ALAMEDA, Calif. – Michaan’s May 9 auction will feature fine art, decorative arts, Asian art and jewelry. LiveAuctioneers.com will provide absentee and Internet live bidding.
The Asian section of Michaan’s May sale includes decorative items, literature, jewelry and various artworks. One such artwork is Elizabeth Keith’s (1887-1956) woodblock print titled Hong Kong Harbor (estimate: $800-$1,200). Keith, a self-taught British artist born in Scotland, came to be influenced by the Japanese culture during her travels to the Far East. Keith’s woodblock prints continue to be rare and desired, as their production was often kept low, some in editions of only 30 or 50 copies.
Jewelry in the May auction will be plentiful, with more than 130 lots available. In addition to gemstones, jades, pearls and corals will be this month’s highlight, an understated yet lovely Art Deco brooch (below, estimate: $300-$400). The period piece of a carved black onyx rectangular plaque is sparsely adorned, letting geometry and sharp color differentiation take precedence. The openwork plaque holds two full-cut accent diamonds, as well as geometric red and green enamel enhancements and foliates motifs. The brooch remains in a beautifully lustrous, glass-like appearance, set in an 18K yellow gold and platinum mounting.
Approximately 80 lots make up the fine art portion of Michaan’s May estate auction that includes oil paintings, watercolors, serigraphs and etchings primarily from American and European artists. However, a bronze sculpture by Vietnamese artist Tuan (b. 1963) titled Prelude to a Kiss is the feature lot of the sale section (estimate: $1,500- $2,000). The sculpture measures approximately 38 by 34 by 18 inches and stands upon a tiered black marble base.
Taking center stage in the decorative arts category is a bird’s-eye maple table box whose hinged cover features an original 1935 watercolor by British artist Reginald Augustus Wymer (1849-1935). The painting, titled Coldstream Guards 1760 upon the lower left, depicts uniformed guards in a courtyard at St. James’s Palace. The box, once gifted, contains a note within stating it was purchased as an antique when the buyer was stationed in England in 1942. Wymer has been regarded as a premiere military illustrator. The box has a $400-$600 estimate.
For more information call Michaan’s Auctions at 510-740- 0220 ext. 0 or e-mail info@michaans.com. Michaan’s Auctions is located at 2751 Todd St. Alameda, CA 94501.
