The Robert Rubin Collection of African Art is one of the most important collections of African art to appear on the international market in recent years.  Mr. Rubin (1934-2009) was a lifetime trustee of the Museum for African Art in New York and a major figure in the field.  The relatively small collection of 50 works reflects his extraordinary taste and discernment and his quest for the finest examples from each region and style.

Among the many highlights is a Baule Male Ancestor Figure from Ivory Coast, which is known as the best of its type.  It was created by a master carver whose attention to detail is unsurpassed in African art.  The unusually large (24in) sculpture is of exceptionally high quality.  It boasts impressive provenance and has also been widely published, including in the prestigious L’Art Negre by Pierre Meauze in 1967.  Another major highlight from the sale is a Dogon Nduleri Male Ancestor Figure which is the Name-Piece of the Master of the Slanted Eyes and the companion to a female figure in the collection of the Musee du Louvre in Paris.

Brose catalogue for the Robert Rubin Collection of African Art

The May auction of African, Oceanic, and Pre-Columbian Art at Sotheby’s offers a rich selection of exceptional art from the traditional cultures of sub-Saharan Africa, the Pacific Islands and Indonesia, as well as Central and South America.

The sale features a strong selection of African art, including an important Punu Mask from Gabon which was published in Carl Einstein’s influential 1915 book Negerplastik.  A magnificent Yoruba Female Figure of a woman offering a ram leads a group of West African art from the collection of Nancy and Richard Bloch.  A rare and important Luba-Songye Kifwebe Mask is of the type that probably inspired one of Pablo Picasso’s most dynamic periods, 1907-1908, when he painted Les Demoiselles d’Avignon.

Browse catalogue for the African, Oceanic and Pre-Columbian Art auction

Browse the catalogue for the 19th/20th C. American & European Art auction

Browse the catalogue for the Post-War & Contemporary Art auction

Sotheby’s sales of Old Master Paintings include masterpieces from the 14th to the early 19th centuries by many of the greatest names in Western art. From Guido Reni to Vermeer, El Greco to Rubens, Frans Hals to Canaletto, Cranach to J.M.W. Turner, Sotheby’s has consistently led the market in this dynamic and diverse collecting category.

Britain has produced some of the world’s greatest painters and has attracted some of the greatest to its shores. The British Department covers a wide range of paintings and watercolours, including portraits from the age of Holbein to the age of Lawrence. We hold the auction record for many of the top names in British portraiture, including Constable, Lely, Wright of Derby, Romney, Zoffany, Gainsborough and Reynolds. The Department covers landscapes from the first foreign visitors such as Siberechts, and onwards to the age of Constable, Turner and Bonington. Our catalogues are always strong with marine paintings from the age of Van de Velde to Carmichael, and sporting art from Wootton, Seymour, and Stubbs, to Ferneley and Herring.

The catalogue for the Modern and Contemporary Art and American and European Art auction is available online now.

Browse the catalogue now

Don’t miss your last chance to purchase amazing pieces from passed lots!  Click here to browse through the entire catalogue of passed lots.

Click here to browse the entire catalogue for the Evening Editions auction being held on April 21st at 6:00 pm.

Chinese carved ivory emperor and empress. Don Presley Auctions image.

ORANGE, Calif. – There probably isn’t a stretch of highway between Beverly Hills and Newport Beach that auctioneer Don Presley doesn’t know. That’s his turf, and when the owners of fine estates in those well-heeled communities decide to part with their art and antiques, it’s often Presley whose number they call on speed dial. True to form, the Orange, Calif., auctioneer has gathered together an outstanding array of primarily European, Asian and American art and antiques for his May 7-8 auction, with much of it coming from prestigious local addresses.

A Beverly Hills consignor was the source for a pair of superb, 30-inch-tall Chinese carved-ivory emperor and empress figures. “The carving is fantastic, and I’ve never seen ivory figures of this type in such a large size,” said Presley. The star lot amongst 250 Chinese antiques cataloged in the sale, the marked figures will be offered as a pair with a $6,000-$10,000 estimate.

German carved ivory tankard, 19th century. Don Presley Auctions image.

A heavily carved 19th-century ivory and gilded-silver German tankard is very similar in style to the 17th-century drinking vessels made in the Bavarian city of Ausberg. “Those earlier tankards are held in distinguished collections, including those of the Victoria & Albert Museum and Bunratty Castle in Ireland. They were made for kings and nobles.” The example in Presley’s sale is profusely carved with images of mythological and other characters. The finial depicts a Native American draped in a bearskin, with a powder horn, tomahawk and shield. Overall, the tankard stands over 20 inches tall. It is expected to bring $15,000-$25,000.

In Presley’s last sale, bullish prices were paid for Sevres urns, with two of them selling to a Russian buyer. The May 7-8 auction includes a magnificent 40-inch tall, 19th-century Sevres lidded urn with scenes of a finely dressed couple in a garden on one side and a waterfall and mountain landscape on the other. Straight from a Beverly Hills estate and bearing all the proper marks for Sevres, it is estimated at $8,000-$12,000. A second Sevres urn, 17 inches tall and beautifully decorated with winged ladies, carries an identical estimate.

Sevres 19th century lidded urn, 40 inches tall. Don Presley Auctions image.

An exquisite gilt bronze 19th-century French clock and candelabra suite features “jeweled” adornments and hand-painted enameling. It came from the same Beverly Hills estate as a very fine silver-over-bronze centerpiece with mirrored base and cut-crystal bowls. Measuring 15½ inches tall by 35 inches wide, it is marked with the quatrefoil for the Sheffield silversmiths Henry Wilkinson & Co. The reserve on the centerpiece is $18,000.

Presley observed that silver “is really rolling at the moment.” In his sale, he has cataloged a 40-piece collection of old silver from a San Bernardino estate that includes tea sets, a Tiffany bowl, an inkwell, a Paul Revere bowl, Wallace flatware and three Georg Jensen pieces. Another silver collection, which came from a Laguna Beach consignor, includes six silver plates with a tray, a sterling inkwell and some very nice Pairpoint triple-plated candelabra. Additionally, there are pieces of German 19th-century .800 silver that were made in the manner of 17th-century silver.

Francois Linke kingwood and ormolu vitrine, signed and stamped. Don Presley Auctions image.

The furniture selection is led by a 95-inch-tall by 72-inch-wide kingwood and ormolu vitrine by Francois Linke, arguably the finest French cabinetmaker of the Belle Epoque period. Linke’s designs were highly influential in their day and were coveted by fashionable French society. The vitrine, which is signed and stamped, is offered with a $60,000-$125,000 estimate. Although unsigned, a small curio cabinet attributed to Linke will be auctioned, as will a small Linke table and bronze 4-light chandelier acquired some years ago at Sotheby’s.

A premier piece of American furniture came from a Newport Beach estate. Made around 1790-1800, the Hepplewhite secretary features glazed double doors with diamond-shape accents opening to triple shelves, over a four-drawer base.

All forms of bidding will be available for Don Presley’s May 7-8, 2011 auction, including live via the Internet through LiveAuctioneers or Proxibid. For additional information, call 714-633-2437 or email info@donpresleyauction.com. Visit Don Presley Auctions online at www.donpresleyauction.com.

Contributed by www.Marks4Antiques.com – a membership-based service specializing in providing identification & appraisal advice on antiques & collectibles.

Tricia Evans could not wait to get home and rummage through the box-lot she had just won at her local auction in Boston.  It looked like a bunch of old tins and empty metal containers, but she had a good feeling about it.  After all, this is what’s it’s all about when it comes to treasure hunting and she had only paid $40 for the lot  –  what could go wrong?

Somewhere near the bottom, she quickly noticed a heavily tarnished metal box in the shape of an almost perfect cube with a hinged top lid.  ‘That’s odd’ she muttered, ‘what a weird shape for a tin box’.  She took it out and opened the lid.  She is not sure if she screamed because of that huge dead spider – or what was left of it as it was barely hanging from a dusty tattered cobweb – or her excitement from seeing the shiny interior lining of this box and recognizing that it was a Tea Caddy.  She had seen others before, but this shape was certainly news to her.

After the initial shock and with her heartbeat still racing, she spent a good portion of the next two hours cleaning and restoring the appearance of her mystery find and examined it carefully to see if there were any makers marks or Hallmarks.  From years of experience of enjoying and dealing with antiques & collectibles, Tricia knew that these marks have a way of speaking to you and can provide lots of information.

With loupe in hand, she finally noticed three tiny punch marks.  They looked British – oh! wait, perhaps French – she couldn’t tell for sure.  Her personal library has about six reference books on silver marks that she had bought for some serious money several years ago, but they seemed too difficult to use these days and she wanted fast and accurate information.  Where do you begin?  At the British section?  The French section?  Maybe these marks are American after all?  Is it Sterling or Silverplate?  How old?  Any value?

Tricia is a member of an online marks identification & appraisal service, www.Marks4Antiques.com.  She quickly entered her password and begun her quest for more information.  It soon became obvious that these marks are neither British nor French and definitely not American.  She used the Gallery Search feature that displays all marks in shapes or letter categories and found two of the marks on her Tea Caddy, but the third looked like a small fish or dolphin – it just didn’t add up…

As a member, she knew that she could ask the specialists on the site at no extra charge.  It is part of Marks4Antiques.com’s Help Guarantee feature that allows members to send questions if they cannot find a mark or have doubts.  Before she knew it, she received a reply:  her Tea Caddy was Sterling Silver and was made by DINGELDEIN GEBRUDER in Hanau, Germany.  It dates ca late 19thC and the marks she could see were “pseudomarks”, in common use by Silversmiths in that region.  Tricia was elated!

She then clicked on the Values4Antiques section and searched for “Silver Tea Caddy”.  Images of hundreds of auction records on Tea Caddies popped up and she could select the ones that looked like hers and then view them in more detail.  Tricia relished the thought that she may have stumbled upon a true treasure this time and, more importantly, she now had a fair estimate of what she can expect to sell it at auction.  She contacted her local auction house again and consigned it for sale.

Next Sunday, her Sterling Silver Tea Caddy sold for just under $1,500.

CHADDS FORD, Pa. – The walls at William H. Bunch’s auction gallery are alive with color, in preparation for a Tuesday, May 3 auction of nearly 400 paintings and other fine-quality works by American and European artists. Three primary consignors were the source for the vibrant and varied selection of American Impressionist art – including Bucks County/New Hope School; Old Masters and other Continental pictures; and illustration art.

Edward Willis Redfield (New Hope school, Pa., 1869-1965), From Lumberville to Raven Rock, oil on panel, 4½ by 6 inches. William H. Bunch Auctions image.

The single-owner collection of Bucks County/Pennsylvania art features paintings by some of the most collected artists of the genre. Highlights include Bucks County Bridge, an oil-on-canvas winter landscape by Walter Emerson Baum (1884-1956); a dramatic circa-1925 oil-on-board seascape depicting Pigeon Cove, Mass., by George William Sotter (1879-1953); and an atmospheric snow scene of a horse-drawn sleigh entering a covered bridge by Edward Willis Redfield (1869-1965). Redfield’s oil-on-panel painting is titled From Lumberville to Raven Rock and dates to around 1915. It was authenticated by Dr. Thomas Folk, who also documented its trail of provenance.

Charles Rosen (New Hope school, Pa., 1878-1950), Delaware Thawing (Delaware Quarries), oil on canvas, 32 by 40 inches. William H. Bunch Auctions image.

A highly important New Hope school artwork by Charles Rosen (1878-1950) is titled Delaware Thawing (Delaware Quarries). The 32- by 40-inch oil on canvas is artist-signed and dated “Charles Rosen ’06” and has a long and distinguished history of exhibition, including at the Phillip’s Mill Community Association’s 75th Anniversary Retrospective Art Exhibition of 1983. An exceptional painting that showcases Rosen’s mastery of pastel tones, it is expected to make $100,000-$150,000.

Other Pennsylvania art includes Robert Spencer’s (1879-1931) oil on canvas painted around 1917-18 titled Waterloo Row and S. George Phillips’ (1890-1965) oil-on-board picture from the 1930s titled New England Coast. Auctioneer William Bunch observed that the Pennsylvania art collection “presents beautifully – each painting has been well conserved and tastefully framed.”

Richard C. Baldwin (American/Philadelphia, b. 1911-), Guadalupe, Mexico, oil on canvas, 32 by 56 inches. William H. Bunch Auctions image.

An exciting addition to the sale is the collection of illustration art from the living estate of Richard C. Baldwin (b. 1911-). Now 90 years old, Baldwin studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia under Walker Hancock and George Harding. Upon the advice of fellow student N.C. Wyeth, Baldwin headed west in his youth to fulfill a dream he harbored. “He boarded a train and traveled to places where he could paint scenes of cowboys, Indians and Mexican culture as witnessed firsthand,” said Bunch. That period of Baldwin’s career is reflected in several paintings to be auctioned on May 3, including the 30- by 46-inch Stage Holdup and the animated market scene measuring 32- by 56-inches and titled Guadalupe, Mexico.

After his sojourn to the West, Baldwin returned to Philadelphia where he worked as a commercial artist for the advertising agency N.W. Ayer. He would subsequently serve as master sculptor and design director for Franklin Mint, working collaboratively with Norman Rockwell on the company’s respected Boy Scout series and Bicentennial medals.

“Richard Baldwin has had a very successful and diverse career,” said Bunch. “When his son called and asked if we would auction his father’s collection, we knew we would see an interesting cross section of art. Mr. Baldwin worked in nearly every medium and was adept in every style he embraced, from Western and commercial art to 1950s street gangster art and even cheesecake.”

Bunch said the most difficult aspect of cataloging the Baldwin collection was placing values on the various works. “There are people out there who definitely known Richard Baldwin’s name, but his art hasn’t appeared at auction; it’s untested in the marketplace. This sale will be a nice opportunity for collectors to buy excellent-quality illustration art at a fair price. Most of the lots are estimated in the $300 to $600 range.”

Old Master school, Madonna with Child surrounded by cherubs, 17th/18th century, oil on canvas, 47 by 38 inches. William H. Bunch Auctions image.

Another strong component of the sale is the collection of approximately one dozen Old Masters from a long-held Texas collection. An unidentified 17th/18th-century oil on canvas of the Madonna with Child surrounded by cherubs measures 47 by 38 inches and is presented in a heavy, horsehair-reinforced gilt frame. “This is a painting that could easily be on the wall of The Louvre or some other great museum,” said Bunch, who has estimated it at $20,000-$40,000.

Other Old Masters to be offered run the gamut from simple portraits of men in period dress to large, exotic garden scenes painted by a follower of Melchior D’Hondecoeter (Dutch, 1636-1695). Two luxuriant oils created by the latter artist are entered in the sale, each measuring 64½ by 98½ inches. One of the paintings features cockatoos and other tropical birds in its foreground, while the other depicts peacocks and flamingos amid lush foliage, flowers and fruit trees.

“This collection is going to be a real treasure hunt for people who pay attention to Old Masters. Something here is going to catch fire,” Bunch predicted.

A religious-themed highlight from the array of Continental art is Ecce Homo, an oil on canvas of Christ in the Crown of Thorns, painted in the manner of Guido Reni (Italian, 1575-1642). The 20½- by 18½-inch oil on canvas is presented in a heavy molded-plaster gilt rococo frame with an Uruguayan gallery label that reads: “Arts Dorados Artistico.”

Charles Spencelayh (English, 1865-1958), Matchstick Boy, oil on canvas, 18 by 14 inches. William H. Bunch Auctions image.

British art is led by a Charles Spencelayh (1865-1958) artist-signed oil on canvas, 18 by 14 inches, titled Matchstick Boy. As its name suggests, the circa-1900 painting depicts a young boy – rosy cheeked and dressed in rain gear – peddling a box of matches.

The sale selection is rounded out by several fine bronzes, including an Ignatius Taschner (German, 1871-1913) sculpture titled Young Woman on Bull, and a bronze bust titled Cuauhtemoc, Aztec Ruler of Tenochtitlan, circa 1520-21.

All forms of bidding will be available for the auction, which commences at 12 noon Eastern time on Tuesday, May 3, including live in the gallery, absentee, by phone or live via the Internet through LiveAuctioneers.com and The-Saleroom.com.

To contact the gallery, call 610-558-1800 or e-mail info@williambunchauctions.com. Visit the William H. Bunch website at www.williambunchauctions.com.

Sotheby’s Evening sale of Important Watches at the Hôtel Beau-Rivage in Geneva on Sunday 15 May will take collectors on a journey through five centuries of watch history, from 1580 to the present day. The sale, which features 280 lots, will bring together an impressive range of antique timepieces, pocket watches and wristwatches including a 16th-century German tambour watch, highly rare Rolex sports watches – models like Submariner, Sea Dweller, Explorer – and various versions of the Daytona. Patek Philippe will also be present with very rare complicated watches such as the Ref. 2499 second series with magnifying glass. Part of the sale will be devoted to pocket watches with three sections showing enamel timepieces made for Indian, Turkish and Chinese markets. Finally, this sale will include watches that have witnessed man’s limits and accomplishments such as the collection of Rolex from Dr. Janusz Kurbiel, the Prince Troubetskoy racing driver timepieces, and the Ulysse Nardin split seconds chronograph that made history with official time keeping of Fausto Coppi’s legendary Cycling World Hour Record.