750-lot sale opens with early Amphora and Midwestern American pottery

DENVER, Pa. – There’s nothing like a long-held, well-seasoned collection to jump-start a collecting niche that has gone quiet. Dan Morphy, CEO of Morphy Auctions, said he saw the positive effect for himself at two previous Morphy sales that included rare pieces of Amphora pottery from the renowned Les Cohen collection. He expects similar interest and continued strong results at his May 25, 2013 event. The Amphora selection set to open the company’s 750-lot Fine Art & General Antiques sale could very well make it a lucrative trifecta for consignors, Morphy said.

Amphora ceramic dragon vase, mint condition, impressed Amphora oval mark and Austria mark. An example is illustrated on Page 105 of The House of Amphora, by Richard Scott. Estimate $7,000-$9,000. Morphy Auctions image.

More than 150 pieces of Amphora – including several prized examples from the Cohen collection – lead the May 25 proceedings. Animal forms include a vase with opalescent frits and four cats’ heads in relief, est. $5,000-$8,000, and a dragon vase with realistic reptilian scaling on its convoluted tale, $7,000-$9,000.

A monumental Amphora Gres-Bijou vase in mint condition, its underside impressed with an Imperial crown and Amphora Austria mark, is very similar to an example illustrated on Page 251 of Monsters and Maidens, Collectors Edition by Byron Vreeland. It could reach $8,000-$10,000 in the May 25 sale.

Markings are especially important to Amphora collectors, Dan Morphy said. Amphora pottery was produced by the Amphora Porcelain Works from 1910 to 1945 in the Turn-Teplitz region of Bohemia, now Trnovany in the Czech Republic. Because Bohemia was part of Austro-Hungary prior to World War I, examples produced there were marked “Austria.” Pieces made after the war are identified with a “Czechoslovakia” mark.

The Amphora selection will be followed by Zeck, Rookwood and Roseville pottery. Highlights include a Rookwood umbrella stand, Roseville Futura jardinière and pedestal, and Roseville 10in Sunflower vase. All three items carry individual estimates of $1,000-$1,500. Among the 85 lots of Breininger Pennsylvania pottery are a dog with basket, $400-$800; handled pitcher, $800-$1,200; and a Santa in sleigh pulled by reindeer, $400-$800.

Art glass lighting to be auctioned includes a Tiffany Studios 16in Daffodil lamp, $18,000-$25,000; a Handel with floral-design shade, $3,000-$4,000; and a Pairpoint lamp with reverse-on-glass shade and butterfly motif, $1,200-$1,500.

Many beautiful designs are seen in the 50-piece selection of art glass. A circa-1902 Loetz metallic red Phanomen Gre glass vase, signed “Loetz Austria” in the polished pontil, is the same form that appears on Page 1267 of the “Neue Gallerie” book. It is entered with an estimate of $3,500-$4,500. Other Loetz highlights include a 14in vase, $2,000-$3,000; and a 12in green glass vase, $2,000-$2,500. A art glass vase overlaid with silver is cataloged with a $3,000-$4,000 estimate, while a Daum Nancy “pillow” vase is expected to make $1,800-$2,500.

Monumental Amphora Gres-Bijou vase, mint condition, underside impressed Imperial crown and Amphora Austria mark. An example is illustrated on Page 251 of Monsters and Maidens, Collectors Edition, by Byron Vreeland. Estimate $8,000-$10,000. Morphy Auctions image.

The auction will then move into a more general offering of fine art, clocks, Americana and even several desirable violins. The top-estimated painting, at $5,000-$10,000, is Guy Wiggins’ signed oil on board titled Midtown Winter; while the upper end of the clock section is dominated by a Black Forest Eagle clock, $5,000-$10,000 and an American tall-case clock with moon dial, $5,000-$10,000.

The sale will conclude with 125 lots of coins representing the second consignment to come to Morphy’s from the Pennsylvania Treasury’s Bureau of Unclaimed Property. A lot comprised of 23 gold coins is estimated at $9,000-$11,000. Other coins expected to find favor with collectors are a Lincoln cent 1909-1940 set that includes key dates, $1,500-$2,000; a Lincoln cent 1941-1976 set with a 1955 double die, $1,500-$2,000; and a Walking Liberty half dollar set, $1,500-$2,500. Also part of the Treasury consignment are many rolls of silver dimes, half dollars and dollars.

The Saturday, May 25 auction will commence at 9 a.m. Eastern Time. Morphy Auctions’ gallery is located at 2000 N. Reading Rd., Denver, PA 17517. All forms of bidding will be available, including live via the Internet through Morphy Live or Artfact. View the fully illustrated catalog online at www.morphyauctions.com or www.artfact.com.

For additional information on any lot in the sale, to order a catalog or to organize a phone line, call 717-335-3435 or email serena@morphyauctions.com. Visit Morphy Auctions online at www.morphyauctions.com.

CLOSTER, N.J. – Since the beginning of commercial American railroading, trains have had a significant presence in New Jersey. Since the 1830s, hundreds of now-defunct companies operated on rail lines within the Garden State, although their landmark terminals are now long gone or, in some fortunate cases, protected as historic places. However, few in New Jersey knew of the existence of one bustling railway hub located in the city of Maywood in the 1930s and ’40s. It operated behind closed doors in the home of the late Ray Hoelz, whose “railway yard” was built to accommodate a superb collection of oversize scale-model trains.

GE model train locomotive and tender manufactured by Icken. Ray Hoelz estate collection. Sterling Associates image.

On Wednesday, April 24, Ray Hoelz’s remarkable assemblage of antique and pre-World War II trains, which he began collecting in 1936, will make its public debut as the headliner in Sterling Associates’ Spring Auction.

“This is an exceptional estate collection, unlike anything we’ve seen before,” said Sterling Associates’ owner, Steven D’Atri. “Although Ray Hoelz was an accountant and auditor by profession, he came from a family with close ties to the railroad. His father worked for the Erie Railroad, so that early exposure to trains undoubtedly inspired his interest in collecting toy versions of them. His emphasis seems to have been on acquiring very large, extremely well-detailed trains, which is what collectors love.” All pieces from the collection will be auctioned individually.

The collection consists of more than 60 “third rail” train engines and cars that were either commissioned, purchased, or hand-built by Ray Hoelz. All are extremely realistic, with even greater detail than one would see on expensive antique trains, D’Atri said.

“These are big trains. The Pullman cars are almost two feet long, and some have wooden floors. Even the seats and people in the cars are minutely detailed. The freight cars have the same sort of writing and brand logos you’d see on real trains,” D’Atri continued.

Most of the manufactured or custom-made trains were produced in the 1930s by such firms as Icken, Lobaugh, Westbrook and Miniature Locomotive Company. The majority are of metal, while a few were crafted of wood. The engines, chemical cars and many of the components were expertly machined from brass and steel.

Fine, decorative and Asian art, as well as estate jewelry and other antiques comprise the greater portion of the 500-lot auction. The 50-lot jewelry section is led by a sparkling 2-3/4 carat GIA-certified diamond and platinum engagement ring with matching wedding band. It is followed by various other jewelry designs and forms, mostly gold.

A wonderful array of bronzes includes 19th-century through contemporary works. Highlighting the group are a silvered Russian bronze after Lanceray titled “Don Cossacks Crossing the Balkans,” and a large hunting dog bronze by Auguste-Nicolas Cain (French, 1821-1894). The names of the dogs – Caron and Pompier – are branded in the ground. Also on offer is a well-executed life-size bronze torso by Greg Wyatt.

Among the paintings chosen for the sale are a George Morland (British, 1762-1804) oil-on-canvas winter landscape with horses, and an Italian masterpiece depicting the interior of a church with people. Both artworks are of “exceptional quality,” D’Atri said.

Sterling Associates is known for its ability to source fresh-to-market Asian art and antiques. The April 24 auction includes a varied selection of fresh works from an Asian collector in New Jersey who trusted his well-cultivated eye and always bought wisely. The consignment includes porcelains, including a pair of circa-1750 Chinese Qianlong famille rose vases, and a Chinese painting of a foggy mountain scape with calligraphy and seals on woven paper laid to silk.

An eclectic grouping of 19th- and 20th-century lighting and accessories will cross the auction block, as will a nicely blended offering of furniture from multiple sources. A top furniture piece is an American Renaissance Revival walnut cabinet attributed to Herter.

After Evgeny Alexandrovich Lanceray, Russian (1848-1886), ‘Don Cossacks Crossing The Balkans,’ silver over bronze. Sterling Associates image.

Diversity is evident in the assortment of items Stephen D’Atri has selected for his Spring Auction. At the fine-art end of the collecting spectrum there is an 1870s connoisseur’s book, French, with exquisitely engraved images and titled “Le Tresor Artistique de la Musee National de Louvre et Galerie d’Apollon,” Volume I. “A few years ago, Sotheby’s sold a similar book for $7,000-$8,000,” said D’Atri. “What makes this book especially unusual is its size – it’s two feet by 18 inches and probably 4 inches thick.”

On the vintage collectibles side, there are two Wurlitzer 1050 “bubbler” jukeboxes, and for the scientifically inclined, there’s an 1850s daguerreotype lens made by C.C. Harrison. It has a large brass cylinder encasing the lens and is marked with a serial number and the manufacturer’s name. “Photographic antiques are hot at the moment, and we already have multiple absentee bids on it. I think this lens is going to fly,” D’Atri said.

Sterling Associates’ Spring Auction will be held on Wednesday, April 24, 2013, starting at 5 p.m. Eastern Time. It is structured as a hybrid auction in which previewing is available at the physical gallery, but all bidding is exclusively absentee, by phone or live via the Internet through Artfact or LiveAuctioneers. The sale will be run exactly like a live auction, but without a live audience.

Gallery preview times are 10-5 on April 19 and 20; 10-7 on April 23, and 10-3 on auction day. The gallery is located at 70 Herbert Ave., Closter, NJ 07624. Inquiries: call 201-768-1140 or e-mail sterlingauction@optonline.net. Visit Sterling Associates online at www.antiquenj.com. View the fully illustrated catalog at www.LiveAuctioneers.com or www.Artfact.com.

40-year collection includes spectacular array of vintage firecrackers, pyrotechnic rarities

Grizzly Bear 50-pack firecrackers, manufactured by Tai Lee Hong. Mint condition. Est. $1,000-$1,500. Morphy Auctions image.

DENVER, Pa. – Fourth of July celebrations will begin early this year, with Morphy’s June 22-23 auction of the spectacular George Moyer collection of antique and vintage firecrackers.

Known and revered by “pyromaniacs” throughout the United States and abroad, Moyer’s 40-year collection consists of thousands of rare firecracker packs and label, salutes, consumer novelties, sparklers, caps and smaller tubed items. Additionally, there are posters, catalogs and salesmen’s sample boards, which were created to display products available to retailers in days gone by. One such catalog was published in the 19th century by Rochester Firework Co.

The entire, unpicked collection will be apportioned into more than 1,300 colorful lots, some containing multiple pieces. While the main focus of the collection is American-made fireworks, there are also items from England, India and Canada.

Moyer, who is a native and lifelong resident of Pottsville, Pa., owns an amusement machine company. “I made my fun my work,” he said with a laugh.

Balfour’s 40-pack firecrackers, manufactured by Balfour Guthrie & Co. Ltd., San Francisco. Mint condition. Est. $800-$1,200. Morphy Auctions image.

Moyer began collecting fireworks-related items at age 10. “I spotted a label on a pack where some boys were shooting off firecrackers. I picked it up and thought it was neat, so I started picking up more labels the same way, looking for them where kids were shooting them off,” he said.

In the early 1970s when Moyer acquired his first pack, there were no organized groups of collectors or publications devoted to the hobby. Collectors found each other through ads or would run into each other at general antique shows or toy shows, he said.

“Eventually we formed a little trading group, but it wasn’t till much later that there were collector club conventions,” said Moyer. “I would find things at antique shops, paper shows, through antique dealers, all sorts of methods. At yard sales I would always ask if they had any old firecrackers for sale. Of course, once the Internet became available, it opened up the whole hobby.”

Mercury 16-pack firecrackers, manufactured by Hing Cheong Yeung Hong, Portuguese Macau. Near-mint condition. Est. $500-$1,000. Morphy Auctions image.

Moyer’s interest in fireworks never waned. After completing high school and a stint in the military, he hooked up with a friend who had a professional fireworks company in New Jersey. Over the years, he has maintained his association with the company and is a licensed pyrotechnician who can legally set off fireworks at public events. “To this day, I still fire them off,” Moyer said.

Some of the earliest items contained in the Moyer collection are Chinese black-powder (gunpowder) firecrackers from the early 1800s. They are identifiable from their distinctive red labels with gold print. Black-powder firecrackers were phased out when flash crackers – which “blew up better” – were introduced, Moyer said.

The Moyer collection contains scores of rare labels that are sure to appeal to collectors. “I have many things in my collection that I believe most of my fellow collectors don’t even know exist,” said Moyer, who included selections from his personal stash in the beautiful full-color reference book he co-authored in 2000: Firecrackers – The Art & History.

Evergreen 16-pack firecracker. Est. $500-$1,000. Morphy Auctions image.

Among the rare packs and labels to be auctioned are titles including: Evergreen, Merry Go Round, Puppy, Ostrich, Gee Whiz, Marine Brand, Battleship, Fountain Brand and Tarzan. Especially appealing graphics are seen on Unexcelled Fireworks’ “Jester,” which depicts a court jester, “Round One,” whose label is illustrated with a gloved woman boxer seated in the corner of a boxing ring, and “Tally Ho,” a British production for the US market that shows a horse jumper with dog running alongside. Two Canadian highlights are “Ibex” (black powder), with the image of a mountain goat; and “Niagara,” which, as the name suggests, features an image of Niagara Falls.

Two other packs that are worthy of note are “Red Fox” and “Squirrel,” both manufactured by Wilfong Fireworks. Wilfong was a Texas company that made headlines in the early 1950s when its plant exploded and emitted a mushroom cloud that some locals mistook for an atomic bomb attack by the Soviets.

Tally Ho 32-pack firecrackers, manufactured by To Yiu. Est. $600-$800. Morphy Auctions image.

The collection includes three different types of Ft. McHenry salute boxes and a special display of firecrackers encased in glass so their distinctive wrapper designs are visible. A very rare and desirable box of Buck Rogers Disintegrators (salutes) is expected to attract crossover interest from space toy collectors. Its box cover is dominated by an illustration of the famous sci-fi hero brandishing a ray gun.

Moyer said his fellow collectors are going to be “very surprised” when they see one particular novelty slated for auction – a merry-go-round that, when lit and put into motion, spins around and concludes its performance with crackers firing off. Made by M. Backus & Sons of Wallingford, Ct., it is unused and in its original box – a rarity, said Moyer, because any fireworks item is “meant to be shot off; then it’s done.”

Buck Rogers firecrackers, 1937. Est. $300-$600. Morphy Auctions image.

Morphy Auctions CEO Dan Morphy said catalog pre-orders have been pouring in and that he expects a strong turnout of enthusiastic bidders for the June 22-23 auction.

“George Moyer is the world’s foremost collector of fireworks. He’s highly respected in the hobby,” Morphy said. “I’m sure bidders are going to go all out to try to win rare pieces from this remarkable 40-year collection, which is being offered at auction complete and unpicked. It’s one of a kind.”

Both the June 22 and 23 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. Note: Special conditions apply regarding the shipment of fireworks, which may not be sent through the US Postal Service. Further information about shipping of items in this sale will be posted soon on www.morphyauctions.com.

A printed catalog will be available the week of May 28, and a fully illustrated electronic catalog will appear online by May 18 at www.morphyauctions.com and www.liveauctioneers.com. For additional information, call 717-335-3435 or e-mail serena@morphyauctions.com. Visit Morphy Auctions online at www.morphyauctions.com.

NEW YORK, NY.- On 28 April 2012 Sotheby’s will present an offering of wine direct from two of the world’s most prestigious wine makers – Château Cheval Blanc and Château Yquem. The Cheval Blanc and Yquem 1892 – 2009 Direct From The Cellars…

Soda shop sign from Atlantic City’s glory days takes top-lot honors at $46K

Painted tin on wood sign advertising confections and beverages, 5ft. tall, top lot of the sale at $46,000. Noel Barrett Auctions image.

NEW HOPE, Pa. – Antique toy expert and Antiques Roadshow senior appraiser Noel Barrett hosted a Nov. 18-19 auction featuring clockwork toys and automata from the Frank Mohr collection. The sale also included early advertising signs and toys from the personal collection of Bill Powell, a Tennessee-based dealer known for his well-cultivated taste in antiques of many types.

The auction realized $1,187,000 (all prices quoted inclusive of 15% buyer’s premium), with Saturday’s sales exceeding the session’s total high estimate by a whopping 40%.

“It was like an old-fashioned sale in terms of turnout. It drew about the same size crowd we had in the very same hall 23 years ago, at our first auction in New Hope. You don’t see that sort of turnout nowadays, with so many people opting for the convenience of phone and Internet bidding. It was one heck of a crowd,” said Noel Barrett.

“The auction took us full circle in a number of ways. I was able to point to a poster in the sale and say, ‘I sold this 23 years ago, and now it’s come back to us,’” Barrett continued. “That’s what the Bill Powell collection represented – antique toys and signs that had been off the market for decades. It was very exciting to see such a full house. All of the major buyers turned out.”

The Automatic Foot Race, 1880s, William Britain & Sons (England), featuring two cloth-dressed figures that trot around a paper-litho metal cylinder, $18,400. Noel Barrett Auctions image.

Friday’s 386-lot toy session was dominated by a British toy, an 1880s William Britain “Automatic Foot Race.” The clockwork toy featuring two quaint, cloth-dressed figures that trot around a paper-litho metal cylinder crossed the finish line at $18,400, against an estimate of $5,000-$12,000. The buyer was an American participating by phone.

Another early Britains production that finished near the top of the toy session was a Don Quixote and the Windmill Parlour Game. The scarce toy featuring a painted-wood windmill with tin blades and an armor-clad rider on horseback even retained its original box lid. The game outpaced its estimate of $2,000-$3,000 to end its run at $8,625. A Britain’s Drinking Highlander automaton garnered an identical winning bid.

An unusual 19th-century pull toy of painted tin with cast-iron wheels featured a uniformed cadet figure pulling a platform topped by a maypole with circling boy and girl figures. It finished just above its high estimate at $12,650.

The Automatic Foot Race, 1880s, William Britain & Sons (England), featuring two cloth-dressed figures that trot around a paper-litho metal cylinder, $18,400. Noel Barrett Auctions image.

Another toy that found favor with bidders was a French horse-drawn tin omnibus floor toy emblazoned with “Compagnie Generale Des Omnibus” and a point of departure and destination sign reading “Gare d l’Est – Montrouge.” Very nicely detailed and carrying 12 painted composition passenger figures, it breezed past its $2,500-$4,500 estimate to settle at $11,500.

The auction’s overall top lot was an appealing painted tin-on-wood sign believed to have come from a shop on Atlantic City’s Boardwalk. It advertised “ice cream, fancy cake and all kinds of soft drinks,” the types of treats so popular with beachgoers both a century ago and today. The gold lettering and image of a mound of ice cream being served up on a silver utensil were remarkably clean, suggesting the sign had avoided exposure to harsh elements. Against an estimate of $8,000-$12,000, the sign was bid to $46,000.

19th-century, full-color wood sign advertising Chas. F. Wagner Furs, $26,450. Noel Barrett Auctions image.

A 19th-century, full-color wood sign advertising Chas. F. Wagner Furs featured a painted cartouche with the three-quarter image of a woman wearing an ermine-collared fur vest, her hands concealed in a fur muff. Against an estimate of $15,000-$18,000, the 58-inch-tall by 29-inch-wide sign achieved $26,450.

Both a J. F. Wiessner Lager painted-tin sign with the image of a foaming pint, and a “Glasses Fitted” optician trade with a suspended pair of oversize spectacles commanded individual prices of $12,650.

An elaborately detailed watchmaker’s trade sign shaped like a pocket watch with Roman numerals brought a surprising $11,500 – more than seven times its high estimate. But even Noel Barrett didn’t expect the intense interest in a painted-wood fishing lure trade sign replicating a speckled fish, estimated at $1,500-$2,500. “There were a lot of people on the phones for that sign, and one of them ended up being the buyer at $19,550,” Barrett said.

Painted-wood fishing lure trade sign replicating a speckled fish, $19,550. Noel Barrett Auctions image.

Sometimes the type of product being advertised on a sign can be just as important as the graphics. A case in point was the lithographed cardboard sign touting Hansen’s Auto Gauntlets and illustrated with the image of a liveried driver wearing a pair of the sturdy gloves. “Sometimes automotive items can be totally surprising, because the field is so strong. I had never seen this sign before, and it had a great image,” said Barrett, commenting on the winning bid of $9,775 (est. $400-$800).

Provenance played a role in the success of an “Allegiance to No Crown” oil painting from the Greg and Molly Caron patriotic Americana

Before the Pierce-Arrow automobile, there were Pierce Cycles, as seen in this 1898 poster, 86in. tall, $11,500. Noel Barrett Auctions image.

collection. The artwork with provenance from the legendary Bernard Barenholtz collection ignited a bidding battle amongst six phone competitors. The painting of a sailor holding an American Flag and Victory holding a laurel wreath above his head flew past its $2,500-$3,500 estimate to sell for $8,625.

While the packed room and bank of busy phones were the source of furious bidding on many lots, the Internet was a huge presence, as well, with 1,000 registered bidders taking part through LiveAuctioneers.com. In the end, online bidders accounted for 17% of the gross and 32% of the lots sold.

Noel Barrett will conduct his next sale on Nov. 16-17, 2012, the weekend before Thanksgiving. For additional information call 1-215-297-5109 or e-mail toys@noelbarrett.com. Visit Barrett’s website at www.noelbarrett.com.

Auction 6 December 2011 4PM
450 Park Avenue, New York

Viewing 22 November – 6 December
10am – 6pm 22 November –23 November
10am – 6pm 28 November – 5 December
10am – 4pm Tuesday 6 December

Fine Art Auction November 12th

19th/20th C. American & European Art, 11 a.m.

Post-War & Contemporary Art, 1 p.m.