A fine and rare pair of imperial white jade cups, bearing ‘Jiaqing Nian Zhi’ marks and of the period, has an estimate of $100,000-$150,000. Image courtesy Golden State Auction Gallery. SAN FRANCISCO – Golden State Auction Gallery will conduct their summer sale of Asia arts on Monday, June 18, at 6 p.m. PDT. LiveAuctioneers.com will provide the Internet live bidding.
The auction will consist of more than 280 lots of fine Chinese ceramics and works of art from the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. Categories represented will be violet arenaceous (Zisha), china, jade, jewelry, bronze, furniture, painting and calligraphy.
A special item of interest is a Zhu San Song superbly carved bamboo brush pot, 5 5/8 inches tall, which has a $120,000-$200,000 estimate.
A violet arenaceous (zisha) teapot is one of more than 60 items—archaic age to Qing—from a California collector. More than 60 pieces of jade are consigned from an estate.
“We believe in honesty, and trust is our first priority. Our specialists all have many years experience and keep up the current market,” said Calvin Wong of Golden State Auction Gallery. He maintains the Chinese art (antique) market is the best investment tool of the 21st century, better than investments in finance and real estate.
Golden State Auction Gallery is currently accepting consignments for the autumn auction. Call Calvin Wong at 415-379-4700 or 415-722-9487, or e-mail calvin168@sbcglobal.net for details.
A fine and rare pair of imperial white jade cups, bearing ‘Jiaqing Nian Zhi’ marks and of the period, has an estimate of $100,000-$150,000. Image courtesy Golden State Auction Gallery.
A detailed scene of Bodhiharma crossing the Yangtze on a stalk is carved on the exterior of this bamboo brush pot having a ‘San Song Zhi’ mark. Estimate: $120,000-$200,000. Image courtesy Golden State Auction Gallery.
The auction will open with 43 lots of teapots from a private California collection. Image courtesy Golden State Auction Gallery.
Tiffany Studios table lamp with fine Dogwood shade. Estimate: $95,000-$125,000. Image courtesy Rago Arts and Auction Center. LAMBERTVILLE, N.J. – Rago Arts and Auction Center will auction an impressive collection of 20th century furnishings and decorative arts on Saturday, June 16, and Sunday, June 17. Among the 1,100 lots are hard-to-find and one-of-a-kind pieces, many coming to the auction house straight from the artists or craftsmen.
LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding. The auction will begin at 11 a.m. EDT both days.
Day one of the sale consists of Arts & Crafts pottery and furnishings, early 20th century glass, metalwork and prints, concluding with 20th century ceramics. Day two consists of mid-20th-21st century modern furnishings, art glass, fine art (including sculpture), lighting, jewelry, tapestries and much more, all by famous makers and designers.
“Every sale finds its own personality,” says David Rago. “This one is particularly rich in glass, from early enameled Gallé to a large collection of Lalique vessels, statuettes, and perfume bottles, and many fine examples by contemporary artists such as Toots Zynsky. The auction also includes several important Tiffany lamps, among the best we’ve ever offered, important studio furniture and art pottery.”
Previews will be Saturday, June 9, through Thursday, June 14, from noon to 5 p.m. or by appointment and Friday, June 15, noon to 8 p.m. Doors open on day of sale at 9 a.m. An open house featuring a lecture by Judith Gura, “After Modernism: What’s New, What’s Next,” followed by a book signing will be held Wednesday, June 13. A reception will begin at 5 p.m. followed by the lecture at 6 p.m. An open house at 10 Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia, featuring 20th Century Design auction highlights will be June 2 and 3, noon-5 p.m. Kindly RSVP to 609-397-9374 ext. 119 or email raac@ragoarts.com.
Saturday’s sale begins with 380 lots of early 20th century Arts and Crafts, consisting of pottery, furnishings, glass, metalwork, lighting, fine art and more. This sale is immediately followed by 78 lots of 20th century ceramics.
The sale begins with American art pottery—two important pieces decorated in cuerda seca with roosters by Frances Rocchi at Saturday Evening Girls. Lot 1, a large center bowl incised “Early to bed & early to rise makes a child healthy, wealthy & wise,” is estimated at $17,500-$22,500; and lot 2, a pitcher incised “This is the cock that crew in the morn,” estimated at $10,000-$15,000. Also of note is an exceptional vessel by Frederick Rhead at University City decorated with mushrooms, lot 17, estimated at $10,000-$15,000. Lot 23, a late arrival, is a spectacular, tall Rookwood Iris glaze vase painted by Kataro Shirayamadani with geese in flight, perfectly fired (uncrazed), for $8,000-$12,000.
European ceramicists include Zsolnay, Martin Brothers, Moorcroft, Riessner, Stellmacher & Kessel, Ernst Wahliss, Plateelbakkerij Zuid-Holland Gouda, Sarreguemines, Clarice Cliff and Wedgwood.
Famous lighting makers include Tiffany Studios, Duffner & Kimberly, Fulper, Gustav Stickley, Handel, Pairpoint, Suess, Dirk Van Erp, Roycroft and Charles Schneider.
There are several remarkable Tiffany Studios lamps, including lot 373, a fine and large floor lamp with Tulip shade, estimated at $100,000-$150,000; and lot 274, a table lamp with a Dogwood shade, estimated at $95,000-$125,000.
Arts and Crafts furniture makers in Saturday’s sale include Gustav Stickley, J.M. Young, L. & J.G. Stickley, Lifetime, Limbert, Roycroft, Stickley Brothers, Shapland and Petter, Charles Rohlfs, Walfred Thulin and Wilhelm Schmidt.
Furniture by Gustav Stickley includes lot 64, a drop-arm Morris chair (no. 369), estimated at $6,500-$9,500; lot 69, a rare and early five-leg dining table with square top, at $5,000-$8,000; lot 85, four Harvey Ellis inlaid dining chairs, at $8,000-$12,000; and lot 75, a Harvey Ellis double-door bookcase with leaded-glass panes, for $10,000-$14,000. Impressive L & J.G. Stickley lots include lot 80, a rare-form paneled Prairie settle, estimated at $10,000-$15,000; and lot 150, a rare and massive Mouse-hole dining table, estimated at $4,000-$6,000. Furnishings in the sale by Charles Rohlfs include lot 86, a pair of rare tall-back chairs, estimated at $10,000-$15,000 (an identical example of these chairs is shown in a 1920 photo of Charles Rohlfs’ living room).
Notable glassmakers of the early 20th century represented in the sale include Bigelow/Kennard, Daum, Gallé, Jacques Gruber, Loetz, Moser, Schneider, Steuben, Tiffany Studios, Vallerysthal, Almeric Walter, Auguste C. Heiligenstein, Bergun-Schverer and Gabriel Argy-Rousseau.
The finest assortment of Lalique glass to be offered at Rago’s for several years (lots 269-310), consists of perfumes bottles, statuettes and vases.
The sale contains an impressive group of Gustav Baumann woodblock prints (lot 87-91a), the finest Rago’s has presented to date. Three of these were gifted by the artist to the consignor’s mother. One of these is lot 87, Tulips, estimated at $8,000-$12,000.
Other fine art in the sale includes paintings by George H. Hallowell and Lamont Warner, and an Orotone photograph, Bear Legs, by Carl Moon.
Famous metalworkers represented in the sale include: Samuel Yellin, Roycroft, Gustav Stickley, Gorham, Joseph Heinrichs, Dirk Van Erp, Hugo Levin, and John Pearson.
The sale contains a large and important pair of doors by Samuel Yellin, estimated at $10,000-$15,000, from Goodhart Hall, Bryn Mawr College. Also of note is lot 178, a rare and large Dirk Van Erp hammered copper kindling box, $6,000-$9,000.
Following the early 20th Century Design sale is a run of modern ceramics, by artists such as Pablo Picasso, Viktor Schreckengost , Jun Kaneko, Vally (Valerie) Wieselthier, Axel Salto, Betty Woodman, Otto & Gertrud Natzler, Aaron Bohrod, Adrian Saxe, Anish Kapoor, Anne Hirondelle, Carl Walters, Claude Conover, Colin Pearson, David Gilhooly, Edwin Scheier, Gudrun Baudisch, Harrison McIntosh, Hiroaki Morino, Hui Ka Kwong, Jais Neilsen, Michael Frimkess, Otto and Vivika Heino, Paul Soldner, Paula Winokur, Peter Voulkos, Steven Montgomery, Toshiko Takaezu, Viola Frey, Wayne Higby and Wilhelm Kage.
Studio pottery begins with lot 400, a massive Jazz bowl, made by Viktor Schreckengost for Cowan, estimated at $40,000-$60,000. This is one of the few original and possibly one of the last Jazz bowls still in private hands. The Jazz bowl was originally commissioned by Eleanor Roosevelt in celebration of her husband’s re-election as governor of New York in 1931. Mrs. Roosevelt was so taken with the bowl that she commissioned two more. Immediately after, a New York City gallery placed an order for approximately 50. No one knows with certainty how many hand-incised Jazz bowls were made, but fewer than 20 are known. The one to be sold at Rago’s in June is the latest to emerge.
Sunday’s Modern Design auction features over 630 lots of furniture, lighting, decorative arts, art glass, and fine art including a vast collection of sculpture.
Sunday’s sale has an impressive collection of sculpture in a variety of media by artists such as Harry Bertoia, Benjamin Moore, Bernard Brenner, Bob Bennett, Christopher Hiltey, Feliciano Bejar, Franz and Karl Hagenauer, Greg Nangle , Kay Bojesen, Kent Forest Ipsen, Klaus Ihlenfeld, Leo Sewell, Miles Van Rensselaer, Paul Evans and Sydney Cash. There are several lots of enameled panels by Edward Winter and Thelma Frazier Winter, and paintings by Rolph Scarlett and Smokey Tunis.
A notable Bertoia lot is 729, a bronze and copper Bush sculpture, estimated at $20,000-$30,000, which comes with the original drawing by the artist.
Another notable lot in the sale is no. 500, an important sculpture by Paul Evans, estimated at $45,000-$65,000, originally purchased by the consignor from the Paul Evans studio in New Hope, Pa. This is a rare piece, and only one of two of these organic forms that Rago’s has ever seen.
Famous makers of modern furnishings in the sale include Albert Paley, Arne Jacobsen, Arne Vodder, Borge Mogensen, Bruno Mathsson, Carlo De Carli, Charles And Ray Eames, Dorothy Draper, Edmund Spence, Edward Wormley, Eero Aarnio, Federico Armijo, Finn Juhl, Florence Knoll, Frank Gehry, George Nakashima, George Nelson, Gio Ponti, Hans Wegner, Harvey Probber, Isamu Noguchi, Jacques Adnet, James Mont, Jean Royere, Jens Risom, John Cederquist, Karl Springer, Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe, Maison Jansen, Milo Baughman, Oscar Bach, Osvaldo Borsani, Paolo Buffa, Paul Evans, Paul Frankl, Paul McCobb, Phil Powell, Philip and Kelvin LaVerne, Pierre Paulin, Poul Kjaerholm, Silas Seandel, T.H. Robsjohn Gibbings, Tommi Parzinger, Vladimir Kagan, Warren Platner, Wendell Castle and Wharton Esherick.
There are many lots by George Nakashima in the sale (lots 514-530, and 923-938). Among the most notable is a fine turned-leg dining table with exceptional top, at $35,000-$45,000.
Featured Modern lighting lots include 544, a pair of sculpture table lamps by Karl Springer, estimated at $8,000-$10,000; lot 536, a lamp of cast plaster hands by Richard Etts, offered at $1,500-$2,000; and lot 604, a pair of floor lamps by Max Bill, estimated at $2,000-$3,000. Lot 608 is an Artichoke fixture by Poul Henningsen for Louis Poulsen, estimated at $4,000-$6,000. The idea behind the staggered design of the Artichoke fixture is that it may be viewed from any angle while concealing the light source located in the center.
The sale features a collection of glass vessels by Mary Ann “Toots” Zynsky, a studio glass artist and innovator, known for her distinctive heat-formed “filet de verre” (glass thread) vessels, which are represented in over 70 museum collections worldwide. A featured Zynsky piece is lot 752, an unusually large vessel titled “Ramingo,” estimated at $14,000-$19,000. Zynsky’s colleague, famous glassmaker Dale Chihuly, is also well represented in the sale, as with lot 759, a basket from the rare Soft Cylinder series, which is offered at $6,000-$8,000.
Jewelry includes a necklace, brooch and ring by New York artist Ed Wiener, a ring by Sam Kramer and a fibula (brooch) by designer Albert Paley. Notable is lot 887, an Ed Wiener textured yellow gold necklace, which was designed for the consignor by the artist, offered at $7,000-$10,000.
Silver includes a set of Diamond sterling flatware by Gio Ponti for Reed & Barton and an Art Deco coffee and tea service by Arthur Krupp for Berndorf.
Tapestries and rugs in the sale include designers and makers such as Alexander Calder, Pablo Picasso, Niki de Saint Phalle, Jean Lurcat, Olga Fisch, Andy Warhol, and Max Papart.
Tiffany Studios table lamp with fine Dogwood shade. Estimate: $95,000-$125,000. Image courtesy Rago Arts and Auction Center.
Important Saturday Evening Girls center bowl decorated with roosters and motto. Estimate: $17,500-$22,500. Image courtesy Rago Arts and Auction Center.
Important Jazz bowl by Viktor Schreckengost for Cowan Pottery, 1929. Estimate: $40,000-$60,000. Image courtesy Rago Arts and Auction Center.
Pablo Picasso hand-painted and glazed tile, ‘Tête de Garçon.’ Estimate: $30,000-$40,000. Image courtesy Rago Arts and Auction Center.
Large Mary Ann ‘Toots’ Zynsky filet-de-verre vessel, ‘Ramingo.’ Estimate: $14,000-$19,000. Image courtesy Rago Arts and Auction Center.
Rare Jacques le Chevallier and Rene Koechlin desk lamp, circa 1928. Estimate: $18,000-$22,000. Image courtesy Rago Arts and Auction Center.
Early Wharton Esherick side chair, 1932. Estimate: $15,000-$20,000. Image courtesy Rago Arts and Auction Center.
Fine and rare Albert Paley custom dining table, 1981. Estimate: $18,000-$24,000. Image courtesy Rago Arts and Auction Center.
Vintage Heuer Solunagraph watch in original box. Image courtesy Blue Moon Coins. VANCOUVER, Wash. – On June 5, Blue Moon Coins, an established bullion and numismatic coin dealer in the Pacific Northwest, will conduct a sale of large lots of Swiss 20-franc gold coins, anniversary lots of American Silver Eagles and certified high-grade numismatics. This auction also includes some stunning vintage chronometers from well-known companies such as Heuer and Waltham.
LiveAuctioneers.com will provide the live bidding.
The auction, which begins at noon PDT, will lead off with a custom five-piece American Silver Eagle Anniversary set in a mint case. First struck in 1986, the American Silver Eagle is composed of .9993 fine silver bullion and .0007 percent copper. This fine silver bullion coin whose obverse was based on the Walking Liberty Silver Half Dollar, designed by Adolph Weinmann, is among one of the most desirable silver bullion coins today.
On the obverse, Lady Liberty carries laurel and oak as she walks toward the sun. The coin’s reverse, designed by John Mercanti, shows an eagle with shield holding and olive branch and arrows in its talons, a combination that references military and civil strength. An inverse pyramid with the original 13 Colonial stars is positioned above the eagle’s head.
These five coins are displayed in an original 25th anniversary box from 2011. The winner of this lot will receive: one 1986 proof American Silver Eagle, one simulated-reverse-proof 2011 American Silver Eagle and three 2011 American Silver Eagles. According to the Liberty Coin Act in 1985, which authorized the production of the American Silver Eagle, these coins are minted entirely from silver bullion mined in America. The American Silver Eagle is the only bullion coin whose value, purity and weight are guaranteed by the U.S. government. According to current IRS rules, the American Silver Eagle is eligible for inclusion in the Self-Directed IRA, a fact that makes them attractive to investors.
Additional 2011 Red Label Anniversary MS70 Silver Eagles are available in Lot 100.
Lot 50 is a vintage Heuer Solunagraph watch in its original box. This vintage chronograph was made by a Heuer, a company that dates to 1860 and includes such distinctions as being the inventor of the oscillating pinion (1887), the mechanism on which all automatic watches are based. As management passed from fathers to sons, innovation remained a hallmark for the renowned firm. The company created the Pulsometer, on which modern stethoscopes are based; the Time of Trip, the first dashboard chronometer designed to be installed in airplanes and automobiles to measure time as well as trip duration; and the Microsplit, a stopwatch that could measure two events simultaneously and made Heuer’s pieces the choice for timekeeping at the 1920 and subsequent Olympics.
Heuer is a company of firsts: the first company to make watches that attached to wrists, women’s watches, and water-resistant watches. Luminaries such as President Dwight D. Eisenhower, President Harry S Truman, Prince William of Sweden and Steve McQueen have worn Heuer watches. The company became an official sponsor for Ferrari in 1971. It was a Heuer chronometer that first made its way into space in 1962 on the wrist of astronaut John Glenn.
In 1985 TAG, manufacturers of high-tech items such as ceramic turbochargers for Formula One cars, acquired Heuer, creating today’s TAG Heuer.
This lot is from Heuer’s line of Solunagraph timepieces, the name of which is a clever play on the selenography technology. Mariners have been using selenography since ancient times, and in creating the Solunagraph, they put the tracking of tides in the hands of modern-day sailors and fishermen. This watch is in good working order and will be shipped in its original box with a photocopy of the original paperwork. The auctioneer notes that this fine specimen is the heaviest watch he has ever held in his hand.
Bankruptcy has brought a large collection of high-grade coins to market. The winner of this lot will receive 53 high-grade ICG (Independent Coin Graders) coins, shown here and packaged in their original ICG holders: four 1958 MS67 Red; 12 1964-D MS67 Red; two 1970-P MS67 Red; one 1970-D MS67 Red; one 1972 MS67 Red; one 1974 MS67 Red; three 1974-S MS67 Red; one 1975-D MS67 Red; one 1978-D MS67 Red; 22 1986-S Statue of Liberty $.50 MS70 DCAM; two 1999-S Kennedy $.50 MS70 DCAM; one 2000-S Kennedy $.50 MS70 DCAM; one 1992 Olympic MS70; and one 1993 Madison MS70.
Professional Coin Grading Service is one of the numismatic industry’s leading coin grading companies and publishes the PCGS pricing sheet, the standard pricing guide for coin valuators. This lot contains 53 high-grade coins graded by ICG, a rival grading service. To determine the wholesale cost of this lot, the auction house reduced each coin’s ICG grade one level lower; in other words, for an ICG MS 70 coin, a PCGS MS 69 value was assigned to it. According to the May 18, 2012 PCGS grading sheet, the wholesale value of the collection (one grade-level lower than the coins are actually graded) is $2,100.
Lot 150 is composed of 50 20 gold Swiss francs. Minted sporadically throughout the last of the 19th century and throughout the first half of the 20th century, Swiss francs have enjoyed popularity as a collectors coin throughout Europe. At just under one-fifth of a troy ounce (.1867), these 22-karat francs are about one-fifth of the size of their full-ounce gold bullion coin cousins. Their bullion gold content makes them an internationally recognizable mechanism of trade, and because of their smaller size, they are more divisible than other bullion coins when it comes time to liquidate.
Neutral since the Vienna Congress in 1815, Switzerland has long been recognized as a politically stable country with strong fiscal health. The obverse of the Swiss 20 Franc gold coin features a bust of Vreneli, the “Swiss Miss” with a garland of braided flowers before a backdrop of the Alps. The word “Helvetia” above her head refers to the five-year period of the Helvetic Republic, when France’s expanding military decided the inhabitants of the area now comprising Switzerland needed to be “liberated.” The coins were minted in Berne and carry the “B” mint mark.
For additional information about the auction, contact Misti Haasl-Martinez by telephone at 888-655-2646 (COIN) or by email: misti@bluemooncoins.com.
‘Truth implies the good,’ by Cake, New York. Photo by Kelsey Savage. NEW YORK – Cake has new wheat pastings up on the intersection of Third Street and Bowery in the Lower East Side.
Parsons and Pratt educated, Cake is one of the new guard of classically trained artists who has taken street art far past the tagging of neighborhood kids done out of bravado and rebellion. Cake has said in the past that she finds the temporary aspect of street art liberating and, boy, does the public reap the benefits. Her delicate, mournful women are especially haunting when juxtaposed with dirty, grungy outdoor walls and the cement of the sidewalk.
Far from restricting herself to the outdoors, Cake has been displayed in galleries throughout the United States and has even been featured in the windows at Barney’s.
The new pieces were offered in conjunction with MaNY (Murals around New York), a group that produces outdoor murals and public art exhibitions throughout New York City; and FAB (Fourth Arts Block) a nonprofit organization that is devoted to establishing and advancing the East Fourth Street cultural district, between Second Avenue and Bowery. Keith Schweitzer curated the mural.
ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE
‘Truth implies the good,’ by Cake, New York. Photo by Kelsey Savage.‘Truth implies the good,’ by Cake, New York. Photo by Kelsey Savage.‘Truth implies the good,’ by Cake, New York. Photo by Kelsey Savage.
A contemporary work by Richard Joseph Anuszkiewicz, titled Fenced, sold for $68,750 at a Fine Art Auction held May 12 by Rago Arts & Auction Center in Lambertville, N.J. Also, Julien Stanczak’s Unrestful Space realized $59,375; an untitled work by Raymond Pettibon brought $50,000; George William Sotter’s A Little House, Winter breezed to $53,125; Frederick Judd Waugh’s Seascape hammered for $43,750; and a pair of bronzes by Harriet Whitney Frishmuth (Star and The Vine) made $22,500 and $13,750. Prices include a 25 percent buyer’s premium.
Walt Disney launched his career in Kansas City, Mo., his hometown. Image courtesy LiveAuctioneers.com and Clars Auction Gallery.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – A group that has worked for 15 years to turn Walt Disney’s first professional animation studio into an interactive historical site and museum is launching a final fundraising push amid talk of expanding its vision for the building in central Kansas City.
The group has raised and spent nearly $1 million and hopes to raise $2 million to restore the studio, called Laugh-O-Gram, where Disney began his animation career in 1922.
“There is an important question people raise: Why is this taking so long?” said Butch Rigby, chairman of the group Thank You Walt Disney Inc. “The answer: It’s just a slow fundraising process.
“But perseverance is important. Walt Disney wanted to build Disneyland for a long time, but he never gave up. And we will not give up on saving this important part of our history.”
This Friday, the group will sponsor a benefit juried art show and a visit from Bret Iwan, the official voice of Mickey Mouse. It is also holding an open design competition for the new space, The Kansas City Star reported.
If the Disney group can raise even more money, it plans to put a working animation and digital media studio on the second floor of the building.
“We’re in talks now,” Rigby said. “But it’s more than just a dream.”
Jeremy Knoll, one of two Kansas City architects who helped Thank You Walt Disney Inc. develop a plan for the building, said that studio, to be called the Mid-America Center for Digital Storytelling, could bring in more donations.
“The program they are working on would provide digital animation training to Kansas City with a focus on creating jobs here, some of which are currently outsourced overseas,” Knoll said.
The Laugh-O-Gram was the launching pad for teams of talented animators who followed Disney to Hollywood, some of whom helped found the animation departments of MGM and Warner Bros. and launch the careers of William Hanna and Joseph Barbera.
It’s also said to be the place where a tame rodent sitting on Disney’s desk inspired him to draw Mickey Mouse.
The vacant building is decorated with drawings by students from the Kansas City Art Institute and covered by contributions from cartoonists from around the country—including Mort Walker (“Beetle Bailey”), Cathy Guisewite (“Cathy”) and Jim Davis (“Garfield”).
The group takes credit for taking the building off the city’s demolition list, removing rubble, replacing much of the exterior masonry and brick, installing new concrete floors, new framing, a new steel structure and a new roof.
The U.S. Green Building Council’s Central Plains Chapter is helping to raise money and ensure that the renovation uses the latest in energy-efficient technology.
Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
AP-WF-05-29-12 0533GMT
ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE
Walt Disney launched his career in Kansas City, Mo., his hometown. Image courtesy LiveAuctioneers.com and Clars Auction Gallery.
Luis Estevez’s interpretation of the dress featured in John Singer Sargent’s painting ‘Madame X.’ Image courtesy Kaminski Auctions. BEVERLY, Mass. – Kaminski Auctions will conduct a vintage and couture auction Thursday, June 7, at 6 p.m. EDT at the company’s gallery, 117 Elliott St. (Route 62). LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding.
A cocktail hour is planned prior to the auction beginning at 5 p.m.
The highlight of the sale is an iconic Luis Estévez gown, an exact replica of the dress featured in the John Singer Sargent painting Madame X. American-born Madame Pierre Gautreau posed for Sargent’s famous painting, which caused a scandal at the time. In 1960 Dina Merrill posed in a replica of the same gown designed by Luis Estévez for fashion photographer Milton H. Greene for Life magazine.
The article read: “Milton Greene’s classic shot features the American actress and Post Cereal heiress Dina Merrill regally attired in Cuban-born, American fashion designer Luis Estévez’s low-cut black crepe tribute to the famous Sargent painting. Originally published in Life magazine in 1960.”
The prosperity of the 1950s in America saw the rise of the American fashion industry, and Estévez was a pillar of that new foundation. His name was synonymous with designers like Mainbocher, Pauline Trigere, Arnold Scaasi and Norman Norell.
Estévez began designing under his own name in 1955. A year later, after marrying Prince Rainier of Monaco, actress Grace Kelly chose a design by Estévez for her first royal portrait. In 1968 the designer moved to Southern California and was a favorite of Hollywood’s royalty, and designed gowns for Nancy Regan and Betty Ford.
Kate La Chance, Kaminski’s vintage clothing specialist has put together a unique and diverse collection spanning 1950s styles, 1970s retro shift dresses, Bodin knits for vintage collectors to contemporary designer clothing. Designer labels such as Chanel, Gianfranco Ferre, Christian Dior and Ferragamo are included in the sale, as well as costume jewelry, handbags, shoes and hats.
For more information go to to www.kaminskiauctions.com or call 978-927-2223.
Luis Estevez’s interpretation of the dress featured in John Singer Sargent’s painting ‘Madame X.’ Image courtesy Kaminski Auctions.
Ceil Chapman cocktail dress, coral color silk with gold metallic stitching in leaf design, coral colored silk lining, double v-neck front and back, rushing on bodice, 15-inch bust x 12-inch waist x 38 inches long. Chapman started her own business in 1940, costumed the musical ‘South Pacific’ and specialized in cocktail dresses. Estimate: $200-$300. Image courtesy Kaminski Auctions.
Chanel suit, wool, black with pining detail and satin trim, size 2. Worn once. Estimate: $700-$900. Image courtesy Kaminski Auctions.
Christian Dior New York sleeveless dress with pleated skirt, cropped jacket and scarf, all matching red and black plaid wool with black satin lining inside body of dress and jacket, matching black belt, zipper closure at back of dress, button closure on jacket, women’s size 8. Owner worked for Christian Dior New York 1959-1962 as receptionist and in-house model, purchased 1960/1961. Estimate: $200-$300. Image courtesy Kaminski Auctions.
Chanel ‘bird cage’ shoes, beige and tan, size 7 1/2, in original box. Estimate: $300-$400. Image courtesy Kaminski Auctions.
Three ensembles consisting of a day dress by Plaza South, approximately size 10; skirt set with sweater vest, button-down shirt and matching belt, Bodin Knits, size 12; and a two-piece skirt and blouse ensemble with matching green belt, by Personal, size 12. Estimate: $250-$450. Image courtesy Kaminski Auctions.
Louis Vuitton soft-sided luggage bag, ‘Manufactured by the French Co. USA under special license’ to Saks Fifth Avenue, circa 1960s, 22 inches high x 28 1/2 inches wide x 9 inches deep. Some surface wear at corners. Estimate: $200-$400.
The first Confederate national flag with 7 stars (March 4, 1861 – May 21, 1861). Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons.
RICHMOND, Va. – “The Confederate Flags of 1861: From Secession To War” is the topic of a program to be presented by former associate editor of Blue and Gray Magazine and well-known flag expert Greg Biggs. The program takes place Saturday, June 13, 6:30-8:30 p.m. EDT at the Museum of the Confederacy.
From the fall of 1860 through November 1861, the Southern states created a number of banners to reflect their feelings and thoughts on the issues of the day. Often using old Revolutionary War symbols, the flags made in this time were some of the most diverse that would be created during the war. State flags came into use as well as distinctive company level colors as those units were raised. New regiments carried a variety of flags that become more standardized when the Confederate States of America created its first national flag. That banner often caused some identity confusion on the battlefield so the desire to create a “war flag” led to the adoption of the first specific battle flag for a confederate army.
Cost is $10 for members and $15 for nonmembers. Guests will also be treated to tours of the museum’s flag vault. Hors d’oeuvres and spirits will be provided. Register online at www.moc.org or contact Will Glasco at 855-649-1861 ext. 143 or email at wglasco@moc.org.
The Museum of the Confederacy is a private, nonprofit educational institution. The museum and White House are located in downtown Richmond in the historic Court End neighborhood, in addition to its new location in Appomattox. The museum owns the world’s largest collection of artifacts and documents related to the Confederate States of America. The museum is at 1201 E. Clay St.
ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE
The first Confederate national flag with 7 stars (March 4, 1861 – May 21, 1861). Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons.
The Pietenpol Air Camper is a simple homebuilt aircraft, which was designed and flown by Bernard H. Pietenpol in 1928. Image courtesy Air Zoo, Kalamazoo, Mich.
KALAMAZOO, Mich. (AP) – It took 38 years before Bob Humbert took off in his homebuilt airplane.
Now the plane will never touch down again.
“It looks great,” Humbert said last week, looking up to see the aircraft suspended from the ceiling of the Kalamazoo Air Zoo.
Humbert, 74, recently had his first look after donating the single-engine Pietenpol Air Camper to the aeronautical museum, just south of the Kalamazoo-Battle Creek International Airport.
“To have it there means a whole lot,” Humbert said. “It’s like a life’s dream come true.”
A microbiologist who retired from the Kellogg Co. in 1997, Humbert has a love of flying.
He started planning the plane in the mid-1960s and constructing it on his dining room table. He expected to build the plane in a couple of years.
Instead, work and family interfered and he soloed the plane on June 22, 2007.
Federal regulations require that the pilot of a homebuilt plane fly it 40 hours before taking passengers or flying farther than 25 miles from the airport.
He had planned to take his wife, Dortha, as his first passenger but just as he reached the 40-hour mark he developed positional vertigo. He never flew the plane again and his wife’s only ride was to taxi on the runway.
The plane is a single-engine, open cockpit monoplane designed to be powered by a Ford Model A engine. The first ones were flown in 1929.
“It was a real novelty at the time,” he said. “People didn’t believe that an aircraft could be powered by an automobile engine.”
He once described the plane as low and slow and said he chose to build it “because it can land on a grass strip and you can feel the wind. It’s a different kind of adventure than getting up and going 200 miles an hour.”
He modified the plane by installing an aircraft engine but otherwise the design of a wood structure covered with fabric was original.
“The design goes back so far and has been in use for so long,” he said. “The planes are still being built today.”
But by last year Humbert said he knew because of the vertigo, he would not be able to fly anymore and began thinking about what to
For the last eight years he has volunteered at the Air Zoo.
“I started volunteering just because of my love of aviation,” Humbert said, “and my love of aircraft and the opportunity to be around airplanes and learning more about them and talking to people on a regular basis who love them and have knowledge of them.”
So the Air Zoo was his first choice for the plane.
“It is probably one of the finest non-governmental aviation museums in the Midwest,” he said.
“It is unusual for them to take a homebuilt unless there is a special interest. But I think the age and the uniqueness of the design is part of why the Air Zoo accepted it.”
Humbert talked to Bob Ellis, president and CEO and Ellis came to Battle Creek to look at the plane late last year.
In December it was dismantled and placed on a trailer and hauled to the Air Zoo. It was reassembled and is now hanging in the former East Campus and what will become the Restoration Center. That portion of the Air Zoo should be open to the public this summer and will contain several planes and will allow people to watch work on restoring aircraft.
Humbert, now battling cancer, recently visited the building and saw the plane for the first time since it left Battle Creek.
The visit was a time for him to see staff and other volunteers and for Ellis to explain that the display was as much about Humbert as the plane.
“All the planes have a story,” he said. “This one is an example of an early home-built aircraft and shows innovation.”
But more than that, he said the plane is also about Humbert and flying.
“This is all about the dreams and the passions that are the stories of flight,” Ellis said. “And you have to know the story that Bob had a dream 40 years ago and that dream came true.
“It is a story about dreaming,” he said. “And this plane will always be flying.”
___
Information from: Battle Creek Enquirer, http://www.battlecreekenquirer.com
Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
AP-WF-05-28-12 0807GMT
ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE
The Pietenpol Air Camper is a simple homebuilt aircraft, which was designed and flown by Bernard H. Pietenpol in 1928. Image courtesy Air Zoo, Kalamazoo, Mich.
Would your father like this? It’s shaped like a guillotine and works like one when cutting off the end of a cigar. It auctioned in November for $1,464 at Neal Auction Co. in New Orleans. It should be kept out of the reach of children.
Father’s Day is coming in June, so think ahead and try to find a unique gift for your father. Shop at a flea market or antiques shop.
Some of today’s movies and TV series have made the “look” of the 1950s and ’60s popular. Shirts with buttonholes, not buttons, on sleeve cuffs need cufflinks. Most dealers who sell jewelry also sell inexpensive and unusual vintage cufflinks—costume jewelry links more than 50 years old—for $10 to $30. Expensive silver and gold cufflinks with precious stones can sell for $750 to $1,000.
The breast pocket handkerchief also has come back. These often are seen at flea markets, carefully folded and stacked, at prices from $2 to $15. Old toy trains, cars and games are easy to find, and so are bookends, duck decoys and tools. The list is almost endless.
Smoking is out of style, but all the collectibles associated with smoking are easy to find. Ashtrays, old lithographed tin boxes that held tobacco, bargain-priced carved Meershaum pipes with amber mouthpieces, advertising signs and cigarette lighters are interesting gifts even if your father doesn’t smoke.
The most unusual find this year originally was used by a cigar smoker, but it probably is displayed on a library shelf today, useless but fun. It is a French walnut and ivory cigar cutter shaped like a small guillotine. The 19th-century oddity, called a “Guillotube,” is 17 3/4 inches high and has a working blade. Keep it locked away from children. It’s a macabre reminder of the French Revolution and of the danger of smoking cigars. It sold for $1,464 at a 2011 auction in New Orleans.
Q: I own an Eames lounge chair and ottoman I purchased in the 1970s. I have had offers from dealers who want to purchase the set even though the leather on the ottoman is heavily worn. If I have the ottoman re-covered, would I increase the set’s value?
A: The famous Eames lounge chair and ottoman have been in continuous production since 1956. In the United States, the manufacturer since the beginning has been Herman Miller Inc., of Zeeland, Mich. We suspect that your chair interests dealers because of the plywood frame’s finish. Chairs that have plywood frames with Brazilian rosewood veneer sell for high prices because an embargo on Brazilian rosewood has been in place since 1992. Don’t bother re-covering the ottoman.
Q: I have a color woodcut print by Paul Jacoulet called Joaquina et sa mere. It is signed and numbered “163.” My mother-in-law wrote on the back that the first print in the series was given to Pope Pius XII. I’m interested in learning the value of this print.
A: Paul Jacoulet (1902-1960) was born in France and spent most of his life in Japan. He made Japanese woodblock prints that were issued in series and sold by subscription. Each series had a distinctive seal, such as a sparrow or butterfly. The complete title of your print is Joaquina et sa mere au Sermon du Pere Pon. That roughly translates to “Joaquina and her mother to the sermon of Father Pon,” so perhaps that was why it was given to the Pope. Leslie Hindman Auctioneers in Chicago sold this print for $620 in 2011.
Q: I have an old Winchester poster advertising hunting rifles. At the bottom of the poster are the words, “Winchester Western, copyright 1908 by Winchester Repeating Arms Co., American Lithograph Co., N.Y.” The poster, 15 5/8 by 20 1/2 inches, pictures two black men and a dog running away from a skunk emerging from a hollow log. I paid $45 for it. Is it worth more than that?
A: We don’t know if your poster is a copy of the original or a trimmed original. We do know that the originals were larger, 25 1/4 by 33 1/2 inches, and that they were printed with a title along the bottom: Shoot Them and Avoid Trouble. It is believed that Winchester recalled many of the posters because of the title’s racist overtones and trimmed the posters (to cut the title off) for redistribution to Winchester dealers. If you had an uncut original in excellent condition, it could sell for more than $3,000. If you have a trimmed original, it might be worth $500. Copies sell for about $35-$40.
Q: In a house we were cleaning out after a death in our family, we found a round collector’s plate that pictures the Madonna and Child. The picture is signed “Jessie Willcox Smith.” What can you tell me about the plate and the artist?
A: Jessie Willcox Smith (1863-1935) was a famous American illustrator whose work was used extensively in magazines and children’s books. She was born in Philadelphia and attended the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts there before taking classes from Howard Pyle, another well-known illustrator. Collector plates using Smith’s images were first made well after her death. They don’t sell for more than about $20. Check the back of your plate to see if there is a mark that may help you date the plate and identify the company that made it.
Tip: Allergic to dust and dust mites? Put old stuffed animals in a sealed plastic bag, then put the bag in your freezer for 24 hours. The temperature will kill dust mites and their eggs.
Take advantage of a free listing for your group to announce events or to find antique shows and other events. Go to Kovels.com/calendar to find and plan your antiquing trips.
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.
Olympic banner, 1984 Summer Olympics, Los Angeles, white, purple “L,” pink “A,” red “8,” turquoise “4,” 22 x 48 inches, $20.
Mechanical bank, “Old Time Uncle Sam,” plastic, place coin in Uncle Sam’s hand, push button, coin drops in bag, copyright J.S.N.Y., Hong Kong, 1974, 8 3/4 x 4 1/4 inches, $40.
Stamp holder, celluloid envelope, ad for Parke’s coffee on one side, ad for Gold Camel Tea on other, insert for stamps, Meek Co., Coshocton, Ohio, circa 1910, 2 1/4 x 1 3/4 inches, $45.
Boy Scouts booklet, The Boy Scout Plan, celluloid cover, image of American flag, circa 1915, 3 3/4 x 2 3/4 in., four pages, $60.
Prohibition pennant, felt, “Make Ohio Dry” on one side, “Ohio Is Going Dry” on other, black, white letters, orange trim, 1915, 17 inches, $85.
American flag, 46 stars, silk, black pole, 1908, custom-made wooden case, 17 x 12 inches, $125.
Red Wing pottery flower frog, seahorse on coral base, glossy ivory glaze, circa 1942, 8 1/2 x 4 1/4 inches, $150.
Man’s linen suit, white, mother-of-pearl buttons, cuffed pants with button fly, “Tailored by Goodall” label, 1930s, size 30 pants, $295.
Coca-Cola carton topper, image of Eddie Fisher, die-cut cardboard, “On Radio, KRHD-Radio,” 1954, 20 x 12 inches, $475.
Serving table, William IV, carved mahogany, backsplash with scroll terminals, stretcher shelf, turned vase-shape supports, turned feet, circa 1840, 36 1/2 x 53 inches, $1,075.
Contemporary, modern and mid-century ceramics made since 1950 are among the hottest collectibles today. Our special report, “Kovels’ Buyers’ Guide to Modern Ceramics, Mid-Century to Contemporary” identifies important pottery by American and European makers. Includes more than 65 factories and 70 studio artists, each with a mark and dates. Works by major makers, including Claude Conover, Guido Gambone and Lucie Rie, as well as potteries like Gustavsberg, Metlox and Sascha Brastoff, are shown in color photos. Find the “sleepers” at house sales and flea markets. Special Report, 2010, 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 in., 64 pages. Available only from Kovels. Order by phone at 800-303-1996; online at Kovels.com; or send $25 plus $4.95 postage and handling to Kovels, Box 22900, Beachwood, OH 44122.
Would your father like this? It’s shaped like a guillotine and works like one when cutting off the end of a cigar. It auctioned in November for $1,464 at Neal Auction Co. in New Orleans. It should be kept out of the reach of children.
