Notable sales found in our November 27, 2020 issue offer folk, fine, modern and Chinese art along with rock & roll history. An autumnal landscape by Chinese painter Fengmian Lin well surpassed its higher estimate of $200,000 at World Auction Gallery, while works by Hockney and Gray brought five-figure bids at Hess and Roland. The Beatles maintained their value trajectory as a rare 1966 Shea Stadium concert poster broke the $100,000 mark at Heritage. Joining The Beatles in the six-figure club was an unopened Pokémon box at Bruneau. Firearms, photography and mechanical banks will keep you reading.
Autumnal Chinese Landscape Brings Peak Prices For World Auction Gallery
EAST MEADOW, N.Y. – Estimated at $150/200,000, an autumnal landscape by Chinese painter Fengmian Lin (1900-1991) added some seasonal color to the November 15 sale at World Auction Gallery titled Exceptional Arts & Antiques Auction. “Autumn River Scene,” done in oil on canvas and in a giltwood frame measuring 34 by 39 inches, saw considerable interest from Chinese buyers -both trade and private collectors, from Asia and the United States – but in the end, an Asian phone bidder prevailed, taking it to $348,000. According to Ben Nejat, World Auction Gallery’s owner and principal auctioneer, the work had come from a private collection on the north shore of Long Island that has more to offer: “There are more items of similar value that will be in the next sale.” For information, 516-307-8180 or www.worldauctiongallery.com.
Safe Harbor For Stormy Seascape By Jack L. Gray At Roland Sale
GLEN COVE, N.Y. – An oil on canvas painting of two fishermen in a boat on a stormy sea sold for $24,320 on nine bids at Roland Auctions NY’s November 7 sale. Signed lower left “Jack L. Gray” (Canadian, 1927-1981), the painting measured 30 by 50 inches. It was the top lot in a sale that included good results for a Jansen “Royale” black lacquered and steel retractable dining table, circa 1980, on castors, $11,520; and two Chinese lots, a pair of export blue and white lamps with rectangular bodies and a pair of jardinieres planters with bronze dore mounts – each commanding $9,600. For information, 212-260-2000 or www.rolandauctions.com.
American Folk Art Painting Surfaces At Copake
COPAKE, N.Y. – It was either a pining for past summer days or nostalgia for pastimes of yore, but an oil on wood panel painting by Adams Wirt Garrett (American, 1908-2000) depicting activities in and around a country swimming hole went out at $3,344, nearly five times its high estimate at Copake Auction’s unreserved estate sale on November 14. Signed “Garrett” in the lower left corner, the painting measured 45 by 54 inches. For information, www.copakeauction.com or 518-329-1142.
Hockney Lithograph Makes A Splash At Hess
ST PETERSBURG, FLA. – Headlining Hess Fine Art Auctions’ November 14 sale of works from the estate of Gay Culverhouse Art Gallery collection & Other Fine Arts was a privately consigned original signed lithograph by David Hockney from his “Blue Swimming Pool with Diving Board and Shadow” series. Numbered 58/1,000 and printed on Arches paper, the work was signed and dated 1980 and had been estimated at $15/20,000. According to Hess’ auction coordinator, Brandon Peck, bidding on the piece was “rapid-fire,” coming from bidders online and on the phones. In the end, a phone bidder dove deepest, winning the lot for $29,155. For more information, www.hessfineauctions.com or 727-896-0622.
Mechanical Bank Squirrels Away The Money At RSL
WHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J.- A Squirrel and Tree Stump cast iron mechanical bank designed by Robert Turnbull for the Mechanical Novelty Works sold for $27,000 in RSL Auction Co’s November 7 sale. The bank had provenance to both the Norman Perry and Donal Markey collections. The firm said it was in mint condition and represented “one of the most sublime specimens of this bank in the world.” For information, www.rslauctionco.com or 908-823-4049.
Fab Four Poster Gets Fab Price For Heritage
DALLAS – What started as a presumably generic picture ended up being a coveted prize at Heritage Auctions. A social media post by Anthony Bruno that featured a Beatles poster caught the eye of a friend of his, who inquired about it. Bruno said he took it down in the subway after attending the Fab Four’s 1966 show at Shea Stadium. The Beatles 1966 Shea Stadium concern poster went on to lead Heritage Auctions’ November 14 Entertainment & Music Memorabilia auction when it sold for $106,250. The poster is apparently very rare, one of six or seven known to remain in existence, and coveted by the most serious of collectors. For more information, www.ha.com.
Historic Photo Of Western Lawmen, Their Prisoners, Capture Attention At Cordier
HARRISBURG, PENN. – Cordier Auctions & Appraisals had another popular sale on November 14-15, a very eclectic group of items and more than 1,100 lots over two days. Highlighting the lots across the block was a photograph of Cyrus Frye, US Marshall, in Deadwood, S.D., with two “Indian” prisoners, a court judge, two deputy marshalls and an interpreter. The image was captured by Locke & Peterson, circa 1885. This finished at $1,020. For information, 717-731-8662 or www.cordierauction.com.
Unopened Pokémon Box Takes Six Figures At Bruneau & Co
CRANSTON, R.I.- A Pokémon Base Shadowless Booster Box in factory sealed condition brought $100,000 at Bruneau & Co’s November 12 sale. It sold to a young collector in New Jersey. The auction house said the factory sealed box was in new old stock condition, with minimal wear. “This box was acquired from the original owner, a 72-year-old gentleman from New Hampshire who purchased it in 1999,” the firm said. The packs inside were of the long crimp type. For information, www.bruneauandco.com or 401-533-9980.
Brown Bess Flintlock Fires Up Willis Henry Bidders
MARSHFIELD, MASS. – A circa 1747 English Brown Bess flintlock musket, the first model and bearing its original wood ramrod, led the charge at the November 14 online Historic Arts & Militaria auction at Willis Henry Auctions, Inc. The Revolutionary War gun, which was marked “First Regiment of Foot Guards” and stamped on the top of the barrel “Regiments Guards 2 Battalion,” had provenance to Fred Fontaine, George C. Neumann and Dr David Wolfe. Estimated at $7,500-$10,000, it inspired fiery competition from both England and the United States but in the end, a collector in Massachusetts bidding online won it for $16,250. For information, www.willishenryauctions.com or 781-834-7774.
