LONE JACK, MO. — Coming just days before spring, this year’s late winter gallery auction of art and antiques conducted by Soulis Auctions on March 18 was later than usual to accommodate the arrival of important pieces from the collection of Josephine Bird Hall (1888-1948), whose father was a principal of Emery, Bird, Thayer Dry Goods, Kansas City’s oldest and finest department store, founded in 1884. Hall’s collection was assembled in the early days of the Twentieth Century. Topping the sale from her collection was a group of 12 Meiji Japanese zodiac symbol carved wood netsuke, bringing $71,340, including buyer’s premium, a nice jump up from the lot’s $1/2,000 estimate. Each artist-signed example with inlaid eyes was finely carved and displayed nice patina. This collection was displayed in a small, divided case with interesting labels and written information from Hall, a lifelong collector of Asian and other antiques. Additional highlights from this sale will be discussed in a forthcoming review.