Midcentury Modern furniture was well represented up and down the East Coast in recent auctions. A circa 1960 Chan table by Philip and Kelvin LaVerne took $8,700 at Burchard Galleries, while a Boston coffee table by Wendell Castle was a top lot at Clarke Auction Gallery when it sold for $18,750. Fine art was also a strong seller with Banksy’s “Girl with Balloon” bringing $1.18 million at Heritage Auctions, and a John Whorf watercolor catching the tide at Bakker Auctions for $8,320. For these stories and more, read on.
Early Wooden Sign Washes Competition Clean At Edward B. Beattie
HAMPTON FALLS, N.H. — On June 9, Edward B. Beattie Auctioneers conducted a 126-lot sale of property from a Hampton Falls estate, offering antiques, quality furniture, smalls and country items. The top lot was an early wooden sign, which earned $352 after 40 back-and-forth bids. Measuring 13 by 72 inches, the sign, in white lettering against a light blue ground, advertised “White Sewing Machines.” For information, 603-770-9878.
Whorf Watercolor Finds New Home At Bakker
PROVINCETOWN, MASS. — Leading Bakker Auctions’ June 6 online sale was a scene by a local favorite, John Whorf (1903-1959). The artist painted in the area for about four decades and was a key figure in the Provincetown artist colony. Known for his coastal scenes, he was represented in this sale by a framed watercolor, “Provincetown Cottage,” that sold above estimate at $8,320. For information, www.bakkerproject.com or 508-413-9758.
Castle Table Reigns At Clarke
LARCHMONT, N.Y. — A Boston Coffee Table made in 1979 by Wendell Castle (1932-2018) tied for top-lot status when it earned $18,750 at Clarke Auction Gallery on June 7. Castle executed the model in several different hardwoods, and this example was in burl walnut. For information, www.clarkeny.com or 914-833-8336.
Jennings Slot Pays Out At Past To Present
NIANTIC, CONN. — Cashing in as the top lot at Past to Present Auctions’ June 7 sale of the estate of Neal L. Blodgett, Jr, former owner of Higganum House Antiques, was a Jennings Victoria Jackpot Model B slot machine. Leading part one of the auction of his estate, the machine drew 33 bids and realized $837. For information, www.pasttopresentauctions.com or 860-941-5973.
Mêne Bronze Gallops At Eldred’s
EAST DENNIS, MASS. — Riding across the block at Eldred’s Auction Gallery June 11 was a Pierre-Jules Mêne bronze of a woman riding a horse that attained $9,600 ($600-$1,000). Coming out of the estate of longtime antiques collector Harold Smalley of Osterville, Mass., it sold online to a French buyer. For information, www.eldreds.com or 508-385-3116.
Unique Necklace Dresses Up For Success At Kodner
DANIA BEACH, FLA. — On June 12, Kodner Galleries conducted its Fine Art & Sculpture, Estate Jewelry and Home Décor sale, offering 261 lots. The auction’s top lot was a vintage Spratling Company Mexican silver and natural shell pendant necklace, which landed within its $2/4,000 estimate at $3,872. The signed piece measured 15 inches long and weighed approximately 126.23 grams. For information, www.kodner.com or 954-925-2550.
Banksy Floats To Top Of Heritage’s Matthew Perry Auction
DALLAS — Banksy’s “Girl with Balloon” realized $1,187,500 to lead The Matthew Perry Estate Auction June 5 at Heritage Auctions. In spray paint on two canvases, the 2005 diptych measured 24 inches square as installed. The event, in which collectors, fans and philanthropists from around the world came together to celebrate the life and legacy of the actor, raised more than $2.2 million for the Matthew Perry Foundation and offered the chance to bid on items from the passions that shaped Perry’s life. For information, www.ha.com or 214-528-3500.
Oblong LaVerne Table Fits Right With Burchard Bidders
ST PETERSBURG, FLA. — A circa 1960 Chan coffee table by Philip and Kelvin LaVerne topped Burchard Galleries’ June 14 estate auction. With a chinoiserie motif, the patinated and polychrome bronze table measured 47¼ inches long by 23¼ inches wide and stood 17¼ inches tall. Estimated $6/8,000, the table was bid to $8,700. For information, www.burchardgalleries.com or 727-821-1167.
Sebastian Steiff Bear Is Standout For Flannery’s
PINE BUSH, N.Y. — Flannery’s Estate Service’s June Antiques & Estate Auction was conducted June 13, offering slightly more than 350 lots. One of the standouts of the day was an early Steiff Sebastian mohair teddy bear, which fluffed up an $800-$1,200 estimate to $6,250. The 13½-inch bear has “won multiple awards and was published in the early 1980s,” according to catalog notes. For information, www.flannerysestateservices.com or 845-744-2233.
