Marion Antique Auctions
Saturday, April 9th at 10 am
13 Atlantis Drive, Marion, MA
marionantiqueauctions.com
frank@marionantiques.com
508-748-3606 or 508-498-7136
Viewing: Thursday & Friday 10am to 5pm & Partial Limited Viewing: Saturday 8am to 9:30am

MARION, MASS. — Marion Antique Auctions will present an antiques and fine art auction on April 9 at its historic restored Marconi auction facility. There is a wide variety of interesting objects, all coming from local estates, museums and private collections.

The furniture offerings are dominated by midcentury designer pieces, such as a Harry Bertoia bird chair and ottoman, a crystal chandelier by Barovier and Toso attributed to Murano, three Jorgen Kastholm Danish leather and chrome armchairs, three Umbo shelf units by Leroy Ruggles, several torch-cut architectural steel panels made in Haiti by Jean Pierre Bernard for Harvey Probber, American furniture designer and maker, 12 Hans Wegner teakwood and cane dining chairs, six Eva dining chairs by Niels Koefoed, a Venini pendant lamp, which was found in a closet of a Fall River estate, and a Adrian Pearsall teakwood coffee table. Deaccessioned by the New Bedford Whaling Museum is an early Nineteenth Century Federal sofa and a circa 1830 mahogany extension banquet table, other notable early American items are a circa 1790 Federal tambour secretary desk and an Eighteenth Century Queen Anne highboy.

Paintings, sculptures and prints are abundant. There are several portraits by William Matthew Prior from the Harry Von Ertfelda estate in South Dartmouth, Mass., a portrait of two children and a dog by Cephas Giovanni Thompson in its original arched carved and gilded frame. It comes from the George Decas collection. Decas was the largest collector of Cephas Thompson paintings in the United States, according to the auction house, and assembled more than 90 portraits by him. This painting was by his son, also an accomplished artist. Other significant paintings in the sale are a landscape by Homer Dodge Martin from the collection of Robert Vose. Also deaccessioned by the New Bedford Whaling Museum is a well-detailed watercolor by Samuel Thomas Gill, a Nineteenth Century Australian artist. This piece depicts an active harbor scene at Port Adelaide in South Australia.

A last-minute addition to the sale is a ship portrait by Charles Sidney Raleigh. It was headed for a trash pile when Frank McNamee was contacted. It needs conservation. There is a tear and some paint loss, but it has a conservative estimate of $500/700. Of local importance is an oil painting on canvas by South Dartmouth artist Louis Richardson. It comes from a direct descendant of Richardson, out of his original home at Salter’s Point, South Dartmouth. It was exhibited at the New Bedford Whaling Museum. The scene is thought to be a landscape with Barney’s Joy Beach and Buzzards Bay in the distance.
From a Duxbury estate come two watercolors by Maurice Utrillo and a watercolor of a Vermont landscape by John Sloan. There are four colorful oil paintings by French artist Pierre Boudet, several works by Louis Sylvia and an Antonio Cirino painting. The most dramatic painting in the sale is by George W. King, which is a mountain landscape, probably Yosemite, with a Native American encampment.

Four bronze sculptures by Carl Kauba depicting Native Americans and western scenes are on offer, as well as a bronze after Alexander Calder, titled “Grazing Elephants, ‘Ellie,’” which was an award given to Robert Manning for excellence in the magazine industry. He was the executive editor of the Atlantic Monthly and won this award four times. There is a selection of prints to include five etchings of classical ruins by Piranesi, George Elbert Burr etchings of Colorado, Erte colored lithographs, 11 John Stobart large framed colored lithographs and some Japanese woodblocks of the Yokohama school.

The Oriental rug category is well represented by several room-size Sarouks, a Caucasian runner, scatter rugs and a 1920s palace-size Kirman, 29 by 7 feet long deaccessioned from the New Bedford Whaling Museum.

Ethnographic material for Taino, African, Native American and Pre-Columbian is available. Some of the highlights are Taino objects from collectors Larry Roberts and Alfred Carrada, who co-authored the book Taino Hallucinogenic Implements Inhaling Cosmic Dust. A number of the items in the sale are featured in the book. The Duxbury estate had a separate building the size of a small house used to display the African collection, most items are Twentieth Century, but are visually appealing. There is a small collection of late Twentieth Century Inuit sculptures highlighted by an erotic carving by Joanasie Koperqualuk, signed and dated 1981. Native American items include a Sioux disk patch bag.

Among arcade, railroad, toys and advertising items, from a Connecticut collection comes a fairgrounds band organ made in Germany by Carl Frei. It is 11 feet 8 inches long and 8 feet 2 inches high. It was purchased in the late Twentieth Century by the consignor’s parents while on a European trip. It was restored but is currently not working. From the same collection is a Reginia 27-inch disc floor model music box and a nickelodeon by Cremona, two vintage bicycles, one by Schwinn, and one by J.C. Higgins, and four vintage pedal cars. Other items include a Coca-Cola regulator clock, a Peerless lollipop scale, a vintage AMI jukebox and a Butter-Kist popcorn machine, circa 1920.

Viewing is on Thursday and Friday from 10 am to 5 pm and limited partial viewing on Saturday from 8 to 9:30 am. There also is viewing by appointment.

Marion Antique Auctions’ gallery is at 13 Atlantis Drive. For information, 508-498-7136 or www.marionantiqueauctions.com.

Featuring Americana & European paintings: Utrillo watercolor, John Sloan watercolor, Samuel Thomas Gill watercolor, rare prints: Piranesi and Rockwell Kent, whaling items, ship models, Nantucket baskets, Oriental rugs, mid-century furniture: Harry Bertoia bird chair & ottoman, period furniture, bronze sculptures: Alexander Calder, Carl Kauba, sterling silver, Chinese export collection, Delft, important Taino, Native African, American collections, Russian icons, estate jewelry, rare books & documents, 18th & 19th c gun collection, decoys, advertising signs, Fairgrounds organ, coin operated arcade machines, pedal cars and bicycles. More items still coming in. Over 560 lots, mostly unreserved.
Fairyland lustre vase
Harry Bertoia bird chair & ottoman
Piranesi, 1 of 5
18 Panel Chinese screen, 10’ high x 27’ long
Logbook, Paul Cuffee, African American
Robert Morse miniatures
Northern plains Cheyenne dolls
1930’s Steelcraft pedal car
Rowland Folger Nantucket baskets
Calder lithograph, signed
19th c Railroad sign
2 Utrillo drawings
Palace size Kashan with recumbent auctioneer
14kt gold bracelet watch with sapphires & pearls
Taino collection
African Bobo
AMI jukebox
Early stone sculpture
Coin operated arcade machine
Anishinaabe beaded bandolier bags
50 pound Lalique horse head sculpture
Attributed to George Hartwell
1760 signed by Empress Maria Theresa
John Sloan watercolor
H. W. Mortimer & Son London Gunmakers to His Majesty
Tiffany Studios
IncisedTaino gaming ball
Sterling silver Puig Doria
Fairgrounds organ 142” x 99”
Grazing elephants after Alexander Calder
3 Kay Leroy Ruggles Umbo shelves
Lester Raymer painting
Carl Kauba painting “Friend in Need”
Schwinn Packard Deluxe bicycle
In house bidding. Accepting absentee bids & phone bids, online catalog:
marionantiqueauctions.com Live bidding: liveauctioneers.com, invaluable.com
Frank McNamee, Manager | C. David Glynn, Auctioneer | MA Auctioneers lic # 583