Gallery Report: $16,900 wins Vladimir Kagan sofa at Urban Culture Auctions

ATLANTA – At the start of each month, ACN columnist Ken Hall gathers top auction highlights from around the United States and beyond. Here’s what made headlines since last month’s Gallery Report (prices include the buyer’s premium unless stated otherwise):

Vladimir Kagan sofa, $16,900, Urban Culture

A Vladimir Kagan Serpentine sofa, upholstery and wood, 138 inches wide, sold for $16,900 at a debut auction held Feb. 24 by Urban Culture Auctions in West Palm Beach, Florida. Also, an acrylic on wood painting by Ilya Bolotowsky (Russian/American, 1908-1981), titled Miniature Yellow Tondo, 7¾ inches in diameter, finished at $9,100; and a Weltron GEC-2005 stereo system with turntable, AM/FM stereo radio, 8-track tape player and internal speakers made $7,800.

Pair of Ohio samplers, $10,000, Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers

A matching pair of samplers, done by young sisters in Ohio in 1806 and 1808, sold for $10,000 at an Antique, Fine Art & Jewelry Auction held March 2 by Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers in Cranston, R.I. Also, an Impressionistic landscape oil painting by Rene Maurice Fath (French, 1850-1922), 94 inches by 76 inches (framed), realized $10,000; and an oil on Masonite abstract expressionist work by Leonardo Nierman (Mexican, b. 1932), titled Genesis, hit $4,375.

Rothschild Bird service, $50,750, Andrew Jones Auctions

An extensive Herend Rothschild Bird pattern porcelain dinner service sold for $50,750 at a Design for the Home and Garden auction held March 3 by Andrew Jones Auctions in Los Angeles, Calif. Also, a diamond, platinum and 18K gold bracelet by David Webb achieved $37,500; a Carrara marble figure of a Young Columbus by Giulio Monteverde (Italian, 1837-1917) brought $35,000; and a Louis XV-style gilt bronze mounted mahogany vitrine made $27,500.

T.C. Cannon signed litho on paper, $12,500, Holabird Western Americana

A lithograph on paper signed by Native American artist T.C. Cannon (1946-1978), titled Waiting for the Bus, Andarko Princess, sold for $12,500 at a Wigwam Auction held March 7-11 by Holabird Western Americana Collections in Reno, Nev. Also, a group of 10 orange Republic of China 6 percent two-year secured gold loan treasury notes from 1919 gaveled for $6,562; and a large, historical and possibly ancient cooking basket, 15 inches in diameter, found in Nevada, went for $3,125.

Collection, Indian baskets, $16,319, Crescent City Auction Gallery

A collection of Chitimacha and Choctaw Indian baskets sold for $16,319 at a Spring Estates Auction held March 23-24 by Crescent City Auction Gallery in New Orleans, La. Also, a 19th century Chinese patinated bronze seated Buddha on a carved hardwood stand, 12 inches tall, brought $5,938; an oil on board painting by Steele Burden (Louisiana, 1900-1995), titled Swamp Cabin with Black Figure on Porch, earned $3,250; and a 19th century pepper box dagger gun cane made $6,875.

Pair of marble busts by Houdon, $1.475 million, Cottone Auctions

Two marble busts by the French sculptor Jean-Antoine Houdon (1741-1828) sold for a combined $1.475 million at a Winter Fine Art & Antiques Auction held March 23 by Cottone Auctions in Geneseo, N.Y. Also, a set of nine Chinese blue and white Eight Immortals bowls with the Daoguang character reign mark (1821-1850) went for $118,000; and an outdoor figural oil on canvas rendering by Edwin Lord Weeks (American, 1849-1903), 24 inches by 20 inches, signed, hit $82,600.

Early Byzantine table, $105,825, Artemis Gallery

An enormous Early Byzantine (circa A.D. 400-600) marble liturgical table with relief panel carved with images of sheep and the chi-rho symbol representing Christ sold for $105,825 at a Classical Antiquities, Asian & Ethnographic Art Auction held Feb. 21 by Artemis Gallery in Boulder, Colo. Also, an ancient Greek Cycladic marble female figure, Early Spedos, circa 2600-2500 B.C., made $93,375; and a life-size figural vessel flute with multiple holes on the body hit $49,800.

Japanese Machine Man robot, $86,100, Morphy Auctions

A 1950s-1960s lithographed-tin Japanese Masudaya Machine Man robot toy, 15 inches tall, sold for $86,100 at a Toy & Doll Auction held March 13-14 by Morphy Auctions in Denver, Pa. Also, a near-mint, all-original Merry-Go-Round bank made by Keyser & Rex (Philadelphia) landed at $55,350; a J. & E. Stevens mint-condition thin-base variation of the Milking Cow bank rose to $49,200; and a rare circa-1882 Jerome B. Secor Brudder Bones clockwork bones player realized $28,290.

Okito checker cabinet,  $13,200, Potter & Potter

A circa 1952 club-size checker cabinet by Okito sold for $13,200 at a Magic Sale held Feb. 23 by Potter & Potter Auctions in Chicago, Ill. Also, a circa 1910 Carter the Great’s carved gold leaf wooden table knocked down for $10,200; Virgil’s circa 1950 Weird Execution on Mars Space Gun made by Petrie & Lewis hit the mark at $10,800; and a 1930s and 1940s collection of 130 original cloth “negatives” by Thayer and Owen, to create master blueprints, earned $13,200.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ring, $398,937, Goldin Auctions

Basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s 1987 Los Angeles Lakers NBA championship ring sold for $398,937 in a Winter Auction that ended March 3 by Goldin Auctions, based in Runnemede, N.J. Also, Mike Trout’s 2009 Bowman Chrome Draft Prospects rookie card went for $186,580; a 1909-11 T206 White Border Ty Cobb card rose to $148,527; and a 1968 Willie Mays game-used and signed San Francisco Giants home jersey and a Babe Ruth game-used bat each made $88,380.

Oskar Schindler possessions, $46,303, RRAuction.com

A collection of personal possessions once belonging to Oskar Schindler, the German industrialist who saved nearly 1,200 Jews during the Holocaust by employing them in his enamelware and ammunitions factories – to include his Longines wristwatch (shown), a compass, a 1938 Sudetenland Medal, two fountain pens and a business card – sold for $46,303 in an online auction March 6 by RR Auction, based in Boston, Mass.

Picasso pitcher, $20,000, Doyle

A painted and partially glazed white ceramic pitcher by Pablo Picasso, titled Visage, sold for $20,000 at a Fine Modern Art Auction held March 6 by Doyle in New York City. Also, a metal sculpture by Dorothy Dehner (American, 1901-1994), a vertical totem-like work from 1991 titled Sancho Panza, changed hands for $18,750; and a painting by Paul Wonner (American, 1920-2008), a realistic work from 1962 titled The Model Before a Mirror, gaveled for $16,250.

Ivan Aivazovsky painting, $132,000, Thomaston Place

A luminist oil on canvas harbor scene by Russian artist Ivan Aivazovsky (1817-1900), titled Sunset in Crimea, sold for $132,000 at a Winter Sale held March 1-3 by Thomaston Place Auction Galleries in Thomaston, Maine. Also, a charming painting of two cats by Dahlov Ipcar (Maine/Vermont, 1917-2017), titled Encounter, clawed its way to $21,060; and a graphite drawing by Winslow Homer (Mass./Maine, 1836-1910), titled Portrait of John Murray Brown, changed hands for $21,060.

Copy, ‘The Federalist Papers,’ $187,500, Heritage Auctions

A copy of the two-volume set of The Federalist Papers, written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay and considered to be the cornerstone of the new nation’s theory of government, sold for $187,500 at a Rare Books Auction held in New Yorki City by Heritage Auctions on March 6. Also, an original first printing dust jacket of Dashiell Hammett’s Red Harvest fetched $75,000; and a first edition copy of Raymond Chandler’s The Big Sleep made $57,500.

Illuminated Prayer Book, $42,500, Swann Auction

An illuminated Prayer Book in Latin and French on vellum, published in France circa 1530s-1540s, with 35 miniatures in color and gold, sold for $42,500 at an Early Printed Books Auction held March 7 by Swann Auction Galleries in New York City. Also, an illuminated Book of Hours in Latin on vellum, with 12 miniatures, published in France in the mid-15th century, brought $35,000; and an illuminated manuscript in Arabic, with chapters of the Quran, Ottoman, made $35,000.

Antonio Jacobsen painting, $46,875, John Moran Auctioneers

An 1891 marine rendering by Antonio Jacobsen (J.J., 1850-1921), depicting the tugboat E. Heipershausen on open waters, sold for $46,875 at a Traditional Collector Auction held March 10 by John Moran Auctioneers in Monrovia, Calif. Also, a pair of French Empire mahogany and gilt bronze-mounted fauteuils de bureau realized $40,625; a pair of kingwood marquetry commodes breezed to $21,760; and an 1880 floral painting by Adelheid Dietrich (German, 1827-1891) made $34,375.

Roman marble torso, $106,250, Freeman’s

A Roman carved marble life-sized torso of Diomedes sold for $106,250 at the sale of Antiquities & Tribal Art from New York and Hollywood agent Jeff Hunter (1926-2018), held March 13 by Freeman’s in Philadelphia, Pa. Also, a carved marble torso of the Spinario, dating from the first century B.C., realized $93,750; a Roman head of Alexander the Great as Helios, second century A.D., brought $62,500; and a first-second century A.D. over-life-size sculpture of Buddha made $59,375.

Francis Swaine painting, $7,670; William J. Jenack Auctioneers

An oil on canvas depiction of sailing vessels by English artist Francis Swaine (1720-1782) sold for $7,670 at an auction held March 11 by William J. Jenack Auctioneers in Chester, N.Y. Also, a 19th century Chinese Export oil on canvas of the Cantons of Singapore finished at $1,534; a watercolor on handmade pulp paper showing horizontal stripes by Kenneth Noland went for $5,900; and an archaic form Chinese hardstone chop with dragon heads holding a pearl realized $9,735.

1795 U.S. $10 gold piece, $822,500, Legend Rare Coins

A 1795 U.S. $10 gold piece, graded MS64+ by PCGS, sold for $822,500 at the 32nd Regency Auction held March 21 by Legend Rare Coins, Lincroft, N.J., at the PCGS Members Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. Also, a Young-Dakota 1893-CC branch mint proof Morgan U.S. dollar climbed to $305,500; an 1891-O Morgan dollar, graded PCGS MS66 hit $108,688; and a 1927-D Peace Dollar, tied for the finest example known at PCGS MS66+ CAC, gaveled for $176,250.

Kashan hand-knotted rug, $40,800, Alderfer Auction

A Kashan hand-knotted rug sold for $40,800 at a  single owner and collectors’ auction held in March by Alderfer Auction in Hatfield, Pa. Also, a watercolor painting signed by Peter Sculthorpe (Chester County, Pa.), titled Winter in Berks County, went for $33,000; a painting by Edmund Darch Lewis, signed and dated 1886 and retaining its Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts label, breezed to $22,800; and a monumental Meissen baluster vase with gilt edging gaveled for $10,200.