood bust on marble base, estimated at $20,000-$30,000

NEW YORK – On May 9, Auctions at Showplace will offer property from the collection of Arnold and Dorothy Neustadter. The late Arnold Neustadter was an engineer and businessman who invented the Rolodex with Hildaur Neilson in 1956. The Neustadters were avid collectors of art and antiques who acquired objects across a variety of categories including 20th century art, European furniture, and fine decorative arts. In addition to items from their collection, the sale will also feature fine jewelry and silver, important works from a private residence at the Pierre Hotel, and designer fashion and accessories. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

Featured items begin with a Stepan Erzia carved hardwood bust of a woman atop a black marble base, estimated at $20,000-$30,000. The signed bust bears the provenance of the Neustadter collection and resembles a similar piece sold at a Christie’s auction in 2017. Another highlight is a polychrome fresco panel of three celestial figures and wood frame with carved details dating to the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), which carries an estimate of $4,000-$6,000.

Chinese Ming dynasty polychrome fresco panel, estimated at $4,000-$6,000

Also on offer is a circa-1920 Tiffany Furnaces art deco style mantel clock, estimated at $6,000-$8,000. The painted bronze and green enamel piece features a domed case around a glazed door that opens to reveal a round dial with Arabic numbers and two wind holes. The mantel clock is raised on a stepped plinth base and bears the stamp: “Louis C. Tiffany Furnaces Inc”. The auction also includes many pieces of exceptional fine jewelry such as the Burle Marx modern 18K yellow gold Florentine finish hinge bangle bracelet, estimated at $6,000-$8,000.

Tiffany Studios Furnaces bronze and enamel mantel clock, estimated at $6,000-$8,000

Other notable jewelry lots include an 18K yellow gold, colored stone, and diamond multi-strand faux coral necklace, estimated at $4,000-$6,000; an 18K yellow gold Cartier panthere mini lady wristwatch with its original box and papers, estimated at $3,000-$5,000; and an Art Deco platinum, yellow diamond, and French-cut calibrated sapphire filigree brooch, estimated at $2,500-$3,500.

Burle Marx 18K yellow gold hinge bracelet, estimated at $6,000-$8,000

Fine Art treasures include La Palabre, a 1965 watercolor and gouache work by Paul Aizpiri of two men engaging in conversation, estimated at $4,000-$6,000, and also Cesar Philipp’s oil on canvas Idle Moments, which shows a noblewoman relaxing while court ladies attend to her in a sun-drenched marble courtyard. Estimated at $3,000-$5,000, this unframed work is signed on the lower left and was removed from a private residence within the Pierre Hotel.

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