Henry, The Bedrock Of Lever-Action
Collections, Gets $55,000 At Morphy’s

DENVER, PENN. – Morphy Auctions welcomed firearms and militaria enthusiasts from around the world to its March 1-2 auction of premier firearms. Several Winchesters were among the top picks, many from a Nineteenth Century collection of Winchesters that took the consignor nearly 50 years to complete. These included the sale’s top lot, a cased Winchester Henry lever-action rifle from 1862 that finished at $55,000. For information, 877-968-8880 or www.morphyauctions.com.

Swann Vintage Posters Sale Totals $677,759

NEW YORK CITY – Swann Galleries March 1 sale of vintage posters featuring highlights from the Gail Chisholm collection totaled $677,759, with an 87 percent sell-through rate for the Chisholm offering. In accordance with Chisholm’s wishes, proceeds from the sale of those posters will benefit Planned Parenthood of New York City. High attendance at the preview and auction by the poster-collecting community spoke to how beloved Chisholm was, and how much she will be missed for her joie de vivre and generosity. Top lot was Georges Dorival’s Vers le Mont – Blanc, set of three posters, 1928, which sold for $11,000. For information, 212-254-4710 or www.swanngalleries.com.

Marble Top, Inlaid Bibliotheque
Goes Out At $224,200 At Leland Little

HILLSBOROUGH, N.C. – Leland Little’s spring auction on March 3 was a nearly 500-lot sale that featured two especially distinguished collections from the southeast – the Charleston estate of Tony and Linda Bakker, whose collection included antique furniture, fine art and weaponry, and a Florida collector. Topping the sale was a Restauration ormolu-mounted marble top inlaid bibliotheque basse by E. Levasseur that sold for $224,200. For more information, 919-644-1243 or www.lelandlittle.com.

John Lennon’s 1969 ‘Monkeybike’
Takes World Record $80,000
At H&H Classics Auction

BICKENHILL, SOLIHULL, ENGLAND – Motorcycle history was made by H&H Classics at the National Motorcycle Museum on March 4 when the company sold two iconic bikes for new world record prices. H&H’s lineup of 170 bikes included a number of gems that had the place heaving despite a week of atrocious weather that had kept people at home. The biking fraternity turned up in strength to bid for John Lennon’s 1969 Honda Z50A “Monkeybike” (shown), which made $80,000. And a fascinating survivor, a preproduction Honda CB750 reached $22,300. Lennon used the “Monkeybike” as a fun way of getting around his Tittenhurst Park estate in Surrey, where he lived from 1969 to 1971. For information, +44 7970 563958 or www.handh.co.uk.

Bidders Find Still Life Delectable
At Kaminski Auction

BEVERLY, MASS. – Kaminski Auctions presented a two-day auction March 3-4, day one of which featured the European fine art collection of Dr Carl Katz, of Cincinnati, Ohio, and Lake Garda, Italy. From Katz’s collection came a Francisco Miralles y Galup (Spanish, 1848-1901) scene titled “Before the Church of the Madeleine,” which was bid to $48,000. Bidders pushed the cover lot for this sale, a still life of fruit with a champagne glass (shown) by the German artist Emilie Preyer, daughter of Wilhelm Preyer, to $50,400. This painting was at one time on loan to the Louvre Museum, Paris, by the artist. For information, 978-927-2223 or www.kaminskiauctions.com.

Kashmiri Indian Artist ‘Santosh’
Takes Top Two Spots At Showplace

NEW YORK CITY – The March 4 auction at Showplace Antique + Design Center featured two works by the artist Gulam Rasool Santosh (Indian, 1929-1997), known as “Santosh,” who was a prominent Kashmiri painter. After strong bidding, they sold as the top two lots to the same collector online. “Beyond the Valley,” a tantric art abstract composition in green, red and blue, oil on canvas, signed, titled and dated ’62 on reverse brought $17,500 (shown). “The Pass,” also a tantric art abstract composition but this one in pink, red and black, was also signed and dated ’62 lower left, and titled on reverse, sold at $16,250. For more information, www.nyshowplace.com or 212-633-6063.

Romare Bearden’s ‘Piano Lesson’ Plays
To $8,125 At Litchfield County Auctions

LITCHFIELD, CONN. – A color lithograph by African American artist Romare Bearden (1911-1988) sold for $8,125 at Litchfield County Auctions’ winter antiques sale, February 24. Bearden’s “Piano Lesson,” a 29-by-20-inch, hand signed, embossed and numbered (26/100) lithograph, had been purchased directly from the artist, and it sold online. For information, 860-567-4661 or www.litchfieldcountyauctions.com.

Satsuma Censer Beats Estimates
By A Factor Of 10

SELSDON, SURREY, KENT, ENGLAND – A Satsuma twin handled censer and cover by Kinkozan, Meiji period, was estimated to fetch $550/830 at Catherine Southon’s auction at Farleigh Court Golf Club on March 7. The final price rose to $7,596, with fierce bidding going on between internet, telephone and a bidder in the room. The bidder in the room was eventually successful. The private collector of Asian art from Kent said, “I am really delighted that I was successful. I wish I had got it at a lower price, but you have to pay for quality and this is such an exquisite piece, I am full of admiration for the artistry.” For information, www.catherinesouthon.co.uk or +44 20 8313 3655.

Sweet Scents From Antique Perfume
At William Jenack Auctioneers

CHESTER, N.Y. – At William Jenack Auctioneer’s March 4 auction, an antique Swiss/French yellow gold (tests 18K) diamond/citrine intaglio cut perfume, hallmarked, 3¼ inches high, the citrine 22.8 by 18.3 millimeters, came to the block with an $800-$1,200 estimate. After serious bidding, the perfume did not end until it reached $2,950 – “not the highest in the sale, but nearly three times high estimate,” Kevin Decker of William Jenack said. For information, www.jenack.com or 845-469-9095.

Rare Intarsia Table Cover
Tops Cowan’s Sale

CINCINNATI, OHIO – The top lot at Cowan’s March 10 sale was a rare 1831 English patchwork pictorial intarsia table cover. Bidders quickly cut through the $8/10,000 estimate to close at $25,200, with the winning bid going to an international bidder on the phone. Made in broadcloth, the central medallion was surrounded by 14 pictorial panels. The table cover is one of a small group of intarsia pictorial patchwork pieces to survive intact, including one in the collection of the V&A Museum that is compositionally similar. For information, 513-871-1670 or www.cowanauctions.com.