Tom Hoepf, Author at Auction Central News

Leslie Hindman to streamline dealer’s inventory June 23-24

English Staffordshire Gaudy Dutch soft paste porcelain pitcher. Leslie Hindman Auctioneers image.

DENVER – Leslie Hindman Auctioneers will conduct an auction and tag sale of inventory from Eron Johnson Antiques Ltd. on June 23-24. This unprecedented auction and tag sale will include over 1,000 lots of antique furniture and decorative art belonging to one of the preeminent dealers in the West.

LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding for the auction.

The inventory features 17th, 18th,19th and 20th century English, Continental and American furniture and decorative arts, European and American paintings and prints, Asian works of art, architectural antiques including American and European garden statuary and fountains, marble, limestone and carved wood fireplace surrounds, wrought iron, interior and exterior lighting, doors and much more.

Eron Johnson Antiques is known among the collector and design community worldwide. The esteemed antiques purveyor opened his 20,000-square-foot showroom in 1995. In 2008, the firm opened a second 30,000-square-foot warehouse to house the extensive selection of architectural salvage purchased by Johnson from all over the globe. After over 30 years in the antiques business, Johnson has decided to refocus and streamline his inventory.

“I have enjoyed buying and selling fine furnishings and decorative arts for most of my life and I have watched many trends in design and collecting come and go. Over the next few months, we will be recreating the Eron Johnson name, incorporating “Centuries of Design.” We will continue to deal in antiques and decorative arts spanning the 17th to 19th centuries, while expanding and diversifying our inventory to include everything from fantastic relics of antiquity to high-end, iconic mid-century modern furnishings and contemporary art. I am looking forward to working with Leslie Hindman Auctioneers and beginning this transformation towards a more design-focused look,” said Johnson, owner of Eron Johnson Antiques Ltd.

“We are honored Eron Johnson contacted our firm with this exciting sale opportunity,” said Leslie Hindman, president and CEO of the auction house.

Highlights among the more than 1,000 lots in the auction include a Biedermeier-style inlaid birch settee, circa 1820; an Italian Empire-style marble-top inlaid fruitwood commode, circa 1790; a Dutch marquetry mahogany center table, circa 1850; an Adams-style giltwood oval mirror, circa 1890; and a Swedish Mora-style painted tall-case clock, circa 1840.

Also being featured are a Contemporary gilt mounted rock crystal horn on stand; a19th century French sterling silver figural pepper mill depicting cherubs; a Tiffany & Co. sterling silver jersey cream jug, circa 1920; George III sterling silver sugar tongs by Hester Bateman, circa 1790; a Chinese Qing Jiangxi province baluster vase, circa 1880; a Sévres-style porcelain five-light chandelier, circa 1900; a monumental marble sculpture by Henri Crenier, a Baccarat Napoleon III crystal 24-light chandelier, circa 1876; and a 19th century Meissen porcelain desk set.

Among the architectural highlights in the auction are a French Rouge Royale marble fireplace surround, circa 1870 and an American carved marble figure of Eve by Thomas Ball dated 1867.

The auction and tag sale will be conducted onsite at Johnson’s warehouse, 389 S. Lipan St., in Denver. The exhibition will be open to the public Wednesday and Thursday, June 20 and 21, 11 a.m.-7 p.m., and Friday, June 22, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. The auction schedule is as follows: Session I Saturday, June 23, beginning at 11 a.m. and Session II Sunday, June 24, beginning at noon.

The tag sale will feature a large collection of Eron Johnson Architectural Antiques’ inventory including significant American and European garden statuary and fountains, marble, limestone and carved wood fireplace surrounds, decorative wrought iron transoms, window guards, entryways and gates, stone and carved wood columns and balustrades, numerous carved wooden doors, some with leaded or stained glass, Asian architectural elements and garden statuary, exterior lighting, American and European rooms of paneling and much more. All architectural items will be tagged significantly reduced from their original retail values. The items in the tag sale will be listed with a “buy it now” price on the Leslie Hindman website as soon as the catalog becomes available online and throughout the auction exhibition and sale.

For information about the sale visit the Leslie Hindman Auctioneers website at www.lesliehindman.com.

View the fully illustrated catalog and register to bid absentee or live via the Internet as the sale is taking place by logging on to www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

Anglo Indian Hoshiarpur ivory inlaid rosewood dresser mirror. Leslie Hindman Auctioneers image.

Pair of Chinese late Qing cedarwood armchairs. Leslie Hindman Auctioneers image.

French Napoleon III gilt bronze and rouge marble mantel clock. Leslie Hindman Auctioneers image.

Chinese ShanXi walnut recessed trestle-leg wine table. Leslie Hindman Auctioneers image.

German folk art painted bentwood bride's box on stand. Leslie Hindman Auctioneers image. — German folk art painted bentwood bride’s box on stand. Leslie Hindman Auctioneers image.

Suspected antiquities smugglers arrested in Greek town

THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) – A retired policeman and a house painter have been arrested in northern Greece on suspicion of antiquities smuggling after an ancient gold wreath and armband were found in their car, police said Friday.

The suspects were stopped by highway police near the village of Asprovalta, some 25 miles east of Thessaloniki late Thursday. Officers, who were working on a tip that the house painter might be trafficking in antiquities, found the fourth century B.C. artifacts in a shoebox under the passenger seat.

The wreath was a rare and valuable find, said Nikos Dimitriadis, head of the Thessaloniki police antiquities theft section.

“It is a product of an illegal excavation from a Macedonian grave, according to archaeologists (who examined it),” he said.

Antiquities in Greece are all state property by law. But smuggling is a major problem in the country, where relics of a rich ancient past often lie just inches beneath the surface.

Looting deprives archaeologists of valuable contextual information that would emerge from a proper excavation. Without such clues, finds—however impressive—are little more than pretty artifacts with a high commercial value.

The wreath, weighing in at nearly 2.2 pounds, is decorated with gold oak leaves and acorns. The gold armband is in the form of two knotted snakes studded with red semi-precious stones.

Police said the 41-year-old house painter had been trying to sell the finds for several hundred thousand euros. They said he claimed to have received them from an acquaintance in his hometown of Komotini, nearly 190 miles east of Thessaloniki.

The precise location where the wreath and armband were found was not immediately clear.

Several golden wreaths have been found in Macedonia and Thrace, with the most impressive coming from royal tombs in Vergina, west of Thessaloniki, that have been linked with the family of the fourth century B.C. warrior king Alexander the Great.

An archaeologist who saw pictures of the wreath said it was a much plainer version than those from Vergina, and would likely have been buried with a rich Macedonian.

AP-WF-06-08-12 1435GMT

Detroit museum to present Navy’s War of 1812 exhibit

Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, the hero of the Battle of Lake Erie, as depicted in the 1911 painting by Edward Percy Moran. Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

DETROIT (AP) – The National Museum of the United States Navy’s traveling mini-exhibit on the War of 1812 is coming to Detroit next weekend.

Called “War of 1812: A Nation Forged by War,” the display commemorates the conflict’s 200-year anniversary.

It will be featured at nearly 200 locations across the U.S. and Canada.

The display opens Saturday at the Dossin Great Lakes Museum on Belle Isle.

“War of 1812: A Nation Forged by War” highlights the roles the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service played in getting Great Britain to the negotiating table and tells the stories of U.S. Navy crews in battles on the oceans and Great Lakes.

___

Online:

http://www.detroithistorical.org/main/dossin

AP-WF-06-10-12 1443GMT

ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE

Glass Art Society conference studies studio glass movement

Dominick Labino called this particular vase Break-Through Gold Veilings from the Emergence Series. Labino (1910-1987), who worked in Toledo, Ohio, was a pioneer in studio glass. Image by Gloverpark. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) – A museum in Ohio’s “Glass City” will host an exhibit highlighting the opaque and translucent qualities of glass.

The exhibit opens Thursday in the new $3 million gallery at the Toledo Museum of Art.

The exhibit is called “Color Ignited: Glass 1962-2012” and shows off objects that display the evolution of studio glass.

“Color Ignited” is the inaugural exhibit in the Frederic and Mary Wolfe Gallery for Contemporary Art.

Also on tap this week in Toledo: 1,200 artists and connoisseurs will gather Wednesday through Saturday for demonstrations and talks at the Glass Art Society’s 42nd conference.

The (Toledo) Blade says it’s the third time the group has held its annual meeting in Toledo.

___

Information from: The Blade, http://www.toledoblade.com/

AP-WF-06-10-12 1333GMT

ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE

Kovels – Antiques & Collecting: Week of June 11, 2012

This 3 1/2-inch porcelain bridal pair with moving arms and paper clothing sold for $18 at a Rachel Davis Fine Arts auction in Cleveland. Each figure is marked 'Made in Japan.'

The bride and groom topper on a contemporary wedding cake often is made of plastic or sugar. But the traditions of wedding-cake toppers and even wedding cakes do not go back very far. The sweets served at weddings centuries ago included barley bread, sweet rolls or pies. Later, fruit cakes were served, and, by the 1600s, dessert cakes. In the 19th century, white icing was expensive because of the high cost of refined sugar, so it was served only by the rich.

The modern wedding cake became fashionable in the 1880s, but the bride and groom topper wasn’t introduced until the 20th century. Early figures were made of bisque, composition (like that used for dolls), chalkware or a sugar mixture called “gum paste.” The groom wore a tux or tails and a top hat. In the 1920s, small bisque kewpie figures were dressed in crepe paper to represent the couple. The bride usually wore a lace cap and a long veil. In the 1940s, the war influenced topper designs and materials. Plastic toppers were introduced. The bride wore a fashionable dress with lace, and the groom was hatless but might be in tails. Soldier, sailor and other military uniforms were chosen for military weddings. All-sugar figures returned, and a few porcelain sets were made. Today’s toppers are plastic, sugar or even porcelain figurines by Lladro or Lenox that can be kept for life. Old toppers are inexpensive but hard to find.

Q: When my wife and I married in 1948, a close relative gave us a new four-piece bedroom set as a wedding gift. The set includes a double-bed frame, a mirrored vanity with an upholstered bench and a five-drawer chest. The furniture was manufactured by Showers Furniture of Bloomington, Ind. Does a set like this have any value?

A: The history of Showers Brothers Co. can be traced back to the 1850s, when Charles Showers opened a cabinetmaking business in Bloomington. His sons, William, James and Charles Jr., took over the business in 1868. Business expanded between the 1880s and the 1920s and Showers grew to become one of the largest furniture manufacturers in the country. Showers was bought out in 1955 and closed for good in 1958. One of its factories is today the site of Bloomington’s City Hall. If you want to sell your bedroom set, it is easiest to sell it locally. Try posting an ad online. Depending on its style and condition, you might be able to get a few hundred dollars for it.

Q: I bought what I thought was a set of coin silver flatware back-stamped “900.” But the pieces are attracted by a magnet and I have been told that means they’re not really coin silver. Is that true?

A: “Coin silver” has a slightly lower silver content than sterling silver. Pure silver is too soft and must be alloyed with copper for strength. Sterling is .925 parts silver, while American coin silver is .892 to .900 parts silver. Coin silver was the silver standard common in the United States from 1792, when the U.S. Mint was founded, until the 1860s, when American silversmiths reverted to the English sterling standard they had used before the American Revolution. Neither silver nor copper is attracted by a magnet. Some spelter, a white metal alloy that looks like silver, does attract a magnet. Your flatware is probably spelter.

Q: I have a small bronze vase that is about 3 inches tall and has raised work on one side. It is marked “Lauchhammer,” with a crown over the name and crossed hammers beneath it. I would like to know who made this vase.

A: A bell and art foundry was established in Lauchhammer, Germany, in 1725. Bells, bowls, boxes, candlesticks, mirrors, plaques, sculptures, statues and other items were made in bronze, brass, iron, nickel, tin, zinc and other metals. The foundry is still in business, operating under the name Lauchhammer Kunstguss.

Q: A few months ago you wrote about a Bonnyware red plastic biscuit cutter marked “For Bisquicks.” You asked if anyone had more information about the Bisquick cutter. My aunt collected biscuit and cookie cutters for years. One of her books, “Cookie Cutters and Cookie Molds: Art in the Kitchen” by Phyllis Steiss Wetherill, explains that Bonny Ware (two words) was a brand name for a hard plastic used in 1932 to make round biscuit cutters as product premiums for General Mills’ Bisquick baking mix. A customer could mail in one Bisquick box top and receive a 2 3/8-inch green cutter and a 1 5/8-inch white cutter. Wetherill says a 2 1/8-inch yellow Bonny Ware cutter was sold in the General Mills company gift shop.

A: We have a copy of Wetherill’s book in our library and didn’t know it discussed Bonny Ware until we read your letter. A recent article in the Jackson (Mich.) Citizen Patriot confirms that Bonny Ware, a molded plastic, was made by the Reynolds Spring Co. of Jackson. Reynolds Spring’s plastics division opened in 1922 and made plastic products of all kinds. In the late 1920s or early ’30s, the company introduced Bonny Ware, a line of plastic dishes and kitchenware that came in red, orange, pink or green. Pieces were marked “Bonny Ware.” The newspaper article says that Bisquick gave away the cutters “in boxes … for years.” Anything marked Bonny Ware is collectible.

Tip: Wash your hands before handling paper collectibles. Wipe off the table before you put valuable papers down on it. There are mold spores in dirt and dust.

Sign up for our weekly email, “Kovels Komments.” It includes the latest news, tips and questions and is free if you register on our website. Kovels.com has lists of publications, clubs, appraisers, auction houses, people who sell parts or repair antiques and more. Kovels.com adds to the information in this column and helps you find useful sources needed by collectors.

Terry Kovel answers as many questions as possible through the column. By sending a letter with a question, you give full permission for use in the column or any other Kovel forum. Names, addresses or email addresses will not be published. We cannot guarantee the return of any photograph, but if a stamped envelope is included, we will try. The volume of mail makes personal answers or appraisals impossible. Write to Kovels, Auction Central News, King Features Syndicate, 300 W. 57th St., New York, NY 10019.

CURRENT PRICES

Current prices are recorded from antiques shows, flea markets, sales and auctions throughout the United States. Prices vary in different locations because of local economic conditions.

Holt Howard salt and pepper set, men, Old West style with beards and cowboy hats, glazed terra cotta, 6 inches, $20.
Doll bathinette, Happy Time, yellow vinyl, metal folding frame, moveable cover shows little girl bathing toddler, sold by Sears, Roebuck & Co., 1950s, 32 x 21 inches, $65.
Trolley sign, Cleveland Baking Powder, cardboard, image of muffins and baking powder can, “Easy to make with Cleveland’s,” 1920s, 11 x 21 inches, $90.
Victorian marriage certificate, flowers and angels, wedding bell with inscription, Michigan, May 18, 1898, 20 x 15 inches, $120.
Elephant bookends, cast iron, trunks up, Hubley, 1920s, 5 1/8 x 5 1/4 inches, $165.
Blue Staffordshire plate, “The Landing of General Lafayette,” floral border, impressed “Clews,” 1880s, 10 inches, $200.
Carnival glass water set, Windmill pattern, marigold over clear, 8-inch pitcher, nine glasses, $400.
Jane Withers doll, open mouth, six upper teeth, brown mohair wig, sleep eyes, Madame Alexander, 1930s, 20 inches, $595.
Pier table, gray and beige marble top, serpentine front edge, three polychrome floral panels, wrought-iron S-scrolled supports, 1930s, 31 x 39 inches, $630.
Sterling-silver serving spoon, Bird’s Nest pattern, gold-wash bowl, simulated branch handle ending in bird’s nest with perched bird and three eggs, monogrammed, box, 10 1/2 inches, $1,840.

Order the set: “Buyers’ Guide to 20th Century Costume Jewelry,” Part One and Part Two. Both for our special price of $34.95. These special reports help you identify the most popular makers and designers of costume jewelry. Spot mid-century costume jewelry, Mexican silver jewelry and European and North American pieces. Learn who Hobe and Sigi are and how to recognize a rare piece of Bakelite. Accurate, comprehensive and valuable whether you’re a serious collector or just a beginner. Available only from Kovels. Order by phone at 800-303-1996; online at Kovels.com; or send $34.95 plus $4.95 postage and handling to Kovels, P.O. Box 22900, Beachwood, OH 44122.

ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE

Specialists of the South to sell Fla. estate on-site June 23

Roseville pottery will include this lovely Walter Lily 9-inch-wide hanging basket. The Specialists of the South image.

MARIANNA, Fla. – The estate of Donna Phillabaum, a longtime Florida resident who owns many antiques and collectibles, will be sold Saturday, June 23, at the owner’s home. The auction will be conducted by the Specialists of the South Inc., based in Panama City, with Internet live bidding provided by LiveAuctioneers.com.

Her estate comprises over 300 lots of items in a rainbow of categories. Collectors will have a field day, with Roseville pottery, glass and china, massive collections of phonograph records, matchbooks and Coca-Cola bottle caps, ephemera (to include antique valentines, advertising items and blotters from various companies, beautifully kept in albums), first-edition books and a vintage Pennsylvania Railroad lamp from Urbana, Ohio.

One item sure to attract attention is a framed 30-by-40-inch tapestry that came from the house of the former owner of the Eagle Theater in Blountstown, Fla. Phillabaum, who purchased the tapestry at auction in the early 1980s, believes the piece originated in Germany.

The sale will commence at 9 a.m. CDT, with a preview from 8-9 a.m. Previews will also be held the week prior to sale by appointment, by calling the Specialists of the South at 850-785-2577. To learn more log on to either www.SpecialistsoftheSouth.com or www.PanamaCityAuctions.com.

View the fully illustrated catalog and register to bid absentee or live via the Internet as the sale is taking place by logging on to www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

Rarities highlight Lebel’s annual Old West auction June 23

Sharpshooter Frank Butler’s Parker shotgun from Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show, circa 1900. Estimate: $25,000-$30,000. Brian Lebel’s Old West Auction image.

DENVER – Brian Lebel’s Old West Auction will offer 400 lots of fine Western art and artifacts at its 23rd annual sale on June 23. Following in the footsteps of last year’s $2.3 million sale of the Billy the Kid tintype, this year’s auction also boasts numerous rare and important artifacts of the Old West. Items relating to Frank & Jesse James, Black Bart, Wyatt Earp, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and Buffalo Bill are among the notable offerings.

LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding.

An authentic reward poster for the “arrest and delivery” of Frank and Jesse James (est. $15,000-$25,000) is one of the rare pieces coming up for sale, as is an original Buffalo Bill’s Wild West parade flag (est. $30,000-$40,000).

“Authentic wanted posters of the Old West are extremely hard to come by. To have a genuine Frank and Jesse James poster is pretty incredible,” said Lebel. He is equally enthusiastic about the parade flag. “The Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody has the only other authentic Wild West parade flag that I know of.”

An extremely rare original photo of the outlaw stagecoach robber, Black Bart, is among this year’s historic photographs at auction. Boudoir card size, and bearing the Taber photographer’s mark, this photo of “the gentleman bandit” is estimated at $30,000-$40,000. A portrait of Wyatt Earp by the artist Frederic Mizen (est. $50,000-$70,000) is perhaps the only known portrait painted of the legendary Old West gunman during his lifetime. A fresh-to-market Parker shotgun shipped to Frank Butler (est. $25,000-$35,000), and a Texas Ranger presentation badge (est. $15,000-$20,000) will also be offered.

An important Native American ledger drawing, circa 1880 and attributed to Chief White Bull, depicts the killing of Gen. George Armstrong Custer during the Battle of Little Bighorn (est. $20,000-$30,000). Many believe that White Bull, nephew of Sitting Bull, killed Custer.

The auction also features fine Western art from contemporary and deceased artists; Native American textiles, beadwork and antiquities; Molesworth and New West furniture; personal items from the likes of John Wayne and Roy Rogers; cowboy trappings and collectibles such as saddles, spurs, and bridles from such notable names as Bohlin, Garcia and Ortega.

The Denver Old West Auction will be held at 5 p.m. MDT on Saturday, June 23, in the Denver Merchandise Mart Expo Building. Catalogs are available for purchase and the auction may be previewed online or in person. Live, Internet, phone and absentee bidding options are available. The auction happens in conjunction with the Denver Old West Show, a weekend shopping event featuring over 200 dealers in fine Western merchandise. Visit the website (denveroldwest.com) or facebook page (facebook.com/denveroldwest) for details.

View the fully illustrated catalog and register to bid absentee or live via the Internet as the sale is taking place by logging on to www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

Rare photo of ‘gentleman bandit’ Black Bart, circa 1883. Estimate: $30,000-$40,000. Brian Lebel’s Old West Auction image.

Edward Borein watercolor, ‘Charros in Mission Courtyard.' Estimate: $60,000-$80,000. Brian Lebel’s Old West Auction image. — Edward Borein watercolor, ‘Charros in Mission Courtyard.’ Estimate: $60,000-$80,000. Brian Lebel’s Old West Auction image.

Authentic 1881 reward poster for outlaws Frank and Jesse James. Estimate: $15,000-$25,000. Brian Lebel’s Old West Auction image.

Ledger drawing attributed to Chief White Bull depicting the killing of Gen. Custer at the Battle of the Little Bighorn, circa 1880. Estimate: $20,000-$30,000. Brian Lebel’s Old West Auction image.

Kaminski Auctions’ first photography sale clicks with buyers

An extensive collection of images chronicling the development of the atomic bomb topped Kaminski Auctions’ inaugural photography auction, sselling for $53,000. Kaminski auctions image.

BEVERLY, Mass. – Kaminski Auctions reports positive results from their inaugural Photography Sale as well as their Spring Fine Arts Sale. Both auctions were held recently in their gallery in Beverly.

Bidding began on May 16 for a diverse collection of vintage and modern photographs. Several prominent daguerreotype collectors were in the audience and the sale involved lively bidders over the phone and on the Internet. The top lot was a rare and important piece from the Manhattan Project collection, including letters, schematics, negatives, and aerial shots of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan after the dropping of the first atomic bombs, as well as images of the explosions. The lot sold for an impressive $53,000.

A historic daguerreotype of the 1853 Massachusetts Senate Convention, attributed to John A. Whipple, picturing the 20th governor of Massachusetts, George S. Boutwell, sold for $16,380. Boutwell also served in the U.S. Congress from Massachusetts during the Civil War.

Another top lot was a Philippe Halsman (Latvian-American 1906-1979) signed and stamped photograph of Salvador Dali, printed in 1970, which sold for $14,400.

Other noteworthy sales included an original photograph of Winston Churchill, signed and stamped, by Armenian photographer Yousuf Karsh, which sold for $5,850. A rare collection of 27 photographs, individually and dated, including Che Guevara, by Cuban photographer Liborio Noval achieved $6,000. A Helmut Newton photograph from 1975 French Vogue magazine, signed and stamped, printed in 1982, also sold for $6,000. A rare ambrotype of Niagara Falls circa 1857 by Platt D. Babbitt, an American photographer, sold for $4,972.50. The image was taken from table rock and aimed at Horseshoe Falls across Prospect Point. A photograph of Fidel Castro playing baseball, originally owned by Argentina Estevez, captured $3,900.

Three significant pieces by Weegee, the pseudonym of photographer Arthur Fellig, also achieved significant sales. A rare self-portrait photograph, signed “To Joe,” dated 1949, sold for $3,240. An exhibition print of a man sleeping on a sidewalk in front of Dunhill Funeral Home, dated to the mid 1940s, sold for $1,800. And another rare self-portrait, signed “To Joe/Weegee,” sold for $1,680. Joe Jasger, a photographer in Los Angeles with a studio near Weegee, previously owned all three of these works.

The next day, Kaminski held its Annual Spring Fine Arts Sale, a show that captured a variety of collectors’ interests, from American paintings to Old Master works, to pieces by Auguste Rodin and Salvador Dali. The top lot from this sale was David Aronson’s Harlequin bronze standing figure, which sold for an incredible $11,700. Next, a framed oil painting by French artist Claude Joseph Vernet achieved a sale of $8,700.

Other notable lots included an oil still life with a mandolin, signed and dated 1971, and attributed to French artist Bernard Buffet, earned a sale of $6,600. A framed oil on board signed “RMS Titanic off South Hampton” by British artist Brian Coole (b. 1939) sold for $7,020.

An Italian work from the first half of the 17th century and produced by the School of Caravaggio, depicting a tortured and bound Christ, sold for $4,800. A signed watercolor and pencil on paper piece by famous French artist, Auguste Rodin of a female nude from the Cambodian dancer series, also sold for $4,800.

Kaminski Auctions is located on the North Shore of Boston. For over 25 years, it has served the New England art market, acting as a full service auction house and appraisal service for fine art, antiques and estates. With two locations in Beverly, Mass., including a new state of the art auction gallery located at 117 Elliot St., and a historic 1850s barn and office facility at 564 Cabot St., Kaminski Auctions hosts 16 sales a year.

For more information visit the auctioneer’s website at www.KaminskiAuctions.com.

Click here to view the fully illustrated catalog for this sale, complete with prices realized.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

An extensive collection of images chronicling the development of the atomic bomb topped Kaminski Auctions’ inaugural photography auction, selling for $53,000. Kaminski auctions image.

David Aronson’s ‘Harlequin’ bronze standing figure sold for $11,700. Kaminski Auctions image.

Oil still life, signed and dated 1971, attributed to French artist Bernard Buffet: $6,600. Kaminski Auctions image.

Framed oil painting by French artist Claude Joseph Vernet: $8,700. Kaminski Auctions image.

British artist Brian Coole’s framed oil on board, signed ‘RMS Titanic off South Hampton,’ sold for $7,020. Kaminski Auctions image.

Photograph of Cuban dictator Fidel Castro playing baseball: $3,900. Kaminski Auctions image.

Weegee (American 1899-1968), self-portrait photograph, signed ‘To Joe,’ dated 1949: $3,240. Kaminski auctions image.

Philippe Halsman (Latvian-American 1906-1979) signed and stamped photograph of Salvador Dali, printed in 1970: $14,400. Kaminski auctions image.

Contemporary ceramics auction turns $270K at Cowan’s

Michele Oka Doner, 'Three Torsos,' - realized $25,200. Cowan's Auctions Inc. image.

CINCINNATI — Cowan’s + Clark + Del Vecchio’s semiannual Modern and Contemporary Ceramics auction realized $270,000 on June 1.

The highest selling lot in the auction was a piece by Michele Oka Doner, titled Three Torsos, which sold for $25,200. Doner’s hugely successful career working with sculpture, jewelry, public art, ceramics, furniture and other functional objects spans four decades. Another piece by Doner, titled Bust, realized $6,000.

“Mark Del Vecchio and I could not have been happier with the sales and numbers for our recent auction,” notes Garth Clark, ceramics specialist. “It was a real test with no six-figure trophies to drive up the excitement. We picked up a few world records, most notably for Marlborough Gallery’s star sculptor, Michele Oka Doner. The triptych sold for $25,200, breaking her previous record for her ceramic work set out in our last auction for $18,000. Results, including a great sell-through rate, proved the growing strength and stability of the studio ceramic marketplace.”

A piece by Georges Jeanclos, titled Grande Urne, hammered down at $14,100. Jeanclos is considered by many to be one of France’s great 20th-century sculptors.

A stoneware work by Rudy Autio, titled Elysian Fields, realized $12,040. The American Ceramics website notes that “Clay turned out to be the perfect medium for Autio, allowing him to add dimension to his voluptuous forms.”

Works by Ralph Bacerra also performed well in the sale. A piece titled Untitled Charger sold for $11,750, and a work titled Untitled Square Charger with Birds, realized $8,812.50. A star of post-World War II studio pottery and a master craftsman, Ralph Bacerra’s difficult, multifaceted firing method ensured that only works that emerged in immaculate condition could be shown; lesser items were dispatched to the shards pile. These prices realized reflect a growing interest in Bacerra’s work with glaze and kiln.

Additional pieces that performed well in the auction include works by Peter Voulkos and Michael Lucero. A work, titled Lidded Vessel, realized $9,987.50, and a piece titled Bucket sold for $8,812.50. A piece by Michael Lucero titled Elf with Puppy sold for $11,750.

Consignments for the Oct. auction are now being accepted. Contact Amanda at Amanda@cowans.com or call 513-871-1670 ext. 31.

Click here to view the fully illustrated catalog for this sale, complete with prices realized.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

George Jeanclos, 'Grande Urne,' - realized $14,100. Cowan's Auctions Inc. image. — George Jeanclos, ‘Grande Urne,’ – realized $14,100. Cowan’s Auctions Inc. image.

Ralph Bacerra, 'Untitled Charger,' - realized $11,750. Cowan's Auctions Inc. image. — Ralph Bacerra, ‘Untitled Charger,’ – realized $11,750. Cowan’s Auctions Inc. image.

Michael Lucero, 'Elf with Puppy,' - realized $11,750. Cowan's Auctions Inc. image. — Michael Lucero, ‘Elf with Puppy,’ – realized $11,750. Cowan’s Auctions Inc. image.

Mid-Hudson to sell fine art, Alfred Charley bronzes June 16

John Marin, Weehawken Series, signed l.r. and dated '34, oil on canvas, 24 x 30 inches. Purchased from a Greenwich, Conn., estate 25 years ago. Mid Hudson Galleries image.

NEW WINDSOR, N.Y. – On Saturday, June 16, at noon EDT, Mid-Hudson Auction Galleries will offer important artworks and bronzes to include a John Marin oil on canvas, Weehawken Series.

LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding.

Other artists represented in the 700-lot auction are Edward Redfield, Charles Hoffbauer, Jane Peterson, J.G. Tyler, Cassius “Kash” Marcellus Coolidge, Albert Pels (three), Donald Purdy, E.E. Case, F. Hopkinson Smith, a mural study by Diego Rivera, Victor Higgins, B. Bouts, Herman Hyneman, Hayley Lever, Frank Starowieyski, Louis Eilshemius and an array of American illustrations from the Norcross Calendar Co. including five by Rudy Nappi. There are five Nemethy family paintings in the sale.

Bronze sculptures being offered include: a Frishmuth Playdays fountain and three rare works in bronze by Alfred Charley from the artist’s estate. A sculpture instructor at Clarion State University, Alfred Charley, was killed in an automobile accident, at age 57, on the eve of his exhibition opening at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts. The exhibition, nine years after his exhibition at Le Grand Salon in Paris, surely would have brought wider recognition in the United States, said Joanne Grant, principal auctioneer.

The auction also includes a collection of more than 200 lots of Orientalia; more than 30 antique, semi-antique and other carpets; rare sports memorabilia; and hundreds of early Hollywood collectibles. The event will be held at the Continental Room, 171 Temple Hill Road, New Windsor, N.Y.

For details visit the website www.midhudsongalleries.com or phone 914-882-7356.

View the fully illustrated catalog and register to bid absentee or live via the Internet as the sale is taking place by logging on to www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

Sign up for daily highlights by email