Visitors enjoy the open-air country atmosphere at Round Lake Antiques festival. Image courtesy of Allman Promotions. CLAYTION, N.Y. – Allman Promotions will host the 38th annual Round Lake Antiques Festival and the 27th annual Great American Antiquefest for the summer enjoyment of visitors and residents of Upstate New York. The Round Lake Antiques Festival, 20 miles north of Albany and 8 miles south of Saratoga Springs, will be held June 26-27. Great American Antiquefest will be held at Onondaga Lake Park in Liverpool, N.Y., 8 miles west of Syracuse on July 23-25.
Both events will feature more than 200 quality dealers. The Round Lake Antiques Festival, the Capitol District’s largest, oldest and most popular antiques and collectibles show, features exhibitors in a park-like setting that has drawn crowds in excess of 10,000 people for the last 20 years. The Round Lake Antiques Festival is sponsored by the Women’s Round Lake Improvement Society, which uses proceeds to help fund the town’s library.
The annual three-day Great American Antiquefest routinely attracts dealers from across the United States and Canada and 8,000 to 10,000 customers. Antiquefest, Syracuse’s oldest outdoor antiques show, will feature acres of quality antiques, abundant and delectable foods and amenities that make shopping easy, including bulky item pickup services and free directories.
This year’s Antiquefest will feature a special display and discussion on Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War. Jan and Harold Reichard, local history enthusiasts, attired in costumes of the period, will share their knowledge and items from their collection, relating to the Civil War and Abraham Lincoln. Of note, on display, will be a piece of the bunting from the exterior of Lincoln’s coffin. Harold will talk about the last hours of Lincoln’s life.
The Round Lake Antiques festival has free admission with free parking and free shuttle service to offsite parking.
General admission to Great American Antiquefest is $6. Early buyers’ admission takes place Friday, July 23, from 9 a.m. to noon. An early buyer pass costs $20 and is good for unlimited re-entry to the show all three days.
Other upcoming Allman promotions events include the Round Lake Arts and Crafts Festival, Aug. 21-22; the Syracuse Antiques Show at the New York State Fairgrounds, Nov. 27-28; the Venice Florida Antiques Show, Jan. 8-9 and Feb. 26-27; the Old Naples Antiques Show in Naples, Fla., Jan. 15-16 and Feb. 19-20; the Punta Gorda, Fla., Antiques Show, Jan. 22-23; the Holliston Mass Antiques Show, Feb. 26-27; and the Greater Syracuse Antiques Expo at the New York State Fairgrounds, March 12-13.
For more information, contact Allman Promotions at (315) 686-5789, e-mail allman@gisco.net or visit the website at www.allmanpromotions.com for complete schedule and venue details.
ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE
A booth at Round Lake offers your choice of antique dog paintings. Image courtesy of Allman Promotions. This booth offers a selection of Native American basketwork. Image courtesy of Allman Promotions. An early American chest and majolica umbrella stand seem at home together in this booth. Image courtesy of Allman Promotions.
Childe Hassam (American, 1859-1935) painted ‘At the Grand Prix’ about 1887. The pastel and graphite on paper/board is 11 1/2 inches by 8 1/4 inches. It has a $150,000-$200,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Skinner Inc. BOSTON – Skinner Inc. will host its second fine paintings auction of the year with an incredible offering of American and European paintings and prings on May 21 at noon Eastern in the Boston gallery. Expectations are high, following stellar results of Skinner’s January sale, based again on the freshness of the auction’s material.
LiveAuctioneers will provide Internet live bidding.
One of the more important pieces being offered is Yves Tanguy’s Un peu après (A Little Later). This fantastic work from 1940 had been hidden since the 1970s when it was last shown. The painting comes to Skinner from the estate of Mary Lee Ingbar of Cambridge, Mass., who acquired it from her parents. It is estimated at $300,000-$500,000.
From the same collection comes a wonderful group of artists’ books. Of note is L’Antitête by Tristan Tzara. Tzara was a member of the Dada movement and later joined the Surrealists. L’Antitête was written as three anthologies, and in this second edition of the work, each artist illustrated one volume – Max Ernst the first, Yves Tanguy the second, and Joan Miró the last. The book is estimated at $40,000-$60,000. A second fine example of an artist’s book, of which there are approximately 20 being offered in the sale, is Foirades/Fizzles by Samuel Beckett, illustrated by Jasper Johns. It is estimated at $12,000-$18,000.
Also up for bid is At the Grand Prix by Childe Hassam. This gem of a pastel is one of only approximately eight created by Hassam between 1887 and 1889 while in Paris, and has been in the same private collection for several decades. It is estimated at $150,000 to $200,000. Still Life with Fruit by Robert Spear Dunning, co-founder of the Fall River School of still life painting is being offered as well. The pristine work reflects the elegance of the period and descended from a Southern New England family that held the piece for several decades. It is estimated at $50,000-$70,000.
Rounding out the key highlights is Lyonel Feininger’s It Happened in a Dream. This great example of Feininger’s work is estimated at $40,000-$60,000.
“With offerings such as the Dunning, the Hassam, a Charles Courtney Curran and others, we’re staying true to our roots as a premier auctioneer of 19th-century American paintings. At the same time, we are continuing our new focus with strong 20th-century material,” said Robin Starr, director of American and European Paintings and Prints at Skinner. “This sale is very much an extension of the caliber of pieces we enjoyed in our January sale. As such, expectations are that bidders won’t stop until they get the works they want,” added Starr.
Previews for the auction will be held May 19 from noon to 5 p.m., on May 20 from noon to 8 p.m. and May 21 from 9 to 10:30 a.m. The Thursday evening preview will feature a reception and gallery walk beginning at 5:30 p.m. RSVP to 617-350-5400. Illustrated catalog #2507 is available by mail for $35 ($42 for foreign requests) from the subscription department at 508-970-3240. It is also available at the gallery for $32. For details visit www.skinnerinc.com or call 508-970-3000.
Robert Spear Dunning’s luscious ‘Still Life with Fruit’ is dated 1866. The oil on canvas measures 24 1/2 inches by 22 inches. Image courtesy of Skinner Inc. Yves Tanguy’s ‘Un peu après’ (A Little Later) in 1940 after coming to America. The quixotic landscape is oil on canvas mounted to Masonite, 18 by 15 inches. The painting expected to sell for $300,000-$500,000. Image courtesy of Skinner Inc. Lyonel Feininger (American, 1871-1956) signed ‘It Happened in a Dream’ ‘L.F.’ in pencil lower left and dated it ‘1946.’ The ink, gouache and graphite work on laid paper, 12 1/2 inches by 18 7/8 inches has a $40,000-$60,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Skinner Inc.
In Mint State 66, this 1834 half dollar requires a starting bid of $15,000. Image courtesy of Universal Live.
NORTHBROOK, Ill. – Universal Live, during its live coin auction May 13, will present an interesting array of foreign and domestic coins from a collector’s estate. Most of these coins are 50-plus years old and hail from varied countries. LiveAuctioneers will facilitate live bidding for the 4 p.m. Central auction.
Martin Shape of Universal said that many of the coins were from countries that he rarely sees such as Southern Rhodesia Africa and German East Africa. Also available are a 1781 half-penny from Ireland, Kuwait 50 Fils, old paper currency from Luxembourg, 1862 coin from Lombardy/Venetian Italy and an interesting silver medal from the 1867 Illinois Agricultural Fair.
Universal has also acquired a series of slabbed gold and silver coins, which includes an 1882 $3 gold piece, NGC 62 Prooflike; an 1883-CC Morgan dollar, PCGS MS63 Proof Like OGH; and an 1834 Capped Bust Half, NGC MS66.
The Illinois State Agriculture Society Medal awarded this silver medal in 1867 for best spinning wheel. It is 1 5/8 inches diameter. Image courtesy of Universal Live. This 1883 CC Morgan silver dollar, MS63 Proof Like, has a $500-$775 estimate. Image courtesy of Universal Live. Estimates range from $17,000 to more than $21,000 for this 1882 $3 gold coin, NGC Mint State 62 Proof Like. Image courtesy of Universal Live. This 1904A German East Africa 1/4 Rupie coin of high grade has a $50-$80 estimate. Image courtesy of Universal Live.
Dutch conjuror Fred Kaps, who appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show on Feb. 9, 1964, the same night as the Beatles performed, often used this walking stick to produce a live white rabbit. The 33-inch-long stick with faux ears on the top end and a spring-loaded rabbit tail at the tip has a $2,500-$3,500 estimate. Image courtesy of Potter & Potter Auctions.
CHICAGO – Magic specialists Potter & Potter Auctions – no relation to the young sorcerer Harry – will sell Part IV of Jay Marshall’s legendary magic memorabilia collection May 16. LiveAuctioneers will provide Internet live bidding.
Among the highlights will be apparatus of significant historic association, rare books, early posters and broadsides, and ephemera and props suitable for all levels of collectors. Twenty lots of Houdiniana will also be featured in the auction. Included are a signed Harry Houdini letter and an autographed publicity photo, each estimated at $800-$1,000.
The auction will begin at 9 a.m. Central.
Exhibition will be held during the week of May 10, with special showings arranged for attendees of the Magic Collectors’ Weekend (held in Rosemont, Ill., on the three days preceding the auction).
In several instances, magic tricks will be sold by the trunk load. Magicians who worked the chautauqua and lyceum circuits packed their acts in large trunks for transit. Passed down from famous magicians to serious collectors, these rare trunks filled with secrets of the craft carry estimates of several thousand dollars each.
Single props like Fred Kaps’ Rabbit from a Cane and a stylish Card Star made by Okito (Joe Berg) of Chicago have estimates of more than $1,000 apiece. Talk about a tough act to follow, Kaps had the distinction of following the Beatles on stage on the Ed Sullivan Show on Feb. 9, 1964.
Magician posters will include a circa 1908 three-sheet color lithograph promoting Germain the Wizard’s (Karl Germain/Charles Mattmuller) Witch’s Cauldron illusion, which has a $3,500-$4,500 estimate, and a circa 1938 three-sheet two-color lithograph for Dante (Harry August Jansen), a London magician, which is estimated at $800-$1,200. Both posters are linen backed.
Gabe Fajuri, president of Potter & Potter Auctions, and managing auctioneer Sami Fajuri, have 30 years combined experience in the antiquarian and collectibles auction trade.
Cooper & Cooper Auctions is located at 3729 N. Ravenswood Ave., Suite 116, in Chicago.
An Asian robe is one of the many props contained in this Edwin Brush/Lightner the Wizard theatrical trunk. A unique, impressive and historically significant piece of magicana from the era of chautauquas and lyceums, the trunk carries a $2,500-$3,500 estimate. Image courtesy of Potter & Potter Auctions. This three-sheet poster color lithograph poster in orange and black gave the public a glimpse of Germain the Wizard’s Witch’s Cauldron illusion, which materialized a female ghost from the flames of a fire. The circa 1908 poster, which is 41 inches by 76 1/2 inches, has a $3,500-$4.500 estimate. Image courtesy of Potter & Potter Auctions. A magician in the late 1940s used this handsomely crafted card star to produce specific playing cards on command. The lacquered wooden star stands 19 3/4 inches high with a span of 12 3/4 inches. It has an $800-$1,200 estimate. Image courtesy of Potter & Potter Auctions. Vaudeville and chautauqua magicians Imro Fox, Frank Ducrot and Eugene Laurant used this H. Aston Model 1847 percussion pistol much like a wand. Passed down from one great magician to another, this prop is expected to bring $3,000-$4,000. Image courtesy of Pottery & Potter Auctions.
Alexander Archipenko (Ukrainian/American, 1887-1964) created ‘Round Torso’ in 1937. The 46-inch-high polished terra-cotta sculpture has a $200,000-$300,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Leslie Hindman Auctioneers. CHICAGO – Leslie Hindman Auctioneers’ May 16 auction will feature American and European paintings, sculpture, fine prints, photographs and multiples. The star of the sale’s remarkable Modern and Contemporary session, Alexander Archipenko’s 1937 Round Torso sculpture ($200,000-$300,000), comes with exemplary provenance from the private collection of Michael Greenwald, Gary, Ind. The starkly elegant 46-inch high polished terra-cotta figure was originally purchased at Katherine Kuh Gallery in 1937 by collector and artist Claire Florsheim.
LiveAuctioneers will provide Internet live bidding.
Also among the auction’s modern and contemporary works, Deborah Butterfield’s Horse is estimated to bring $20,000-$40,000. The mixed media sculpture depicts a mare in fibrous, modernist form. It was acquired from the Lee Hoffman Gallery in Birmingham, Mich., by Irma Ecksel, its present owner.
Roy Lichtenstein’s Untitled HeadI ($70,000-$90,000), executed in 1970, has been in private hands since 1971, when Gray Atkinson, Sebastopol, Calif., acquired it from the Margo Leavin Gallery in Los Angeles.
Fine bronzes round out the auction’s modern sculpture selection; Lynn Chadwick’s Two ($30,000-$50,000), Fritz Wotruba’s 1964 Standing Figure ($20,000 to $30,000) and Michael Ayrton’s Re-Entry ($10,000 to $15,000) all come from private Chicago-area collections.
In the Fine Prints, Photographs and Multiples session, Pablo Picasso’s Les Repas Frugal ($120,000 to $140,000), from La Suite des Saltimbanques, represents a despondent transition between two of the painter’s most significant periods and was only his second work as a novice printmaker. Les Repas Frugal combines styles from Picasso’s melancholic Blue period and his Rose period, marked by his fascination with wandering acrobatic performers. It was acquired at R.S. Johnson International Gallery in 1972 by its current owner.
The afternoon auction’s painting offerings come with equally glowing provenance. Henri Jean Guillaume Martin’s Lisette cousant, assise sous une des tonnelles de Marquayrol ($80,000-$120,000) is the property of a Barrington Hills, Ill., collector. Elias Rivera’s Wall of Passion ($30,000-$50,000) was used as the cover for a 2006 monograph by Edward Lucie-Smith of the artist’s work; that same year, Rivba Yares Gallery celebrated the painting with an exhibition in Santa Fe, N.M.
The auction’s exhibition takes place May 12 through May 15 at 1338 W. Lake St. in Chicago’s West Loop.
Pablo Picasso’s etching ‘Le Repas Frugal’ is from an edition of 250. The work measures 18 1/8 inches by 14 3/4 inches. It has a $120,000-$140,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Leslie Hindman Auctioneers. Roy Lichtenstein’s 1970 brass sculpture ‘Untitled Head I’ stands 25 1/2 inches tall. No. 17 of an edition of 75, it carries an estimate of $70,000-$90,000. Image courtesy of Leslie Hindman Auctioneers. ‘Horse’ is a mixed media sculpture by Deborah Butterfield (American, b. 1949). It measures 26 1/2 inches by 46 inches by 11 inches and has a $20,000-$40,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Leslie Hindman Auctioneers. ‘Wall of Passion’ by Elias Rivera (Mexican, b. 1937) measures 80 inches by 68 inches. The 1997 oil on canvas has a $30,000-$50,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Leslie Hindman Auctioneers.
An outstanding pair of pressed Sandwich Tulip vase raised on rare hexagonal bases, brilliant deep peacock blue. Boston & Sandwich Glass Co., 1845-1865. Height: 11 inches. Estimate: $8,000-$12,000. Image courtesy Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates.
MOUNT CRAWFORD, Va. – Early American glass and lighting from famous collections and renowned museums will be sold at auction by Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates on May 22. LiveAuctioneers will provide Internet live bidding.
The sale will feature part one of the outstanding 30-year collection of Larry and Sandy Mackle of Bloomfield Hills, Mich., and a large group of material formerly in the collection of Dr. E.R. Eller, longtime curator at the Carnegie Museum in Pittsburgh, which has descended in his family. In addition, the auction will include material deaccessioned by the Sandwich Glass Museum in Sandwich, Mass., choice selections from the collection of Ken Lyon, Fisher’s Hill, Va., as well as important private consignments from Cape Cod, Mass., New York City, Virginia and Pennsylvania.
Part one of the Mackle collection includes more than 50 pieces purchased at the legendary William J. Elsholz auctions in 1986 and 1987. The more than 250 Mackle pieces in this auction span a wide range of American-made blown and pressed objects, primarily from the first three quarters of the 19th century.
Free-blown wares include an important and probably unique pair of opalescent-bloom sapphire blue baluster-form vases, each raised on a knopped stem and trumpet foot. This impressive pair stands 11 1/2 inches high and was probably produced in New England during the middle of the 19th century. Originally part of the renowned pioneering collection of Frederick K. Gaston of Greenwich, Conn, the vases were purchased at the 1940 auction of the Gaston collection by preeminent American glass author and collector George McKearin. They were included in plate 58 of McKearin’s 1941 tome, American Glass, where they were described as “unique so far as we know.” The Mackles purchased these vases at the first William J. Elsholz auction, conducted Dec. 9, 1986. While part of the Elsholz collection, the pair was exhibited at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Mich.
Another rare free-blown object in the Mackle collection is a monumental colorless salver, or cake stand, with an applied cobalt blue plate edge and medial-stem collar. This 16-inch diameter salver is identical in form to the example illustrated in the 1868 trade catalog of Bakewell, Pears and Co. of Pittsburgh. While it is not uncommon to encounter Pittsburgh-attributed free-blown ring jars, string holders and pillar-molded decanters with cobalt-blue decorative applications, this is the first color-decorated salver that principal auctioneer and glass specialist Jeffrey S. Evans has ever seen.
“It is a tour-de-force of American glass and a testament to the artistic skills of Pittsburgh area glass blowers,” said Evans. “The simple, yet elegant form and the conspicuous use of contrasting colorless and deep blue elements beget an object as easily at home in a contemporary “modern art” setting as in its original 19th century context,” he added.
Other noteworthy and impressive categories represented in the Mackle collection include several fine lily-pad and gadroon decorated pieces; exceptional groupings of colored pressed flint vases, candlesticks and compotes; rare colored and colorless whale oil and fluid period lamps; and a fine selection of Sandwich and other colored cologne bottles.
Dr. E. R. Eller was a close friend of both George McKearin and Lowell Innes, and his collection includes pieces owned and published by McKearin, as well as numerous objects published by Innes in his seminal Pittsburgh Glass 1797-1891. This Eller-collected grouping includes rare Pittsburgh-area blown, cut and pressed wares; a fine selection of witch balls and whimsies; early bottles and flasks; and a rare bound volume of five original 1893 U.S. Glass Co. trade catalogs.
Additional important consignments to the auction include two rare Trevaise art-glass vases produced by the short-lived Alton Manufacturing Co. of Sandwich, Mass.; pressed lacy-period wares including rare colored salts; a large collection of colored and colorless cup plates; cut overlay articles including two panes; and reference materials.
“The Mackle collection represents one of the finest groupings that we have ever sold. It is outstanding in both its breadth and quality,” said Evans.
An illustrated color catalog has been published at a cost of $30 plus postage and tax as applicable. The entire catalog will also be available through jeffreysevans.com and liveauctioneers.com. See the firm’s website for additional details, highlights, e-mail notification, and to order the catalog, or phone 540-434-3939.
The sale will begin at 9:30 a.m. Eastern at the firm’s gallery at 2177 Green Valley Lane in Mount Crawford, Va.
Previews will be May 19-21, 10 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily; and on the day of the sale beginning at 8 a.m.
As part of the Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates Lecture Series, Mary Cheek Mills of the Corning Museum of Glass will present Cut Vine and Shamrock: Lamps and Tableware of Union Cut and Plain Flint Glassworks on May 21 at 6 p.m. This special lecture is free and open to the public.
The second part of the Mackle collection, containing their assemblage of primarily flint Early American Pattern glass, will be included in the firm’s Sept. 25 Early American Pattern Glass auction that will be held in conjunction with the Early American Pattern Glass Society’s Eastern Regional meeting.
Important pair of free-blown vases, stunning sapphire blue with an opalescent bloom. Probably New England, 1840-1860. Height: 11 1/2 inches. Estimate: $2,000-4,000. Image courtesy Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates. Monumental free-blown salver, colorless and cobalt blue. Probably Bakewell, Pears & Co., Pittsburgh, 1850-1875. Height: 10 inches; diameter: 16 inches. Estimate: $2,000-3,000. Image courtesy Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates. From a fine selection of pressed Sandwich Tulip vases in shades of green, blue and amethyst. Boston & Sandwich Glass Co., 1845-1865. Heights: 10 inches. Estimates: $2,000-$6,000 each. Image courtesy Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates. From a large selection of rare colored whale oil and fluid lamps. 1845-1865. Estimates: $1,500-$4,000 each. Image courtesy Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates.
Along with this fantastic carved bed is a matching armoire and nightstand. The set is expected to sell for $7,500-$12,500. Image courtesy of Four Seasons Auction Gallery.
CUMMING, Ga, – A heavily carved three-piece Italian bedroom set will be one of the brightest stars of an estates auction presented by Four Seasons Auction Gallery on May 15-16. LiveAuctioneers will provide Internet live bidding.
It’s an amazing set, obviously carved by one of the old masters,” said Steve White, who estimated it will sell for $7,500-$12,500.
The four-poster bed has carved cherubs on the crest, a chariot scene carved on the footboard and nude figures on two of the posts. The armoire, which has a beveled mirror on the front, is 108 inches tall by 48 inches wide by 20 inches deep. The nightstand is 51 inches tall by 19 inches wide by 16 inches deep.
The auction is composed of two fine Southern collector estates: Mae Payne’s from Seneca, S.C., and Jerry Gandy’s from Fayetteville, Ga. Additional antiques are from the John Gregory historic home in Saco Maine, which was built for a lumber baron with the Saco River Lumber Co., the Victorian mansion of Col. Samuel N. Campbell in Cherryfield, Maine, and a plantation home in Wilmington, Ga.
Oil paintings to be sold at the auction include a large interior scene by Johann Hamza, a German-born artists whose works have sold for as much as $92,000. The 38-inch by 28-inch painting in Four Seasons’ sale has a $15,000-$25,000 estimate.
A collection of approximately 200 pieces of Roseville pottery will sell on the first day. Included is a 9-inch Baneda vase from about 1933, which retains its Roseville paper label. The vase has a $1,000-$1,500 estimate.
The sale will also feature a collection of Victorian lamps and lighting fixtures along with a large number of smalls. Collectibles will include a dozen Royal Doulton figurines.
The auction Saturday will begin at 9 a.m. Eastern. Sunday’s session will begin at 10 a.m.
For details phone Four Seasons Auction Gallery at 404-876-1048.
Fabulous relief work is evident in this 16-inch-high gilt clock case by Ansonia. The mantel clock has a mercury pendulum and open escapement. It has a 500-$1,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Four Seasons Auction Gallery. Issued in 1960, the Royal Doulton porcelain figure, The Craftsman, HN2284, is 6 inches high. It has a $50-$150 estimate. Image courtesy of Four Seasons Auction Gallery. Among the best pieces of Roseville in the auction is this Baneda vase #596-9 Johann Hamza (German-American, 1850-1927) painted this interior scene, which is 38 inches wide by 28 inches high. It has a $15,000-$25,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Four Seasons Auction Gallery. The New Juno Cherub Banquet Lamp stands 33 inches high including chimney. The shade is 10 inches in diameter. It carries a $400-$600 estimate. Image courtesy of Four Seasons Auction Gallery.
Persian pitcher with hand-painted exterior, 13th-15th century. Est. $10,000-$20,000. Image courtesy of Kaminski Auctions.
BOSTON – Kaminski Auctions’ May Estates Auction features fine art, antiques and fine furnishings from estates spanning Massachusetts to Kaminski’s second location in California. The auction will take place May 22-23 under the tent at Kaminski Auctions, 564 Cabot St., Beverly, Mass. Live online bidding is available through LiveAuctioneers.
Bidding will commence at 10 a.m. Eastern on Saturday and 11 a.m. on Sunday. Previews are scheduled May 18-21 from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. and on the day of the sale beginning at 8 a.m.
Highlighting the auction is an unusual and ornate Persian pitcher, which has an estimate of $10,000-$20,000. The pitcher, which dates to the 13th-15th century, boasts a hand-painted design featuring two rows of figures, some crouched and others mounted on horseback. The piece is glazed in a blue-green hue. Islamic writing decorates the interior rim, which is roughly 3 1/2 inches in diameter.
Also crossing the block is a painting by Scottish artist James Fairman (1826-1904). The painting, estimated at $10,000-$20,000, is a coastal landscape depicting ships, a lighthouse and boys on the shoreline. The piece is signed by the artist and framed. Fairman immigrated to the United States in 1832 and was an accomplished landscape painter, having been one of the many artists to paint New Hampshire’s White Mountains in the late 1800s.
Additional fine art offerings include an abstract collage by Russian artist Eugene Rukhin (1943-1976). The collage (est. $5,000-$10,000) comprises a unique combination of materials, including burlap and oil paints. After his untimely death in a fire at the age of 32, Rukhin’s works were largely absent in the market until his widow Galina Popova surfaced with approximately 250 of his innovative collages. The artist’s works have enjoyed a recent boon in popularity, with some of his pieces reaching new record highs in the six-figure range.
A premier selection of jewelry is also offered at this exciting two-day auction. A platinum and diamond ring (est. $75,000-$100,000) highlights the auction’s jewelry selection. The center stone, which is accompanied by an EGL certificate, is a stunning 10.44-carat emerald-cut diamond.
“We’ve assembled a diverse selection of consignments for our first outdoor auction of the year on-site at our Beverly, Massachusetts location,” said Frank Kaminski, owner of Kaminski Auctions. “We’re always on the lookout for items to feature in upcoming auctions, and can accommodate anything from a single item to an entire estate.”
For details visit www.KaminskiAuctions.com or call 978-927-2223.
James Fairman (1826-1904) painted this coastal view with ships. The oil on canvas is signed and framed. It has a $10,000-$20,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Kaminski Auctions. Eugene Rukhin (Russian, 1943-1976), abstract collage, oil, burlap and mixed media, signed lower right, 30 by 26 inches. Est. $5,000-$10,000. Image courtesy of Kaminski Auctions. Important early 19th-century tall clock by William Cummins of Boston, case by Willard, mahogany inlaid with satin wood, ebony fan carving on door, painted and signed, 101 inches high by 19 1/2 inches wide by 9 1/2inches deep. Good condition. Est. $25,000-$35,000. Image courtesy of Kaminski Auctions. Platinum and 10.44-carat emerald-cut diamond ring with EGL certificate, size 6, good condition. Est. $75,000-$100,000. Image courtesy of Kaminski Auctions.
‘Dressing Room’ by Grigory Gluckmann (Russian-American, 1898-1973), oil on panel, 24 5/8 inches by 29 3/4 inches, 34 1/2 inches by x 40 inches framed. Est. $60,000-$80,000. Image courtesy of Case Antiques Auctions and Appraisals. KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Art and antiques from several historic Southern homes and families, as well as items deaccessioned by Cheekwood Botanic Gardens and Museum of Art in Nashville are among the highlights of the Spring Case Antiques Auction, slated for May 22 at the company’s gallery in Knoxville. LiveAuctioneers will provide Internet live bidding.
A painting of three ballerinas by Russian-American artist Grigory Gluckmann (1898-1973) leads the fine art offerings. The oil on panel bears a 1953 exhibition label from the Milch Galleries in New York and is entitled Dressing Room. Gluckmann, who fled to Paris to escape the Russian Revolution and later fled Paris during its German occupation, was known for his luminous representations of the human figure and the time-consuming layering method by which he applied his paint. Ballerinas are among his most sought-after subjects.
Other artists represented in the sale include Robert Lougheed (Canadian, 1901-1982), Sterling Strauser (Pennsylvania, 1907-1995), Cornelius Hankins (Tennessee, 1864-1946), and sporting artists Robert Cleminson (British, active 1860-1886), and Joseph Sulkowski (American, b. 1951). There are two etchings by James Abbott McNeill Whistler (American, 1834-1896). Also expected to garner attention is a portrait miniature of a Southern gentleman by John Wood Dodge (New York/Tennessee, 1807-1893), and a patriotic oil on board painting of President Andrew Jackson, possibly a campaign piece or memorial painting, dating from the second quarter of the 19th century. An Auguste Edouart double silhouette with labeled sitters and a circa 1810 watercolor portrait of Marie Henriette D’Anterroche of New Jersey round out the fine art offerings.
The sale features an assortment of Old Sheffield Plate, sterling, silverplate and coin silver deaccessioned by Cheekwood Botanical Garden and Museum of Art in Nashville to benefit their acquisitions fund.
“Cheekwood maintains an excellent silver collection, but these are pieces which the museum felt no longer fit in with their collecting focus,” said company president John Case. “There are some unusual forms, such as late-18th- to early 19th-century plate warmers, and hollowware and flatware from the Georgian period through the Edwardian era. But not all of it will be expensive – many lots are estimated to sell for under $200. We also have some great silver from other consignors, including a Tetard Freres French Art Deco flatware service, a Baltimore Castle Pattern tea service, coin silver from Tennessee, Georgia and Charleston, and 20th-century silver by Spratling, Dodge, and Adler. It’s really an outstanding sale for silver all around.”
A plantation home in Grainger County, Tenn., known as Horse Shoe Bend yielded several important early examples of Southern furniture for the sale. The house itself went to a watery grave in 1940, when the land around it was flooded to create the Cherokee Dam. Fortunately, the furnishings and some architectural elements were removed, and with the death of one of the last remaining descendents, they are now on the auction block. They include a rare cherry cupboard or press with turned pilasters and glazed doors over a base with unusual pie safe tins, as well as a bookcase on chest, and a birdcage candlestand, all of which retain their original surfaces. Also featured in the sale is an early 19th-century walnut corner cupboard with dentil molded cornice, glazed doors and cupboard base that descended in the family of James Buchanan, an early settler of Davidson County (Nashville area) and a Middle Tennessee sugar chest with original liner box. Although Case is better known for Southern furniture, there is also a bed and two storage chests from the Iolani Palace in Hawaii. They were reputedly among the furnishings sold at public auction following the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy in 1893. Rounding out the furniture offerings is a collection of Georgia furniture from a home featured in the April 1997 edition of Early American Homes, plus several pieces of Stickley oak and European furniture.
Pottery is a staple at Case. This time, an exceptional redware pitcher by Greeneville, Tenn., potter Christopher Haun leads the lineup. The lead glazed pitcher features manganese or iron oxide loop designs and unusual compass star and cross hatched stamping as well as the name C.A. Haun & Co. It is the only known marked pitcher form by Haun, who was a Union sympathizer during the Civil War and participated in burning a railroad bridge in Greene County. He was captured and put to death by Confederate forces in 1861.
There is also a rare W.H. Hancock stamped ring jug from North Carolina, several lots of Georgia folk pottery from the Meaders family and other makers, and, from the art pottery realm, an 1893 Rookwood Iris glaze scenic vase by Kataro Shirayamadani, depicting four birds in flight.
Civil War items include a cache of letters from Confederate Lt. Thomas Bell of the 30th Tennessee Regiment. They include letters from his months stationed at Fort Donelson, an account of his capture when the fort fell to Union forces, and details of his time at Johnson’s Island on Lake Erie as a prisoner of war. Bell, who was eventually released in a prisoner exchange, returned to his regiment and died a few weeks after being wounded fighting near Atlanta. There is a Greeneville, Tenn., Union soldier’s GAR and Wilder Brigade ribbons and medal, plus numerous other Civil War items including weapons, a painted canteen, a reunion banner, books, and a carved cane that descended from the estate of a Union Civil War soldier from Jefferson County depicting a Confederate snake chasing a Tennessee mockingbird, which is seen seeking safety under a Union Eagle shield.
Also featured is a collection of historic documents including land grants and deeds signed by James K. Polk and John Quincy Adams, and an 1869 autograph book with signatures of Andrew Johnson, the Chief Justice of the United States, and every member of the senate.
A collection of 19th-century Bohemian and French glass features several fine examples attributed to makers such as Moser and Baccarat. There are also collections of French Quimper pottery, Asian snuff bottles, and circus memorabilia. Rounding out the sale is a large selection of estate jewelry, several clocks and barometers, and antique lighting including two Handel lamps and sconces salvaged from Cornell University and from the Gustav Pabst Mansion in Milwaukee.
“This will be the largest auction we have ever offered, and one of the most diverse,” said Case. “Estimates on these lots start at $80 and go up to $80,000, so there truly is something for every budget.”
The auction will be held at Case’s gallery in the historic Cherokee Mills Building, 2240 Sutherland Ave. in Knoxville on May 22 at 9:30 a.m. Eastern. A preview will take place Friday, May 21 from noon to 6 p.m. A complete online catalog also will be available for viewing via the website, www.caseantiques.com. Interested bidders may also call (865) 558-3033 or (615) 812-6096 for more information about objects in the sale or to set up a phone or absentee bid.
For details phone (865) 558-3033 in Knoxville or (615) 812-6096 in Nashville
Tennessee redware pitcher by Christopher Alexander Haun (Greene County, 1821-1861). It is the only marked Haun pitcher form known. 8 1/4 inches high. Est. $3,500-$4,500. Image courtesy of Case Antiques Auctions and Appraisals. Patriotic vignette of Andrew Jackson, oil on board, 19th century. 10 3/8 inches high by 20 3/8 inches wide. Est. $7,500-$8,500. Image courtesy of Case Antiques Auctions and Appraisals. Tennessee china press with punched tin door base from Horse Shoe Bend Plantation, original surface, early 19th century. Est. $6,000-$8,000. Image courtesy of Case Antiques Auctions and Appraisals.
Colored slips, applied in a variety of ingenious techniques, produce the abstract patterns on the English pottery called mocha or dipped ware. Image courtesy Skinner Inc. Long a favorite with Americana collectors, colorful mocha ware goes equally well with period antiques or modern furniture. Now new fans are buying the pottery for its bold graphics, which add dramatic punctuation to eclectic interiors.
Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, furniture, silver, and glass made on this side of the Atlantic were used side-by-side with imported English ceramics. American consumers demanded many popular products made in British potteries, such as salt-glazed stoneware, blue and white transfer prints, gaudy china, and mocha. This demand was filled by traders in East Coast cities who received regular shipments from England.
Skinner’s March 7 auction of American Furniture & Decorative Arts in Boston was particularly rich in mocha ware. The back cover of the catalog featured an eye-popping array of mugs, jugs and bowls decorated with the bright bands, checkers, marbling and slip splotches that characterize the pottery. The four-figure prices achieved by many lots demonstrate collectors’ passion for desirable forms and patterns.
At first glance, the array might be mistaken for the output of a particularly creative modern studio potter. But the pieces were actually produced on factory worktables at English potteries in the late 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries. Most designs were achieved through the clever application of tinted slips while the pieces were manipulated on an engine-turned lathe.
Stephen Fletcher, director of the Americana department at Skinner’s, was not surprised by the sales results. “As much as we’ve handled over the years, I never tire of mocha. To me it always has this fresh appealing quality about it. I love the colors. I like the manner in which the designs are applied. There were several of the bowls that looked like Jackson Pollack had dribbled slip glaze on those. And other pieces have a kind of formal quality to them,” he said.
The expert can testify to its popularity in past centuries. “I own an old house on Cape Cod,” he said. “When we did some excavating while repairing the foundations, we found all sort kinds of shards, including chunks of mocha ware in the most beautiful colors. It’s small wonder that Americana people like mocha so much because it’s been a part of New England décor for a long time.”
Fletcher said the buyers were a cross section of dealers and collectors who appreciate the vivid appeal of the wares. “You find different approaches to collecting it,” he continued. “There are buyers who like mocha with chips, cracks, stains and all – in ‘as is’ condition. Some people who collect mocha ware will accept flaws, as well they should – it doesn’t ruin a piece if it’s chipped or stained. There are other people who like mocha that has been professionally repaired and restored.”
Even more important to collectors are the desirability of certain patterns and the rarity of certain forms and sizes. Fortunately, Jonathan Rickard has written an authoritative reference, Mocha and Related Dipped Wares, 1770-1939, which explains in detail the variety of techniques used to decorate the ware.
With a background in fine art, Rickard said he was immediately attracted to this pottery because he saw “the shapes of Bauhaus and a decoration of abstract expressionism.”
Rickard begins his book by defining the subject: “lathe-turned refined utilitarian earthenware whose principal decoration has been achieved with slip.” Although he knows he can never change common usage, he points out that the term “mocha” properly designates only those pieces decorated with the dark dendritic tree or “seaweed” motifs on lighter bands of slip. He recognizes that collectors now use mocha ware to refer to all the slipped and dipped designs that he covers in the book.
In addition to the delicate trees noted above, collectors seek out pieces that feature looping “earthworm” trails and circular “cat’s-eye” patterns. Both were produced by the deft use of a multichambered slip pot applied as a piece was rotating. The reference book also explains the methods used to create pieces with variegated surfaces and banded pottery.
Rickard has collaborated with craftsman Don Carpentier of Eastfield Village in upstate New York. The potter has been able to recreate the designs on mocha and related slipwares, a process that has added new information about the techniques involved.
Since this was utilitarian pottery, certain shapes predominate – straight-sided mugs, jugs of various sizes, pepper and mustard pots, and bowls. Less common are coffeepots, teapots and flowerpots. The ceramic bodies are mostly described as creamware or pearlware, with base colors ranging from white to cream and tan.
Rickard has also worked with archaeologists excavating at pottery sites in England. “We are pretty well convinced that there are a few different potteries that produced the bulk of the stuff that came to America,” he said. “And each one of them has its own handwriting basically. If you’ve seen enough of the stuff, you can recognize the work from one factory.”
One pottery involved was Wood and Caldwell, later Enoch Wood & Sons, located in Burslem in the Staffordshire area. More makers are listed in his book. Such factories worked in an assembly line fashion, making multiple example of the same shape with the same design. But the capricious techniques involved in the decoration ensure that each piece differs slightly from its fellows.
The serendipity of slip application produces individual compositions that seem like masterpieces of abstract expressionism. Strong design, harmonious color schemes and elegant forms bring the highest prices at auction. A good example from the March Skinner’s sale is a 2-quart pearlware mug circled with looping earthworm and cat’s-eye motifs. Its final price with premium was $2,844.
As Rickard states in his book, “It was the striking appearance of dipped wares that first intrigued me and so many other collectors. These pots will continue to enthrall those whose eyes are charmed by their colors and patterns.”
ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE
A lot of two banded quart mugs, one with cat’s-eye decoration, brought $1,541 in a March sale of American Furniture and Decorative Arts at Skinner’s. Image courtesy Skinner Inc. This English quart mug, circa 1830, has a reeded rim and base framing bold cat’s-eyes on a blue and tan ground: $1,007. Image courtesy Skinner Inc. A baluster form pepper pot, made around 1800, has a pearlware body circled by an engine-turned pattern filled with dark slip: $948. Image courtesy Skinner Inc. Mustard was an essential condiment on English tables in the 19th century. Less than 4 inches high, this small covered pot is ringed with geometric bands: $474. Image courtesy Skinner Inc. This large 2-quart mug features two designs popular with collectors: circular cat’s-eyes and looping “earthworm” trails. In spite of a crack, the boldly decorated piece sold for $2,844. Image courtesy Skinner Inc. A small late 18th-century jug alternates marbled panels with green-painted reeded bands: $2,370. Image courtesy Skinner Inc. Dark branching patterns resembling trees or seaweed are the classic decoration on mocha ware. This 6-inch jug sold for $1,067. Image courtesy Skinner Inc. Great graphics – cat’s-eyes and earthworm trails on the interior and undulating lines of slip on the exterior – add value to an early 19th-century bowl, which brought $2,607 at the March auction. Image courtesy Skinner Inc. Cat’s-eye and earthworm patterns on a slate-blue ground decorate this lot, which brought $2,252. The baluster form jug also features molded designs on the shoulder band, spout and handle terminal. Image courtesy Skinner Inc. An 8-inch jug, circa 1820, has a broad black band with large scrolls and dots in white slip: $1,896. Image courtesy Skinner Inc.
