Aside from the headliner sale of a George Washington portrait after Rembrandt Peale, Haitian art and antique firearms took up the most space on the podium this past week. Sculptures by Georges Liautaud topped the listings at Litchfield Auctions, and a yet unidentified Haitian Expressionist canvas sold well at SJD. Milestone brought a P&D brass-barreled flint pistol while a group lot of an early bayonet and powder horn were successful at Cordier. Read on for more great finds.
Haitian Sculpture Casts A Spell On Bidders At Litchfield Auction
LITCHFIELD, CONN. — In its winter design sale on February 28, Litchfield Auctions presented art and design from a variety of collections and estates. Top lots included a couple of pieces by Haitian artist Georges Liautaud (1899-1992). He was a blacksmith, which undoubtedly explains the choice of iron as his medium of expression. His creations varied from the abstract to the figurative. Steeped in Voodoo traditions, Liautaud created mermaids, devils, fantastical animals and the traditional deities. One was a curvilinear metal sculpture with seven standing figures, signed, 9 by 19 by 8 inches. Another was a mermaid. Both were offered as property from the art collection of David Erlanger and Jean Witter, and both sold to the same bidder for a combined $15,600. A third sculpture by Liautaud sold for $1,690 to an international buyer from the United Kingdom who bid online. For information, www.lichfieldcountyauctions.com or 860-567-4661.
Early Grain Painted Treenware Jar Turns Heads At Treffeisen Estate Sale
SIDNEY, N.Y. — The estate auction of Catherine Treffeisen was presented on March 11 at an unreserved event conducted by Hesse, Schillaci & Shultis at the American Legion Hall. A vinegar grain-painted covered treenware footed jar, 6 inches tall by 6 inches in diameter, sold for $1,955. The jar, rising from a slightly footed base and very nicely turned, retained its old finish and was in excellent condition. Treffeisen (1941-2021) loved to surround herself with painted country antiques in original “as found” condition. She had an eye for consistently acquiring antiques and accessories that complemented her collecting theme of “untouched” items with original surfaces. For information, 607-287-5320.
Bayonet & Powder Horn, Military Relics, Sell Well At Cordier
HARRISBURG, PENN. — On March 12, Cordier Auctions & Appraisals conducted a firearms and militaria auction, led by a relic condition socket bayonet and powder horn that sold for $3,240. Both items were unmarked. The bayonet measured 28½ inches long. The horn was 11-5/8 inches long. For information, 717-731-8662 or www.cordierauction.com.
Antique Ottoman Catma Lifts Off At Material Culture
PHILADELPHIA – Among a 431-lot selection of ethnographic, ancient, tribal, Asian and textile arts presented in a live showroom auction on March 13 by Material Culture, a surprise result was obtained for an antique Ottoman voided silk and velvet Catma, which realized $10,880 against a $2/4,000 estimate. Possibly Seventeenth Century, the 2-foot-3-inch-by-4-foot-5-inch example came from a private Los Angeles collection. For information, 215-849-8030 or www.materialculture.com.
George Washington Porthole Portrait Sails To Lead For Nye & Co
BLOOMFIELD, N.J. — Halfway through Nye & Co’s three-day March Estate Treasures auction, March 8-10, an oil on canvas portrait of George Washington, unsigned and cataloged as “after Rembrandt Peale,” attracted competitive phone and online bidding because of its similarities to the original painting, the ruddy complexion of George Washington and the overall quality of the painting. Consigned from a private collector in Basking Ridge, N.J., who had inherited it from their great-grandfather. In the end, a private collector prevailed, for $34,375. For information, 973-984-6900 or www.nyeandcompany.com.
Prewar Chinese Coin Top Lot In Lotus International Auction
GUILFORD, CONN. — Many professionally graded, rare and valuable coins were offered in an online coin auction hosted by Lotus International on February 26. Gold, silver, copper and other metal coins and legal tender from United States, Canada, Spain, Columbia, China, Mexico and other countries crossed the block with dates from 1652 to 2007. The leading lot was a Chinese coin, dated 1932 and graded, depicting birds flying over a junk, which sold for $11,875. For information, 203-689-5062 or www.lotusauctions.com.
Highland Estate Brings Haitian Expressionism To SJD
HIGHLAND, N.Y. — On March 14, SJD Auctions offered more than 100 lots of fine art, decorative arts and home furnishings from a Highland estate owned by a cofounder of the brand Clothes by Bob & Jane. The top lot was a signed Haitian Expressionist painting, dated 1963, that was bid to $852. Other high-selling lots included Midcentury Modern Danish teak furniture, an Eames-style lounge chair and ottoman and a signed painting by Heidi Lange. For information, 845-489-7408 or sjdauctions@outlook.com.
Nineteenth Century Pistol Shows Its Brass In Milestone Sale
WILLOUGHBY, OHIO — Milestone’s first Premier collectible firearms auction of 2023 was conducted March 11-12, offering a selection of US, British, German, French and Japanese productions. The 1,452-lot selection was led by antique, military and civilian arms from long-held collections. With no serial number and an 8-5/8-inch barrel, a P&D Moll Allentown brass-barreled flint pistol, circa 1820, sold for $46,800. The brass-barreled and brass-mounted, single-shot flintlock pistol with barrel marked “P 7 D Moll Allentown” with “C. Bird & Co Philad, Warranted” marked lock featured a faux striped maple stock with violin finish. The Molls were an important family in the Lehigh Valley, Penn., firearms trade. For more information, 440-527-8060 or www.milestoneauctions.com.
Topps Wacky Packages Tops At Bruneau
CRANSTON, R.I. — A group of more than 550 Topps Wacky Packages sticker trading cards, assembled between 1967 and 1977 by its original owner, was the top lot in Bruneau & Co Auctioneer’s Comic, TCG and Toy auction on March 11. Deemed “a grail opportunity for any trading card collector,” the lot, estimated at $1/2,000, sold for $4,625 to a collector in Indianapolis, prevailing against the underbidder, who was in the salesroom. Travis Landry, commenting after the sale, said, “These are tough to find as they are sticker base cards, which kids would apply to surfaces.” For more information, 401-533-9980 or www.bruneauandco.com.
