Western Americana – objects made in the American West, or depicting Western themes – had unusually strong representation at recent auctions. Achieving $3,900 at Amelia Jeffers was a Washoe basket that came to auction from the lifetime collection of Anita Vogelaar. Meanwhile, Charles M. Russell’s bronze of Will Rogers rode to a Benefit Shop Foundation bidder for $968 and a color screenprint of Annie Oakley by Andy Warhol — offered at Doyle — shot holes in the previous world record and achieved a new world record for the print at $140,200. Pottery, silver, jewelry and books were among the other high flyers; read on for additional highlights.
Hawkins Second Folio Lands On Top For Swann
NEW YORK CITY — A rare 1632 Hawkins imprint second folio of the works of William Shakespeare led Swann Galleries’ Fine Books auction, earning $137,000. The sale was conducted on October 24 and offered 337 lots. One of only 13 known copies of this specific imprint, this example was edited by the King’s Men’s players and Shakespeare’s contemporaries John Heminges (1556-1630) and Henry Condell (1576-1627). The lot also included four newspaper clippings related to the second folio, “likely placed there by Professor Case at the end of the Nineteenth Century,” according to the catalog. For information, 212-254-4710 or www.swanngalleries.com.
18K Tiffany Necklace Dazzles Bidders To Achieve Highest Price At Central Mass
WORCESTER, MASS. — Central Mass Auctions closed out October with its Art, Estate Jewelry, Sterling Silver & Coins auction, a 526-lot sale conducted on October 23. Highlights offered included a collection of art from the Big Y headquarters in Springfield, Mass., and from additional Massachusetts estates. Leading the sale and going home with a bidder from New York for $27,600, was an 18K gold Tiffany & Co., necklace set with two green tourmalines. The signature Tiffany box which accompanied the lot read “Mrs Theodore Weston, 1st Directress for 40 Years of the NY Female Auxiliary Bible Society 1883-1923 In Loving Appreciation from the Manager.” For information, 508-612-6111 or www.centralmassauctions.com.
Chicago Slot Machine Hits The Jackpot For Central Mass
WORCESTER, MASS. — October 22 marked Central Mass Auction’s Historical, Gambling, Advertising & More sale, presenting 416 lots of gambling memorabilia, advertising items, militaria, ephemera and photographs, toys and designer items among others. Hitting the jackpot was a 5-Cent Dewey Upright Slot Machine by Mills Novelty Co., Chicago. Standing 66 inches high, the 1900 slot machine had an oak cabinet with reverse-painted glass dial. Its cast coin head, handle and ornaments were all finished in copper. Leaving a large collection of gambling memorabilia from a local estate, the machine sold to a buyer elsewhere in the US for $18,000 ($5/10,000). For information, www.centralmassauctions.com or 508-612-6111.
Georg Jensen Flatware Service Sits At Top For SJ Auctioneers
NEW YORK CITY — On October 27, SJ Auctioneers conducted its Estate Silverware, Toys, Decor and Glass Art auction. The 324-lot sale was led by a 115-piece sterling silver Georg Jensen flatware service in the Cactus pattern, which set the table for $9,600. Sold without a storage case, the set included various types of forks, knives and spoons, as well as a pie or cake server, sugar tongs, ladles and a bottle opener. The set found a new home with a private collector. “Some other rare Jensen pieces sold as well,” reported Shaindy Jacob, a representative for SJ Auctioneers. “We always have something rare in our auctions for great collectors in mind.” For information, 646-450-7553 or www.sjauctioneers.com.
Warhol Oakley Print Achieves World Auction Record In $1.6 Million Sale
NEW YORK CITY — Doyle Auctions celebrated Halloween with its 184-lot Prints & Multiples sale, which realized approximately $1.6 million total with 91 percent of lots sold. On offer was a variety of Old Master prints, modern European prints, American prints and works by contemporary artists, in addition to a selection of ceramics by Pablo Picasso. Leading the sale was “Annie Oakley” (Feldman/Schellman II.378), a color screenprint by Andy Warhol, which achieved $140,200 with premium, a new world auction record for the print. It is from Warhol’s 1986 “Cowboys and Indians” series and was numbered “190/250” in pencil. The portrait of Oakley was “based on a cabinet card photograph taken in London, circa 1890,” according to the auction house’s post-sale write-up. For information, 212-427-2730 or www.doyle.com.
At Tremont, Clarissa Peters Miniature Makes Maximum Price
SUDBURY, MASS. — One of the top lots in Tremont Auctions’ Annual Fall Fine Arts & Antiques auctions on October 27 was a portrait miniature of three children in a landscape attributed to Clarissa Peters (Mrs Moses B. Russell). Considered of large dimension with a sight size of 5-1/8 by 4 inches in an original frame that measured 12 by 11 inches, the lot carried an estimate of $2,5/3,500. According to Matthew Buckley, the seller was a previously unknown local collector; the winning bid of $35,960 came from a private collector who has been a Tremont client. For information, 617-795-1678 or www.tremontauctions.com.
CM Russell Bronze Of Will Rogers Rides High For Benefit Shop
MOUNT KISCO, N.Y. — A bronze sculpture of Will Rogers, made by Charles M. Russell in a limited edition series and numbered 1 of 350, was one of the top lots in The Benefit Shop Foundation’s October 23 Red Carpet Auction. Standing 12¼ inches tall and estimated to sell for between $200 and $600, the bronze exceeded expectations and realized $968 from a Benefit Shop client in the US who has been a longtime client. For information, 914-864-0707 or www.thebenefitshop.org.
Provenance Of Dedham Plates Packs Power Punch For Nye
BLOOMFIELD, N.J. — Nye & Company’s two-day Chic & Antique Auction October 23-24 presented nearly 700 lots for bidders to compete for. A favorite lot of auction house owner Andrew Holter was a group of three Dedham Pottery plates that sold for $11,500 against a $400/600 estimate. The three plates all had provenance to the landmark collection of Mr and Mrs Eddy Nicholson, which Christie’s sold in 1995, as well as estate of Dr Richard M. and Susan Pope Hays, parents of longtime Christie’s auctioneer and deputy chairman, John Hays. Holter confirmed the buyer was a member of the trade acting on behalf of an institution that had been chasing the plates for nearly 30 years and was looking to bring the plates back close to home. For information, 973-984-6900 or www.nyeandcompany.com.
Lifetime Native American Collection Kicks Off Amelia Jeffers’ Three-Day Auction Marathon
COLUMBUS, OHIO — On October 24, Amelia Jeffers presented more than 300 lots from the lifetime collection of Anita Vogelaar, a longtime collector of Native American artifacts. Leading the sale at 3,900 was a 6½-inch-diameter Washoe First Nation basket that dated to the first half of the Twentieth Century and was described as being in excellent condition with a great polychrome design. It sold, for $3,900, to a client in California who had left an absentee bid for it. The sale was followed by a 687-lot auction of Art, Antiques & Decorative Arts on October 25 and, on October 26, a Gentleman’s Auction of nearly 550 lots. For information, 740-362-4771 or www.ameliajeffers.com.
