An action-packed auction featuring a stellar assortment of materials, much of which was consigned from the Thomas Buechner estate, a former director of the Brooklyn Museum and the founding director of the Corning Museum of Glass, took place this past Saturday, March 24, at Cottone Auction.

Leading the way was an untouched, original condition painting by William Bradford, consigned by a Buffalo, N.Y., family, that depicted sailing vessels amid icebergs. The painting opened for bidding at $50,000 and more than doubled the high presale estimate when it sold moments later to a telephone bidder for $166,750.

Another of the top lots was a pristine effigy feast bowl, Algonquin or Woodlands Indians, with the extremely rare feature of two carved bear head handles. In wonderful condition with the pristine original nut-color and untouched patina, the burl bowl was consigned from a local museum where the it had remained in the collection since the 1800s. Thought by auctioneer Sam Cottone to have been made circa 1650‱700, the rare effigy bowl sold at $74,750.

A complete review of the auction will appear in a future issue. ⁄SS