The top lot of the sale was a tapestry depicting intertwined serpents, after Alexander Calder, possibly by C.A.C. Publications, 1975, 85 by 56 inches. It sold for $21,250 ($15/20,000).
Images courtesy Roland Auctions
GLEN COVE, N.Y. — Roland Auctions presented its first auction of the winter season on Saturday, December 16, with contemporary art getting much of the attention throughout the day, with an after Alexander Calder tapestry taking the top spot as the high seller of the auction. The sale featured items from multiple estates and included more than 150 lots of art and memorabilia from a prominent New York art world insider’s private collection.
The after Alexander Calder tapestry, a woven jute tapestry rug depicting intertwining serpents, circa 1975, bearing a label that reads “handmade in Guatemala,” came from a Brooklyn, N.Y., residence and sold for $21,250.
“Saint and Dog” by Gregory Gillespie (American, 1936-2000), 1983, mixed media on paper, 24¼ by 20½ inches, sold for $5,000 ($1/2,000).
Other prominent pieces include a mixed media work on paper by Gregory Gillespie titled “Saint & Dog” and a 2002 acrylic on canvas painting by Mark Kostabi (American, b 1960). The Gillespie piece dated “1983,” with labels from Salander-O’Reilly and Forum Galleries, sold for $5,000. The Kostabi painting, “Moving On,” depicts two human figures sitting in a subway car while a window behind them reveals two dinosaurs watching as a meteor soars across the New York City skyline. Measuring 18 by 24 inches, the painting sold for $2,125.
This Twentieth Century modernist scarf necklace by Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co went for $12,500 ($12/15,000).
A series of five Salvador Dali (Spanish, 1904-1989) etchings titled “Changes in Great Masterpieces” earned $2,375. The series includes Dali illustrations on works by Rembrandt, Vermeer, Velasquez and Raphael. Each etching, coming from the Phyllis Lucas Gallery in New York City, was signed and numbered in pencil.
Jewelry and silver came next, with a Twentieth Century modernist scarf necklace by Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co going for $12,500; an 18K gold twist cord bracelet selling for $2,250; and a sterling silver repousse bowl by Tiffany & Co., finishing at $2,500.
This oval silver repousse bowl with claw feet by Tiffany & Co, Twentieth Century, 12½ by 16 inches, earned $2,500 ($3/4,000).
Also finding success was a 130-piece Herend porcelain dinner set hand-painted in the Yellow Dynasty pattern. The design features scrolling foliate motifs on an Imperial-yellow ground around Chinese bamboo and floral details, reminiscent of famille jaune antique ceramics. The circa 1980s set sold for $11,250. Similarly, an Art Deco ceramic bowl designed by Austrian artist Erna Koprna (1894-1984) brought $1,750. This glazed earthenware jardinière, featured in the 1992 book, Expressive Keramik: Der Wiener Werkstätte, 1917-1930, was numbered 274.
A 130-piece set of Yellow Dynasty porcelain dinnerware by Herend (Hungarian), late 1980s, earned $11,250 ($3/5,000).
Other successful offerings included artist memorabilia. One such lot was a collection of approximately 35 artist autographs, postcards, signatures and artworks. Some notable signatures included Robert Indiana, Mark Kostabi, Dominick Di Meo, Betty Woodman, Peter Max, Chuck Close and David Hockney. The collection generated $7,500. A similar collection, a framed group of four Herbert E. Nass business cards, each signed by a different artist, included the signatures of Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, James Rosenquist and Alex Katz. This set sold for $3,437.
Two Steinway & Sons grand pianos did well. A black “Model M” earned $5,312 while a Mohagany “Model S” brought $4,062.
A black Steinway & Sons “Model M” grand piano, 1928, 67 inches wide, brought $5,312 ($3/5,000).
In weaponry, a Seventeenth Century Japanese katana samurai sword, signed on tang “Uji Nobu,” sold for $2,125. The cutting edge was 28 inches with fine temper, flames, waves and only a couple of nail catches while the handle had an early iron tsuba and a pair of dragon menuki ornaments.
All prices quoted include the buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. For additional information, www.rolandantiques.com or 212-260-2000.
