A monumental mahogany front and back bar made around 1893 by Brunswick, Balke & Collender Co., the desirable Los Angeles model, with an original matching liquor cabinet, sold for $302,500 at a sale held Oct. 2-4 by Showtime Auction Services of Woodhaven, Mich. The auction was conducted in Ann Arbor, Mich. Also, a set of saloon doors made around 1902, also by Brunswick, Balke & Collender Co., went for $77,000, a record for saloon doors. Prices include a 10 percent buyer’s premium.
Tiffany salt and pepper, $4,000, Richard D. Hatch
A gorgeous pair of Tiffany sterling silver and mixed metals salt and pepper shakers, each 3 3/4 inches tall and in the flying crane décor, sold for $4,000 at a multi-estate auction held Sept. 25-26 by Richard D. Hatch & Associates in Flat Rock, N.C. Also, an oil painting by British artist William E. Harris (1856-1929) garnered $1,300; a period Chippendale slant-front desk coasted to $800; a 94-piece set of Chantilly sterling flatware by Gorham brought $1,750; and a Cartier men’s Santos wristwatch brought $1,100. Prices are exclusive of a buyer’s premium.
Buttersworth oils, $33,925, Converse
A pair of original marine oil paintings by Thomas Buttersworth (British, 1768-1842) sold for a combined $33,925 at a multi-estate sale held Oct. 21 by Gordon S. Converse & Co. in Wayne, Pa. Glasgow & Albion brought $14,375, while Glasgow & Cutter Scout (shown) fetched $19,550. Also, an 18th-century glass and gold leaf Chippendale mirror commanded $4,888; a pair of yellow and blue glaze decorated bowls breezed to $2,645; and a Federal American grandfather clock (circa 1800-1830) hit $2,300. Prices include a 15 percent buyer’s premium.
J. & E. Stevens bank, $32,000, Dan Morphy
A J. & E. Stevens cast-iron mechanical bank known as Girl Skipping Rope sold for $32,000 at a Fall Sale featuring the revered Joseph and Lillian Shapiro Americana & Folk Art Collection held Oct. 8-10 by Dan Morphy Auctions in Denver, Pa. Also, an 1880s-vintage lithographed paper sign for Soapine soap went for $17,250; an 1890s-vintage bas-relief composition sign advertising Snow Boy Washing Powder brought $15,000; and a 1907 heavy cardboard sign featuring “Miss Pepsi Cola” made $12,650. Prices include a 15 percent buyer’s premium.
Katzenjammer bank, $52,875, RSL Auction
A circa 1905 Kenton Hardware Katzenjammer bank sold for $52,875 at a Bountiful Harvest Sale held Oct. 17 at RSL Auction Co. in Timonium, Md. Also, a Shepard Hardware Picture Gallery bank soared to $52,875; a Hubley painted cast-iron Calliope wagon from the Royal Circus series, with original box, went for $22,325; a painted cast-iron Uncle Sam bust-style mechanical bank attributed to Ives, Blakeslee hit $17,625; and an Althof Bergmann circa-1880 horse-drawn gig with driver garnered $9,400. Prices include a 17.5 percent buyer’s premium.
Marklin fire pumper, $149,500, Bertoia
A circa-1912 Marklin live-steam toy fire truck, 18 inches long, hand-painted and intricately detailed, sold for $149,500 at Part II of the Donald Kaufman antique toy collection held Sept. 25-26 by Bertoia’s in Vineland, N.J. Also, a circa-1904 Bing clockwork four-seat tourer, with rubber tires, made $59,800; a Marklin 1920s version of its hand-painted delivery truck, clockwork driven and carrying eight oil cans, fetched $39,100; and a small-scale version (6 1/2 inches) of Gunthermann’s Gordon Bennett racer hit $27,600. Prices include a 15 percent buyer’s premium.
Elvis Presley red shirt, $34,000, Leslie Hindman
A red Ultrasuede shirt worn by Elvis Presley in a 1963 photo shoot sold for $34,000 at the Gary Pepper Collection of Elvis Presley Memorabilia held Oct. 18 by Leslie Hindman Auctioneers in Chicago. Also, a lock of Presley’s hair went for $18,300; an inscribed Presley picture sleeve topped out at $10,370; a pair of sweat-stained, concert-worn scarves changed hands for $2,318; and an album of original Elvis Presley Polaroids fetched $7,930. A pastel portrait of Elvis and Priscilla on their wedding day failed to sell. Prices include a 20 percent buyer’s premium.
Streisand gown, $13,750, Julien
A gown worn onstage by Barbra Streisand in 1993-94 sold for $13,750 at the sale of The Barbra Streisand Collection held Oct. 18 by Julien’s Auctions at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills. Also, a Stickley china cabinet went for $15,000; a wig worn by Streisand in the film On a Clear Day You Can See Forever gaveled for $3,500; a robe from The Way We Were fetched $5,937.50; and the “a” from a sign that hung in her New York apartment that symbolized the change in her name from Barbara to Barbra hit $8,750. Prices include a 25 percent buyer’s premium.
Tiffany glass bowl, $28,200, Clarke
A circa 1905 Tiffany glass bowl, with a Baccarat glass vase, were sold as a single lot at an auction held Sept. 14 by Clarke Auction in Larchmont, N.Y. Also, a Jean Royere-style patinated steel, brass and glass coffee table in the manner of Royere’s Eiffel table changed hands for $6,756; a Regency-style radial dining table after Robert Jupe, with a mechanical movement that opens the table to put in the leaves went for $5,581; and a Louis XVI bronze mounted marble-top commode garnered $2,585. Prices include a 17 percent buyer’s premium.
Chinese kundika pot, $189,700, Grogan
A Qing dynasty blue and white Chinese kundika pot with a Qianlong six-character mark sold for $189,700 at a sale of the Asian art collection of the late Frederick Rush Innes of Boston, held Oct. 4 by Grogan & Co. in Dedham, Mass. Also, a Qing dynasty blue and white covered Chinese ewer with a six-character Qianlong mark coasted to $160,100; a Chinese gilt bronze and cloisonne tripod censer with the Qianlong mark went for $80,500; and an 18th-century Chinese blue and white dish garnered $37,375. Prices include a 15 percent buyer’s premium.
Wharton Esherick buffet, $335,500, Sollo Rago
A Wharton Esherick buffet sold for $335,500 at a Modern Auction held Oct. 24-25 by Sollo Rago Arts & Auction Center in Lambertville, N.J. Also, a John Lewis polished prism bench realized $32,940; a Tommi Parzinger nine-drawer dresser commanded $28,060; a Jean Prouve set of four chairs rose to $26,840; a Pedro Friedeberg hand chair breezed to $19,520; a Dan Dailey sculptural vessel fetched $19,520; a Claude Conover stoneware vessel reached $18,300; and a Donald Deskey floor lamp hit $15,860. Prices include a 22 percent buyer’s premium.
Sharps cased Pepperbox, $7,187, Poulin Auction
A Sharps Gutta Percha cased Pepperbox pistol sold for $7,187 at a Fall Firearms & Militaria Sale held Oct. 3 by Poulin Auction Co. in Fairfield, Maine. Also, two early Dutch flintlock holster pistols rang out at $6,900; three Mediterranean pistols soared to $6,900; a Walther PPK commanded $6,037; two Mediterranean flintlock pistols rose to $5,750; a pair of English flintlock Blunderbusses hit $4,140; an AH Fox AE grade climbed to $3,910; and a Remington M-700 US Sniper Reproduction brought $3,795. Prices include a 15 percent buyer’s premium.
Carved jade bowl, $303,000, Skinner
A 1774 Imperial Chinese carved jade bowl sold for $303,000 at an Asian Works of Art Sale held Oct. 17-18 by Skinner Inc. in Boston. Also, a Ch’ien Lung bamboo root carving in the form of an Immortal, wearing a mugwort cape and seated on a rocky outcrop, soared to $154,050; a Ch’ien Lung period pale green jade figure in the form of a Pi Hsieh, the mythological animal believed to ward off evil, fetched $98,000; and a Ch’ien Lung celadon green jade carving of an Immortal changed hands for $90,060. Prices include a 15 percent buyer’s premium.
Cardboard diorama, $5,060, Matthews
A graphically dazzling cardboard diorama, advertising Mayo-Skinner Automatic Windshield Cleaner and graded 8.5 on a 1-10 scale for condition, sold for $5,060 at a Fall Petroliana & Advertising Auction held Oct. 16 by Matthews Auctions, LLC, of Nokomis, Ill. The auction was held the day before the start of the annual Fall Chicagoland Advertising Show in Peotone, Ill. Also, a Marine Gasoline 15-inch single lens in a metal globe body, with speed boat graphic and graded 8.9, soared to $10,450. Prices include a 10 percent buyer’s premium.
Vampire killing kit, $8,800, Stevens Auction
An authentic turn-of-the-century vampire killing kit in a rosewood case with mother of pearl inlay and complete with pistol, silver bullets, holy water vials, cleaver, prayer book and looking glass sold for $8,800 at a sale of the estate of Isabel Person held Oct. 31 by Stevens Auction Co., Aberdeen, Miss. The auction was conducted at Person’s estate home in Port Gibson, Miss. Also, a mahogany Empire full tester plantation bed (circa 1840), 8 feet 8 inches tall and 77 inches long, went for $12,100. Prices include a 10 percent buyer’s premium.
Gil Elvgren painting, $191,200, Heritage
An original oil painting by one of the greatest pinup artists of all time, Gil Elvgren, titled On the House (1958), sold for $191,200 at a Signature Illustration Art Auction held Oct. 27 by Heritage Auctions in Dallas. Also, Elvgren’s 1948 pin-up Sheer Delight (This Soots Me) shot to $155,350; Alberto Vargas’ Pin-Up, 1928 commanded $77,675; Earl Moran’s Golden Hours (circa early 1930s) fetched $41,825; and George Petty’s 1947 True Magazine Pin-Up went to a determined bidder for $38,837. Prices include a 15 percent buyer’s premium.
Engraved Colt revolver, $345,000, James D. Julia
An engraved Colt single-action revolver from the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in exquisite condition sold for $345,000 at a Firearms Auction held Oct. 6-7 by James D. Julia Inc., in Fairfield, Maine. Also, a Texas Patterson No. 5 revolver with 9-inch octagon barrel gaveled for $288,000; a pair of Colt 1862 police percussion revolvers realized $288,000; a rare cased 1st model dragoon rang out at $230,000; and a Colt Model 1860 Army percussion revolver with holster rig once belonging to Jesse James hit $230,000. Prices include a 15 percent buyer’s premium.
Royal Vienna vase, $16,450, Weschler’s
An impressive Royal Vienna-type parcel gilt two-handled vase by the Saxonian Porcelain Manufactory (Carl Thieme Potschappel, 1881-1901) sold for $16,450 at a sale of European and American Furniture & Decorations held Oct. 17 by Weschler’s in Washington, D.C. Also, a Turkish silver bottle (circa 1900) went to an Internet bidder for $12,050; an A.A. Jacobi & Co. repousse sterling pitcher (Baltimore) fetched $2,585; and two sets of Tiffany & Co. sterling dinner plates brought $4,700 and $8,225. Prices include a 17.5 percent buyer’s premium.
Catlett sculpture, $288,000, Swann
A life-size red cedar sculpture by the artist Elizabeth Catlett, titled Homage to My Young Black Sisters, sold for $288,000 at a sale of African-American Fine Art held Oct. 8 by Swann Auction Galleries in New York. It was a new world auction record for the artist. Also, John Biggers’ 1987 oil on canvas work Shotguns brought $216,000; Barkley Hendricks’ oil and acrylic on canvas portrait Bid ‘Em In/Slave (Angie) from 1973 made $144,000; and a 1929 painted plastic sculpture by Augusta Savage hit $40,800. Prices include a 20 percent buyer’s premium.