ALAMEDA, Calif. – A Tiffany Studios leaded glass window and Roland Petersen’s painting Tea for Two headline Michaan’s auction of fine art, jewelry and more on Saturday, Dec. 8. Absentee and Internet live bidding is available through LiveAuctioneers.
The beautiful figural window (above) was removed from a Brooklyn hotel in the 1970s. Louis Comfort Tiffany’s legendary innovation and artistry are fully realized in its design. It depicts a graceful young woman, her flowing gown executed in drapery glass—a sheet of glass pulled or hand-rolled to suggest deep folds of fabric. The woman is depicted offering fruit and a goblet to a cherub formed of Tiffany angel-wing ripple glass. Set on a Greco-Roman terrace with a balustrade made of marbleized glass, the lovely scene is framed by classical columns.
Measuring approximately 53 inches high by 92 inches wide in its frame, the Tiffany Studios art glass window is estimated at $60,000-$80,000.
It’s been an exciting year in fine art at Michaan’s, and the final monthly sale of 2018 offers many more wonderful works. Roland Petersen’s enigmatic 1966 picnic scene, Tea for Two, is a top highlight (below). The large oil on canvas exudes the bright promise of California in the 1960s, but with hints of the existential turmoil that roiled the era. Its composition displaces two figures from each other, standing at gaily draped tables under a blazing sky: relational ambiguity amid visual clarity.
Also featured is the exuberant art of the Bay Area’s Roy de Forest (1930-2007). His 1970s pastels Dog in Tent and Boat are offered at $3,000-$5,000 each. From visionary painter Peter Max, the vibrant expressionist work in acrylic on paper New Moon is offered at $4,000-$6,000. A special find for collectors is the Rolling Stones’ 1977 promotional 45 record, its cover art photographed by Andy Warhol ($800-$1,000) .
English silver and ornate 18th-century furniture awaiting Michaan’s December bidders include a Louis XV commode en tombeau and an Italian rococo giltwood mirror.
The magic of the auction is the heady mix of styles and periods culled from the many fine estates consigned at Michaan’s. Mid-century modern lots include the rectangular teak coffee table by Georg Jensen for Kubus, estimated at just $400-$600. The assortment of furnishings and decorations also includes fine china, collectible tableware and fine handmade carpets.
Treasures of archaic carved jade and huanghuali wood are among the Asian art highlights. A 5-foot 2-inch-tall bust of the Buddha carved of lava stone is estimated at $1,500-$2,500. Bronze objects from China (Ming Dynasty) and Japan (Meiji Period) await collectors. A low table of cinnabar lacquer ($800-$1,000) and an Imari bowl decorated with images of Dutchmen and their ships ($1,000- $1,500) are also offered.
Always in demand is fine diamond jewelry such as the Art Deco diamond and platinum bracelet by M. Waslikoff & Sons, New York ($4,000-$6,000). The eye-popping 10-carat oval-cut diamond ring ($15,000-$25,000) is one of two excellent lots from a Napa collector consigned through a charitable foundation, to benefit homeless Californians and provide clean drinking water to families in Haiti. The second such piece is a fabulous 18K gold, multi-stone bib necklace in the “tutti frutti” style ($50,000-$80,000).
For more information please contact Allen Michaan, amichaan@michaans.com.
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