This collection was formed in Paris in the seventies and in the eighties. More precisely in this extraordinary place in Paris called “Drouot”. As well as from time to time, in large antique fairs around Paris, including the famous “Ham and Antiques Fair” of Chatou where you could either buy food or antiques. However, it was in this incredible Hôtel des Ventes Drouot where most of the pieces of this unique collection were discovered.

Our aesthete was attracted at the first by French Old Master paintings, but soon moved to Chinese works of art. The quality of execution, originality of the designs, variety of materials held a fascination for him, especially in materials like jade, agate, ivory, bamboo but also bronze and gold.

Auction Venue:

Hall 5, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (New Wing), 1 Expo Drive, Wan Chai, Hong Kong

1958 Mickey Mantle World Series road jersey leads prices realized at $114,000

1958 Mickey Mantle NY Yankees game-used flannel road jersey attributed to the 1958 World Series, $114,000. Grey Flannel Auctions image.

WESTHAMPTON, N.Y. – Grey Flannel Auctions’ Winter Classic auction held live at the Sports Legends Museum at Camden Yards in Baltimore was a smashing success, grossing $1,187,599 and achieving a 100% sell-through rate. The Feb. 11 auction featuring 107 lots of choice baseball, basketball, football and other professional sports memorabilia chalked up an astonishing average price of almost $11,500 per lot.

The day’s top seller was a 1958 Mickey Mantle New York Yankees game-used flannel road jersey attributed to the World Series of that year.

“This jersey is symbolic and important, not only because it was a World Championship season for the Yankees, but also because Mantle drove in two home runs during that year’s Series,” said Richard E. Russek, president of Grey Flannel Auctions.

The jersey presented all of the essential identifications high-end collectors look for, including an inside collar strip reading “Mantle 1958,” a contemporaneous Wilson manufacturer’s tag with washing instructions and the size “42” imprinted on it, and a letter of authenticity. The shirt was originally sourced from a trainer with the mid-1960s Ft. Lauderdale Yankees Class A affiliate, who, in turn, had obtained the garment from the club’s general manager, Ed Bastian. Entered with a $10,000 reserve, the coveted jersey slammed in a winning bid of $114,000. All prices quoted in this report include 20% buyer’s premium.

1962 Philadelphia Warriors vs. NY Knicks official scorer’s score sheet with original program and press ticket from Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game, $108,000. Grey Flannel Auctions image.

Following closely behind the Mantle jersey was a historical basketball treasure documenting Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game of March 2, 1962. The package included the official scorer’s score sheet from the Philadelphia Warriors vs. N.Y. Knicks game, an original game program with Chamberlain photo, and a clipped ticket for “Working Press.” Accompanied by a full LOA from James Spence Authentication, whose experts validated the signatures, the well-preserved ephemera selection scored a winning bid of $108,000 – more than 10 times its reserve.

1971 Frank Robinson Baltimore Orioles World Series Game 1 game-used and autographed home jersey, $45,000. Grey Flannel Auctions image.

Jerseys from all major sports met with success at the Grey Flannel event. A 1971 Frank Robinson Baltimore Orioles World Series Game 1 game-used and autographed home jersey was bid to $45,000 (reserve $5,000); while a game-used home jersey that New York Islanders center Bryan Trottier wore in Game 5 of the 1981 Stanley Cup Finals made $30,000 (reserve $2,500).

Championship jewelry was aggressively pursued. George “The Iceman” Gervin’s 2005 San Antonio Spurs NBA Championship ring with original box realized $54,000. From the top echelon of gridiron history, Bernardo Harris’ 1996 Green Bay Packers Super Bowl Championship player’s ring – in mint condition and festooned with diamonds – flew past its $10,000 reserve to settle at $45,000.

2005 George Gervin San Antonio Spurs Championship ring with original box, $54,000. Grey Flannel Auctions image.

“We’re grateful to all of the consignors and bidders who made our Winter Classic such an exciting event,” said Russek. “We now look forward to our May 30 auction, which contains a classic photo of Babe Ruth taken by Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Nat Fine. This photo is immediately recognizable to all baseball fans. It’s the type of American treasure you’d expect to see in the Smithsonian.”

Additional information about the May 30 auction will be available soon on the Grey Flannel website: www.greyflannelauctions.com. To contact Grey Flannel, call 631-288-7800, ext. 223; or email info@greyflannelauctions.com.

View sale results online at www.sothebys.com

Film producer and director Gary Winick died last year at the age of 49 and left behind collections of photographs, fine art prints, move posters, books, and personal memorabilia.

Highlights from the collection include:

Photographs by William Eggleston, Harry Callahan, Walker Evans and others, including Henri Cartier-Bresson’s Swan lake, Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow, silver print, 1954, printed 1980s, shown top left.

Prints and drawings, including Shoe Design for Redbook Magazine by Andy Warhol, gouache, circa 1955.

Movie posters, over 20 posters for Hitchcock films like Vertigo and other classics.

The afternoon session of 19th & 20th Century Photographs & Photobooks features vintage photographs by Edward S. Curtis (Chief of the Desert, Navajo Orotone, 1904, shown left,) Stieglitz, Wilson A. Bentley and others.

Among the photobooks, Robert Frank’s The Americans, first American edition, New York, 1959.

Sotheby’s is delighted to present the Old Master, Modern & Contemporary Prints on 29th March 2012. This sale will draw together some of the finest exponents of printmaking spanning across five centuries, embodying a variety of styles and techniques.

In the Old Master section, Rembrandt is represented by a particularly strong group, notably with a fine, fourth-state impression of Christ Crucified Between the Two Thieves: ‘The Three Crosses’. Often singled out as the masterpiece of his printed oeuvre, this impression demonstrates Rembrandt’s technical virtuosity and ability to create a dramatic atmosphere and narrative. Also included are Woman at the Bath with a Hat Beside Her, The Descent from the Cross by Torchlight and a ‘black sleeve’ impression of La Petite Tombe. Additionally, a ‘Basan receuil’ published by H. L. Basan amasses over 80 etchings by Rembrandt. Works by Albrecht Dürer, William Blake and After Bosch are also included, among others artists.

The Modern section comprises a vibrant group of British prints by C. R. W. Nevinson, Cyril Power and Sybil Andrews. These eye-catching prints capture an important moment in time: the inter-war period in Britain. This group includes Divertissement and The Runners by Cyril Power, Sledgehammers by Sybil Andrews, The Road from Arras to Bapaume and Building Aircraft: Banking at 4000 Feet by C. R. W. Nevinson. These dynamic images embody the movement, noise and atmosphere of this era in British history and mark a significant chapter in the history of British printmaking.

1,260-lot sale includes brewery, automotive, tobacco, Mr. Peanut, many other categories

Coca-Cola trompe-l’oeil window display, 1937, 47 x 51 inches, among the rarest of all Coke advertising items, est. $15,000-$20,000. Morphy Auctions image.

DENVER, Pa. – A wealth of rare antique signs, figures and other promotional items from the golden era of advertising is currently on display at Morphy’s central Pennsylvania gallery, all to be auctioned on Friday and Saturday, April 20-21. The 1,260-lot sale incorporates a fantastic array of signage, with the centerpiece being the revered Coca-Cola advertising collection of the late Michael Narvaez. Also featured are Moxie items from the Dick Shay collection, as well as other soda pop lots.

The Friday session begins with a collection of 120 occupational shaving mugs. Top lots include mugs with depictions of a steam pump, horse-drawn delivery wagon and an open-air truck. Additionally, a rare mug with a photographic image of a steam accessory will be offered.

Cast-iron Standing Frog doorstop, 14 inches, est. $3,500-$5,000. Morphy Auctions image.

More than 80 figural cast-iron doorstops, doorknockers, bookends and other novelties will follow. Among the most coveted doorstops are a standing frog, standing honey bear and rabbit. Other standouts in the group include a cast-iron Nichols doorknocker, est. $700-$1,000; and two carnival targets – a paratrooper, $2,000-$3,000; and a mechanical owl, $3,000-$5,000.

Highlights among the 170 lots of general store and mixed advertising include a near-pristine Skinner’s Satin (Holyoke, Mass.) oval sign with the image of an Indian in a full headdress. It is the only example Morphy’s experts have ever seen and is estimated at $8,000-$12,000.

An embossed tin Sweet Orr Overalls sign is in near-mint condition and expected to make $6,000-$9,000; while an extremely rare 1905 Beeman’s Pepsin Gum wood-framed tin sign that came directly from the Beeman’s factory could make $8,000-$12,000. The ever-popular Mr. Peanut weighs in at the auction with a $7,000-$12,000 estimate for a beautiful 3½-ft. figural Hamilton scale in original, untouched condition. It is one of 30 Planters Mr. Peanut items to be offered by Morphy’s. Many other popular characters are depicted within the lineup of 50+ advertising figures to be auctioned.

Sweet Orr & Co. Overalls advertising sign, tin, circa 1890s, est. $6,000-$9,000. Morphy Auctions image.

Collectors of tobacco-related advertising will find plenty of tempting items in this sale, like the circa-1880s Pride of Durham Smoking Tobacco tin [Wells & Hope Co.] with a lion motif, $3,000-$6,000. Another beauty in the tobacciana grouping is the circa-1910 Stein Club Havana Cigars sign in excellent condition with strong colors.

“We’ve estimated the Stein Club sign at $4,000-$8,000, but it wouldn’t surprise me if it went higher,” said Morphy’s CEO Dan Morphy. “A few years ago a different example of this very scarce sign sold for over $20,000.”

Frank Fehr Brewing Co. Bock Beer poster, est. $2,000-$3,000. Morphy Auctions image.

The effervescent Saturday session will focus predominantly on the 400 lots of Coca-Cola advertisements, ephemera and other rare and desirable Coke items from the collection of the late Michael Narvaez.

Well liked by his fellow collectors, Michael Narvaez had a passion for collecting that blossomed after his retirement from the Coca-Cola Co. in 1979. Michael and his wife, Joyce, became restaurateurs and decorated their Salinas, Calif., establishment The Recipe Box exclusively with beautiful antique and vintage signage and promotional items for the world’s favorite soft drink. Their collection encompassed festoons, lighted signs, clocks, posters and calendars.

Morphy’s specialist in Coca-Cola advertising, Gary Metz, said Narvaez loved sharing his collection and was “a responsible custodian of anything he acquired…handcrafting beautiful walnut frames and using either museum glass or UV-filtering Plexiglas to protect and preserve the calendars and advertising he framed.”

1898 Coca-Cola calendar, very rare, book example from ‘Petretti’s Coca-Cola Price Guide,’ est. $20,000-$30,000. Morphy Auctions image.

One of the top pieces in the Narvaez collection is a matted and framed 1898 calendar, one of very few known, featuring a beauty of the day and estimated at $20,000-$30,000. An 1899 Coke calendar, est. $10,000-$15,000, is another of the more than 60 Coke calendars in the sale. The calendars span a pop culture timeline that begins in 1898 and runs through the 1940s. Another rarity, a 1910 Coke poster is estimated at $7,000-$10,000.

An incredible 2-piece window display from 1937 stands 4 ft. tall and depicts a revolving door with a trompe-l’oeil view inside a restaurant and soda fountain. Advertising “The Pleasantest Place in Town,” this colorful slice of Main Street American nostalgia carries a presale estimate of $15,000-$20,000.

A Coca-Cola leaded-glass hanging globe made by Metropolitan Glass Company is one of only about a half dozen known examples. “All that are known came out of New York,” said Morphy. “This one was in a soda shop in Queens. When it closed, the owners gave the globe to their Coca-Cola deliveryman as a gift. It has remained in the man’s family ever since, passing down through three generations.” Estimate: $12,000-$18,000.

Leaded-glass Coca-Cola hanging globe with 200 glass panels, late teens to early 1920s, est. $12,000-$18,000. Morphy Auctions image.

The remainder of the session is devoted to Moxie items from the collection of Dick Shay, a now-retired Ohio native who spent many years scouring the United States for the rarest and best pieces available. An elusive Moxie tip tray from the early 1900s is estimated at $1,400-$1,800. Leading the selection of general soda pop advertising in Saturday’s session is an embossed tin Modox sign in excellent-plus condition. It features the image of an Indian in full headdress and is expected to reach $7,000-$12,000.

Both the April 20 and 21 auction sessions will commence at 10 a.m. Eastern Time. All forms of bidding will be available, including live via the Internet through Morphy Live or LiveAuctioneers.com. View the fully illustrated catalog online at www.morphyauctions.com or www.liveauctioneers.com. For additional information, call 717-335-3435 or e-mail serena@morphyauctions.com. Visit Morphy Auctions online at www.morphyauctions.com.