Auction Results for A Gentleman’s Collection

Friday, December 6th, 2013

Important English Furniture:
A Gentleman’s Collection

A pair of late George III patinated bronze and ormolu cassolettes

Achieving a total of £1,476,500, Sotheby’s London auction, Important English Furniture: A Gentleman’s Collection, featured the very best of 18th and early 19th-century English Furniture, offering a chance to acquire beautifully crafted works with timeless elegance.

Highlights of the sale included a pair of George III rosewood, tulipwood and marquetry commodes, circa 1775, attributed to Mayhew and Ince, which achieved £242,500, and a pair of George III ormolu mounted white marble candle vases attributed to Matthew Boulton, circa 1775, which sold for £98,500 – more than three times its pre-sale low estimate

All results are now available to view online: Here 

Hand-Signed Lincoln Note, Rare 10-volume Edition of Poe’s works, Civil War, US & Bermuda Maps Lead Waverly Rare Books’ Nov. 21 Auction

Monday, November 11th, 2013

FALLS CHURCH, Va. – Waverly’s of suburban Washington, D.C., will offer connoisseurs 450 lots of rare books, maps, atlases and ephemera in a well-rounded November 21st catalog auction. Many themes and categories are featured, and key selections include an 1865 note signed by Abraham Lincoln, The Complete Works of Edgar Allan Poe(1902, 10 vol.), and a “censored” Civil War-era map showing the locations of 20 forts around the nation’s capital.

1862 Topographical Map

Section of 1862 topographical map of ‘Original District of Columbia and Environs’ showing street grids and important landmarks, including ‘Presidents House.’ Est. $4,000-$6,000.

The 1862 topographical map of the “Original District of Columbia and Environs” was created by G. Arnold C.E. and published by G. Woolworth Colton of New York City. The highly detailed map shows not only the region’s natural features, both Washington City and Alexandria’s street grids and railroads, but also the location of more than 20 Union forts, marked in red.

“It was considered a threat to security for these forts to be identified,” said Monika Schiavo, director of sales and marketing at Waverly Rare Books. “The map came to the attention of the War Department after it was offered for sale in stores around Washington, and agents confiscated every copy they could find. They also attempted to obtain the names and addresses of those who had purchased copies of the map, and even went to New York to destroy Colton’s lithographic stone. As a result, these maps are very rare today.” The example in Waverly’s Nov. 21 auction, which was consigned by The Association of the Oldest Inhabitants of the District of Columbia, is estimated at $4,000-$6,000.

The maps and atlases category, overall, is very strong. A circa-1794 edition from London with 87 plates is voluminously titled “A New Universal Atlas…A Modern History and Description of the Whole World Containing New, Full, Accurate, Authentic, and Interesting Accounts and Descriptions of Europe, Asia, Africa, and America.” Nineteenth-century atlases include “Kingdoms, States and Republics of the World (1854),” and “The Illustrated Atlas, And Modern History of the World – Geographical, Political, Commercial, and Statistical (1851).” Also, several high-quality lots were consigned by a major collector of early Bermuda maps, a specialty category that has a dedicated following.

An item of great historical importance is an 1868 textbook on seamanship that was owned and signed by James Henry Conyers, the first African American cadet enrolled at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Conyers was appointed to the academy by US Representative Robert Elliot of South Carolina. Unfortunately, Conyers’ tenure at Annapolis was brief. He suffered indignities and repeated beatings at the hands of racist midshipmen, and after a relatively short time, left the academy. The textbook is entered in the auction with a $3,000-$5,000 estimate.

A small but remarkable archive of World War II memorabilia comes with provenance from Bruce Norton, the former director of the Marine Corps Command Museum in San Diego. One of the lots is a panel from a 1995 calendar commemorating the 50th anniversary of the US Marines’ landing at Iwo Jima. It is signed by approximately 66 Iwo Jima vets attending a 50-year reunion, as well as photographer Joe Rosenthal, who took the iconic 1945 photo of Marines raising the American Flag on Mount Suribachi. This item is estimated at $400-$600.

A second item consigned by Norton is a 1953 book titled “Pearl Harbor to Golgotha,” written by Mitsuo Fuchida, the air captain who led the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Fuchida, who later became a Christian minister, signed the book after being recognized by a Marine at a diner in Idaho. The book later came into Norton’s possession and now will be auctioned with a pre-sale estimate of $400-$600.

Abraham Lincoln

Engraved portrait of Abraham Lincoln framed together with 1865 handwritten note in authorizing passage through Union lines toward Richmond. Est. $3,500-$4,500.

Topping the Presidential selection, an engraved portrait of Abraham Lincoln is framed together with a handwritten note that reads: “Allow A. Van Camp to go through our lines to Richmond and to return upon his own private business. A. Lincoln. Feb. 25, 1865.” The estimate on this lot is $3,500-$4,500. The auction also includes documents signed by Presidents James Monroe and John Quincy Adams.

An estimate of $4,000-$6,000 has been placed on the 10-volume set “The Complete Works of Edgar Allan Poe.” It is one of 26 editions that were published in 1902 by G.P. Putnam’s Sons. A century older and no less fascinating, the 1805 R. Shannon work “A Practical Treatise on Brewing, Distilling, and Rectification…” deals with the “genuine process” of making brandy, rum and Hollands gin, and the “London practice” of brewing porter, ale, and table beer and country ales. One of the volumes delves into the cultivation of wine grapes, wine importation and even wine tasting. Estimate: $600-$900.

Waverly Rare Books’ Nov. 21 auction will begin at 6 p.m. Eastern time. The preview begins on Nov. 16 and continues through and including auction day (see website for hours). The gallery is closed on Sundays.

 

**All forms of bidding will be available, including absentee or live via the Internet through www.LiveAuctioneers.com. For information on any lot in the sale, call 703-532-5632 or e-mail monika.schiavo@quinnsauction.com. Visit Waverly Rare Books online at www.quinnsauction.com.

View the fully illustrated catalog and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

Palm Beach Modern’s Nov. 2 auction features select modern and decorative art, sculptural design and cutting-edge street art

Monday, October 21st, 2013

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – There is no such thing as an average sale at Palm Beach Modern Auctions (PBMA). Each of the company’s events is carefully curated, with the tastes of today’s sophisticated art buyers kept firmly in mind as consignments are gathered.

Larry Mohr (American, 1921-2013), stainless steel sculpture, signed, dated 1999. Est. $1,500-$2,500.

Palm Beach Modern’s November 2nd auction will reveal just how broad the contemporary category has become, with a refined selection of abstract expressionist, outsider and street art; mid-century furniture, and superb minimalist sculptures from the estate of New York artist Larry Mohr (1921-2013).

The Mohr consignment is an important one. An accomplished sculptor whose figural and abstract works are housed in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Georgia Museum of Art, Vassar College and the Herbert F. Johnson Museum at Cornell University, Mohr was noted for his large-scale bronze and aluminum sculptures made of welded and bolted I-beams.

 

“Mr. Mohr passed away earlier this year, and much of his art was left to museums. We were allowed to pick five sculptures from his estate to offer at auction and chose some incredible abstracts that we felt would appeal to those who follow our sales,” said PBMA auctioneer Rico Baca.

Among the five Mohr artworks is a signed and dated 1999 stainless steel sculpture, 14 inches high by 36 inches wide, estimated at $1,500-$2,500. Also standing 14 inches tall, a star-like bronze is titled “CXC XXIII” and estimated at $750-$1,500. Each of the Mohr auction lots will be sold together with a catalog from the Georgia Museum of Art’s 1998 exhibition of Mohr’s sculptures.

Works by some of today’s most in-demand artists are entered in the 300-lot sale. Highlights include a Helen Frankenthaler signed 5-color screen print artist’s proof titled “Spoleto” (est. $1,000-$2,000), a Larry Rivers signed and dated (1968) mixed media cigar-box sculpture titled “Dutch Masters” (est. $4,000-$6,000), and a Paul Jenkins signed and dated (1971) abstract lithograph in blues and greens, 3/100 (est. $500-$1,000).

A dramatic pop art screen print by sought-after American artist Alex Katz is titled “White Hat” and depicts in close-up a stylish woman in a navy-trimmed white Panama hat. It is expected to make $3,000-$3,500.

Barry McGee (a k a ‘Twist,’ American, b. 1966-), monumental artwork on dropcloth canvas, 85½in high by 105in wide. Est. $50,000-$80,000.

Barry McGee (a k a ‘Twist,’ American, b. 1966-), monumental artwork on dropcloth canvas, 85½in high by 105in wide. Est. $50,000-$80,000.

One of the most exciting categories in the sale is street art, led by a monumental work by one of the movement’s true pioneers – San Francisco’s Barry McGee (a k a “Twist”). After he participated in the 2001 Venice Biennale, McGee’s profile skyrocketed, and much of his street art was scavenged or stolen, said Baca. “You don’t often see his art at auction, and certainly never a work as large as the one we will be auctioning, which measures 85.5 by 105 inches.” The McGee artwork is painted on US Army surplus canvas and “has that classic Barry McGee look, where there’s one dominant central figure and his trademark drips of paint in the background,” Baca said. “It’s a quintessential example of a new movement – a sort of neo folk art that looks a lot like the hobo art seen on trains that run between San Francisco and Canada.”

The McGee canvas is estimated at $50,000-$80,000 and has a minimum opening bid of $44,000. Baca predicts there will be multiple bidders willing to step up to the plate and pay the price to own it, citing the (approx.) $40,000 price realized at a major international auction house in May for a smaller McGee artwork.

“The McGee piece in our auction has street-art history, as well as great provenance. It was exhibited at a boutique hotel in San Francisco in the 1990s,” said Baca. The artwork will be auctioned along with a copy of a 2010 photo of the consignor with Barry McGee at Art Basel.

Other hot-ticket street artists in the Nov. 2 auction include Danny Simmons (brother of hip hop impresario Russell Simmons and Joseph “Rev Run” Simmons of Run-DMC), Shepard Fairey, Purvis Young and Katsu. While not technically classified as “street art,” auction entries by Jamie Reid, known for his punk rock show posters; and Donald Roller Wilson, whose work falls under the “Lowbrow” art movement, are expected to appeal to street art fans, as well. Wilson’s 1996 painting on canvas of Cookie the baby orangutan in a party dress (est. $10,000-$15,000) recalls the New York Times’ description of Wilson’s style as “goofy, hallucinogenic…kitsch, but high-quality kitsch.”

Palm Beach Modern’s Nov. 2nd auction will be held at the company’s exhibition center at 417 Bunker Rd., West Palm Beach, FL 33405, and will commence at 12 noon Eastern Time. Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.com or Artfact.com. Preview 10-5 Mon.-Fri. during the week prior to the sale; or from 9 a.m. till noon on auction day. Contact: 561-586-5500, info@modernauctions.com.

Visit Palm Beach Modern Auctions online at www.modernauctions.com. View the fully illustrated auction catalog at www.LiveAuctioneers.com or www.Artfact.com.

Former Gettysburg Chief Curator Michael L. Vice Appointed Firearms and Militaria Expert at Morphy Auctions

Monday, September 23rd, 2013

DENVER, Pa. – Dan Morphy, CEO of Morphy Auctions, has announced the appointment of Michael L. Vice as expert consultant in firearms and militaria. In his new position, Vice, who is based in Gettysburg, Pa., will appraise and catalog guns, rifles and military-related artifacts for all Morphy Firearms sales, starting with a January 11 auction that features a major Colt collection.

Michael L. Vice, newly appointed Firearms & Militaria expert at Morphy Auctions

Michael Vice is a Texas native who obtained his B.A. in history from Mississippi State University, and a Master of Arts degree in museum science from Texas Tech University. He undertook further postgraduate studies in military history at Kansas State University and was an honorary research associate at the University of Birmingham’s World I History Centre in Birmingham, England.

Additionally, Vice is a graduate of the Seminar for Historical Administration, a nationally recognized museum management and leadership training course sponsored by AAM, AASLH, The Smithsonian, and The National Trust for Historic Preservation.

In 2009, Vice co-authored a major work about surviving Crimean War British artifacts that are held in UK museums and private collections. Titled “Crimean Memories: Artefacts of the Crimean War,” it won the Independent Publishers Association’s Silver Medal for Best Reference Book for 2010.

Vice is a Vietnam veteran and retired major in the US Army Reserve, and has spent the past 30+ years in the museum field. Most recently, he served as museum curator at the US Army Medical Museum at Ft. Sam Houston, Texas. During the decade between 1993 and 2003, he was chief museum curator at Gettysburg National Military Park, overseeing a world-famous collection of 42,000 historical artifacts, a vast park archive, and a collection of 700,000 archaeological specimens. His distinguished work history also includes curatorial positions with the US Army Corps of Engineers Office of History, the US Army Center of Military History, the National Park Service, and the United States Cavalry Museum.

An active member of many state and national organizations devoted to antique firearms and military history, Vice enjoys collecting, researching, restoring and shooting American military longarms made between 1835 and 1890. He is considered a leading expert on the American Civil War and American Indian Wars (1866-1890).

“We feel extremely honored that Michael agreed to join Morphy’s as head of our Firearms and Militaria department,” said Dan Morphy. “His qualifications are superb, and his expertise and reputation will play a major role in the further development of what has become one of our strongest and most active departments at Morphy’s.”

 

**To contact Michael Vice regarding consignments to future Firearms sales at Morphy’s, call 717-335-3435 or email info@morphyauctions.com.

Coca-Cola beauties, Mr. Peanut among American icons in Morphy’s Oct. 4-5 Premier Advertising & Coin-op Auction

Monday, September 16th, 2013
Caille Puck 5-cent upright slot machine with music, pre-1900, stocked with great American tunes, plays well. Estimate: $18,000-$22,000. Morphy Auctions image.

Caille Puck 5-cent upright slot machine with music, pre-1900, stocked with great American tunes, plays well. Estimate: $18,000-$22,000.

DENVER, Pa. – Morphy’s Oct. 4-5 Premier Advertising & Coin-Op auction contains more than 1,100 top-quality lots from several major collections. There are dozens of early coin-op, slot, penny arcade and pinball machines in the sale; as well as 60+ lots of superb tobacco tins from the David Hirsch collection, and one of the most comprehensive Moxie collections ever amassed, that of the late Jan Miller Bacci of Boston.

The Hirsch collection includes many of the finest known tobacco tins. “All of them are in beautiful condition, and some are believed to be the only ones of their type in existence,” said Dan Morphy, CEO of Morphy Auctions.

Lot 8, a Century Tobacco flat pocket tin is estimated at $1,000-$1,500; while Lot 11, a pre-1900 Old Abe Chewing Tobacco flat tin is estimated at $1,200-$1,600. Images of American Indian chiefs adorn Lot 7, a Prairie Flower Chewing Tobacco tin, $1,000-$2,000; and Lot 12, an extremely rare Kipawa Cigar tin, $2,000-$4,000. Perhaps the star of the collection is Lot 13, an Alcazar round cigar tin picturing a world famous racehorse from which the brand took its name. Near mint, it is expected to make $6,000-$8,000.

Over 150 lots of soda pop advertising will be available, including many coveted, early pieces promoting Coca-Cola and its little-known offspring – Coca-Cola Chewing Gum.  Launched around the turn of the 20th century, Coca-Cola Chewing Gum wasn’t a commercial success for the Atlanta-based company.

1914-1916 Coca-Cola Gum cardboard cutout with Dutch boy image

1914-1916 Coca-Cola Gum cardboard cutout with Dutch boy image, Estimate: $15,000-$25,000.

Lot 459, a 1914-1916 cardboard cutout sign depicting a Dutch boy running in his clogs and clutching an oversize pack of Coca-Cola Peppermint Pepsin Gum is another Petretti book example. Vibrant and colorful, the 29 by 22in sign is described in Morphy’s catalog as “important and rare.” It is expected to make $15,000-$25,000 on auction day.

Saturday’s session opens with the third offering of occupational shaving mugs from the collection of the late Ray Jones and his wife, Theresa. Ray Jones’ navy career is reflected in many of the mugs he acquired, including Lot 641, shipbuilder, $800-$1,200; Lot 702, deep sea diver, $2,000-$3,000; and Lot 736, USS Philadelphia warship, $1,200-$1,500.

Coin-op and arcade machines will follow, with top entries including two prized Caille machines: Lot 795, a pre-1900 Puck 5-cent upright slot, $18,000-$22,000; and Lot 760, a 5-cent Bullfrog upright slot, $25,000-$30,000. The selection also includes many arcade games of skill and 15+ pinballs from the 1950s/60s. A Pace FOK slot machine is actually new/old stock and retains its original shipping crate. The coinage for this machine is the French franc, which is the same size as a US quarter. The machine left Chicago in the late 1930s, bound for Shanghai. It made it as far as Paris, but the outbreak of World War II prevented it from ever making it to China. It is estimated at $7,000-$8,000.

Several vintage jukeboxes stand ready to create lively mood music for the auction. Lot 838, a Wurlitzer Model 81 on “Mae West” stand, is estimated at $12,000-$15,000. It will be followed by a Wurlitzer Model 800, $7,000-$9,000.

Rare Planter’s point-of-purchase copper and steel peanut roaster topped with papier-mache figure of Mr. Peanut, design introduced in 1920. Estimate: $15,000-$20,000. Morphy Auctions image.

Rare Planter’s point-of-purchase copper and steel peanut roaster topped with papier-mache figure of Mr. Peanut, design introduced in 1920.

Mr. Peanut will take his turn in the auction spotlight, as well, with Lot 825B, a 1920s peanut roaster topped by a papier-mache figure of the iconic dancing goober, leading the Planters selection. Estimate: $15,000-$20,000. Lot 825A, a fully functional Hamilton stand-on scale, 44½in tall, with a fantastic painted iron figure of Mr. Peanut, could weigh in at $7,000-$10,000.

Within the 100+ general store lots are numerous hunting and fishing-related advertising signs. Lot 922, a 1907 Winchester paper-on-linen poster realistically depicts four hunting dogs, $3,500-$5,000. Lot 920, a 1910 cardboard cut-out sign with the image of a shell dog and two quail, could realize $2,500-$4,000.

Morphy’s Oct. 4-5 Premier Advertising & Coin-Op Auction will commence at 9 a.m. Eastern Time on both days. All forms of bidding will be available, including live via the Internet through Morphy Live, Artfact and LiveAuctioneers.

Morphy Auctions is located at 2000 N. Reading Rd., Denver, PA 17517. Tel. 717-335-3435 or e-mail serena@morphyauctions.com. View the auction catalog online at www.morphyauctions.com, www.artfact.com or www.liveauctioneers.com.

Waverly Rare Books Auction Will Take Place on September 19th

Wednesday, September 11th, 2013

FALLS CHURCH, Va. – Waverly Rare Books, a division of Quinn’s Auction Galleries in suburban Washington DC, will deliver a wealth of local nostalgia to the auction block on Thursday, September 19th. The centerpiece of the sale is a remarkable selection of gelatin silver photographic prints by Theodor Horydczak (Polish/American, 1890-1971), whose specialty was documenting in black and white the architecture and social activities in our nation’s capital primarily during the first half of the 20th century.

Elvis Presley inscription and autograph on record-album sleeve. Est. $300-$500.

Horydczak was especially adept at capturing attractive angles of government buildings and landmarks, both inside and out. He enjoyed being in the heart of the action and was there with his camera for such events as the 1933 World Series and Washington’s World War II preparedness campaigns. The vast majority of Horydczak’s work – more than 14,000 photos in all – became part of the permanent collection at The Library of Congress after his family donated the extensive archive.

“Theodor Horydczak was an accomplished commercial photographer whose photos were turned into postcards, calendars and other printed ephemera. In our research, we came across a rare Mount Vernon souvenir postcard featuring one of Horydczak’s photos, which leads us to believe he also sold his photos to museums and cultural institutions,” said Monika Schiavo, director of Waverly Rare Books.

There are 35 large-format Horydczak photographs in the September 19th auction, some of them measuring over 6 feet. Three are pencil-signed and some are stamped on verso with Horydczak’s studio name and reproduction notice.

“The consignor of the Horydczak photographs purchased them years ago as a box lot at a country auction in Virginia, then stored them away,” Schiavo said. Estimates range from $300-$500 for a gelatin silver print of the National Cathedral Sanctuary, to $1,500-$2,500 for a dramatic after-dark image of the US Capitol and Reflecting Pool, pencil-signed by Horydczak. Beautiful photos of the Washington Monument and Mount Vernon are also among the signed lots.

The auction will recall America’s days as a new nation in the form of an archive of historical documents pertaining to Fries Rebellion. The 1798 uprising of German-American farmers near Philadelphia, led by John Fries (circa 1750-1818), protested a federal real property tax enacted by President John Adams to finance an anticipated war with France. In July of 1798 Fries led the group of dissenters to a jail in Bethlehem, Pa., demanding the release of prisoners who had been arrested for resisting the tax.

U.S. District Judge Richard Peters issued warrants for the tax protestors and sent U.S. Marshall William Nichols to Northampton County in February of 1798. Nichols arrested 20 violators and held them in the Sun Tavern in Bethlehem prior to their removal to court in Philadelphia. Fries led a company of men to the tavern and negotiated with Nichols, who eventually released the prisoners; whereupon Fries and his company dispersed. Later, Fries was captured and tried twice. Both times he was convicted of treason and sentenced to hang, but in 1800 he was pardoned by President Adams.

Group Lot 436 contains 31 documents pertaining to Fries Rebellion, including the written appointment of Capt. William Rodman of the Bucks County Troop of Light Dragoons to the post of Deputy Marshall, troop rolls, lists of equipment, payments to soldiers, and correspondence requesting payment for expenses for forage and stores. The archive is estimated at $2,000-$3,000.

A compelling slice of 20th-century British history is encapsulated in Lot 371, a set of three custom-cased, blue cloth albums originally belonging to Edward the Prince of Wales (briefly King Edward VIII until his abdication; later Duke of Windsor). The albums contain 117 photographs relating to Edward’s British Army service in Egypt and Sudan during March and April of 1916. The photos include such subjects as British military personnel in a rowboat crossing the Suez Canal, Indian military men on camels, two photos of a monkey on board the ship that transported Edward to Sudan, two photos of trains, and many pictures of the prince on horseback, with honor guards and other officers. Additionally, there are photos from the palace of the Governor-General of Sudan, and images of Sudanese commoners, some with livestock. The bound albums are embossed in gold: “Windsor Photographs Vol. 159/160/161.” Estimate: $400-$700.

Edward isn’t the only royalty represented in Waverly’s September 19 auction. Memories of America’s own “king” – Elvis Presley – are captured in Lot 434, a record-album sleeve personally inscribed “To Sue/Thanks./Elvis Presley.” In very good condition, the autographed sleeve is expected to make $300-$500.

Among the top entries in the Art & Illustrations section is Lot 192, a cased 1898 folio of Pierre Bonnard lithographs titled La Lithographie Originale en Couleurs (Paris: Andrew Mellerio). Two original lithographs by Bonnard are among those included. Estimate: $1,500-$2,500. Also, Lot 203, a set of six French art and literary journals, features original lithos by Chagall, Calder and Tapies. The six issues of Derriere Le Miroir (Paris: Maeght) are from as early as 1966, the period during which Calder’s star rose to prominence worldwide. Estimate: $200-$300. Lot 276, The Prints of Roy Lichtenstein – A Catalogue Raisonne 1948-1993 by Mary Lee Corlett, is estimated at $150-$200.

A boxed set designed by Jasper Johns as a tribute to Gertrude Stein is cataloged as Lot 53. The compartmented set was created for a 1971 museum exhibition in Germany and includes paper rolls that introduce and list the contents of the exhibit; as well as an advertisement for Johns’ “lightbulb” works, and a red plastic rose. The lot is affordably estimated at $80-$120.

Waverly Rare Books’ September 19 auction will begin at 6 p.m. Eastern time. The preview is on from September 14 through and including auction day (see website for hours). The gallery is closed on Sundays.

All forms of bidding will be available, including absentee or live via the Internet through www.LiveAuctioneers.com. For information on any lot in the sale, call 703-532-5632 or e-mail monika.schiavo@quinnsauction.com. Visit Waverly Rare Books online at www.quinnsauction.com.

View the fully illustrated catalog and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

Footsteps of the Buddha: Masterworks from Across the Buddhist World

Friday, September 6th, 2013

A Gilt Copper Alloy Figure Depicting Vajradhara

Sotheby’s is looking to present a special selling exhibition, Footsteps of the Buddha: Masterworks from Across the Buddhist World, tracing the historical development of Buddhist art as it traveled and transformed throughout Asia from the 2nd century through the 18th century. This curated multimedia exhibition features an intimate selection of the finest pan-Asian Buddhist painting and sculpture from the ancient region of Gandhara, Nepal, Tibet, China, Japan and Korea, as well as contemporary works of art by Tibetan artist Gonkar Gyatso and Chinese artist Cai Xiaosong. On exhibition from 3 – 23 September 2013, Footsteps of the Buddha will coincide with the auctions, exhibitions and special events of Asia Week in September.

To learn more, please visit the Indian, Himalayan & Southeast Asian Art and Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art department pages.

Morphy’s Sept. 21 Doll Auction features prized antique French bisques, German characters and 20th-century favorites

Tuesday, August 27th, 2013

DENVER, Pa. – A fine selection of German bisque dolls and a parade of French bisque beauties – including a circle dot Bru – will join Schoenhuts, Googlies and other 20th-century classics at Morphy’s September 21 Doll Auction.

Morphy’s Doll Auction – 9.21.13

The 623-lot sale consists of consignments from a number of discriminating doll enthusiasts, with the largest single grouping coming from a well-refined, long-time Pennsylvania collection.

Premium-quality French bisque dolls encompass quite a wide production range, from fashion dolls to boxed DEPs and productions by Jumeau, Steiner and SFJB. The top-estimated doll of the sale is Lot 262, a Bru circle dot bébé with chubby cheeks and deep brown paperweight eyes with amber threading. The Bru is expected to make $15,000-$25,000.

Morphy’s doll specialist Jan Foulke explained that collectors are always on the lookout for late-19th-century bisques like the Bru circle dot bébé in the upcoming auction because they represent the golden age of French doll manufacture. “Dolls made in France around the 1870s and 1880s were exquisite productions,” Foulke said. “No other dolls can match them for their beauty and quality.”

Another French bisque highlight is Lot 130, a very rare circa-1877 mignonette doll with ball joints in both elbows. “Mignonette means ‘sweet little thing.’ It’s a term the French doll makers used in their catalogs to describe this type of small, very appealing doll,” said Foulke. “The doll to be auctioned is only 5-1/2 inches tall and is extremely desirable because it’s as original as the day it left the factory.” Its presale estimate is $2,500-$3,500.

The German bisque character category is brimming with fine Hertel, Schwab & Co., Heubach, Kley & Hahn, and Kammer & Reinhardt dolls. The varied lineup includes child, lady, nurse, Santa and “pouty” dolls. Lot 289, a rare and impressive glass-eyed 21in K&R 114 doll in antique pink cotton dress with matching hat, displays crisp modeling and an especially pouty mouth. Estimate: $7,000-$9,000.

Lot 163, a rare 16in Heubach 7746 character doll is ready to entertain in an antique gold and black ruffle-neck clown suit, pointy red hat with white polka dots, and black buckle-front shoes. His cheeky grin reveals well-molded lower teeth. The doll could make $3,000-$5,000 at Morphy’s.

Ever-popular Googlies will cross the auction block, with the top entry being Lot 19, a saucy Hertel, Schwab & Co. 172 estimated at $3,000-$5,000. Another Googly prize is Lot 436, an A.M. 323 boy doll dressed in a colorful, factory-original lederhosen outfit with all accessories, including tie, hat, wool stockings and leather shoes. A good size at 12 inches, the smartly outfitted fellow is expected to reach a bid of $1,500-$2,500.

Other early productions that collectors are sure to find appealing include turn of the 20th century Chinese Door of Hope dolls (Lot 202, Amah nursemaid with baby, est. $1,200-$1,800), French wax fashion ladies, and black dolls. Philadelphia-made Schoenhuts are led by Lot 338, a 15in all-wood “Miss Dolly” that was introduced to the market in 1915. The example to be auctioned is all original and dressed in its white factory chemise with pink stockings and pink leather shoes. It also retains its original box with graphics of Schoenhut dolls, information about Miss Dolly’s metal joints, and an explanation of how the doll was made. The auction estimate is $1,000-$1,500.

Composition dolls include Shirley Temple, Sonja Henie, the Dionne Quintuplets, a Dewees Cochran boy, Vogue Toddles and many more. Mid-century dolls are abundant in the Sept. 21 sale, as well, with an array of Madame Alexander Cissy dolls, hard plastic Ginnys, Hoyers, boxed Tonis and several other popular types. A quality grouping of Barbies includes a #2, #4, #5, and an excellent Blonde Ponytail #1 Barbie in striped one-piece swimsuit and original box, estimated at $2,000-$3,000.

There’s much more to attract collectors’ attention on auction day, including cloth and Swiss wood dolls, artist dolls (Sashas, R. John Wright, etc.), teddy bears, a grouping of 19th-century Neapolitan crèche figures, and a varied selection of doll clothes, accessories and furniture.

“Over the past several years we’ve seen a disparity in auction prices – up, then down, then up again on the same model of doll – and in every case it was the originality and condition of the doll that determined what it sold for,” said Foulke. “I think the September 21st auction is going to please collectors who want fresh, original dolls in excellent condition.”

Morphy’s September 21 Doll Auction will commence at 9 a.m. Eastern Time. All dolls are available to preview 7 days a week during regular business hours (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.) at Morphy’s gallery; or on auction day from 8-9 a.m.

 

**All forms of bidding will be available, including live via the Internet through Morphy Live, LiveAuctioneers or Artfact. View the fully illustrated catalog online at www.morphyauctions.com, www.liveauctioneers.com or www.artfact.com. For additional information, call 717-335-3435 or e-mail serena@morphyauctions.com. Visit Morphy’s online at www.morphyauctions.com.

Modern and Contemporary South Asian Art

Wednesday, August 14th, 2013
George Keyt - Nayika III

George Keyt – Nayika III

This September, Sotheby’s auction of Modern and Contemporary South Asian Art will feature a selection of significant works by Indian, Pakistani and Sri Lankan artists such as Bikash Bhattacharjee, Lalu Prasad Shaw, George Keyt, Rashid Rana and Zarina Hashmi. Highlights include works by India’s Progressive artists such as Maqbool Fida Husain, Ram Kumar, Krishnaji Howlaji Ara and Mohan Samant.
For more information, please contact

Priyanka Mathew
Vice President, Modern and Contemporary South Asian Art
+1 212 606 7304
Priyanka.mathew@sothebys.com

Doubling Down: Legend-Morphy Introduces Monthly “Premium Internet Only Auctions”

Thursday, August 1st, 2013

DENVER, PA – Legend-Morphy Rare Coin Auctions is expanding. Response to their live “Regency Auctions” has been so robust that they will soon be rolling out monthly “Legend-Morphy Premium Internet Only Auctions.”

The Premium Auctions will begin this September, and will be similar to Regency Auctions, but with the number of lots limited to between 100 and 250 PCGS and NGC graded coins. The auctions will max out at 250 lots, all valued between $500.00 and $10,000.00, and they will not be accepting modern coins. In keeping with their other boutique style sales, all coins will be vetted for quality, and all coins will be sold unreserved. Premium Auctions will only be scheduled during months without a Regency Auction.

Legend-Morphy president Julie Abrams stated that “the comment I receive most often is how much our customers appreciate our boutique approach and the carefully chosen high-end offerings in our auctions. We feel the natural offshoot to our quarterly Regency Auctions is to continue in a similar vein, adding what will now be our high quality Premium Internet Only Auctions. As with our Regency Auctions, every coin will be hand-selected with no surprises.”

 

Legend-Morphy Premium Internet Only Auction Schedule:

  • Sale I: Sept 23 – Sept 30th

Consignment deadline:  Sept 6th

 

  • Sale II: Oct 21 – Oct 26th

Consignment deadline:  Oct 4th

 

  • Sale III: Nov 11 – Nov 18th

Consignment deadline: Oct 25th

 

 

**For information about consigning to an upcoming Legend-Morphy Premium Internet Only Auction or for more information on any lot in the sale, e-mail Julie Abrams at juliea@legendmorphy.com or call 717-335-3435. You can also follow Legend-Morphy on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LegendMorphy and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/LegendMorphy.

The next Legend-Morphy live sale, The Regency Auction V, will be held Thursday, December 18 at the PCGS Members Only Show at the Venetian in Las Vegas. They are now accepting consignments.