Tiffany stained glass window, $236,000, Michaan’s Auctions

A Tiffany Studios stained glass landscape window, circa 1910-1920, with an image of a classic veranda setting, sold for $236,000 at an auction of Louis C. Tiffany treasures from Japan’s esteemed Garden Museum Collection held April 12 by Michaan’s Auctions. Also, a Geranium motif Tiffany Studios table lamp with leaded glass shade resting on a superb mosaic and bronze base achieved $165,200; and a Tiffany Studios enamel vase depicting a three-dimensional flowering Sumac made $118,000. Prices include a 17 percent buyer’s premium.

Sam Doyle folk art, $204,000, Slotin

An original folk art painting by Sam Doyle, titled St. Helena’s First Blak (sic) Midwife, sold for $204,000 at an auction held April 26-27 by Slotin Folk Art Auction in Buford, Ga. Also, William Hawkins’s Rider on Horseback fetched $43,200; a sugar chest in the shape of a desk realized $36,000; Chris Hipkiss’ Brought Up by the Sea breezed to $19,200; Mattie Lou O’Kelley’s Hurrying Home made $18,600; and Herman Bridgers’s Two Churchmens hammered for $13,200. Prices include a 20 percent buyer’s premium.

Caille slot machine, $90,000, Morphy’s

A superb Caille double-upright floor model slot machine combining a 5-cent Centaur and 25-cent Big Six sold for $90,000 at an Antique Advertising & Coin-Op Auction held April 26-27 by Morphy’s Auctions in Denver, Pa. Also, a Cherri Bon syrup dispenser topped out at $31,200; a Grape Smash syrup dispenser coasted to $20,400; a Beats All syrup dispenser changed hands for $20,400; a 1911 Coca-Cola calendar fetched $17,400; and a Buster Brown cigar tin went to a determined bidder for $14,400. Prices include a 20 percent buyer’s premium.

Noah’s Ark toy set, $16,250, Bertoia’s

A Noah’s Ark toy set featuring a 37-inch-long ark, 91 pairs of animals and eight people, all with hand-painted details, sold for $16,250 at the first sale of the year for Bertoia Auctions, held March 28-29 in Vineland, N.J. Also, a clockwork reindeer nodder with Santa on his sleigh, 30 inches long, went for $11,210; a Steiff golden mohair bear, 24 inches tall, with leather muzzle, hit $10,030; a Dent service/pickup truck, 9 inches long, fetched $8,260; and a Bell Ringers automaton changed hands for $7,670. Prices include an 18 percent buyer’s premium.

Mason Decoy Factory duck, $690,000, Guyette & Deeter

A one-of-a-kind hollow premier grade wood duck drake, made by the Mason Decoy Factory, sold for $690,000 – a new world auction record for the maker – at the 29th annual Spring Decoy Auction held April 24-25 by Guyette & Deeter of St. Michaels, Md. Also, a “slot neck” goose soared to $632,500; a one-of-a-kind decorative blue jay on a branch realized $59,800; and a redhead drake, made circa 1910 by Harry V. Shourds, flew away for $46,000. Prices include a 15 percent buyer’s premium.

Rhead art pottery vase, $570,000, John Moran

A masterwork art pottery vase by Frederick H. Rhead and Agnes Rhead sold for $570,000 – a new world auction record for an American art pottery vase – at a Decorative & Fine Art Auction held April 29 by John Moran Auctioneers in Pasadena, Calif. Also, a large oil painting of the Roman countryside by Russian painter Feodor Matveef (1758-1826), brought $420,000, which was a record for the artist; and an oil painting by Theodor Von Hormann (1840-1895) hammered for $180,000, also a record. Prices include a 20 percent buyer’s premium.

Carved Ruyi scepter, $135,000, Skinner Inc.

A carved wood Ruyi scepter, carved with Daoist Immortals and motifs representing longevity, wealth and power, sold for $135,000 at an Asian Works of Art Auction held April 26-27 by Skinner Inc. in Boston. Also, a pair of large 17th century Buddhist lions, about 30 inches tall and representing guardians at the gate to a shrine, realized $92,250; and a framed painting from China, in the manner of Qiu Yin (1494-1552) and depicting a scholar sitting in a landscape with pines, hammered for $78,720. Prices include a 20 percent buyer’s premium.

English Staffordshire jug, $4,888, Jeffrey S. Evans

An English Staffordshire pearlware large harvester’s dated jug, painted in typical Prattware hues with neoclassical foliate swags above farming implements, sold for $4,888 at a Ceramics Auction held May 6 by Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates in Mt. Crawford, Va. Also, a Ralph Wood the Younger-type hollow-bodied figure of a stag, circa 1770-1800, hammered for $4,025; a Staffordshire pottery figure of a squirrel changed hands for $3,335; and a Scinde pattern rare Flow Blue two-handled serving dish made $1,035. Prices include a 15 percent buyer’s premium.

Babe Ruth pocket watch, $650,108, SCP Auctions

Babe Ruth’s gold pocket watch from the 1948 celebration of the 25th anniversary of the opening of Yankee Stadium, “The House That Ruth Built,” sold for $650,108 in an internet Spring Auction held by SCP Auctions based in Laguna Niguel, Calif. Also, a 1965 Sandy Koufax autographed Los Angeles Dodgers game-worn home jersey brought $268,664; Satchel Paige’s 1971 National Baseball Hall of Fame induction ring went for $259,642; and a Jackie Robinson single-signed baseball, graded Mint 9, made $73,409. Prices include a 20 percent buyer’s premium.

Pair of natural pearls, $3.3 million, Doyle

A pair of natural pearls sold for $3.3 million at an Important Jewelry Auction held April 28 by Doyle New York. It was a new world auction record for a pair of natural pearls. The previous record was set last May, when a pair of natural pearls from the Gina Lollabrigida collection sold for $2.4 million. The large drop-shape pearls in the Doyle sale were slightly brownish gray in color and mounted in silver and diamond caps and later mounted in a platinum and diamond pendant, circa 1920. The price includes a 20 percent buyer’s premium.

Scale model barber chair, $42,000, Victorian Casino

An exceptional salesman’s sample barber chair, a beautifully detailed scale model made by Theo A. Kochs, Chicago, sold for $42,000 at an auction held May 2-4 by Victorian Casino Antiques in Las Vegas, Nev. Also, a 5-cent Victor Novelty Works cast-iron table-top gambling machine from around 1907, one of only a few known, went for $32,000. Over 1,800 lots of antique radios, slot machines, arcade games, gas and oil collectibles, advertising art and more were offered in an auction that grossed more than $1 million. Prices include a 20 percent buyer’s premium.

Louise Nevelson artwork, $87,500, Rago Arts & Auction

An original artwork by Louise Nevelson (American, 1899-1988), titled Open Zag VIII, sold for $87,500 at a pair of Fine Art Auctions held May 17 by Rago Arts & Auction Center in Lambertville, N.J. Also, an untitled masterwork by Paul Guiragossian (Lebanese, 1925-1993), made $87,500; an untitled work by Keith Haring (American, 1958-1990) breezed to $81,250; an original oil painting by Fern Coppedge (American, 1883-1951), titled Near New Hope, brought $59,375; and Jane Freilicher’s Poppies and Peonies hit $57,500. Prices include a 25 percent buyer’s premium.

Jefferson signed document, $118,750, Swann Auction

A 1792 printed copy of An Act Establishing a Mint, and Regarding the Coins of the United States, signed by Thomas Jefferson, sold for $118,000 at an auction of Printed & Manuscript Americana held April 8 by Swann Auction Galleries in New York. Also, an 1820 manuscript book of Mexican recipes, Cuaderno de Guisos, by Ramona Garcia Rico, went for $21,250; and a first-edition copy of Book of Mormon (Palmyra, N.Y., 1830), naming Joseph Smith as the “author and proprietor,” made $45,000. Prices include a 25 percent buyer’s premium.

Dante Rossetti manuscript, $30,000, PBA Galleries

A fine illuminated manuscript of Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s The Blessed Damozel from the calligraphic master Albert Sangorski sold for $30,000 at an auction of Fine Books From the Library of Dr. Elmer Belt (1893-1980), a renowned surgeon and bibliophile, held May 22 by PBA Galleries in San Francisco. Also, the Narrative of the Surveying Voyages of the Adventure of the Beagle in three volumes, inscribed by Robert Fitzroy, captain of the Beagle, to the English astronomer John Lee, went for $30,000. Prices include a 20 percent buyer’s premium.

1776 U.S. silver dollar, $1.41 million, Heritage

A 1776 Continental silver dollar – the finest of only four silver Continental currency dollars known to exist from the birth of the American Republic – sold for $1.41 million at a sale of U.S. Colonial coins from the Eric P. Newman collection held May 16-17 by Heritage Auctions. Another coin, this one a 1792 silver center one-cent piece, also sold for $1.41 million. Also, a 1652 New England sixpence, the finest known specimen, graded AU58 NGC, rose to $646,250. Prices include a 17.5 percent buyer’s premium.

Ross Blade flint, $276,000, Morphy’s

A Ross Blade, an exotic flint specimen from the Woodland period, Hopewell phase (2000-1500 B.P [years before the present]), 8 1/2 inches long, sold for $276,000 at an auction of Prehistoric Stone Artifacts held May 17 by Morphy’s. Also, a Grayware headpot (circa 600 B.P.), from the Golden Lake Site in Mississippi County (Ark.), realized $78,000; an early Paleolithic translucent sugar quartz Clovis point, Fulton County, Ill., reached $69,000; and Earl Townsend’s monumental 7-inch Corner Notch Blade made $64,800. Prices include a 20 percent buyer’s premium.