Landscape paintings and rare finds were all the rave at auctions this week. Paintings included one of New Mexico by Ila McAdee that brought $6,400 for Eldred’s, a Florida Highwaymen scene that made $15,000 for Vero Beach and a wintry wonderland that finished at $5,000 for Flying Pig. Certainly rare, and an unexpected find at an American auction, was an Austrian Imperial coach that rode away from Martin Auctioneers after achieving $160,000. For these and more, keep reading.
Eldred’s Launches Locally Consigned McAfee Landscapes
EAST DENNIS, MASS. — On March 19, Eldred’s conducted its annual Women in the Arts sale, a event that donated a portion of the sale proceeds to benefit the Cape Cod women’s empowerment organization, We CAN. The 146-lot sale featured works by women in a variety of media. One of the top sellers was Ila Mae McAfee’s “Taos New Mexico,” a 7¼-by-7-3/8-inch oil on board composition that was from an estate referred to Eldred’s for its thorough estate handling practices. Estimated $800-$1,200, it brought $6,400 from the Massachusetts collector, who beat out four phone bidders. For information, 508-385-3116 or www.eldreds.com.
First Edition Holographic Pokémon Card Trades High At Heritage
DALLAS — Leading Heritage’s Trading Card Games Signature Auction conducted March 21-22, which realized $1,285,242, was what communications specialist for Heritage, Steve Lansdale, said was “arguably the hottest [Pokémon] card in the hobby”: a first edition base set Charizard holographic card with art by Mitsuhiro Arita, produced by Wizards of the Coast in 1999. Only one of 124 examples to earn a Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) grade of Gem Mint 10, the very rare card flew to $175,000. For information, 214-528-3500 or www.ha.com.
Bidders Shoot Fire For Dragon King Vase At Woody
DOUGLASS, KAN. — Woody Auction featured the collections of Eleanor Eulau (California) and Maurine and Al Edmond (Iowa) in its March 22 Wedgwood, French Cameo & More! auction, which sold all 366 lots offered. Leading the sale at $100,625, was a vase in the Dragon King pattern, marked “Wedgwood” on its base. Designed by Daisy Makeig-Jones, the cobalt blue vase had gold stencil highlights and was the exact same shape and design shown in Wedgwood Fairyland Lustre: The Work of Daisy Makeig-Jones by Una Des Fontaines (Somerset, UK: Richard Dennis Publications Di, 2006). For information, 316-747-2694 or www.woodyauction.com.
Darwin’s ‘Origin Of Species’ Is The Natural Selection For CT River Book Auction
GLASTONBURY, CONN. — Bibliophiles abound attended Connecticut River Book Auction’s March 21 sale, where “during an evening of laughter, over 200 lots passed from our hands into the ownership of others,” reported Tom Gullotta, president. An 1869 American edition of Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection bested the rest, earning the sale’s top price of $460. For information, www.ctriverbookauction.com or 860-908-8067.
Beattie White-Glove Sale Embellished With Cartier Wristwatch
GLOUCESTER, MASS. — Edward B. Beattie Auctioneers celebrated March Madness on the 25th with its March Madness Jumble auction, offering 134 lots of fresh-to-market goods. The small white-glove sale was led by a stainless-steel Cartier wristwatch. The watch, complete with a square face with Roman numerals, was accompanied by a cleaning towel and official Cartier cleaning spray; all of this was secured in the kit’s original box. The set ticked to $1,593, after 51 bids back and forth. For information, 603-770-9878 or www.auctionninja.com/edward-beattie-auctioneers.
Unusual Highwaymen Painting Coasts To Number One At Vero Beach
VERO BEACH, FLA. — A Florida Highwaymen painting of the Melbourne Causeway by Willie C. Reagan (b 1939) led Vero Beach Auction’s 364-lot Artwork Antiques & More Estate Auction. The circa 1967 painting depicted “an unusual scene for a Highwaymen painting and had some rare elements that drove the price up including buildings, a water tower (no longer there) and a person fishing,” explained owner and auctioneer, David Kratzer. The winning bid, $15,000, came from a local collector who was familiar with the area that was painted, which is located about an hour north of the firm’s physical location. For information, 772-978-5955 or www.verobeachauction.com.
Martin’s Bidders Drive Austrian Imperial Coach To $166,000
WIERSDALE, FLA. — A private collector in the US outlasted other US bidders as well as ones in the UK and Europe to win for $166,750 a gold Imperial coach made by Armbruster for the Hapsburg family. Adorned with silk velvet hammercloth, 210 hand-covered gold bullions, more than 150 meters of gold cables, the cloth seal of the Austrian Empire and the crest of Hapsburg family, the coach realized the highest price in the 275-lot sale of the estate of Gloria Austin that Martin Auctioneers conducted at her Florida estate, March 21-22. For information, 717-354-6671 or www.martinauctioneers.com.
Winter Landscape Gets Warm Reception At Flying Pig
WESTMORELAND, N.H. — Flying Pig Auctions’ March 24 online estate sale featured, among other things, the contents of an Eighteenth Century Jaffrey, N.H., home. The top lot of the day was a Nineteenth Century folk art oil on canvas landscape that had hung over the mantel in the home. Though it was unsigned, the catalog noted it bore “a very strong resemblance to the work of George Durrie.” A New England collector won it for $5,000. For information, 603-543-7490 or www.flyingpigantiquesnh.com.
Amero Gets Sweet Price For Southern Sugar Chest
SARASOTA, FLA. — More than 400 lots made the cut in Amero Auctions’ Spring’s Splendor auction on March 23, a highlight of which was an early Nineteenth Century Federal inlaid cherry sugar chest that was cataloged as most likely from Kentucky or Tennessee. Consigned to sale from a West Palm Beach estate, it traded hands for $13,420, considerably sweeter than its $2/3,000 estimate. For information, 941-330-1577 or www.ameroauctions.com.
