The block was awash with color this past week. Abstract art reached the six-figure mark with a canvas by Alma W. Thomas, and a George Morrison composition multiplied its estimate to reach five figures. Perennially popular Tiffany Lamps popped up, two specified below that both far surpassed their estimates. Continue on for more winning lots.

Alma Thomas Abstract Leads Swann Galleries’ Modern & Postwar Art Sale

NEW YORK CITY – Billed as a celebration of Alma W. Thomas (American, 1891-1978) and the Washington scene, Swann Galleries’ December 1 sale of Modern and postwar art was led by Thomas’ “Reflections,” an oil on cotton canvas from 1960, which realized a within-estimate $557,000. Measuring 40 by 30 inches, signed AW Thomas and dated 60 lower right, the work was from the James K. Hill collection and had a rich exhibition history. An important early abstraction by Thomas, it was painted on the cusp of her painting career. In 1960, Thomas had just resigned from her position at Shaw Junior High School, ending a 35-year art teaching career, beginning a full-time dedication to painting at the age of 69. This painting shows Thomas’ embrace of abstraction by 1960, and the rich inspiration she found in nature. For information, www.swanngalleries.com or 212-254-4710.

Harry Potter & Bill Russell Hold Court At Connecticut River Book Auction

SOUTH GLASTONBURY, CONN. – With seasonal decorations galore, the December 2 Connecticut River Book Auction was more a gathering of old friends than an auction, according to owner Tom Gullotta. Well, that is, until the bidding began. “The surprise of the evening was a soiled and somewhat tattered 1961 Boston Celtics softcover yearbook that sold for $1,115,” said Gullotta. “What made this item desirable was that it was signed by Bill Russell.” Another item that went beyond its reserve was a signed first American copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, which brought $920. For more information, 860-908-8067 or www.ctriverbookauction.com.

Twentieth Century Japanese Bronze Vase Looms Large At Kodner Galleries

DANIA BEACH, FLA. – Nearly 250 lots of estate jewelry, art and collectibles crossed the block at Kodner Galleries on November 30. Standing head and shoulders above all the results was a large Japanese bronze vase. Estimated at $800-$1,200, it brought $10,710 to an online bidder. The Twentieth Century vase was decorated with raised floral relief. Signed, it measured 20½ by 10½ inches. For information, www.kodner.com or 954-925-2550.

Winding Winter Scene Leads To Top Price At Woody Auction

DOUGLASS, KAN. – Woody Auction’s final antiques sale of 2022 on December 3 was among the firm’s most eclectic, promising to have something for everyone and its catalog brimming with more than 400 lots in a wide array of categories. It was led by an original oil on canvas signed “W. Mck. Snyder,” a 20-by-42-inch winter scene of a pathway along a stream through trees to a cottage by William McKendree Snyder (American, 1848-1930), which finished at $14,400. For information, www.woodyauction.com or 316-747-2694.

Dior Chandelier Choker Necklace Entices Holiday Bidders At The Benefit Shop

MOUNT KISCO, N.Y. – The Benefit Shop Foundation kicked off the holiday shopping season with its second annual holiday jewelry and designer fashion auction on December 7. The auction, sourced from several Westchester, Manhattan and Long Island, N.Y., estates and even one in Palm Beach, Fla., totaled nearly 800 lots with offerings that included a wide variety of jewelry and fashion styles, genres and designers. Notable was a Christian Dior Chandelier choker necklace that was bid to $1,548. The piece was opaque blue-toned beads and had a hook clasp. It measured approximately 15½ inches long with a drop length of approximately 7 inches. For more information, 914-864-0707 or www.thebenefitshop.org.

George Morrison Abstract Brings Solid Results To Showplace

NEW YORK CITY – One of the top results at Auctions at Showplace’s 280-lot New York City Estate Auction on December 4 was an abstract oil on Masonite composition by George Morrison (American, 1919-2000), which sold to a Minnesota buyer for $13,750, well above its $3/5,000 estimate. It measured 10¼ by 10¼ in a cerused wooden frame and dated to circa 1950. For information, 212-633-6063 or www.nyshowplace.com.

Tiffany Studios’ Poppy Lamp Blossoms For Leland Little

HILLSBOROUGH, N.C. – The top lot in Leland Little Auctions’ 269-lot December 3 Signature Winter Auction was a Tiffany Studios Poppy table lamp, circa 1900, which exceeded its $25/35,000 estimate and sold for $46,800. Both the shade and Iris pattern doré bronze base were stamped “Tiffany Studios New York” and the lamp was accompanied by a 2022 appraisal. For more information, www.lelandlittle.com 919-644-1243.

Brian Coole Harbor Scene Brings Hot Price For D.L. Straight

STURBRIDGE, MASS. – Earning the top berth in D.L. Straight Auctioneers’ Holiday Season Americana sale on December 3 was a large harbor scene by Brian Coole (American, b 1939), which sailed to a new home with a collector in Virginia for $6,000. Executed in oil and measuring 28 by 41 inches in its frame, it was the highest price in the 568-lot auction. For additional information, www.dlstraightauctioneers.com or 508-769-5404.

Tiffany Studios’ Apple Blossom Lamp Brightens South Bay Auctions

EAST MORICHES, N.Y. – Despite some cracked panels, a Tiffany Studios Apple Blossom table lamp with leaded shade earned $20,400 against an $8/12,000 estimate to earn pride of place in the 287-lot “Fine Art, Antiques, Silver, Jewelry & Sporting Auction,” which was conducted by South Bay Auctions on December 3. The base was marked “Tiffany Studios” and the lamp measured 22¾ inches tall, with a 16¼-inch diameter shade. For information, www.southbayauctions.com or 631-878-2909.