Tom Hoepf, Author at Auction Central News

Nebraska farmer grew cast-iron collection by seat of his pants

By 1900 the Buckeye Mower and Reaper Co. of Akron, Ohio, was a leading manufacturer of farm equipment, shipping its products worldwide. This cast-iron Buckeye seat sold at auction in England in 2007. Image courtesy of Eastbourne Auction Rooms and LiveAuctioneers archive.

CAMPBELL, Neb. (AP) – As some collect baseball cards or stamps, Doug Zuellner, 87, of Campbell has gathered items from his farming past.

For the last 60 years, Zuellner has collected about 300 cast-iron implement seats, like the one on a hay rig his father owned. He also has gathered other antique items, such as an apple press, pedal jigsaw and cement brick maker.

“I just enjoyed old stuff, I guess,” he said. “Everything I’ve collected I’ve either used or grew up with or seen used.” When talking about his seat collection, one of the first things he usually has to clarify is how the seats were used.

“Everyone sees one and calls them tractor seats, and they’re not tractor seats,” he said. “They’re implement seats from old horse-drawn machinery. There were only a very few made that were ever put on a tractor, maybe some of the old steam engines, but otherwise it was all on horse-drawn machinery.”

Each seat in Zuellner’s collection were cast by pouring molten metal into a mold and allowing it to solidify. As technology developed, seats could more easily be pressed out of steel, and the cast-iron seats went out of production in the early 1900s.

Born four miles north of Campbell in southern Nebraska, Zuellner grew up farming. He went to a country school before heading off to Campbell High School.

Zuellner went to welding school and joined the Marine Corps. After leaving military service, Zuellner returned to Campbell and continued farming. He went to several auctions where cast-iron seats were sold.

“I didn’t know much about them, but they looked nice, so I started picking up a few,” he said. “Then, there was a book printed on cast-iron seats. The named seats are all numbered and classified as to their rating.” The ratings are based on the scarcity of each seat, up to a 10.5, which is the rarest.

Zuellner found others who collected the seats and joined a worldwide club with more than 500 collectors. One of his rarest seats is a green Western Land Roller, one of two types of seats made in Nebraska.

Zuellner’s cast-iron seats had hung in rows along the inside of his machine building. Some of the seats were a dull gray, but others had been painted with bright colors. They have since been packed up as he prepares to sell the collection, along with other items he has gathered over the years, at an auction.

“There comes a time in life when material things don’t mean that much,” he said. “I’ve got five children, and I thought I didn’t want to leave them with the headache of disposing of them when I’m gone.”

Zuellner said he and his wife, Rosella, plan to stay in their home as long as they can, but they wanted to clean out some of the excess items.

He liked piecing together his collection from a variety of auctions over the years, but is ready to let go.

“I just like things out of the past,” he said. “I’ve enjoyed it for 60 years, and I think it’d be interesting to sit there and see some of my friends buy some of the stuff.”

___

Information from: Hastings Tribune,

http://www.hastingstribune.com

AP-CS-10-09-10 0104EDT

Kovels – Antiques & Collecting: Week of Oct. 11, 2010

Furniture Specific: Handling disappointment

This great little table was made by a famous maker – it and 300,000 of its identical twins. Their collector’s value is slight. Fred Taylor photo.

“Life is full of its little disappointments,” my mother frequently said to me. She was right in many ways. And one of the ways that disappointment has shadowed part of my life is that I have to disclose to strangers that their family treasure just isn’t so.

Of course, I do not go out looking for people on whom to heap disappointment, at least not usually. They seek me out – not for that of course but usually to confirm their preconceived belief about a piece of treasured furniture. Most are not prepared for the disappointment that often comes with a few facts. In the book “The Importance of Disappointment,” Routledge, 1994, sociologist and psychologist Ian Craib (1945-2002) noted that, “There is much in our modern world that increases disappointment and at the same time encourages us to hide from it.”

Some of the readers who inquire about their furniture and receive a disappointing result react nonchalantly saying, “I didn’t really think it was anything anyway. I just had to ask.” Others react a little more strongly with, “That’s not what Aunt Mildred told me and I have never known her to lie” or “I just don’t believe you know what you’re talking about.” That’s OK too. Go find someone who will tell you what you want to hear. Just don’t be disappointed – again – on auction day.

A recent case in point was an inquiry from a person who thought they had a chair of some serious note. It was labeled by a famous 19th-century New England maker with a legible patent date and a recognizable form. Prior to asking my opinion about the chair, the inquirer, assuming my knowledge of the subject to be limited, gave me a lengthy history of the manufacturer, with some notable errors and omissions including the fact that the company, in the late century, used no machinery at all and all the furniture was 100 percent handmade. That, of course, demonstrated a notable lack of information about late 19th-century furniture-making on the part of the inquirer with the few exceptions of makers of so-called “Centennial” furniture, which this maker was not. I was then informed that furniture from this cabinetmaker family was among the most sought after and highly priced work in the current market for antiques both in this country and abroad.

So now that I had been properly informed (prepped?), what was my opinion of the worth of the chair? Well, it was obvious from the photo of the chair that it was a factory-made, production chair. It did have some nice hand-carving in the animal figures but the rest of the chair was strictly by the Henry Ford assembly line method. But I wasn’t about to give an opinion on value without doing some homework on comparable items. I found it. Virtually the same chair with the same label, patent date and original upholstery had sold online the previous year for less than $500 – pretty fair comparable.

I shared this with the inquirer who told me that was not consistent with her research and she would not accept that. Suited me. I asked her if she wanted a refund on my free opinion. She did not handle the disappointment well. Perhaps after she pays an appraiser $500 to evaluate her $500 chair she will have a different attitude. Or maybe not.

Frequently I am asked about the value and collectibility of the products of a famous table maker. The trade name is so familiar that almost any “antique” shop has a couple of them around and almost everybody’s grandmother has one left over from the 1930s. The problem is that the famous table maker was almost too famous for its own good. Over the life of the company it made over 300,000 tables that found their way into American living rooms. And yes, the tables are well-marked with the maker’s name and a model number and the tables are always “in great shape.” And they look so expensive with the solid mahogany tops and the hand-carved solid mahogany lyre bases and carved legs. When I point out that the solid mahogany tops are veneer over lumber core plywood and the lyres and legs are machine carved on a secondary wood called red gum and that 300,000 models of the same table were produced, most contain the disappointment saying, “I like the table anyway. It looks good in my living room.” That’s the way it should be.

Then there was the lady who sent me pictures of her dining room set made by a company in Grand Rapids on which she could find no information. She wanted to know about the company and the set. Her grandmother had acquired the set in 1951. She had the receipt but didn’t know if the furniture was new or used when it was acquired. I gave her a brief history of the company and told her where to find more. Then I told her that the carved chairs were 1950 reproductions of Rococo Revival chairs. I pointed out that the table had no carvings at all and the carvings on the sideboard did not match the chairs. And the carving on the crest of the china cabinet was different yet. My conclusion was that the “set” was not a set. It was pieces and parts that had been acquired at the same time from the same source as an “assembled” set. She was hardly disappointed, thankfully.

She responded to my answer with, “Thank you so much for taking the time and effort to answer my questions. It seems that I was right about some things like the set not being a true ‘set.’ Are those acorns? I couldn’t tell and the middle carving looks like pineapple, well kind of does. I have always liked the Rococo style but did not know that was the name for it. I figured the carving was not purely original as the price would have been higher, even for 1951. Thank you so much for the info, I will indeed enjoy my family heirloom.”

Now that’s what I want to hear!

Send your comments, questions and pictures to Fred Taylor at P.O. Box 215, Crystal River, FL 34423 or info@furnituredetetcive.com and visit his Web site at www.furnituredetective.com.

ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE

This chair is virtually identical to the chair the owner asked about – same style, same maker, same patent date, same condition. It sold for just under $500. The owner was not happy with that. Fred Taylor photo.

The carving on this 1950s reproduction Rococo Revival chair is mostly spindle-carved and touched up by hand. It would be a stretch to call it hand-carved. Fred Taylor photo.

T. Bricher, Thomas Seymour to lead Loew-Demers auction Oct. 23

Federal mahogany worktable attributed to John Thomas Seymour, Boston, est. $20,000-$25,000. Image courtesy Loew-Demers Auctions.

WELLESLEY, Mass. – The Loew-Demers Fall Auction to be held Oct. 23 will feature fine art and antiques from numerous New England estates. LiveAuctioneers will provide Internet live bidding.

“This is an exceptional auction, with a large number of wonderful paintings, fine period furniture, and collectibles,” said Steve Demers. “We are very happy to be able to offer the A.T. Bricher (est. $150,000-$200,000) as well as a Thomas Seymour table, (est. $20,000-$25,000) attributed by Mussey, who wrote the book on Seymour furniture.”

The Bricher was obtained from a prominent New England family and has never been offered before. Alfred Thomas Bricher was an acclaimed American Hudson River School painter, considered one of the finest luminist artists of his day, whose works are displayed in many museums nationwide, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Art Institute of Chicago.

Thomas Seymour was a renowned furniture maker of the Federalist period, whose works are known for their exquisite detail.

“Other period furniture available in this auction is also quite fine, with an early Gibson and Davis Forte Piano with an exceptional inlaid and carved case and two chairs, one attributed to Seymour and the other to Phyfe. There are also two very nice slant-top desks with ogee bracket feet and a breathtaking flame mahogany Baltimore sideboard,” said Demers.

Another highlight is a painting by Jean Leclerc (1587/88-1633) (est. $100,000-$150,000), which is a large and impressive old master picture. Leclerc, who studied with the Venetian master Carlo Saraceni, was known for his nocturnal light effects.

The auction highlights a wide variety of time periods, styles and genres.

“I think the sale has something for every collecting area,” said Ed Loew. “For instance, we have an extremely rare pilgrim paint-decorated letter/wedding box from eastern Massachusetts. We also have a wonderful weather vane collection, duck decoys by New England carvers, as well as a number of quality Louisiana decoys. There’s truly something for everyone.”

The Jean Pascaud French Art Deco sideboard is another standout piece that will be available at the auction.

There are some wonderful Mid-Century Modern pieces, including a Philip and Kelvin Laverne bronze and pewter Fantasia table as well as an early Mies van der Rohe Barcelona Chair.

“Also up for auction is a seldom-seen 19th-century Kashmiri Khanta, some superb Oriental rugs and many wonderful paintings,” Loew noted.

European paintings are lead by Vuillard and Motchablon, not to be outdone by the American pictures, among them a William Guy Wall of the Hudson River. Cape Ann is represented by Gruppe, Strisik and C.A. Winter in a Newcomb frame.

“The Art Deco items are really sharp and the painting from Donald Deskey’s home in Manhattan is a pleasure to represent. We are expecting a good turnout and the sale has already garnered high interest, ” said Loew.

The auction will be held at the Elm Bank, Mass., Horticultural Society, 900 Washington St. (Route 16) in Wellesley, Mass., at noon Eastern on Saturday, Oct. 23. The preview is Oct. 22, beginning at noon.

For details check the Web site www.loewdemers.com or call 888-878-1828.

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

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

A.T. Bricher (American, 1837-1908), oil on canvas, ‘The Coast of Maine,’ 15 inches by 33 inches, in original gilt frame, est. $150,000-$250,000. Image courtesy Loew-Demers Auctions.

Jean Leclerc (French, 1586-1633), oil on canvas, ‘L’adoration des Bergers,’ 54 inches by 71 inches, est. $150,000-$250,000. Image courtesy Loew-Demers Auctions.

Jean Pascaud (French 1903-1996) Art Deco cabinet, 42 inches high, 60 inches wide, 18 1/4 inches deep, est. $20,000-$30,000. Image courtesy Loew-Demers Auctions.

Early Quing Dynasty pink ground Famille Rose covered jar, 7 1/4 inches by 8 1/4 inches, est. $2,000-$3,000. Image courtesy Loew-Demers Auctions.

Knowing the market is key to handling antique autos

This 1911 Selden Model 40R Varsity Roadster is one of just six known surviving cars from the Buffalo, N.Y., automaker. RM Auctions sold the restored classic in October 2007 for $200,000. Image courtesy of RM Auctions and LiveAuctioneers archive.

HERSHEY, Pa. (AP) – Sure, you could put your life savings into stock and bonds, mutual markets and 401(k)s. But wouldn’t it be cooler to sink that money into a flashy 1937 Packard 120 Convertible Coupe?

Or, if you’re looking for something a little more practical – from a driving or budget standpoint – what about a 1953 MG TD Roadster, ivory white with flared fenders?

And on the upside, the appreciation on the Packard coupe could beat the return on the market.

While most collectors at the annual Vintage Motor Cars of Hershey auction Thursday and Friday will be there for love – or lust – a few may have a more calculating outlook. As volatility in stock markets drives up prices on gold and other “tangibles,” the argument is being made that that’31 Ford Model A Phaeton may not be such a mid-life crisis purchase after all – it could be a good investment.

Collectors and auctioneers say that could be especially true with the brass and classic-era cars.

The auction is part of the larger Eastern Division of the Antique Automobile Club of America meeting that began Wednesday.

The club meeting, which is open to the public and features more than 1,200 show cars, runs through Friday in the parking lots surrounding the Giant Center in Derry Township.

An auction earlier this year in Monterey, Calif., set a record when the cars on sale fetched more than $67.5 million. Fourteen cars at that show sold for more than $1 million apiece. And according to Hagerty’s Cars That Matter Blue Chip Index, the average price of the 25 most sought-after cars has increased almost 33 percent over the last four years.

That indicates the purchase of a 1959 BMW 507 a few years ago would have been a very wise investment. Its price, according to the index, reached $800,000 earlier this year, up from $465,000 in 2006.

“People do choose to invest in cars,” said Ian Kelleher, chief operating officer of RM Auctions, which operates the Hershey auction. “You can certainly look at some cars and see how they have appreciated over the years.”

Now, as much as the company would love to get a new collector into that classic Pontiac Cabriolet for $60,000, Kelleher admits the hobby isn’t for everyone. Collectors have to do their homework and have to know their cars. And a healthy love of the automobile doesn’t hurt either.

Kelleher said that’s the prime ingredient.

Just ask Gregory Tocket. Inside his Harrisburg-area garage are works of art – about 10 of them in all. The cool, black-painted figure of a wooden carriage, set off by a thin red line that clings and accentuates the subtle curves like a slim red dress.

The golden brass settings and fixtures that provide contrast and simple elegance to a one-cylinder engine bolted onto an old iron frame.

For a garage where the average age is pushing 105, it’s a rare gathering of beauties.

Tocket is the owner of Stoneaire Inc., a company that restores and sells brass-era Cadillacs. Retired from the corporate world, he now spends his days turning a wrench in the garage.

“It’s just fun doing it,” Tocket said. “It’s a wonder my wife will put up with me. … I can do this 10, 12 hours a day.”

On a recent day, he and another retired friend, John Hershey, were putting the finishing touches on several cars destined for the upcoming auction.

The Hershey event, Tocket said, is the big one on everyone’s calendar.

“You don’t get rid of stuff at Hershey – boy, you’ll be eating peanut butter through January and February,” he joked.

He said the auction, which will feature a sizable group of turn-of-the-last-century vehicles, should be a good test of the market.

“The value, I think has even gone up. Brass cars in general are not like the muscle cars, which bubbled out,” he said. “The brass cars and the classic cars, are like blue chip kind of cars. … There’s cars in here you couldn’t look anywhere and find.”

Tocket said he expects 250,000 people to roll through the show over the course of the weekend, from all over the world. Some will be literally window gazing. Others may be looking for the final piece in a multimillion-dollar collection.

And while Tocket said he expects the show’s darling – a 1929 Duesenberg Model J Coupe – to turn heads, his eyes are on an earlier Packard that he thinks will be the real star of the show.

Of course, he said, he’s a little biased. He only really deals with 1910 and older models – the vehicles that started it all. “I kept getting older and older, and now I can’t go any older,” he said with a laugh. “That’s my problem.”

But that rarity that makes finding those early chassis hard is what keeps prices up. The rarer a car, generally the more it’s worth.

There’s a variety of other elements that also drive a car’s price up or down, and the key, like any other investment, is to know the market and to know the product inside and out. “It’s no guarantee either,” said Kelleher. “It is very much about buying it (for) the right reasons at the right price.”

Love – and lust – are two pretty compelling reasons. After all, the simple curves and sparse beauty of a brass-studded roadster can be hard to walk away from.

Although, they may be hard sells to a personal financial adviser as justification for the $20,000 purchase of a bright blue 1910 E-M-F 30 Speedster.

Even if it is a wicked cool car.

___

Information from: The Patriot-News,

http://www.pennlive.com/patriotnews

AP-ES-10-06-10 1510EDT

Contemporary posters, competitive prices due at Universal Live, Oct. 13

Roy Lichtenstein’s ‘Aspen Jazz’ poster is a screen-print on heavy, glossy white paper. It was published for the 1967 Aspen Jazz Festival. The 40-inch by 26-inch poster has a $8,250-$9,375 estimate. Image courtesy of Universal Live.

NORTHBROOK, Ill. – Contemporary advertising, travels and sports posters will be presented by Universal Live on Wednesday, Oct. 13. LiveAuctioneers will provide Internet live bidding at the online-only auction, which will begin at 3 p.m. Central.

“This will be an opportunity to acquire works by well-know artists at affordable opening bids,” said Martin Shape, auctioneer and co-owner of Universal Live. He said that many works in the sale will likely sell for $100 or less.

Other works, like an original Roy Lichtenstein serigraph poster for the 1967 Aspen Jazz Festival, carries an estimate in the high four figures.

Other highlights are original posters featuring works by Marc Chagall, Andy Warhol and Picasso.

The auction will also include rare posters from Willi’s Wine Bar in Paris, 1982 World Cup Soccer from Spain, the entire collection of Roland Garros tennis posters and vintage car posters.

Vintage travel posters are led by a Kees van Dongen lithograph published by Mourlot titled Normandie-Deauville, Le Bar du Soleil. The estimate of $450-$625 reflects its heavily worn condition. The vast majority of posters in the auction, however, are in excellent condition.

For details log on to www.universallive.com or call 847-412-1802.

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

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

Bert Stern’s photograph titled ‘Rhythm’ was used in this original first-edition poster created by Edward Weston for the Los Angeles Art Expo of 1983. The poster measures 28 1/2 inches by 22 1/2 inches, is in near mint condition and has a $450-$625 estimate. Image courtesy of Universal Live.

Andy Warhol created the serigraph titled ‘Lincoln Center Ticket’ for the New York Film Festival in 1967. The poster, from an edition of 500, carries a $3,850-$4,375 estimate. Image courtesy of Universal Live.

This vintage lithographic reproduction of George Hamel’s ‘Monaco Grand Prix 1936’ was printed in France on Velin paper. In mint condition, the 39 1/2-inch by 26 3/4-inch poster has a $150-$225 estimate. Image courtesy of Universal Live.

‘Die Zauberflote,’ ‘The Magic Flute,’ is an original lithograph by Marc Chagall for the Metropolitan Opera in New York in 1966. Published by Mourlot in France, the 40-inch by 26-inch poster in near mint condition has a $6,050-$6,875 estimate. Image courtesy of Universal Live.

Magic’s great secrets to be revealed at Potter & Potter auction Oct. 23

Kolma's Chinese mask, robe, costume and accessories comprise lot 257, which has a $4,000-$6,000 estimate. Michael Bornstein donned the mask and accompanying full-length robe, pants, tasseled hat and slippers, transforming him into his performing persona, the Chinese magician Kolma. Image courtesy of Potter & Potter Auctions.

CHICAGO – Potter & Potter Auctions Inc. will conduct an auction of the magic collection of legendary card magician Herb Zarrow on Saturday, Oct. 23 beginning at 10 a.m. Central. LiveAuctioneers will provide Internet live bidding.

The sale will also feature rarities from the collections of Paul Fox and Dai Vernon, and a host of rarities from other consignors.   Zarrow’s collection was composed primarily of rare and collectible books, but included posters, apparatus and ephemera, as well. The Paul Fox material includes many of the props this legendary magician used in his performances, his dress tuxedo – specially tailored for various magic effects – and numerous association items. Among the Dai Vernon items in the auction are original artwork by “The Professor,” photographs and personal ephemera.

This auction will be conducted in two sessions at the firm’s Chicago gallery at 3729 N. Ravenswood Ave. The morning session will feature the Zarrow collection, which includes a massive working library of texts in nearly every branch of magic, from close-up tricks and card magic to illusions and biography. The library includes many rare and out-of-print books and a cache of signed and inscribed volumes.

Other highlights from Zarrow’s holdings include a rare mask, hand-crafted by Jeanne Verner, the wife of Dai Vernon, for Mike Bornstein and accompanied by the elaborate costume Bornstein wore when performing under his stage name, Kolma. Also featured is an unusual Doll House illusion designed by New Jersey magician Don Rose; ephemera and photographs of many of New York’s best-known sleight-of-hand magicians; files of rare periodicals; and sought after books including the influential Magic of Robert Harbin.

The afternoon session will offer items complementing the Zarrow collection with a wide range of rarities, most specifically from the collections of Fox and Vernon. Fox, originally an Ohioan, influenced many of the great magicians of the early 20th century, refining and reshaping their best tricks. He was also an accomplished stage performer. Included in the sale will be many choice association items inscribed to Fox by Cardini, Vernon and Charlie Miller, as well as many of the props used by Fox throughout his career, and his tuxedo.

The Vernon material will include early original artwork he executed as a teenager, a risqué silhouette and his personal memorabilia and photographs. The sale will also feature a selection of choice books, autographs, automatons, and rare posters, making it not only one of Potter & Potter’s largest auctions to date, but also a sale suitable for collectors of virtually all specialties, at every level.

The auction will also include several rare Thurston posters, automata and archives of correspondence.

Auction items are available for preview at Potter & Potter’s gallery during the week of Oct. 18 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily.

For details log on to www.potterauctions.com or call 773-472-1442.

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

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

Magician Alan Wakeling (1926-2004) created this lifelike cup and ball magician automaton circa 2000. It is expected to sell for $12,000-$15,000. Image courtesy of Potter & Potter Auctions.

Vignettes from Howard Thurston's magic show are depicted on this circa 1908 three-sheet color lithograph. Linen backed and in good condition, the poster has a $9,000-$11,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Potter & Potter Auctions. — Vignettes from Howard Thurston’s magic show are depicted on this circa 1908 three-sheet color lithograph. Linen backed and in good condition, the poster has a $9,000-$11,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Potter & Potter Auctions.

A young Howard Thurston is pictured on this three-sheet color lithograph that bears both his and Harry Kellar’s names. The poster dates to the 1907/08 theatrical season, at the end of which Thurston assumed Kellar’s mantle of magic. The rare poster has an $8,000-$10,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Potter & Potter Auctions.

Thurston the Great Magician asks, ‘Do The Spirits Come Back?’ This scarce three-sheet color lithograph poster circa 1926 has a $6,000-$8,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Potter & Potter Auctions.

Harry Blackstone’s ‘Baffling! World's Greatest Magician’ one-sheet poster dates to the early 1930s. Featuring Blackstone’s portrait overlooking a snake charmer and devils, the poster has a $400-$600 estimate. Image courtesy of Potter & Potter Auctions. — Harry Blackstone’s ‘Baffling! World’s Greatest Magician’ one-sheet poster dates to the early 1930s. Featuring Blackstone’s portrait overlooking a snake charmer and devils, the poster has a $400-$600 estimate. Image courtesy of Potter & Potter Auctions.

Pottery, paintings, ex-museum pieces headline Case’s auction Oct. 16

A slip and copper oxide decorated redware jar, stamped ‘C.A. Haun’ (Christopher Alexander Haun, Tennessee 1821-1861), is one of the star pottery offerings (est. $28,000-$32,000). Image courtesy of Case Antiques.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Southern pottery, American paintings, and several former museum pieces will be among the lots to watch at the Fall Case Antiques Auction, to be held Oct. 16 at the company’s gallery in Knoxville. LiveAuctioneers will provide Internet live bidding.

Southern pottery is a specialty at Case. This time, one of the outstanding lots is a vividly decorated East Tennessee redware jar bearing the mark of legendary potter Christopher Alexander Haun (1821-1861).

“What Paul Revere was to 18th-century America – a superb artisan and a patriot – Haun was to Tennessee in the Civil War,” said company president John Case. “He was a Union supporter, and helped burn an important railroad bridge in Green County to disrupt the Confederate supply line. Rebel forces captured him soon afterward and hanged him. Haun was only 40 when he died, so we don’t see many of his pieces come on the market.”

Also included in the sale is an exceptionally early Kentucky decorated stoneware churn, stamped “I. Thomas/Kentucky” and dated “1836,” an early Alabama brown alkaline glazed 5-gallon jar and a large Tennessee jar by T.W. Craven. Sizeable collections of Georgia folk pottery and Amphora art pottery will be sold as well.

A watercolor by Maurice Prendergast (1858-1924), recently discovered in East Tennessee, is among the art highlights. It depicts a shoreline, likely the North Shore of Massachusetts, with seagulls in flight over a rock jetty. A large landscape by William Frerichs (American, 1829-1905), who was affiliated with the Hudson River School of painting in New York before turning his attention to Southern scenes, is also expected to attract attention, as is a still life with fruit by George Cope (American, 1855-1929), and a rare 19th-century portrait of Seminole Indian leader Osceola.

Twentieth-century art includes a numbered colored paper image by Ellsworth Kelly (b. 1923), a chrome-plated sculpture by Max Bill (Swiss, 1908-1994), a haunting oil on canvas of two young girls by a pool by Bo Bartlett (Georgia, b. 1955), a lithograph titled Monumental by Marc Chagall (1887-1985) and an etching/serigraph by African American printmaker Emma Amos (Georgia, b. 1938).

There are dozens of late 19th- and early 20th-century works by regional artists including an early portrait of a little girl by premier Tennessee portrait artist Samuel Shaver (1816-1878) and a large landscape by Lloyd Branson (1853-1925).

Listed European artists represented in the sale include Edmund Adler (Austrian,1876-1965), Ronald Ossory Dunlop (Irish, 1894-1973), Vincent Jean Baptiste Chevilliard (French, 1841-1904), and sculptor Joseph Pollet (French, 1815-1870). A collection of American portraits from the estate of late Nashville art conservator Dee Minault is also featured, including a finely executed painting of gentleman, possibly Massachusetts Judge Thomas Kinnicut, formerly from the collection of the Worcester Art Museum.

Among the sale’s most colorful lots are more than 40 Mexican folk art masks, deaccessioned from the Knoxville Museum of Art to benefit its acquisitions fund. The ceremonial masks, exhibited several years ago before going into storage, depict various human and animal forms. Also deaccessioned from the KMA are several pieces of labeled bentwood furniture from makers such as Thonet and Kohn.

Other furniture offerings include a Rococo Revival half tester bed, stamped C. Lee (for Charles Lee, a Massachusetts maker who supplied high style beds to the Southern market). The bed, which was exhibited for several years in the Presidential Bedroom at Historic Belle Meade Plantation in Nashville, is one of about a dozen lots of antiques being deaccessioned by that institution to benefit the restoration of the collection. A Middle Tennessee biscuit table, also deaccessioned by Belle Meade, is another rare find, as is a possibly Southern Masonic tall case clock, a giltwood tabernacle with Hebrew inscription, and a folky Classical carved chest with inset eglomise panels. A Middle Tennessee wardrobe and a few handful of smaller pieces from the collection of Nathan Harsh, co-author of The Art and Mystery of Tennessee Furniture, plus numerous other Southern, American and European pieces, round out the furniture offerings.

The sale includes an impressive offering of Southwestern and Native American material, much of it from a single private 30-year collection. Featured are several lots of Acoma, Santa Clara and San Ildefonso pottery, by makers such as Tony Da, Blue Corn, Lucy Lewis and Dora Tse-Pe, baskets, textiles, and a painting by Helen Hardin (1943-1984).

Textile lovers will find many interesting pieces, from American and English samplers to a number of Tennessee quilts. There are nearly 100 lots of sterling silver, and several pieces of coin silver from Tennessee and other Southern makers, an early 20th-century gold Cartier pendant watch and other estate jewelry, and a collection of Victorian hair/mourning jewelry that features a rare hair scrapbook.

Rounding out the sale is a large and elaborate artist-signed Royal Vienna urn, a Pairpont puffy lamp, Argand lamps and other early lighting, Civil War weapons and currency, as well as a 1924 World Series Washington Senators Scorecard, with signatures including Walter Johnson, Tom Zachary, Curly Ogden, Joe Judge, Stanley Harris, Sam Rice, Goose Goslin and Ralph J. Miller.

The auction will be held at Case’s gallery in the historic Cherokee Mills Building, 2240 Sutherland Ave. The sale will begin at 9:30 a.m. Eastern. A preview will take place on Friday, Oct. 15, from noon to 6 p.m. Eastern.

For details log on to www.caseantiques.com or call the gallery in Knoxville at (865) 558-3033 or the Nashville office at (615) 812-6096.

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

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

A still life by George Cope (American, 1855-1929) is one of several pieces of 19th-century American art featured in the sale. (Est. $3,500-$4,500). Image courtesy of Case Antiques.

A contemporary oil on canvas depicting two girls by a pool, by Georgia artist James William ‘Bo’ Bartlett, is estimated at $3,000-$3,500. Image courtesy of Case Antiques.

A Renaissance Revival dining table and 14 chairs was originally purchased by C.J. McClung, one of Knoxville's ‘merchant princes.’ With eight leaves, the table extents to 16 feet. (Est. $4,500-$5,500). Image courtesy of Case Antiques. — A Renaissance Revival dining table and 14 chairs was originally purchased by C.J. McClung, one of Knoxville’s ‘merchant princes.’ With eight leaves, the table extents to 16 feet. (Est. $4,500-$5,500). Image courtesy of Case Antiques.

A rare 19th-century painted image of Seminole Indian leader Osceola is expected to bring $3,500-$4,500. Image courtesy of Case Antiques.

Late collector’s French, German dolls destined for new homes Oct. 23

French 21-inch doll by Unis, jointed, with composition body and bisque head. Image courtesy of Browne Auction Specialists.

BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. – A nice single-owner collection of over 125 rare and vintage dolls – nearly all of them made in France and Germany between the late 19th and early 20th centuries – will be sold at auction Saturday, Oct. 23, by Browne Auction Specialists at the American Legion Hall in Blue Springs, just outside Kansas City. The sale will begin at 1 p.m.

Online bidding will be facilitated by LiveAuctioneers.com.

The collector died a year ago and her identity will not be revealed for security reasons until the day before the sale, per the wishes of her family. “But if we were able to give her name, it would be recognizable to people in the doll collecting community; that’s how highly regarded she was,” said Ron Browne of Browne Auction Specialists. “This is a rare opportunity to acquire some great dolls.”

The collection was amassed between 1970 and 1990 and includes manufacturers such as Armand Marseille, Borgfeldt, Heinrich Handwerck, Hertel Schwab & Co., J.D. Kestner, Heubach, Simon & Halbig, SFBJ, Cuno and Otto Dressel, Kuhnlenz, Bahr & Proschild, Unis and others. In addition, several Kewpie dolls made in America will be offered as a single lot.

Phone and absentee bids will also be accepted. Previews will be held on Friday, Oct. 22, from noon to 5 p.m., and on Saturday, Oct. 23, the date of sale, from 9 a.m. until the first gavel comes down at 1 p.m. Lunch will be provided on auction day.

Quite possibly the most plentiful dolls in the sale will be those made by the German manufacturer Armand Marseille, one of the world’s largest and best-known producers of bisque doll heads. The firm started in the mid-1890s and between 1900 and 1930 they reportedly made 1,000 bisque head dolls a day. The popular 370 and 390 molds will be featured in the sale.

Hertel, Schwab & Co. is another German manufacturer from the period that will be represented in the auction. Some of their dolls were made just for the American market (like Bye-Lo Baby for George Borgfelt, Our Baby and Our Fairy for Louis Wolf & Company and Jubilee Dolls for Strobel & Wilken. They also made bisque heads for other German doll firms.

The aforementioned George Borgfelt was based in New York City and was an importer and assembler of dolls for the American and Canadian doll markets. They were not doll makers themselves, but did hold distribution rights to many dolls from European manufacturers. Some, like the nice 25-inch bisque head doll with blue sleep eyes in the sale, are marked “GB.”

The Dressel family toy and doll business in Sonnenberg, Germany, operated for a long time and passed from one generation to then next before finally becoming known as the Cuno & Otto Dressel Factory in 1873. They purchased bisque doll heads from several manufacturers. An example in the Oct. 23 auction is a 17-inch doll with a kid body, bisque head and big sleep eyes.

Heinrich Handwerk dolls were produced in Germany from 1876 until the company was bought in 1902, by Kammer & Reinhardt. They were best known for their bebe dolly-faced bisque heads, child dolls and babies, but they also made celluloid dolls, too. Featured in the auction will be lovely 24-inch and 26-inch dolls with composition bodies and bisque heads.

J.D. Kestner, also from Germany, began making papier-mâché and wooden dolls as early as 1820. The firm became such a major employer in the region it became known as King Kestner. Many examples of Kestner dolls will cross the block Oct. 23, most of them ranging in size from 24 inches to 36 inches and featuring composition or kid bodies, bisque heads and sleep eyes.

SFBJ stands for Societe Francaise de Fabrication de Bebe & Jouets and represents a renowned French doll dynasty consisting of Pierre Francois Jumeau, his original collaborator (a man named Belton), Jumeau’s son Emile and the bisque head supplier Eugene Barrois. Their earlier dolls were considered works of art. A 12-inch SFBJ doll will be featured in the auction.

Simon & Halbig (S&H), founded in Germany in 1839, began making dolls in 1869 at two factories and became known for their fine bisque doll heads and innovations in the doll industry. They also supplied doll heads to other well-known manufacturers. The firm was sold in 1920 to Kammer & Reinhardt. Bidders will have a nice selection of S&H dolls to choose from.

Bahr & Proschild began in 1871 as a porcelain and doll factory and quickly earned a reputation as a maker of high-quality dolls. They discontinued operating around 1919 when they were acquired by the Bruno Schmidt Doll Co. Most Bahr & Proschild dolls are 7-24 inches in height. One in the sale is am 18-inch bisque head doll with bent limbs.

Hertwig & Co. manufactured porcelain dolls and figurines in Germany from 1864-1941. They are best known for their all-bisque Snow Babies and Nanking Dolls, with bisque heads and limbs and cloth cotton-stuffed bodies. Also, exclusive to the American market were the Pet Name china head dolls, several examples of which will cross the block on Oct. 23.

The Heubach family of Germany operated a long-standing porcelain business before getting into dolls in 1910. They made character bisque socket or shoulder head dolls, either molded hair or wigged, with sleep eyes or their famous painted intaglio eyes. In the sale will be a 9 1/2-inch Gebruder Heubach doll with composition body, bisque head and molded blond hair.

Other manufacturers that will be represented in the auction include Theodor Recknagel, Porzellanfabrik Mengersgereuth, Schoenaw & Hoffmeister, Hamburger & Co., Rheinische Gummi und Delloid Fabrik Co., Gerbruder Kuhnlenz and C.M. Bergman-Wafterhausen. Browne Auction Specialists LLC has been selling items at auction for over 30 years. The company is headquartered in Tulsa, Okla.

For details log on to www.browneauctions.com or phone (918) 629-3739.

ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE

Ten-inch Armand Marseille doll with composition body, bisque head and sleep eyes. Image courtesy of Browne Auction Specialists.

German 9-inch Armand Marseille “Just Me” doll with closed mouth and bisque head. Image courtesy of Browne Auction Specialists.

Gorgeous 12-inch SFBJ French doll with composition body and bisque head. Image courtesy of Browne Auction Specialists.

Large J.D. Kestner 34-inch German doll with composition body, bisque head, jointed legs. Image courtesy of Browne Auction Specialists.

One lot comprising three Rose O'Neill Kewpie dolls (3-6 inches tall) with original labels. Image courtesy of Browne Auction Specialists. — One lot comprising three Rose O’Neill Kewpie dolls (3-6 inches tall) with original labels. Image courtesy of Browne Auction Specialists.

Malter Galleries to sell namesake’s ancient art library Oct. 16-17

Sir Arthur Evans’ ‘The Palace of Minos,’ Volumes I, II, III, IV & Index, contains many foldout charts, maps and diagrams. This well-preserved complete first edition is expected to sell for $6,500-$8,125. Image courtesy of Malter Galleries Inc.

ENCINO, Calif. – The extensive library of the late rare coin dealer Joel L. Malter will be sold Oct. 16-17 by Malter Galleries Inc., the family company founded by the former high school history teacher more than 50 years ago.

Saturday’s auction will begin at 10 a.m. Pacific. Selling will resume Sunday at 11 a.m. Pacific. LiveAuctioneers will provide Internet live bidding.

“This is a very special collection of books on ancient art and architecture of civilizations that have been extinct for hundreds of years,” said Malter Galleries President Michael G. Malter, whose father carefully collected and used the books in his work. “There’s not a huge segment of the pubic that will be interested in these specialized books, but they are highly valued by those individuals interested in this specific subject matter.”

The auction includes 1,653 lots of books and related literature and concludes with a fabulous 6-foot-tall wooden coin cabinet and an oil painting from the circle of Salomon Konick (1609-1659) titled Merchants Counting Money. The books are mostly out of print and in top quality, many with museum quality bindings. Many of the books and sets of books are rare and highly desirable.

Malter describes the contents of the auction as “one of the best privately owned libraries of its type anywhere in the world.”

Michael Malter said that it was a family decision to put the ancient art books on the auction block at this time. His father decided to sell his collection of numismatic books at auction shortly before his death in 2006. The ancient art books represent the second and final sale of Joel Malter’s library.

Malter Galleries is one of the oldest and leading auction firms in the world dealing in ancient coins, antiquities and related collectibles and books.

For details visit www.maltergalleries.com or phone 818-784-7772.

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

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

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