January 2008
 

ICE & SNOW STORM NO MATCH FOR JACKSON'S SALE

CEDAR FALLS, IA.- Not even a relentless ice and snow storm thwarted would be buyers at Jackson’s International December 4th and 5th auction. The overwhelmingly successful auction featured American and European fine art and antiques from a variety of estates and collections and included a good selection of Russian works as well. Despite the weather, which shut down airports and interstate highways, the auction attracted over 600 registered bidders (including over 150 in-house) representing 34 states and 16 countries producing total sales of 3.2 million dollars.

More European paintings followed with a California buyer paying nearly four times the high estimate ($35,400.00) for a large Bacchus banquet scene painting signed “J. Bernard” who many experts in the field agree is most likely a pseudonym for Austrian artist Hans Zatzka  (1859-1949). That was followed by an 18” x 22” oil of an Arab encampment by French artist Paul Lazerges (1845-1902) that sold to a New York buyer for $33,000.00 against an estimate of $8-$12,000. Other European works of note include a 16” x 24” still life by Johannes Hendrik Eversen (Dutch 1906-1995) that sold for $24,780.00. A somewhat dark sheep painting by Dutch artist Anton Mauve (1838-1888) sold to a phone bidder from Holland for $22,420.00. A pair of landscapes with horses and figures attributed to William Joseph Shayer (British 1811-1892) totaled $23,600.00. And a charming naïve painting of a prize bull signed H.J. Quintin (British circa 1860) nearly tripled its high estimate selling for $8,800.00. A 25” x 19” watercolor and gouache of a cityscape dated 1986 by French artist Bernard Buffet (1928-1999) sold to a French buyer for $30,680.00. A 15” x 23” abstract painting by German artist Bernard Schultze (1915-2005) sold in-house for $8,850.00, and a pair of Paris street scene paintings by French artist Antoine Blanchard (1910-1988), both measuring 13” x 18”, sold for $18,850.00.

Perhaps the one category that garnered the most national and international interest was the Russian works, particularly those from the workshop of Faberge. Highlights include a small (4” in diameter) simple desk clock in white guilloche enamel by Faberge which crossed the block at $118,000.00. A silver Faberge double-handled vase of classical Grecian form measuring 16” in height sold for $88,500.00, followed by a silver 12” Faberge kovsh that finished at $80,240.00. A petite 4.5” Faberge silver case with translucent salmon enamel by workmaster August Hollming finished at $70,800.00. Whereas a Faberge cigarette case by Michael Perchin measuring only 3.5” in length and with restoration and losses managed a very respectable $64,900.00.

Another Faberge guilloche enamel and silver-gilt cigarette case, this example in translucent pink and white over a waved guilloche ground by workmaster Feodor Afanassiev, measuring 3.5” in length, sold for $56,640.00. A tiny 2.5” silver mounted ceramic cup in original fitted case by Faberge made $18,880.00. A group of five Imperial Russian period military Orders of St. Stanislas, mostly circa 1900-1917, and in various states of condition, sold for $15,340.00. A pair of oil paintings by Russian-American artist David Burliuk (1882-1967) sold for $40,000.00. A small (5” x 3”) watercolor depicting a Russian fairytale subject by Boris Zvorykin (1872-1930), which was featured on the catalog cover, sold for $10,620.00, and a 13” bronze with minor losses of Lady Constance Stewart-Richardson by Russian sculptor Paul Troubetzkoy (1866-1938) sold for $20,000.00. A pair of matching Russian Imperial portraits of Tsar Nicholas II and Alexandra Feodorovna executed in color lithograph printing on tin and measuring 20” x 16”, sold strong at $28,000.00, a 7” bisque porcelain plaque commemorating the 300-Year Rule of the House of Romanov, circa 1913, sold for $6,500.00, and a group of 19 silver Russian cigarette cases, averaging about 4” in length, with various designs and embellishments totaled $36,000.00.

A small, but interesting offering of Russian Icons sold next including a 16th century icon of St. John the Forerunner measuring 46” in height, that sold to a phone bidder from Moscow for $65,000.00. A 16th century Russian Icon of an Apostle measuring 33” in height sold to an in-house buyer for $10,600.00.  And a 19th century of the Resurrection and Feast Days finished at $9,400.00. Other icon highlights include an 18th century icon of St. George that sold made $7,000.00; a 19th century icon of various Mother of God images $8,800.00; a circa 1900 icon of the Virgin Mary $5,200.00; and an icon of the Vladimir Mother of God measuring 12” x 10” that sold for $3,500.00.

Old Master and European works followed including an interesting 20” carved amber and ivory crucifixion grouping with losses and repairs that sold to a German buyer for $35,400.00. A 20th century German carved and polychrome triptych of the Nativity crossed the block at $10,620.00, and a Della Robia style ceramic plaque of the Virgin and Child sold for $7,700.00. An oil on wood panel painting of Adam and Eve cataloged as circle of Anthonie Blocklandt Van Montfoort (1532-1583) sold in house for $10,030.00, and a pair of paintings cataloged as circle of Corrado Giaquinto (Italian 1690-1768) depicting Ceres and Bellona brought $10,620.00. A 19th century copy of Raphael’s Madonna de Foligno sold for $8,260.00, and a copy of Joos Van Cleve’s painting of St. Jerome in His Study made $7,000.00. Six lots of ceramic figures by Eugenio Pattarino (1885-1971) totaled $12,780.00. A miniature carved ivory grouping of the Adoration of the Shepherds in a glazed frame with inlaid mother of pearl sold for $5,200.00. And a Mt. Athos carved boxwood crucifix in filigree mounting measuring 8” in height brought $5,400.00.

A good variety of European bronzes were sold including St. George Slaying the Dragon by French sculptor Emmanuel Fremiet (1824-1910) that went to a buyer in New Jersey for $6,500.00. Joan of Arc on Horseback, also by Fremiet, did $5,900.00. A large grouping of a Norse Warrior and His Son by Emil Laporte (1858-1907) sold for $4,400.00, as did John Baptiste Clesinger’s Combat de taureaux Romains. Other sculpture highlights include a nice 19th century carved marble copy of Antonio Canova’s Cupid and Psyche on marble pedestal that sold for $10,000.00. A late 19th century carved marble figure of a young baby with cat and holding a mirror did $3,540.00, and a carved marble lamp depicting the Birth of Venus albeit with repairs, sold for $3,000.00.

The second session opened with American works of art beginning with an Emil Carlsen (1853-1932) oil on canvas wooded landscape that sold for $22,420.00.  A 9” x 12” winter scene by Guy Carleton Wiggins (1883-1962) sold in-house for $21,200.00. A 20” x 24”  spring landscape oil by Hugh Bolton Jones (1848-1927) sold for $17,700.00. A 19” x 24” oil titled “Winter Twilight” by Indiana artist John Elwood Bundy (1853-1933) went to an Indiana buyer for $12,980.00. A 14” x 17” painting by Robert Vickrey (b.1926-) sold for $10,000.00. A 24” x 30” Normandy River scene by George Ames Aldrich (1872-1941) sold for $8,850.00. And a pastel on paper of downtown Philadelphia in the evening by Arthur Clifton Goodwin (1864-1929) sold for $5,900.00. American sculptures sold next beginning with The Three Graces, circa 1961 by Milton Elting Hebald (b.1917), which sold for $11,200.00 – thereby establishing a new auction record for the artist. That was followed by another work by Hebald titled Dancers, which finished at $10,000.00. A 6” x 13” bronze grouping titled Three Colts by Heinz Warneke (1895-1983) sold for $3,540.00 - as did an 18” bronze sundial depicting Bobby Jones by Edwin E. Codman (b.1876). A carved wood figure of a circus girl by Chaim Gross (1904-1991) made $3,000.00. A figure of a standing woman by Joseph Mario Corbell (1882-1954) did $2,596.00. And a 10” armless nude by John Bernard Flannagan (1895-1942) sold for $2,200.00.

Furniture and textiles sold next with a Gillington’s Irish Regency mahogany three-pedestal tilt-top D-end dining table commanding six phone bidders all from the British Isles. Estimated at a conservative $3-$5,000 the table sold to an Irish buyer for a whopping $47,200.00. A 48” George I carved gilt wood and gesso wall mirror sold for $4,250.00 - as did a Welsh “doghouse” style oak dresser cupboard. An interesting Swiss carved “Black Forest” walking stick display rack sold for $4,240.00, and a North Italian carved figural hall seat, circa 1900, sold for $4,000.00. A Regency rosewood sofa table sold for $3,775.00, and a Regency mahogany tilt-top breakfast table made $2,000.00. Textiles and carpets followed beginning with a pair of 17th century Flemish tapestries in well-worn condition, which nevertheless sold for $14,160.00. Followed by a 12 x 22 foot 1940’s Kerman palace-size carpet that sold for $17,700.00, after which sold a 12 x 17 foot yellow Tabriz carpet that went for $9,400.00. An 8 x 11 foot 1920’s Sarouk with florals sold for $5,600.00, and an 8 x 11 foot Mahal circa 1940’s, sold for $3,300.00.

Porcelain and decorative arts closed out the sale beginning with a 40” Carl Thieme lidded porcelain urn, which sold for $8,200.00. Followed by a pair of Meissen figural groupings, which sold for $8,800.00. A 10”x 15” KPM plaque depicting a bust portrait of a woman sold for $20,600.00. A 7” x 10” KPM plaque depicting the Three Fates sold for $11,800.00. And an 8” x 13” KPM porcelain plaque depicting Queen Louise sold for $9,400.00. A 17.5” tall hand painted porcelain plaque depicting a profile of a woman with lace veil after a painting by Hans Knochel sold well at $10,620.00. Other items of interest include a 23-piece Gorham Chantilly Grand sterling coffee and tea service that sold for $15,340.00. And a 296-piece Edinborough “Thistle” cut crystal beverage service, which sold for $8,850.00.