Auction: Dec 17th 2010  New York

Auction: Dec 8th & 9th 2010  London

Separate session features antique toys, trains, dolls and advertising

Tiffany Studios stained-glass window authenticated by Dr. Egon Neustadt, 43 inches by 72 inches. Estimate $125,000-$200,000. Morphy Auctions image.

DENVER, Pa. – This year collectors of fine and decorative art won’t have to wait till Christmas to see their wish lists fulfilled. For the opening session of its Dec. 10-11, 2010 sale, Dan Morphy Auctions has brought together a superb selection of artworks from private collections and individual consignors that even the fussiest connoisseur would consider topnotch.

A breathtaking Tiffany Studios stained-glass window featuring a lush garden scene with trees, ivy, vines and roses adds the ultimate “wow” factor to the sale. The framed 43- by 72-inch creation, which depicts two massive columns, a winding path and an urn-topped wall, has been authenticated through expert research over a 20-year period by the premier authority on Tiffany, Dr. Egon Neustadt. Accompanied by a letter of authenticity, it is entered in the sale with a $125,000-$200,000 estimate.

In total, 20 stained-glass windows will be offered. Among them is a stunning Frank Lloyd Wright (attrib.) design that displays the genius architect’s trademark elements of linear composition enhanced by jewel-like mother of pearl details. The Wright window, which came from a residence in upstate New York, is estimated at $10,000-$20,000.

More than 30 art glass lamps will be auctioned in the Dec. 10 session. A Tiffany Studios Hydrangea lamp with a signed mock turtleback base is expected to make $75,000-$125,000.

New York City During a Snow Storm, Colin Campbell Cooper (American, 1856-1937), oil on board, 15½ inches by 19½ inches. Morphy Auctions image.

There will be 150 paintings of various genres, including several original works by Johann Berthelsen (American, 1883-1972) and an important oil-on-board Impressionist snow scene by Colin Campbell Cooper (American, 1856-1937). Titled New York City During a Snow Storm, the signed, 15½ by 19½-inch picture was probably executed in the 1920s, and shows the influence of Childe Hassam, with its vehicles and pedestrians maneuvering through wintry conditions as American Flags fly overhead. Estimate: $20,000-$35,000.

The art pottery section includes an excellent variety of vases, jugs, vessels and tiles. The array includes 30 pieces of Roseville, 100 pieces of Grueby and additional pieces from Rookwood and other potteries. A star lot within the grouping is a 21½-inch-tall Grueby Faience floor vase with feathered Arts & Crafts glaze and two-color leaf-and-bud design. It is estimated at $10,000-$12,000.

Furniture to be auctioned includes cabinets, desks, bookcases and other forms, with 30 examples by Stickley and Limbert. A classic Gustav Stickley china cabinet with handsome original hardware could reach the $3,500-$5,000 range.

Brimming with eye appeal, the Dec. 10 session also boasts 45 figural napkin rings, 50 lots of silver, Asian ivory carvings, scrimshaw, jewelry and mechanical music, with a highlight being a Nicole Freres 4-tune fat-cylinder music box, estimate $6,000-$8,000.

The lighthearted Saturday, Dec. 11 session features approximately 850 choice lots of toys, trains, mechanical banks, antique advertising and dolls, with the first 150 lots consisting of 1,000 vintage Barbie dolls, fashions and accessories from the Cristol/Glickman family collection. Among the top dolls is an original 1959 blond No. 1 Barbie in a striped swimsuit and high heels, complete with posing stand and original box. It is expected to realize $3,500-$5,000.

Brunette Barbie No. 2 in original store display box. Estimate $4,000-$6,000. Morphy Auctions image.

Another important entry is a 1959 brunette No. 2 Barbie boxed store display, with the teen fashion doll dressed in a “Sweet Dreams” negligee, accompanied by a brass alarm clock and wax apple for a bedtime snack. The pink silhouette box was given to dealers in 1959 for display purposes only. Estimate: $4,000-$6,000.

Morphy’s will also be offering 250 high-quality hand-painted and lithographed pre-war German and American trains from a 40-year collection. Many premium brands and rare examples will cross the auction block, including productions by Continental manufacturers Marklin, Bing and Carette; and early American trains by Carlisle and Finch, Knapp, Howard, Voltamp and Ives. Additionally, the inventory includes a fine selection of golden age Lionel and American Flyer standard and O-gauge trains, engines, engine and tenders, complete sets, and some postwar items.

A colorful mix of toys and pedal cars will follow, with more than 150 pieces of pressed steel from a single-owner collection, 150 general toy lots and 30+ European tin windups and autos, including a hand-painted Carette limousine, estimate $6,000-$9,000.

Among the most coveted of cast-iron mechanical banks to be auctioned, a J. & E. Stevens Panorama with 95%-plus original paint is estimated at $15,000-$20,000. “This is a truly beautiful bank, and it was consigned by its original owner, which is highly unusual,” said Morphy Auctions CEO Dan Morphy.

Known for its strong following in the antique advertising community, Morphy’s will present several outstanding collections from that category. The single-owner collection of 70 occupational shaving mugs includes examples emblazoned with images for a Dodge dealership, a taxi service – dated 1929 and with a taxi on it – an ice cream delivery truck, and a race car (estimate $2,000-$4,000). Perhaps the most unusual shaving mug is the one depicting a carnival horse performing a vaudeville-style trick in which the equine spells his name in the sand with his hoof.

Winchester Repeating Arms advertising board displaying various types of shells and ammunition. Estimate $15,000-$25,000. Morphy Auctions image.

Other antique advertising in the sale includes more than 100 lots of Coca-Cola items and many advertising signs, including an ammunition display board for Winchester Repeating Arms Co., estimate $15,000-$25,000. A collection of more than 40 items touting the soda pop brand Orange Crush is led by an extremely rare neon light-up sign estimated at $7,000-$10,000.

Three separate catalogs have been produced for Morphy’s Dec. 10-11, 2010 auction – one for the fine and decorative art session, a second exclusively for the Barbies, and a third devoted to toys, trains, advertising, shaving mugs and coin ops.

All forms of bidding will be available, including live via the Internet through Morphy Live or LiveAuctioneers.com. For additional information, call 717-335-3435 or e-mail dan@morphyauctions.com. Visit Morphy’s online at www.MorphyAuctions.com.

Fall Rug Tag Sale Auction: Nov 5th – 14th 2010  from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm

Marketplace Auction: Nov 10th – 11th 2010 at 10:00 am

Auction: Dec 4th 2010

Catalogue available online for three auctions:

– Jewelry, Coins & Watches

– 20th Century Decorative Arts

– American & European Fine Art

Fourteenth Annual Boston International Fine Art Show

Nov 18th – 21st 2010

Gala Preview Nov 18th 2010 to benefit Boston Symphony Orchestra

Auction: Nov 9th 2010

To include miniature of all descriptions, furniture, animals, toys, dolls, Native American,  baskets, fine art, prints, curios, collectables, and many oddities, the rare and unusual items for which Frank is well known. Franks items will be sold in the front room beginning at 12 noon.

This sale will also include the usual variety of estate and downsizing material. In the back room beginning at 10 AM we have other dolls & toys, holiday items, household items, tools, books @ 3:30 PM, followed by furniture.

The front room will begin at 11 am  with OVER 120 bags of jewelry, we will then move into  silver, glass, china, and shelf lots;  we will also have full art walls that will be sold throughout the day and a nice selection of over 140 lots of furniture @ 6  PM.

Preview:  Monday, November 8, 9 AM to 5 PM,  9 AM Tuesday

Terms:13% Buyer’s Premium with a 3% cash discount, V/MC accepted

Auction: Nov 14th Geneva

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date of Release:  Nov. 5, 2010

Long-held collection of antique Asian jade takes the spotlight

in Austin Auction Gallery’s Nov. 21 Multi-Estates sale

Army colonel’s collection led by exceptional Chinese jade design of cabbage and crickets

AUSTIN, Texas – With Asian art currently dominating the headlines in nearly every antiques trade publication, the timing is 10 out of 10 for Austin Auction Gallery’s Nov. 21 sale featuring a superb 38-lot collection of early Chinese jade. Amassed primarily in the 1970s by a U.S. Army colonel posted in Japan and later Vietnam, the collection contains purchases made during the officer’s extensive travels throughout the Orient.

“The colonel and his wife had a great appreciation for Asian cultures, and collecting jade and ivory carvings, wood carvings and other Asian art became a lifelong hobby,” said Ross Featherston, owner of Austin Auction Gallery. “Among the countries they visited while living in Asia were China, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia and Nepal. The pieces they acquired were displayed and enjoyed for many years.”

Chinese pale celadon jade carving of a cabbage topped by two crickets, late Qing/early Republic period, 6½ inches long, 3.25 lbs. Provenance: U.S. Army colonel who lived in Asia post World War II. Estimate $3,000-$5,000. Austin Auction Gallery image.

The most intriguing entry in the sale is a 19th-century Chinese pale celadon jade carving of two crickets atop a cabbage. The 3.25-lb., 6½-inch-long carving was crafted to a very high standard and detailed to perfection, down to the bas-relief veins visible on the cabbage’s peeled-back “leaves.”

In the course of cataloging the jade collection, Austin Auction consulted with two high-profile experts on Asian art. It was the opinion of both specialists that the cabbage, from the late Qing/early Republic period, is “quite exceptional – a premier piece of jade,” Featherston said. The lot is estimated at $3,000-$5,000, although Featherston noted that its value is “anybody’s guess, since we have not been able to find any records of a similar piece for comparison. We think collectors will view this as a very exciting discovery.”

Standing 18 inches tall, a spinach-green Chinese jade carving modeled as Guanyin depicts the deity on a lotus-draped platform in front of a full-length pierced screen ($2,000-$4,000). Another key lot is a Chinese lotus-form double brush washer carved from translucent agate. Dating to the mid Qing Dynasty, the 3-inch piece is carved with lotus leaves serving as two separate bowls, adorned with flowers and birds along the rim of the bowl. The auction estimate is $2,000-$4,000.

Two fraktur pages from an 1875 youth diary created by siblings Jonathan and Catharine King of Lancaster County, Pa., 42 pages total (25 illustrated) describing daily chores on the farm, attending school, and play time. Purchased by consignor in Pennsylvania in the 1970s. Estimate $2,000-$4,000. Austin Auction Gallery image.

The Nov. 21 auction includes rare and outstanding examples from several other categories of fine and decorative art and furniture. Dated 1875, a three-part hand-colored folk manuscript is, in actuality, an illustrated youth diary created by siblings Johnathan and Catharine King of Lancaster County, Pa. Twenty-five of the diary’s 42 pages are profusely decorated with the children’s fraktur paintings of flowers, wagons, animals, farm and kitchen implements. Contained in a “Ciphering Book” published by Reuben Chambers, Bethania, Pa., the diary also includes four pages of mathematics inscribed by Jonathan King, and hand-written accounts of the children’s daily activities, with their chores including milking cows and washing dishes. Offered with decorative calling cards for both Johnathan and Catharine King, the lot is expected to make $2,000-$4,000.

Other American highlights include a 1914 Newcomb College vase created by Joseph Meyer and with the cipher of decorator Henrietta Bailey (estimate $4,000-$6,000); and a scarce 84-inch oak hall tree and bench with dual beveled mirrors and a central grandfather clock ($5,000-$7,000).

Newcomb College art pottery vase, New Orleans, 1914, 8½ inches tall, Joseph Meyer potter’s mark and cipher of decorator Henrietta Bailey. Estimate $4,000-$6,000. Austin Auction Gallery image.

Approximately 50 lots of 18th- and 19th-century colonial Mexican art will be offered, including retablos painting on both canvas and tin. A 17 ¾-inch by 13-inch framed oil on canvas of The Repentant Magdalene is a naïve artwork that depicts the important female Christian disciple in a sensitive downward gaze, surrounded by cherubim ($400-$600).

A fine selection of antique European furniture has been cataloged for this sale. Among the highlights is a circa-1890 monumental Italian Renaissance-style sideboard, its upper shelf supported by four 20-inch griffins. The entire piece is richly adorned with foliate and figural carving, with the finishing touch being a monogrammed crest presented by winged putti. It carries an estimate of $5,000-$10,000. From the same decade, a Louis XV gilt and ormolu cabinet in the Vernis Martin taste features a landscape painting on each of its sides as well as a central-door painting of a courting couple in lavish attire ($2,000-$4,000).

The Repentant Magdalene, Mexican, 19th century, oil on canvas, sight: 17¾ inches high by 13 inches wide, retains original frame. Estimate $400-$600. Austin Auction Gallery image.

Two lots in the sale consist of Mid-century Modern furniture designs by Pierre Jeanneret (1896-1967), a Swiss architect who often collaborated with his famous cousin Charles Jeanneret, a k a “Le Corbusier.” Both the Jeanneret teak desk with leather writing surface and six storage cubicles ($6,000-$8,000) and the set of six teak chairs with cane seats and backs ($4,000-$6,000) come with provenance from the Punjab Civil Secretariat of Chandigarh, India.

The 470-lot auction includes numerous other furnishings, paintings and decorative art, as well as small selections of coins, furs and jewelry. Four lots of pin-up art by Olivia de Berardinis (b. 1949) will be sold, including two signed and dated (1996) watercolors, each estimated at $2,000-$4,000; and two Playboy limited-edition lithographs, each of which is expected to make $400-$600.

All forms of bidding will be available for Austin Auction Gallery’s Nov. 21, 2010 Multi-Estates and Chinese Jade sale, including live via the Internet through LiveAuctioneers.com. For additional information, call 512-258-5479 or e-mail info@austinauction.com. View the fully illustrated catalog online and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet at www.LiveAuctioneers.com. Visit Austin Auction Gallery’s website at www.AustinAuction.com.

Reyne heads to Antique Week in Round Top, Texas and spends some time with dealers at the Marburger Farms Antiques Show. Tile expert, Colleen Martin (LAntiquario.com), answers some questions about antique floor tiles and the process in which they were made. Reyne also stops by dealer Jodie Roberts booth to hear about her finds of the week and the elusive “one that got away”.