EAST MORICHES, N.Y. – A stunning 1907 oil on canvas by Newlyn School artist Harold Harvey was the top earner for South Bay Auctions at its January 31 Art, Antiques, Silver, Jewelry & Sporting Goods sale. Complete results are available at LiveAuctioneers.
Harvey (1874-1941), like his Newlyn contemporaries, focused his eye on depictions of everyday life for the working people of England. On the Thames is a perfect representation of Harvey’s work, with two young men and their elder in a rowboat on the famed English waterway. Estimated at $10,000-$12,000, the painting hammered for $45,000 ($56,250 with buyer’s premium).
A sterling silver aquamanile, or ewer, in the form of an animal by Goudji (b. 1941-) took $23,000 ($28,750 with buyer’s premium) against a presale estimate of just $3,000-$5,000. Made with mother-of-pearl eyes, the aquamanile featured a hammered body with inlaid tiger iron panels.
Abstract expressionist Mary Abbott (1921-2019) had three works in the sale, and they all handily beat their high estimates. The leader was an untitled abstract of a woman’s blouse, made from oil, oil crayon, gouache, and graphite on paper. Estimated at $5,000-$7,000, it tripled its high estimate at $21,000 ($26,250 with buyer’s premium).
A 19th-century American stoneware 5-gallon churn with a cobalt leaping deer decoration delivered remarkable results. The product of John Burger, Jr. of Rochester, New York, the churn was estimated at $600-$800 but hammered for $5,600 ($7,000 with buyer’s premium).
A Tiffany & Co. sterling silver center bowl in the Olympian pattern sold for $3,000 ($3,750 with buyer’s premium). Dating to the early 20th century, the bowl carried a presale estimate of $700-$900.
