An untitled painting by Arthur Luiz Piza sold for $48,800 at a Fine Art Auction held May 15 by Rago Arts & Auction Center in Lambertville, N.J. Also, Theodoros Stamos’ work titled Infinity Field, from the Tericho Series, made $45,140; Chaim Gross’ Performer in a Diamond reached $40,260; Marilyn Minter’s Climber rose to $37,820; an untitled painting by Elizabeth O’Neill Verner soared to $35,380; and another work by Verner, titled Hagar, went to a determined bidder for $24,400. Prices include a 22 percent buyer’s premium.
Case of Chateau Lafite, $37,665, Skinner Inc.
A case, 12 bottles, of Chateau Lafite Rothschild, 1982 vintage, sold for $37,665 at a sale of Fine Wines held by Skinner Inc. in Boston. Also, four bottles of Chateau Petrus, 1961, changed hands for $36,450; six bottles of Chateau Lafite Rothschild, 1982, found a new owner for $20,665; a case of 12 bottles of Chateau Lafite Rothschild, 1986, went to a determined bidder for $17,010; and another case of 12 bottles of Chateau Lafite Rothschild got paddles waving before finally crossing the block for $17,010. Prices include a 22.5 percent buyer’s premium.
Frank Miller cover art, $101,575, Heritage Auction
The original Frank Miller cover art from Daredevil no.188, 1982, sold for a world record price of $101,575 at a Signature Comics & Comic Art Auction held May 21 by Heritage Auctions in Dallas. Also, two bound volumes of Action Comics nos.1-24, 1938-40, brought $143,400 – the most ever paid for a bound volume lot. Robert Crumb’s original art for Help! no. 22 Fritz Comes on Strong, page 2 (Warren, 1965) climbed to $35,850; and a copy of Crumb’s Zap Comics no. 1, first printing, Plymell Edition, hit $26,290. Prices include a 19 1/2 percent buyer’s premium.
Findlay Onyx oil lamp, $17,250, Jeffrey S. Evans
An 11 1/4-inch-tall Findlay Onyx oil lamp manufactured by the Dalzell, Gilmore & Leighton Co. sold for $17,250 at a cataloged auction of Kerosene Lighting held Mar. 27 by Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates of Mount Crawford, Va. Also, a 10-inch-tall Mabrie Loop oil lamp on brass stem and marble base, with green loops on a colorless font, achieved $4,600; a Ripley marriage/wedding lamp with colorless fonts made $4,025; and a satin mother-of-pearl diamond quilted centerpiece vase lamp went for $3,450. Prices include a 15 percent buyer’s premium.
Daniel Garber landscape, $128,700, Pook & Pook
An autumn landscape painting by Daniel Garber, titled Brinton’s Mill, sold for $128,700 at a Spring Auction held April 23-24 by Pook & Pook Inc., in Downington, Pa. Also, a Joseph Townsend family Samuel Malkin slip-decorated charger, dated 1726, hammered for $81,900; a Russian five-piece silver tea service, stamped K. Fabergé in Cyrillic, breezed to $64,350; a Manhantongo dower chest attributed to William Otto made $56,160; and a Baltimore Hepplewhite mahogany card table, circa 1795, hit $14,040. Prices include a 17 percent buyer’s premium.
Kim Heung Sou work, $43,200, Litchfield County Auctions
An oil on canvas painting by Korean artist Kim Heung Sou (b. 1919), titled Head of a Young Girl Amid Triangular Shapes, sold for $43,200 in an Internet and catalog auction held April 14-28 by Litchfield County Auctions of Litchfield, Conn. Another work by Sou, titled Abstract Head, fetched $9,300. Also, a pair of 18th- or 19th-century carved stone outdoor planters rose to $16,800; and an Egyptian mummy shroud from around 600 B.C. gaveled for $6,420. Prices include a 20 percent buyer’s premium.
Roadster silver purse, $24,000, Perfume Bottles
An Austrian enameled sterling silver purse shaped as a 1920s roadster sold for $24,000 at a Perfume Bottles Auction held April 30 in conjunction with the International Perfume Bottle Association’s annual convention in Reston, Va. Also, a Rene Lalique bottle in its original box for the company Gabilla chalked up $11,400; a Baccarat bottle for Madhva brought $24,000; a Lucien Gaillard circa 1910 bottle for the company Clamy rose to $30,000; and a Czech Ingrid bottle, ruby jeweled glass with ivory stopper, made $9,600. Prices include a 20 percent buyer’s premium.
Frontier Gas sign, $26,400, Matthews
A brilliant, round Frontier Gas “Rarin’ to Go” double-sided porcelain gas sign, one of only two known, sold for $26,400 at a weekend auction conducted May 15-16 in Loveland, Colo., by Matthews Auctions LLC. The Nokomis, Ill., firm held another mostly petroliana auction May 1 in Wisconsin Rapids, Wis. Also, a Starkey coin-operated 10-gallon gas pump in fine original condition went for $14,300, while a Wayne model no. 491 “Roman column” 10-gallon visible gas pump achieved $9,900. Prices include a 10 percent buyer’s premium.
Marklin locomotive, $34,500, Noel Barrett
A Marklin American steam profile 0-4-0 clockwork toy locomotive with tender, boxcar and two passenger cars with hinged lids sold for $34,500 at a Spring Auction held May 1-2 by Noel Barrett in New Hope. Pa. Also, a Martim (French) cloth-dressed, painted-tin clockwork Shoeshine Boy achieved $14,950; a circa 1910-1917 folk art Monopoly game, hand-drawn and colored by John O. Heap and used in a trademark infringement case, brought $10,350; and a Blizzard Storm Front tin advertising sign realized $4,600. Prices include a 15 percent buyer’s premium.
Tiffany Studios lamp, $74,500, Doyle New York
A Tiffany Studios gilt-bronze and leaded Favrile glass jonquil-daffodil lamp sold for $74,500 at a Belle Epoque Auction held June 9 by Doyle New York. Also, a Louis XVI-style gilt bronze mounted string inlaid mahogany and walnut commode achieved $43,750; a painting titled The Rock of Monaco, by Frederic Arthur Bridgman (American, 1847-1928), breezed to $46,875; a Lalique molded glass Lezards et Bluets vase brought $20,000; and a Puiforcat silver and gilt flatware service hit $16,250. Prices include a 20 percent buyer’s premium.
Mickey Mantle jersey, $125,332, SCP Auctions
An autographed game-worn home jersey from Mickey Mantle’s 1955 season sold for $125,332 in an online auction that ended June 10 by SCP Auctions, based in Laguna Niguel, Calif. Also, a 1933 Goudey Nap Lajoie baseball card fetched $113,938; Wee Willie Keeler’s 1896 diary brought $83,713; a Joe DiMaggio game-used bat, circa 1946-1949, commanded $80,626; a Babe Ruth circa 1918-1921 game-used bat garnered $77,820; and a team photo featuring and signed by Ruth made $44,428. Prices include a 20 percent buyer’s premium.
English Regency desk, $41,400, CRN Auction
An English Regency satinwood desk, 73 inches wide and with a flat tooled green leather top, sold for $41,400 at an auction held April 25 by CRN Auction in Cambridge, Mass. Also, a small New York Chippendale mahogany card table realized $14,950; a repoussé coffee and tea service by S. Kirk of Baltimore commanded $8,913; a Federal gilt convex mirror carved with a dolphin among foliage brought $7,188; and a sketch portrait of a woman by iconic American artist Grant Wood topped out at $6,036. Prices include a 15 percent buyer’s premium.
Sanford Gifford oil, $108,000, Shannon’s
An oil on canvas painting by Sanford Robinson Gifford titled The Lagoons of Venice sold for $108,000 at an auction April 29 by Shannon’s Fine Art Auctioneers in Milford, Conn. The top lot of the sale was an original oil work by Clemente Pujol de Gustavino. It realized $136,800. Also, an early 19th-century Chinese School painting titled Anchorage at Whampoa rose to $102,000; a painting by Rainier Fetting titled Ruckker Der Gigajten hit $78,000; and a sculpture by Claire Falkenstein went for $72,000. Prices include a 20 percent buyer’s premium.
Wallace Nutting lowboy, $6,200, Michael Ivankovich
A rare no. 691 tiger maple Wallace Nutting lowboy with strong tiger-maple striping and a block brand signature sold for $6,200 at an auction of the Wallace Nutting Collectors Club held May 14 in Glastonbury, Conn., by Michael Ivankovich Antiques & Auction Co. Inc., based in Doylestown, Pa. Also, a Wallace Nutting no. 760 maple Queen Anne mirror achieved $1,870; a previously unseen Wallace Nutting picture titled Man on Horseback rode off for $2,750; and the picture titled Snow at the Bend made $2,640. Prices include a 10 percent buyer’s premium.
J. & E. Stevens bank, $94,000, RSL Auction
J. & E. Stevens’ Breadwinners bank, considered one of the finest mechanical toy banks ever produced, sold for $94,000 at an auction held May 22 by RSL Auction in Timonium, Md. Also, a Calamity bank with a rare chocolate brown colored base and still in the original box fetched $76,375; a Pokey the Turtle bank made by the Kilgore Manufacturing Co., one of only nine examples known, climbed to $70,500; and an Initiating Bank – The First Degree brought $58,750, an auction record. Prices include a 17.5 percent buyer’s premium.
Andrew Wyeth painting, $220,000, Thomaston Place
An original rendering of the Ridge Church in Maine by the iconic American artist Andrew Wyeth sold for $220,000 at an auction May 22-23 by Thomaston Place Auction Galleries in Thomaston, Maine. Also, a work by Montague Dawson titled The Lofty Trader Scottish Moors went for $71,875; an oil on canvas version of Erastus Salisbury Field’s Garden of Eden painting, laid on panel as fireboard and framed, commanded $26,450; and a settee constructed of birch root burls garnered $26,450. Prices include a 15 percent buyer’s premium.
Zuccarelli painting, $4,680, Willis Henry
A landscape rendering of boys fishing along a lake shore attributed to Francesco Zuccarelli sold for $4,680 at an auction held May 8 by Willis Henry Auction in Newton, Mass. The top lot of the sale was a silver presentation pitcher given to Nathanial Prentice Banks, the 24th governor of Massachusetts and a major general in the Civil War. It charged upward to $10,230. Also, an 18th-century English walnut secretary changed hands for $3,861; and a miniature Scoter decoy by Joe Lincoln of Hingham, Mass., brought $3,803. Prices include a 17 percent buyer’s premium.
