Landscape paintings were among the auction highlights this week, with one by Thomas Sgouros leading Providence Art Club’s benefit auction at $23,000 and a Hudson River School bringing $1,169 at State Line. Surprising at Stair was the nearly $70,000 realized by a Regence style gilt bronze eight-light chandelier from the Chinese Porcelain Company auction, as well as a new world record for a British Pokémon card at Heritage: $550,000. Additional highlights follow here.
Link Bidders Study The Merits Of Pissarro’s Pastels
ST LOUIS — Link Auction Galleries conducted its September Gallery Auction across two sessions, September 12 and 13. With 508 lots on offer, it was a pastel study on paper by Camille Pissarro (French, 1830-1903) that achieved the highest result. This 1879 work, “Le Pere Melon Sciant du Bois” had provenance to Galerie Charpentier, Paris; Abdullah Zilkha; and a private collection in Maine. It is listed in the several texts about the artist and was accompanied by a certificate of authenticity. A London buyer bidding on the phone won the 18¼-by-24¼-inch piece for $196,800 ($200/300,000). For information, www.linkauctiongalleries.com or 314-454-6525.
Signed Sendak Prints Share Spotlight At Kensington
CLINTONDALE, N.Y. — Two illustrated color prints from Where The Wild Things Are, hand-signed by author Maurice Sendak, shared the same price to lead Kensington Estate Auction’s 159-lot Estate, Fine Art & Antique On-Line Auction, which was conducted on September 8. The two prints, titled “Max with Crown & Scepter” (pictured) and “Max & Wild Things Swinging From the Tree Tops,” were personally ink signed by Sendak during his 1996 “Sendak in Asia Tour.” Both with provenance to the collection of Justin Schiller and accompanied by certificates of authenticity, the prints sold separately for $2,375 each ($400/800). For information, 917-331-0807 or www.kensingtonestateauctions.com.
Manfred Heiting Books Lead Etherton Collection At PBA Galleries
BERKELEY, CALIF. — On September 11, PBA Galleries conducted its 476-lot sale of the photography book collection of Terry Etherton, who began his collection in 1971. A complete presentation copy four-volume set of Photographs From the Manfred Heiting Collection at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, numbered 512 of 750 copies, was the highest earning lot, eclipsing its $400/600 estimate to achieve $6,250. For information, 415-989-2665 or www.pbagalleries.com.
State Line Paints Perfect Price With Hudson River Landscape
CANAAN, CONN. — State Line Auctions & Estate Services conducted the sale of part two of its over 1,000 lots of fine estate merchandise on September 14. In this iteration, 398 lots crossed the block, including Asian porcelains, Satsuma and Chinese export, American Tramp Art, bronzes, fine art and much more. A Hudson River School oil on canvas landscape earned the highest price of the day at $1,169; it measured 24 by 30 inches without a frame. For information, 860-453-4370 or www.statelineauctionsandestateservices.com.
Chippewa Bag Carries For Wandering Bull
WASHINGTON, N.H. — On September 14, The Wandering Bull conducted a 100-lot auction of vintage and contemporary art and craftwork and Native American antiques. Among moccasins, drums, knife sheaths, baskets, pottery and more, an antique Chippewa beaded bandolier bag was one of the sale’s most notable highlights; it achieved $1,770. For information, www.wanderingbull.com or 603-495-2700.
Chinese Porcelain Co. Chandelier Swings High
HUDSON, N.Y. — Stair Galleries’ September 18 auction of objects from the venerable antiques dealer Chinese Porcelain Company was devoted to Old Master paintings, European furniture, Venetian glass and Asian works of art, among other categories. Topping the 321-lot sale at $68,625 was a 3-foot-tall Regence style gilt bronze eight-light chandelier that had been expected to sell for between $2/4,000. For information, 518-751-1000 or www.stairgalleries.com.
Wm Graver’s Toy Guns Cap Opfer Auction
TIMONIUM, MD. — Nearly 650 lots from the William Graver collection were sold in an online-only auction conducted by Richard Opfer Auctioneering on September 15. Realizing $540 against an estimate of $50/100 was a group of Hubley and Marx toy guns that included a set of spurs and original boxes. For information, 410-252-5035 or www.opferauction.com.
Sgouros Landscape Leads Art Club’s Benefit Auction
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — On September 20, the Providence Art Club offered 121 lots donated from members, private collectors and supporters to create an endowment to care for the Club’s permanent collection. At the top of the sale was Thomas Sgouros’ “Remembered Landscape,” a 44-by-50-inch oil on canvas that rose to $23,000 from an estimate of $15/20,000. For information, www.providenceartclub.org or 401-331-1114.
Heritage Sets New World Record For British Pokémon Card
DALLAS —A prerelease holographic Pokémon Raichu 14 unlimited base set from the 1999 Wizards of the Coast, graded by PSA Trading Card in EX-MT, sold for $550,000 — a new world record for any English Pokémon card — to lead Heritage’s September 19-20 Trading Card Games Signature Auction to $1.35 million; it is the sole copy graded by PSA. For information, www.ha.com or 214-528-3500.
