Gallery Report: December 2014

Chinese bracket clock, $130,900, Clars Auction

A Chinese gilt bronze triple-fusee eight-bell musical automation bracket clock sold for $130,900 at a Fine Art, Decoratives, Jewelry & Asian Art Auction held Nov. 15-17 by Clars Auction Gallery in Oakland, Calif. Also, an oil on board painting by Dutch artist Isaac Israels (1864-1934), titled Portrait of the Young Woman, realized $95,200; a Chinese huanghuali rounded corner cabinet made $77,400; Twins by Norwegian artist Odd Nerdrum (b. 1944) fetched $71,400; and a pair of huanghuali armchairs hit $65,000. Prices include a 19 percent buyer’s premium.

Walter Palmer painting, $132,000, Shannon’s

A snowy landscape painting by Walter Launt Palmer (American, 1854-1932), titled Winter Shadows, sold for $132,000 at a fine art auction held Oct. 23 by Shannon’s Fine Art Auctioneers in Milford, Conn. Also, a painting by the African-American artist Hughie-Lee Smith (1915-1999), titled Rooftop, fetched $50,400; a precise depiction of the Brooklyn Bridge by American photo-realist painter Richard Estes (b. 1932) garnered $48,000; and a circa 15th /16th century Italian School painting Madonna and Child made $72,000. Prices include a 20 percent buyer’s premium.

Machine Man robot, $44,850, Philip Weiss

An original, battery-operated Machine Man toy robot, made in Japan in the 1950s by Modern Toys and standing 14¾ inches tall, sold for $44,850 at an auction held Nov. 4 by Philip Weiss Auctions in Lynbrook, N.Y. Also, a circa-1953 fiberglass Roy Rogers 10-cent mechanical horse ride, fully restored, went for $2,300; a tin litho Bing clockwork ferry boat, made in the 1920s for the American market, brought $2,300; and a Marklin 1 Gauge 4-4-2 steam locomotive in olive with eight-wheel tender made $2,242. Prices include a 13 percent buyer’s premium.

Gold and turquoise necklace, $5,750, Allard Auctions Inc.

An early 1970s 14K gold necklace set with a #8 spider web turquoise stone sold for $5,750 at a Big Fall Phoenix Auction held Nov. 8-9 by Allard Auctions Inc. in Mesa, Ariz. Also, a circa-1980s black-on-black San Ildefonso water bowl by Carmelita Dunlap rose to $2,587; an early 20th century handcrafted white buckskin Mandan war shirt set with matching leggings brought $1,840; and a circa-1900 deep hard-sided Klickitat basket made $2,300. Prices include a 15 percent buyer’s premium.

1957 Buick Special, $8,610, Tim’s Inc. Auctions

A turquoise-blue 1957 Buick Special in showroom condition sold for $8,610 at an on-site auction held Nov. 1 in Goshen, Conn., by Tim’s Inc. Auctions of Bristol and Litchfield, Conn. Also, an antique Nantucket sewing basket with swinging handle fetched $4,500; a 19th century walnut grandfather clock with carved angels achieved $6,250; a lovely 19th century rosewood rococo sideboard brought $3,382; and an Elmer O. Stennes banjo clock went for $2,875. All prices quoted include the buyer’s premium.

Palestine banknotes, $66,080, Archives International

A pair of rare and high-grade 1939 sequential banknotes from the Palestine Currency Board, each in the amount of 10 Palestine pounds, sold for a combined $66,080 (34,220 and $31,860, one shown) at a three-session auction held Oct. 25 (in New York City) and Nov. 4 (in Fort Lee, N.J.) by Archives International Auctions, based in Fort Lee. Also, an 1862 uncut pair of Assistant Treasurer of the U.S. gold coin certificates went for $16,815; and a Grover Cleveland Indian Peace Medal hit $2,950. Prices include an 18 percent buyer’s premium.

1975 International truck, $22,800, Smithey’s Funwood

A tan and brown 1975 International pickup truck with just 55.5 miles on the odometer sold for $22,800 at Part 1 of the estate of the late trucking company owner Donald A. Smith, held Nov. 22 on-site, at Smith’s trucking business property in Greensboro, N.C., by Smithey’s Funwood Auction of Reidsville, N.C. Also, two 1980 Scout trucks (one a Terra) brought $4,400 and $3,850; a 1960 Cadillac Sedan de Ville, black, reached $6,600; and a 1967 Ford Galaxy 500, powder blue, sped off at $8,800. Prices include a 10 percent buyer’s premium.

Goo Goo gum vendor, $42,660, James D. Julia

A rare Goo Goo penny gum vendor with a decorated front iron casting over a wooden base featuring original side panel decals of Brownie-type characters sold for $42,660 at a Fall Toy & Doll Auction held Nov. 7 by James D. Julia Inc. in Fairfield, Maine. Also, a tobacconist figure from the late 1880s attributed to Samuel Robb coasted to $29,625; a marvelous array of Lehmann tin windups fetched $25,515; and an exceptional salesman’s sample hay rake with the original carrying case went for $20,145. Prices include an 18.5 percent buyer’s premium.

Winchester display board, $19,200, Morphy Auctions

A Winchester shell advertising display board sold for $19,200 at a sale of the contents of Dan Hardesty’s Wild West Museum held Oct. 31-Nov. 2 by Morphy Auctions in Denver, Pa. Also, a Poet Scout Captain Jack Crawford archival collection reached $14,400; a pair of carved bird-shaped pipes from Jefferson County, Ky., hammered for $12,000; a Colt 3rd Model Dragoon .44 caliber revolver and shoulder stock hit the mark for $11,400; and a pair of Civil War flags – one Confederate and one Union – fetched $13,200. Prices include a 20 percent buyer’s premium.

Armin Hansen work, $102,000, John Moran

A Western genre painting by Armin Carl Hansen (California, 1886-1957), depicting bronco busters at the Salinas rodeo, sold for $102,000 at a California & American Fine Art Auction held Oct. 21 by John Moran Antique & Fine Art Auctioneers in Pasadena, Calif. Also, a watercolor rendering of Diamond Head, Hawaii by Millard Sheets (California, 1907-1989) rose to $42,000; and a portrait of Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach by Leroy Neiman (New York, 1921-2012) changed hands for $26,500. Prices include a 20 percent buyer’s premium.

Babe Ruth 1934 contract, $278,300, Goldin Auctions

Babe Ruth’s last contract as a player for the New York Yankees in 1934 sold for $278,300 in an online Legends Auction that closed Nov. 1 by Goldin Auctions, based in West Berlin, N.J. Also, a circa 1929-1930 white hickory Babe Ruth game-used bat was a hit for $181,050; Mike Schmidt’s 1976 Babe Ruth “Sultan of Swat Award” crown for leading the major leagues in home runs that season gaveled for $55,600; and an untouched complete set of 200 1916 M101-4 Sporting News baseball cards hammered for $121,000. Prices include a 21 percent buyer’s premium.

James Purdy shotgun, $42,000, Alderfer Auction

A James Purdy & Sons two-barrel set over under double-barrel shotgun sold for $42,000 at a Firearms Auction held Sept. 23 by Alderfer Auction in Hatfield, Pa. Also, a Winchester Model 21 Grand American two-barrel set side-by-side custom barrel shotgun rang out for $33,600; a Galazan Winchester Model 21 two-barrel set side-by-side double-barrel shotgun hit $16,800; a Boss & Co. side-by-side double-barrel shotgun made $10,800; and a Winchester Model 21 double-barrel shotgun went for $8,400. Prices include a 15 percent buyer’s premium.

NASA Hasselblad camera, $275,000, RR Auction

The first Hasselblad camera body and Zeiss lens carried into space during the Mercury-Atlas 8 mission in 1962 and again on the Mercury-Atlas 9 mission the following year sold for $275,000 at a single-lot auction held Nov. 13 by RR Auction in Boston, Mass. Walter Schirra (pictured) reportedly purchased the Hasselblad 500c camera at a Houston photo supply shop in 1962 and brought it back to NASA for mission use preparation. The buyer was a collector of space artifacts who wished to remain anonymous. The price includes a 20 percent buyer’s premium.

Calder work on paper, $207,750, Rago Arts

A painting on paper by Alexander Calder (American, 1898-1976), titled Girouette, sold for $207,750 at a fine art auction held Nov. 15 by Rago Arts & Auction Center in Lambertville, N.J. Another work by Calder, titled The Yellow Sky, went for $111,750. Also, Figura y Constelacion by Rufino Tamayo (Mexican, 1899-1991) soared to $43,750; Torch by Rolph Scarlett (American, 1891-1984) realized $40,000; and Soft Blue by the American artist Richard Anuskiewicz (b. 1930) also went for $40,000. Prices include a 25 percent buyer’s premium.

Virginia watercolor folk art, $27,600, Jeffrey S. Evans

A circa-1819 Wythe County, Va., folk art watercolor and ink on paper fraktur birth and baptismal record, attributed to the Wild Turkey artist, sold for $27,600 at a sale of Americana and Southern decorative arts held Nov. 15 by Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates in Mount Crawford, Va. Also, a circa-1856 half-plate daguerreotype of Main Street in Richmond, Va., brought $21,850; and a circa 1765-1785 Petersburg, Va., Chippendale carved cherry or apple wood corner chair went for $20,700. Prices include a 15 percent buyer’s premium.

Maxfield Parrish oil, $515,000, Heritage

Artist Maxfield Parrish’s touching 1902 oil painting titled The Little Peach, done to accompany a children’s poem by the same name, sold for $515,000 at an American Art Signature Auction held Nov. 17 by Heritage Auctions in New York City. Also, Georgia O’Keeffe’s circa-1923 work Alligator Pears, one of eight known alligator pear canvases from that year, achieved $461,000; Peaches in a White Bowl (1910) by Charles Sheeler hit $209,000; and The River by Man Ray gaveled for $167,000. All prices quoted include a buyer’s premium.

Gabriele Munter painting, $341,000, Doyle New York

An Alpine landscape painting by Gabriele Munter (German, 1877-1962) titled Strassendurchstich (A Road Passing Through), sold for $341,000 at a sale of impressionist and modern art held Nov. 5 by Doyle New York. Also, a post-impressionist autumn view by Gustave Loiseau (French, 1865-1935), titled Le Quai du Pothuis, fetched $167,000; Maternite ou Heureuse Famille by Leon Augustin Lhermitte (French, 1844-1925) brought $93,750; and a pencil sketch by John Singer Sargent went for $34,375. Prices include a 25 percent buyer’s premium.