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. All prices include the buyer’s premium.
Beatles Shea Stadium poster, $137,500, Heritage Auctions
A rare 1966 concert poster from the Beatles’ performance at Shea Stadium in New York sold for $137,500 at an Entertainment Auction held April 4 by Heritage Auctions in Dallas, Texas. It was the most ever paid for a concert poster at a public auction. Also, a Buddy Holly & The Crickets concert poster, promoting a Winter Dance Party concert in Mankato, Minn., just days before the plane crash that took the lives of Holly, the Big Bopper (P.J. Richardson Jr.) and Richie Valens, brought $125,000.
Copy of ‘Tales of Suspense,’ $9,688, Bruneau & Co.
A copy of Tales of Suspense #39 (1963, Marvel), graded CGC 4.5, featuring the origin and first appearance of Iron Man, sold for $9,688 at a Comic & Toy Auction held April 4 by Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers in Cranston, R.I. Also, a copy of Tales to Astonish #27 (Jan. 1962), graded CGC 3.5, featuring the first appearance of scientist Hank Pym (later Ant-Man) realized $3,875; and original watercolor artwork by Dan Green for Dr. Strange: Into Shamballa (pages 56-58) made $2,750.
Circus sideshow collection, $37,500, Holabird Western Americana
A collection of circus sideshow photographs and ephemera, around 50,000 pieces in all, from 1850-1960, sold for $37,500 in an online-only Big Tent Auction held April 16-19 by Holabird Western Americana Collections based in Reno, Nev. Also, a 1901 wanted poster for the capture of Harvey Logan, alias Kid Curry (reward: $50,000) hit $8,437; and a pastel on paper painting of a reptilian alien swallowing a phoenix by Rufino Tamayo (Mexican, 1889-1991) rose to $4,250.
Aladdin clear opaline lamp, $14,040, Jeffrey S. Evans
A clear opaline Aladdin short Lincoln drape stand lamp sold for $14,040 at a 19th & 20th Century Lighting Auction held March 28 by Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates in Mount Crawford, Va. Also, an Aladdin prototype Rooster electric table lamp illuminated the gallery for $4,972; a Plume & Atwood Harvard double-armed student lamp garnered $4,388; a Consolidated Elephant parlor lamp finished at $4,095; and a Craighead & Kintz Cockatoo and Turtle bronze lamp went for $2,925.
Navajo chief’s blanket, $40,625, John Moran
A Navajo Second Phase woman’s chief’s blanket sold for $40,625 at an Art of the American West Auction held March 15 by John Moran Auctioneers in Monrovia, Calif. Also, a Navajo Classic Period Manta realized $28,125; a Navajo First Phase silver concho belt went for $13,750; an early Navajo squash blossom necklace finished at $10,000; a patinated bronze by Ed Mell, (Arizizona, b. 1942), titled Sidestepper (2014) brought $10,000; and a David Lemon bronze reached $3,437.
Ouija board in case, $8,125, Millea Bros.
An ornately carved Ouija board in a Victorian case, having a carved devil on the cover, sold for $8,125 at Fringe! and ABC Estate Finds auctions held March 26-27 by Millea Bros. in Boonton, N.J. Also, a 20th century Outsider School painting by a psychiatric patient from a Los Angeles hospital hammered for $7,500; a James Rizzi mixed media etching with color, titled Oncoming Traffic, realized $6,875; and a Native American Cree man’s beaded cloth hood made $6,875.
‘Seminole Wars’ playing cards, $8,400, Potter & Potter Auctions
A group of James Y. Humphreys “Seminole Wars” playing cards sold for $8,400 at a Gambling Memorabilia & Playing Cards Auction held March 28 by Potter & Potter Auctions in Chicago. Also, a copy of the book The Expert at the Card Table by S.W. Erdnase hit $10,200; a set of 250 ivory poker chips in a wooden presentation case finished at $7,200; a set of “Cartes Fantastiques” transformation playing cards made $5,040; and a Black Americana carnival toss figure rose to $5,040.
Seaman Schepps earclips, $4,807, Hindman
A pair of Seaman Schepps shell earclips sold for $4,807 at an Essential Jewelry Auction held March 31 by Hindman in Chicago. Also, a diamond, jade and ruby butterfly brooch found a new owner for $3,289; a pair of Lalaounis yellow gold octopus earclips went for $2,530; and a Tiffany & Co. yellow gold and diamond cat brooch commanded $2,404. Overall, more than 90 percent of the 444 jewelry lots sold in an auction that grossed over $423,000.
Tiffany table lamp, $206,250, Freeman’s
A Tiffany Studios “Nasturtium” table lamp, circa 1905, lit up the room for $206,250 in an online-only Design Auction held April 3 by Freeman’s in Philadelphia. Also, an important “Holtz” table crafted in 1986 by George Nakashima (1905-1990) sold for $137,500; a framed radiator grill for the Brooklyn Edison Co., circa 1930, by Samuel Yellin (1884-1940) rose to $37,500; and a music stand made in 1962 by Wharton Esherick (1887-1970) changed hands for $37,500.
Marble figure of a nymph, $8,750, Doyle
A French white marble figure of a nymph titled Libellule sold for $8,750 in an online-only Home Auction held March 31 by Doyle in New York City. Also, a Montici pietre dure plaque by Richard A. Blow (Italy, circa 1955), depicting a fruit still life, 9¾ inches tall, went for $6,875; a Russian icon of the Old Testament Trinity, with Abraham and Sarah, just over a foot tall, brought $6,250; and a pair of Louis XVI-style gilt-bronze and marble gueridons, 30½ inches tall, hit $6,250.
Lemuel Curtis clock, $51,660, Brunk Auctions
A Lemuel Curtis Federal girandole clock chimed on time for $51,660 at Catalog & Premier Auctions held March 27-28 by Brunk Auctions in Asheville, N.C. Also, an American Chippendale desk and bookcase realized $46,740; a painting by William Michael Hartnett titled Still Life with Jug, Bread and Newspaper brought $39,360; Hermann Herzog’s oil on canvas titled Afternoon in the Everglades achieved $41,820; and a Southern Queen Anne dressing table went for $36,900.
Tlingit Chilkat blanket, $30,000, Cowan’s
A mountain goat wool Tlingit Chilkat blanket, 66 inches in length, sold for $30,000 at an American Indian Art auction held April 10 by Cowan’s in Cincinnati. Also, a Navajo Two Grey Hills weaving by the legendary master weaver Bessie Manygoats (Dine, circa 1905-1953) rose to $21,250; a Sioux quilled hide shirt and leggings, collected by Gen. Everett Tutherly (1848-1921) changed hands for $21,250; and a Southern Cheyenne woman’s hide dress sold for $20,000.
Carved wolf’s head, $8,875, Pook & Pook
A Northwest Coast Indian carved and painted wolf’s head with applied ears, possibly a section of a frontier-type headdress, sold for $8,875 at a Native American Auction held April 3 by Pook & Pook Inc. in Downingtown, Pa. Also, a Navajo Third Phase chief’s blanket achieved $5,250; a Germantown Navajo textile measuring 91 inches by 51 inches fetched $4,188; a 10-inch Pueblo jar with polychrome decoration went for $4,188; and a sheaf of 20 Plains Indian arrows with iron tips hit $4,375.
Lyrics to ‘Hey Jude,’ $910,000, Julien’s
Paul McCartney’s handwritten lyrics to the Beatles song Hey Jude, used in studio at Trident Studios in London in 1968, sold for $910,000 at an All Beatles Auction held April 10 by Julien’s Auctions in Los Angeles. Also, the Beatles 1964 Cow Palace concert drumhead finished at $200,000; John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s Bagism drawing knocked down for $93,750; a Hello Goodbye music video shooting script page brought $83,200; and Ringo Starr’s Abbey Road ashtray hit $32,500.
Apollo 13 badge, $29,197, RR Auction
NASA Division Chief Gene Kranz’s Apollo 13 Mission Control badge sold for $29,197 in an online auction that ran from April 9-16 by RR Auction, based in Boston, Mass. Also, a complete slice of the lunar meteorite that fell in Northwest Africa (NWA 5000) brought $118,685; a rare lunar module upper docking tunnel hatch made by Grumman hammered for $90,747; and an Apollo lunar boot overshoe, used in training for the Apollo 11 moon mission, changed hands for $62,500.
Picasso ceramic pitcher, $52,700, DuMouchelles
A ceramic pitcher by Pablo Picasso for Madoura from 1952 titled Pichet a Glace, number 42 of 50, 13½ inches tall, sold for $52,700 at an auction held March 20-22 by DuMouchelles in Detroit, Mich. Also, a Chinese porcelain blue on white 10-panel screen finished at $64,500; a color lithograph in 11 colors by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, titled Le Chapeau Epingle, 2E Planche (1898), brought $37,200; and a 1976 gouache on paper by Alexander Calder titled Boomerang went for $55,800.
Rosetti’s Verses, $13,200, Schwenke
A rare signed first edition copy of Christina Rossetti’s first book, Verses, printed on her grandfather’s press, sold for $13,200 at a Leap Day estates auction held Feb. 29 by Schwenke Auctioneers in Woodbury, Conn. Also, an Edward Wormley for Dunbar drop-leaf desk with trapezoidal walnut top fetched $4,575; a 1930s Gibson Sunburst acoustic guitar played a sweet tune for $3,555; a Persian Heriz room-size rug made $3,048; and a Tiffany & Co. 18K gold mesh necklace hit $3,965.
Chinese revolving vase, $212,500, Lark Mason
A Chinese revolving vase, Qianlong mark and period, sold for $212,500 in an Asian Art Auction that closed April 21 by Lark Mason Associates in New Braunfels, Texas. Also, a Chinese enameled metal Fang Ding censer, also Qianlong mark and period, fetched $57,500; a Chinese gilt-bronze peach-form brush washer from the Qing dynasty knocked down for $53,750; and an 18th or 19th century Chinese export porcelain fish-form covered dish with a coat of arms finished at $26,250.
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By KEN HALL