Signed 1996 ‘Dick Tracy’ sculpture by Crash, silkscreen on metal, artist proof, 28 by 28 1/4 paper size, estimate: $8,250-$9,375. Image courtesy of Universal Live.
NORTHBROOK, Ill. – Universal Live will conduct an auction of great art posters, museum exhibition posters and signed art on Thursday, May 27, at 3 p.m. Central. LiveAuctioneers will provide Internet live bidding.
Universal Live is auctioning more than 350 items from Rare Posters Ltd., which contains posters and art. Rare Posters Ltd. has been a wholesaler/distributor for more than 20 years. They have tailored one of the most comprehensive collections of fine art, museum and exhibitor posters in the art business.
The auction will feature many great artists with names such as: Picasso, Dali, Andy Warhol, Robert Indiana, Jim Dine, Chagall, Cezanne, Miro, Altman, Lichtenstein, Koons, Calder, Matisse, Van Gogh, Baskin, Rosenquist, Chisto, Rauschenberg, Vasarely, Hockney, Stella, Renoir, Buffet, Cocteau, Cutrone, Peter Max, Dali, Mucha, Larry Rivers, Kostabi, Tapies, Keith Harring, Wesselmann, Braque, Oldenburg, Burton Morris, Gainsborough and many others.
Martin Shape, president of Universal described three unusual pieces of art in this auction as follows:
Dick Tracy by Crash, lot 8800117, is numbered 1/3 trial proofs for a print or poster that was never produced and therefore is rare. Crash, whose name was John Matos, worked with Andy Warhol and Patrone. This was meant to be a revival of Pop Art.
Alex Katz’s The Striped Shirt, lot 8800051, is a color aquatint done in 1980. Most aquatints are small in size, but this one, a vertical, measures 22 inches by 46 inches, which is almost life-size.
Picasso’s Portrait of Maya, lot 8800016, is a printer’s proof depicting Picasso’s granddaughter. The edition was a numbered to 50 but there are only five proofs known.
“It’s a great buying opportunity for entry level collectors, galleries and art buffs. There are several items never auctioned before and this auction offers something for everyone, from the masters to pop art and opening bids for every budget – $75-$7,500,” said Shape.
Van Gogh portrait Mourlot lithograph, 29 1/2 by 21 1/2 paper size, initialed FM (Fernand Mourlot) in pencil, estimate: $1,875-$2,250. Image courtesy of Universal Live. Signed 1980 ‘The Striped Shirt’ by Alex Katz, color aquatint etching, 41 inches by 21 inches paper size, estimate: $5,500-$6,250. Image courtesy of Universal Live. Picasso, ‘Portrait of Maya,’ lithograph, 1965, unsigned, 34 inches by 24 inches, estimate: $8,250-$9,377. Image courtesy of Universal Live. Signed Alexander Calder ‘Circus Riders (1975) for Amnesty International,’ offset lithograph, 29 3/4 inches by 23 inches paper size, estimate: $3,125-$3,750. Image courtesy of Universal Live.
It took $19,000 to buy this Hubley toy calliope at an RSL auction in Oldwick, N.J. It is in mint condition and has the original box, which adds to the value. Circus toys remain very popular.
Children love the circus, so what better toy than a model circus parade. In the late 19th century, cages of animals were drawn by horses through the main part of town to announce that the circus had arrived and to stage some shows. People along the parade route saw horse-drawn cages, elephants marching in a row, aerialists, clowns and other acts. Circus parades also featured music, spangled costumes and extravagantly decorated cages and wagons. The parade was a major event in town and became a preshow tradition. By the 20th century, circuses had to compete with radio, then television, and new ways to advertise were used. But in the early 1960s, the circus parade returned and can still be seen in some cities. So, 21st-century children understand the circus toys of the past. Toy replicas of circus wagons, animals and performers were made by many toy companies, including Schoenhut, Kenton Hardware, Arcade, Kingsbury and Hubley. The Hubley circus, made from 1906 to 1919, even had an iron “Royal Circus” calliope wagon that carried a music-making machine. It came in several sizes. In October a 16-inch-long calliope with horses, in mint condition with the box, was offered for sale. The original price in 1915 was $5.98. It auctioned for $19,000.
Q: I bought a Goebel Beatles figurine from a friend several years ago and am looking for something to compare it to. It is marked “Bull 307” and has a three-line Goebel mark. Others I have seen are painted; this one is all white. Can you help with any information?
A: A set of Beatles figurines inspired by the animated movie Yellow Submarine was issued in 1968 by the Goebel Porcelain Co. of Germany, famous for its Hummel figurines. It is thought that Goebel had trouble with the colors its artists were using and stopped production after about 100 sets were made. Some of the sets were given away and the rest were never released for sale, making them the rarest of all Beatles memorabilia. A few sets have sold at auction for between $15,000 (in 2000) and $18,000 (in 2002). Single figurines of Ringo Starr and George Harrison have sold for $800 to $2,700. Goebel reissued the Beatles figurines in a limited edition of 1,968 sets to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the release of the movie. They are identical to the originals and come in a display box with stand. They sell for about $1,000 a set.
Q: I have some ceramic molds that look like my modern tin Jell-O molds. When did they start making Jell-O?
A: Your early ceramic molds were used for gelatin desserts or salads. Beginning in the 14th century, molds were served at elaborate parties. Most popular were those with chopped cooked meat, cream, spices and sugar. The gelatin, a form of animal collagen, was made by boiling animal skin, bones, even cattle hooves and other animal tissues. It was a time-consuming project. Then either sweet foods like fruit were added to make a dessert, or meat, poultry or fish were cooked and added to make a salad or first course. In 1845 the process became easier because a gelatin was made to be sold in stores. Charles Knox developed granulated gelatin in 1894, and in 1897 Jell-O was created. Victorians thought elaborate molds should be served at every dinner party. Molds made of metal, particularly copper, were used. Molded foods went out of style in the first half of the 20th century, but in the 1950s molds came back. Layers of colored Jell-O or salads made with lime or lemon Jell-O and shredded cabbage were perfect for buffet dinners, the newest way to entertain. Old and new molds are still easy to find and use.
Q: I was told there was a solar lamp in the 18th century. Did it really run on sunlight?
A: The solar lamp was invented in the 1840s, but it was not like what we call a solar lamp today. The 19th-century solar lamp burned whale oil, olive oil or, most commonly, lard. It had a unique burner and a reflector that sent a draft against the flame, which made a narrow, very bright flame. There were English deflectors similar to solar lamp deflectors, so some think the solar lamp was invented by the English. But in the United States, solar lamps were made by Cornelius & Co. and Archer, Warner, Miskey and Co., both Philadelphia firms that operated from the 1840s to the 1860s. Solar lamps were being sold in Canada by 1847.
Q: My oak rocking chair was purchased at an estate sale in 1956. The label on the bottom says “Taylor’s Comfortable Rockers, Rocker Specialists, The Taylor Chair Co., Bedford, Ohio.” What can you tell me about this company?
A: The Taylor Chair Co. is said to be the oldest furniture maker in the Unites States. It traces its origins to 1816, when Benjamin Fitch began making chairs in Bedford, Ohio. His son-in-law, William O. Taylor, began managing the business in the 1840s. The name of the company was changed to the Taylor Chair Co. in 1885. The firm manufactured more than 100 different styles of chairs in the early 1900s. Tables, sofas and other types of furniture were added to the company’s production lines in the 1950s and ’60s. The company still is in business in Bedford.
Tip: Washing your hands is good for your health and that of your collections. Grease and dirt can stain pieces and permanently lower their value. You can’t always wash your hands in the middle of a flea market, but you can take wipes along to use.
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.
Tin coffee urn, brass spigot and feet, oval, applied loop handles, interior strainer, soldered joints, heart and geometric reticulated base, hinged door at lower back, 19th century, 16 inches, $68.
J.D. Kestner character boy doll, bisque head, sleep eyes, open mouth showing teeth, brown mohair wig, composition body, 14 1/2 inches, $205.
1950s cocktail dress, red nylon, red acetate underskirt, pleating at waist, V-neck, Fred Perlberg tag, size small, $335.
Continental pine lavabo, cream paint, tapering cistern with shaped side enclosures, zinc-lined basin, bow-front panel door, bracket base, 1840s, 60 x 18 1/2 x 19 1/2 inches, $560.
Hand-woven wool tapestry, urn overflowing with fruit and flowers, landscape, bird perched on tree, cotton backing, 1940s, 68 x 91 inches, $570.
Columbia Five Star Cruiser bicycle, boy’s model, green and cream, leather saddle seat, rear carrier, front fender lamp, whitewall balloon tires, 1950s, $765.
Salesman sample coffin, grain-painted rosewood, removable panel covering glass viewing window, pillow and pad, circa 1900, 2 1/4 x 8 inches, $880.
Melox dog food sign, embossed, butcher and policeman chasing two dogs down street, one with bag of food in mouth, 10 x 19 inches, $2,035.
River Swamp Chill and Fever Cure bottle, yellow amber, tooled lip, Augusta, Ga., 1885-95, 6 3/8 inches, $3,000.
Liverpool creamware pitcher, privateer ship Bellona, eagle with banner on other side, cream ground with black transfer, inaugural voyage, Oct. 10, 1781, 8 3/4 inches, $5,750.
The best book to own if you want to buy, sell or collect. The new full-color “Kovels’ Antiques & Collectibles Price Guide, 2010,” 42nd edition, is your most accurate source for current prices. This large-size paperback has more than 2,500 color photographs and 47,000 up-to-date prices for more than 700 categories of antiques and collectibles. You’ll also find hundreds of factory histories and marks and a report on the record prices of the year, plus helpful sidebars and tips about buying, selling, collecting and preserving your treasures. Available online at Kovelsonlinestore.com; by phone at 800-571-1555; at your bookstore; or send $27.95 plus $4.95 postage to Price Book, Box 22900, Beachwood, OH 44122.
Twenty of these mid-19th century Paris porcelain cabinet plates will be sold on the first day of the auction. Signed ‘Boyer rue de la Paix 2,’ the set of 9 1/2-inch plates has a $3,000-$5,000 estimate. Image courtesy Neal Auction Co.
NEW ORLEANS – American, French and English antiques, Southern paintings, historical material and decorative arts will be sold at Neal Auction Co.’s Late Spring Estates Auction on May 22-23. LiveAuctioneers will provide Internet live bidding both days.
Saturday’s auction, which will consist of 683 lots, will begin at 10 a.m. Central at Neal Auction’s gallery at 4038 Magazine St. Sunday’s session will be conducted at 3923 Carondelet St. beginning at 11 a.m. Central.
Choice items in the auction have been consigned by discerning collectors and fine estates and institutions, including the Grove, the Tallahassee, Fla., home of the early territorial governor Richard Keith Call and of 33rd governor and Mrs. LeRoy Collins. Fine art in the sale is from the collection of Alice Barry, New Orleans and Pass Christian, Miss. Antique furniture and decorations are from the lifetime collection of a noted New Orleans jurist.
Highlights include a French bronze figure titled Pro-Jure: A Gallic Warrior Victorious over the Roman Legion after Emile-Louis Picault (French, 1839-1915). The 34 1/2-inch/tall figure from the late 1800s has a $5,000-$7,000 estimate.
A large – 48 inches by 60 inches – painting of a squire on horseback at a hunt is by Peter Tillemans (Flemish, active England, 1684-1734). Signed “P. Tillemans,” the framed work has a $5,000-$7,000 estimate.
Contemporary art includes an equally large George Rodrigue (American/Louisiana, b. 1944) oil on canvas titled 4 Roses for me Tonight (Flower Child). The signed “Blue Dog” painting, dated 2008 en verso, has a $40,000-$60,000 estimate.
A set of 20 fine Paris porcelain polychrome and stencil-gilt cabinet plates by Boyer has a $3,000-$5,000 estimate. Each plate has finely painted floral bouquets, claret banding with periwinkle floral festoons linking gilt cartouches alternately containing a monogrammed “B” crested by a griffin head with the motto “Gaudeo,” Latin for “to rejoice” or “take pleasure in.” Each colorful plate is 9 1/2 inches in diameter.
An important Yoruba carved and painted wood helmet and body mask were once used in celebration of Gelede, an annual festival honoring “our mothers.” Mounted together on a metal shaft, the ensemble from Nigeria is about 48 inches high and estimated at $5,000-$10,000.
A set of four Chinese carved hardwood panels inset with hand-painted porcelain plaques is from the late 19th or early 20th century. Each panel is relief carved with bamboo, prunus and other flowering branches and vines. The set of panels is more than 5 feet tall and has a $4,000-6,000 estimate.
For details contact Neal Auction Gallery at 800-467-5329
Standing 34 1/2 inches high, this French bronze titled ‘Pro-Jure: A Gallic Warrior Victorious over the Roman Legion’ is expected to sell for $5,000-$7,000. Image courtesy Neal Auction Co. Famille Rose porcelain plaques are mounted on a set of four Chinese carved wood panels from the turn of the 20th century. Each panel is 61 inches high by 17 1/2 inches wide. They carry a $4,000-$6,000 estimate. Image courtesy Neal Auction Co. Carved figures representing snakes, lizards, birds and fish decorate this Yoruba ceremonial helmet and body mask. Joined by a metal skeleton, the ensemble is approximately 48 inches high. It has a $5,000-$10,000 estimate. Image courtesy Neal Auction Co. Peter Tillemans (Flemish, active England, 1684-1734) painted ‘A Squire on Horseback, at the Edge of a Hunt’ on a large canvas. The framed painting is signed and has a $5,000-$7,000 estimate. Image courtesy Neal Auction Co.
Shakespeare brand fishing equipment has been manufactured since 1896. Early advertising like this countertop advertising display is a prize catch. Image courtesy of Burley Auction Group and LiveAuctioneers Archive. ST. CLOUD, Minn. (AP) – Long before Minnesota was christened the Land of 10,000 Lakes, its inhabitants fished its plentiful waterways. Its 5,400 game fish lakes and 15,000 miles of fishable streams and rivers make the state an angler’s dream.
“I have so many good memories of fishing. I really enjoy it,” Al Baert said. “I have grandchildren and great-grandchildren and they like to fish, too.”
Baert, of Sartell, is a lifelong angler and the co-founder of the Minnesota Fishing Museum in Little Falls. He believes fishing is an important part of Minnesota’s history. The thousands of anglers who headed out for this month’s walleye opener would likely agree.
“It’s a part of our heritage,” Baert said.
In many Minnesota families, the fishing tradition has been lovingly handed down from one generation to the next. Favorite fishing stories become family folklore. Sweet spots are carefully guarded secrets.
And then there’s the gear: Grandpa’s old tackle box and handmade lures all have tales to tell. Those stories of family, friends and the chase fill the Minnesota Fishing Museum in Little Falls.
Baert and Morry Sauve of St. Cloud created the museum in 1998.
“The idea was to preserve the heritage of fishing by centering the collections around people,” Baert said. “Everything you see in the museum has a story.”
The facility has more than 100 displays, each commemorating a local angler or fishing tradition. There are rods and reels, boats and motors, anchors and other fishing paraphernalia. Almost all show signs of many seasons of use on Minnesota waters.
“Fishing is universal to most Minnesotans, so the founders felt the artifacts of fishing should be available to everyone,” museum director Mavis Buker said.
One of the oldest items in the museum is a 1902 electric boat motor, which also speaks to the esteem with which hitting the water has always been kept.
“Think about it: This was in 1902 when women were beating rugs, handwashing their laundry and cooking over a wood stove and he’s out on the lake fishing with an electric trolling motor,” Buker said. “One visitor told me she was lucky. If he didn’t have that motor she would have been rowing the boat, too.”
There are also thousands of flies and lures in every color and shape, including a few mermaid lures that must have raised a few eyebrows in their time. The oldest lure on display is an 1895 Hastings Frog that Baert donated. Eventually, the museum hopes to display a sample of every Minnesota luremaker’s work.
The passion for fishing inspired a number of inventions that have found a home at the museum.
There’s the folding ice stick that Al Seviola designed after his son stabbed himself in the foot with one. There’s The Bat lure designed by Pierz native Earl Bayerl.
A place of honor is reserved for the museum’s refurbished Plaziak boat.
The Plaziak was built by six brothers – Lawrence, Frank, John, Felix, Ben and Andrew Plaziak – farmers who filled their winter months building aluminum boats. They manufactured and sold 230 of them from 1950-1958 when the advent of fiberglass boats made their design obsolete.
The Plaziak boat and its accompanying Johnson motor was restored by Bruce Reischl of Sauk Rapids. The owner of Bruce’s Outboard Shop and a member of the Antique Outboard Club, Reischl had a chance to talk to the last two Plaziak brothers and copy some of their photos and papers for the museum.
“I was just trying to save the history,” Reischl said. “I decided the Minnesota Fishing Museum needed a Minnesota-built boat.”
Reischl has also restored more than 100 motors. And he tackled the restoration of an old Cokato boat, which he found chopped into three pieces at an antique sale. There were only 50 Cokato boats made, so Reischl knew it was worth preserving. He spent three months stripping the old paint, cutting cedar to replace missing pieces and applying coats of epoxy and resin.
When he’s not working on motors or rescuing old boats, Reischl spends a lot of time fishing with his wife, MaryAnn.
“It’s relaxing sitting out on a lake and listening to the loons howl,” Reischl said. “You get away and it doesn’t matter if they’re biting. If you catch a few, that’s a bonus.”
Barry Bayerl of St. Cloud grew up fishing with The Bat lure his father invented.
“That was basically the only fishing lure he let me use,” Bayerl said. “We’d go down to the Platte River or out on the local lakes and do some fishing.”
A World War II fighter pilot, Earl Bayerl had a creative mind and an inquisitive spirit. He crafted his first lure from the spout of an aluminum teapot, continuing to experiment and perfect his design until he patented The Bat in 1954. It had a stingray shape and came in two sizes and four colors “for 24-hour fishing.”
“We’d talk about the use of size and color in different fishing,” Bayerl said. “I remember one time we took a rowboat up to Platte Lake. We made one trip around the lake and caught six northerns on The Bat. Then Dad sold the lure I caught the fish with to an older gentleman for 25 cents. I was quite young, but I still remember that day.”
When his father died in 1987, Barry Bayerl discovered boxes and boxes of the lures and prototypes, which he donated to the Minnesota Fishing Museum.
Bayerl has made a point of passing along his father’s legacy to his children.
“The younger ones never met him, yet it’s their heritage. It helps them make a connection with someone they never met.”
His 16-year-old son, Grant, just started collecting lures and building his own tackle box, including his own The Bat lure.
Little Falls resident Fred Larson Jr. comes from a long line of relatives who fish. His uncle, Paul Larson, founded the Larson Boat Co. in Little Falls in 1913. His father, Fred Larson Sr., was an avid angler.
“He started me fishing between 2 and 3 years old,” Larson said.
The Larsons fished the lakes and rivers of central Minnesota, focusing on the area north of Little Falls. Occasionally they ventured all the way up to the Arctic Circle. Larson still has a 32 1/2-pound lake trout his father caught mounted on his wall.
“We were primarily walleye fisherman, secondarily lake trout, but we tried all types of fishing,” Larson said. “My dad would fish just about anything that swam, and I’d join him.”
Larson donated a number of his father’s prized possessions to the museum, including a tackle box he won in a national fishing contest in the 1920s. ___
Information from: St. Cloud Times, http://www.sctimes.com
Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Georgia O’Keeffe painted ‘Grey Hills Painted Red, New Mexico’ in 1930.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) – An anonymous donor has surprised a Florida museum with a valuable gift: a Georgia O’Keeffe painting.
Grey Hills Painted Red, New Mexico was hung on a gallery wall at the Museum of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg on Tuesday.
Museum director John Schloder told the St. Petersburg Times a woman called and asked if the museum wanted to see her O’Keeffe painting, and things progressed from there.
The donor doesn’t want to be named, but she told Schloder she loves visiting the museum and wanted it to have her O’Keefe.
The painting from 1930 has been owned by several private collectors. During its distinguished history Grey Hills Painted Red, New Mexico has been shown at the Art Institute of Chicago and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, among other museums.
Schloder said the museum never could have afforded it. O’Keeffe’s paintings from that era have sold in recent years for anywhere from $2 million to $6 million.
It joins two other major paintings by O’Keeffe at the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg: her White Abstraction (Madison Avenue), 1926, and her brilliant Poppy (1927). Both of these works have been part of major exhibitions and have been widely published. Now with Grey Hills Painted Red, New Mexico, the museum has a trio of O’Keeffe paintings from one of the most productive and innovative periods in her career. O’Keeffe also painted the frame. A grouping of such significant O’Keeffe works is a rarity for a Florida museum.
The MFA is located at 255 Beach Drive, on the downtown waterfront. The comprehensive collection of approximately 15,000 objects includes important works by Monet, Gauguin, Renoir, Morisot, Cézanne, Rodin, Bourdelle, Hassam, Henri, Bellows, O’Keeffe and Andrew Wyeth. The museum’s photography holdings are highly regarded. The MFA has been repeatedly named the area’s best museum by Tampa Bay Magazine, Creative Loafing and Tampa Bay metro.
Hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday and 1-5 p.m. Sunday.
Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
AP-ES-05-18-10 1651EDT
ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE
Exhibition tags abound on the back of O’Keeffe’s ‘Grey Hills, Painted Red, New Mexico.’
Arne Jacobsen’s take on the Ox lounge chair came out in 1966. It is expected to bring $20,000-$30,000 at the auction. Image courtesy of Wright.
CHICAGO – Wright has added a new auction that focuses on Scandinavian masterworks. Rare and outstanding works by designers such as Hans Wegner, Finn Juhl, Timo Sarpaneva, Poul Henningsen and Paavo Tynell will be sold May 25 beginning at noon Central at Wright’s saleroom at 1440 W. Hubbard St.
LiveAuctioneers will provide Internet live bidding.
The 263-lot lineup will include seating, tables, storage units, lighting and decorative items including glass, ceramics and metalware.
Hans Wegner, the prolific designer who made mid-century Danish design popular on an international scale, is represented in the auction with several of his classics. Included are a chaise lounge, a pair of Ox armchairs, and a valet chair.
An Ox armchair by Arne Jacobsen, one of Denmark’s most successful architects and furniture designers, is also available along with one of his landmark Egg chairs with ottoman.
A Chieftain chair by Finn Juhl from the first years of production commands a $40,000-$50,000 estimate.
For details visit Wright’s Web sit at wright20.com or call 312-563-0020.
Hans Wegner’s chaise lounge designed in 1958 has a teak frame. On the underside is a signed and applied manufacturer’s label: ‘Johannes Hansen Cabinet Maker / Copenhagen, Denmark / Design: Hans J. Wegner.’ It has a $7,000-$9,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Wright. These Hans Wegner Ox lounge chairs are 38 inches wide by 28 inches deep by 34 inches high. AP Stolen of Denmark began manufacturing the iconic armchairs in 1960. The pair carries a $30,000-$40,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Wright. Hans Wegner’s Valet chair is constructed of teak, oak and brass. The 1953 design, manufactured by Johannes Hansen, Copenhagen, has an $8,000-$10,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Wright. Arne Jacobsen is credited with inventing the Egg chair. Fritz Hansen, Denmark, manufactured this example with ottoman circa 1958. It retains the manufacturer’s decal label on the base. The estimate is $7,000-$9,000. Image courtesy of Wright.
Northwest Coast totem, six feet tall. Image courtesy of Fairfield Auction.
NEWTOWN, Conn. – More than 350 lots, including a large selection of American and European decorative arts, paintings, carpets and tribal art, will cross the block at Fairfield Auction May 23. LiveAuctioneers will provide Internet live bidding.
Previews will be conducted daily leading up to the sale, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Eastern Viewing auction day will begin at 9 a.m. and the auction begins at 11 a.m.
Two large paintings by Cuban/American modernist Julio Larraz lead a varied selection of fine art. The two oversize still lifes are estimated at $20,000-$30,000 each. Other paintings of interest include a large oil by Arbit Blatas, Chez Andre, depicting the artist at a table at the famed Paris eatery as well as a “geometric-constructivist” canvas by Woodstock artist Reginald Wilson titled Woman On Bicycle. Other 20th-century modern offerings include works by Carolyn Haeberlin, Pavel Tchelitchew and Jose Barcelo. Prints by Pablo Picasso, Robert Rauschenberg and Joan Miro will also be sold.
Traditional fine art includes works by Henry Pember Smith, four oils by illustrator Will Simmons, a pair of landscapes by Frank Swift Chase that depict the Firestone Estate in Akron, Ohio, and a boatyard scene by Walter Farndon. Additionally works by Albert Insley, Agnes Millen Richmond, Hubert Vos, Blaikie Hines, Carlos Vazquez y Obeda, Ethel Paxson, Emma Burges and Otto Blum will be sold.
Fine accessories in the sale lineup include a Tiffany double student lamp with vibrant damascene shades, estimated at $8,000-$12,000. A Tiffany Favrile “zipper” vase, a French repeater carriage clock and a stunning Art Nouveau bronze bowl, cast by Gruet after Georges Engrand, should find bidders. A large Meissen figure of a girl with ball and a Vienna bronze whirling dervish, probably by Franz Bergman, should find bidders as well.
A selection of Americana includes a large folio Currier & Ives The Road Winter and a good molded copper cow weathervane. A miniature folk portrait by J.M. Crowley, a painted Shaker oval box and a fine export ship portrait by O-Chi-Yai of Nagasaki, circa 1890, as well as a selection of American firearms and edged weapons will also be sold.
Native American items include a large and impressive Northwest Coast totem, standing 6 feet tall, as well as a grease bowl with effigy handles. A beaded Plains rifle scabbard and child’s bandolier, both 19th century, will also be sold.
A collection of tribal art includes an imposing rifle stock club, 41 inches long, with old color, probably from Samoa. Other early Polynesian weapons including two paddle clubs and another carved with saw teeth will be sold. Additionally carved dancing wands, staffs and headrests from Polynesia will be sold.
Other items of interest include a Saarinen dining set with a 96-inch oval table, a Boucheron silver compact, an 18th century Cuzco school painting of the Christ Child and an impressive map, A Scheme of the Solar System … by John Senex, circa 1712. A rare bound collection of 96 etchings by Maxime Lalanne, Souvenirs Artistiques Au Siege De Paris 1870-1871, published by Cadart et Luce of Paris, will also go under the block.
A group of baseball memorabilia culled from local estates includes a large 1950s Wonder Bread advertising sign featuring Stan Musial. A group of Hartland statues and a charming scrapbook album titled Pirates Win Pennant / 1927 will also be sold. Other collectables being sold include a group of Lionel trains, a 1946 Bowling Girl Coke sign, a Disney animation cel, a selection of Roseville pottery and several Victorian beaded and mesh purses.
The Fairfield Auction gallery is located at 53 Church Hill Road in Newtown. For details e-mail jack@fairfieldauction.com or call Jack DeStories at (203) 364-1555.
Tiffany Studios double student lamp with damascene shades. Image courtesy of Fairfield Auction. Julio Larraz (one of two), 32 inches by 40 inches, oil on canvas. Image courtesy of Fairfield Auction. Eero Saarinen tulip dining table and chairs. Image courtesy of Fairfield Auction. Early Polynesian saw tooth club, 35 inches long, from a collection of weapons, staffs and dance wands. Image courtesy of Fairfield Auction.
CINCINNATI – Cowan’s first American Scene auction features American antiques, decorative art, fine art and folk art from the 18th to the 20th centuries. The auction will take place Saturday, May 22, beginning at 10 a.m. Central in Cowan’s salesroom.
LiveAuctioneers will provide Internet live bidding.
Highlights of the 408-lot sale include WPA paintings by John Stenvall (1907-1998) and Carl Nyquist (1888-1959), a silver presentation pitcher previously owned by the grandfather of Gen. Douglas MacArthur, a girandole convex mirror, a Gee’s Bend quilt, and modern American jewelry.
Congress created the Works Progress Administration in 1935 to provide economic relief for U.S. citizens struggling during the Great Depression. The New Deal era was the first major period of government patronage that would ultimately lead to an extraordinary time for American art. Artists like John Stenvall and Carl Nyquist produced work that emphasized American creativity and values, and these works represent a significant part of our nation’s history.
The American artist John Stenvall has two paintings up for auction. Santa Fe Window, an oil on canvas, is estimated at $10,000-$15,000. Stenvall was a New Deal painter based in Illinois, and this painting is a fine example of his work and emblematic of a style that emerged from his tenure with a WPA project in Chicago. Another Stenvall painting, WPA Veterans Housing Project, is estimated to sell at $4,000-$6,000. This work in the American Regional style depicts the construction of a home for American war veterans.
Carl Nyquist, a WPA artist registered in Tennessee, also has two works up for bid. His painting WPA Scene is expected to inspire keen interest. Estimated to sell between $2,000 and $3,000, the oil on canvas shows four women nursing and caring for their babies. An additional painting by Nyquist is WPA Era Street Scene. Expected to draw between $2,000 and $3,000, this fine work depicts Tennessee cotton pickers. This painting was formerly a mural executed for a post office in Bolivar, Tenn.
A presentation coin silver pitcher previously owned by Arthur MacArthur, the grandfather of World War II Gen. Douglas MacArthur is another item up for bid. Estimated at $2,000-$3,000, this 19th-century presentation pitcher has a spherical form with repoussé and chased leaves, flowers and a center reserve with the engraving.
A Classical giltwood girandole convex mirror is expected to draw $4,000-$6,000. These Federal-style mirrors, often called girandole mirrors, derive their name from the candle arms, called girandoles, which were originally attached to wall mirrors to reflect light into a room. Circa 1800-1810, this item is composed of white pine and gesso. It is has a circular frame and is carved with a gilt wooden eagle at its apex.
Later examples of American folk art are also highlighted. A 20th-century Gee’s Bend quilt is estimated to sell at $1,500-$2,000. Gee’s Bend is a small rural community along the Alabama River that has received recent acclaim for its striking quilts made by local women. The women of the area developed a characteristic quilting style based on traditional American and African American quilts, blended with a geometric simplicity and bold use of colors, suggestive of modern painting. Each quilt is unique and individually produced. The item up for auction is handmade of cotton with a pattern of four, large concentric circles. It is constructed from multiple folded triangles applied in an upright position creating texture and depth.
Modern American jewelry is another component of the auction. A marquis Ceylon sapphire and diamond ring is estimated at $5,000-$7,000. This item is an 18k yellow gold ring with a marquise-shaped natural Thailand sapphire.
Several regional items from Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana will likely inspire regional bidding. Such lots include a Rookwood standard glaze Indian portrait vase, several Kentucky quilts, and an Anna Pottery pig flask with a map of Indiana landmarks.
For details visit our website at www.cowans.com or phone 513-871-1670.
American mothers and their babies were the everyday subjects WPA artist Carl Nyquist (1888-1959), who created this oil on canvas painting during the Depression. The 23 1/2-inch by 29 3/4-inch work has an $2,000-$3,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Cowan’s Auctions. ‘Santa Fe Window’ is emblematic of a style that emerged from John Stenvall’s tenure with a WPA project in Chicago. The signed oil on canvas, 23 inches by 34 1/2 inches, has a $10,000-$15,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Cowan’s Auctions. With all its adornments, this early 1800s girandole convex mirror is expected to sell for $4,000-$6,000. It is 40 inches high by 29 inches wide. Image courtesy of Cowan’s Auctions. This Gee’s Bend quilt represents a rare variation on the Pine Burr or Pine Cone pattern, the state quilt of Alabama. It measures 82 inches by 69 inches and has a $1,500-$2,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Cowan’s Auctions.
Life-size Roman-style carved marble bust of Meander, possibly A.D. 200-300 or later, larger: 21 inches high by 11 3/4 inches wide by 9 inches deep, estimate: $3,000-$5,000. Image courtesy of Millea Bros. MORRISTOWN, N.J. – Millea Bros. will kick off their annual Spring auction at the Morristown Armory on Friday, May 21. Dubbed the “100 Estates Auction,” this three-day auction event will include more than 1,550 lots from their expansive, rarely seen archives representing more than six years’ accumulation of estate goods from important New York family collections.
LiveAuctioneers will provide Internet live bidding.
Included will be unidentified works of art and abandoned lots ranging from U.S. patent models and antique maps, to Asian works of art and Roman antiquities. The centerpiece of this eclectic offering will be two extraordinary lots from the estate of Doris Duke, beginning the auction as lots 1 and 2, promptly at 10 a.m. Eastern.
The first of the two lots is the Thai pavilion that Duke commissioned in 1964, a replica of the Aphorn Phimok Pavilion at the Royal Palace in Bangkok, Thailand. When fully constructed, the pavilion is 75 feet high and 46 feet long. From foundation to roof, the wood is carved teak decorated with gold, quartz and vermilion paint. There are only five such known replicas in the world. Duke’s pavilion was built in Bangkok by Thai artisans, then disassembled and shipped to the United States. The pavilion is ideal for inclusion in a botanical setting, or any outdoor venue with the breadth to showcase this bold architectural statement piece.
The other notable lot for auction is six original Thai houses that Duke purchased in 1962. These houses were most likely built in the early 20th century and are comprised of carved teak walls. These carved walls could be used to recreate the houses or they would make magnificent architectural elements in themselves.
Both the pavilion and Thai houses were part of Duke’s Southeast Asian Art Collection, which she began acquiring in 1961. Her intent was to recreate a Thai village that evoked the traditional life and culture of Southeast Asia, particularly Thailand and Burma, as it was in the mid to late 19th century, with decorative and artistic works along with functional objects. Unable to identify and acquire the ideal plot on which to execute her plan, Doris Duke shipped the buildings and works of art to her residence in Hillsborough, N.J., in 1972.
Following the sale of the pavilion and Thai house lots, Friday’s auction will continue on with 565 lots, including Chinese, Japanese, Southeast Asian and Near-Eastern Art; Greco-Roman, Egyptian and Pre-Columbian antiquities; Spanish Colonial and Italian furniture, decorative objects, silver and fine art including Old Master paintings and works on paper; French furniture, decorations and fine art from the 19th and 20th centuries, including fine custom draperies removed from 998 Fifth and 980 Park avenues.
Saturday, day two of the three-day sale, will offer 415 lots beginning with science, nature and technology, featuring a single-owner collection of U.S. patent models, mineral specimens, and a large offering of world maps from two New York collections; nautical and marine artifacts and works of art, highlighted by a rare Ulysse Nardin Grand Prix two-day marine chronometer; a collection of Mark Twain bindings from the estate of Wall Street legend Jack Dreyfus; American and English furniture, decorative objects and fine art, including sporting and equestrian art and accessories and a large selection of Brown Jordan and outdoor furniture from the estate of Gerald Tsai.
The third and final day, Sunday’s auction session will bring 578 lots to the block, including Art Deco and Modern furniture, Mid-Century decorations and accessories, including studio glass and pottery; postwar, contemporary and Latin American art, including works on paper from the estate of American photographer Arnold Newman; a selection of antique and contemporary Judaic and Russian paintings and silver; accoutrements for a well-dressed dining table, including porcelain dinnerware, fine stemware and silver accessories; a nice grouping of Tiffany & Co. sterling silver, including Olympian pattern serving pieces; gemstone and costume jewelry and a single-owner collection of precision writing instruments by Montblanc, Montegrappa and Cartier.
Auctions and previews will be held at the Morristown Armory, 430 Western Ave. in Morristown. Property will be available for preview on Thursday, May 20, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, May 21-23, from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. each morning before the auction start. Absentee, telephone and live online bidding will be available. For details visit www.milleabros.com or call 973.377.1500.
Pottier and Stymus of New York crafted this important Aesthetic Movement rosewood cabinet circa 1879-1885. It features the silver-based metallic inlay by Louis A. Amouroux. Image courtesy of New Orleans Auction Galleries.
NEW ORLEANS – New Orleans Auction Galleries will present the estate of philanthropist and socialite Warren Spencer Strauss of Houston, Texas, featuring a life-long collection of fine and decorative art, antique furniture, rugs, silver and jewelry in a major three-day sale, May 21-23. LiveAuctioneers will provide Internet live bidding each day.
The auction will begin Friday at 11 a.m. Central with a lineup of more than 600 lots. Included in the opening day lineup is a pair of Regency Old Sheffield plate wine coolers from the first quarter of the 19th century. Though unmarked, the 11 1/2-inch-high coolers were probably made by Nathaniel Smith & Co. The estimate is $1,800-$2,500.
Saturday’s session, which begins at 10 a.m. Central, will include more than 160 pieces of Royal Copenhagen Flora Danica porcelain dinnerware and a collection of Oriental carpets.
Sunday’s sale, which begins at 11 a.m. Central, will feature an important American Aesthetic Movement rosewood cabinet by Pottier and Stymus, New York, with silver-based metallic inlay by Louis A. Amouroux. The cabinet stands 78 1/4 inches high, 57 1/4 inches wide and 22 inches deep. It has a $40,000-$70,000 estimate.
Another furniture highlight will be a fine Louis XV rosewood, kingwood and marble-top commode by Jean-Francois Lapie (1720-1797). In very good restored condition, the bombe commode carries a $5,000-$8,000 estimate.
Another star item selling Sunday will be an 1862 bayou view by pioneer Louisiana landscape artist Richard Clague (French/New Orleans, 1821-1873). The 18-inch by 22-inch oil on board painting in a giltwood frame has a $175,000-$250,000 estimate.
Native and Lobster, an oil on Masonite painting by African American artist Ellis Wilson (1899-1977), has a $15,000-$25,000 estimate. A Kentucky native, Wilson moved to New York in 1928, eventually becoming involved in WPA art projects and in 1933 was awarded an honorable mention from the Harmon Foundation, a major patron of the Harlem Renaissance artists.
A 1920s Steinway & Sons grand piano with a gilt-bronze mounted parquetry art case in excellent condition is estimated at $70,000-$100,000.
Also selling Sunday will be a 1993 Bentley Brooklands sedan and a 1995 Jaguar XJS 2+2 Cabriolet.
Ellis Wilson (American/Kentucky, 1899-1977) painted ‘Native and Lobster’ circa 1945. The signed oil on Masonite painting is estimated at $15,000-$25,000. Image courtesy of New Orleans Auction Galleries. This pair of Regency Old Sheffield Plate wine coolers in the rococo taste date to the first quarter of the 19th century. They are expected to bring $1,800-$2,500. Image courtesy of New Orleans Auction Galleries. Grander than grand, this Steinway & Sons piano features a gilt-bronze-mounted parquetry art case in the manner of Francois Linke. In very good to excellent condition, the piano and bench have a $70,000-$100,000 estimate. Image courtesy of New Orleans Auction Galleries. New Orleans artist Richard Clague is credited with establishing the Louisiana school of landscape painting. This dated 1862 oil on panel carries a $175,000-$250,000 estimate. Image courtesy of New Orleans Auction Galleries.
