LONDON – The Nobel Prize medal awarded to chemist Archer Martin in 1952 was sold by Noonans February 2 in an auction of Coins and Historical Medals for a hammer price of £150,000 (about $180,000). It was consigned by his family and was bought by a private collector in Europe, who was bidding via the telephone.
DALLAS — By every estimation, 2022 was a home run for Heritage Auctions. The auction house recorded more than $1.45 billion in sales in 2022, a record high for the 46-year-old Dallas-based company following 2021’s landmark results. It also set dozens of significant auction records spanning most of its categories, including one for the world’s most valuable sports collectible when a 1952 Mickey Mantle baseball card sold last summer for $12.6 million.
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 the January 2022 edition of his Gallery Report. All prices include the buyer’s premium, except where noted.
Alphonse Mucha study, $965,000, Toomey & Co. Auctioneers
A newly discovered 1920 oil on canvas painting by Alphonse Mucha (Czech, 1860-1939), titled Young Couple from Rusadla, sold for $965,000 at an auction held December 2 by Toomey & Co. Auctioneers in Oak Park, Illinois. The painting is a fully realized study, depicting an embracing young couple and was part of a larger, lost composition titled Rusadla, which illustrated a procession scene from a Slavic Midsummer Feast. The price is a new auction record for a study by Mucha.
Revolutionary War powder horn, $44,280, Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers
A Revolutionary War powder horn from 1775, owned and carved by Siege of Boston minute man Thomas Smith, sold for $44,280 at a Historic Arms & Militaria auction held Nov. 20 by Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers in Cranston, Rhode Island. Another powder horn, a circa 1746 example identified to Moses Brewer of the Provincial militia, earned $22,140. Also, a circa-1812 silver Captain Isaac Hull presentation medal given to Lt. Alexander S. Wadsworth for naval gallantry brought $40,590.
Cartier Pasha men’s watch, CA$64,900, Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd.
A Cartier Pasha minute repeater men’s wristwatch sold for CA$64,900 in an online-only Watches & Jewels sale held Nov. 20 by Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd., based in New Hamburg, Canada. Also, a Cartier Diabolo Tourbillon men’s wristwatch went for CA$29,500; a 15.45-carat diamond cocktail ring realized CA$29,500; a Rolex Explorer II “Steve McQueen” watch achieved CA$23,600; and a Rolex Submariner Date watch rose to CA$12,980. Prices are in Canadian dollars.
George I chinoiserie cabinet, $27,500, Andrew Jones Auctions
A George I chinoiserie decorated japanned cabinet on later stand, the cabinet dating to the early 18th century, sold for $27,500 during Part 2 of the auction of the John Nelson collection held December 12 by Andrew Jones Auctions in Los Angeles. Also, a pair of 20th-century Louis XVI style gilt bronze, cut and molded clear glass 16-light chandeliers lit up the room for $23,750, and a pair of large 19th-century Italian Carrara marble busts of classical women went to a determined bidder for $22,500.
Dr. Renz’s Herb Bitters bottle, $24,250, American Bottle Auctions
A Dr. Renz’s Herb Bitters bottle, light lime green in color and one of maybe four examples known that have a uniquely styled applied tapered top, sold for $24,150 in online-only auction #72, Part 1 of the Mel Hammer collection, held Dec. 10-19 by American Bottle Auctions in Sacramento, California. The sum represents a record for the bottle. Also, a Dr. Wonser’s USA Indian Root Bitters bottle with an applied top and medium amber in color finished at $15,525.
Freedman’s mechanical bank, $174,000, Bertoia Auctions
An original Freedman’s mechanical bank, made circa 1880 by Jerome B. Secor of Bridgeport, Connecticut and one of fewer than 10 known, sold for $174,000 at an annual Fall Sale of toys, banks and holiday antiques held Nov. 18-19 by Bertoia Auctions in Vineland, New Jersey. Also, a large hand-painted Marklin Central Station, produced for the English market circa 1902-1910, realized $40,800, and a circa-1870 German belsnickle with lamp fixture rang up $30,000.
Yongzheng-marked bowl, $160,000, Stefek’s Auctioneers & Appraisers
A Chinese porcelain bowl with a lid bearing the marks of the Yongzheng period (1678-1735) sold for $160,000 at an auction held October 28 by Stefek’s Auctioneers & Appraisers in Roseville, Michigan. The bowl was decorated with a blue, red and green motif with insects, and the lid had a pale jade-colored animal finial. However, the inside of the bowl and the inside of the lid both had Yongzheng markings. The winning bid was placed online.
Napoleon’s 1797 garniture, $2.875 million, Rock Island Auction Company
A gold-encrusted six-piece garniture of five relief carved firearms and a gilt dress sword presented to Napoleon Bonaparte by the Director of the French Republic in 1797 sold for $2.875 million at a Premier Firearms Auction held December 3 by Rock Island Auction Company in Rock Island, Illinois. Also, a solid silver Winchester 1866 rifle, L.D. Nimschke’s tour-de-force, hit the mark for $977,500, and a gold-plated John Ulrich signed “1 of 1000” Model 1873 lever-action rifle realized $431,250.
James P. Regimbal bronze, $5,625, John Moran Auctioneers
A patinated 1980 bronze sculpture by James P. Regimbal (American, Washington state, b. 1949-), titled Rocky Trails, sold for $5,625 at an Art of the American West auction held November 30 by John Moran Auctioneers in Monrovia, California. Also, a 1950 painting by Ted DeGrazia (American, Arizona, 1909-1982), titled Navajo with 7 Horses, achieved $7,500; and an early 20th-century Navajo/Dine Germantown double saddle blanket hit $5,625.
Nobel Prize from 1990, $312,500, Nate D. Sanders Auctions
The 1990 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, awarded to E. Donnall Thomas for his use of bone marrow transplants to treat leukemia and other blood cancers, sold for $312,500 at an auction held December 9 by Nate D. Sanders Auctions in Los Angeles. Thomas first proposed his theory in 1957 and worked methodically throughout the 1960s and 1970s to turn the theory into a clinical treatment. It was dismissed at the time as implausible and experimental but gradually gained acceptance.
Folk art portrait of a cat, $152,100, Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates
A late 19th- or early 20th-century American folk art portrait of a black and white cat sold for $152,100 at a Premier Americana Auction held Nov. 17-20 by Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates in Mt. Crawford, Virginia. Also, a hand-sewn 34-star 1864 Lincoln-and-Johnson presidential campaign flag achieved $128,700; a Native American Party political flag banner went for $99,450; and a Johannes Spitler paint-decorated yellow pine blanket chest realized $76,050.
Majolica wine cooler, $81,900, Doyle
A circa-1865 Minton majolica cobalt-blue ground Victorian wine cooler and cover sold for $81,900 at Part 1 of the Joan Stacke Graham Majolica Collection held December 14 by Doyle in New York City. Also, a Delphin Massier majolica butterfly jardiniere went for $25,200; a Mintons majolica large fish dish and cover finished at $25,200; a Delphin Massier majolica vase modeled as a grasshopper brought $20,160; and a Mintons majolica model of a fawn flower holder rose to $15,120.
Harry Houdini’s Bible, $102,000, Potter & Potter Auctions
Harry Houdini’s Bible, a 1901 Red Letter edition inscribed, “To Dunninger, best wishes, Houdini, Nov. 30, 1925”, sold for $102,000 at a Winter Magic Auction held December 11 by Potter & Potter Auctions in Chicago. Also, a 1990s-era Pyramids of Egypt wine and water trick by John Gaughan & Associates went for $14,400, and a Blaney Ladder Levitation prop, made by Walter Blaney in the 1990s, rose to $15,600.
Rembrandt etching from 1634, $20,000, Dallas Auction Gallery
A 1634 etching by Rembrandt, titled Self-Portrait with Sabre, sold for $20,000 at a Fine and Decorative Art Auction held November 17 by Dallas Auction Gallery in Dallas. Also, a portfolio of 20 Sol LeWitt serigraphs from 1981, dubbed Lines in Two Directions and in Five Colors with All Their Combinations, realized $18,750, and a 1983 mixed media on board by Dan Rizzie, titled The Blood of the Poet, earned $10,625.
Custer’s Civil War gun holster rig, $37,500, Holabird Western Americana Collections
U.S. Army Captain George Armstrong Custer’s gun holster, dispatch case, belt and brass buckle from the Civil War sold for $37,500 at a November Wonders: Western Americana Auction held Nov. 18-22 by Holabird Western Americana Collections in Reno, Nevada. Also, a 14K gold necklace with diamond bands and emerald eyes, accompanied by a matching ring and earrings, achieved $11,560, and a circa-1910 10-cent brass octagonal token for the H. Champagne Bar in Genoa, Nevada hit $3,750.
Beatles-signed album, $31,251, RR Auction
A copy of the Beatles album Please Please Me, signed by all four members of the band, sold for $31,251 in an online Marvels of Modern Music auction that began October 14 and ended November 18 by RR Auction in Boston. The consignor indicated the signatures were obtained at the Adelphi Cinema in Slough, England in 1963. Also, a Beatles-signed 1963 Winter Gardens program earned $24,750, and a Nirvana-signed Smells Like Teen Spirit picture disc achieved $15,000.
Daniel Garber’s ‘Sycamores,’ $390,600, Freeman’s
A large-scale canvas painting by the Pennsylvania Impressionist Daniel Garber, titled Sycamores, sold for $390,600 at an American Art auction held December 5 by Freeman’s in Philadelphia. Also, Kenneth Nunamaker’s canvas River Road at Centre Bridge climbed to $201,600; Fern Coppedge’s December Afternoon (Carversville) achieved $226,800; Edward Redfield’s Abandoned Road hit $352,800; and Mary Elizabeth Price’s Mallow and Lily made $107,100.
1907 Saint-Gaudens gold coin, $4.75 million, Heritage Auctions
A 1907 Saint-Gaudens Ultra High Relief U.S. gold coin, graded proof-68 CAC, sold for $4.75 million in a private transaction between GreatCollections Coin Auctions of Irvine, California, and Heritage Auctions of Dallas. The coin last appeared in a 2007 Heritage auction where it sold for $1.84 million. The buyer then was Bob R. Simpson, founder of XTO Energy and an owner of the Texas Rangers baseball team. Fewer than 20 of the Ultra High Relief coins were minted and just 13 to 15 exist today.
1837 cutlass pistol, $27,025, Skinner Auctioneers
A Cyrus B. Allen Elgin patent cutlass pistol from 1837 with the original holster/scabbard sold for $27,025 at a Historic Arms & Militaria auction held October 29 by Skinner Auctioneers in Marlborough, Massachusetts. Also, a New Hampshire 2nd Battalion marked French model infantry musket hit the mark for $44,062; a 34th Regiment of Foot Dublin Castle pattern 1769 short land service musket rose to $34,075; and a New Hampshire-attributed Dog Pommel saber changed hands for $11,750.
Hank Aaron 1976 uniform, $224,000, Julien’s Auctions
Hank Aaron’s 1976 storied final season game-worn Milwaukee Brewers full uniform sold for $224,000 in an Icons & Idols: Sports auction held December 5 by Julien’s Auctions in Los Angeles. Also, Aaron’s game-used baseball glove from 1976 was a hit for $76,800; Babe Ruth’s circa 1922-1924 game-used Louisville Slugger bat (Mears A7) realized $32,000; and a Kobe Bryant original 2000 Los Angeles Lakers limited edition Jeff Hamilton signed sportsmen’s jacket achieved $28,800.
View top auction results on LiveAuctioneers here: https://www.liveauctioneers.com/pages/recent-auction-sales/
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/