Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans. Chris Hildreth image, Duke University.
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) – Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans, heiress to a vast Gilded Age fortune built on tobacco and member of the family that endowed Duke University, has died. She was 91.
Her daughter, Rebecca Trent Kirkland, said the Durham, N.C., resident died Wednesday at Duke Hospital.
She was the great-granddaughter of Washington Duke, a Confederate soldier who returned home after the Civil War and planted a crop of tobacco. With his sons, Duke helped build the worldwide popularity of cigarettes. He also endowed a small Methodist college that would become Duke University.
“She was our principal link to Duke’s founding generation and continued her family’s tradition of benevolence throughout her life,” Duke University President Richard H. Brodhead said. “She supported every good thing at this university, and she was a powerful force for good in Durham and the Carolinas.”
She was elected to the Durham City Council in 1951, becoming the mayor pro tem two years later. From 1961 to 1981, she served as a trustee at Duke University.
Semans was a patron of the arts and charities, as well as a crusader for equal rights for women. For decades, she helped run The Duke Endowment, a Charlotte-based foundation founded by her great uncle, James B. Duke.
She also was a longtime trustee of Lincoln Community Hospital, a Durham facility her family started in 1901 to serve the needs of black patients.
Semans was born in 1920 to Mary Lillian Duke and Anthony Drexel Biddle Jr., a U.S. Army general who later served as ambassador to Poland and Spain. She and her family divided their time between her parents’ country estate in Irvington-on-Hudson and their Fifth Avenue mansion in New York City, across from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
At age 14, she moved from Manhattan to Durham to live with her grandmother. She enrolled at Duke University at age 15 and studied art history, graduating in 1939.
While in college, she met and married medical student Josiah Charles Trent, who later became the chief thoracic surgeon at Duke Hospital. They had four daughters before Trent died of cancer at age 34.
In 1953, she married Dr. James Semans, a surgeon and associate professor of urology at Duke. They had three children. In the 1960s, they helped lead the establishment of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Dr. Semans died in 2005 at age 94.
A funeral service is planned for 2 p.m. Jan. 30 at Duke Chapel.
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Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE
Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans. Chris Hildreth image, Duke University.
This Philadelphia William and Mary mahogany spice or valuables box on frame has a large center drawer that conceals a secret drawer. The important cabinet sold for $112,575. Image by Pook & Pook Inc. DOWNINGTOWN, Pa. – Pook & Pook Inc.’s first sale of the year began the season with a bang. The 1,100-lot auction showcased items from various estates, collections and educational institutions encompassing a myriad of objects that included fine art, silver, American and Continental furniture, Pennsylvania folk art, carpets, textiles and decorative accessories. With over 825 registered bidders the standing room only crowd took the Jan. 13-14 sale well over the high estimate to $2,782,662.
The sale began on Friday evening with a selection of pieces from three collections: Margaret Schiffer of West Chester, Pa.; the Studdiford family of Point Pleasant, N.J.; and a southeastern Pennsylvania collection.
Items from the collection of Margaret B. Schiffer, a well-known Chester County, Pa., author and expert in the antique field and a specialist in historical needlework, toys and Christmas ornaments, were the first to cross the block. The volume Historical Needlework of Pennsylvania, written in 1958, was a definitive reference book for the time, recording the origins and progression of the art in the 18th and 19th centuries primarily in southeastern Pennsylvania. With her husband, Herbert, and son Peter, Schiffer Publications, printed numerous books on antique furniture and accessories.
A Pennsylvania painted chest that was most likely made by Jacob Knagy sold for $15,405. With its stenciled urns, flowers and pinwheels, it encompassed many folk art designs. An unusual Soap Hollow miniature painted blanket chest dated 1868, with stencil decoration on a salmon ground came from Harry Hartman and did well at $8,295.
A Pennsylvania or Maryland low-back Windsor bench in a nice old red painted surface, pictured in Santore’s book Windsor Style in American, plate 206, sold for $21,330.
Asian art did well as expected. A low estimate did not prevent a Peking vase from reaching $15,405. Other Chinese items included a crystal censor for $4,740, a yellow Peking bowl and vase for $4,977 and a jade buckle for $5,346.
An earthenware sugar bowl was a rare Alamance County, N.C., piece originally bought by Titus Geesey from Joe Kindig Jr. in 1930. This hand-painted covered bowl brought $37,920.
A painting by John Edward Costigan, which was exhibited at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts 118th annual exhibition, depicted sheep and a girl in a grove of trees. It sold for $45,030.
Local Pennsylvania artist Fern Coppedge was represented by a beautiful winter landscape titled The Delaware Valley. It sold for double the high estimate for $65,175. An entrancing snow scene of a Quakertown street by Walter Emerson Baum finished within estimate at $30,810. An oil on canvas painting of the American side wheeler J.B. Schuyler by James Edward Buttersworth had the phone lines busy as it made $94,800.
An important Philadelphia Queen Anne brass face tall clock by one of the earliest and best known makers, Edward Duffield, was presented in an excellent state of preservation. A collector took it to his home for $118,500.
The surprise of the day was a Queen Anne walnut fire screen with candlestand that sold for $49,770.
For details contact Pook & Pook Inc. at 610-269-4040.
This Philadelphia William and Mary mahogany spice or valuables box on frame has a large center drawer that conceals a secret drawer. The important cabinet sold for $112,575. Image by Pook & Pook Inc.
The first lot of the sale, a Chester County, Pa., mahogany tall case clock by Benjamin Garrett of Goshen Township, went to a local collector for $45,030. Image by Pook & Pook Inc.
A William and Mary armchair, circa 1735, sold for $28,440. This early Chester County or southeastern Pennsylvania example had a baluster back and old black painted surface with punched star decorations. Image by Pook & Pook Inc.
This oversize Noah’s Ark set measuring 31 inches long and having 124 animals and figures sailed to $21,330. Image by Pook & Pook Inc.
This Chester County walnut desk on frame attracted a lot of interest. Dating to circa 1745, this is an early and unusual form. It easily surpassed the high estimate of $8,000 to sell for $30,810. Image by Pook & Pook Inc.
Magdalena Briner Eby of Perry County, Pa., made this hooked rug during the second half of the 19th century or the beginning of the 20th century. Measuring 45 inches by 115 inches, it is one of the largest examples of her work known. It sold for $11,850. Image by Pook & Pook Inc.
The vibrant colors with red ground made the difference in this Pennsylvania tole-decorated tin coffeepot from the Keller-Keener family in Manheim. It brought $15,405. Image by Pook & Pook Inc.
Having been exhibited at the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Center in 1968, this oil on zinc scene of the Berks County Almshouse by John Rasmussen, a Pennsylvania itinerant painter, earned $33,180. Image by Pook & Pook Inc.
ALLENDALE, N.J. – On Jan. 19, Leighton Galleries showcased over 400 lots in their new gallery located at 6 Pearl Court in Allendale.
“Long in the making but worth the wait,” said owner Evelyn Leighton. “The gallery was built to our specifications.”
The 5,000-square-foot space includes a gorgeous showroom, a nice big warehouse and a “bullpen” office area “where we make it all happen.”
“After being in business for over 20 years, it is nice to finally have our own space,” said Leighton. “Especially in an upscale commercial park with a great location in such a beautiful town. This has been a blessing to us.”
Due to zoning issues, Leighton is not yet permitted to hold the auctions at the site. Therefore, the auctions will continue to be held at their longtime venue, the Knights of Columbus hall in Washington Township. “That was the one caveat,” said Leighton. “Albeit, our Jan. 19 auction was a huge success. We had a strong turnout for our previews in our new gallery, as well as a full auction audience at the Knights hall that is less than 10 minutes away.”
The Thursday evening fine and decorative arts auction offered American artworks, silver, fine jewelry, designer couture, elegant glass, fine porcelains, formal furniture and a collection of Tiffany items including lamps, bronzes, silver, glass and jewelry. Bidding was highly competitive and at times fierce between Internet, phone and floor bidders, with many lots exceeding high estimate.
Among the surprises of the evening was a French bronze and champlevé regulator clock selling for $7,600 (est. $2,000-$3,000), a Hermes tricolor Kelly bag bringing $5,700 (est. $1,500-$2,000), a Chinese carved ivory tusk bridge reaching $4,500 (est. $1,500-$2,000), a pair of Russian Niello vodka cups bringing $3,600 (est. $200-$300), and a Charles Levier oil on canvas, Les Soeurs, went for $2,200 against a $600-$800 estimate.
American art offered included three Norman Rockwell works in progress including a watercolor study Browning Superposed selling for $5,300, a mixed media Dodge City bringing $4,900, and a baseball sketch realizing $3,300. A Keith Haring and Andy Warhol drawing Andy Mouse sold for $4,600, two Andy Warhol artworks including an offset lithograph Campbell’s Soup Box and a drawing on paper Merry Boot each realized $1,900, a Dr. Seuss ink drawing Cat in the Hat garnered $1,500, and a Hahn Vidal canvas painting Water Lilies reached $1,000. Antique portraits also fared well with three separate portraits by Paul Peel of the Myers family of the Ohio textile mill garnering a total of $6,000, and an oil on canvas portrait painting of a classical woman sold for $2,300.
A nice collection of Tiffany was also offered. A Tiffany Studios leaded glass and bronze lamp sold for $5,000, a French bronze regulator clock brought $1,900, a Tiffany Studios dore bronze candelabra garnered $1,400, a Favrile glass candle lamp realized $1,200, a Tiffany & Co. Makers sterling centerpiece bowl sold at $900, an Olympian ice-cream server and a pair of 14-karat cufflinks each reached $550.
Highlighting the jewelry was a platinum and diamond engagement ring reaching $3,100 (est. $1,000-$1,500), a Matl Matilda Poulat necklace and earring set bringing $1,500 (est. $500-$700), a diamond mechanical flower brooch selling for $1,400 (est. $1,000-$1,200), a pair of diamond stud earrings realizing $900 (est. $200-$300), and a Boucher bunny pin fetched $750 (est. $450-$550).
Bidding continued to be strong in the porcelain and glass category. A Lechenet majolica jardinière and pedestal garnered $2,100 (est. $800-$1,200), a 108-piece Wedgwood Florentine china set fetched $1,800 (est. $600-$800), a 150-piece Royal Worcester Cradley china set brought $1,200 (est. $300-$500), a Lladro figural group, “Seamaids Playing,” sold for $1,050 (est. $250-$350), a pair of Steuben Ivrene vases sold for $1,400 (est. $1,000-$1,500), a Baccarat Rubina Swirl lemonade set realized $1,200 (est. $300-$500), and a Rubina Swirl dresser set fetched $800 (est. $300-$500).
Other items in the sale far exceeded their high estimates. A Chinese carved ivory fu lion group realized $4,200 (est. $2,000-$3,000), a group of 265 assorted ivory poker chips garnered $2,000 (est. $1,000-$1,500), an antique carved gesso mirror sold for $1,600 (est. $500-$800), a grotto-style stool with dolphin base brought $1,000 (est. $400-$600), a German bronze sculpture of an amazon cast by Gladenbeck fetched $1,600 (est. $500-$700), a Sino-Tibetan silver and jade ceremonial ax sold at $1,050 (est. $300-$500), a Bucherer bracket clock went for $750 (est. $250-$350), and an Austrian cold-painted peacock brought $575 (est. $250-$350).
Prices shown in this report include a 17 percent buyer’s premium. To contact Leighton Galleries, call 201-327-8800.
This statement-making antique Chinese jade pendant (lot 448) is a beautiful work of art. Image courtesy of Roland Auction. NEW YORK – Bill Roland, of New York City’s Roland Auction, should be back from filming his new TV series in Los Angeles just in time to sell the Saturday, Feb. 4 sale. LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding.
“It’s shaping up to be another auction filled with great investment pieces and, perhaps, an exciting discovery or two,” said co-owner Rob Roland. The dedicated staff worked through chilling temperatures and snow to process box after box of estate silver, Chinese carvings, and fine art as well as a steady stream of trend-setting modern furniture, for which Roland has become well-known.
And Roland said don’t miss the noteworthy collection of antique Chinese artifacts. There are fine silver and enamel opium boxes, jade, hard stone and ivory carvings, exceptional carved bamboo brush pots and outstanding bronzes from various periods. This follows after a museum quality ivory brush pot became the focus of a fierce bidding war during Roland Auction’s previous sale, resulting in a hammer price of nearly 15 times the high estimate.
Meanwhile, silver enthusiasts should be eager to view the beautiful Paul Storr coffeepot, as well as the other 50-plus silver lots, which include Georg Jensen, Tiffany and American coin examples.
Shelves of Waterford, Baccarat and other fine crystal compete for space with English porcelain dinner services by Minton and Royal Worcester. Customers can often be heard commenting on the old-fashioned feel at Roland, which takes pride in maintaining a casual, friendly environment.
Still, there’s nothing old-fashioned about their chic selection of 20th-century design, which includes examples by Laverne, Paul Evans, Grosfeld House, Maitland-Smith, Karl Springer, Donald Deskey and so many more sought-after designers.
One particular lot is creating a great deal of attention at Roland. It is a magnificent Max Ernst bronze (lot 260), the cornerstone of an exciting collection of modern art.
Roland Auction has established itself as the place to find unique gifts and, with Valentine’s Day looming around the corner, we are offering gift-giving guidance with a touch of humor and all best wishes.
The sale will be conducted at Roland Antiques Gallery, 80 E. 11th St. in New York. For details phone 212-260-2000.
Keith’s endearing and enduring doodles. Art by Keith Haring; photography by Kelsey Savage.
NEW YORK – Since November the New-York Historical Society has reopened after a three-year, multimillion-dollar renovation. I stopped by this weekend to check out the results, especially a portion of newly installed ceiling—straight from Keith Haring’s old Pop Shop in Soho.
The impact of Keith’s strong black interlocking doodles makes for a great entrance to the new museum. The thick bold lines against white background demonstrate Haring’s ability to turn deceptively simple images into an iconic statement.
Keith opened the Pop Shop in 1986, where he sold T-shirts, posters and other inexpensive items bearing his images. The idea was to allow the public access to his work, creating a system to make his art available to as wide an audience as possible. Although he acknowledged that with his success he could receive a premium for his creations, he saw his shop as an extension of his work in subway stations and other public places.
While Haring died tragically in 1990 of AIDS-related complications, his artistic philosophy continues to influence street, and all other artists whose focus is on accessibility over exclusivity today.
The New-York Historical Society Museum is at 170 Central Park West. Their website is nyhistory.org.
For more Keith Haring, an exhibit at the Brooklyn Musuem called “Keith Haring: 1978-1982” is ongoing. The exhibit features 155 works on paper and over 150 archival objects such as sketchbooks, journals, exhibition flyers and documentary photographs. Visit their website: Brooklynmuseum.org.
ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE
Keith’s endearing and enduring doodles. Art by Keith Haring; photography by Kelsey Savage.Small but poignant, a reminder of Keith’s incredibly vibrant vision. Art by Keith Haring; photography by Kelsey Savage.The admissions area of the New-York Historical Society sits beneath a panel from Keith’s Pop Shop. Art by Keith Haring; photography by Kelsey Savage.
Rare set of beautifully carved Chinese ivory figures representing the Eight Immortals, each finely detailed and carrying his or her own attributes, each approximately 13 to 14 inches high. Estimate: $25,000-$30,000. Image courtesy of I.M. Chait.
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. – I.M. Chait will conduct an Asian & International Fine Arts Auction on Sunday, Jan. 29, beginning at 1 p.m. Pacific Time. LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding for the 429-lot auction.
The sale will be highlighted by important Chinese carved jades, including nephrite and jadeite from San Diego and New York Collections.
An antique Chinese carved jadeite figure of an Immortal beauty with bright apple green on her face is one of the top items. Standing 10 3/4 inches high, it has a $20,000-$25,000 estimate.
A pair of openwork carved Chinese jadeite groups of phoenix, each perched above large blossoms of chrysanthemums and peonies, and with other birds, stands about 14 inches high. The apple green and lavender carvings on inlaid wood stands are expected to sell for $25,000-$30,000.
Fine large Chinese carved ivories and jewelry are from the Bel Air estate of Peter Wald and a West Los Angeles collection. Antique netsuke and Japanese ivories together with scholar’s objects and woodcarvings are from a Colorado estate. A carved ivory set of the Eight Immortals, each 13 to 14 inches high, has a $25,000-$30,000 estimate.
The auction will also feature antique Chinese porcelains including Ming and Qing dynasties, together with Buddhist bronzes and Song dynasty tea wares from a Southern California estate.
A large collection of art glass includes Tiffany, French cameo and R. Lalique, from the estate of Dr. E.F. Simpson of Los Angeles. The Tiffany highlight is an 18-light Lily lamp with signed Favrile shades, which carries a $25,000-$35,000 estimate.
For details on any item in the sale, call 310-285-0182.
View the fully illustrated catalog and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.
Rare set of beautifully carved Chinese ivory figures representing the Eight Immortals, each finely detailed and carrying his or her own attributes, each approximately 13 to 14 inches high. Estimate: $25,000-$30,000. Image courtesy of I.M. Chait.
Nepalese gilt bronze figure of a seated deity with hands in mudra, 6 3/4 inches high on carved stepped lotus motif wood base. Estimate: $1,200-$1,500. Image courtesy of I.M. Chait.
Tiffany Studios bronze and Favrile glass 18-light Lily lamp with splayed base comprised of overlapping lily pads rising to long gathered stems 22 1/4 inches high, signed ‘Tiffany Studios New York 383,’ the shades signed ‘L.C.T.’ Estimate: $25,000-$35,000. Image courtesy of I.M. Chait.
Pair of magnificently openwork carved Chinese jadeite groups of phoenix, each approximately 14 inches high, wire inlaid wood stands. Estimate: $25,000-$30,000. Image courtesy of I.M. Chait.
Antique Chinese carved and openwork, green jadeite figure of an Immortal beauty with an attendant and crane beside her, 10 3/4 inches high. Estimate: $20,000-$25,000. Image courtesy of I.M. Chait.
This Rembrandt self portrait from the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., is included in the exhibition. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) – The North Carolina Museum of Art says its three-month exhibit of Rembrandt paintings collected by Americans pulled a big crowd.
The News & Observer of Raleigh reports the show of works by the Dutch master and others once attributed to him drew more than 150,000 people to the Raleigh museum at $18 per adult ticket.
The museum says that ranks an all-time third behind shows highlighting French painter Claude Monet and sculptor Auguste Rodin with his Thinker. The Rembrandt exhibition of nearly 50 paintings beat earlier shows of works by Picasso and Norman Rockwell,
The exhibit gathered more than $1 billion worth of artwork loaned by private collections and other museums. It now moves to museums in Cleveland and Minneapolis.
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Information from: The News & Observer, http://www.newsobserver.com
Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE
This Rembrandt self portrait from the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., is included in the exhibition. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Replicas of Christopher Columbus’s ships sailed from Spain to the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
HOUMA, La. (AP) – Replicas of two of the three ships that Christopher Columbus sailed to the New World will be displayed next month in Houma.
The Nina and Pinta will be open to the public Feb. 17-26 at the Downtown Marina, and will depart on Feb. 27.
A statement from the Columbus Foundation says the Nina was built by hand and without power tools. The Pinta is larger than the ship used by Columbus. It was built recently in Brazil to accompany the Nina.
The vessels tour together as a sailing museum, providing education to school children and maritime enthusiasts about caravels, the broad-bowed three-masted ships used by Columbus and many early explorers.
After Texas visits in March, the ships will be in Lake Charles, La., on April 27-May 8 for the Contraband Days celebration.
Self-guided tours cost $6 to $8. Group tours are $4 per person. A minimum of 15 people is required for group tours.
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Online:
http://www.thenina.com
Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE
Replicas of Christopher Columbus’s ships sailed from Spain to the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
France A. Codova. Image courtesy of Purdue University.
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Smithsonian Institution is having a change in leadership as Purdue University President France Cordova becomes chairwoman of the governing board for the world’s largest museum and research complex.
Cordova was elected in September and assumes the post Monday. She is an astrophysicist and has led the university in Lafayette, Ind., since 2007. Previously she held posts in the University of California system and was chief scientist at NASA. She has served on the Smithsonian Board of Regents since 2009.
Cordova succeeds Patty Stonesifer, a former Microsoft executive and former chief executive of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Stonesifer has served as chairwoman since 2009 and will become vice chair of the board.
Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE
France A. Codova. Image courtesy of Purdue University.
A map of the Underground Railroad compiled from ‘The Underground Railroad from Slavery to Freedom’ by Willbur H. Siebert published by the Macmillan Company in 1898. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) – As the observance of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War continues, artwork depicting the Underground Railroad is going on display in the city where the war began.
The exhibit, entitled “Color in Freedom: Journey Along the Underground Railroad,” opens Saturday at the City Gallery at Charleston’s Waterfront Park.
The exhibit features drawings, paintings and etchings by artist Joseph Holston and was developed by the University of Maryland University College.
The Underground Railroad was a series of routes and safe houses that escaped slaves used to journey to freedom in the North.
The Civil War began with the Confederate bombardment on Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor almost 151 years ago.
Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE
A map of the Underground Railroad compiled from ‘The Underground Railroad from Slavery to Freedom’ by Willbur H. Siebert published by the Macmillan Company in 1898. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
