Taking the head of the sale was “Visage Masque,” a 1947 Madoura pottery glazed ceramic plate that finished at $68,750 and sold to a buyer from France, bidding on the phone ($20/30,000).
Review by Madelia Hickman Ring, Photos Courtesy Clars Auction Gallery
OAKLAND, CALIF. – Clars Auction Gallery kicked off three days of auctions February 9-11 with its 143-lot Important Winter Modern + Contemporary Fine Art sale, followed by a 440-lot Jewelry, Furniture & Decorative, Fine Art Auction on February 10 and a nearly 700-lot Warehouse sale on February 11. The February 9 Fine Art sale raked in $625,000, a sizeable chunk of the $1.1 million ultimately achieved by the time the final gavel fell.
“We had two bidders for that from France, one from Switzerland, one from New York and one from the West Coast,” said Clars’ chief executive officer and president, Rick Unruh, who also wears the hat of director of fine art. He was talking about a rare, single edition Madoura pottery plate, designed by Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881-1973), which came from the Pebble Beach, Calif., collection of Ann and Norman Bikales, one of three large collections in the sale. Created in 1947, “Visage Masque,” measured 12¾ by 15 inches and realized the top price of the day, bringing $68,750, more than twice its high estimate.
The Bikales collection also had other strong results. A two-piece sculptural group by Jean-Michel Folon (Belgian, 1934-2005) attracted several bidders and sold to a buyer in the American Southwest, for $16,250. “Fork and Spoon,” each with Bronze Romain Barelier foundry mark and from editions of 50 stood just 12 inches tall. “Fetes (Holidays),” a complete suite of seven aquatints by Alexander Calder (American, 1898-1976) that had been published by Maeght Paris in 1971 outpaced the high estimate and earned $11,875.
Unruh said the Bikales collection was notably strong in design, which would be featured in an upcoming auction.
The highest price realized by any of the four prints by Japanese contemporary artist Yayoi Kusama was $26,250 for “Pumpkin God,” a 1993 screenprint, edition 88/120, framed 35¾ by 28 inches ($30/50,000).
Earning a second place finish at $34,375 was Mark Tobey’s (American, 1890-1976) “Green Hill,” a 1957 tempera on paper laid down to cardboard. Not only did the painting have provenance to the Willard Gallery, New York City, but it is registered with the Mark Tobey Project and was accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity.
The sale featured four prints by Yayoi Kusama (Japanese, b 1929) which were sold consecutively and together achieved a total of $71,875. Though the works were all from the same Pacific Rim collection, they sold to different buyers around the world, led at $26,250 for “Pumpkin God,” a 1993 screenprint, number 88 from an edition of 120. Her 1982 lithograph in colors, “Pumpkin” earned $21,250, “Town” closed at $13,750 and “Flower” blossomed to $10,625. For those who preferred a three-dimensional work and did not have the funds to purchase one of Kusama’s prints, also on offer was a black and white polka dot silver pumpkin inscribed underneath “Yayoi Kusama Pumpkin Museum Creators”; it realized $1,250, within estimate.
Highlights of the jewelry, furniture and decorative and fine art auction included a Dutch silver footed tureen, bearing the marks of Cornelis Johannes van Straatsburg of Utrecht, circa 1794, which bidders took from an estimate of $3/4,000 to a closing price of $43,750. It was followed at $6,875 by two lots: the first, a modern copy of a Celeste Farotto violin, the second, a 185-piece Royal Crown Derby parcel-gilt porcelain part dinner service in the Paradise pattern, which came from an estate in Hillsborough, Calif.
The top lot in the furniture, decorative and fine art and jewelry auction on February 10 was this Dutch silver footed tureen, which bore the marks of Cornelis Johannes van Straatsburg, Utrecht, circa 1794. It achieved an impressive $43,750 ($3/4,000).
The high point in the warehouse sale was set at $4,063, for an undated Korean blue and white ginger jar that depicted four-clawed dragons among clouds and stood 18¼ inches tall. Bidders took a celadon ground moon flask, with blue and copper red decoration to both sides and underglaze blue four-character Qianlong mark to $2,500.
Clars will next offer important modern and contemporary art alongside design in its June auction, dates to be announced.
Prices quoted include the buyer’s premium announced by the auction house. For information, www.clars.com or 510-428-0100.
