Gallery Report: 1867 Winslow Homer painting tops $900K

ATLANTA – At the beginning of every month, ACN columnist Ken Hall delivers top auction highlights from around the United States and the world at large. Here’s his December 2021 edition of Gallery Report. All prices include the buyer’s premium, except where noted.

Winslow Homer painting, $936,000, Thomaston Place Auction Galleries

An oil on canvas painting by Winslow Homer, titled Coming through the Rye, painted in France and inscribed “Homer/Paris 1867,” sold for $936,000 at a sale held November 12-14 by Thomaston Place Auction Galleries in Thomaston, Maine. Also, an 18th-century Chinese flambe glazed moon flask with Qianlong seal mark made $180,000, and a Tiffany Dragonfly table lamp brought $99,450.

Burchfield watercolor, $375,000, Shannon’s Fine Art Auctioneers

A watercolor on two joined sheets of paper by Charles Burchfield, created between 1948 and 1957 and titled January Sun, sold for $375,000 in an online Fall Fine Art Auction held October 28 by Shannon’s Fine Art Auctioneers in Milford, Connecticut. Also, a 1943 oil on board by Thomas Hart Benton, titled Study for Sugar Cane, finished at $275,000; and a 1901 oil painting by Susan Watkins, titled Woman Playing a Guitar, hit $106,250.

Kikuo Saito abstract art, $14,760, Neue Auctions

An abstract oil painting by Japanese-American artist Kikuo Saito, titled Summer Ghost (1997), sold for $14,760 in an online-only Fine Art & Antiques auction held October 30 by Neue Auctions in Beachwood, Ohio. Also, a colorful Parisian street scene by Constantin Kluge, titled Place de la Madeleine, realized $9,840, and a large Milpa stoneware vessel by Claude Conover finished at $8,610.

1871 Union Pacific Railroad pass, $5,125, Holabird Western Americana Collections

A Union Pacific Railroad complimentary pass (#1), issued to General A. W. Marley on Dec. 31, 1871, sold for $5,125 at an Autumn Splendor Western Americana Auction held Oct. 28-Nov. 1 by Holabird Western Americana Collections in Reno, Nevada. Also, a 1947 50-peso Mexican gold coin with 14-carat bezel reached $3,125, and a group of six vintage gaming chips for Harrah’s and other Nevada casinos went for $3,875.

Galle cameo glass vase, $6,600, Woody Auction

A blown mold French cameo glass vase signed Galle and featuring a cameo carved vine and blossom decor sold for $6,600 at the sale of the Jochimsen collection held October 23 by Woody Auction in Douglass, Kansas. Also, a Fenton mosaic art glass pedestal also knocked down for $6,600; a Galle French cameo art glass vase with blown mold cherry branch decor realized $4,750; and an unmarked Royal Flemish by Mt. Washington vase with griffin and dragon enamel decor changed hands for $3,000.

B. Prabha painting, $38,750, Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers

A painting by B. Prabha, titled Indian Women Painting, sold for $38,750 in an online-only Estate Fine Art & Antique Auction held November 15 by Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers in Cranston, Rhode Island. Also, a Cubist figural watercolor by Maqbool Fida Husain, of a couple on horseback, achieved $10,625; and a mixed media mounted to canvas portrait painting by the infamous forger Han Van Meegeren brought $5,938.

Captain America shield, $259,540, Hake’s Auctions

A Captain America hero-prop shield created by Marvel Studios senior prop master Russell Bobbitt and used by Chris Evans for close-up shots in the 2019 film Avengers: Endgame sold for $259,540 in an online Premier Entertainment & Historical Memorabilia Auction held November 2-3 by Hake’s Auctions in York, Pennsylvania. Also, a copy of Fantastic Four #1 comic (Nov. 1961), CGC-graded 6.0 Fine, featuring the debut of Marvel’s first superhero team, knocked down for $37,269.

1980 Nobel Prize, $275,000, Nate D. Sanders

The 1980 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, awarded to George D. Snell, sold for $275,000 at an auction held October 30 by Nate D. Sanders in Los Angeles. Snell won the Nobel Prize for his discovery of MHC, the genetic foundation of a body’s immunological response to tissue and organ transplants, determining whether it accepts an organ or rejects it. The first successful organ transplant occurred in 1954, when one identical twin donated a kidney to his sibling.

Apollo 17 cuff checklist, $744,000, RR Auction

Astronaut Gene Cernan’s Apollo 17 cuff checklist, which provided instructions for man’s last moonwalk and held handwritten notes for the last words spoken from the surface of the Moon, sold for $744,000 in an auction held Sept. 26-Oct. 21 by RR Auction in Boston. Also, Buzz Aldrin’s Apollo 11-flown Lunar Module checklist hit $143,750; Aldrin’s Apollo 11-flown flight form page reached $129,693; and an Apollo 11 First on the Moon book, signed by its crew members, made $41,721.

Amy Winehouse dress, $243,200, Julien’s Auctions

The dress worn by the late British singer Amy Winehouse at her final stage performance in 2011 sold for $243,200 at an auction titled Property from the Life and Career of Amy Winehouse, held November 6-7 by Julien’s Auctions in Los Angeles. Also, the Moschino custom-made red leather heart-shaped purse she brought to the 2007 Brit Awards made $204,800; a floral gold lame D&G stage-worn dress realized $150,000; and a Temperly London tan and black jumpsuit worn by her in 2008 brought $121,600.

The Light and Heavy Chest, $156,000, Potter & Potter Auctions

The Light and Heavy Chest, a magic trick apparatus made in France in 1844 and owned and used by Jean-Eugene Robert-Houdin, achieved $156,000 at Part 1 of The Klosterman Collection, a sale held October 30 by Potter & Potter Auctions in Chicago. The hardwood box became light as a feather or immovable, depending on the magician’s command. Also, Karl Germain’s Blooming Rose Bush illusion made $132,000, and Harry Houdini’s Upside Down in the Water Torture Cell poster brought $108,000.

Hopi Indian pottery bowl, $9,000, Pook & Pook, Inc.

A Hopi Sikyatki revival pottery bowl, likely made by the celebrated potter Nampeyo, sold for a little more than $9,000 at a Native American Indian Sale held October 27 by Pook & Pook, Inc. in Downingtown, Pennsylvania. Also, an authentic Navajo coin silver squash blossom necklace earned $8,064; a group of three Hopi kachinas realized $4,221; an Algonquin style miniature birch bark canoe model with moose and deer designs made $3,024; and a child-size Navajo rug achieved $3,906.

Paul Revere engraving, $429,000, Doyle New York

Paul Revere’s iconic 1770 hand-colored engraving of the famous Boston Massacre of March 5, 1770, titled The Bloody Massacre, sold for $429,000 – a new auction record for the print – at an American Paintings & Prints auction held November 2 by Doyle in New York City. Also, a landscape by Fidelia Bridges titled Small Bird with Flowering Ironweed rose to $93,750, setting a record for the artist, and a marine painting by William Bradford also hit $93,750.

Claude Conover vessel, $87,500, Wright

A chalky, engobe-decorated Oltah vessel by Claude Conover sold for $87,500 at an auction titled Shaping Stoneware: The Ceramic Forms of Claude Conover held October 28 by Wright in Chicago. It was the most ever paid for a work by Conover, eclipsing the $53,125 realized by a Uilku vessel at Rago Auctions in 2015. Another piece shattered that record in the October auction: a Uchben vessel that brought $75,000. Overall, the sale grossed $1.229 million.

Early Apple-1 computer, $500,000, John Moran Auctioneers

A vintage Apple-1 computer, known as the Chaffey College Apple-1 as it was originally purchased in 1977 by an electronics professor at the school (who sold it the following year to a student for $650) sold for $500,000 at a Postwar & Contemporary Art + Design sale held Nov. 9 by John Moran Auctioneers in Monrovia, California. Also, a painting by Ariana Papademetropoulos earned $162,500, and a color lithograph by Alexander Calder brought $8,125.

Chippendale chest, $25,200, Nadeau’s Auction Gallery

A circa-1780 diminutive chest from Massachusetts sold for $25,200 at an annual Fall Americana and Chinese Auction held October 30 by Nadeau’s Auction Gallery in Windsor, Connecticut. Also, an elegant blue and white Chinese urn changed hands for $20,480; a portrait of a nobleman done in the manner of Jean de Court finished at $15,600; and a pair of cylindrical polychromed Majolica vessels realized $12,500.

Set of two Lalanne Moutons, $705,600, Freeman’s

A suite of playful Moutons (Sheep) de Pierre by Francois-Xavier Lalanne sold for $705,600 at a Modern and Contemporary Art auction held November 17 by Freeman’s in Philadelphia. Also, a bold canvas by Russian Expressionist Chaim Soutine, titled Le Viaduc Rouge Pres de Vence, achieved $302,400; an Untitled (Study for Fiery Circle) sculpture by Harry Bertoia hit $107,100; and Vietnamese artist Vu Cao Dam’s painting titled Divinite rose to $40,950.

 

View top auction results on LiveAuctioneers here: https://www.liveauctioneers.com/pages/recent-auction-sales/

Gallery Report: Honus Wagner baseball card slams in a record $6.6M

ATLANTA – At the beginning of every month, ACN columnist Ken Hall delivers top auction highlights from around the United States and the world at large. Here’s his September 2021 edition of Gallery Report. All prices include the buyer’s premium, except where noted.

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Gallery Report: 18th-century redware charger claims $36,900 at Pook & Pook

ATLANTA – At the beginning of every month, ACN columnist Ken Hall delivers top auction highlights from around the United States and the world at large. Here’s his August 2021 edition of Gallery Report. All prices include the buyer’s premium, except where noted.

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Gallery Report: L’Engle painting of dance troupe a stellar performer

ATLANTA – At the beginning of every month, ACN columnist Ken Hall delivers top auction highlights from around the United States and the world at large. Here’s his July 2021 edition of Gallery Report. All prices include the buyer’s premium, except where noted.

Lucy L’Engle painting, $50,000, Bakker Auctions

A 1931 oil on canvas by Lucy L’Engle (American, 1889-1978), titled Martha Graham Dance Composition, depicting the dance troupe performing in the dunes, sold for $50,000 at a Summer Online Fine Arts auction held June 5 by Bakker Auctions in Provincetown, Massachusetts. Also, an oil painting by Edith Lake Wilkinson (American, 1868-1957), titled Unitarian Universalist Church, realized $6,875, and a painting by Karl Knaths (American, 1891-1971), titled Interior, sold for $6,250.

Sir Isaac Newton manuscript, $118,750, University Archives

A manuscript penned by Sir Isaac Newton, with mathematical notes and calculations relating to Book III of his scientific work Principia, sold for $118,750 in an online-only auction of autographs, manuscripts, artwork, and comic art held May 26 by University Archives in Wilton, Connecticut. Also, an important three-page scientific manuscript pertaining to Albert Einstein’s Unified Field Theory from the 1940s brought $68,750, and a signed photo of Einstein reached $34,375.

Cornelius Vanderbilt signed bond, $11,250, Holabird Western Americana Collections

A California Gold Rush-era bond certificate from 1856, signed twice by railroad tycoon Cornelius Vanderbilt, sold for $11,250 at a five-day Western Americana Signature Sale held May 13-17 by Holabird Western Americana Collections, LLC in Reno, Nevada. Also, a beautiful circa 1880-1920 Red Mesa Navajo rug measuring five feet by eight feet, five inches, brought $5,000.

Winchester cartridge board, CA$100,300, Miller & Miller Auctions

A framed Winchester 1884 cartridge display board sold for $100,300 in an online-only Canadiana & Sporting Auction held June 5 by Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd. in New Hamburg, Ontario, Canada. In addition, an 1887 Winchester cartridge display brought $88,500, and a circa-1880s Union Metallic Cartridge Company cartridge board hit $53,100. Prices are in Canadian dollars.

Leicaflex 35mm camera, $1,280, Crescent City Auction Gallery

A Leicaflex 35mm camera with a Leitz Summicron 1: 2/90 lens and a Summilux lens 1:1.4/50, sold for $1,280 at a Summer Decorative Arts & Interiors Auction held June 18 by Crescent City Auction Gallery in New Orleans, Louisiana. Also, a 20th century green onyx pedestal on a stepped octagonal base sold for $1,088, and a set of six 19th century French Henri II-style carved walnut dining chairs went to a determined bidder for $896.

Figural weathervane, $258,000, Morphy Auctions

A late 19th century molded and gilded copper weathervane depicting a full-bodied standing Massasoit Indian with bow and arrow atop a directional arrow sold for $258,300 at a Fine & Decorative Arts auction held June 8-9 by Morphy’s in Denver, Pennsylvania. Also, a double-signed Keith Haring vase featuring some of the artist’s iconic motifs sold for $84,000, and a 1916 double-die obverse Buffalo nickel realized $33,600.

De Latoix oil painting, $37,500, John Moran Auctioneers

An 1890 oil on canvas painting by Gaspard De Latoix (British, 1858-1918), titled Two Indians on Horseback, sold for $37,500 at an Art of the American West sale held May 25 by John Moran Auctioneers in Monrovia, California. Other lots that performed well include a set of 24 matted drypoint etchings on Japanese paper in a leather-bound portfolio case with 28-page Outlines of History, Description, etc., by Henry Chapman Ford (American, 1828-1894), which brought $34,375, and a Navajo Crystal room-sized rug, which sold for $11,875.

Judson’s Bird Girl sculpture, $390,600, Freeman’s 

A garden sculpture by Sylvia Shaw Judson, titled Bird Girl, which was pictured on the cover of the popular book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, sold for $390,600 at an American Art & Pennsylvania Impressionists auction held June 6 by Freeman’s in Philadelphia. Also, a painting by Norman Rockwell, titled Piney Rest Motel, realized $478,800; a painting by Albert York titled Still Life: Green Apples hit $239,400; and a work by Daniel Garber titled Houses, Shannonville sold for $189,000.

WWII binoculars, $22,800, Cowan’s Auctions

A U.S. Navy ship’s bridge binoculars from World War II sold for $22,800 at an Arms & Armor auction held May 25-26 by Cowan’s in Cincinnati. Other top-performing lots include a 1902 DWM Luger carbine with stock and hardcase, which hit the mark for $10,455; a JP Sauer & Sohn M30 World War II Luftwaffe survival drilling, which changed hands for $9,225; a Type II Colt single action Army Artillery revolver, which brought $7,440; and an experimental XB serial numbered inlaid M1 carbine that went for $5,700.

Brooks cigar store Indian, $63,000, Pook & Pook

A circa-1882 beautifully carved and polychromed cigar store Indian by Thomas Brooks of New York sold for $63,000 at an Americana & International auction held May 21 by Pook & Pook, Inc. in Downingtown, Pennsylvania. Also, an exquisite miniature watercolor portrait of a boy with riveting blue eyes, rendered by Mrs. Moses B. Russell, sold for $40,320, and a set of four Meissen painted porcelain portrait plates was the surprise lot of the day, realizing $32,760.

Rev-War discharge form, $18,750, Skinner

A George Washington-signed Revolutionary War printed discharge form for a soldier in the 2nd New York Regiment sold for $18,750 at a Historic Manuscripts & Rare Books Auction held May 13 by Skinner, Inc. in Boston. In addition, a 1787 sworn oath testifying to a debt owed by a Philadelphia sailmaker and signed by Benjamin Franklin realized $10,000, and the 1863 Civil War diary of Lincoln Ripley Stone, surgeon of the all-black 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Regiment, made $11,250.

1830 center table, $46,875, Doyle

A circa-1830 Continental center table, probably German, featuring a giltwood base lavishly carved with lions, Bacchic masks, and floral swags supporting an alabaster top, sold for $46,875 at an English & Continental Furniture & Decorative Arts auction held May 26 by Doyle in New York City. Also, a German gilt-brass compass by Christopher Schissler from 1566 commanded $43,750. Overall, the auction totaled $762,623 against a pre-sale high estimate of $690,100.

Kurt Cobain drawing, $281,250, Julien’s Auctions

A self-portrait caricature drawing by Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain, created during the group’s 1992 Nevermind promotional tour, sold for $281,250 at a Music Icons auction held June 11-13 by Julien’s Auctions in Los Angeles. Also, Alex Van Halen’s 1980 Invasion tour and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum-displayed Ludwig drum set sold for $230,400; Prince’s 1994 Blue Cloud electric guitar brought $281,250; and an Eddie Van Halen-owned guitar hit $210,225.

Joseph Severn oil painting, $31,250, Auctions at Showplace

An oil on canvas painting by Joseph Severn, titled Angelica Rescued, sold for $31,250 at an Estates auction held June 6 by Auctions at Showplace in New York City. Other lots of note include a circa-1915-1916 bronze sculpture by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, titled Head for Titanic Memorial, which brought $37,500; a vintage Van Cleef & Arpels 18K yellow gold link bracelet, which made $28,125; and a 17th century ink drawing on paper by Giovanni Francesco Barbieri, titled Almond Seller, which went for $21,250.

Roman marble sculpture, $137,500, Hindman

A 1st or 2nd century Roman marble sculpture of Eros riding a dolphin sold for $137,500 at an Antiquities & Ancient Art auction held May 27 by Hindman in Chicago. Additional leading lots include a 2nd century Roman marble lower torso of a satyr, which realized $75,000; a Greek marble funerary stele of Eurynome from the early 4th century B.C.E., which achieved $56,250; a marble panther head from 2nd or 3rd century ancient Greece, which earned $68,750; and a Roman marble portrait head of Emperor Trajan, which sold for $43,760.

Tiffany stained glass window, Fontaine’s Auction Gallery

A circa-1910 leaded and stained glass window by Tiffany Studios, titled Sunset and Evening Star, sold for $139,150 at a two-session auction held May 22 and May 29 by Fontaine’s Auction Gallery in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Also, a 1793 monumental English carved oak tall case clock chimed on time for $127,050, and a circa-1918 Tiffany Aquamarine paperweight went for $50,820.

Copy of Phantom Lady No. 17, $456,000, Heritage Auctions

A copy of Phantom Lady No. 17 from 1948, with cover art by Matt Baker, graded CGC NM+9.6, realized $456,000 at a sale of the Promise Collection, a group of all high-grade Golden Age comic books from the 1940s, held June 18 by Heritage Auctions in Dallas. Worthy of mention is a copy of Detective Comics No. 140, featuring the first appearance of the Riddler, graded CGC NM+9.6, which realized $456,000, and a copy of Mask Comics No. 1 from 1945, graded CGC VF+8.5, which finished at $102,000.

JFK birthday program, $29,232, RR Auction

An original program for President Kennedy’s birthday celebration, held in May 1962 at Madison Square Garden in New York City and signed by many of the luminaries who were there – including Marilyn Monroe – sold for $29,232 in an auction held May 25-June 16 by RR Auction in Boston. Other top-performing lots included a set of oversized and signed Wizard of Oz cast photos, which made $62,500; a William Penn-signed letter and document on Captain Kidd’s treasure, which hit $55,263; and an Albert Einstein handwritten scientific manuscript, which brought $38,781.

Thurston magician poster, $10,200, Potter & Potter

A Thurston, World’s Greatest Magician linen backed color litho poster from 1909 sold for $10,200 at a Summer Magic Sale held June 19 by Potter & Potter Auctions in Chicago. Also, a 1960s-era spun aluminum Ken Brooke Master Chop Cup, owned and used by British magician Paul Daniels, realized $19,200; a Wine and Water Change magic apparatus made in Hamburg by Cal Willmann around 1910 went for $16,800; and an archive of Robert Harbin ephemera rose to $12,000.

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Gallery Report: Swann hosts Bisa Butler’s $75K auction debut

ATLANTA – At the beginning of every month, ACN columnist Ken Hall delivers top auction highlights from around the United States and the world at large. Here’s his June 2021 edition of Gallery Report. All prices include the buyer’s premium, except where noted.

Bisa Butler artwork, $75,000, Swann Auction Galleries

Bisa Butler’s (American, b. 1973-) 2007 quilted and appliqued dyed cotton fabrics titled Nandi and Natalie (Friends) sold for $75,000 at an African American Art auction held April 22 by Swann Auction Galleries in New York City. Also, Howardena Pindell’s (American, b. 1943-) tempera, gouache, postcards, punched paper, nails, fluorescent paint, glitter, and thread on board titled Oval Memory Series: (Rhinoceros) Heaven, created between 1980 and 1981, changed hands for $100,000. It was a new record price for the artist.

Supertest petroliana sign, CA$21,240, Miller & Miller

A Canadian Supertest service station double-sided porcelain hanging sign from the 1940s sold for $21,240 in an online Petroliana & Advertising auction held May 15 by Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd. in New Hamburg, Ontario, Canada. Also, a Canadian 1930s Goodrich Tires Mountie porcelain sign realized $16,520; a 1940s Bennett 541 Supertest gas pump hit $20,060; and a 1920s Canadian Orange Crush store soda cooler brought $7,670. All prices given for this sale are in Canadian dollars.

Wendell Castle table, $70,110, Neue Auctions

An important and beautiful dining table custom designed by Wendell Castle (American, 1932-2018) sold for $70,110 in an online-only Modernism sale held May 15 by Neue Auctions in Beachwood, Ohio. Also, an oil on canvas still life painting by Le Pho (Vietnamese and French, 1907-2001), titled Fleurs (Flowers), brought $20,910, and an oil on canvas Still Life with Sculpture on Table by Claude Venard (French, 1913-1999), executed with heavy impasto, sold for $15,990.

 

 

10-gallon visible gas pump, $87,600, Morphy Auctions

A 10-gallon visible gas pump with its oil dispenser restored in Stanocoloa Gasoline livery sold for $87,600 at an auction held May 11-15 by Morphy Auctions in Denver, Pennsylvania. Also, an Esmeralda 5-cent fortune teller, maker unknown, with cylinder record player and record, played a sweet tune for $78,000; a late 19th century mirrored Brunswick triple arch-back and front bar reached $66,000; and a Chevrolet Buick porcelain neon sign hit $45,600.

Bandai Japanese friction toy, $55,200, Milestone Auctions

A Japanese Bandai friction-powered Flying Spaceman on Super Cycle with original caped, green rubber ‘Superman’ figure, along with a colorfully illustrated box lid, sold for $55,200 at a Spring Spectacular Toy Auction held May 1 by Milestone Auctions in Willoughby, Ohio. Also, a Walt Disney-authorized Mickey Mouse Krazy Kar with figures of Mickey, Minnie Mouse, and Pluto rose to $34,800; and a Masudaya 15-in battery-operated Target robot from the ‘Gang of Five’ made $13,800.

Letter from Hamilton to Madison, $113,850, Lion Heart Autographs

A letter written by Alexander Hamilton to James Madison in 1790, in which he mentions Thomas Jefferson, sold for $113,850 on April 28 at Lion Heart Autographs, Inc. in New York. Also, Mahatma Gandhi’s quote on faith realized $11,500; a handwritten Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening poem by Robert Frost sold for $35,650; a John Adams letter about the war between France and Britain brought $26,450; and a Benjamin Franklin inscription went for $14,375.

 

 

1953 Hank Williams poster, $150,000, Heritage Auctions

An advertisement for a 1953 Hank Williams show that never happened, found in an Ohio barn and purchased for $5 in 1981, sold for $150,000 at an Entertainment & Music Auction held May 1-2 by Heritage Auctions in Dallas. It was the most ever paid at auction for a concert poster, eclipsing the $137,500 commanded by a Beatles Shea Stadium concert poster in April 2020. Also, a 1966 Grateful Dead Skeleton & Roses poster, graded CGC 9.6 and signed by artist Stanley Mouse, brought $84,375.

Sterling silver dish, $9,375, John Moran

A Maison Odiot French sterling silver dish sold for $9,375 at a Tradition Collector sale held April 28 by John Moran Auctioneers in Monrovia, California. Also, a French Louis XVI carved giltwood sofa brought $9,375; an oil on canvas Portrait of a Gentleman went for $4,375; a large Japanese Sumida Gawa figural vase knocked down for $4,688; and an oil on canvas by Lilian Chevoit (English, 1884-1932), titled A Pair of English Cocker Spaniels, hit $5,626.

China Trade painting, $63,000, Doyle New York

A large 19th century China Trade painting depicting the Qing army subjugating the citizens of a southern region with a boat-filled harbor sold for $63,000 at a Pacific Trade Auction held May 4 by Doyle in New York. Also, a circa-1840 partial suite of China Trade hardwood furniture, made for Captain Robert Bennet Forbes realized $20,160, and a Japanese Meiji-Taisho Period silver figure of the goddess Kannon hit $20,160.

Alphonse Mucha painting, $456,500, Hindman 

A 1920 painting by Alphonse Mucha (Czech, 1860-1939), titled Woman with Flowering Branches, sold for $456,500 at Fine Art auctions held May 3-5 by Hindman in Chicago. Also, Did You Hear Something? a 1981 work by Jim Nutt (American, b. 1938-) brought $181,250; Four Polo Players by Andy Warhol (American, 1928-1987) hit $137,500; and Pennsylvania Impressionist works by Edward Willis Redfield and Daniel Garber both sold for $150,000.

Howard Finster folk-art, $32,500, Slotin Folk Art Auction

A folk-art rendering by Howard Finster (American, 1916-2001), titled The Angel from the Lord, sold for $32,500 at a Self-Taught Masterpieces auction held April 24 by Slotin Folk Art Auction in Gainesville, Georgia. Also, Martin Ramirez’s Caballero hammered for $46,250; Myrtice West’s Who is Worthy finished at $26,250; M. L. O’Kelley’s Family Wagon sped off with $24,375; Clementine Hunter’s Uncle Tom realized $20,625; Nellie Mae Rowe’s Fish made $20,000; and Frog Smith’s Dowling Camp rose to $17,500.

 

Tiffany Dandelion lamp, $3.7 million, Rago Arts & Auction Center

A Tiffany Studios Dandelion lamp from the 1900 Paris Exposition sold for $3.7 million at Early 20th Century Design and Modern Design auctions held May 13-14 by Rago Arts & Auction Center in Lambertville, New Jersey. Also, a 1975 sculpture by Peter Voulkos (American, 1924-2002) went for $400,000; a Sculpture Front cabinet by Paul Evans garnered $312,500; and a Frenchman’s Cove II dining table and a set of eight Conoid dining chairs by George Nakashima made $131,250 and $106,250, respectively.

Janet Jackson jacket, $81,250, Julien’s Auctions

Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation jacket with 1814 metal plaque, cap, and gloves sold for $81,250 at an auction of items from the career and life of the famed signer, held May 14-16 by Julien’s Auctions in Los Angeles. Also, Jackson’s iconic single key earring fetched $43,750; her 1956 Chevrolet 3100 Cameo ½-ton pickup truck brought $112,500; and the outfit she wore during her induction ceremony at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame rose to $32,000.

Hamilton flintlock pistols, $1.1 million, Rock Island

A pair of flintlock holster pistols inscribed “AH” and presented to Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, along with field service epaulettes he wore while serving as an officer in the Continental Army, sold for $1.1 million at a Premier Auction held May 14-16 by Rock Island Auction Company in Rock Island, Illinois. Also, an Ulrich engraved Winchester Exhibition Model 1873 rifle reached $718,750, and Bat Masterson’s Colt pistol hit the mark for $488,750.

Kobe Bryant basketball jersey, $3.69 million, Goldin Auctions

Kobe Bryant’s earliest known game-worn jersey sold for $3.69 million–a new record for any basketball jersey or Kobe Bryant item–in an online May Elite Auction held by Goldin Auctions, based in Runnemede, New Jersey. The winning bidder was billionaire Bob Duggan. Also, an autographed Michael Jordan NBA All-Star Game Used Patch Card went for $2.1 million, and a 1909-1911 T206 white border Honus Wagner baseball card, widely known as the Holy Grail of baseball cards, reached $3.7 million.

Tim Storrier painting, $37,200, Potter & Potter

A framed acrylic on canvas signed by Tim Storrier (Australian, b. 1949-) and titled Noonline Blaze sold for $37,200 at a Vintage Posters, Prints & Works on Paper auction held May 15 by Potter & Potter Auctions in Chicago. Also, The Seasons by Alphonse Mucha (Czech, 1860-1939) realized $21,600; The Rape of Callisto by Tony Scherman (Canadian, b. 1950-) gaveled for $5,760; and Cognac Jacque by Camille Bouchet (French, 1799-1890) changed hands for $3,840.

Dragons and Waves vase, $2.2 million, Freeman’s

A Chinese carved and underglazed red Dragons and Waves vase, Meiping, sold for $2.2 million at an Asian Art Auction held April 8 by Freeman’s in Philadelphia. Also, a Chinese grayish-white jade carving of a foreigner on a mythical beast fetched $63,000; a large kesi tapestry Dragons panel brought $63,000; a Chinese carved rock crystal seal garnered $50,400; and a Ming dynasty blue and white porcelain large bowl, which happened to be the first lot of the sale, rose to $30,240.