English silver mustard pots add spice to your table

A large George III silver mustard pot with a figural Chinaman final, the work of Rebecca Emes & Edward Barnard of London, achieved $3,000 plus the buyer’s premium against an estimate of $300-$500 in September 2023. Image courtesy of Cottone Auctions and LiveAuctioneers.

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A large George III silver mustard pot with a figural Chinaman final, the work of Rebecca Emes & Edward Barnard of London, achieved $3,000 plus the buyer’s premium against an estimate of $300-$500 in September 2023. Image courtesy of Cottone Auctions and LiveAuctioneers.
A large George III silver mustard pot with a figural Chinaman final, the work of Rebecca Emes & Edward Barnard of London, achieved $3,000 plus the buyer’s premium against an estimate of $300-$500 in September 2023. Image courtesy of Cottone Auctions and LiveAuctioneers.

NEW YORK – Mustard has been used as a medicine and a spice for millennia. A yellow mustard paste was used to whet the appetite in the courts of Zhou dynasty China and to flavor hot and cold meats by the Romans. The use of mustard as a condiment and a pick-me-up in England is attested by medieval ‘herbals’ describing the preparation of mustard balls – golf-ball-sized spheres of coarsely-ground mustard seed, bound with flour and cinnamon, which could be stored and then mixed with wine, milk or vinegar when required for the table. Production in France was centered in Dijon and in England at Tewksbury. As early as the 1600s, mustard was a figure of speech for something extremely powerful, passionate, or enthusiastic. Shakespeare’s Falstaff said of Pions “that his wit is as thick as Tewkesbury Mustard”.

Exactly what sort of silver vessels were used to serve wet mustard at the Tudor table in the best English houses is uncertain. None have survived. Instead, the earliest surviving form of English mustard pot is the blind caster used to dispense a dry mustard powder that became fashionable in the early 18th century. A Mrs. Clements of Saddler Street in Durham is considered the first person to sell English mustard as a finely ground powder.

This early George III drum-shaped mustard pot made by John Jacob in London in 1760 has an aperture for the spoon cut out of the top rim rather than the edge of the lid. It earned £1,200 (about $1,520) plus the buyer’s premium in October 2021. Image courtesy of Chiswick Auctions and LiveAuctioneers.
This early George III drum-shaped mustard pot made by John Jacob in London in 1760 has an aperture for the spoon cut out of the top rim rather than the edge of the lid. It earned £1,200 (about $1,520) plus the buyer’s premium in October 2021. Image courtesy of Chiswick Auctions and LiveAuctioneers.

Only rarely do these Queen Anne or George I period casters appear for sale. Far more common are the classic Georgian ‘drum’-form mustard pots – known at the time as mustard tankards or cans – that first emerged in the second half of the 18th century as the fashion changed from dry to wet mustard. This is where most collectors begin their quests.

An 1831 William IV provincial silver drum-form mustard pot by Barber, Cattle & North of York, England brought £1,400 ($1,775) plus the buyer’s premium in June 2021. Image courtesy of Chiswick Auctions and LiveAuctioneers.
An 1831 William IV provincial silver drum-form mustard pot by Barber, Cattle & North of York, England brought £1,400 ($1,775) plus the buyer’s premium in June 2021. Image courtesy of Chiswick Auctions and LiveAuctioneers.

There are numerous survivors and, as two models are seldom exactly alike, most collectors seek to own multiple examples. Some of the earliest of the drum-form pots from the 1760s and early 1770s have an aperture for the spoon cut out of the top rim rather than the edge of the lid, which later became common. Most show the influence of the neoclassical Adam style, while the introduction of glass liners, which made cleaning much easier, allowed for open-work containers contrasting fretwork with colored or clear glass.

A George III silver mustard pot with associated silver spoon, dating to 1797 by Charles Chesterman II of London, sold for £120 ($152) plus the buyer’s premium in May 2023. Image courtesy of Elstob Auctioneers and LiveAuctioneers.
A George III silver mustard pot with associated silver spoon, dating to 1797 by Charles Chesterman II of London, sold for £120 ($152) plus the buyer’s premium in May 2023. Image courtesy of Elstob Auctioneers and LiveAuctioneers.

By the Victorian era, multiple styles of mustard pot existed side-by-side – the gothic, the neoclassical, the naturalistic and the whimsical. Most popular of all were the novelties. From the 1850s, mustard pots and cruets appeared in a wide range of cast and chased forms designed to amuse, from animals (monkeys, owls, cats and pigs were particularly cherished), literary characters (the distinctively British figure of Mr. Punch was a favorite, made in several different guises) to miniature models of drums, fruit or hats. Some of these designs carry registration marks, indicating they were guarded at the time as intellectual property.

Victorian novelty silver mustard pot modeled as a monkey in oriental dress, the work of Edward Charles Brown of London in 1867, sold for $6,000 plus the buyer’s premium in June 2020. Image courtesy of Alderfer Auction and LiveAuctioneers.
This Victorian novelty silver mustard pot modeled as a monkey in oriental dress, the work of Edward Charles Brown of London in 1867, brought $6,000 plus the buyer’s premium in June 2020. Image courtesy of Alderfer Auction and LiveAuctioneers.

As a silver-collecting category, mustard pots are perfect. There are numerous varieties from across two and a half centuries, and they are small and easily displayed. Unlike some other Georgian domestic silver forms, they remain functional, and most are relatively affordable.

Pricing follows the general rules of English silver-collecting. Most Georgian and Victorian mustards can be bought for between $100-$500, but there is a premium placed on certain makers – the woman silversmith Hester Bateman or the ‘royal’ goldsmith Paul Storr, for example – and collectors can expect to pay more for pieces by Arts and Crafts designers such as Charles Robert Ashbee or Omar Ramsden.

An unmarked circa-1910 Arts and Crafts chased and pierced silver and ivory mustard pot attributed to Charles Robert Ashbee realized £2,200 ($2,790) plus the buyer’s premium in October 2023. Image courtesy of Dreweatts Donnington Priory and LiveAuctioneers.
An unmarked circa-1910 Arts and Crafts chased and pierced silver and ivory mustard pot attributed to Charles Robert Ashbee realized £2,200 ($2,790) plus the buyer’s premium in October 2023. Image courtesy of Dreweatts Donnington Priory and LiveAuctioneers.

Some relatively simple vessels bearing regional assay marks also have crossover collecting appeal. Most mustard pots were hallmarked in the English cities of London, Sheffield and Birmingham, or in Edinburgh, Scotland, but those struck with provincial English or Scottish marks are much harder to find. For collectors of York silver, a mustard pot with that rare town mark might be worth $2,000 to $4,000.

This 1848 Victorian silver novelty mustard pot modeled as a standing owl by Charles Thomas Fox & George Fox of London flew away with £1,900 ($2,410) plus the buyer’s premium in August 2020. Image courtesy of Elstob Auctioneers and LiveAuctioneers.
This 1848 Victorian silver novelty mustard pot modeled as a standing owl by Charles Thomas Fox & George Fox of London flew away with £1,900 ($2,410) plus the buyer’s premium in August 2020. Image courtesy of Elstob Auctioneers and LiveAuctioneers.

Novelties are also placed at the collecting top table. Victorian and Edwardian models such as the seated Mr. Punch, or the owl with a mouse doubling up as a spoon, are some of the hobby’s most desirable pieces. Expect to pay between $1,000 and $5,000 for period examples.

A 1961 novelty silver gilt penguin form mustard pot with a fish-handled spoon by William Comyns of London caught $2,100 plus the buyer’s premium in December 2020. Image courtesy of Merrill's Auctioneers and Appraisers and LiveAuctioneers.
A 1961 novelty silver gilt penguin-form mustard pot with a fish-handled spoon by William Comyns of London caught $2,100 plus the buyer’s premium in December 2020. Image courtesy of Merrill’s Auctioneers and Appraisers and LiveAuctioneers.

Some of the most popular novelty silver mustard pot designs were reproduced in the post-war era, but even these – notably the frog and the penguin by William Comyns – can bring surprising sums. The top price for a silver mustard pot on the LiveAuctioneers database was recorded at Alderfer Auction in Hatfield, Pennsylvania in June 2020 for a cast and chased vessel dating to 1867, modeled as a monkey in oriental dress. One of the best-known designs by the London silversmith Edward Charles Brown, it was estimated at $1,000-$2,000 but sold at $6,000 with buyer’s premium. That one really did cut the mustard.

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Italian jeweler Marina B succeeded on her own terms

Marina B is known for its use of gemstones, as evidenced by this emerald, sapphire and diamond ring that brought $3,250 plus the buyer’s premium in September 2022. Image courtesy of Hindman and LiveAuctioneers.

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Marina B is known for its use of gemstones, as evidenced by this emerald, sapphire and diamond ring that brought $3,250 plus the buyer’s premium in September 2022. Image courtesy of Hindman and LiveAuctioneers.
Marina B is known for its use of gemstones, as evidenced by this emerald, sapphire, and diamond ring that brought $3,250 plus the buyer’s premium in September 2022. Image courtesy of Hindman and LiveAuctioneers.

NEW YORK — Marina Bulgari (b. 1930-) was destined by birthright for the jewelry business but determined to find her own path. She began her career working in the family business, Bulgari, which her grandfather started. After studying art and design in college, she joined the company and began designing, eventually helping run Bulgari when her father died in 1973. She spent nearly five years there before launching her own jewelry firm, Marina B. Because she was not able to use the company name for her fledgling business, she went with a modified version of her own name, reducing the ‘B’ in ‘Bulgari’ to its first letter. She debuted her first collection in 1978 and soon had legions of devotees captivated by her bold and colorful designs.

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Southern blanket chests continue to capture collectors

A Stirewalt School, Shenandoah Valley of Virginia paint-decorated yellow pine and poplar child’s blanket chest stomped its $20,000-$30,000 estimate when it reached $45,000 plus the buyer’s premium in September 2023. Image courtesy of Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates and LiveAuctioneers.

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A Stirewalt School, Shenandoah Valley of Virginia paint-decorated yellow pine and poplar child’s blanket chest stomped its $20,000-$30,000 estimate when it reached $45,000 plus the buyer’s premium in September 2023. Image courtesy of Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates and LiveAuctioneers.
A Stirewalt School, Shenandoah Valley of Virginia paint-decorated yellow pine and poplar child’s blanket chest stomped its $20,000-$30,000 estimate when it reached $45,000 plus the buyer’s premium in September 2023. Image courtesy of Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates and LiveAuctioneers.

NEW YORK — Antique American furniture is invariably regional. Picture a New England Hitchcock chair or a Philadelphia pie crust table; these forms are instantly recognizable, yet were replicated during the centuries as they spread to other regions. The Southern blanket chest is a sublime take on a form that proliferated in Europe and the United States, and is still eagerly collected today.

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Bid Smart Briefs: Malachite

Pair of 20th-century Empire-style gilt-bronze mounted urns veneered in malachite, which earned $10,000 plus the buyer’s premium in April 2021. Image courtesy of Hindman and LiveAuctioneers.

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NEW YORK – Treasured for millennia, the green stone known as malachite continues to cast a spell. Often found with azurite, malachite derives its alluring hue from copper, and it is considered a minor ore of copper. It has been found across the world in locations as diverse as Mexico, Australia, Russia, Israel, France, England, Namibia, Gabon, the state of Arizona, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where it has appeared in the form of stalactites measuring three feet long.

The ancient Egyptians embraced malachite thoroughly; there is evidence that they mined it in the Sinai as far back as 4,000 BCE. The hieroglyph for malachite, Wadj, does triple duty, representing the ancient Egyptian term for ‘green’ and also standing for the papyrus plant. Moreover, this afterlife-obsessed people described their form of heaven as a ‘field of malachite’. But perhaps surprisingly, the stone derives its name from the language of a different ancient civilization. The Greek phrase ‘molochites lithos’ translates as ‘mallow-green stone,’ evidently because it resembles the leaves of the mallow plant.

Chapultepec Castle, now a museum in Mexico City, installed a Malachite Hall in 1775, accessed by gilt-decorated malachite doors fashioned from stone imported from Russia. Not to be outdone, Empress Alexandra Fyodorovna had a malachite-clad salon installed in the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg in 1830. Today, most people probably encounter malachite for the first time when watching the award ceremonies for the World Cup. The 18K gold FIFA World Cup tournament trophy has bands of malachite in its base.

While malachite is regularly incorporated into jewelry, it does not lend itself to opacity. Any piece thicker than half a carat is too thick to allow light to shine through. Malachite does lend itself to being carved and polished, however. It has a hardness rating between 3.5 and 4.0 on the Mohs scale, and it is reportedly softer than window glass. The grandest pieces featuring the stone – as you will see in the slideshow below – are invariably urns, mantel clocks, and sizable furnishings boasting malachite veneers decorated with rings, undulating stripes or other naturally occurring patterns.

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[av_slide slide_type=’image’ id=’181746′ video=’https://’ mobile_image=” fallback_link=’https://’ title=” video_ratio=’16:9′ custom_title_size=” av-desktop-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” custom_size=” av-desktop-font-size=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” font_color=” custom_title=” custom_content=” heading_tag=” heading_class=” link_apply=’image’ link=’manually,https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/100646022_a-pair-of-empire-style-gilt-bronze-mounted-malachite ‘ link_target=’_blank’ av_uid=’av-lpjyqn9i’ sc_version=’1.0′ video_autoplay=” video_controls=” video_mute=” video_loop=”]
Pair of 20th-century Empire-style gilt-bronze mounted urns veneered in malachite, which earned $10,000 plus the buyer’s premium in April 2021. Image courtesy of Hindman and LiveAuctioneers.
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[av_slide slide_type=’image’ id=’181748′ video=’https://’ mobile_image=” fallback_link=’https://’ title=” video_ratio=’16:9′ custom_title_size=” av-desktop-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” custom_size=” av-desktop-font-size=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” font_color=” custom_title=” custom_content=” heading_tag=” heading_class=” link_apply=’image’ link=’manually,https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/130646397_malachite-and-diamond-pendant-necklace-italian ‘ link_target=’_blank’ av_uid=’av-lpjyud8n’ sc_version=’1.0′ video_autoplay=” video_controls=” video_mute=” video_loop=”]
Italian 18K gold, diamond and malachite necklace, which realized $8,500 plus the buyer’s premium in June 2022. Image courtesy of Fortuna and LiveAuctioneers.
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Large French Transitional-style four-door buffet veneered in malachite with gilt-bronze mounts, which achieved $26,000 plus the buyer’s premium in October 2021. Image courtesy of Heritage Auctions and LiveAuctioneers.
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19th-century French gilt-bronze and malachite mantel clock, which brought $8,000 plus the buyer’s premium in October 2022. Image courtesy of Hindman and LiveAuctioneers.
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[av_slide slide_type=’image’ id=’181751′ video=’https://’ mobile_image=” fallback_link=’https://’ title=” video_ratio=’16:9′ custom_title_size=” av-desktop-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” custom_size=” av-desktop-font-size=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” font_color=” custom_title=” custom_content=” heading_tag=” heading_class=” link_apply=’image’ link=’manually,https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/100645965_a-louis-xv-style-gilt-bronze-mounted-malachite-veneered’ link_target=’_blank’ av_uid=’av-lpjyx6i8′ sc_version=’1.0′ video_autoplay=” video_controls=” video_mute=” video_loop=”]
20th-century Louis XV-style gilt-bronze mounted bureau plat veneered in malachite, which made $10,000 plus the buyer’s premium in April 2021. Image courtesy of Hindman and LiveAuctioneers.
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[av_slide slide_type=’image’ id=’181752′ video=’https://’ mobile_image=” fallback_link=’https://’ title=” video_ratio=’16:9′ custom_title_size=” av-desktop-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” custom_size=” av-desktop-font-size=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” font_color=” custom_title=” custom_content=” heading_tag=” heading_class=” link_apply=’image’ link=’manually,https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/107298143_piaget-18k-diamond-and-malachite-watch’ link_target=’_blank’ av_uid=’av-lpjyy88e’ sc_version=’1.0′ video_autoplay=” video_controls=” video_mute=” video_loop=”]
Piaget ladies’ watch with 18K gold bracelet, diamond-ringed bezel and malachite dial, which went for $11,000 plus the buyer’s premium in July 2021. Image courtesy of Kodner Galleries Inc. and LiveAuctioneers.
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[av_slide slide_type=’image’ id=’181753′ video=’https://’ mobile_image=” fallback_link=’https://’ title=” video_ratio=’16:9′ custom_title_size=” av-desktop-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” custom_size=” av-desktop-font-size=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” font_color=” custom_title=” custom_content=” heading_tag=” heading_class=” link_apply=’image’ link=’manually,https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/126313847_sherle-and-wagner-malachite-sink-and-fixtures’ link_target=’_blank’ av_uid=’av-lpjyzbie’ sc_version=’1.0′ video_autoplay=” video_controls=” video_mute=” video_loop=”]
Custom-made Sherle & Wagner malachite sink with malachite and gold-plated fixtures, which sold for $9,750 plus the buyer’s premium in April 2022. Image courtesy of Burchard Galleries Inc. and LiveAuctioneers.
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[av_slide slide_type=’image’ id=’181754′ video=’https://’ mobile_image=” fallback_link=’https://’ title=” video_ratio=’16:9′ custom_title_size=” av-desktop-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” custom_size=” av-desktop-font-size=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” font_color=” custom_title=” custom_content=” heading_tag=” heading_class=” link_apply=’image’ link=’manually,https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/113214507_an-italian-micromosaic-tiger-plaque-set-in-a-malachite’ link_target=’_blank’ av_uid=’av-lpjz0b8k’ sc_version=’1.0′ video_autoplay=” video_controls=” video_mute=” video_loop=”]
Early 19th-century Italian micromosaic tiger plaque set in a malachite box, which attained $7,500 plus the buyer’s premium in October 2021. Image courtesy of Hindman and LiveAuctioneers.
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20th-century Louis XVI-style gilt-bronze mounted vitrine cabinet veneered in malachite, which earned $20,000 plus the buyer’s premium in April 2021. Image courtesy of Hindman and LiveAuctioneers.
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Malachite cup by Alfredo Ravasco, on an ebonized wooden base with a chiseled and enameled silver white peacock figure, which sold for €20,000 (about $21,400) plus the buyer’s premium in June 2021. Image courtesy of Il Ponte Casa d’Aste Srl and LiveAuctioneers.
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Krampus figures: European folklore gave Santa Claus a dark side

Detail of an undated German Krampus figure with a fearsome devilish face, which sold for $1,700 plus the buyer’s premium in November 2017. Image courtesy of Bertoia Auctions and LiveAuctioneers.

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An undated German Krampus figure with a fearsome devilish face, a body covered in black fur and a sack full of naughty children who he intends to carry away sold for $1,700 plus the buyer’s premium in November 2017. Image courtesy of Bertoia Auctions and LiveAuctioneers.
An undated German Krampus figure with a fearsome devilish face, a body covered in black fur and a sack full of naughty children who he intends to carry away sold for $1,700 plus the buyer’s premium in November 2017. Image courtesy of Bertoia Auctions and LiveAuctioneers.

NEW YORK – There’s a dark side to Christmas. It’s kind of inevitable, really; darkness is at its heart. The holiday’s origins go back more than 10,000 years, created to mark the time when those living in the northern hemisphere experience the shortest days of the year and thereafter begin to gain a little bit more sunlight each day on the journey to spring and summer. The chilling aspect of Christmas isn’t just the cold, and never has been. After all, one of the greatest tales of the season, Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, is, unmistakably, a ghost story.

Entering the cultural consciousness roughly around the same time as A Christmas Carol was Krampus, a creature who inspired dread and terror in the naughty children of 19th-century Austria and southern Germany. Early depictions on Krampuskarten (Krampus cards) show him as a hairy, soot-blackened, Pan-like figure, but as time passed, Krampus came to resemble the devil of the Christian religion, with red skin, horns, and a sneering face. He takes his name from ‘Krampn,’ a Bavarian term for something that is shriveled or dried out. But as fearsome as he is, he never appears on his own. He is firmly tethered to St. Nicholas, serving as the yin to the jolly old elf’s yang: Santa Claus and anti-Claus.

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Neon advertising: Classic Americana that dominates auction results

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Neon. Just say the word and the buzzing glow of lighted glass tubes in the night fill the imagination. Probably the definitive form of electrically powered advertising in the first part of the 20th century, neon remains a vital member of the marketing and promotional trade, more than 120 years after its discovery in London by Sir William Ramsay and Morris Travers.

Neon advertising signs began to gain traction in the 1920s, and soon, every commercial enterprise looking to draw attention was installing their own neon display. By mid-century, neon was everywhere: from the wall clock in a gas station office to the marquee of the local movie theater.

As the rise of incandescent lighting began to replace neon in the postwar era, neon began to be seen as a fading icon of the past, often associated with tawdry places that had fallen into disrepair. Neon experienced a resurgence as a retro esthetic in the 1980s, and survives today both in advertising and art.

Sharp collectors began to preserve neon signs and advertising decades ago, whether architectural (e.g. an automotive dealer sign) or promotional (a neon Coca-Cola sign). Today these items are often top sellers at auctions due to rarity, design, and entertainment value.

Recent auction results show dominating returns for large-format neon advertising, particularly those intended for exterior, all-weather display. More affordable items such as clocks also continue to perform.

Browse some examples from LiveAuctioneers, and enjoy the Karla Klein Albertson article on those working to preserve our neon past.
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[av_button label=’SEARCH NEON RESULTS AT LIVEAUCTIONEERS’ icon_select=’no’ icon=’ue832′ font=’entypo-fontello’ link=’manually,https://www.liveauctioneers.com/search/?keyword=neon&sort=-relevance&status=archive’ link_target=’_blank’ size=’small’ position=’left’ label_display=” title_attr=” size-text=” av-desktop-font-size-text=” av-medium-font-size-text=” av-small-font-size-text=” av-mini-font-size-text=” margin=” margin_sync=’true’ padding=” padding_sync=’true’ av-desktop-margin=” av-desktop-margin_sync=’true’ av-desktop-padding=” av-desktop-padding_sync=’true’ av-medium-margin=” av-medium-margin_sync=’true’ av-medium-padding=” av-medium-padding_sync=’true’ av-small-margin=” av-small-margin_sync=’true’ av-small-padding=” av-small-padding_sync=’true’ av-mini-margin=” av-mini-margin_sync=’true’ av-mini-padding=” av-mini-padding_sync=’true’ color_options=” color=’theme-color’ custom_bg=’#444444′ custom_font=’#ffffff’ btn_color_bg=’theme-color’ btn_custom_grad_direction=’vertical’ btn_custom_grad_1=’#000000′ btn_custom_grad_2=’#ffffff’ btn_custom_grad_3=” btn_custom_grad_opacity=’0.7′ btn_custom_bg=’#444444′ btn_color_bg_hover=’theme-color-highlight’ btn_custom_bg_hover=’#444444′ btn_color_font=’theme-color’ btn_custom_font=’#ffffff’ btn_color_font_hover=’white’ btn_custom_font_hover=’#ffffff’ border=” border_width=” border_width_sync=’true’ border_color=” border_radius=” border_radius_sync=’true’ box_shadow=” box_shadow_style=’0px,0px,0px,0px’ box_shadow_color=” animation=” animation_duration=” animation_custom_bg_color=” animation_z_index_curtain=’100′ hover_opacity=” sonar_effect_effect=” sonar_effect_color=” sonar_effect_duration=’1′ sonar_effect_scale=” sonar_effect_opac=’0.5′ css_position=” css_position_location=’,,,’ css_position_z_index=” av-desktop-css_position=” av-desktop-css_position_location=’,,,’ av-desktop-css_position_z_index=” av-medium-css_position=” av-medium-css_position_location=’,,,’ av-medium-css_position_z_index=” av-small-css_position=” av-small-css_position_location=’,,,’ av-small-css_position_z_index=” av-mini-css_position=” av-mini-css_position_location=’,,,’ av-mini-css_position_z_index=” id=” custom_class=” template_class=” av_uid=’av-lm6dokap’ sc_version=’1.0′ admin_preview_bg=”]

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John Deere Quality Farm Equipment Neon Hood Sign, sold for $107,000 ($133,750 with buyer’s premium) at Richmond Auctions in August 2022.
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Mohawk Gasoline porcelain and neon tombstone sign, sold for $75,000 ($96,000 with buyer’s premium) at Morphy Auctions in September 2022.
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‘Drink Coca-Cola In Bottles’ porcelain and neon double-bullnose sign, sold for $37,000 ($47,360 with buyer’s premium) at Morphy Auctions in September 2022.
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Edsel porcelain and neon automotive dealership sign, sold for $22,000 ($28,160 with buyer’s premium) at Morphy Auctions in October 2021.
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Bob’s Big Boy double-sided neon sign (13ft in length), sold for $37,000 ($44,400 with buyer’s premium) at Rockabilly Auction Company in March 2022.
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BY KARLA KLEIN ALBERTSON
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Manny, Moe and Jack, Pep Boys sign from Southern California. Image courtesy Museum of Neon Art.

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The process is simple science; the ultimate effect is magical.

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In the hands of craftsmen, neon can be formed into classic signs that lure customers like beacons in the night. In the hands of artists, tubing filled with neon and other gases becomes a glowing medium of expression for contemporary creativity.

Whether the goal is art or advertising, neon bending requires an understanding of science and technique from the outset. The best way to understand the procedure is to talk with someone who works with the gas-filled glass. David Hutson runs Neon Time in St. Charles, Mo., where he makes new signs to order and restores classic works in need of repair.

Hutson told Style Century Magazine, “As a teenager, I started collecting old signs that were coming off of buildings, as a generation of companies from the 1930s to 1950s went out of business. And I realized I wouldn’t be able to do much with my collection, unless I possessed the glass skills myself – it would be prohibitive to pay for the restoration. I did begin as a collector, but after school, I would hang out with glassworkers from that era who were about to retire. I really admired their craftsmanship and that hooked me on working with glass. So in college I took glass blowing. Not many people today have the patience to do it.”

Having gained the necessary skills, Hutson moved on from working on his own signs to taking on outside jobs: “I’m just so busy. We make neon signs for businesses, and we’re involved in a couple of restorations. We just completed the restoration of an old sign for a donut shop – it has animated blinking donuts that descend the length of the sign. It’s on Route 66 where it passes through St. Louis, and it was done in conjunction with a grant from the National Park Service.” Neon Time will work on several more restoration projects of this type in 2009.

The neon bender says he takes pride in the results. “It’s exciting to be doing this – the big-box stores and name-brand corporations are taking over America, so Mom and Pop can’t always afford to restore their old sign. With a neon sign, you get a lot of longevity for your dollar. They’re really not that expensive. To me, signs used to be part of the architecture, included in the planning at the beginning. Now a lot of businesses only last five years and the sign seems to come last. You see a lot of ads for budget signs.”

“The technique of neon has not changed in over 100 years,” said Hutson. “There are minor improvements in equipment, but the basic process is exactly the same. There is no innovation to be made because it’s all done by hand. It’s really a handcraft, it’s time consuming – that’s where the cost comes in.”

As far as the science is concerned, he said, “Inert gases when ionized all produce a different color. Neon in a clear tube gives off a reddish-orange glow when ionized. With the red-orange neon, you can use a tube that is coated with phosphorescent powder to produce orange and pink, but that’s the gamut for neon. We also use argon gas with a little bead of mercury we introduce into the tube. When that mercury is vaporized with electricity in an argon tube, it burns a soft blue in a clear tube. From there, the phosphorescent coating produces other colors in an argon mercury tube, such as white, blue, purple.”

Neon signs first appeared in France around 1910 with credit for their development going to Georges Claude and his company Claude Neon. In the 1920s, the firm sold the idea of neon advertising to a Packard auto dealership in Los Angeles, where the popularity of big bright signs quickly caught on. As Hutson indicated above, neon and argon were the most commonly used of the noble gases for commercial projects. Krypton, xenon and helium are also occasionally employed by artists.

In California, glass artist David Svenson also was inspired by the classic highway signs he saw as a young man. “I was always intrigued by the lights around me when I was growing up close to Route 66,” he recalled. “In college, I took glass blowing so I had a little of that experience. But I finally connected with a father and son who did wholesale neon. I worked with them for about three years. Many of the tube benders at this time were my dad’s age, they came out of World War II.”

Svenson continued, “I’m a neon artist and a glass artist. The glass pieces I make are processed with the gas – they’re sculptures that light up basically. I’m sculpting with hollow tubes. I do a lot of glowing lizard forms, reptiles and amphibians – the animals that are indigenous around me because I live in the high desert mountains. I’ve followed my own path, which doesn’t necessarily fit in with the modern art movement – or any movement. It’s my path and I love it.”

The artist’s works have been exhibited at the Museum of Neon Art in Los Angeles.

Certain artists and sculptors have incorporated neon and other types of lighting into major artworks. Some of the best known have produced significant light compositions that have entered important museum collections and realize substantial prices in contemporary art auctions. Multifaceted artist Bruce Nauman (born 1961) has been honored with exhibitions at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Centre Pompidou in Paris, and the Tate Modern in London. His neon sculptures include Human/Need/Desire (1983) and Double Poke in the Eye II (1985), one of his works at Carolina Nitsch Contemporary Art, which represents the artist in New York.

Dan Flavin (1933-1996) was a substantially self-taught artist, interested in working with industrial materials, who began exploring the possibilities of fluorescent lighting in the early 1960s. His installation at Richmond Hall in Houston was the final commission of French-American art collector Dominque de Menil and one of the minimalist sculptor’s last works. In May 2008, two limited edition fluorescent compostions by Flavin brought $445,000 and $1,553,000 at a Sotheby’s Contemporary Art auction in New York.

For designer Todd Sanders of Roadhouse Relics in Austin, Texas, making neon signs has proved an enjoyable way to make a living. Like anyone interested in neon, he had to learn the trade: “I apprenticed at a neon shop for three years and learned how to build signs. But now I’m more of a designer. I design the pieces, paint them and weather them. My dad, Richard Sanders, actually does the metalwork for me now, and I have someone else who bends the neon.”

“I have a wide-ranging customer base. Urban lofts have a lot of my pieces. Dynamic architecture requires dynamic art. These pieces I’ve created are considered pop art. I have people who collect my work and put it next to great paintings.”

From the time of its invention, neon advertising has been associated with automobile products, and the Austin artist has established a strong market for his work among classic car buffs. He previously took his “Speed Shop” sign and other work to the Grand National Roadster Show in Pomona, California.

“I don’t work on the computer – I design them by sketching the signs. That’s the human element, they’re not perfect,” said Sanders. “These signs really affect people in a positive way. I’m drawn like a moth to great neon signs, whether I create them or I see a great old one that’s still working. There are survivors from the ’50s that are still going strong.”

In an unusual twist, Sanders has produced custom orders for street scenes in Hollywood films, including signs designed to reflect styles from the past.
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This vintage version of the classic Big Boy sign once tempted hungry travelers on old Route 40, east of St. Louis. Image courtesy David Hutson/Neon Time.
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A restored bakery sign, circa 1947, features a glowing baker proudly showing off a cake. Image courtesy David Hutson/Neon Time.
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Part of the mission of the Museum of Neon Art in Los Angeles is the preservation of significant local advertising works such as this animated Hofbrau restaurant sign from Oakland. Image courtesy Museum of Neon Art, Los Angeles.
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The Museum of Neon Art preserves classic signs of the past and organizes exhibitions by contemporary artists. Courtesy Museum of Neon Art, Los Angeles, image by Tom Zimmerman.
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MUSEUM OF NEON ART GLOWS

The Museum of Neon Art shares neon’s split personality, looking back to classic signage of the past and forward to artworks of the 21st century. The mission statement in the institution’s own words: “MONA offers an energizing, colorful and engaging experience through changing exhibits of neon art, glass and kinetic works and a premier collection of historic neon signs.”

One of the most interesting efforts is MONA’s role in the LUMENS project – Living Urban Museum of Electric and Neon Signs – which works to conserve and restore important neon signs in public settings. The museum states, “To date, MONA has restored a number of historical neon icons, including tower signs, theater marquees and rooftop signs. MONA also helped to restore a section of the famed Chinatown district neon.”

Since neon is part of every movie and memory of Los Angeles, the Museum of Neon Art also offers the Neon Cruise, a nighttime narrated bus tour around the city, which highlights important light-up signs on the street. The tour takes place from May through October.

Light fans at the other side of the country will enjoy the Neon Museum of Philadelphia, established by collector Len Davidson in 1985. The collection of over 100 vintage signs includes many treasured advertising works – Buster Brown and his dog Tige, Levi’s hot dogs and the Pontiac Indian head logo.

Thirteen of the best signs were placed on display at the Center for Architecture, 1218 Arch St., near Philadelphia’s famous Reading Terminal Market. More of the collection can be viewed in Davidson’s book, Vintage Neon, published by Schiffer and available at Amazon.com.

Iconic neon signs exist in every community, and cities that care will find a way to ensure the continued existence of these landmarks. For example, a 58-foot-tall Western Auto sign with 2,500 lightbulbs and 1,000 feet of neon dominated the nighttime sky in downtown Kansas City, Mo., throughout much of the 20th century. The company building is now lofts and condominiums, but the huge red and white sign still shines over the skyline.
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karlakleinalbertsonAbout Karla Klein Albertson

Karla Klein Albertson focuses on the decorative arts, from excavated antiquities to contemporary pop-culture icons. She holds a master’s degree in classical archaeology from Bryn Mawr College.
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Italian art glass scion Ercole Barovier moved the medium forward

An intarsio vase by Ercole Barovier achieved $16,000 plus the buyer’s premium in May 2018. Image courtesy of Wright and LiveAuctioneers.

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An intarsio vase by Ercole Barovier achieved $16,000 plus the buyer’s premium in May 2018. Image courtesy of Wright and LiveAuctioneers.

An intarsio vase by Ercole Barovier achieved $16,000 plus the buyer’s premium in May 2018. Image courtesy of Wright and LiveAuctioneers.

NEW YORK — Ercole Barovier (Italian, 1889-1974) was arguably the most influential and innovative Murano glassblower in the early part of the 20th century.

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Seaman Schepps, master of bold, chunky statement jewelry

This circa-1940 fan-shaped Seaman Schepps multi-stone, diamond and white gold bracelet achieved $30,000 plus the buyer’s premium in September 2021. Image courtesy of Heritage Auctions and LiveAuctioneers.

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This circa-1940 fan-shaped Seaman Schepps multi-stone, diamond and white gold bracelet achieved $30,000 plus the buyer’s premium in September 2021. Image courtesy of Heritage Auctions and LiveAuctioneers.
This circa-1940 fan-shaped Seaman Schepps multi-stone, diamond and white gold bracelet achieved $30,000 plus the buyer’s premium in September 2021. Image courtesy of Heritage Auctions and LiveAuctioneers.

NEW YORK — Seaman Schepps reportedly received his first name after his mother spied a Seaman’s bank out her hospital room window after giving birth to him in 1881. He was the first in his family to be born in the United States, and his mother supposedly chose the name to give the impression that he belonged to the upper social strata. That impulsive act on her part would help him launch and establish a reputation as a top-flight jeweler.

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Frederick Hurten Rhead’s exquisite art pottery endures

A Frederick Hurten Rhead vase for Rhead Pottery in Santa Barbara, Calif. achieved $70,000 plus the buyer’s premium in September 2022. Image courtesy of Rago Arts and Auction Center and LiveAuctioneers.

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A Frederick Hurten Rhead vase for Rhead Pottery in Santa Barbara, Calif. achieved $70,000 plus the buyer’s premium in September 2022. Image courtesy of Rago Arts and Auction Center and LiveAuctioneers.
A Frederick Hurten Rhead vase for Rhead Pottery in Santa Barbara, Calif. achieved $70,000 plus the buyer’s premium in September 2022. Image courtesy of Rago Arts and Auction Center and LiveAuctioneers.

NEW YORK – Frederick Hurten Rhead (1880-1942) may not have been a good businessman, but he was one of the best ceramicists of the Arts and Crafts period.

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Vu Cao Dam masterfully united Eastern and Western influences

Vu Cao Dam’s 1965 work ‘Le Printemps (spring)’ handily outperformed its $15,000-$25,000 estimate when it achieved $70,000 plus the buyer’s premium in September 2020. Image courtesy of Hindman and LiveAuctioneers.

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Vu Cao Dam’s 1965 work ‘Le Printemps (spring)’ handily outperformed its $15,000-$25,000 estimate when it achieved $70,000 plus the buyer’s premium in September 2020. Image courtesy of Hindman and LiveAuctioneers.
Vu Cao Dam’s 1965 work ‘Le Printemps (spring)’ handily outperformed its $15,000-$25,000 estimate when it achieved $70,000 plus the buyer’s premium in September 2020. Image courtesy of Hindman and LiveAuctioneers.

NEW YORK — The artist Vu Cao Dam (1908–2000) came to Paris as an 18-year-old art student from Vietnam and soon became enamored of the French capital, with its European charms and many art museums. He spent nearly 20 years in Paris before settling in the south of France, and his work clearly shows influences of his native and adopted countries.

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