Clars – December Auction
December 15th-16th
www.clars.com
5644 Telegraph Ave. Oakland, CA 94609

OAKLAND, CALIF. — Clar’s Auction Gallery presents December 15’s Winter Furniture, Art and Jewelry Auction at 9:30 am, followed on December 16 with a Fine Asian Art & European Décor Auction at 9:30 am.

December 15:

Winter Furniture, Art and Jewelry Auction

The auction will showcase a diverse range of decorative art items, including Mayan-style carved vessels, Native American pottery, Patriano Barela carved sculptures and Kachina figures.

Additionally, English and German sterling silver, gold and silver coins, fine porcelain dinner services and glass stemware and vases from renowned makers and artisans such as Moser, St Louis, Michael Nourot and Marilyn Hawke will be featured. The auction will also present a variety of antique decorative arts, furniture and rugs, as well as a contemporary furniture collection from an exclusive St Helena winery. To round out the holiday season, a delightful selection of oversized stuffed animals and a miniature Christmas house will be available.

A selection of fine art works from diverse and talented artists will be on offer in this sale, with highlights by three painters whose influence can still be seen in contemporary art today. First, we are excited to present an oil on canvas portrait by African American artist Bob Thompson, who was active in the bustling midcentury art scene in New York City and is known for his colorful figurative paintings that blend traditional Renaissance and Baroque composition with the energy and experimentation of Twentieth Century Abstract Expressionism. In the painting offered in this month’s sale, titled “Portrait of a Lady,” we see a woman with a disproportionately large head and an aloof expression.

Second, we are featuring a striking work by Chinese American artist Hung Liu. Liu was born in Changchun, China, in 1948, and emigrated to California in 1984, where she experimented with different methods and media to create a signature painting style. The mixed media work in this month’s auction, titled “Yellow Current,” is an outstanding example of this style, for which Liu is best known.

Lastly, we offer an oil on canvas genre scene from American Impressionist Edward Potthast, who was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, and studied in Paris and Munich before settling in New York City.

He worked primarily as a lithographer during his early career, only shifting his focus to painting at age 39. Potthast was likely stylistically influenced by his European studies, as techniques of French Impressionists, including Monet, Renoir and Berthe Morisot can be seen in Potthast’s work. The painting in this month’s sale is a beach scene, the subject for which Potthast is most known.

The Fine Jewelry & Timepiece department is excited to offer a selection of diamond, colored gemstone gold jewelry, and timepieces, in their upcoming December 15 sale. This sale features a variety of wardrobe staples to build up the foundation of your jewelry collection and elevate your festive celebrations. A nice selection of diamond jewelry includes a diamond and 14K gold wedding ring set ($3/5,000), as well as a colorful gemstone selection, including a ruby, diamond and 14K gold brooch by Seaman Schepps, ($5/7,000). Other wearable pieces that will highlight your everyday life are featured by includes a diamond, onyx and platinum dog brooch ($7/10,000), complemented by classic timepieces, including a Patek Philippe 18K gold Calatrava wristwatch ($6/8,000).

December 16:

Fine Asian Art & European Décor Auction

The Asian Art department will have its year-end offerings of fine Chinese and Japanese works of art sourced from various private collections and estates. The auction is highlighted by a set of three Chinese “qianjiang” enameled “landscape” plaques by the famous late Qing dynasty porcelain artisan Cheng Men (1838-1908), a late Qing dynasty imperial-style zitan lantern, a pair of huanghuali lantern stands, a late Qing dynasty silver-inlaid bronze figure of Guanyin bearing the Shisou mark, a late Qing dynasty uncut purple ground “dragon” robe, a Qing dynasty white jade ruyi scepter and a magnificent Japanese Meiji period Shibayama lacquered shodana.

Featuring a diverse range of items, including unique pieces such as an elephant telephone, brandy barrel, writing box and tobacco jars, silverware, fine porcelain, art glass and decorative bronzes will also be available. The auction will showcase a variety of furniture styles, from Georgian and Spanish Revival to Arts and Crafts, Art Deco, Modern and Contemporary. Additionally, a selection of tribal arts, Native American pottery, Inuit carvings and carpets will be on offer.

Based in Oakland, Clars Auction Gallery is the largest full-service auction gallery in the Western United States. Clars Auction Gallery has been the chosen auction gallery of a number of institutions and distinguished private collectors across the country, including the Richard Mellon Scaife Estate, the Thomas J. Perkins Estate and the Metropolitan Museum of Art (NYC). In the last five years, Clars Auction Gallery has sold well over $150 million of fine art, furnishings, jewelry, vehicles and collectibles and has set multiple new world auction records.

Bidding for Clars’ December auctions is available by phone, absentee bid and live online at Live.Clars.com and through LiveAuctioneers.com and Invaluable.com.

Clars Auction Gallery is at 5644 Telegraph Avenue. For information, www.clars.com, 510-428-0100 or info@clars.com.

888 339 7600 (toll free)
510 428 0100 (local)
info@clars.com
1. Edward Henry Potthast, At the Seashore, oil on masonite, 8″ x 10″. 2. Two Mayan style carved translucent stone vessels. 3. A Japanese Meiji period hardwood and Shibayama lacquered cabinet. 4. A Chinese Qing dynasty imperial style zitan lantern. 5. A pair of jadeite jade, diamond and 18k white gold earrings. 6. Hung Liu, Yellow Current, 2010, layered oil paint and mixed media on panel, 41″ x 41″. 7. A Patek Philippe 18k gold ‘Calatrava’ wristwatch. 8. A large Art Nouveau Black Starr & Frost sterling compote fashioned in the Louis XV style. 9. A Herman Miller Eames 670 and 671 lounge chair and ottoman. 10. A Chinese late Qing dynasty uncut purple ground ’dragon’ robe. 11. A diamond, onyx and platinum dog brooch. 12. Bob (Robert Louis) Thompson, Portrait of a Lady, 1959, oil on canvas, 24″ x 20″.
Clars Auctions | 5644 Telegraph Ave. Oakland, CA 94609
In Person + Online Bidding | Preview: December 14th, 1-5 PM PST