“In some respects, you could say this is the rarest cast iron bank to hit the market since the Coasting Bank was sold at Freeman’s in Philadelphia ($266,500, November, 2013),” said Steven Weiss, co-owner of RSL Auction Co, on the firm’s offering of the Bowing Man In Cupola Bank. Although archival material has not been found to properly attribute a manufacturer to the bank, Weiss believes with 95 percent certainty that it was J&E Stevens. The specialist noted the stylistic similarities between this example and the company’s Novelty Bank. “The palette is also related to work they were doing at the same moment to banks such as the New Bank and the US Bank,” he said. The construction of the bank is rather laborious, and Weiss believes the example was likely put into a short run because the production costs were too high. The example was found by early hobbyist Andrew Emerine in the late ‘30s or early ‘40s. It remained there until the late 1960s, when Edwin Mosler, one of the top bank collectors in the world at that time, bought it. In 1983, it passed to the collection of Frank Kidd, of notoriety for Kidd’s Toy Museum in Portland, Ore., and it sold into the Donal Markey collection in 2010. One of only two known examples to the auctioneer, and this one in A+++ condition, it is expected to bring more than $100,000. The bank joins other top lots from around the country in this week’s picks.
RSL AUCTION CO
Sale Date: June 1, 2019
Lot 521
Bowing Man in Cupola Bank
Cast iron. Provenance: Donal Markey and Frank Kidd collections.
Estimate: $120/150,000
HUMLER & NOLAN
Sale Date: June 1–2, 2019
Lot 1042
Rookwood Tile Tableau, Ten Geese
Featuring ten white geese in a restful outdoor setting, circa 1915 and never installed. The scene is complete with original tile border. Impressed marks on most of the pieces include the Rookwood Architectural logo, 20¾ by 47-5/8 inches.
Estimate: $5/7,000
ELDRED’S
Sale Date: May 31, 2019
Lot 108
Hand-Carved Wooden Canteen
America, Eighteenth Century. Carved “1749” on top, a flower on one side and a Latin inscription on the opposite side. Iron banding on sides. Height: 10 inches.
Estimate: $300/500
JONES & HORAN
Sale Date: June 2, 2019
Lot 161
Former NYC Mayor Bob Wagner’s Patek Philippe Calatrava
Ref 2507, circa 1953, manual wind, 33mm by 37mm to lug tips, 18mm lug width, original 18K yellow gold snap back case, leather strap, engraved presentation that reads “To Bob from Sam Briskman, Dec, 24th, 1953”, shortly after Robert was elected Mayor of New York City.
Estimate: $8/14,000
THOMASTON PLACE
Sale Date: May 31–June 2, 2019
Lot 2001
Monumental Copper Shop Weathervane
Heavy copper three-masted ship with “C.R.” flag at stern, the hull weighted, the wrought iron base has copper directionals, rests on four arched and scrolled legs, roughly 88 inches tall. Taken from Clipperways, an 8,000-square-foot home built at Prouts Neck in 1898 by James Shaw, which was demolished in 2011.
Estimate: $5/8,000
CRN
Sale Date: June 2, 2019
Lot 321
Colonial Silver Flagon
Daniel Henchman (Boston, 1730–1775), scrolling handle with a flame finial, engraved under spout “BLANCY,” 9 inches high, 30.26 troy oz.
Estimate: $2,5/3,500
LARK MASON
Sale Date: May 9–30, 2019
Lot 5428009
Rene Lalique, Blue Frosted and Clear Penthievre Vase
No. 1011 GL4S, designed 1928, stencil etched R. Lalique, engraved France, blue glass.
Estimate: $5/10,000
PBA GALLERIES
Sale Date: May 30, 2019
Lot 204
Witch hunting manual after Malleus Maleficarum
Martin Del Rio, Disquisitionum Magicarum Libri Sex, Cologne. Published by Sumptibus Hermanni Demen, 1679. Engraved architectural title page, later marbled paper-covered boards lettered in gilt on morocco spine label. Later edition. Historians have traditionally regarded the Disquisitionum Magicarum as a receptacle of the ideas of the Malleus Maleficarum (“Hammer of the Witches,” 1486). Delrio was credited with importing the beliefs of the Malleus into the Low Countries.
Estimate: $1/1,500
TREASURESEEKER AUCTIONS
Sale Date: June 2, 2019
Lot 38A
Gnome Automaton Store Display
Circa 1900, German automated clockwork display, standing bearded gnome with glass eyes and felt clothing, head rocks back and forth, works fine, 23 inches high.
Estimate: $2/3,000
