“Yucatec” by Alfred Jensen (Guatemalan American, 1903-1981), 1969, oil on canvas, 76½ by 38½ inches framed, was one of two lots which earned the highest price of the sale, $46,875 ($50/70,000).

Review by Kiersten Busch

ASTORIA, N.Y. — Auctions at Showplace conducted its Important Fine Art & Objects Auction on January 9, its first of the new year. Featuring 280 lots, the sale offered a wide array of antique bronze sculptures, fine art, furniture, decorative arts, objects de vertu, jewelry and fur coats and designer handbags. “Showplace is extremely pleased with the results of the January 9 Important Fine Art & Objects Auction,” shared Shawn Leventhal, Showplace’s director of business development. “The sale did well across categories. Highlights included strong showings for works by Joan Mitchell, Louise Bourgeois and Hannelore Baron.” Leventhal also mentioned that the auction had a “strong sell-through rate.”

“The sale had excellent attendance in the room along with a healthy list of telephone bidders,” Leventhal continued in an email after the auction. “Bidders included collectors, interior designers, dealers, general buyers and new young collectors.” It was also a global affair, with Leventhal adding, “The sale attracted bidders from around the world including London, Paris, Shanghai, Milan, Budapest, Washington, San Diego, Palm Beach, San Francisco and, of course, plenty of New York Metropolitan area bidders.”

Leading the sale was Henry Moore’s “Reclining Figure: Stiff Leg,” which sat at $46,875. The patinated bronze sculpture was completed in 1977 and was number three of an edition of nine. Signed “Moore,” the sculpture had provenance to Crane Kalman Gallery, London, and the Morris Museum in Morristown, N.J.; it was also sold in a May 2002 Sotheby’s, New York auction and was featured in Alan Bowness’s book Henry Moore: Complete Sculpture, 1974-1980 (London: Lund Humphries Pub Ltd., 1983).

Also earning $46,875 was “Reclining Figure: Stiff Leg” by Henry Moore (British, 1898-1986), 1977, patinated bronze, 5½ inches high, 10½ inches wide, 7¼ inches deep; it had extensive provenance and publication history ($50/70,000).

Sculpture continued to excel with bidders, as “Les Harmonies” by Mathurin Moreau flew to $13,750, surpassing its $8/12,000 estimate. The bronze was retailed by Tiffany & Co., and was stamped three times with the company’s name. The late Nineteenth Century statue’s circular plinth was engraved “Les Harmonies / par Mathurin Moroeau ‘Mle d’Honneur’ / Salon des Beaux Arts.” It will travel out of the United States, won by an international bidder.

Also from the late Nineteenth Century was a patinated bronze sculpture of Hercules, Athena and Cerberus by French artist Ern Rancoulet. Signed and perched on a square base, the 35-inch-high statue sold just beneath its estimate at $7,500.

Traveling to 1973, “S-B-8 (B73002),” a mixed media box assemblage sculpture by German American artist Hannelore Baron was estimated at $4/6,000 but earned $10,625. The signed and dated work was titled “B-8” on its reverse where it also had a Gallery Schlesigner-Boisante label affixed.

An additional lot in the sale also reached the top price of $46,875: an oil on canvas by Alfred Jensen, titled “Yucatec.” Signed, titled, dated and inscribed verso, the work also retained remnants of a Cordier & Ekstrom Gallery (New York) label to its reverse. The painting had provenance to an Upper West Side collection and was part of the 1970 exhibition “Alfred Jensen: The Aperspective Structure of a Square” at Cordier & Ekstrom Gallery.

“S-B-8 (B73002)” by Hannelore Baron (German American, 1926-1987), 1973, mixed media box assemblage, 10 inches high by 6¾ inches wide by 2 inches deep, with Gallery Schlesinger-Boisante label verso, earned $10,625 ($4/6,000).

Fine art was well represented among the top selling lots of the sale. Andy Warhol’s “Brooklyn Bridge” built its way to $40,625, just surpassing its $20/40,000 estimate. The 1983 screenprint in colors was signed in pencil and numbered “15/200” on its lower left corner; it featured a blindstamp on the opposite corner. The print had provenance to a Fifth Avenue collection and was featured in Frayda Feldman and Jorg Schellman’s Andy Warhol Prints: A Catalogue Raisonné, 1962-1987 (New York City: Distributed Art Publishers Inc., 1997).

An aquatint etching by Joan Mitchell, titled “Sunflower III,” bloomed past its $4/6,000 estimate to achieve $9,375. The print had provenance to the Bank of New York — a label for the bank was on its reverse — as well as a Jersey City collection. The edition 28 of 75 work was printed by Arte Adrien Maeght in Paris and published by Maeght Editeur in 1972.

Turning back to oil on canvas paintings, “San Juan de Dios Transportando a un Enfermo (Saint John of God Carrying a Sick Man),” after Bartolome Murillo, earned the fourth-highest price of the sale, surpassing its $4/6,000 estimate by three and a half times. Housed in a giltwood frame, the painting will travel to a Southern California bidder for $21,250.

“September Evening” by Elliott Daingerfield depicted a sunset landscape scene and had provenance to a New York City collection. The oil on canvas was signed lower left, and had a plaque containing its title and the artist’s name mounted to its giltwood frame. The painting surpassed its $4/6,000 estimate, going to a North Carolina bidder for $11,875.

“Troupial II” by Hunt Slonem (American, b 1951), 1995, oil on canvas, 52¼ by 53¼ inches framed, signed, dated, titled and numbered “JEM0680” verso, flew to $11,250 ($8,000-$12,000).

Flapping to $11,250 was “Troupial II,” an oil on canvas by Hunt Slonem, which landed on the high end of its $8/12,000 estimate. The painting, which had provenance to a New York City collection, was signed, dated and titled on its reverse, and came with a certificate of authenticity from Hunt Slonem Studio. The painting will head south, as it was won by a bidder from Virginia.

Furniture was also well represented in the sale, with a set of 10 Louis Majorelle Art Nouveau dining chairs sliding into place for $10,000. Made circa 1900, the chairs had mohair covers and were carved from mahogany. The set comprised of two armchairs and eight side chairs, all unsigned. The chairs had provenance to Lillian Nassau of New York and a Rye, N.Y., collection, and were also sold at Sotheby’s, New York, in June 1996 and March 2005. They were part of the Exposition Universelle of Paris, France, in 1900 and were featured in The Paris Salons: 1895-1914, Volume II: Furniture (United Kingdom: Antique Collectors Club Dist., 1996) by Alastair Duncan. A mahogany and ash dining table by Louis Majorelle with matching provenance also sold for $10,000.

A Federal mahogany sofa attributed to Duncan Phyfe was made circa 1810 in New York and sat comfortably at $6,875, won by a local bidder. The sofa’s back and seat were later covered in Old World Weavers yellow cotton blend fabric. With down-swept arms, the piece of furniture sat atop eight legs, which all terminated in casters. It had provenance to Carswell Rush Berlin Antiques in New York City around 2004, as well as a 1120 Park Avenue estate.

Hailing from New York circa 1810 was this Federal mahogany sofa attributed to Duncan Phyfe. Measuring 80 inches wide, the couch’s back and seat were later covered in Old World Weavers yellow cotton blend fabric; it comfortably rested at $6,875 ($4/6,000).

A Napoleon III gilt bronze figural mantel clock from the mid Nineteenth Century led the decorative arts, selling to a California bidder for $10,000. According to catalog notes, the clock was “surmounted by two musician Muses and accompanying cherubs” and was “on a rectangular base depicting clouds” and had “elaborately cast foliate scrolled borders and ram’s head terminals” all “on scrolled lion’s paw feet.” It also had a circular repoussé dial which struck on the bell movement and was signed “Le Rolle Freres Paris.”

Jewelry was led by a custom-made 18K gold Parentesi spring cuff bangle bracelet by Bvlgari. The cuff was adorned with 10 black onyx beads, 10 cultured pearls and 2.5 carats worth of diamonds. With provenance to a Manhattan collection, the bracelet cuffed its new owner’s wrist for $11,250, surpassing its $6/8,000 estimate.

Showplace’s next auction will take place on February 6, and will feature a continuation of the collection of fine Nineteenth Century bronze sculptures, as well as fine art, luxury timepieces, fine jewelry, furniture and the decorative arts.

Prices quoted include buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. For information, 212-633-6063 or www.auctions.nyshowplace.com.