Paul Evans chairs and table, offered as separate lots, command $90K at PBMA

A set of six bronze sculpted side chairs by Paul Evans, dating to 1975, sold for $64,000 at Palm Beach Modern Auctions.

LAKE WORTH BEACH, Fla. – Fans of American studio furniture artist Paul Evans (1931-1987) enjoyed an unusual opportunity at Palm Beach Modern Auctions (PBMA) on February 17. Offered as subsequent lots were a 1975 Paul Evans Stalagmite table and a set of six sculpted bronze side chairs. The signed and dated table, its base made from bronzed resin over steel, hammered for $21,000 ($26,800 with buyer’s premium) against an estimate of $9,000-$12,000, while the set of chairs, which were estimated at $25,000-$35,000, hammered for $50,000 ($64,000 with buyer’s premium). Full results for the auction can be seen at LiveAuctioneers.

Lurking in the lot images for each was a photograph of the May 1975 shipping order that dispatched them from Wisneski Furniture Delivery of Bayonne, New Jersey. The presence of this paperwork “bolstered the sale,” according to Wade Terwilliger, president of the auction house. “People who collected Paul Evans’ work in the 1960s and 1970s did so out of passion for the aesthetic and craftsmanship, and didn’t always keep receipts. The owners of the Stalagmite table and sculpted bronze chairs in our February 17th sale kept meticulous records and passed those on to their children,” he said. “We often have gallery provenance or correspondence, but the level of documentation accompanying these pieces is pretty rare.”

The shipping slip identified the table base as model PE102 and the chairs as model PE106. Though Paul Evans did not design the two as complementary furnishings, the consignor paired the table with the chairs in their home. “Though not specifically intended for use together, the table and chairs have a shared texture – so important to Evans’ pieces – that ties them together. There was a good deal of crossover bidding on the two lots, buyers intending to use them together,” Terwilliger said, and observed that bidding for both was “heated from all sources”. That intensity ultimately resulted in the table going home with one bidder and the chairs being claimed by another, an outcome that surprised Terwilliger.

He was unfazed by the chairs selling for more than the Stalagmite table, a Paul Evans form that he said is popular at auction in any size. “The chairs are quite a find, especially in sets of six or more – though this is an atypical set in that there were no captain’s chairs,” he said. “Typically, we’ve seen them sold as four or six side chairs plus two arm chairs. Maybe one or two sets come to auction per year, anywhere, and we were excited to offer these.”

A set of six bronze sculpted side chairs by Paul Evans, dating to 1975, sold for $64,000 at Palm Beach Modern Auctions.

A set of six bronze sculpted side chairs by Paul Evans, dating to 1975, sold for $64,000 at Palm Beach Modern Auctions.

One from a set of six bronze sculpted side chairs by Paul Evans, dating to 1975, which sold for $64,000 at Palm Beach Modern Auctions.

One from a set of six bronze sculpted side chairs by Paul Evans, dating to 1975, which sold for $64,000 at Palm Beach Modern Auctions.

A 1975 Paul Evans Stalagmite table sold for $26,800 at Palm Beach Modern Auctions.

A 1975 Paul Evans Stalagmite table sold for $26,800 at Palm Beach Modern Auctions.

Visible in the lot images for both the Paul Evans side chairs and Stalagmite table are shots showing the furnishings together, as the consignor used them. Offered as separate, subsequent lots, the table sold for $26,800 and the chairs for $64,000 at Palm Beach Modern Auctions.

Visible in the lot images for both the Paul Evans side chairs and Stalagmite table are shots showing the furnishings together, as the consignor used them. Offered as separate, subsequent lots, the table sold for $26,800 and the chairs for $64,000 at Palm Beach Modern Auctions.

Visible in the lot images for the Paul Evans side chairs and also the Stalagmite table is a photograph of the shipping slip for both, dated May 28, 1975. Offered as separate, subsequent lots, the table sold for $26,800 and the chairs for $64,000 at Palm Beach Modern Auctions.

Visible in the lot images for the Paul Evans side chairs and also the Stalagmite table is a photograph of the shipping slip for both, dated May 28, 1975. Offered as separate, subsequent lots, the table sold for $26,800 and the chairs for $64,000 at Palm Beach Modern Auctions.

Sheila Gibson Stoodley

Sheila Gibson Stoodley

Sheila Gibson Stoodley is the associate editor for Auction Central News. She has written and edited for Robb Report, Art & Antiques magazine, and Andrew Harper online. She also authored The Hot Bid, a blog devoted to intriguing and delightful lots coming up at auction.

Artur Van Riggle, Harry Bertoia, Paul Evans, and other design greats charmed bidders at Rago

1902 Despondency vase by Artus Van Briggle for Van Briggle Pottery, which sold for $104,800 with buyer’s premium at Rago.

LAMBERTVILLE, N.J. – Back-to-back design sales in mid-January at Rago delivered typically strong results. Early 20th Century Design, held on January 18, posted high numbers for ceramics, while Modern Design, which took place January 19, saw triumphs for furniture and sculpture. Both sales were presented via LiveAuctioneers.

The crowning glory of the January 18 sale proved to be a 1902 Despondency vase, made by Artus Van Briggle for his self-named pottery firm. Estimated at $20,000-$30,000, it hammered for $80,000 and achieved a staggering $104,800 with buyer’s premium. The vase dated to soon after Van Briggle established his pottery in Colorado Springs in 1901, a location he chose in hopes it would ease his tuberculosis. Sadly, he would succumb to the disease in July 1904, at only 35 years old. The Despondency vase, possibly influenced by Rodin figures Van Briggle would have seen when studying in Paris in the late 1890s, is a coveted form of his. An example is on view at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

A 1901 piece by Anna Marie Valentien for Rookwood Pottery also handily beat its $4,500-$6,500 estimate. The large, yellow-beige modeled matte vase that featured the figure of a young woman clinging to one side hammered for $26,000 and sold for $34,060 with buyer’s premium. In addition, a circa-1920 Dinanderie vase by Jean Dunand charmed bidders, hammering for $21,000 and selling for $27,510 with buyer’s premium against an estimate of $7,000-$10,000.

Earning top-lot status in the January 19 auction was a circa-1968 bronze by Harry Bertoia, dubbed Untitled (Bush Form) and estimated at $50,000-$70,000. Bidders evidently liked that it had been in the same collection since it was made and that it is listed in the Harry Bertoia catalogue raisonné, because it rose to a hammer price of $100,000 and sold for $131,000 with buyer’s premium.

Another clear winner was a lot consisting of an armless sofa and matching chairs in teak, created in the 1950s by Pierre Jeanneret for Punjab University in Chandigarh, India. Estimated at $40,000-$50,000, the group hammered for $65,000 and sold for $85,150 with buyer’s premium.

Paul Evans is a perennial favorite at Rago; more than two dozen pieces by the New Hope, Pennsylvania furniture artist appeared in the January 19 lineup. A circa-1968 loop cabinet with a pleasing green-patinated copper exterior romped past its $12,000-$16,000 estimate to hammer for $60,000 and sell for $78,600 with buyer’s premium.

1902 Despondency vase by Artus Van Briggle for Van Briggle Pottery, which sold for $104,800 with buyer’s premium at Rago.

1902 Despondency vase by Artus Van Briggle for Van Briggle Pottery, which sold for $104,800 with buyer’s premium at Rago.

1901 Anna Marie Valentien for Rookwood Pottery large modeled matte figural vase, which sold for $34,060 with buyer’s premium at Rago.

1901 Anna Marie Valentien for Rookwood Pottery large modeled matte figural vase, which sold for $34,060 with buyer’s premium at Rago.

Circa-1920 Dinanderie vase by Jean Dunand, which sold for $27,510 with buyer’s premium at Rago.

Circa-1920 Dinanderie vase by Jean Dunand, which sold for $27,510 with buyer’s premium at Rago.

Harry Bertoia, ‘Untitled (Bush Form),’ which sold for $131,000 with buyer’s premium at Rago.

Harry Bertoia, ‘Untitled (Bush Form),’ which sold for $131,000 with buyer’s premium at Rago.

Sheila Gibson Stoodley

Sheila Gibson Stoodley

Sheila Gibson Stoodley is the associate editor for Auction Central News. She has written and edited for Robb Report, Art & Antiques magazine, and Andrew Harper online. She also authored The Hot Bid, a blog devoted to intriguing and delightful lots coming up at auction.

Paul Evans sculptural wall panel leads our five lots to watch

Sculptural wall panel made in 1972 by Paul Evans, estimated at $15,000-$25,000 at Freeman’s.

Paul Evans Sculptural Wall Panel

PHILADELPHIA – Known as the ‘heavy metal master of mid-century furniture,’ Paul Evans (1931-1987) was both a sculptor and a designer working in a variety of media. He is best remembered for his metal works, which can bring dramatic prices at auction.

That wasn’t always the case, however. Evans began by crafting metal vases and other similar decorative items and sold them through New York galleries. But it wasn’t until he worked with Philip Lloyd Powell, a prominent designer in the New Hope artist colony near Evans’ birthplace in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, that the artist would gain serious fame. Though the two continually battled one another, their output was prodigious and highly sought after, and today, the Evans-Powell works are still in demand.

Evans split off to launch his own studio and delve further into metal work, relying on a team of assistants to help finish his designs and bring them to market. He also served as a featured designer for Directional Furniture, which helped him reach a wider audience through that firm’s mainstream distribution.

Still, Evans chafed at the fact that he was not nearly as prominent as his neighbor and friend, George Nakashima, and he would remain in relative obscurity until well after his death, when his works started being noticed by pop culture celebrities who championed Evans and snapped up his works at auction.

Freeman’s has a 30in-square metal wall sculpture titled Sculpture Front Wall Panel in its Thursday, February 8 Art and Design sale. Looking like an old typographical element box filled with applied shapes, designs, and other oddments, the work, signed and dated 1972, is both enchanting and brutal. In a nod to Evans’ continued rise in the market, the sculpture is estimated at $15,000-$25,000.

Martiros Saryan, ‘Early Spring’

Martiros Saryan, ‘Early Spring’, estimated at $15,000-$20,000 at Roland NY.
Martiros Saryan, ‘Early Spring’, estimated at $15,000-$20,000 at Roland NY.

GLEN COVE, N.Y. – Martiros Saryan (1880-1972) is considered the founder of a modern Armenian national school of painting. This unframed Martiros Saryan oil on canvas titled Early Spring, depicting figures in a village, is signed and dated 1935. At this time, Saryan had left life in 1920s Paris behind and was living in Soviet Armenia. In the difficult years of the 1930s, he mainly devoted himself to landscape painting, as well as portraits.

The 2ft by 21in canvas, which comes with a certificate from the Expert Center of Cultural Values Ministry of Culture of Armenia, carries an estimate of $15,000-$20,000 at Roland NY’s Estates Sale on Saturday, February 10.

Chinese Qing Period Woman’s Robe Featuring Forbidden Knot Embroidery

Qing period woman’s silk robe embroidered with the so-called forbidden knot, estimated at $1,000-$2,000 at Gray's Auctioneers.
Qing period woman’s silk robe embroidered with the so-called forbidden knot, estimated at $1,000-$2,000 at Gray's Auctioneers.

CLEVELAND – The so-called Peking Knot, or seed stitch, was often referred to as the ‘forbidden knot’ or ‘forbidden stitch’ because it was said to be so fine that it could cause embroiderers to lose their sight. Another theory is that it took its name from the Forbidden City, where it was frequently employed for the clothes of senior courtiers and the imperial elite.

This front-fastening robe featuring the forbidden knot and decorated with vases of flowers would have been the everyday wear of an affluent woman at the end of the Qing period. It has an estimate of $1,000-$2,000 at Gray’s Auctioneers’ Wednesday, February 7 sale of Mid-Winter Treasures.

World War I German Stalhelm (Steel Helmet) with Gas Mask

Authentic Imperial German stalhelm (steel helmet) with gas mask dating to World War I, estimated at $1,000-$1,500 at Soulis Auctions.
Authentic Imperial German stalhelm (steel helmet) with gas mask dating to World War I, estimated at $1,000-$1,500 at Soulis Auctions.

LONE JACK, Mo. – World War I (1914-1918) is now remembered as the first conflict to see broad-scale use of toxic gas as an offensive weapon. First introduced by the Imperial German Army in the summer of 1917, mustard gas (bis(2-chloroethyl) sulfide) caused chemical burns on contact and created blisters that oozed yellow fluid. Other powers in the conflict soon introduced their own variations on the noxious substance, and mustard gas, which derives its name from its garlic or horseradish smell and also the color of the fluid that pours from the skin it damages, became one of the most potent weapons used in The Great War.

Soulis Auctions’ Military History & Firearms sale, scheduled for Saturday, February 3, has an authentic Imperial German M-16 stalhelm (steel helmet) with gas mask apparatus. Its tortoise-shell camouflage pattern appears completely original, and the set includes an original canister with replacement lenses inside the lid. Officials at Soulis believe the helmet to be a size 66, though they were unable to find any sizing marks. This fascinating piece of military history from The Great War has an estimate of $1,000-$1,500.

Art Smith 1940s-era Copper Cuff Bracelet

1940s-era copper cuff by Art Smith, estimated at $4,000-$5,000 at Rago.
1940s-era copper cuff by Art Smith, estimated at $4,000-$5,000 at Rago.

LAMBERTVILLE, N.J. – A classic jewelry design from one of the great Modernist jewelry makers of all time comes to Rago on Wednesday, February 7 as part of its annual Jewels XOXO sale, ahead of Valentine’s Day.

Art Smith (1917-1982) showed artistic ability at an early age, and applied to and received a scholarship from Cooper Union in New York. Smith studied commercial art and sculpture and graduated in 1940, but later took night school classes in jewelry-making at NYU, where he met Winifred Mason, a successful Black jewelry designer who worked primarily in copper. Smith became her assistant and in 1946 branched off to begin his own, independent career.

That early brush with copper design under Mason would stay with Smith for his entire career, as this 1940s-era copper cuff bracelet attests. Described by Rago as being “of undulating design,” the piece features Smith’s ever-present tooled script signature inside. Well-loved and clearly worn often by previous owners, the cuff is a classic example of Smith’s naturally shaped jewelry designs that defied traditional trends. The piece is estimated at $4,000-$5,000.

Mid-century designers elevated the sideboard to fine art

A Paul Evans Cityscape sideboard earned $40,000 plus the buyer’s premium against an estimate of $6,500-$8,000 in September 2022. Image courtesy of Roland NY and LiveAuctioneers.
A Paul Evans Cityscape sideboard earned $40,000 plus the buyer’s premium against an estimate of $6,500-$8,000 in September 2022. Image courtesy of Roland NY and LiveAuctioneers.
A Paul Evans Cityscape sideboard earned $40,000 plus the buyer’s premium against an estimate of $6,500-$8,000 in September 2022. Image courtesy of Roland NY and LiveAuctioneers.

NEW YORK — A sideboard is a piece of furniture that has a flat top and drawers in which to store linens or dining ware, but it can be so much more than that. Elite Mid-century Modern artisans seized upon the sideboard’s potential and transformed this dining room workhorse into a work of art.

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Chippendale table among estate treasures at Nye & Co., Mar. 8-10

Ludlow-Powell-Ramsdell Chippendale mahogany marble-top pier table, made in New York, circa 1760-1780, estimated at $20,000-$40,000
Ludlow-Powell-Ramsdell Chippendale mahogany marble-top pier table, made in New York, circa 1760-1780, estimated at $20,000-$40,000
Ludlow-Powell-Ramsdell Chippendale mahogany marble-top pier table, made in New York, circa 1760-1780, estimated at $20,000-$40,000

BLOOMFIELD, N.J. – Nye & Company Auctioneers’ three-day online-only Chic and Antique Estate Treasures auction extravaganza, scheduled for Wednesday, March 8, Thursday, March 9, and Friday, March 10, will include almost 900 lots and will begin at 10 am Eastern time each day. The sale features American, English and Modern furniture, an extensive selection of silver and jewelry, and also a broad selection of fine art and prints. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

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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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Quinn’s offers Burmese art, Lalanne bronze, fine silver and more, Jan. 14

Oil-on-canvas painting by U San Win (Burmese, 1905-1981), titled ‘View of Shwedagon Pagoda,’ 1975, signed and dated, 15½in x 20½in. Estimate: $7,000-$9,000. Image courtesy of Quinn’s Auction Galleries
Oil-on-canvas painting by U San Win (Burmese, 1905-1981), titled ‘View of Shwedagon Pagoda,’ 1975, signed and dated, 15½in x 20½in. Estimate: $7,000-$9,000. Image courtesy of Quinn’s Auction Galleries
Oil-on-canvas painting by U San Win (Burmese, 1905-1981), titled ‘View of Shwedagon Pagoda,’ 1975, signed and dated, 15½in x 20½in. Estimate: $7,000-$9,000. Image courtesy of Quinn’s Auction Galleries

FALLS CHURCH, Va. – On Saturday, January 14, Northern Virginia’s Quinn’s Auction Galleries will present an online-only Fine and Decorative Arts auction brimming with 400+ lots of beautiful Asian, American, European and Modern artworks. The auction will commence at 10am Eastern time, and absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.com.

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Gallery Report: Alice Baber painting sets record at John Moran

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

Alice Baber painting, $187,500, John Moran Auctioneers

An original 1976 painting by Alice Baber (American, 1928-1982), titled Swirl of Sounds, The Ghost in the Banyan Tree, sold for $187,500, a new world auction record for the artist, at a Summer Modern & Contemporary Art auction held August 30 by John Moran Auctioneers in Los Angeles. Also, Ernie Barnes’s (American, 1938-2009) The Lineman, from 1968, hit $237,500; and Andy Warhol’s (American, 1928-1987) screenprint John Wayne, from his 1986 Cowboys and Indians series, a copy that had been owned by the late  actor, brought $150,000.

1952 Mickey Mantle card, $12.6 million, Heritage Auctions

A 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle #311 baseball card, graded Mint + 9.5, sold for $12.6 million at a Summer Platinum Night Sports Auction held August 27 by Heritage Auctions in Dallas. It was the most ever paid for a sports collectible at auction. The card was found in 1985 by Al “Mr. Mint” Rosen, who received a call from a suburban Boston seller whose father had been a delivery driver for Topps. It changed hands several times after that, selling for $50,000 in 1991.

10 old Lincoln head pennies (one pictured), $1.1 million, GreatCollections.com

A collection of 10 century-old Lincoln head pennies in superb proof condition and all from the Philadelphia mint sold for a combined $1.113 million in an online auction that ended August 28 at GreatCollections.com, which is based in Irvine, California. One was a first-year issue Lincoln cent from 1909 with designer Victor D. Brenner’s initials on the reverse. It sold for $365,625, a record price for that coin. Also, four other pennies dated between 1909 and 1915 brought more than $100,000 each.

Nyoman Gunarsa painting, $20,000, Ahlers & Ogletree Auction Gallery

A vibrant and colorful four-panel oil on canvas panting by Nyoman Gunarsa (Indonesian, 1944-2017), titled Balinese Dancers, sold for $20,000 in an online-only Fine Estates & Collections auction held Aug. 25-27 by Ahlers & Ogletree Auction Gallery in Atlanta. Also, a pair of Chinese blue and white porcelain phoenix tail vases finished at $18,750, and an untitled paint splatter work by Sam Francis (American, 1923-1994), artist-signed, brought $18,750.

1899 Stanley Steamer vehicle, CA$44,250, Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd.

An 1899 Stanley Stanhope Model No. 1 Locomobile vehicle, popularly known as the Stanley Steamer because of its steam engine, sold for $44,250 in an online-only Petroliana & Advertising auction held September 10 by Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd., in New Hamburg, Canada. Also, a 1907 REO Model A five-passenger touring car chugged off for $41,300, and a prototype of the 1911 Model H REO pickup truck sped away for $35,400. Prices are in Canadian dollars.

E. S. Cooper oil painting, $18,750, Crescent City Auction Gallery

An 1888 painting by E. S. Cooper, titled Wooden Bridge in a Louisiana Bayou Landscape, sold for $18,750 at a September Select Auction held Sept. 9-10 by Crescent City Auction Gallery in New Orleans. Also, a 1984 felt-on-paper work by Keith Haring (American, 1958-1990), titled If You Want to See More rang up $10,000; a polished aluminum kinetic sculpture by Lin Emery, titled Petals, realized $7,500; and a 1987 Mercedes Benz 300 SDL earned $6,875.

37-star American flag from 1867, $10,625, Holabird Western Americana Collections

An American flag with 37 stars, made in 1867 upon the admission of Nebraska to the United States, sold for $10,625 at a Rush to the Rockies auction held Aug. 25-28 by Holabird Western Americana Collections in Reno, Nevada. Also, a circa-1898-1908 Vota & DeHeines (Silverton, Colorado) pocket whiskey flask achieved $4,375, and a collection of around 90 Paleo points, aka arrowheads, in a wide variety of shapes and materials changed hands for $8,750.

1963 Belgian robot dance organ, $350,000, Morphy Auctions

A robot dance organ, created in 1963 by Gebroeders Decap of Antwerp, Belgium and one of only three made in a 105-key configuration, sold for $350,000 at the auction of the Henri Krijnen musical machines collection held Sept. 9-10 by Morphy Auctions in Denver, Pennsylvania. Also, an ornate and gilded Koenigsberg 70-key Harmonium street organ, made in Holland in 1910, found a new home for $54,120; and a Gastaud et Raibaut for Bodson Double Tino orchestrion, made in Paris in 1925, brought $73,800.

Musgo Gasoline porcelain sign, $1.5 million, Richmond Auctions

A double-sided porcelain Musgo Gasoline sign sold for $1.5 million at an auction held August 27 by Richmond Auctions in Greenville, South Carolina. It was a new world auction record for an antique advertising sign, besting the previous record of $400,000. The sign was discovered in an attic in Michigan and had never been seen by the public. It also had never been used as a septic tank lid, which was the ultimate fate of many Musgo signs created in the company’s six months of existence during the mid-1920s.

1904 Chicago license plate, $34,000, Donley Auctions

A Chicago license plate from 1904, considered the holy grail of the Chicago plates, sold for $34,000 at a Vintage License Plates & Vehicle Tags sale held August 28 by Donley Auctions in Union, Illinois. The plate, made from aluminum sheeting and painted black, featured “1904” stamped vertically on the left-hand side, the number “1” bookended by two dashes in the middle, and the words “City of Chicago” in the lower bottom edge. Chicago switched to brass plates in 1905.

Copy of Action Comics #1, $3.4 million, Goldin Auctions

A copy of Action Comics #1, published in 1938, graded CGC FN 6.0, and known as the Rocket Copy because of a rocket stamp placed on the cover more than 80 years ago by the original owner, a 13-year-old who purchased it from a newsstand, sold for $3.4 million in a private sale handled in September by Goldin Auctions of Runnemede, New Jersey in conjunction with Metropolis Comics of New York. Superman was created by Jerry Siegel and Joel Shuster; Action Comics #1 is credited with helping to launch the superhero genre.

Costa Rica 1918 Cien Colones banknote, $36,300, Doyle

A Costa Rica 1918 Cien Colones banknote with five line provisional overprint in red, graded in Very Fine condition, sold for $36,300 at an auction of the Kop family collection of Costa Rica coins and banknotes held September 13 by Doyle in New York City. The auction totaled $1.164 million, which surpassed the total high estimate of $692,050. It was 97 percent sold by lot and 100 percent sold by value.

Paul Evans sideboard, $50,000, Roland Auctions

A Mid-century Modern sculptural two-door wall-mounted sideboard sold for $50,000 on September 10 at Roland Auctions in Glen Cove, New York. Also, a gilt framed ink and color on paper Chinese scroll depicting men on horses rose to $22,500; an oil on canvas by Ker-Xavier Roussell (French, 1867-1944), titled Baigneuses (Bathers), brought $20,000; and an oil on board by Eldridge A. Burbank (American, 1858-1949) earned $7,500.

Elon Musk mementos, $165,265, RR Auction

A collection of never-before-seen Elon Musk photos and memorabilia from his college girlfriend Jennifer Gwynne sold for $165,265 in an online auction held Aug. 12-Sept. 14 by RR Auction, based in Boston. A 1995 photo of Musk and Gwynne sold for $2,773; a 14K gold and emerald necklace given by Musk to Gwynne, plus two photos, reached $51,008; and a birthday card inscribed by Musk to Gwynne hit $16,643.

New Englands First Fruits, $277,200, Freeman’s

A first edition copy of New Englands First Fruits, which discusses early colonial New England and includes the first printed account of Harvard University, sold for $277,200 at a Books and Manuscripts auction held September 21 by Freeman’s in Philadelphia. Also, a first edition copy of L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz attained $37,800; a scarce copy of the Narrative of Sojourner Truth rose to $27,720; and a 1738 colonial treatise on paper money changed hands for $21,420.

Betty White director’s chair, $76,800, Julien’s Auctions

A director’s chair used by Betty White during the production of the hit TV show The Golden Girls sold for $76,800 at an auction titled Property from the Life and Career of Betty White held September 25 by Julien’s Auctions in Beverly Hills, California. Also, a lavender dress with white dots worn by White in 1986 publicity images rang up $32,000; and two of White’s teleplays, for the pilot and final episode of The Golden Girls, went for $57,600 and $51,200, respectively.

Nine Peaches vase, $860,000, Hindman

A famille rose Nine Peaches globular bottle vase of Tianqiuping form and dating to the Qianlong period (1735-1796) sold for $860,000 at a Chinese & Himalayan Works of Art auction held September 23 by Hindman in Chicago. Also, a painting by Qi Biashi, titled Chrysanthemums and a Dragonfly, left the room for $68,750; a small lemon-yellow glazed porcelain saucer dish earned $25,000; and a blue glazed porcelain bowl and a copper red glazed porcelain dish realized $17,500 apiece.

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

Edgy Paul Evans sideboard rose to the top at Roland sale

Paul Evans Cityscape sideboard, $50,000
Paul Evans Cityscape sideboard, $50,000

GLEN COVE, N.Y. – Roland Auctions hosted its final auction of the summer season on September 10. Coming out on top were a Mid-century Modern Paul Evans wall-mounted sideboard and a gilt framed Chinese scroll, as well as a Renoir lithograph.

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Paul Evans shares stage with Roussel and Renoir at Roland, Sept. 10

Paul Evans Cityscape sideboard, est. $6,500-$8,000
Paul Evans Cityscape sideboard, est. $6,500-$8,000
Paul Evans Cityscape sideboard, est. $6,500-$8,000

GLEN COVE, N.Y. – Roland Auctions NY will present its latest in a summer series of specially-curated multi-estate auctions on Saturday, September 10 at 10 am Eastern time. The sale features hundreds of lots of fine and contemporary art, silver, decorative arts, unique Asian items, antique and vintage furniture, rugs, jewelry and lighting. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

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