January 18, 2005

YEAR END SALE AT JACKSON’S TOTALS $1.6 MILLION

CEDAR FALLS, IA.- Over 1,000 bidders representing 47 states and 23 countries converged in North East Iowa for two days at Jackson’s International December 4th and 5th auction. The sale featured collections from the estates of Mr. George Nelle, Galena, Illinois, the Rev John Walch, Oklahoma City, Martha Nielsen, Columbus, Ohio and the Bud Bernstein estate, Omaha, Nebraska.

The two day event began at 10:00am each day and saw aggressive bidding on the floor, by phone and online, particularly for blue chip items. The total gross sales (1.6 million dollars) exceeded Jackson’s projections and according to President and CEO James L. Jackson, was due to the intense interest for good merchandise. “We had some really great pieces on this sale and we have literally thousands of clients for good high-end fine art and decorative art. Furthermore, our European marketing strategy together with the strong Euro and British pound attracted a great amount of interest from our European buyers,” concluded Jackson.

The auction opened with a rather barren Western oil on canvas landscape painting by Birger Sandzen (1871-1954) that sold to a California collector for $46,000.00. That was followed by a Southwestern landscape by Oklahoma artist Nan Sheets (1885-1976). The 25” x 30” oil on canvas sold to a buyer in Santa Fe, New Mexico for $5,290.00 and thereby established a new record at auction for a work by Sheets. Next up was a small (13” x 15”) oil on masonite field sketch by Iowa artist Grant Wood (1892-1942). The consignor acquired the painting, titled “Industrial Landscape” only a few years ago at a Sotheby’s auction in Chicago for $18,000.00. It sold at Jackson’s this time around for $35,650.00.

The top lot of the sale was an oil on canvas still life by Iowa artist Marvin Cone (1891-1965). The very same painting, titled “Stone Fruit” was sold at Jackson’s in 1989 to the present consignor for $60,000.00. Five years later and at this auction it sold to an in-house bidder for $108,100.00. “That’s a whole lot better than my stock portfolio did these past five years,” said the elated consignor, after the hammer fell.

Validating the old adage that good things come in small packages was lot #24. The tiny six-inch by eight-inch watercolor of a young boy with a dog painted by American artist Henry Walton and dated 1836, it sold to a collector from Pennsylvania for $24,150.00 against a pre-auction estimate of $6-9,000.

As usual there was plenty of action for the post war Paris School of painters. An 18” x 21” oil on canvas Paris Street scene by Edouard Cortes (1882-1969) sold to a buyer from London for $43,700.00. Whereas a similar painting by Cortes although smaller (13” x 18”) sold to a buyer from New Jersey for $28,750.00. A pair of 13” x 18” Paris Street scenes by Antoine Blanchard (1910-1988) sold for $16,550.00. A floral still life by Marcel Dyf (French 1899-1985) sold to a European buyer for $25,300.00 against an estimate of $8-12,000.

Other notable works of art include an oil on canvas of a young girl holding lilies by German artist Theodor Grust (German 1859-1919) which sold to a British buyer for $10,350.00 and thereby setting a new auction record for the artist. A large landscape by British artist John Syer Sr. (1815-1885) sold to an absentee bidder for $16,100.00 against an estimate of $7-10,000. A harvesting scene by Charles Henry Passey (British d.1885) sold in house for $7,187.00. A 24” x 30” oil on canvas floral still life by Russian/American artist Alexis P. Arapov sold to a New York buyer for $6,325.00. A silvered and gilt-bronze figure of Sapho by French sculptor Jean Jacques Pradier sold for $7,360.00. A cast bronze figure of a moose by minor Russian sculptor Sergiy Pavolivich Ryabushinski (b.1872-) sold to a French buyer for $5,060 and an example of Vincenzo Vela’s “The Last Days of Napoleon” sold to a buyer from Chicago for $6,037.00.

One area that saw consistent strong bidding and wide interest was the European works from the estate of the late Rev. John Walch of Oklahoma. Father Walch was a noted specialist in ecclesiastical art and amassed an interesting collection over a 50-year period. First up to sell from his collection was an offering of antique carved ivory beginning with an 18th century Spanish Colonial figure of St. James. Although missing both feet and both hands, the figure still sold for $6,900 against an estimate of $1,500-$2,500. Other highlights include, a four-inch carved ivory figure of the seated Madonna and child circa 1500 and with scattered losses that crossed the block at $5,520.00. An eight inch carved ivory triptych figure of a noble man dated 1774 and signed “A.Corre” sold to a New York buyer for $18,400.00 against a pre-sale estimate of $1-$2,000. A 19th century carved ivory figure of Mary Magdalene measuring 12 inches sold for $6,900.00 and a 19th century seven inch carved figure of a bishop saint did $6,325.00.

Other European works worthy of note include an 18th century French carved oak figural lectern that sold to a buyer from Florida for $11,500.00. A six-inch Limoges gilt bronze and enamel corpus circa 1300, and with losses, sold to a California collector for $10,925.00. A 28-inch carved walnut figure of St. Catherine, attributed to Jacob Kashcauer (Salzburg 15th century) sold for $9,200.00. A large terra cotta figure of the seated Madonna and Child with scattered losses and repairs, French or Italian circa 1600 sold to a New York buyer for $10,925.00 and a pair of South German Baroque carved wood angels did $3,450.00.

Russian icons saw strong activity including a 17th century icon of the “Ascension of the Lord” that sold to a Moscow buyer over the phone for $13,800.00. A 10” x 12” icon of the Vladimir Mother of God dating to around 1600 sold to an in house bidder from also from Russia for $10,925.00. An icon dealer from Amsterdam paid $5,750.00 for an icon of St. Nicholas measuring 10” x 12”and a New York buyer paid $4,830.00 for a late 19th century icon of St. Nicholas with riza. But by far the most interesting item from this field was a Russian 19th century hand written religious book with 47 hand-illuminated images. It sold to an east coast buyer for $14,950.00 against an estimate of $1-$2,000.

The second day of the auction featured decorative arts including sterling, some ceramics and glassware and furniture. However, perhaps the most interesting item of the day was a Black Forest carved tobacco humidor in the form of an owl. Measuring 19 inches in height and dating to the end of the 19th century it sold to a buyer in Aspen Colorado for $8,050.00 against an estimate of $1,5-$2,000. Other notable sales include an upright Regina “Corona” Nickelodeon that sold for $17,250.00. A diminutive Pairpoint Puffy rose lampshade and base with minor flakes to the fitter rim, still managed a respectable $10,850.00. An interesting Austrian Art Nouveau metal desk lamp sold to a San Francisco buyer for $3,450.00. A Venetian Rococo style etched glass mirror sold for $3,335.00 and a circa 1900 desk clock in the shape of a globe and measuring 16 inches sold for $2,070.00.

A petite Royal Crown Derby vase, circa 1904, artist signed Leroy and measuring just 7 ½ inches in height sold for $6,325.00 to a New York buyer bidding against a phone bidder from the U.K. An Emile Galle art pottery jug measuring 7 inches sold to a buyer from Minnesota for $5,520.00 bidding against an online bidder from Paris.  A pair of 15 inch Ormolu Serves style painted urns sold for $4,600.00 and a pair of late 18th century Chinese Canton platters sold to an in house bidder for $4,140.00 against an estimate of $1-$2,000.

A small but nice offering of furniture from the estate of the late furniture dealer George Nelle of Galena, Illinois attracted strong interest.  Although heavily refinished and missing panels a William and Mary Seaweed Walnut marquetry cabinet on stand sold for $4,945.00. An 18th century French provincial 5-drawer chest did $6,440.00. An early 18th century Italian marquetry 3-drawer chest sold to an in house buyer from Kansas City for $4,600.00 and an American Federal period secretary sold to a buyer from New Jersey for $3,220.00.

The auction wound down with various decorative arts and sterling including a charming late 19th century grandmother’s clock that sold in house for $1,610.00. A French bronze and enamel desk set finished at $1,610.00. An interesting inlaid rosewood jewelry box sold for $1,495.00. A small Sweeter & Co. 14K gold dresser box did $2,185.00. A petite French Tantalus with four small decanters and 16 stemmed cordials sold for $1,265.00 and a silver mounted ostrich egg sold for $1,380.00.

Some of the silver highlights from the Bud Bernstien collection include a George II silver Irish covered urn by an unknown maker and measuring15 inches, it sold to a buyer in Melbourne Australia for $5,290.00. A French silver-gilt Rococo style ewer by Paris silversmith Odiot sold to a buyer from Alabama for $3,220.00. A pair of 12 inch George III candle sticks marked Sheffield and dated 1804 sold for $2,300.00. A 1930’s Danish silver cocktail set by Evald Nielson sold to a buyer from Denmark for $2,530.00 and a tiny 3 inch English silver figural shaker in the form of a seated pig, sold to a London buyer for $1,265.00.