Alexander Calder gouache, $78,200, Cottone Auctions
An original gouache painting by Alexander Calder (American, 1898-1976), titled Loops Filled In, sold for $78,200 at a Winter Fine Art & Antiques Auction held March 29 by Cottone Auctions in Geneseo, N.Y. Also, a color linocut on Arches paper by Pablo Picasso (Spanish/French, 1881-1973), titled Faunes et Chevre, also hit $78,200; a color etching and aquatint by Joan Miro (Spanish, 1893-1983), titled Le Permissionaire, brought $40,000; and a Tiffany Studios Daffodil lamp, 25 inches tall, reached for $57,000. Prices include a 15 percent buyer’s premium.
Chinese porcelain screen, $121,000, Elite Decorative Arts
A large 19th century Chinese porcelain famille rose four-panel screen sold for $121,000 at a Fine Artwork, Porcelain & Decorative Arts Auction held March 29 by Elite Decorative Arts in Boynton Beach, Fla. Also, a Chinese footed wash cup from the Ching-Lung Dynasty, circa 1736-1796, gaveled for $10,030; a large oil on canvas painting by Lithuanian-born American artist Max Band (1900-1974), titled Butcher Boy, reached $8,260; and a Chinese red coral carving of a Quan Yin standing on a dragon boat hit $5,082. Prices include the buyer’s premium.
Sunburst Snuff Jar, $57,330, Norman C. Heckler & Co.
A rare Sunburst Snuff jar made between 1815 and 1830 at the Keene Marlboro Street Glassworks in New Hampshire, in near-perfect condition, sold for $57,330 in an online-only absentee auction (#108) held March 17-26 by Norman C. Heckler & Co., Woodstock Valley, Conn. Also, an eagle cornucopia half-pint flask, made circa 1815-1830 at the Pitkin Glass Works (Conn.) fetched $39,780; and a rectangular medicine tooth wash bottle for Rushton & Aspinall, circa 1840-1860, went for $23,400. Prices include a 17 percent buyer’s premium.
Silver box collection, $9,200, Allard Auctions
A collection of 40 hand-wrought, Navajo-made silver pill, jewelry and trinket boxes sold for $9,200 at a Big Spring Phoenix Auction held March 8-9 by Allard Auctions in Mesa, Ariz. Also, a graduated green turquoise heshi strand necklace with fetish birds, bears and teardrop extensions realized $2,875; a large polychrome Acoma pottery jar by L. Concho went for $2,588; and a Navajo turquoise and silver squash blossom Yellow Bird necklace made $2,750. Prices include a 15 percent buyer’s premium.
Six porcelain panels, $57,600, Nadeau’s
A set of six diminutive Chinese 19th century porcelain famille rose panels, with floral and figural decorations and each panel measuring 14 1/2 inches by 4 3/4 inches, sold for $57,600 at an American & Asian Auction held March 29 by Nadeau’s Auction Gallery in Windsor, Conn. Also, a 19th century Chinese famille rose framed porcelain plaque, 12 inches by 15 inches, brought $36,000; and an oil on canvas painting by Jules Jacques Veyrassat (French, 1828-1892) titled Working Hayers topped out at $22,800. Prices include a 17 or 20 percent buyer’s premium.
Aetna Insurance Co. sign, $51,300, Showtime Auction
An Aetna Insurance Co. reverse glass painted sign with mother of pearl inlay, 34 inches square and in excellent condition, sold for $51,300 at an auction held April 4-6 by Showtime Auction Services in Ann Arbor, Mich. Also, an El Bart Gin tin sign, housed in the original frame and copyrighted in 1905 also realized $51,300; a Hires Root Beer dispenser, the green version, hit $49,200; and a 1928 Ford Model A fire hose and ladder truck with accessories sped off for $31,200. Prices include the buyer’s premium.
1909 1-Yuan banknote, $15,230, Archives International
An unlisted 1909 1-Yuan Empire Issue Chinese banknote, in good condition with facing dragons, sold for $15,230 at an auction of rare Chinese and Asian banknotes held April 12 in Hong Kong, China by Archives International Auctions of Fort Lee, N.J. Also, a Ming Dynasty, circa 1368-1399, circulating note hammered for $14,164; a Bank of Taiwan 1949 issue for 100 Yuan went for $11,420; and a Hong Kong & Shanghai Banking Corp. (Shanghai, 1923) $10 banknote hit $3,350. Prices include an 18 percent buyer’s premium.
Guy Rose oil painting, $120,000, John Moran
An oil painting by California master Guy Rose, titled Winter Haystacks at Crecy-en-Brie, sold for $120,000 at a California & American Art Auction held March 25 by John Moran Antique & Fine Art Auctioneers in Pasadena, Calif. Also, John Frost’s work San Jacinto, Palm Springs rose to $85,750; a painting by Paul Grimm titled California Clouds, fetched $30,000; a work by Massachusetts artist John Whorf, titled Southern Cruiser, made $30,000; and Jules Page’s Chinatown, San Francisco went for $16,800. Prices include a 20 percent buyer’s premium.
Percival Rousseau work, $93,750, Doyle New York
A painting by Percival Leonard Rousseau (1859-1937) titled Connecticut, Rocks and Pools (Dogs in a Stream) sold for $93,750 at a sale of American Paintings, Furniture & Decorative Arts held April 2 by Doyle New York. Also, a painted wood relief by American folk artist Elijah Pierce (1892-1984) titled Presidents and Convicts, 1941, changed hands for $87,500; and a classical mahogany fold-over card table with dolphin carved supports attributed to Deming & Bulkley, New York, hit $13,750. Prices include a 25 percent buyer’s premium.
Stoneware salt-glazed jar, $74,750, Jeffrey S. Evans
A 3-gallon stoneware salt-glazed jar, decorated in cobalt around 1825 with a federal eagle and attributed to James Miller (active 1797-1827), sold for $74,750 at a sale of the Americana collection of John and Lil Palmer held April 5 by Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates in Mount Crawford, Va. Also, a salt-glazed stoneware diminutive canning jar made at the Thompson Pottery, Morgantown, W.Va., fetched $48,875; and a John James Trumbull Arnold oil on canvas folk art titled Portrait of Mary Mattingly, 1850, made $33,350. Prices include a 15 percent buyer’s premium..
Hudson Valley Dutch kas, $18,400, Carlsen Gallery
An early 18th century Hudson Valley kas, a large Dutch cabinet, sold for $18,400 at an auction held April 6 by Carlsen Gallery in Freehold, N.Y. Also, an oil on canvas painting by Ralph Albert Blakelock (American, 1847-1919) changed hands for $10,925; a first period Regency sofa breezed to $3,738; a 19th century eagle-on-ball weather vane achieved $3,738; an English Regency dining table topped out at $3,400; and a grand tour casting Warwick vase hit $3,400. Prices include a 15 percent buyer’s premium.
Albert Marque doll #27, $300,000+, Theriault’s
An Albert Marque French art character doll #27, one of only 100 produced, dressed in its original signed costume, sold for a little more than $300,000 at an auction held March 29-30 by Theriault’s in Naples, Fla. It was a new world record for a doll sold at auction. Also, a pair of French bisque character dolls by sculptor and illustrator Francisque Poulbot brought $40,000; and an outstanding bebe “H” by Halopeau, circa 1880, in an antique costume, made $40,000. Prices quoted exclude the buyer’s premium.
Chinese wine vessel, $20,425, Schwenke’s
A Chinese archaistic bronze ritual vessel in the manner of the early Western Zhou Dynasty, with 24K gold and silver inlays, 13 1/2 inches tall, sold for $20,425 at an Arts of Asia Sale held March 23 by Schwenke’s Woodbury Auction in Woodbury, Conn. Also, a vintage roll of Chinese imperial pattern silk in gold with five-toed dragon pattern, 16 yards long by 30 inches wide, fetched $18,750; and a Chinese framed embroidered panel on silk, 19th century, depicting a family of six, 53 inches tall by 50 inches wide, hit $7,200. Prices include a 17 percent buyer’s premium.
Chinese four-panel screen, $68,750, Rago Arts & Auction
A Chinese nephrite jade four-panel screen sold for $68,750 at a Great Estates Auction held March 22 by Rago Arts & Auction Center in Lambertville, N.J. Also, a Russian imperial porcelain factory military plate hammered for $35,000; a presidential autograph album realized $27,500; a Chippendale walnut corner cabinet finished at $21,250; a KPM porcelain plaque titled Solitude reached $20,000; a Chinese altar table fetched $20,000; and a pair of Meissen pate sur pate covered urns hit $16,250. Prices include a 25 percent buyer’s premium.
1927-D double eagle coin, $1.29 million, Heritage
A legendary 1927-D double eagle U.S. gold coin, the rarest coin ever minted in Denver and the key among circulation issue Saint-Gaudens double eagles, sold for $1.29 million at an auction of the Bently Collection held March 20 by Heritage Auctions in Dallas. Also, an 1870-CC golden eagle, graded AU53 by PCGS, went for $411,250; an octagonal $50 gold piece with lettered edge struck by U.S. assayer Augustus Humbert in 1851 rose to $282,000; and a 1930-S double eagle made $176,381. Prices include a 17.5 percent buyer’s premium.
Whistler’s ‘Quiet Canal,’ $65,000, Swann Auction
An etching and drypoint from 1879-1880 by James A.M. Whistler, titled Quiet Canal, sold for $65,000 at a sale of 19th & 20th Century Prints & Drawings held March 6 by Swann Auction Galleries in New York City. Also, a color aquatint and etching after Henri Matisse, executed circa 1952 and titled Odalisque au Coffret Rouge, wowed the crowd for $62,500; Martin Lewis’ Relics (Speakeasy Corner), a 1928 drypoint, made $45,000; and a set of seven woodcuts on Japan paper by Kathe Kollwitz (Krieg) rose to $52,500. Prices include a 25 percent buyer’s premium.
