“Jeunes filles au jardin (Young Girls in a Garden)” by Nguyễn Văn Siên (Vietnamese, 1916-2014) was a three-panel lacquer on wood paneled screen, 47 by 71¼ inches overall, and brought the sale’s highest price of $66,150 ($20/40,000).
Review by Carly Timpson
SARASOTA, FLA. — Helmuth Stone’s September 13 auction comprised of 407 lots of decorative objects and fine art, including a large selection of pieces by Asian artists, and spanning Old Master paintings to prints of the WPA era to contemporary works.
“Overall, the sale was very strong, with the higher-end items performing exceptionally well; we were very pleased,” reported co-owner Austin Helmuth. He added, “This sale featured a large Vietnamese art and antique collection from Washington, DC, which fared very well,” noting that “a lot of international bidders were bidding during the sale, including an abundance of Asian telephone bidders.”
Appropriately, that Vietnamese collection spawned the auction’s highest result: $66,150 for a three-panel lacquer on wood screen painted by Nguyễn Văn Siên. The autumnal scene, titled “Jeunes filles au jardin (Young Girls in a Garden),” was originally purchased from the artist in Vietnam in the 1980, and research into his history indicate that this triptych set the record for his most expensive work sold at auction when it achieved €207,760 (about $244,960, converted using the exchange rate on the day of the sale) at Aguettes, Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, in October of 2020. The triptych was paired with two wooden ledges for mounting, and altogether the work measured 47 inches tall by 71¼ inches wide.
“Bowl of Zen” by Nguyễn Văn Minh (Vietnamese, b 1930), lacquer on wood paneled screen quadriptych, 47½ by 72 inches mounted, brought $9,450 ($8/16,000).
Additional Vietnamese highlights included Nguyễn Văn Minh’s “Bowl of Zen.” This four-paneled lacquer-on-wood work centered a copper-red bowl on a mottled green-gray geometric background. Signed to the lower right of the right-most panel, the quadriptych achieved $9,450. Similar to the leading lot, this was also purchased directly from the artist, who moved to the Washington, DC, area in the mid 1980s and owned a gallery in Georgetown, according to his obituary in The Washington Post.
Contemporary artist Bùi Hữu Hùng (b 1957), who bridges modernity and traditional methods, was represented in the auction by a square still life featuring scrolls, a blue-and-white wine cup and various gold pieces. According to a related catalog entry from Bonhams, “Hung’s figurative works are widely celebrated, and while his still life paintings are less known, they are no less significant. They reflect the same attention to detail and depth, and the lustrous finish of the lacquer adds a layer of sophistication that makes everyday objects transcend their ordinary purpose.” This example was acquired directly from the artist, who signed the work with a bold red character seal to the upper right and smaller in script to the lower left. It was bid just past its high estimate, closing at $6,930.
“Virginia Fall,” an oil portrait of a woman lounging on the ground with autumnal trees in the background, by Đinh Cường was bid well past its $1/2,000 estimate to achieve $6,615.
“Virginia Fall,” an oil on canvas by Đinh Cường (Vietnamese, 1939-2016), 40½ by 53 inches framed, exceeded estimates to bring $6,615 ($1/2,000).
As for Asian antiques in the auction, the collection was led by a Thirteenth/Fourteenth Century stoneware ewer. This celadon-glazed vessel was of bulbous form and had a ruffled or floral-form lid. Across from the approximately 1-inch applied strap handle, the vessel’s small, applied spout featured a decorative spiral design on either side of its base. This ewer rose to $6,222, easily surpassing its $800-$1,600 estimate.
While Vietnamese art and antiques made up a large portion of the sale, American art also had its moment. Abstract Expressionist Alice Baber’s acrylic painting titled “The Sound of the Mountain of the Jaguar” realized the auction’s second-highest price: $57,960. The work was signed and dated (“78”) to the lower right, and Helmuth noted that it sold to a collector in New York.
Works by Syd Solomon and Roy Lichtenstein were also among top finishers, with Solomon’s 1973 “Banner Majorca” achieving $27,720 and Lichtenstein’s “Modern Art Poster” (1967) bringing $9,450.
The sale was conducted just one day before the death of psychedelic pop artist Peter Max, but his acrylic “Better World” still spoke to bidders who pushed it far beyond its $16,000 high estimate to earn $41,580. The vibrant sunset on the water, reflecting Max’s vision of harmony between nature and humanity, seems a fitting tribute to the artist.
“Better World, Ver XII” by Peter Max (German-American, 1937-2026), 2003, acrylic on canvas, 58¼ by 46 inches framed, rose to $41,580 ($12/16,000).
More historic pieces were also included in the auction, such as an ancient Egyptian false door, carved from a single block of limestone and dating to the Old Kingdom. Aligning with known tradition, the carvings included a shallow relief depicting the deceased woman and her family as well as script, some of which was able to be read and translated by Dr Nigel Strudwick, former assistant keeper, department of Ancient Egypt and Sudan, The British Museum. It listed sacred oils, offerings to kings, lords and gods for the deceased and messages about the woman. Per the catalog note, false doors like this — the focus in a tomb where offerings and prayer were presented so the ka (life force, spiritual essence) of the deceased could pass on — were not commonly inscribed for women, so this example was of greater rarity due to its owner. Retaining traces of some of its original red and blue pigment, the spiritual door sold to a private collector in Colorado for $50,000.
An Old Master painting also gained significant attention. Attributed to Giovanni Balducci, the scene of “Diana’s Bath” featured a lively grouping of nude women, some with young children, amid acts of self-care. Helmuth shared, it “was sold to an Italian collector, after a long bidding war between two European collectors.” The battle took the work far past its $1,5/2,500 estimate, ultimately closing at $22,550.
Prices quoted include the buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. For information, www.helmuthstone.com or 941-260-9703.
