1976 Alice Baber artwork leads impressive lineup at John Moran, Feb. 28

Alice Baber, ‘Axe in the Grove,’ estimated at $50,000-$70,000. Image courtesy of John Moran Auctioneers
Alice Baber, ‘Axe in the Grove,’ estimated at $50,000-$70,000. Image courtesy of John Moran Auctioneers
Alice Baber, ‘Axe in the Grove,’ estimated at $50,000-$70,000. Image courtesy of John Moran Auctioneers

LOS ANGELES — February 2023 is filled with many noteworthy days: Valentine’s Day, President’s Day and also John Moran’s Art + Design sale, taking place Tuesday, February 28 at noon Pacific time. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers. Containing more than 300 lots, the sale will include works by Alice Baber, Hans Burkhardt, Roy Lichtenstein, Rosangela Renno, Margaret Keane, Bruno Munari, Alex Weinstein, Wucius Wong and Pablo Picasso. The variety of furniture is also impressive, featuring designers such as George Nakashima, Philip and Kelvin LaVerne, Frank Gehry, Charles and Ray Eames, Yves Klein, Eero Saarinen, Toyoda Hiroyuki, George Nelson and Rudolph Schelling Webermann. In the realm of decorative pieces, a couple of Venini glass vases are sure to win attention, coming from designers Tina Aufiero and Gio Ponti.

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Heritage ‘Pursuit of Beauty’ design series tallies $2M

Tiffany Studios arrowroot lamp with cattail base, $212,500. Image courtesy of Heritage Auctions
Left, Tiffany Studios arrowroot lamp with cattail base, $212,500; Right, George Nakashima 1964 Frenchman’s Cove II dining table, $38,750. Images courtesy of Heritage Auctions
Left, Tiffany Studios arrowroot lamp with cattail base, $212,500; Right, George Nakashima 1964 Frenchman’s Cove II dining table, $38,750. Images courtesy of Heritage Auctions

DALLAS – Heritage Auctions events held one week apart brought in nearly $2 million and proved the enduring appeal of early- and mid-20th-century design by American artists and designers, as well as works by their international peers, and continued the super-charged trend for enhancing our homes. Collector favorites Tiffany Studios, Harry Bertoia and George Nakashima topped the sales.

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Gallery Report: Le Pho painting blooms at Hindman

ATLANTA – At the beginning of each month, ACN columnist Ken Hall delivers top auction highlights from around the United States and the wider world. Here is the November 2022 edition of his Gallery Report. All prices quoted include the buyer’s premium, except where noted otherwise.

Le Pho painting, $337,500, Hindman

A painting by Vietnamese artist Le Pho (1907-2001), titled Femme Peignant (Woman Painting), sold for $337,500 at Fine Art auctions held Sept. 27-29 by Hindman in Chicago. Also, Le Pho’s paintings La Lettre and Les Dahlia Jaunes brought $237,500 and $137,500, respectively; an untitled portrait of a baseball player by Ernie Barnes rang up $312,500; Friedel Dzubas’s 1978 work Aglaura went for $137,500; Ron Davis’s Red Top, from 1968, realized $131,250; and Gertrude Abercrombie’s Blue Screen, completed in 1945, hit $225,000.

Copy of Wonder Woman #1, $54,000, Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers

A copy of DC Comics’ Wonder Woman #1, featuring the first appearance of Ares and a retelling of the origin of Wonder Woman, graded CGC 5.5, sold for $54,000 at a sale of the Henry Anderson collection held October 1 by Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers in Cranston, Rhode Island. Also, a copy of DC Comics’ Detective Comics #38, featuring the origin and first appearance of Batman’s sidekick Robin, the Boy Wonder, graded CGC 3.0, brought $51,600.

American National pedal car, $66,000, Milestone Auctions

An American National Deluxe Coupe pedal car, fitted with opening doors, sliding windows, interior upholstery and curtains, sold for $66,000 at a sale of antique and vintage toys from the Mark Smith collection held September 24 by Milestone Auctions in Willoughby, Ohio. Also, a Gendron 50in-long chain-drive pedal car with a steel body and a wooden radiator, tires and frame sped off for $24,000; and a Domo Maserati 4cl tether race car made in Italy brought $6,600.

Chinoiserie-style table, $10,000, John Moran Auctioneers

A black lacquered Chinoiserie-style console table with gilt highlights sold for $10,000 at an auction of Property from the Thomas and Erika Jayne Girardi Residence held September 21 at John Moran Auctioneers in Los Angeles. Also, an 81in-tall bronze sculpture of a man by J. Seward Johnson, Jr. brought $13,750; a pair of Michael Taylor Monticello outdoor garden armchairs realized $7,150; and a 19th-century Continental hand-painted, black lacquered cabinet with mythological oil paintings rose to $11,875.

John Speed map of the world, $12,650, Old World Auctions

 A New and Accurat Map of the World by John Speed, an iconic 1626 first state version of Speed’s double-hemisphere world map with blank verso, sold for $12,650 in an online auction held in September by Old World Auctions, based in Richmond, Virginia. Also, Islandia, a 1585 map by Abraham Ortelius – one of Ortelius’s most decorative maps, featuring fantastical sea monsters – earned $12,075, and an unusual 1658 oval bible map of the world by Danckert Danckerts made $7,475.

1821 Half Eagle gold coin, $4.62 million, Heritage Auctions

An 1821 Half Eagle $5 gold U.S. proof coin, graded PR65 Cameo, the only proof in private hands and one of only two proof examples known (the other is in the Smithsonian Institution), sold for $4.62 million at Part 1 of the Harry W. Bass, Jr. Core Collection held September 29 by Dallas-based Heritage Auctions in Long Beach, California. Also, a 1795 BD-1 13 leaves $10 U.S. coin, MS64, rose to $690,000; and an 1848 CAL. quarter eagle coin, MS64, garnered $552,000.

Chinese porcelain vase, $504,000, Doyle

A Chinese famille rose porcelain vase with the Qianlong mark and of the period sold for $504,000 at an Asian Works of Art auction held September 21 by Doyle in New York City. Also, another exceptional Qianlong mark and period tianqiuping-form vase, decorated with a monochrome blue glaze, went to a determined bidder for $94,500, many times its $10,000-$15,000 estimate.

Maud Lewis folk art painting, $100,300, Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd.

A mixed media painting by Canadian folk artist Maud Lewis (1903-1980), titled Winter Sleigh Ride, sold for $100,300 in an online-only Canadiana & Folk Art auction held October 8 by Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd., based in New Hamburg, Canada. Also, a mixed media diorama by Adelard Brousseau of Quebec, titled Maple Sugar Time, rose to $10,620; and an acrylic on paper by Norval Morrisseau (Canadian, 1932-2007), titled Ancestral Visitors, made $11,800. Prices are in Canadian dollars.

Tiffany Poppy table lamp, $93,750, Fontaine’s Auction Gallery

A circa-1905 Tiffany Studios Poppy table lamp with vibrant red poppies surrounded by blue and yellow background glass sold for $93,750 at a fall sale held Sept. 24-25 by Fontaine’s Auction Gallery in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Also, a circa-1910 Tiffany Studios Peony Border chandelier realized $87,500; a platinum bracelet with more than 45 carats of diamonds finished at $81,250; and a circa-1880 Eastlake walnut four-piece bedroom set commanded $27,500.

Winchester Model 21 shotgun, $14,100, Rock Island Auction Company

An engraved and gold-inlaid Winchester 16-gauge Model 21 double-barrel shotgun set, offered with its case, hit the mark for $14,200 at a Sporting & Collector Auction held Oct. 5-6 by Rock Island Auction Company in Rock Island, Illinois. Also, a Ben Shostle signed master relief engraved Colt first generation single-action Army revolver with its case earned $11,750, and a pair of Remington Custom Ship Model 547 sporting bolt action rifles scored a bull’s-eye for $10,575.

William Skilling elephant painting, $18,750, Dallas Auction Gallery

An undated, signed oil on canvas dubbed Untitled (Elephant profile) by William Skilling sold for $18,750 at a Fine & Decorative Art auction held September 21 by Dallas Auction Gallery in Dallas. Also, an undated oil on canvas by Edouard Leon Cortes, titled La Place de l’Opera, realized $18,750; Texas artist Jose Vives-Astara’s 1982 painting titled Landscape of Vail – Colorado went for $6,875; and a pastel by Texas artist Reveau Basset, titled Mallards Landing, attained $3,750.

John Steinbeck letter, $32,426, RR Auction

A two-page letter John Steinbeck wrote to his 14-year-old son, Thomas, dated Nov. 10, 1958, in which he offers wise, fatherly advice on matters of the heart, sold for $32,426 in an online auction held Sept. 23-Oct. 12 by RR Auction, based in Boston. Also, Edgar Allan Poe’s handwritten letter soliciting a donation for the Southern Literary Messenger garnered $149,999, and Benjamin Franklin’s handwritten letter regarding the mutinous crew of John Paul Jones’s flagship earned $62,500.

Ansel Adams Yosemite photo print, $38,750, Holabird Western Americana Collections

An Ansel Adams-signed Yosemite photo print from around 1959 sold for $38,750 at a Western Frontiers auction held October 13-16 by Holabird Western Americana Collections in Reno, Nevada. Also, a Gibson model ES175 Sunburst electric guitar with a factory Bixbee whammy bar realized $3,500; a beautiful circa-1900 red mesa chief pattern rug went for $4,000; and a gold 1914 $50 American Buffalo coin brought $2,250.

Diamond and gold brooch, $2,080, Clars Auction Gallery

An antique diamond and platinum-topped 14K gold brooch designed as an old mine or old European-cut diamond-set flower, the diamond weighing 2.0 carats, sold for $2,080 at an auction held Oct. 15-16 by Clars Auction Gallery in Oakland, California. Also, a monumental 1996 work by Nathan Oliveira (American, 1928-2010), titled Wing-Owl, flew to $28,750; and a suite of prints by Richard Diebenkorn (American, 1922-1993), titled Six Soft Ground Etchings, finished at $16,250.

Lion model circus wagon, $6,600, Potter & Potter Auctions

A lion model circus wagon from around 1940, finely detailed and painted, sold for $6,600 at a Circus Sale held September 24 by Potter & Potter Auctions in Chicago. Also, a 1944 Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey / World’s Biggest Menagerie bird’s-eye view poster settled at $3,600; a 1930s Sells-Floto Miss Arline and Kiddo Balloon horse poster maquette earned $4,080; and a pair of gloves believed to have been owned by Buffalo Bill Cody changed hands for $1,560.

First edition 2007 factory-sealed iPhone, $39,340, LCG Auctions

A factory-sealed 2007 first-edition iPhone sold for a record price of $39,340 at a Fall Premier Auction held October 16 by LCG Auctions in New Orleans. Also, a 1978 Star Wars Luke Skywalker action figure with a double telescoping lightsaber, graded AFA 85, achieved $33.359; a 1987 G.I. Joe Defiant playset, CAS 80, earned $32,513; a 1982 Masters of the Universe He-Man action figure, AFA 80, brought $32,513; and a 1985 Transformers Jetfire, AFA 90, realized $18,353.

Gorham silver candelabras, $84,000, Cottone Auctions

A pair of Gorham sterling silver Art Nouveau candelabras made for the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair sold for $84,000 at a Fine Art & Antiques auction held September 23 by Cottone Auctions in Geneseo, New York. Also, a 1963 gouache on paper by Alexander Calder (American, 1898-1976), titled The Beams, went for $90,000; a Tiffany Studios Peony table lamp lit up the room for $103,200; and a Chinese Ming-style blue and white ewer, with a Qianlong mark and of the period, brought $282,000.

William S. Kendall painting, $24,000, Kaminski Auctions

A painting by William Sergeant Kendall (American, 1869-1938), titled St. Ives Pray for Us, signed and dated 1890, sold for $24,000 at a two-day estates auction held Sept. 24-25 by Kaminski Auctions in Beverly, Massachusetts. Also, a set of six circa-1970 Tucroma leather chairs, by Guido Faleschini for Pace Furniture, climbed to $4,800; an 18K gold bracelet with two sapphires at the closure settled at $12,000; and a set of Hermes Le Jardin de Pythagore dinnerware made $4,200.

Rolex Daytona Big Red watch, $90,000, Jones & Horan

A Rolex Daytona Big Red ref 6263 watch sold for $90,000 at a four-hour afternoon sale held September 25 by Jones & Horan in Manchester, New Hampshire. Also, a Patek Philippe Calatrava ref 2526 achieved $27,000; a Rolex Submariner ref 16808 reached $26,000; and a Tropical Deep Sea Alarm Diver finished at $25,000.

Zhang Daqian handscroll, $23,370, Michaan’s Auction

A large handscroll painting attributed to Zhang Daqian (Chinese, 1899-1983), titled Landscape, sold for $23,370 at an Annex Auction held Aug. 15-18 by Michaan’s Auction in Alameda, California. Also, a Chinese blue and white moon flask realized $19,680; an oil on canvas Self Portrait by Henrietta Berks (American, 1919-1990), achieved $9,225; an unmounted 2.20-carat diamond with pendant mount made $10,455; and two Flora Danica items, a tureen and a dish, won $3,382.

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

Nakashima, Tiffany and Picasso share the stage at Freeman’s, Oct. 25-26

Pablo Picasso, ‘Tete d’Homme Barbu,’ estimated at $80,000-$120,000
Left, George Nakashima Minguren I coffee table, estimated at $150,000-$250,000; right, Pablo Picasso, ‘Tete d’Homme Barbu,’ estimated at $80,000-$120,000
Left, George Nakashima Minguren I coffee table, estimated at $150,000-$250,000; right, Pablo Picasso, ‘Tete d’Homme Barbu,’ estimated at $80,000-$120,000

PHILADELPHIA — In back-to-back auctions this month, Freeman’s presents a distinguished collection of 20th-century furniture and design and modern and contemporary painting, sculpture and works on paper by the likes of George Nakashima, Pablo Picasso, Tiffany Studios, Roy Lichtenstein and Lynn Chadwick.
Modern and Contemporary Art, taking place at 11 am Eastern time on Tuesday, October 25, is led by Pablo Picasso’s Tete d’Homme Barbu, a playful, imaginative drawing from the artist’s recovery from surgery in the South of France in 1966; it is estimated at $80,000-$120,000. Design, which will be held at 11 am Eastern time on Wednesday, October 26, features the sale of three extraordinary Tiffany Studios windows from St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Meriden, Connecticut, including a Passionflower, Iris, and Mock Orange landscape window offered at an estimate of $200,000-$300,000. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

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Fine art lifts early August Rafael Osona auction to $2M

Anne Ramsdell Congdon, ‘View from Monomoy,’ $123,000
Anne Ramsdell Congdon, ‘View from Monomoy,’ $123,000

NANTUCKET, Mass. – After a robust four-day live exhibition of 850 lots, Rafael Osona’s combined August 6 and August 7 Americana, Fine Art, Marine Auction grossed nearly two million dollars.

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Great expectations for Sean Scully artwork at Clarke, July 10

Sean Scully, ‘Drawing #30,’ est. $20,000-$30,000

 

Sean Scully, ‘Drawing #30,’ est. $20,000-$30,000
Sean Scully, ‘Drawing #30,’ est. $20,000-$30,000

LARCHMONT, N.Y. — For its summer estates auction on Sunday, July 10, which begins at 10 am Eastern time, Clarke Auction Gallery will present a well-rounded sale that hits all the major collecting categories with examples of notable and important works. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

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Doyle assembles powerful lineup for June 8 Design auction

George Nakashima walnut credenza, est. $30,000-$50,000. Image courtesy of Doyle New York and LiveAuctioneers
George Nakashima walnut credenza, est. $30,000-$50,000. Image courtesy of Doyle New York and LiveAuctioneers

George Nakashima walnut credenza, est. $30,000-$50,000. Image courtesy of Doyle New York and LiveAuctioneers

NEW YORK – On Wednesday, June 8, starting at 10 am Eastern time, Doyle will host the next sale in the popular Doyle+Design auction category. This highly-anticipated sale showcases a wide range of Modern and Contemporary furniture, art and design by prominent designers, makers and artists of the 20th and 21st centuries. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

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Chagall, Moore and Nakashima hit the heights in Freeman’s trio of sales

Marc Chagall, ‘Devant la Fenetre a Sils,’ $453,600
L-R: Marc Chagall, ‘Devant la Fenetre a Sils,’ $453,600; Henry Moore, ‘Architectural Project,’ $428,400; George Nakashima Conoid bench, $94,500
L-R: Marc Chagall, ‘Devant la Fenetre a Sils,’ $453,600; Henry Moore, ‘Architectural Project,’ $428,400; George Nakashima Conoid bench, $94,500

PHILADELPHIA — In three back-to-back sales, two held on May 11 and one on May 12, Freeman’s brought fresh-to-market modern and contemporary art and design works to auction, including single-owner collections. The trio of auctions was marked by competitive bidding between international buyers, resulting in sales of Henry Moore’s bronze Architectural Project for $428,400, Marc Chagall’s Devant la Fenetre a Sils for $453,600, and a Conoid bench by George Nakashima for $94,500.

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Auctions at Showplace presents the rare and unusual, April 24

French articulated artist’s wooden horse model, est. $1,500-$2,500
French articulated artist’s wooden horse model, est. $1,500-$2,500
French articulated artist’s wooden horse model, est. $1,500-$2,500

NEW YORK – Auctions at Showplace will present a sale of 280 lots from New York City Metropolitan area estates on Sunday, April 24. Offerings will include furniture by Paul McCobb, George Nakashima, Paul Evans, and Fritz Hansen. Other highlights include a French articulated horse model, Louis Mendez sculptures, and art and prints from Cindy Sherman, Salvador Dali, Daniele Donde, Robert Gwathmey and Umetaro Azechi. A wide array of silver, porcelain, glass, jewelry and paintings complete the sale. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

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Loie Hollowell painting sells for record $1M+ at Clars

Loie Hollowell, ‘Point of Entry (Blood-Orange Moon Over Orange Sac),’ $1,050,000
Loie Hollowell, ‘Point of Entry (Blood-Orange Moon Over Orange Sac),’ $1,050,000
Loie Hollowell, ‘Point of Entry (Blood-Orange Moon Over Orange Sac),’ $1,050,000

OAKLAND, Calif. – Clars Auction Gallery‘s March 25 Modern + Contemporary Art + Design sale set a new United States auction record for the work of artist Loie Hollowell (American, b. 1983-). Point of Entry (Blood-Orange Moon Over Orange Sac) achieved $1,050,000 against an estimate of $400,000-$600,000.

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