MERIDEN, Conn. – Over the summer months, Ryan Brechlin’s team at Nest Egg Auctions has had the opportunity to visit numerous estates and collections around New England, with contents ranging from Modern art to American political and historical ephemera. On Saturday, Sept. 24, the Connecticut-based company will conduct a mixed Estate & Antiques Auction featuring a premier selection gathered from those various sources. LiveAuctioneers.com will provide the Internet live bidding.
Among the strongest categories to be offered is historical and military memorabilia. A key lot consists of a red and yellow signal flag that came from the World War II Japanese Battleship Nagato, grouped together with an Imperial Navy field cap and samurai sword from a non-commissioned officer on the ship.
“The Battleship Nagato was the lead ship at Pearl Harbor. When U.S. forces captured the ship, their men ‘liberated’ – or pillaged – the ship,” Brechlin explained. “What makes this lot so special is that it comes with the capture papers belonging to Robert B. Dippold, the soldier who liberated the items. His family even decided to include a group of six medals from Robert Dippold’s estate, which makes it an even more attractive selection of militaria.” The group lot is estimated at $3,000-$5,000.
Another important American historical item in the auction is a 1903 photo print of the Wright Brothers’ first flight, signed by Orville Wright. The 4½- by 6¼-inch photo is captioned “First Man-Flight, December 17, 1903 / Kitty Hawk, N.C.” Estimate: $800-$1,200.
A nostalgic relic from New York’s Coney Island is the wooden subway platform sign painted white with a red directional arrow and the message in bold letters: “TO CONEY ISLAND.” Measuring 48 by 12 inches, the memory-stirring marker could make $500-$1,000 on auction day.
Three lots of maps will be sold, including an 1846 Augustus Mitchell Atlas containing six maps in a bound folio with intact front and end papers. The maps represent mid-19th-century New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York City and Philadelphia. A rare edition, the atlas is expected to fetch $500-$1,000.
The Modern art section of the sale is led by a wonderful collection of 18 lithographs by American pop art pioneer James Rosenquist (b. 1933-). Some of the artworks are artist’s proofs, while others are printer’s proofs; most are pencil signed by Rosenquist.
A presentation proof of Robert Motherwell’s “Elegy,” measuring 37 by 25 inchess is artist-signed and has an impressed monogram at lower right. The thought-provoking artwork suggestive of a Rohrschach inkblot is estimated at $3,000-$5,000.
The auction will also feature Part II of a collection of photographic nudes from the Estate of Alfred “Cheney” Johnston, with 125 photos apportioned into 60 lots.
“Our first selection of Cheney Johnston photos, which was the center of attention in our April 16th auction, brought terrific prices. There were individual photos that made as much as $3,600, and a group of negatives went for $28,000. Johnston was the premier American celebrity photographer of celebrities in the Art Deco era, and his work is greatly respected,” said Brechlin.
The second of three installments (the third to be auctioned next year), the Johnston photos in the Sept. 24 sale include beautiful nude portraits of dancer/choreographer Martha Graham, actresses Clara Bow and Barbara Dean; Metropolitan Opera star Mary Lewis and film and television star Barbara Stanwyck.
A fine array of decorative art has been handpicked for the sale, including Chinese and Japanese porcelain; an exquisite 71-piece set of hand-painted Haviland Limoges, and a coveted 7¼-inch signed Loetz Phanomen iridescent glass vase in tones of cobalt blue, peacock blue/green, yellow and rose. Estimate $1,000-$3,000. Another prized inclusion is the Royal Vienna convex oval plaque with a finely painted depiction of “the Expulsion of Hagar.” The piece measures 16 by 13 inches, has the requisite beehive mark and is impressed “CF 23.” In excellent condition, it carries a $1,000-$3,000 estimate.
Several excellent musical instruments round out the auction inventory, including four violins – one of them a hand-made working miniature example. A 1945 C.F. Martin & Co. tenor guitar Model 0-18T with solid spruce top and mahogany back, sides and neck could strum up a bid of $500-$1,000.
Nest Egg’s Sept. 24, 2011 auction will commence at 2 p.m. Eastern time. For additional information, call 203-630-1400 or tollfree 800 448-0692; or e-mail ryan@nesteggauctions.com.
View the fully illustrated catalog and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.
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