This trumpeting trophy of a life-sized cast bronze elephant led the charge for this auction at $13,420 ($2/4,000).
Review by Z.G. Burnett
WINDSOR, CONN. — Nadeau’s Auction Gallery’s Annual Spring Outdoor, Decor and Art Auction occurred on May 17, and was luckily conducted indoors and online instead of in the unseasonably wet weather. Nearly 700 lots were offered with 93 percent of those sold, many being life-sized cast bronze animals meant to be kept outside. Fine art, jewelry and indoor decor were also favored, amounting to an overall sale total of $700,585.
The auction’s star was a monumental cast bronze elephant that more than tripled its high estimate to sell for $13,420. The 93-inch-high sculpture was trumpeting with one foot raised and realistically detailed. Its buyer was undeterred by the elephant’s missing tail. An elephant calf bronze followed in price at $9,150, with similar condition issues. Next in this category was an unlikely duo: a bronze hippopotamus and fox that both sold for $7,320. Each of these bronzes, and the others listed, came from the estate of Stephen F. Osborne, Doylestown, Penn., and achieved prices far above their estimates.
Fine art was the second most popular category in the auction, with a 1953 ceramic plate titled “Visage de Femme” by Pablo Picasso achieving $12,200. It was one of his many editioned objects made in Atelier Madoura, Vallauris, France, by Picasso’s design and with his permission. This particular example was one of 400 produced. The plate’s stamp on the bottom surface read “Madoura Plein Feu,” indicating the “full fire” technique of ceramic production used at the studio. Two more plates by Picasso sold during the auction, both glazed earthenware. First was “Bouquet à la pomme (Apple Bouquet)” for $2,440, followed by “Tête de chèvre en profil (Profile of a Goat)” for $1,952.
From Pablo Picasso’s Madoura studio, this glazed ceramic plate was second in the overall sale at $12,200 ($10/20,000).
Another bronze on a smaller scale reached the top lots: “Arch No. 1” by Elizabeth Strong-Cuevas (American & French, 1929-2023). The tabletop sculpture was a dark brown, almost black patinated bronze, and inscribed with its date and edition number. It was one of only 10 made and sold by the Kerr Gallery, New York City, and was bid to $6,100.
Two oil on canvas paintings were included in the top lots; besides their medium and artists’ nationalities, they could not have been any more different. “Joy” by Mira Schor (American, b 1950) measured only 12 by 16 inches and lived up to its name, with its title painted in red against a bright pink field. According to her website, Schor is “noted for her advocacy of painting in a post-medium visual culture and for her contributions to feminist art history.” It was signed and dated by the artist and sold for $9,150. Robert Kipniss’ (American, b 1931) “Vista With Six Trees” was about double the size of “Joy” and was painted in greyscale. Trees are a frequent subject for Kipniss, who depicted them from many perspectives and in multiple mediums, always with a similar color palette. This painting was fresh to the market for the first time since 2001 when the consignor bought it at the Beadleston Gallery, New York City. It was bid to $6,100.
Jewelry from Tiffany & Company was abundant in this auction. The top lot from the house was also the heaviest, a 14K gold double link curb bracelet that weighed nearly 135 grams and achieved $7,320. Next was a lighter but no less impressive collaboration piece from Angela Cummings, a “Damascene bubble” cuff showing geometric circles of gold, silver and iron. Cummings exclusively partnered with Tiffany for 18 years under her own brand name and became known for her inlaid designs. This example sold for $6,100. Following these was a platinum ring with a large, unidentified green stone flanked by small diamonds. The stone might have been peridot also known as chrysolite, a rare gem-quality variety of olivine that only forms in one color. Only estimated at $300/500, the mysterious ring enticed bidders up to $6,100. A sizable collection of Tiffany’s enamel boxes from the estate of E.T. Krolikowski III, of Laurel Beach in Milford, Conn., was also offered in 13 group lots that all exceeded their estimates with prices from $488 to $2,400.
Designed for Tiffany & Company by Angela Cummings, this gold, silver and iron inlaid cuff bracelet was bid to $6,100 ($3/5,000).
Designer furniture also competed well for spots in the top lots and were not without their own surprises. At $7,320, a George Smith custom beige mohair loveseat was the most expensive piece. Though unassuming in both appearance and color, the loveseat was handcrafted in the United Kingdom and sold from Bennett and Judie Weinstock Interiors, Philadelphia, and came from a Park Avenue, New York City, estate. Bidding for this custom loveseat jumped to its conclusion in a single bid from the starting price of $750.
When not at the front of sales, Mid Century Danish furniture is still never far behind in the furniture category. A pair of NV-45 lounge chairs after Finn Juhl (Danish, 1912-1989) for Niels Vodder with original boucle upholstery by Jack Lenor Larsen sold for $5,795 within the $4/8,000 estimate. Juhl was an architect, engineer and interior designer who was a leading figure in the Danish modern movement. He’s credited with introducing the uniquely Scandinavian sculpted wood furniture to the United States. Niels Vodder was also a prominent Danish cabinetmaker and a contemporary of Juhl’s. Larsen was an American textile designer who embraced modern architecture and design, becoming one of the leading fabric makers in this movement.
Also of note were four lots of leather bound books from the Easton Press, accompanied by two lots of “decorative” leather bound books, that all more than tripled their estimates. Based in Norwalk, Conn., Eastbound Press is known by booklovers for its intricate, 22K gold accents and nubbed spines. Each book is handmade in the United States, offering classics and limited editions of signed contemporary works. Like the cast bronze menagerie, this collection came from the Osborne estate.
Prices quoted include the buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house.
Nadeau’s Auction Gallery is at 25 Meadow Road. For information, 860-246-2444 or www.nadeausauction.com.
