Art Deco sculptures of American Indians adorn the facade of the 1928 Penobscot Building in Detroit. Image by Einarsson Kvaran. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported.
UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. (AP) – The Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum is hosting an exhibition about the working relationships between artists and architects in Detroit.
“Art in Architecture: The Collaborative Spirit of the Interwar Period in Detroit” runs through May 28 at the museum on the University Center campus of Saginaw Valley State University.
It was to open this past Saturday. An opening reception is scheduled for Feb. 19.
Organizers say they want to highlight the Art Deco and classical revival architecture in Detroit from the 1920s and ’30s that includes beautiful tile work, stained glass, mosaics and sculpture. The exhibition began with the idea of exploring collaborations between architect Alden B. Dow and sculptor Marshall M. Fredericks, and expanded to look at other buildings and projects.
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Online:
https://www.marshallfredericks.org
Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE
Art Deco sculptures of American Indians adorn the facade of the 1928 Penobscot Building in Detroit. Image by Einarsson Kvaran. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) – A Philadelphia museum barred from displaying mummies and other historic artifacts from China has come up with a solution to salvage a long-awaited exhibit – just make some new mummies.
The replicas were whipped up by staff at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology after Chinese officials requested that 120 artifacts intended for use in the Secrets of the Silk Road exhibit not be removed from their crates.
“This is my Plan B,” Kate Quinn, director of exhibits, told The Philadelphia Inquirer. “We had to do something. We had so much invested in this.”
Quinn’s nine-member staff spent the last week blowing up catalog shots and computer images of pottery, masks, jewelry, coins and the other antiquities, then printing and mounting them in the special display cases and spaces where the real antiquities would have been displayed.
To build the mummies, workers researched images from different vantage points, and a carpenter on staff was drafted to build replicas. For the female mummy called “Beauty of Xiaohe,” a body made of papier-mache was covered by a blanket made from fabric bought at a local store and boots made from deerskin. An infant mummy was also constructed and swaddled in a felt blanket.
“We wanted to represent all of the objects that we could in some way,” Quinn said. “It was a research journey.”
The display also features an extensive story line and visual presentations about the Silk Road, ancient trade routes covering 4,000 miles to connect China with the West.
Museum director Richard Hodges and curatorial consultant Victor Mair said negotiations were continuing for display of the real objects, which range in age from 700 to 3,800 years old.
The mummies are particularly fascinating because they have Caucasian features, proving that populations migrated eastward from Europe and brought their customs and skills with them. Other artifacts include clothing, fabrics, wooden and bone implements, and even preserved foods such as a wonton, spring roll and fried dough.
Officials decided, however, not to charge a higher admission price and are offering free admission to all who pay the regular museum entry fee. The exhibit is scheduled to run through June 5.
About 570 people attended Saturday’s opening, which also featured music and several live camels. Many said they were disappointed not to see the original artifacts but were impressed by staff efforts to save the exhibit.
“I actually think they’ve done a wonderful job even though they don’t have the actual mummies,” said Robert Leavens of Medford. “My daughter’s afraid of mummies anyway.”
Sha’Quan Johnson, 14, who traveled with teacher Carrie Lewis from Lynchburg, Va., to research her ninth-grade project on the Silk Road, said she wasn’t disappointed.
“If they hadn’t told me, I probably would have thought they were real,” she said.
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Information from: The Philadelphia Inquirer,
http://www.philly.com
Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The square outside the Egyptian Museum, the coral-color building, has been the site of much of the civil unrest in Cairo. Image by Kristoferb. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported. CAIRO (AP) – The artifacts from the Egyptian Museum damaged by looters will be restored over the next five days, the country’s antiquities head said Monday.
Zahi Hawass also said that steps were being taken to reopen Egypt’s famed archaeological sites, which have been closed since unrest seized the country two weeks ago.
During huge anti-government protests on Jan. 28, looters climbed a fire escape and broke into the museum, damaging a number of items, including two mummified skulls from the Late Period.
Originally the skulls were thought to have been attached to mummies, but Hawass said they were being used to test a new CT scanner and were not from the royal mummy collection.
Among the 70 objects damaged was also a statue of King Tutankhamun standing on a panther and a wooden sarcophagus from the New Kingdom period, dating back more than 3,000 years ago.
The museum, which is right next to the massive protests still taking place in downtown Cairo, is now being guarded by the army. Initially, when the demonstrations began, civilians formed a human chain to protect the building.
The museum is home to the gold mask of King Tut that draws millions of tourists a year, and houses thousands of artifacts spanning the full sweep of Egypt’s rich Pharaonic history.
Hawass also asserted that the nearby archaeological digs Saqqara, Memphis and Abu Sir were secure following reports of looting there.
Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
AP-CS-02-07-11 0648EST
ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE
The square outside the Egyptian Museum, the coral-color building, has been the site of much of the civil unrest in Cairo. Image by Kristoferb. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported.
Rudolfo Nieto (Mexican, 1936-1988), untitled, oil painting on canvas, signed on verso, 63 x 51 inches, framed, Provenance: Christies sale 8032, Nov. 16, 1994, lot 221, sold for $13,800, Estimate: $20,000-40,000. Image courtesy of Clark’s Fine Art Gallery & Auctioneers Inc.
SHERMAN OAKS, Calif. – Clark’s Fine Art Auction on Saturday, Feb. 12, features a fine collection of Latin American paintings, prints and sculpture, including a Rudolfo Nieto large oil painting on canvas.
LiveAuctioneers will provide Internet live bidding at the 300-lot auction, which will begin at noon Pacific.
Interest in Nieto’s work has heightened, with a comparable painting recently selling at auction for $194,000.
Other Latin American artists’ works included in the auction are Pedro Coronel, Roberto Matta, Luis Nishizawa, Guillermo Meza, Perez Celis, Humberto Oramas and Rosendo Soto.
Other artists include Joan Miro, Charles Whiting, Erte, Sam Francis, Tom Savage, Sol Lewitt, LeRoy Neiman, Dale Chihuly, Walter Darby Bannard and many more.
There is also a varied collection of decorative art items like Sevres, miniature portrait paintings from the 18th and 19th centuries, Pre-Columbian and fashion by Grunstein G. Couture.
For deteails visit Clark’s website www.estateauctionservice.com or call the gallery at 818-783-3052.
Joan Miro (Spanish, 1893-1983), ‘El Fogainer,’ 1973, color lithograph, signed in pencil, sheet 32 3/4 inches x 23 1/4 inches, framed. Estimate: $3,000-$5,000. Image courtesy of Clark’s Fine Art Gallery & Auctioneers Inc.Walter Darby Bannard (American, b. 1934), ‘Aberdeen I,’ 1970, oil painting on canvas, signed and dated on verso, 78 x 93 inches, framed. Provenance: J. Hudson Gallery; Lawrence Rubin Gallery, New York.Estimate: $4,000-$6,000. Image courtesy of Clark’s Fine Art Gallery & Auctioneers Inc.Charles White (African American, 1918-1979) ‘Micah #2,’ 1963, signed lithograph, sheet 16 3/4 x 12 1/4 inches, framed with glass. Estimate: $4,000-$6,000. Image courtesy of Clark’s Fine Art Gallery & Auctioneers Inc.Edward Marion Langley (American, 1870-1949), ‘Bear Lake, California,’ 1912, oil painting on canvas, titled signed and dated lower right, 37 x 65 inches, in elaborate frame. Estimate: $2,000-$4,000. Image courtesy of Clark’s Fine Art Gallery & Auctioneers Inc.
A collection of wedding dresses from the 1890s to the 1950s. Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers and RM Auctions. AMES, Iowa (AP) – A wedding dress is many things to a bride: a celebration of a special day, an expression of her taste and current fashion, a way to mark family traditions.
All of these elements come together in a new exhibit at the Textile and Clothing Museum on the Iowa State University Campus. Nineteen garments ranging from the late 19th century to the present are on display at the Mary Alice Gallery, 1015 Morrill Hall, on the ISU campus.
Janet Fitzpatrick, manager of the university’s textile collection and curator for the exhibit, said the exhibit was timed to coincide with Valentine’s Day and spring bridal fairs.
With a wide variety of wedding clothing housed in the collection, Fitzpatrick said the garments for the exhibit were selected based on the history behind them, with all of them having a connection to ISU or the state of Iowa.
“I was as interested in the bride’s story as in the gown itself,” Fitzpatrick said. “Also, having wedding photographs to accompany the dress was important. Being able to see the face of the bride that wore it, I think that’s very poignant and gives the exhibit more meaning.”
A graceful silk crepe de meteor gown worn by Miss Elsa Rehmann when she married Arthur H. Neumann in 1914 in Des Moines also becomes the memory of a touching family tradition. Rehmann, heavily involved in music herself, was serenaded on her wedding morning by members of her choir. She carried on that tradition with her sisters-in-law and her daughters, and now two of her granddaughters hold the tradition for the family’s brides.
Also in the exhibit is a lace mantilla veil and ivory wedding dress worn by Elizabeth Hoffman, executive vice president and provost at ISU. The veil, passed down through Hoffman’s family, was a gift to her great-grandmother from the last Russian empress, Tsarina Alexandra Romanov. It has been worn by at least six brides in Hoffman’s family, and it is rumored to have been smuggled out of the country.
“When we tell visitors that (Hoffman) designed and sewed her own gown, that really gets people’s interest,” Fitzpatrick said. “But the veil’s history is fascinating, and we are fortunate to have it. Bridal veils are made of such fragile material, not many survive to for us to use in exhibits like this.”
Visitors to the exhibit will not find a snowy parade of all-white gowns. The collection features a blue worsted wool gown from the 1890s, a peach organza dress trimmed with green velvet from the 1930s and a taupe silk three-piece suit from the 1940s.
“I think the thing people find most surprising is that bridal wear wasn’t always white,” Fitzpatrick said. “It’s believed that custom began in 1840 when Queen Victoria married in a white gown. But for many brides, investing that much in a gown you would never wear again simply wasn’t practical. For many, their wedding gown went on to become their ‘best’ dress for other special occasions.”
Even as late as the 1940s, when it was popular for women to wear suits to be married in, war-time restrictions on materials and frugal living meant that it was not only practical, but considered patriotic to wear wedding clothing that could be used again, she said.
“It wasn’t until after World War II, when people started having disposable income, when war-time shortages stopped, that it became the norm for brides to wear the big beautiful white wedding dress we think of today,” Fitzpatrick said.
The exhibit also features “Lalique,” a modern Art Deco-style gown from the 2009 collection of Matthew Christopher Inc. The designer, Matthew Christopher Sobaski, is an ISU alumna who will be the guest designer for The Fashion Show, April 9.
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Information from: The Tribune, http://www.amestrib.com
Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
AP-CS-02-06-11 0101EST
ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE
A collection of wedding dresses from the 1890s to the 1950s. Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers and RM Auctions.
‘Wild Horses,’ a signed oil on board by Will James, brought the highest price of the auction at $149,500. Image courtesy of High Noon Western Americana. MESA, Ariz. — The ballroom of the Marriott Hotel in Mesa was standing-room-only on Jan. 29 as bidders from across the country converged to buy the finest Western Americana art, artifacts and Hollywood memorabilia from beloved silver screen heroes. The sale realized over $2.1 million on just 344 lots, scoring the second highest per lot average in High Noon’s 21-year history.
High Noon had designated this year’s event a celebration of the America Indian, bringing to the block one of the most important collections of American Indian offerings to ever come to market. Prices realized on this collection validated the fact that the culture, spirit and art of these nations are highly valued worldwide. (Prices indicated here reflect 15 percent buyer’s premium.)
As soon as High Noon co-owner Linda Kohn Sherwood gave her traditional welcoming speech auctioneer Troy Black went to work. The tone of the sale was established early when lot no. 3, a pair of fabulous Star Spangles Banner boots by the Hyer Boot Co. sold for $12,650, almost four times over their high estimate of $4,000. It happened again just a few lots later when a turn-of-the-century salesman’s sample windmill by the Woodmanse Manufacturing Co. of Freeport, Ill., earned $9,775 against its high estimate of $3,500.
Several important bronzes were offered at this sale and all earned impressive results. Lot no. 62, a bronze on wood base entitled Turning the Leaders by John Hampton was estimated to sell for $6,000 to $9,000 but sold for $12,650. This was followed by $13,800 achieved on lot no. 64, a bronze on marble base by Harry Jackson entitled Two Champs II, which was estimated at $5,000 to $7,000.
Horse accoutrements performed equally strong. Lot no. 10, a G.S. Garcia eagle bit sold for $8,050 (estimate $3,000 to $5,000) and a pair of C.P. Shipley spurs, lot no. 126, expected to earn $10,000 on the high side went for $12,650. As expected, Bohlin items performed well. Lot no. 153, a Bohlin Taxin Model silver and gold parade saddle brought $63,250, surpassing its $40,000 to $60,000 estimate.
Starting off the American Indian category was a circa 1870 Blackfeet tomahawk and beaded drop, lot no. 135. Expected to achieve $20,000 on the high side, this lot earned $37,950 after heated bidding from the floor and phones. Immediately following, lot no. 136, a Sioux pictorial beaded vest sold for $14,950 against its estimate of $7,000 to $9,000 and lot no. 138, a circa 1860 Plateau Pony beaded shirt sold for solidly within estimate for $74,750. A charming Kiowa beaded model cradle, lot no. 273, circa 1880, achieved $18,400, well over its high estimate of $12,000.
The name Edward Borein always draws competitive bidding, and this year particular excitement was seen on his ornate Charro jacket and vest, lot 196. Acquired and personally worn by Borein, this ensemble was estimated at $5,000 to $10,000, but sold for over twice its high estimate going for $21,850.
Turning to the Western fine art category, the room stood in applause as the hammer dropped on lot no. 230. It was Wild Horses, a signed oil on board by Will James, that brought the highest price of the evening. Bidding on this work opened at $50,000 and quickly escalated into a bidding war that drove the price to $149,500.
In Linda Kohn Sherwood’s opening speech, she teased the crowd that “tonight, the true Rooster Cogburn” would be revealed. Was it John Wayne or Jeff Bridges? Well, that question might not have been answered, but it was fun watching the crowd bid furiously on the vest, shirt and scarf worn by John Wayne in the 1969 Paramount production of True Grit. Selling for $21,850, we’ll have to wait until Jeff Bridges’ ensemble comes to auction to see who is the “real Rooster Cogburn.”
The entire weekend was a celebration of our Western Americana heritage. Thousands of shoppers filled the Mesa Convention Center for two-days to buy from over 100 of the country’s finest dealers in Western Americana antiques and contemporary works. Across the board, vendors at the show reported strong sales on both mid- to high-priced items.
For more information about High Noon’s 2011Western Americana Weekend Event, visit www.highnoon.com or call the offices of High Noon at (310) 202-9010.
This pair of Star Spangles Banner boots by the Hyer Boot Co. sold for $12,650, almost four times over their high estimate. Image courtesy of High Noon Western Americana.Harry Jackson’s bronze ‘Two Champs II’ sold $13,800, nearly double the high estimate. Image courtesy of High Noon Western Americana.This G.S. Garcia eagle bit estimated at $3,000 to $5,000 sold for $8,050. Image courtesy of High Noon Western Americana.Lot 153, a Bohlin Taxin Model silver and gold parade saddle, brought $63,250, edging past its high estimate. Image courtesy of High Noon Western Americana.This circa 1870 Blackfeet tomahawk and beaded drop, lot no. 135, was expected to achieve $20,000 on the high side, but earned $37,950. Image courtesy of High Noon Western Americana.Lot no. 138, a circa 1860 Plateau Pony beaded shirt, sold within estimate for $74,750. Image courtesy of High Noon Western Americana.This ornate Charro jacket and vest, lot no. 196, worn by Edward Borein was estimated at $5,000 to $10,000, but sold for $21,850. Image courtesy of High Noon Western Americana.The vest, shirt and scarf worn by John Wayne in the original 1969 ‘True Grit’ movie sold for $21,850. Image courtesy of High Noon Western Americana.
Worn blue paint can be seen on this country cupboard. The top part is shallower than the bottom, giving it the name stepback cupboard. It sold for $1,180 at a Brunk auction in Asheville, N.C.
Where to put clutter? How to store extra dishes or clothes or memorabilia? These are questions that have been asked only since the beginning of the 20th century. Before that, storage was a very different problem. For most families, their textiles were their most valuable possessions and were just about the only thing that needed to be stored. The family had to shear the sheep, then clean, card and dye the wool, then make the thread and weave it into fabric. Hundreds of hours of handwork were needed to make a dress or a coverlet, and the family had few spares. Rooms were small, and furniture was placed out of the way. A single cupboard might be put against a wall or built into a corner. Cupboard tops had open shelves to hold dishes, glasses and pots. Bottom sections had shelves behind closed doors to keep fabrics clean and free of smoke. In the bedroom area, there might be a tall cabinet or cupboard with large drawers for clothing and bedclothes. By Victorian times, houses were being built with a few storage areas, even closets. And by the 1900s, people started wanting cupboards in their kitchens. “Country” furniture is popular today, and its simple, informal lines fit in modern houses. Country cupboards were often painted and had just a top molding and perhaps some door trim. Drawer and door pulls were wooden knobs, and hardware was made of iron. Collectors today pay a premium for pieces with original painted finish and original parts, including the back panels. Look carefully for replaced wooden parts, especially the feet or bottom board. Cupboard bottoms were splashed with water when the floor was cleaned and they often decayed. Examine everything else, too. It is easy to make a fake or a “marriage.” A good corner cupboard with attractive worn paint, even with replaced parts, sells for $1,000 or more. A complete cupboard with rich finished wood and trim can cost about $3,000 to $5,000.
Q: My small teapot is marked “Imperial Crown China, Austria.” What can you tell me about it?
A: The “Imperial Crown China” mark was used from about 1884 to 1914 by Bawo & Dotter, a New York importing company that sold china made in France and Austria-Hungary. It also owned a china decorating company in Fischern, now in the Czech Republic. The company may also have manufactured china in Fischern.
Q: My great-aunt gave me a cat-head pin in 1969. I still have it. It’s gold-plated or gold-tone metal with wire whiskers that stick out the sides of the face. The cat’s ears are decorated with red rhinestones. The pin is marked “Joseph Warner” on the back. Have you heard of him?
A: Your great-aunt gave you a very good piece of costume jewelry. Joseph Warner’s Warner Co. started making costume jewelry in about 1953 and closed some time in the 1970s. Not all Warner pieces are marked, and some pieces are simply marked “Warner.” Warner jewelry is well-made and popular. Your pin could sell for $50 or more.
Q: I have seen pictures of women wearing white gloves in the 1960s and before. I collect unusual gloves. When were they long? When did women stop wearing them inside at dances and parties?
A: Gloves were an important fashion accessory until the early 1900s. Elbow-length gloves worn with formal dresses were used as early as the 1500s. In the late 1700s, some women wore gloves to cover the entire arm. In the days of Mary Todd Lincoln, gloves were like shoes today. Women, including Mrs. Lincoln, had hundreds of pairs. Queen Victoria’s modest dress styles with long sleeves required wrist-length gloves worn both outdoors and in. Manicures and nail polish became popular in the 1920s, and because gloves hid fingernails, everyday gloves dropped out of fashion. But women continued to wear indoor gloves for special occasions. Today collectors of vintage clothes find couture gloves from the past 100 years for low prices. Most major designers, especially the French, made gloves. The 1940s Dior “New Look” included full skirts, belts and short multicolored gloves. In the 1950s and ’60s, many Americans traveling to France bought bargain-price high-fashion ladies’ gloves. Import duty was charged for a pair, not a single, so clever shoppers mailed one box of left-hand gloves home and another box of right-hand gloves to save money. White kid gloves and colorful embroidered or jeweled gloves were favored. The green gloves worn in 2009 by Michelle Obama at the inauguration caused favorable comment, but so far not a fashion trend.
Q: I inherited a set of brown Johnson Brothers dishes in the Old Britain Castles pattern. My grandmother bought them some time in the late 1940s. Is there any lead content that I should be concerned about when using these dishes? The glaze on some pieces has crackling. Are they safe to use?
A: Your dishes are safe to use. The glaze does not contain lead, but don’t use the dishes to serve greasy food or brightly colored food like beets. The colors will seep through the crazing and stain the ceramic underneath. Old British Castles, one of Johnson Brothers’ most popular patterns, was first produced in 1930. The 45 castles pictured on various pieces were copied from photos of engravings originally done in 1792. The pattern was made in blue, brown, green, lavender or mulberry, pink and brown multicolor. Blue and pink are still being made. Johnson Brothers started working in Stoke-on-Trent, England, in 1883 and is now part of WWRD Holdings. Old British Castles is being made in China.
Tip: Look at your home from the viewpoint of a trespasser. Do bushes hide the windows or doors? Are ladders lying around? Can a window be reached by standing on a table or air conditioning compressor? Does your fence hide the burglar from view while he breaks in?
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 e-mail 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.
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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.
Round the World game, ship on cover, board with scenes of Statue of Liberty and New York City skyline, first person to reach New York City wins, Milton Bradley, c. 1910, $80.
Kopper Kettle Club cigar can, copper, image of large kettle on front and back, Joseph Weinreich, Dayton, Ohio, 1908, 5 1/2 inches, $460.
Federal tiger maple poster bed, later cypress headboard, turned vase-shaped posts, conforming rails, turned legs, ball feet, c. 1800, 74 1/2 x 51 inches, $625.
Madame Alexander Dionne Quintuplets dolls, each in diaper, nightshirt and bib with embroidered name, original bed, dotted Swiss pillows with pink felt blanket, 1936, 7 inches, $765.
Yellowware pitcher, bundle-of-corn shape, ribbed handle, green and ochre glaze, cover, unmarked, 19th century, 12 1/2 inches, $850.
Patchwork quilt, 12 squares of ladies in bonnets carrying parasols, each square in different colors with purple border, stitched and embroidered by hand, 1930s, 72 x 88 inches, $925.
Robbie the Seal plush toy, white mohair, excelsior stuffing, Steiff, 1950s, 36 x 39 inches, $1,200.
Quezal iridescent glass cruet, opal glass with green hooked feathers, signed, 6 inches, $2,300.
Cast-iron plantation bell, clapper, wheel, bracketed iron yoke, 19th century, 28 x 29 inches, $4,610.
Spot great costume jewelry faster than anyone and get the buys of a lifetime. Kovels’ Buyers’ Guide to Costume Jewelry, Part One” explains how to recognize midcentury costume jewelry, Mexican silver jewelry, modernist jewelry and other European and American pieces. Learn all the names you need to know, from Hobe and Sigi to Ed Wiener and Art Smith, from Coro and Trifari to Los Castillo and Spratling. And we explain how to recognize a good piece of genuine Bakelite. Our exclusive report, 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches, 48 pages, is filled with color photos, bios, background and more than 100 marks. It’s accurate and comprehensive and includes all of the information in our 2008 report on 20th-century costume jewelry. But it’s in a new, smaller and more convenient format. 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.
The Beaux Arts building that houses the University Museum is one of the landmarks of the University of Pennsylvania Campus. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. PHILADELPHIA (AP) – A museum just days away from opening a long-awaited exhibit of mummies and other historical artifacts from China is gutting the display at the request of Chinese officials, the museum announced Wednesday.
The artifacts were part of Secrets of the Silk Road, which is scheduled to open Saturday at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology in Philadelphia. The exhibit has already traveled to museums in California and Texas without issue.
Penn museum spokeswoman Pam Kosty said she could not offer any more information beyond a statement saying Chinese officials had requested the items not be shown. She declined to identify the officials.
Attempts to reach the Chinese consulate for comment were unsuccessful because of the Chinese New Year holiday.
The exhibit’s main attraction is a nearly 4,000-year-old, pristinely preserved mummy from far western China, whose flaxen hair and eyelashes are still intact. A well-preserved mummy of a baby, along with vibrantly colored burial trappings of a third mummy, were among more than 100 ancient objects featured.
The artifacts come from the Tarim Basin in the autonomous Xinjiang Uyghur region of China. Victor Mair, a Penn professor of Chinese language and literature, has been researching and leading expeditions in the area for more than 20 years and helped develop the exhibit.
On Wednesday, Mair said in an e-mail that he could not discuss the dispute but that he hoped to continue negotiating with the Chinese after the New Year holiday.
In a Jan. 21 interview with The Associated Press, Mair said Secrets of the Silk Road had been years in the making because China jealously guards its antiquities.
Mair was especially excited to display them at the Penn museum, a regional attraction that is a hub for research but struggles to attract visitors. It was to be the exhibit’s only East Coast stop.
“It’s going to be the rebirth of this museum,” Mair said last month. “It’s going to put it back on the map.”
As he spoke, various museum officials interrupted to report that the artifacts had arrived. Mair noted that the exhibit’s Chinese chaperones would be sightseeing in the area, including trips to New York and Atlantic City, N.J.
The mummies are particularly fascinating because they have Caucasian features, proving that populations migrated eastward from Europe and brought their customs and skills with them.
Other artifacts include clothing, fabrics, wooden and bone implements, and even preserved foods such as an early wonton, spring roll and fried dough.
There were no problems for Secrets of the Silk Road in the four months it spent at the Houston Museum of Natural Science, where it attracted huge crowds, museum spokeswoman Latha Thomas said Wednesday.
A call to the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana, Calif., where the exhibit was displayed early last year, was not immediately returned.
Kosty, the Penn museum spokeswoman, said previously that the exhibit was expected to be a blockbuster for the institution, its first with timed-ticket entry. Now, several thousand tickets that were presold will be refunded, she said.
Instead, the museum plans to put on a pared-down display using photos of the mummies and artifacts, along with multimedia exhibits and interactive stations, Kosty said. It will be free with regular museum admission.
Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
AP-WS-02-02-11 1506EST
ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE
The Beaux Arts building that houses the University Museum is one of the landmarks of the University of Pennsylvania Campus. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Foreground: ‘Primary Ladies (Detail),’ 2008, painted bronze, 63 x 72 x 33 inches, and background: ‘White Gloves, Four Wheels.’ Image courtesy of Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is the exclusive venue for the first retrospective of sculptural works by Pop Art master Jim Dine. As one of the most revered American artists, Dine has been a major force across the contemporary scene since the advent of the Pop Art movement. Celebrated for his paintings and graphic work, Dine’s equally prolific and profound efforts as a sculptor are less well-known. Jim Dine: Sculpture will be on display Jan. 28 through May 8.
The exhibition traces the origins of Dine’s sculpture from the early work of the late 1950s and the early 1960s through his most recently completed efforts. Many of Dine’s iconic themes are explored including his use of tool and tool imagery, the Venus figure and the heart motif. Most recent is his exploration of the Pinocchio theme.
“Dine has a vast creativity and willingness to turn to a variety of images, many derived from found objects and popular or consumer culture,” said Joseph Becherer, Vice President and Chief Curator of Sculpture. “His sensitivity for textures and surfaces coupled with his mastery of materials allows him to create works in a range of materials from cloth to bronze, straw to wood.”
With more than 20 works, it is Dine’s largest sculpture exhibition to date. It will encompass all three of Meijer Gardens’ gallery spaces as well as nontraditional exhibition spaces. The Technicolor Heart (The Big One), a 12-foot painted bronze heart, will be displayed on the adjoining Keeler Sculpture Terrace. Venus in Five Colors, five-foot bronze female figures in a variety of hues, will be installed in the five-story Lena Meijer Tropical Conservatory. Visitors can experience the depth and breadth of the artist’s efforts by also visiting The Thunder, part of the organization’s permanent collection, on display in the Sculpture Park.
“Dine is one of the most important artists in our collection and we’re proud to host this complete and breathtaking survey of his sculpture,” said Becherer. “He has the ability to create a body of iconic imagery. While frequently personal in initial inspiration and use, his work speaks to a broad and diverse audience.”
Jim Dine: Sculpture has been organized in cooperation with the artist, the Pace Gallery, New York and Richard Gray Gallery, Chicago. This exhibition is sponsored the Meijer Foundation and the Botanic and Sculpture Societies of Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park.
Jim Dine will speak at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park on April 14 at 7 p.m. as part of the 2011 Midwest Art History Society Conference. The event is open to Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park members and conference attendees.
A native of Cincinnati, Dine studied at the Boston Museum school before attending Ohio University. In 1959 he lived in New York and immersed himself in the downtown scene – both the art world and the realities of the street. In the 1960s he garnered initial international attention as a leading figure in the Pop Art movement. In the ensuing years, his reputation solidified and increased as he translated numerous themes into visual icons that both appealed to and helped define contemporary culture. His imagery and innovative techniques earned a worldwide reputation. Dine’s work is featured in museum and private collections across the United States, Europe and Asia. He has been the subject of many exhibitions at prestigious museums including the Guggenheim, the National Gallery of Art, and the Gerry. The exhibition at Meijer Gardens is the premier survey of his sculpture.
Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is one of the world’s most significant botanic and sculpture experiences. With attendance of more a half-million people annually, Meijer Gardens was recently ranked in the top 100 most-visited art museums worldwide by Art Newspaper, the leading publication in global art news. The 132-acre grounds feature Michigan’s largest tropical conservatory; one of the largest children’s gardens in the country; arid and Victorian gardens with bronze sculptures by Degas and Rodin; a carnivorous plant house; outdoor gardens; and a 1900-seat outdoor amphitheater, featuring an eclectic mix of world-renowned musicians every summer. The Sculpture Park features a permanent collection including works by Rodin, Oldenburg, Moore, Bourgeois and Plensa, among others. Indoor galleries host changing sculpture exhibitions with recent exhibitions by Picasso, Degas, di Suvero, Borofsky, Calder and Chadwick.
For details about the Jim Dine: Sculpture exhibit, visit the website: www.meijergardens.org or call 888-957-1580.
ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE
Foreground: ‘Primary Ladies (Detail),’ 2008, painted bronze, 63 x 72 x 33 inches, and background: ‘White Gloves, Four Wheels.’ Image courtesy of Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park.Shown (left to right): ‘Nancy and I at Ithaca,’ 1966–1969, sheet metal and straw, 62 x 72 x 14 inches; ‘A Lady and a Shovel,’ 1983, cast bronze, 26 x 26 x 16 inches; and ‘Green Suit,’ 1959, oil on cloth, 62 x 24 inches. Image courtesy of Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park.Shown (left to right): ‘Wheat Fields,’ 1989, painted bronze with patina and pigment, 80 x 172 x 99 inches, and ‘White Gloves, Four Wheels,’ 2007, oil-based enamel and charcoal on wood, 81 1/2 x 58 1/4 x 24 inches. Image courtesy of Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park.
This magnificent pair of Carl Faberge silver figural candelabra could fetch $100,000 or more. Image courtesy of Fontaine’s Auction Gallery. PITTSFIELD, Mass. – A massive, two-session cataloged antique auction featuring over 800 lots of period furniture, vintage clocks and lighting, firearms, militaria, antique and Russian silver, estate jewelry and highly collectible Civil War items will be held Saturday, Feb. 19, by Fontaine’s Auction Gallery. The Civil War items will be a session unto itself – over 400 lots.
LiveAuctioneers will provide Internet live bidding.
The auction will be held in Fontaine’s gallery facility, located at 1485 W. Housatonic St. in Pittsfield, where bidders will also have the option to bid live on site or via absentee and phone bids. Previews will be held Feb. 18, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., and Feb. 19, the date of the sale, from 8 a.m.-11 a.m.
Session One will begin at 11 a.m. on Feb. 19, and last until 4 p.m. A one-hour break will then be held, after which Session Two – the Civil War items – will cross the block starting at 5 p.m. The action will continue until the last gavel comes down – close to 9 p.m., if not later. It will be the first cataloged antique auction of the new year for Fontaine’s.
One lot in Session One could bring $100,000 or more. It is a splendid pair of Carl Faberge silver figural candelabra, 24 inches high overall and weighing 268 ounces. Two 9 1/2-inch winged putti stand on a large sphere, each holding a wreath above their heads, while branching from the top are three scrolling cornucopias. The lot has no breaks, repairs or losses.
Rare and vintage clocks are a category for which Fontaine’s has become renowned in recent years. Three French clocks expected to do well include a Chronos & Amour figural mantel clock with a “Love and Time” figural theme; an animated bronze gilt bronze cherub clock made around 1840, showing cupid; and a marble and bronze annular clock, circa 1880.
American-made clocks in the auction’s first session will include a two-weight mahogany grandfather clock made by Walter Durfee & Co., Providence, R.I., with brass dial; a nice carriage clock with painted ivory panels, made circa 1880 by Bigelow Kennard & Co. (Boston); and a Seth Thomas No. 5 weight-driven wall clock with 7 1/2-inch dial and walnut case.
Works of art will be very much in evidence. Some of the better pieces will include:
A signed oil on canvas luminous landscape, signed Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot (French, 1796-1875), showing a woman standing by the shore (est. $25,000-$35,000);
An oil on canvas rendering of a French battle scene by Wilfird Constant Beauquesne (French, 1847-1913), 33 inches by 51 inches, in great condition (est. $12,000-$15,000);
A terracotta bust by Alexander Ney (Russian Federation, b. 1939), red on a tan base and signed (1999), 17 inches tall and in excellent condition (est. $10,000-$15,000);
An oil on canvas landscape work by J. Francis Murphy titled Grey Weather, signed lower right and in very good condition, 30 inches by 36 inches (est. $8,000-$12,000).
Two other lots in Session One bound to get a lot of attention are a 1941 Ford pickup truck with a 90 horsepower flathead V-8 engine, fully restored by the consignor who’s had it for over 50 years (est. $20,000-$30,000); and a Russian silver and enamel architectural-style salt chair, weighing 22.96 troy ounces (est. $5,000-$7,000).
The Civil War session will be chock full of offerings, beginning with some sharp frocks and jackets. These will include a circa-1860 U.S. New York Regiment militia frock coat, enlisted man’s gray with seven large New York state buttons down the front; a New York State 71st Regiment swallow-tailed full-dress dark blue jacket with a row of nine eagle buttons down the front; and a U.S. Louisville Legion-style wool frock coat, dark blue, with five Ohio buttons.
Revolvers and pistols will feature a cased pair of Durs Egg percussion dueling pistols, .62 caliber, with 5 1/2-inch octagonal barrels; a magnificent engraved and gold-filled Colt Model 1860 Army revolver in excellent condition and with all matching numbers; and a matched pair of circa-1812 flintlock sea service pistols, .69 caliber, with 9.25-inch barrels, needing repair.
Sword enthusiasts will not be disappointed. Two examples in particular will pique the interest of the crowd. One is a Model 1862 Infantry presentation sword with a 30-inch blade in near-mint condition and a tight leather handle; the other is an Ames Model 1832 artillery short sword with scabbard, signed and dated (1835) on the blade. Both could command up to $2,500.
Also to be offered in Session Two: a Model 1861 U.S. percussion rifle-musket made in 1864 and with papers from the New York Militia; a metal-bodied Queen’s Lancer drum, 10 1/2 inches high by 15 1/2 inches wide, colorful and complete with two drumsticks; and a handmade Confederate leather belt with buckle (the “E Pluribus Unum” is upside-down) and cartridge box.
For more information about Fontaine’s Gallery and the Feb. 19 two-session sale, please log on to www.FontainesAuction.net or call (413) 448-8922.
French gilt bronze animated cherub clock, circa 1840, with Cupid depicted on a clock tower. Image courtesy of Fontaine’s Auction Gallery.Beautiful signed landscape oil on canvas painting by renowned French artist Corot (1796-1875). Image courtesy of Fontaine’s Auction Gallery.Wonderful cased pair of Durs Egg dueling pistols, .62 caliber, with 5 1/2-inch octagonal barrels. Image courtesy of Fontaine’s Auction Gallery.Enlisted man’s gray shell militia frock coat, circa 1860, U.S. New York Regiment, very clean. Image courtesy of Fontaine’s Auction Gallery.Colorful, metal-bodied Queen’s Lancer drum, complete with drumsticks, 11 inches by 16 inches. Image courtesy of Fontaine’s Auction Gallery.
