Sotheby’s is pleased to present our annual auction of Israeli & International Art on December 14th. This year we are honored  to present Property from the Estate of Lillian Cottin, New York, a collection that notably includes three large, rare synagogue interiors by Marc Chagall from 1931 and 1935, which have been in the collection since 1945. Other highlights include important works by Mordecai Ardon, Reuven Rubin and Nahum Gutman.

The criteria guiding my choices have always been perfect quality, aesthetic appeal and authenticity. I believe that the evocative nature of a work of art lies in the simultaneous perception of its timeless aesthetic value and the circumstances in which it was created, which help us appreciate its origins. Its beauty then assumes its true emotional dimension.‘
– Adriano Ribolzi

These are the words used by the renowned antiques-dealer Adriano Ribolzi to explain the thinking behind his acquisitions. Mr Ribolzi, based in Monaco since 1974, is a highly cultivated man with an in-depth knowledge of the art market. Throughout his career he has rigorously selected works imbued with the characteristics sought by the world’s most demanding connoisseurs.

Jasper Francis Cropsey Sells For $660,000

Leslie Hindman Auctioneers auctioned the personal collection of accomplished Cleveland rheumatologist Dr. Paul J. Vignos Jr. to a packed room of bidders and thousands of others on the telephones and internet. The November 6-8, 2011 auction included American and European paintings and prints, English, French and American 18th and 19th century furniture, European and American silver, porcelain and glass, antiquities, sporting decoys and angling and fishing equipment.

Competitive bidding resulted in a successful sale total of $3,018,378 and set numerous auction records. John Bunyan Bristol, Gate, St. Augustine, Florida, sold for $73,200, becoming the highest price ever paid for a work by Bristol. Jasper Francis Cropsey, Dawn of Morning, Lake George, sold for $660,000, setting an auction record as the fourth highest price ever paid for a work by the artist.

Other highlights included William Trost Richards, Rocky Coast, sold for $170,800 more than doubling its estimate of $60/80,000. A Greek pottery skyphos, sold for $41,480 and a gilt and patinated bronze figural mantle clock sold for $34,160.

“Dr. and Mrs. Vignos were consummate collectors,” said Leslie Hindman, President and CEO. “We are thrilled to have handled their extensive collection in a single-owner auction. The collection is reflective of their style: thoughtful, elegant and magnanimous.”

Sold for $34,160

Sold for $73,200

Paintings, prints, instruments of navigation, sextants, telescopes, depth instrument, diving helmets, tell/tale compass, compass’, barometers, Civil War items, clocks, speaking trumpets, whaling items, scrimshaw, swifts, canes, pie crimpers, sea chests, RARE presidential life saving medal, cased models, half hull models, dioramas, RARE Confederate Vessel Registry, and more.

DENVER, Pa. – Veteran coin-op and gambling machine collector Larry DeBaugh has joined Morphy Auctions as head of the company’s Antique Coin Op & Gambling Machines division.

“All of us at Morphy’s are very pleased that Larry has agreed to join our team,” said Morphy. “Larry has an excellent reputation among his peers and brings a lot of credibility to what we’re doing. He has a passion for the hobby and will enable us to take the Coin Op department forward.”

A lifelong resident of Baltimore, DeBaugh has collected slots and other coin-ops for the past 40 years. His fascination for the machines goes back to his childhood.

“In 1965, it became illegal to transport gambling machines across state lines, and outside of Nevada, Maryland was the last state where it was legal to operate slot machines,” DeBaugh explained. “I can remember, as a boy, going to yacht clubs with my parents and seeing slot machines in play. Even after it became illegal, there were still places on Maryland’s eastern shore that had them in operation. I was always fascinated by them.”

While in his early twenties, DeBaugh bought his first slot machine. “After that, it snowballed,” he said with a laugh.

In addition to collecting machines, DeBaugh amassed what may be the country’s largest collection of original coin-op machine literature and gambling tokens. Having a natural mechanical aptitude, DeBaugh also learned how to restore machines that were no longer functional. “But the most fun has come from meeting other collectors at shows and auctions who share my interest in these machines,” DeBaugh said.

Morphy’s first specialty auction of coin-operated and gambling machines under the supervision of Larry DeBaugh will take place on March 17, 2012. The sale will feature machines from the collection of the late Frank Zygmunt Sr., a well-known Chicago-area collector whose name lives on through Zygmunt & Associates, the antique slot machine and jukebox business now run by his son Frank Jr.

To contact Larry DeBaugh, call 410-336-1728 or e-mail watling1@comcast.net.