Rafael Osona gathers Nantucket treasures for July 3 auction

NANTUCKET, Mass. – More than 100 lots of notable Nantucket art and fine art will share the stage with estate jewelry; period American, English and Continental furnishings and decor; Nantucket baskets; sterling silver; and collectibles in Rafael Osona’s 41st Annual Independence Weekend Auction, scheduled for July 3. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

For the collector of Nantucket fine art, the auction features more than 70 lots of art by Robert Stark Jr., Donald Demers, James Cromartie, Joseph McGurl, Frank Corso, John Austin, Illya Kagan, Jan Munro, Jan Pawlowski, John Austin, Sybil Goldsmith, Robert Perrin, David Lazarus, Joan Albaugh, William Lowe, June Owen, and J.B. Reid, to name a few. Besides Nantucket art, there are works by Antonio Jacobsen, Brian Coole, Louis Dodd, Tom Holland, and Michael Matthews.

Many Nantucket grand estates include a work or two by Robert Stark Jr. This sale happens to feature two of his works: an iconic oil on canvas, Rainbow Fleet Sailing in Nantucket Harbor, estimated at $10,000-$15,000, and also a canvas from his Irish period featuring a trawler off the Ireland coast.

The sale lineup includes four works by Donald Demers, among them Sailing Lesson, which is estimated at $4,000-$5,000, and Sailing off Nantucket by Sankaty Light, estimated at  $6,000-$7,000. An acrylic by James Cromartie displays his vision of Nantucket’s Great Point lighthouse, estimated at $3,000-$5,000.

Illya Kagan, a talented plein-air artist and son of the late modern furniture designer Vladimir Kagan, holds court with two large canvases: Yachting Day – Nantucket Harbor, estimated at $5,000-$7,000, and Panoramic View of Nantucket Harbor and the Jetties, estimated at $5,000-$7,000. Rounding out the roster of paintings is Joan Albaugh’s oil on canvas A Path to Summer, which prompts thoughts of pleasanter days ahead. It is estimated at $3,500-$4,500.

Estate jewelry selections in the sale include two Bulgari Tubogas diamond cuff bracelets in steel and 18K yellow gold, each estimated at $3,000-$4,000. An Ilias Lalaounis 18K gold Hercules knot bracelet is estimated to bring $800-$1,200; a trio of Hermes enamel bangles carries a collective estimate of $500-$750; and a circa-1960s Tiffany & Co. 18K yellow gold sea urchin pin is expected to bring $1,250-$1,750.

A 14K gold Nantucket basket pendant necklace with a scrimshawed blue hydrangea by island goldsmith Diana Kim England carries an estimate of $1,500-$2,000.

A monumental circa-1912 International Sterling Silver flatware service in the Puritan pattern is presented in a serpentine mahogany box with multiple drawers that lock when closed. The service comprises 192 pieces, which allows for a 14-piece place setting for 12. It is estimated at $5,000-$7,000.

Coveted works by the late Nantucket craftsman Stephen Swift lead the furniture lineup with 10 high-back cherry dining chairs estimated at $10,000-$12,000. Also on offer are a trestle dining table, estimated at $6,000-$8,000; an untouched and as-found 18th century American flat top highboy, estimated at $2,000-$3,000; and a circa-1800 English chest on chest, estimated at $1,500-$2,500.

Decorators and collectors will note rare Steuben animal forms, including a clear crystal dragon designed by Bernard X. Wolff, estimated at $700-$900, amongst 19th century blue and white Canton, famille rose, and rose medallion porcelains; Majolica; Inuit soapstone carvings; doorstops; Diamond and Baratta for Stark needlepoint carpets; and hand knotted wool oriental rugs.

Rounding out the sale are world renowned local handicrafts made by sailors stationed on the Nantucket Lightship, and Nantucket baskets by veteran artisans Stephen Gibbs, Sherwin Boyer, and Jose Reyes. A William Sevrens nest of eight round swing handle baskets carry an estimate of $4,000-$6,000.

 

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