Metals were a dominant media in auctions this week. An industrial steel cabinet offered at Public Sale made more than $3,000 while a kinetic brass sculpture by Philippe Hiquily (French, 1925-2013) that had been authenticated by the Committee Hiquily rose to lead Clarke’s Spring Spectacular sale. Not to be outdone, and also accompanied by authentication paperwork, was Nano Lopez bronze of “Catfish Lily” with related print that achieved nearly $7,000 for Park West Gallery. Objects in other media also saw high prices; read on for those results.
Japanese Wood-Block Printing First Edition Finds Favor At CT River Book Auction
SOUTH GLASTONBURY, CONN. — The April 12 gathering of book aficionados at Connecticut River Book Auction saw a lovely 1939 first edition of Yoshida’s Japanese Wood-Block Printing in its dust jacket with the three signed prints and including a 1953 catalog of the prints by the Yoshida family sell to a phone bidder for $1,072. A second phone bidder purchased two 1876 souvenir flags for $632. For information, www.ctriverbookauction.com or 860- 908-8067
Francis Speight Oils Win At Sloans & Kenyon
CHEVY CHASE, MD. — Leading Sloans & Kenyon’s April 18 auction of fine art were two oil paintings by Francis Speight (American, 1896-1989), dated 46 years apart. Achieving the sale’s highest price was the older of the two, Speight’s 1929 “Pennsylvania Farm Scene At Twilight” (pictured), which made $56,120 ($25/35,000). Won by the same bidder, “Farmhouse In Snakebite, NC, Late Summer/Early Fall, 1975,” was a semi-impressionistic depiction of a white and green farmhouse behind a tall tree with yellowing leaves. The 1975 painting realized $32,940 ($20/30,000). For more information, www.sloansandkenyon.com or 301-634-2330.
Lopez Bronze Statue Claws Way To Victory At Freedom
SARASOTA, FLA. — Leading Freedom Auction Company’s Antique to Modern Estates Auction on April 13 was a bronze statue with applied patina and its accompanying print, by American-Colombian artist Nano Lopez (b 1955). Out of 819 lots, “Catfish Lily” came out on top and sold for $6,875, more than doubling its estimate of $2/3,000. It also surpassed its original gallery price, which was listed at $4,600. The statue was 16 inches in height while the print was 23 by 27 inches, framed. The duo also came with a Park West Gallery certificate of authenticity. The buyer was a private collector in the United States. For information, 941-725-2166 or www.freedomauctions.com.
Industrial Cabinet ‘Steels’ Show At Public Sale
HUDSON, N.Y. — Of the 531 lots offered by Public Sale at its Faded Auction on April 13, a steel industrial cabinet with French doors and Neoclassical bronze columns brought the most, realizing $3,125, with buyer’s premium, far exceeding its estimate. The steel cabinet was painted red and had an architectural design with Neoclassical columns in front, accented with bronze. Its French doors opened onto shelves with raised edges, and it measured 74 by 48½ by 18½ inches. It was purchased by a local dealer. For information, 518-966-7253 or www.publicsale.com.
Lalique ‘Poseidon’ Vase Does Swimmingly At Treasureseeker
PASADENA, CALIF. — A Lalique clear/gilt frosted “Poseidon” vase sold for $10,240 to lead Treasureseeker’s April 14 Spring Into Bloom Antiques & Decorative Arts Auction. The event’s top lot came after the vase drew 12 bids, eventually won by a first-time bidder with LiveAuctioneers. The “Poseidon” vase gets its name from its seahorse motif: they were often said to pull Poseidon’s chariot in Ancient Greek myths. It measured 11¾ by 14¾ by 6½ inches and weighed 18 pounds. The vase was in excellent condition and was a limited edition piece, one of only 99. For information, 626-529-5775 or www.treasureseekerauction.com.
Hiquily Brass Sculpture Tops For Clarke
LARCHMONT, N.Y. — The April 7 Spring Spectacular Estates Auction at Clarke Auction Gallery gave near and far bidders approximately 600 lots to compete for. Achieving $68,750 and just shy of its high estimate was a 37½-inch-tall kinetic brass sculpture by French sculptor, Philippe Hiquily (1925-2013). Created in 1969, “La Cible,” came from a Rye, N.Y., estate and had been authenticated by the Committee Hiquily in France. For information, 914-833-8336 or www.clarkeny.com.
Warhol’s Venus Matches Record For Heritage
DALLAS — Andy Warhol’s 1984 trial proof screenprint “Sandro Botticelli, Birth of Venus, 1482” tied the auction record for the work when it sold for $325,000 April 16 to lead Heritage’s Prints & Multiples Signature Auction to $2,427,481. These proofs served as an experimental playground for Warhol, where he could test out different ink colors and screen combinations to see how they altered the mood and composition of the piece. The trial proofs offer a glimpse into Warhol’s creative process, revealing how he manipulated images and experimented with his medium. The screenprint from the artist’s “Details of Renaissance Paintings” series featured Botticelli’s instantly recognizable image of the goddess on the half shell, which became even more iconic via the pop artist’s indelible interpretation, and the hammer price matched a previous record for the work. For information, 214-528-3500 or www.ha.com.
Chinese Yellow Jade Phoenix Flies High For Lark Mason
NEW BRAUNFELS, TEXAS — On April 18, Lark Mason Associates sold nearly 50 lots of Asian paintings and works of art from the Birmingham, Ala., collection of Bruce and Barbara Sullivan. Achieving a “best in sale” price of $16,500 — and more than 10 times its low estimate — was a 5½-inch-long recumbent phoenix carved from yellow jade that was accompanied by a leaf-form wooden stand. The diminutive piece had previously been exhibited at the Birmingham Museum of Art and bore an old museum accession number to its underside. For more information, www.larkmasonassociates.com or 212-289-5524.
Rossi Violin Plays Sweet Music At Americana Auctions
REHOBOTH, MASS. — Americana Auctions’ bidders played a 1923 Giuseppe Rossi violin to $10,625, a dramatic crescendo from its $700-$1,000 estimate. The violin, bearing a label from the Roman maker, was made from tiger maple and measured 23 inches long. It was accompanied by a vintage lined and fitted hard case and unsigned bow and was the top lot in the firm’s Fine Spring Estates Auction on April 21. For information, 508-771-1722 or www.americana-auction.com.
