London – Phillips de Pury & Company is pleased to announce Important Nordic Design, an academic exploration into 20th century and contemporary Nordic design and culture curated by acclaimed architect Lee F. Mindel, Fellow of the American Institute of Architects and whose firm Shelton, Mindel & Associates is the winner of the 2011 Smithsonian Cooper Hewitt National Design Award for Interior Design.

Shelton, Mindel & Associates, New York, have had a lifelong passion and understanding of the contributions of architecture and design in Scandinavia. At Phillips de Pury & Company, Mr. Mindel will curate the auction catalogue and exhibition and will draw together rare and exceptional works from Sweden, Denmark and Finland where he has travelled extensively. In addition, photographs taken by Mr. Mindel, documenting those Nordic journeys, will be available for sale during the exhibition proceeds of which will be donated to various architectural and design institutions.

The auction is estimated to generate £2,000,000 – £2,800,000 and includes approximately 120 lots.

440-lot sale features of fine and rare books; autographs, maps

Original pencil drawing of Astronaut John Glenn, one of a set of six drawings of early US astronauts by Ruth E. Johnston, who worked for NASA and in the White House. Five of the drawings are autographed individually by the astronaut subject. Group estimate: $2,000-$4,000. Waverly Auctions image.

FALLS CHURCH, Va. – A set of original 1960s autographed pencil portraits of early US astronauts and a 17th-century map of Virginia with quaint spellings of geographic locations are among the highlights of Waverly Auctions’ Dec. 8 sale in suburban Washington, D.C. The 440-lot event features fine and rare books, autographs and manuscripts, maps and atlases.

A selection of 381 lots of books dating from the 16th century to present day will open the sale. Desirable early imprints are included, with the best of the first editions being an 1826 British 3-volume edition of James Fennimore Cooper’s The Last of the Mohicans: A Narrative of 1757. Published by John Miller, London, the set is expected to make $1,000-$2,000 at auction.

Several especially collectible Presidential signatures will be offered, with most of them appearing on portraits or other ephemera such as photographs, documents or Christmas cards. A long-forgotten trove of Harry S. Truman autographed ephemera will be presented in four groupings. Waverly Managing Director Anson Brown said the collection had been “buried for decades” and came from one of Truman’s college classmates, Donald S. Dawson, who also served as the president’s executive assistant from 1947 to 1953.

Within the Dawson archive are numerous photographs signed by Truman and members of his Cabinet, including many personally inscribed to Dawson. “The personalization adds value to the signed photos because the recipient was a member of the president’s inner circle,” Brown noted.

The star lot of the sale is a set of six original 1960s pencil on art paper portraits of pioneering American astronauts as sketched by Ruth E. Johnston, who worked for NASA and also in the White House Social Office under Presidents Nixon and Johnson. The photorealistic portraits were drawn from actual NASA photos and include depictions of John Glenn, Alan Shepard, Walter “Wally” Schirra, Virgil “Gus” Grissom, Scott Carpenter and Gordon Cooper. Five of the matted and framed portraits are individually autographed by the astronauts seen in the drawings, and four are personally inscribed to the artist. Each is accompanied by the original halftone photo Johnston used as the basis for the drawing. The personal archive is to be auctioned as one lot with a presale estimate of $2,000-$4,000.

Map of Virginia and Delmarva Peninsula, circa 1684-1696, Nicolaum Visscher. Titled in Latin, outline hand-coloring, additional coloring of engraved decorations. Estimate $4,000-$6,000. Waverly Auctions image.

Approximately 15 American, European and Middle Eastern maps have been cataloged in the Dec. 8 sale, with the top lot expected to be a map of Virginia and the Delmarva Peninsula from the period 1684-1696. Titled in Latin, the Nicolaum Visscher map features outline hand coloring and colored engraved decorations [wild animals, structures, etc.], plus an especially attractive cartouche with a profile view of “Nieuw Amsterdam [Manhattan]” – complete with a Dutch windmill, wood houses and open fields.

“What makes this map important is that it is an early Virginia map with names for various locations that quickly changed. ‘Pennsylvania’ is spelled phonetically on the map, and the Delmarva is shown off scale, which is interesting. We expect a lot of local curiosity in this lot,” said Brown. The map is estimated at $4,000-$6,000.

Full-length drawing of ‘The Cat in the Hat’ by Theodore Geisel, a k a Dr. Seuss, black and red felt tip pen, 20 3/8 inches by 10 3/8 inches. Estimate $1,000-$3,000. Waverly Auctions image.

Pop culture is represented by an Elvis Presley signed LP, an Andy Warhol signed pen-and-ink drawing of a Campbell’s soup can, and a “Cat in the Hat” full-length drawing signed by Theodore Geisel, a k a Dr. Seuss. The latter artwork is executed in black and red felt tip pen and measures 20 3/8 inches by 10 3/8 inches. The inscription reads “Best Wishes! from the Cat in the hat and Dr. Seuss,” with a black squiggle immediately under the signature. Estimate: $1,000-$3,000.

Waverly’s Dec. 8 auction will be held at the Quinn’s & Waverly gallery located at 431 N. Maple Ave., Falls Church, VA 22046. Start time is 6:30 p.m. Eastern. All forms of bidding will be available. For additional information call 703-532-5632 or e-mail info@quinnsauction.com. Visit Waverly’s online at www.waverlyauctions.com.

Join Sotheby’s specialists as they discuss the successful results of the recent Impressionist and Modern Evening Sale in New York in Sotheby’s newest video.

Charities to benefit from sale of Holyfield robe, Ty Murray Championship saddle

1948-49 Joe DiMaggio NY Yankees game-used flannel road jersey. Grey Flannel Auctions image.

WESTHAMPTON, N.Y. – Grey Flannel Auctions’ Holiday Auction 2011 is now under way and the heat is already on, with collectors placing early bids on Premier Lots including a 1948-49 Joe DiMaggio game-used Yankees jersey and a Sandy Koufax game-used jersey from the superstar pitcher’s 1966 Cy Young Award season with the Dodgers.

In all, 841 lots have been selected for the absentee and Internet auction that closes for bidding on Nov. 30, 2011. Virtually every major professional sport is represented in the complimentary printed catalog, as well as great Americana. In addition to game-used apparel and equipment, important autographed equipment and balls; awards, championship jewelry and personal ephemera that came directly from athletes are up for bid.

1966 Sandy Koufax Los Angeles Dodgers game-used and autographed flannel road jersey. Grey Flannel Auctions image.

The aforementioned DiMaggio jersey, worn by Joltin’ Joe while on the road with the Yankees, has the number “5” on its back, “NEW YORK” on its front, and a grey felt strip tag with “DiMaggio” embroidered in navy blue chain stitch. It is accompanied by a photomatch of DiMaggio wearing the shirt in 1948. Written on the photo itself is “$100,000,” a reference to DiMaggio being the first baseball player ever to earn that amount for a single season. The jersey has already surpassed its reserve of $25,000.

Another frontrunner is the 1966 Los Angeles Dodgers flannel road jersey game-worn and autographed by pitching ace Sandy Koufax. “This jersey is especially significant because it comes from the World Series season in which Koufax won his third Cy Young Award by unanimous vote. It was also his final season in professional baseball,” said Richard E. Russek, president of Grey Flannel Auctions. In magnificent condition, the jersey has nearly doubled its $10,000 reserve in only a few days of bidding.

1927 NY Yankees ‘Murderers Row’ World Championship team-autographed baseball. Grey Flannel Auctions image.

Athlete-signed Yankees equipment includes a 1966-67 Mickey Mantle game-used and autographed bat; and a coveted 1927 “Murderers Row” World Championship baseball signed by the team whose lineup of batters is considered “the best…ever.” The six hitters who struck fear in the hearts of opposing pitchers included Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. Their signatures are written in blue ink and appear alongside those of their teammates on this ball, which opened with a $5,000 bid.

A hardcourt highlight is Hall of Famer Bill Russell’s NBA All-Star Game-used uniform from 1967, which is already well beyond its $10,000 reserve. With career distinctions that include NBA MVP (5 times) and NBA All-Star (12 times), Russell holds the record for most championships won by an athlete. “He was the nucleus of the Celtics dynasty, and his importance to the game of basketball cannot be overestimated,” said Russek.

Circa-1968 Gale Sayers Chicago Bears game-used home jersey. Grey Flannel Auctions image.

Other items of game-used basketball apparel that are off to a running start include a rare 1973-74 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Milwaukee Bucks jersey, a circa-1971 Rick Barry New York Nets home uniform (only one known), and a 1977-78 Dennis Johnson Seattle SuperSonics NBA Finals road uniform (only one known). A very scarce 1966-67 ABA worn shooting shirt from the Anaheim Amigos comes with impeccable provenance in the form of an LOA from the player himself.

The excitement of football seasons past is embodied in such items as a Gale Sayers’ 1968 Chicago Bears game-used home jersey and a photomatched 1962-63 Navy Midshipmen’s jersey worn by Roger Staubach during his Heisman Trophy season. Other football highlights include game-used jerseys worn by Joe Namath (circa 1973, New York Jets), Len Dawson (circa 1972, Kansas City Chiefs) and Dan Marino (1986, Miami Dolphins).

Evander Holyfield fight-worn robe from Jan. 16, 2010 WBF Heavyweight Title bout against Francois Botha. Consigned by Holyfield to benefit his charitable foundation for inner-city youth. Grey Flannel Auctions image.

Championship jewelry has been a very popular category in past Grey Flannel sales. This time, a 1998 New York Yankees World Series ring of Al Ferrar and a 2004 Stanley Cup Championship ring awarded to Bill Wickett, Sr. VP Communications of the Tampa Bay Lightning, are included in the Premier Lots. Other top-ranking jewelry items include Bobby Jones’ 1983 Philadelphia 76ers Championship player’s ring, Tony Caldwell’s 1983 Los Angeles Raiders Super Bowl XVIII Championship player’s ring, and the 1981 Los Angeles Dodgers World Championship ring awarded to team executive Al Campanis. The latter is accompanied by an LOA from Al’s son, former Major Leaguer Jimmy Campanis.

Richard Russek said his favorite Holiday Auction lots came directly from two “famous and exceptional athletes, Evander Holyfield and Ty Murray,” with almost all of the proceeds earmarked for their favorite charities. The items up for bid are a Holyfield title-fight-worn robe (2010, vs. Francois Botha in South Africa; auction reserve $10,000) to benefit the boxing legend’s foundation assisting inner-city kids; and Ty Murray’s 1998 Houston Livestock Show All-Around Champion saddle (auction reserve, $5,000) benefiting the Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Texas, of which the rodeo star and his wife, Jewel, actively promote.

1998 Ty Murray Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo All-Around Championship saddle trophy. Consigned by Murray and his wife, Jewel, to benefit a Texas children’s charity. Grey Flannel Auctions image.

“In addition to receiving their unique items, the winning bidders will each receive video provenance as a bonus. One of the videos shows Evander consigning the robe, and the other is of Ty and Jewel consigning the saddle award,” Russek said.

Every effort was made to confirm authenticity and secure provenance for the 841 items in Grey Flannel’s Holiday auction. A highly experienced team led by Nick Coppola authenticated each jersey, and all autographed pieces were inspected and given the stamp of approval by James Spence Authentication. In the case of game-used bats, each was inspected and authenticated by John Taube of PSA/DNA. Every game-used glove was inspected and authenticated by Denny Eskin of PSA/DNA. All game-used hockey jerseys were inspected and authenticated by Milt Byron. Appropriate letters of authenticity from these specialists will accompany all jerseys, bats, gloves and autographed items.

Bidding in Grey Flannel’s Holiday Auction will close on Nov. 30, 2011. All forms of absentee bids are being accepted, including by phone and online through Grey Flannel’s Web site at www.GreyFlannelAuctions.com. Printed catalogs are free to all registered bidders. The fully illustrated electronic version of the catalog is available to view online at www.GreyFlannelAuctions.com. For additional information, call 631-288-7800, ext. 223; or email info@greyflannelauctions.com.

Sotheby’s the Contemporary Art Evening Sale brought an outstanding
total of $315,837,000, well above the $192/270.8 million pre-sale estimate and nearly 85% sold-by-lot. The total is the
highest for a Contemporary Art Evening sale at Sotheby’s since May 2008 and the Company’s third highest ever,
virtually matching the $315,907,000 set at Sotheby’s in November 2007.

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.