AULDEN CELLARS-SOTHEBY’S SALE OF FINEST AND RAREST WINES BRINGS $2,867,397
New York, New York – Aulden Cellars-Sotheby’s September 20, 2008 sale of Finest and Rarest Wines achieved $2,867,397, well within presale expectations of $2.3/3.3 million*. The sale comprised 1,361 lots including wines from Bordeaux, Sauternes, Burgundy, Champagne, Rhône and California.
Jamie Ritchie, Head of Sotheby’s Wine department in North and South America, said, “Rare red Burgundies and mature Champagnes continued to bring very strong demand, selling above the high estimates and showing that there is continued demand for rare wine that comes with impeccable provenance. While we saw a small decrease in demand for Bordeaux and Californian wines, the overall sale performed extremely well and the wine market showed stability.”
The sale’s top lot was a twelve bottle assortment of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti 1990, which brought $30,250 and was followed by two twelve bottle lots of Château Latour 1982 recently removed from professional storage, which sold for $19,360 and $18,150. An impressive private collection of Rarest Burgundy and Landmark Bordeaux saw strong results, bringing $238,672, easily exceeding the high estimate of $173,550. The sale’s top price for a single-bottle lot was achieved by a Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Romanée Conti 1962, which fetched $13,310 against a presale estimate of $6/9,000.
Other highlights, with prices realized and presale estimates, included:
Champagne
3 magnums 1985 Salon le Mesnil — $10,285 (est. $3/5,000)
1 magnum 1961 Bollinger, RD — $4,538 (est. $2/3,000)
CHRISTIE’S NEWYORK TO PRESENT AN EXTRAORDINARY LINE-UP OF THREE EVENING SALES THIS COMING NOVEMBER
NOVEMBER 5: A DEDICATED EVENING SALE OF THE MODERN AGE: PROPERTY FROM THE HILLMAN FAMILY COLLECTION AND THE COLLECTION OF ALICE LAWRENCE
NOVEMBER 6: IMPRESSIONIST AND MODERN ART EVENING SALETO FEATURE EXTRAORDINARY WORKS BY MATISSE, CEZANNE, KANDINSKY, GIACOMETTI, PICASSO AND GRIS
NOVEMBER 12: POST-WAR AND CONTEMPORARY ART EVENING SALETO OFFER TOP SINGLE-OWNER COLLECTIONS WITH WORKS BY RICHTER, CALDER, PRINCE, MURAKAMI AND ROTHKO
New York-Christie’s today announced its November Evening Sales line-up with a remarkable array of single-owner collections and Impressionist, Modern, Post-War and Contemporary master works.
Marc Porter, President of Christie’s Americas, said: “Christie’s looks forward to a robust fall season for connoisseurs and collectors. Including our inaugural sale of The Modern Age containing two single-owner sales, our Evening sales will appeal to traditional collectors in pursuit of iconic works to complete their collections and to newer clients seeking a broad selection of the best quality works to consider as they build their collections.”
November 5: The Modern Age: Property from the Hillman Family Collection and the Collection of Alice Lawrence
The focus of many of the world’s most prestigious collections has been on the glorious output of the modern age and in a dedicated Evening Sale on November 5 Christie’s will celebrate two extraordinary American collections, which exemplify that spirit: Property from the Hillman FamilyCollection and the Collection of Alice Lawrence. Set as a landmark event and a true connoisseur’s sale, the Hillman Family Collection and the Collection of Alice Lawrence will offer an exceptional ensemble of key works including paintings, sculpture and decorative arts spanning a full century across Europe and America by history’s most emblematic artists. The November 5 sale brings together works by Edouard Manet, Paul Cézanne, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Pablo Picasso, Fernand Léger, Amedeo
Modigliani, Chaim Soutine, Giorgio De Chirico, René Magritte, Mark Rothko, Morris Louis, John Chamberlain, Milton Avery, and Arthur Dove with decorative works of art by Louis Comfort Tiffany and elegant design by Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann, Jean Dunand and Pierre Chareau. The combined total of the two collections is expected to be in the region of $130 million.
Guy Bennett, International Co-Head of Impressionist and Modern Art, said: “We have been fortunate this season to win two hugely significant estates, the Hillman and Lawrence Collections. Celebrating the birth of Modernism and its development over a century, the sale of The Modern Age provides a perfect season opener to Christie’s two weeks of auctions in New York.”
November 6: Impressionist and Modern Art Evening Sale
Christie’s various-owner Impressionist and Modern Evening Sale will follow The Modern Age, enticing the international collecting community with exceptional pictures and sculpture from the period’s seminal masters. An early highlight is an extremely rare and gloriously strident Expressionist masterpiece by Wassily Kandinsky, Studie zu Improvisation 3, 1910 (estimate: $15 to 20 million). Infused with Slavic mysticism, it offers Kandinsky’s distinct version of painterly modernism. Another early leading work is Juan Gris’s symphonic Livre, pipe et verre, 1915 (estimate: $12.5 to 18.5 million), steeped in Picasso’s influence but also representative of the younger artist’s distinctive voice. Following the spectacular prices achieved for Alberto Giacometti over the past few seasons, another fine example from the master’s prime Post-War period, Trois Hommes qui marchent I, 1948, will be offered in the auction (estimate: $14 to 18 million). The sale will also feature a strong group of sculptures by Henry Moore, and other notable paintings by Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, and Paul Cézanne.
November 12: Post-War and Contemporary Art Evening Sale
The Post-War and Contemporary Art Evening Sale will showcase an ensemble of master works originating from the most renowned private collections to appear on the market in recent years. Significant examples by Post-War masters will be offered alongside highly sought-after works by contemporary stars of this decade.
Robert Manley, Head of Post-War and Contemporary Art in New York commented: “Christie’s has succeeded in securing works from a number of exceptional private collections for our upcoming November Evening Sale of Post-War and Contemporary Art. In addition to the Hillman and Lawrence Collections, we are proud to include Property from the Collection of Robert and Jean Shoenberg as well as a superb private collection of Master Drawings of American Post-War art in the November 12 Evening Sale. The Collections include a number of fresh and extraordinary works that will be enthusiastically embraced by both seasoned and new collectors.”
On the heels of a world record price established for Gerhard Richter last season, Christie’s will offer a masterpiece of abstraction by Richter, Abstraktes Bild (710), 1989, (estimate on request). The sale also contains an important, rare and early Alexander Calder Constellation, c. 1943 (estimate: $3 to 4 million). Among the highlights of Property from the Collection of Robert and Jean Shoenberg are a lyrical oil on paper Composition, 1958 by Mark Rothko (estimate: $4 to 6), and a master work by Ellsworth Kelly, Green and White, 1961 (estimate: $2.5 to 3.5 million). A superlative grouping of Master Drawings of American Post-War Art from an Important Private Collection will also be offered, featuring drawings by Arshile Gorky, Agnes Martin, and Barnett Newman, and Willem de Kooning that beautifully illustrate the power of drawing as an optimum portal through which to apprehend the sweeping innovations of Post-War American art. Richard Prince is represented by his LakeResort Nurse, 2003 (estimate: $5 to 7 million) from his series based on pulp novel nurses, and a fantastic sculpture by Takashi Murakami DOB in the Strange Forest, 1999 (estimate: $5 to 7 million) will also be offered in the sale.
About Christie’s
Christie’s is the world’s leading art business with global art sales in 2007 that totaled £3.1 billion/$6.3 billion. This marks the highest total in company and in art auction history. For the first half of 2008, art sales totaled £1.8 million / $3.5 billion. Christie’s is a name and place that speaks of extraordinary art, unparalleled service and expertise, as well as international glamour. Founded in 1766 by James Christie, Christie’s conducted the greatest auctions of the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, and today remains a popular showcase for the unique and the beautiful. Christie’s offers over 600 sales annually in over 80 categories, including all areas of fine and decorative arts, jewellery, photographs, collectibles, wine, and more. Prices range from $200 to over $80 million. Christie’s has 85 offices in 43 countries and 14 salerooms around the world including in London, New York, Los Angeles, Paris, Geneva, Milan, Amsterdam, Tel Aviv, Dubai, Hong Kong and Zurich. Most recently, Christie’s has led the market with expanded initiatives in emerging and new markets such as Russia, China, India and the United Arab Emirates, with successful sales and exhibitions in Beijing, Mumbai and Dubai.
59 Prints From The Fred Jahn Gallery by Contemporary Artists Franz Hitzler, Barry Le Va, Fred Sandback, Rudi Troger, and Hermann Nitsch To Further Strengthen Museum’s Print Collection of 50,000 works
Jerusalem – The Israel Museum, Jerusalem, announces the receipt of an important gift of 59 prints for its Department of Prints and Drawings. The prints, by five contemporary artists, were donated by the Fred Jahn Gallery in Munich, which concentrates in contemporary art. The artists include Austrian Herman Nitsch (ten lithographs), Americans Fred Sandback (22 lithographs) and Barry Le Va, (four lithographs, three diptych lithographs and three woodcuts), as well as work by Germans Rudi Tröger and Franz Hitzler. The addition of these prints to the department’s collection is of great importance, as these significant artists were not represented until now in the department’s sizeable collection of over 50,000 works.
The artists
Franz Hitzler, born in Thalmassing, Bavaria, in 1946, is a unique phenomenon in contemporary art. He creates a new kind of figurative art using the graphic print as a means of defining personal statements.
Born in Long Beach, California, in 1941, Barry Le Va uses the floor as his field of operation and scatters about large amounts of materials and forms, including drawings. His lithography work, beginning in 1990, grew out of his work in sculpture.
Fred Sandback, born in Bronxville, New York, in 1943, created works that are minimal and literal prior to his untimely death at the age of 59 in 2003. The prints are part the series Twenty-Two Constructions from 1967.
Born in 1929 in Marktleuthen, Franconia, Rudi Troger creates prints that are characterized by an eccentric linear style, reminiscent of Alberto Giacometti.
Hermann Nitsch, born in Vienna in 1938, is known for his experimental and multimedia works, as well as performance art. He is associated with the Vienna Actionists, and, like them, considers his art outside traditional categories of genre.
The Department of Prints and Drawings at the Israel Museum
The Department of Prints and Drawings is one of the Israel Museum’s most esteemed collections and is comprised of some 50,000 drawings, prints, and illustrated books from the sixteenth century to the present, with particular emphasis on Israeli art. Among the artists represented are a wide range of European and American artists including Marc Chagall, Eugène Delacroix, Albrecht Dürer, Francisco Goya, Wassily Kandinsky, Parmigianino, Pablo Picasso and Rembrandt; contemporary artists such as Jasper Johns, Susan Rothenberg and Kiki Smith; and Israeli artists as Moshe Kupferman, Yaacov Pins, Jakob Steinhardt and Calman Shemi.
Highlights of the collection include:
The Vera and Arturo Schwarz Collection of Dada and Surrealist Art:some 2,400 works on paper, illustrated books, periodicals, pamphlets, documents and letters, some of them extremely rare, making the Israel Museum an international center for the study of these two seminal art movements
The Norman Bier Section for Maps of the Holy Land: antique maps from the most important schools of mapmaking from the fifteenth century on, including Bibles, religious texts and cosmographies, in which many of the maps were printed for the first time
The Fred Jahn Gallery
After ten years of collaboration with the Heiner Friedrich Gallery in Munich, Fred Jahn opened his own gallery in 1979 with a program of art from the second half of the 20th century. The Fred Jahn Gallery has primarily focused on the work of the “new” German painters, such as Georg Baselitz, Markus Lüpertz and Gerhard Richter, as well as American artists working in minimal and post-minimal art, such as Barry Le Va and Fred Sandback, and painters Carroll Dunham and Terry Winters. Currently the gallery deals mainly with works on paper.
The Israel Museum, Jerusalem
The Israel Museum is the largest cultural institution in the State of Israel and is ranked among the leading art and archaeology museums in the world. Founded in 1965, the Museum houses encyclopaedic collections ranging from prehistory through contemporary art. They include the most extensive holdings of Biblical and Holy Land archaeology in the world, among them the Dead Sea Scrolls. In just over forty years, the Museum has built a far-ranging collection of nearly 500,000 objects through an unparalleled legacy of gifts and support from its circle of patrons worldwide. It has established itself as an internationally valued institution and a singularly rich cultural resource for Israel, the Middle East, and the world.
Important Chinese Snuff Bottles from the J&J Collection, Part V
Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art
Masterworks of Ancient and Imperial China
New York – Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Sale nos: 2026, 2027, 2238 – Top Ten
[All sold prices include buyer's premium]
Sold:
$19,342,550
£10,808,907
€13,607,135
Lots Sold: 354
Lots Offered: 560
Sold by Lot: 63%
Sold by $: 65%
Exchange Rate: £ = $1.79 / € = $1.42
Lot
Description
Estimate ($)
Purchase Price
Buyer
245
A Very Rare Early Ming Tianbai-Glazed Anhua-Decorated Meiping, Yongle Period (1403-1425)
World Auction Record for a Ming monochrome porcelain
600,000-
800,000
$2,770,500
£1,548,196
€1,948,996
Chak’s Company Ltd.
480
A Rare Yellow-Ground Green-Enameled ‘Dragon’ Vase, Qianlong Incised Six-Character Seal mark and of the Period (1736-1795)
600,000-
800,000
$1,762,500
£984,911
€1,239,887
Eskenazi Ltd.
570
A Rare and Important Sandstone Head of Buddha, Northern Qi Dynasty (550-577) Cave 10, Tianlongshan Caves, Shanxi Province
200,000-
300,000
$866,500
£484,213
€ 609,567
Chinese Private
329
A Rare Large Well-Carved Pale Greenish-White Jade Brushpot, Bitong, Qianlong Period (1736-1795)
40,000-
60,000
$818,500
£457,390
€ 575,800
Asian Private
583
An Outstanding Cizhou Green-Glazed Painted Baluster Vase, Song/Jin Dynasty, 12th Century
600,000-
800,000
$722,500
£403,743
€ 508,265
Eskenazi Ltd.
554
A Very Rare Small Bronze Ritual Wine Vessel and Cover, Fanglei, Late Shang Dynasty, 11th Century BC
200,000-
300,000
$722,500
£403,743
€ 508,265
Asian Trade
87
A Fine and Very Rare Famille Rose Enameled Double-Gourd-Shaped Glass Snuff Bottle, Imperial, Palace Workshops, Beijing, Qianlong Four-Character Mark in Blue Enamel and of the Period, 1736-1780
Palace wo
350,000-
400,000
$422,500
£236,099
€ 297,221
Asian Trade
484
A Rare Eel-Skin-Glazed Petal-Molded Tripod Bulb Bowl, Yongzheng Four-Character Impressed Seal Mark and of the Period (1723-1735)
80,000-
100,000
$350,500
£195,864
€246,570
Xiling Group LLC
259
A Famille Rose Graviata- Lime Green Ground Rectangular Box and Cover, Qianglong Six-Character Seal Mark in Iron Red in a Line and of the Period (1736-1795)
10,000-
15,000
$278,500
£155,629
€195,919
Asian Private
579
An Important and Very Rare Large Guilt-Copper Dragon Plaque, Liao Dynasty (907-1125)
250,000-
350,000
$272,500
£152,277
€191,698
European Private
Tina Zonars, International Director, Chinese Works of Art and Joe-Hynn Yang, Head of Department, Chinese Works of Art, New York: “We are pleased with the results of the three Chinese works of art sales today, with a combined total $19.3 million. They illustrate the continuing strength of the market. Among the stronger collecting fields were snuff bottles, white jade carvings, imperial ceramics – all Chinese-taste categories. Archaic bronzes, too, were robust and saw a new and lively participation from Chinese buyers. Bidding was enthusiastic in the room, on the telephones, and on Christie’s LIVETM. The top lot of the day was the superb early Ming white glazed vase, meiping, from the Ping Y. Tai Foundation, which achieved a world auction record for a Ming monochrome porcelain at $2,770,500. We look forward to the continuing sales of Property from the Ping Y. Tai Foundation, including important classical Chinese paintings and the magnificent imperial famille rose “butterfly” vase at Christie’s Hong Kong on December 2nd and 3rd.”
OIL ON CANVAS RENDERING OF THE ARCHANGEL URIEL, DONE AROUND 1700 BY AN ARTIST IN THE SPANISH COLONIAL SCHOOL, BRINGS $14,375 AT LELAND LITTLE SALE
(Hillsborough, N.C.) – An oil on canvas rendering of the Archangel Uriel holding a musket and standing before a mountainous landscape, painted around 1700 by an unknown artist in the Spanish Colonial School, sold for $14,375 at a multi-estate sale held September 13 by Leland Little Auction & Estate Sales, Ltd. The painting was one of 615 lots that changed hands in a sale that grossed $690,000.
Most of the lots were drawn from seven important and prominent estates and lifetime single-owner collections. The Archangel Uriel painting came from the estate of former U.S. Ambassador Findley Burns, Jr., of Southern Pines, N.C. “Mr. Burns and his wife only collected choice, worldwide material,” said Leland Little. “It didn’t surprise me his estate drew so much attention from bidders.”
And there were plenty of bidders vying for the largely fresh-to-the-market merchandise. About 250 people packed the showroom in Hillsborough, while record numbers of phone and absentee bids – nearly 1,000, vs. the usual 750 at most Leland Little sales – were posted. In addition, more than 1,400 online registered bidders participated through LiveAuctioneers.com, which facilitated Internet bidding.
Following are additional highlights from the sale. Prices include a 15 percent buyer’s premium.
The top lot of the auction was a Regina automatic disc changer 27-inch music box (circa 1900) that soared to $18,400. The two-door cabinet boasted a carved dragon grille on the upper door and an interior lithograph depicted the Goddess of Music. Included were 20 discs. Another music box – a Criterion double-comb example on a stand, with mahogany case and 40 discs (circa 1900) — hit $5,060.
Fine art did well. An oil on canvas painting of a forest interior by the New York artist Jervis McEntee (1828-1891), signed and dated (1864), coasted to $12,650; an oil on canvas work by Jerry Okimoto (Hawaii/New York, 1924-1998), titled Beneath the Sea, made $6,612; and an oil on canvas work by the French artist Francoise Gall (1912-1987), titled Plage Deauville, hammered for $4,370.
Silver pieces were in abundance. Paddles wagged over a Tiffany & Company sterling Japanese pitcher with a beautiful hand-hammered finish (circa 1873-1891) that finally gaveled for $13,225; a hand-wrought American silver sauce boat by New York silversmith Samuel Tingley (circa 1770) earned $4,600; and a Gorham sterling silver soup tureen with cover in the Neoclassical style fetched $3,910.
Also from the category: a French silver wine taster, made in the late 18th century and inscribed “Tour a Tour,” climbed to $3,105; a Warsaw silver sugar box with Russian marks (circa 1857), in a rectangular form with hinged lid raised on four ball feet, garnered $1,840; and an Alabama coin silver mug by James Conning (circa 1842-1872), cylindrical form with cast and applied handle, made $1,495.
From the furniture group, a pair of 18th-century English George II walnut side chairs hit the mark at $9,200; an American Late Federal tiger maple sideboard made in the first half of the 19th century rose to $4,830; and two stools by Wharton Esherick (Penn., 1887-1970) – one with a cherry seat and ash legs, the other with a walnut seat and ash legs, both made in 1966 – went for $5,750 each.
Americana examples pumped up the crowd. An important historic sampler, executed in 1828 by Louisa Gash of Buncombe County, N.C., worked on linen in wool embroidery floss, sold for $9,200; an early American painted leather fire bucket dated 1785, owned by the Baker family of Hingham, Mass., reached $6,325; and a vintage Iroquois wooden face mask with a split leather strap on back hit $9,775.
Civil War and militaria enthusiasts were not disappointed. An Italian Renaissance steel armor front plate, fashioned around 1580, went to a determined bidder for $6,612; a Confederate D-Guard Bowie knife, with iron guard and blade and carried during the War Between the States, achieved $5,520; and a sixth-plate ambrotype of a youthful Confederate officer (circa 1860) chalked up $2,645.
Polychrome figures were in evidence. A pair of polychrome Santos figures, depicting Mary and Joseph, likely Spanish Colonial and executed in the 18th century, rang out at $4,600; a carved polychrome reclining horse, also likely Spanish Colonial from the 18th century, hit the mark at $4,312; and an 18th-century polychrome and gilt wooden winged Triton holding a branch aloft made $4,140.
From the books and maps group, a rare Italian book by Alfonso Isacchi, published in 1619 and one of only a few examples known, soared to $3,335; a map by John Speed titled A New Description ofCarolina (London: Bassett & Chiswell, 1676), depicting the area from Delaware to Florida, brought $2,760; and another map by Speed, A Map of Virginia and Maryland (London, 1676), made $2,645.
Clocks chimed right on time. A Reed & Barton Chelsea ship’s clock, made in the early 20th century and with a hinged gilt brass case and an engraved and enameled steel dial, found a new owner for $4,830; and an antique sub-miniature Swiss carriage clock (circa 1900), with an enameled porcelain dial, exquisite gold-toned grand sonnerie movement and guilloche starburst pattern on top, hit $2,875.
Jewelry brought handsome prices. An 18kt Andrew Grima diamond and adamite brooch, with beautiful composition by a celebrated artist and juxtaposing diamonds, gold and crystal, rose to $4,485; an 18kt Greek hinged lion’s head bracelet, a gorgeous reproduction of a 4th-century B.C. piece, fetched $2,185; and a 16-inch Carolyn Morris Bach pearl and silver necklace, artist signed, gaveled for $1,840.
A Byzantine marble column capital from Kerak, Jordan, with a custom-fitted wooden base, crossed the block at $5,750; a large antique Chinese wooden Buddha (circa 19th century), with an ornately carved pierced arch back behind the figure and heavy gilt with red lacquer field on the robe, topped out at $5,175; and a beautiful pair of French ormolu cassolettes (circa 1800) reached $3,680.
An antique Japanese Mu-Mei Katana Samurai sword, possibly from the 15th century, unsigned, changed hands for $2,070; a large Chinese medium-blue porcelain vase from the 19th century, unsigned and exhibiting excellent form, achieved $3,795; and (speaking of China) a 97-piece Copeland Spode china set in the Blue Fitzhugh pattern, with 12 dinner plates and 12 lunch plates, reached $2,530.
Rounding out the top lots of the day, an alkaline glazed stoneware five-gallon storage jar by North Carolina potter James Franklin Seagle, stamped with the most unusual Roman numeral “V” and stamped with the maker’s initials, realized $5,635; and an antique Kazak area rug, six feet by four feet, made in Southwest Caucasus around 1870 and with a wool base and hooked medallions, made $3,105.
Leland Little Auction & Estate Sales, Ltd., has quarterly cataloged auctions planned for December 6-7, 2008, and March 21, 2009. Watch the website for more details: www.LLauctions.com The firm is always accepting quality consignments for future sales. To consign an item, an estate or a collection, you may call them directly, at (919) 644-1243. Or, e-mail them, at info@LLauctions.com.
Scienceworks will celebrate a significant moment in the history of science and technology – the centenary of the first Model T Ford – with a special vintage machinery day on Sunday 12 October.
The highlight of this special Machines in Action Day will be Museum Victoria’s recently restored Quadricycle. The Quadricycle, which was donated to the Museum in 1970, is a replica of Henry Ford’s first car and was the predecessor of the Model T Ford. The Quadricycle has recently been restored to its former fully operational glory and will feature in a parade of vintage machinery.
Other highlights of the parade include the Cowley Steam Traction Engine, the only working Australian made traction engine in the world. The Cowley Steam Traction engine was acquired by Museum Victoria in 1985 and is one of the most significant surviving relics of the Australian steam age. Other marvellous machines in the parade include the Chamberlain Tractor, the K.L Bulldog Tractor, the Cowley Steam Roller and the McDonald Footpath Roller.
“The Machines in Action Day is a fantastic opportunity for visitors to see heritage steam engines and agricultural machinery at work,” explains David Crotty, Museum Victoria’s Engineering Curator. “Our Quadricycle replica is one of the most authentic copies of Henry Ford’s first car, originally built in 1896. The replica hasn’t run in over 30 years and it’s great that we can now put it on show for visitors.”
The first Model T Ford was built for sale in 1908. It was the world’s first low-priced, mass-produced automobile with standard, interchangeable parts. Priced at US$825, it was considered a bargain when compared with other cars, and Ford continued to steadily lower its price, thanks to manufacturing efficiencies.
Throughout the month of October a Model T Ford display will be on show in the Scienceworks foyer. The display will include information about Model T, Museum Victoria’s quadricycle on display as well as images of the history of the Model T Ford.
Each year Scienceworks presents three Machines in Action Days, featuring examples of classic machinery of yesteryear. This year, visitors can also take free train rides on model steam trains provided by the Springvale Live Steamers. Several Model T Ford’s will be on display throughout the day courtesy of the Model T Ford Club.
The Machines in Action Day will be from 10am – 4.30pm on Sunday 12 October 2009.
Scienceworks is at 2 Booker Street, Spotswood. Melway 56, B1.
Entry to the Machines in Action Day is included in general Scienceworks entry:
Innovative Lunder Conservation Center Receives Prestigious Keck Award
International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works Gives Keck Award to the SAAM and NPG Conservation Lab
Washington, DC- Today, the International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works awarded the prestigious Keck Award to the
LunderConservationCenter, which is jointly administered by the
SmithsonianAmericanArt Museum and the National Portrait Gallery.
Julie Heath, the
LunderConservationCenter coordinator, accepted the award on behalf of the two museums at the 2008 International Institute for Conservation Congress in London.
The
LunderConservationCenter, which opened July 2006, is the first art conservation facility in the United States that allows visitors to the museums permanent, behind-the-scenes views of crucial preservation work. Five conservation labs are visible through floor-to-ceiling glass walls, which allow the public to see all aspects of conservation work that traditionally takes place out of view at other museums and conservation centers. The 10,200-square-foot center includes laboratories and studios equipped to treat paintings, prints, drawings, photographs, sculptures, folk art objects, decorative arts and frames.
“It has been a joy to see visitors appreciate the essential work that our conservators are doing to preserve the nation’s cultural heritage, and to see our conservators’ profound commitment to sharing what they do with the public,” said Elizabeth Broun, The Margaret and Terry Stent Director of the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
“It is a great honor to have the
LunderConservationCenter recognized with the Keck Award,” said Martin E. Sullivan, director of the National Portrait Gallery. “Offering the public the opportunity to view the labs gives our museums great teachable moments where we have a chance to show how we treat and conserve our nation’s treasures.”
The center is a destination for learning about conservation and modern techniques that conservators use to examine and treat artworks. Conservators from across the United States advised on its educational components. Public outreach and interpretive programs-from weekly behind-the-scenes tours to specialized lectures-are offered to students, families, the general public and conservation professionals. Interactive kiosks and special displays make it easy for visitors to learn about the importance of conservation and show how to take an active role in caring for public art and monuments, as well as how to care for personal treasures at home. Each lab and studio is introduced by a kiosk that includes specific information about the types of treatments performed in each area with video clips and photographs of before-and-after treatments. A 40-foot media wall features 16 experts, with brief video clips exploring special conservation projects and career experiences. Extended interviews with 22 experts, along with many other educational resources, are available at lunderconservation.si.edu.
The Keck Award, established in 1994, is presented every two years at the International Institute for Conservation Congress to the individual or group who has, in the opinion of the Institute’s council, contributed most toward promoting public understanding and appreciation of the accomplishments of the conservation profession. The Institute, an independent international organization, serves as a forum for communication among professionals who aim to provide the highest possible level of care for the world’s cultural heritage. In 2000, the
SmithsonianAmericanArt Museum received the Keck Award for its program “SOS! Save Outdoor Sculpture,” which is sponsored jointly with Heritage Preservation.
The National Historic Landmark building that houses the museums and the
LunderConservationCenter is located at Eighth and F streets N.W., in the heart of a revitalized downtown arts district in
Washington, D.C. Hours are from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Admission is free. Metrorail station:
Gallery Place
Chinatown (Red, Yellow and Green lines). Smithsonian Information: (202) 633-1000; (202) 633-5285 (TTY). Web site: lunderconservationcenter.si.edu.
THREE ORIGINAL CHARLES SCHULZ PEANUTS PAGES HAMMER FOR A COMBINED $110,740 AT PHILIP WEISS AUCTIONS’ MULTI-ESTATE SALE HELD SEPTEMBER 13-14
(Oceanside, N.Y.) – An original “Peanuts” Sunday page, rendered in pen and ink in May 1953 by the late comic illustrator Charles Schulz, soared to $67,800 at a multi-estate sale held Sept. 13-14 by Philip Weiss Auctions. The eight-panel strip showed Charlie Brown and Snoopy playing fetch. In addition, two daily “Peanuts” strips sold for $21,470 each, bringing the three-strip total to $110,740.
“All things considered, this sale was way better than I expected, with lots of surprises along the way,” said Philip Weiss. “Toy trains, comic books and animation art, in particular, did very well.” By the time the last gavel fell, about 1,300 lots had changed hands, in a sale that grossed over $500,000. Around 300 people attended the event in person, while more than 2,500 others registered to bid online.
Phone bids and absentee bids were very active. A bank of five phones rang constantly during the weekend, with all three “Peanuts” strips selling to phone bidders. Mr. Weiss said he fielded about 5,400 absentee bids – 2,600 on his website (prwauctions.com) and 2,800 on eBayLive/LiveAuctioneers.com, which facilitated online bidding. “I didn’t expect this level of activity,” he said. “It was very exciting.”
The Saturday session, Sept. 13, kicked off with about 500 lots of toys, trains and toy soldiers. That was followed by Part 2 of the B.L. “Phil” Philips Collection (mostly battery-ops). Mr. Philips was a collector of rare, collectible robots and space toys. The day also featured a single-owner toy truck collection. The next day was dedicated to comics, comic art, original cover art and sports memorabilia.
Following are additional highlights from the sale. All prices include a 13% buyer’s premium.
Original cover art for Batman #173 (August 1965), drawn in pen and ink by the noted illustrator Carmine Infantino, realized $38,420. The DC cover measured 14 inches x 19-3/4 inches. The story line was identified in the lower right, “Secret Identities For Sale!” The piece was not without its problems; brown staining, moisture stains and a torn center paste-up kept the final price from being even higher.
An original New York Yankees usher’s uniform, worn at Yankee Stadium in the 1940s or ’50s by the owner (a Mr. J. O’Brien), climbed to $8,190. Included were the original jacket, pants and size 6-3/4 hat, marked “Caleb V. Smith & Son.” The jacket boasted a large blue Yankees patch. The pants still had the original tag, marked “All Bilt Uniforms, Fulton St., New York.” All three pieces had some soiling.
An Ives Railway standard gauge lot – comprising a locomotive, tender (broken) and four cars – rolled away for $7,625. All of the pieces showed overall wear, and the engine and cars appeared to have repainted areas. Also, an original “Alice in Wonderland” model sheet from the classic 1951 Walt Disney film, brought $7,062. The framed sheet showing Alice came with a certificate of authenticity.
A 19th-century presentation rosewood baseball bat, with a silver engraved circular plaque, was a hit at $4,180. The bat, about 34-3/4 inches long, had been presented in 1888 to the John J. Dunn Base Ball Club for winning the Gillooly Association title. Also, a Coca-Cola Vendorlator VMC upright ten-cent vending machine, 57 inches tall, with the original key and in fine operating condition, hit $2,145.
A boxed, battery-operated Bear the Magician toy, made by Yonezawa of Japan, earned $3,390. The toy was tested and all functions came up positive. The only flaw was an original box with some light edge and corner wear. Otherwise, a great collectible toy. Also, a rare Tonka pressed steel toy truck, made in the 1950s as a company piece and never actually retailed in stores, changed hands for $3,160.
Philip Weiss Auctions has a packed schedule from now through the end of the year. September concludes with a huge stamp and coin auction on Saturday, Sept. 27, beginning with Part 3 of The Newport Stamp Collection. Then, a three-day sale slated for October 24-26 will feature toys, dolls, rock ‘n’ roll and Hollywood memorabilia, circus material, rare books and more “Peanuts” comic art.
November, however, may hold the blockbuster event of the year, with a date and time yet to be announced. Highlights will include the Holy Grail of sports cards – a T-206 Honus Wagner baseball card, graded SGC 3 – from the original owner; an original owner collection of about 450 T-206 cards, including a Demmitt error; and a pair of full-sized Egyptian bronzes by Picault, 28 inches tall each.
Also to be offered in November: a letter from Frank Lloyd Wright to the Board of Directors at the Guggenheim Museum, critical of the pending museum’s design; a rare and beautiful Louis Vuitton trunk; bats signed by Babe Ruth; a bat signed by Ruth and Lou Gehrig; a 1927 Babe Ruth signed ball; a Yankee signed ball with Ruth and Gehrig; and an archive of letters written by baseball legend Ty Cobb.
Also secured for the November sale: three Schulz “Peanuts” dailies; two “Prince Valiant” pages (one by Foster, the other by Murphy); a Herrimann “Krazy Kat” daily; a Sullivan “Felix the Cat” Sunday page; a 1930 “Popeye” daily by Segar; a hoard of ’50s comics, including “Superman” and “World’s Finest” splash pages; a Jack Kirby “Avengers” page; and a “Famous Funnies” #1 comic book.
Returning for a moment to the September 27 sale, presented will be an outstanding group of scarce and valuable U.S. Plate Block stamps, including #24 1-cent Type V; many 1881 issues to the 10-cent in Plate Blocks of ten and twelve; 90-cent (#229) and 50-cent (#260) Orange Plate Blocks of twelve; a pair of 1907 St. Gaudens $20 gold coins in high relief; and a huge medical stamp collection.
Other featured stamps will include a #277 $2 Madison; Columbians in Plate Blocks of eight to the 50-cent; Trans-Mississippi in Plate Blocks of four to the 50-cent; a Pan Americans complete set; 2-cent Lincoln blue paper; a Pan-Pacific complete set; Washington-Franklins, to include #’s 342, 500, 523, 524, 534B, 547 and 573; Parcel Posts to the 20-cent; a complete set of Duck stamps; and more.
The October 24-26 sale will include a General Pershing jacket; a collection of John Hershey books and signed material; toy soldiers, including Mignot; and a huge collection of Hollywood photos. In December, yet another big sale will be held. Already secured is the ice cream and soda fountain collection of Ken Allisburg, featuring dispensers, store fixtures, trays, signs and other advertising.
Philip Weiss Auctions conducts its sales in a spacious showroom facility, located at #1 Neil Court, In Oceanside, N.Y. (on Long Island). The firm is always accepting quality consignments for future sales. To consign an item, estate or collection, you may call them directly, at (516) 594-0731, or e-mail them at phil@prwauctions.com. To learn more about the firm, click on www.prwauctions.com.
RECENT DISCOVERIES AND IMPORTANT WORKS LEAD CHRISTIE’S FALL AMERICANASALE
Important American Furniture, Folk Art, Maritime Art and Prints
New York- On September 25, Christie’s New York will hold the sale of Important American Furniture, Folk Art, Maritime Art and Prints. A magnificent high chest that descended in Philadelphia’sBiddle-Drinker family and an exceptionally bold and dynamic example of Edward Hicks’s renowned Peaceable Kingdom series highlight the sale.
Two eighteenth-century high chests are magnificent survivals of eighteenth-century craftsmanship. Made in Philadelphia and Newport, each is a powerful representation of colonial America’s distinct regional preferences and each is a recent discovery in the field of American furniture. With its bold and meticulously carved ornament, the Biddle-Drinker family high chest illustrates the epitome Philadelphia design and the masterful artistry of its makers, the carver Nicholas Bernard and the cabinetmakers, Henry Cliffton and Thomas Carteret. An important addition to the known oeuvre of this triumvirate of woodworkers, this high chest also stands as a critical document of the development of the form in Philadelphia during the 1750s and early 1760s. Embellished with exquisitely carved details, the high chest displays a rare combination of artistic splendor, impeccable craftsmanship, pristine condition and historical importance. Its eighteenth-century finish has been left undisturbed and reveals the original full height and depth of the bolding rendered carving on the shell drawers, cartouche, rosettes and legs.
With an emphasis on curvilinear lines and restrained carving, a second high chest embraces the Newport aesthetic and provides a dramatic contrast to the Philadelphia example (estimate: $100,000-150,000). A previously unknown work, the high chest displays construction details that support an attribution to Christopher Townsend, one of the two founders of the famous Townsend-Goddard dynasty of cabinetmakers that dominated the Newport furniture trade during the eighteenth century. Adorned with slender cabriole legs, pad feet and an innovative carved shell, the high chest is an early manifestation of the celebrated shell-carved furniture of Newport.
This masterful version of Peaceable Kingdom from the distinguished collection of J. Irwin and Xenia S. Miller leads the folk art section of the sale (estimate: $4-6 million). Hicks painted more than sixty five versions of PeaceableKingdomfrom about 1818 until his death in 1844. His desire to paint as a vocation was shunned by the Quaker society, and these paintings served as painted sermons-a reconciliation of his religious fervor and his artistic talent. The paintings were often given as gifts, if not expressly painted for friends, neighbors and relatives. Executed at the height of his career, this powerful composition embraces the parable of Isaiah in a magnificent scale and full imagery.
Descending directly through the family of the two sitters, the Portrait ofJohn and Hannah Maria Pickett is an exciting discovery and addition to Ruth Whittier and Dr. Samuel Addison Shute’s body of work (estimate: $120,000-180,000). This rare depiction is one of only three double portraits of children by the Shutes known to exist. This painting evokes a particular sensitivity characteristic of the Shutes’ portraits of children. Other highlights include The Paddle Steamboat RipVan Winkle by J. and J. Bard, The Steamboat Daniel S. Miller by John Bard, The Screw Tug Ivanhoe by Antonio Jacobsen, and other distinctive examples of Americana.
The sale also includes an extremely rare “Monhegan Island” style Redbreasted Merganser Drake, circa 1900, by Augustus Aaron Wilson (estimate: $100,000-150,000). This decoy is one of three known from a specific rig, which was purchased from a fish shack in Cape Porpoise, Maine. A rigmate to this decoy has been described as one of Wilson’s greatest creations in the book The GreatBook of Wildfowl Decoys by Joe Engers.
Auction: Important American Furniture, Folk Art, Maritime Art and Prints September 25
Viewing: Christie’s Rockefeller Galleries September 20-24
About Christie’s
Christie’s is the world’s leading art business with global art sales in 2007 that totalled £3.1 billion/$6.3 billion. This marks the highest total in company and in art auction history. For the first half of 2008, art sales totaled £1.8 billion / $3.5 billion. Christie’s is a name and place that speaks of extraordinary art, unparalleled service and expertise, as well as international glamour. Founded in 1766 by James Christie, Christie’s conducted the greatest auctions of the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, and today remains a popular showcase for the unique and the beautiful. Christie’s offers over 600 sales annually in over 80 categories, including all areas of fine and decorative arts, jewellery, photographs, collectibles, wine, and more. Prices range from $200 to over $80 million. Christie’s has 85 offices in 43 countries and 14 salerooms around the world including in London, New York, Los Angeles, Paris, Geneva, Milan, Amsterdam, Tel Aviv, Dubai, Hong Kong and Zurich. Most recently, Christie’s has led the market with expanded initiatives in emerging and new markets such as Russia, China, India and the United Arab Emirates, with successful sales and exhibitions in Beijing, Mumbai and Dubai.
*Estimates do not include buyer’s premium
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More information about Christie’s sale of American Furniture can be found on www.christies.com. All lots from the sale can be viewed online along with full catalogue descriptions on Lotfinder®, which also allows clients to leave absentee bids. www.christies.com provides information on more than 80 sale categories, buying and selling at auction, complete auction results, and Christie’s international auction calendar.
London – On 20 October, Christie’s will present the 7th edition of The Italian Sale in its historical salerooms in London. This annual auction will offer an exceptional selection of twentieth century Italian Art by the most renowned and internationally sought-after artists including Alberto Burri, Giorgio de Chirico, Lucio Fontana, Mario Merz and Pino Pascali. The sale is part of a series of exhibitions, events and auctions dedicated to Post-War and Contemporary art and 20th century Italian art which will take place at Christie’s London from 15 to 21 October 2008 during a week when the international art world will gather in London for a showcase of contemporary art exhibitions and events including The Frieze Art Fair.
Mariolina Bassetti, head of the Modern & Contemporary Art department at Christie’s Italy and co-head of the sale: “20th Century Italian Art has tremendous appeal in the international marketplace.In recent years interest in this category has grown enormously and artists such as Fontana, Manzoni and Burriare more and more appreciated by important collectors worldwide. The catalogue for our forthcoming Italian Saleincludes a number of works created by some of the best Italian artists from last century including “Ponte”, oneof the most iconic works by Pino Pascali which we expect to set a new auction record for the artist.”
Christie’s Italian Sale will be lead by one of the most relevant art movements in post-war Italy, the Arte Povera. A major highlight is Ponte, an extraordinary installation created by Pino Pascali in 1968 using braided steel wool (estimate: £1,500,000-2,000,000.) Part of a series of works through which the artist meant to explore the primitive world, Ponte comes directly from the collection of Fabio Sargentini. Founder of L’Attico gallery in Rome, Sargentini launched the careers of many artists whose work can be seen in the most important museums around the world today.
The sale will also offer Untitled by Jannis Kounellis from 1960 (estimate: £400,000-600,000) and Fibonacci, an installation created in 1972 in New York by Mario Merz (estimate: £100,000-150,000.) Works by Giuseppe Penone, Gilberto Zorio and Giovanni Anselmo, whose estimates range between £30,000 and £150,000 will also be offered for sale.
Dated from the same period, though radically different in genre and concept, Partizione centrale is a large canvas painted with oil colors and sand by Domenico Gnoli in 1969 (estimate £250,000-350,000). Also of particular interest is Superficie bianca created in 1968 by Enrico Castellani (estimate: £200,000-300,000), which comes from the renowned Galleria dell’Ariete in Milan, and Untitled by Agostino Bonalumi from 1966, the only example in the artist’s oeuvre to reunite all the themes he explored in 1960s.
Executed by Lucio Fontana in 1965-66, Concetto Spaziale, Attesa will be offered with an estimate of £500,000-700,000.Created a few years earlier are two more works by Fontana bothtitled Concetto spaziale: one is dated 1962 and was created usingbrass (estimate: £350,000-550,000), the second is a black andyellow painting on canvas from 1957 (estimate £250,000-350,000.)Dated from the end of the 1950s, an excellent Achrome by PieroManzoni is expected to realise £1,500,000-2,000,000 and Cavaliere in blu, a painting by Marino Marini created in 1952carries an estimate of £400,000-600,000.
Also included in the sale is the very sophisticated Still Life painted by Giorgio Morandicirca 1948 which isoffered from the private collection of the artist GiacomoManzù (estimate: £400,000-600,000.) The popularity of this great Bolognese painter is demonstrated by Giorgio Morandi,1890-1964, the first complete retrospective exhibitiondedicated to his work from New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art in the U.S.A. which will take place from 16 September to 14 November 2008.
Created by Alberto Burri in 1953 using Pumice-stone, canvas, oil colors, paint and glue on plywood, Rosso is considered to be a noteworthy work in the artist’s oeuvre (£800,000-1,200,000.) Strongly related to his famous Sacchi, this work also comes from the important collection of the Galleria dell’Ariete.
Other leading highlights to be offered at Christie’s Italian Sale include Piazza d’Italia, two works by the celebrated metaphysical artist Giorgio de Chirico: the paintings were created at the end of the 1930s (estimate £300,000-400,000 each). Christie’s are pleased to announce the important rediscovery of Sewing Lady by Umberto Boccioni from 1906. This exceptional painting belongs to the artist’s Divisionist period and is estimated to realise £250,000-350,000.
Christie’s will present a series of exhibitions and auctions dedicated to Post-War and
Contemporary art and 20th century Italian art from 15 to 21 October 2008, during a week when the international art world will gather in London for a showcase of contemporary art exhibitions and events including The Frieze Art Fair.
The auctions will take place at the newly refurbished salerooms at Christie’s, 8 King Street, St James’s, and are scheduled as follows:
Sunday 19 October at 4pm Post-War and Contemporary Art Evening Sale
Monday 20 October at 7pm The Italian Sale
Tuesday 21 October at 10.00am and 2pm Post-War and Contemporary Art
The public exhibitions for the sales will take place as follows:
Post-War and Contemporary Art: 15 to 19 October 2008 at Christie’s South Kensington
The Italian Sale: 15 to 20 October 2008 at Christie’s King Street
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About Christie’s
Christie’s is the world’s leading art business with global art sales in 2007 that totaled £3.1 billion/$6.3 billion. This marks the highest total in company and in art auction history. For the first half of 2008, art sales totaled £1.8 million / $3.5 billion. Christie’s is a name and place that speaks of extraordinary art, unparalleled service and expertise, as well as international glamour. Founded in 1766 by James Christie, Christie’s conducted the greatest auctions of the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, and today remains a popular showcase for the unique and the beautiful. Christie’s offers over 600 sales annually in over 80 categories, including all areas of fine and decorative arts, jewellery, photographs, collectibles, wine, and more. Prices range from $200 to over $80 million. Christie’s has 85 offices in 43 countries and 14 salerooms around the world including in London, New York, Los Angeles, Paris, Geneva, Milan, Amsterdam, Tel Aviv, Dubai, Hong Kong and Zurich. Most recently, Christie’s has led the market with expanded initiatives in emerging and new markets such as Russia, China, India and the United Arab Emirates, with successful sales and exhibitions in Beijing, Mumbai and Dubai.
