Ethnographic objects and works of art led the way in auctions this week. Hesse and NH Auctions both saw pipes leading their sales with an Iroquois pipe tomahawk finishing at $14,375 for Hesse while a cloisonné opium pipe brought $7,500 for NH Auctions. The art category was led by a marble column with statue of Emperor Trajan achieving $31,200 at Litchfield Auctions, while a mixed-media horse illustration galloped past estimates to bring $25,000 at Roland. For these stories and more, read on.
Abstract Work By Important Israeli Artist Leads At La Belle Epoque
NEW YORK CITY — An untitled acrylic and oil on canvas composition by Tsibi Geva (Israeli, b 1951) achieved the highest price in La Belle Epoque Auction Gallery’s November 16 Multi-Estates Fall 2024 Auction. Rising to the top of the 317 lots, Geva’s 1951 painting sold to a local New York City private collection for $11,008. The framed abstract work measured 75 by 101 inches and will hang alongside other Geva works in the collection. For information, www.labelleepoque.com or 212-362-1770.
Iroquois Pipe Tomahawk Lights Up Hesse Auction
SIDNEY, N.Y. — “Another wonderful auction here on the 16th!” said Jackie Hesse, co-owner of Hesse Auctions, which conducted the second auction of the Zariphes collection from Rocky Hill, Conn., on November 16. The sale included Seventeenth and Eighteenth Century historic Iroquois artifacts, including hats, trade silver, trade beads and iron trade items, moccasins, ball head clubs, gunstock clubs and pottery. The highlight of this sale was a pipe tomahawk with faceted bowl and a tiger maple handle with silver inlay and an attached tag that read, “…found at Cherry Valley, N.Y.” With a 6-inch head and measuring 19 inches overall, it sold for $14,375. For information, buzzh123@gmail.com or 607-287-5322.
Grand Tour Marble Towers Over Litchfield’s Fall Auction
LITCHFIELD, CONN. — A rouge marble Grand Tour model of Trajan’s Column, dating to the Nineteenth Century and measuring 51½ inches high, including a metal model of Emperor Trajan, towered over the other 569 lots in Litchfield Auctions’ Fall Art, Antiques & Design sale on October 30. Estimated at $3/5,000, it generated considerable interest, with bidders weighing in from both Invaluable and LiveAuctioneers platforms, who competed against underbidders on the West Coast. Ultimately, it sold to a private collector bidding on the phone for $31,200. For information, 860-567-4661 or www.litchfieldcountyauctions.com.
Flying Pig Gets A Treat With Papier-Mâché Jack-O-Lantern
WESTMORELAND, N.H. — Winning top-lot honors at Flying Pig Auctions’ Fourth Annual Holiday Auction on November 18 was a large vintage or antique papier-mâché jack-o-lantern that rose to $2,813. Roxanne Reuling confirmed that it came to auction from a local New Hampshire collector and will be staying in state, going to another local collector. The pumpkin beat out 442 other lots of Santas, ornaments and toys for Christmas, Halloween and Easter, with some Fourth of July, Thanksgiving and Valentines antiques for good measure. For information, 603-543-7490 or www.flyingpigantiquesnh.com.
Decorated Opium Pipe Smokes Estimate At NH Auctions & Appraisals
GOFFSTOWN, N.H. — Bidders were not nodding off as a cloisonné enameled opium pipe came to the podium at NH Auctions & Appraisals’ November 15 Post Veterans Day Auction. Estimated $200/300, the pipe drifted up from its $100 starting price until it hit $700 on the internet and quickly rose to a final price of $7,500. The 24-inch-long pipe had multiple design patterns, bone ends and rested on carved wooden bases. For information, 603-731-9876 or www.nhauctionsandappraisals.com.
At Roland NY Auction, Mixed Media On Paper Of Grazing Horse Is Top Of The Crop
GLEN COVE, N.Y. — The top seller of 825 lots in part two of Roland NY’s November 16 Estates Sale was a colorful mixed-media on paper of a horse, which leapt above its $200/300 estimate to land at $25,000. Signed illegibly lower right and presented in an acrylic frame, the 26-by-20-inch artwork was from the collection of Brendelle and Fred Walden. For information, 212-260-2000 or www.rolandauctions.com.
Cartier Cockatiel Pair Of Cruets Crests At SJ Auctioneers
BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Collectibles, jewelry, silver and toys crossed the block at SJ Auctioneers on November 17 with names like Cartier, Tiffany & Co., Dominick & Haff, Jose Hess, Emile Delaire and others in ascendance. Selling for $1,056 was a Cartier sterling silver and ruby glass cruet decanter pair. In the form of cockatiels, the bodies were made of ruby red glass and the heads and feet were made of sterling silver. The pair additionally featured a gilt crest and beak. The sterling silver upper border of the bottles were hallmarked “Sterling, Cartier made in Spain.” Each was 6¼ inches high. For information, 646-450-7553.
Folk Art Folding Screen Charms Bidders At Cornell Auctions
BELLPORT, N.Y. — An antique American folk art four-panel folding screen was characterized as a “truly unique and historically significant piece” by Roy Braeger at Cornell Auctions. Crafted with meticulous attention to detail, the screen featured hand-painted panels on a metal frame, creating a captivating visual display. The panels showcased a variety of folk-art motifs, including landscapes, figures and abstract designs, executed with a charming naivety and vibrant color palette. Selling for $1,063, it came from the estate of a noted antiquarian in upstate New York. For information, 631-289-9505 or www.cornellauctions.com.
Middletown, N.Y., Memorabilia Brings Bidders Down Memory Lane At Roberson’s
PINE BUSH, N.Y. — On November 16, Roberson’s Auctions conducted its Antiques & Collectibles Auction, which offered a total of 375 lots. Leading the sale was a collection of local Middletown, N.Y., memorabilia, which walked down memory lane for $6,875, far surpassing its $150/250 estimate. The lot included a Mitchell Inn Clock booklet, a Buck Bros hardware catalog from 1912, a collection of stereoptic viewer cards with views of Middletown and Goshen, N.Y., a Fair cigarette lighter, an O.C. Brewery label (a local brewery in Middletown), ads for the Rollerdome and two iron license plate toppers for Middletown and Otisville, N.Y. For information, 845-283-1587 or www.robersonsauctions.com.
