Abell Auction Company
2613 Yates Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90040
323-724-8102
About Auction House
Abell is Los Angeles' original & premier auction house since 1916. Our sales attract an international audience of live and online buyers which allows us to achieve maximum value for personal property.Auction Previews & News
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Auction IndustryFeasting on Thanksgiving Art Auction Highlights From 2023
Hungry for some good news? 2023 has been a stellar year for Thanksgiving-themed fine art at auction. This traditional November holiday has inspired some of America’s most beloved artists to create nostalgic and loving images celebrating family and food. Here are some recent and impressive Thanksgiving art auction highlights that caught the eye of the Auction Daily team. All prices noted include the auction house's buyer's premium. Lot #112, Grandma Moses' Over the River to Grandma's House, on Thanksgiven [sic], 1943, was estimated at $50,000 to $80,000 and sold for $124,450. Image courtesy of Doyle. Grandma Moses Painting at Doyle On November 8, 2023, Doyle of New York, NY sold lot #112, Grandma Moses' (Anna Mary Robertson, American, 1860 - 1961) Over the River to Grandma's House, on Thanksgiven [sic], from 1943. Estimated at USD 50,000 to $80,000, it realized $124,450. This oil and glitter or sugar on Masonite painting measured 20.5 inches by 30 inches. It was signed ‘Moses (ll)’, dated March 4, 1943, numbered 345, and inscribed as titled on a label on the reverse. The work pictured a tranquil snowy country scene featuring houses, barns, a horse-drawn sled, pine trees, and a covered bridge. According to Doyle, this painting was acquired from Grandma Moses by Elizabeth Clark on behalf of Bess Lambert in 1943, and has descended in the family of Charles and Bess Lambert. Folk artist Grandma Moses was proof that success can come at any age. Although she loved and appreciated art since childhood, she began her "painting career" when she was 78. My Life's History, her autobiography, was published in 1952. Her profile and work were featured on the cover of Time magazine soon after in 1953. Sugaring Off, her most expensive piece, was auctioned by Christie’s New York in 2006 and made over $1.2 million. Lot #54, J. C. Leyendecker's Peeling Apples Study, was estimated at $800 to $1,200 and sold for $13,750. Image courtesy of Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers. J. C. Leyendecker Painting at Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers On October 14, 2023, Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers of Cranston, RI sold lot #54,…
Auction ResultDo the Hustle: Results From Abell Auction Company’s Estate of Larry Flynt Sale
On Thursday, February 9, 2023, Abell Auction Company of Los Angeles, CA presented the second half of its Estate of Larry Flynt sale. Flynt (1942 - 2021) was the controversial publisher and president of Larry Flynt Publications. His company produced Hustler magazine and other adult content through branded television and videos. This 250-lot auction featured a well curated collection of 20th-century glass lamps and fixtures, fine and decorative art, furnishings and display units, and other treasures that once decorated Flynt's offices– known as the Flynt Building– in upscale Beverly Hills, CA. Flynt personally selected these items and had a lifelong passion for fine antiques. All prices noted include the auction house's 25% buyer's premium. Lot #25, four Chinese bone veneer figures. Image courtesy of Abell Auction Company. This sale featured a number of impressive examples of Asian artworks, including lighting, furnishings, and decorative items. Lot #25, a set of four Chinese bone veneer figures, was the overall top lot in this eye-catching sale. Estimated at USD 400 to $600, the set realized a whopping $40,000 and generated 61 bids. Each of these intricately carved, partially painted male figures measured about 29 ½ inches by 9 ½ inches by 6 ½ inches. Two of the figures had beards and two were clean shaven; all wore traditional clothing and accessories and carried symbolic talismans including dragons, orbs, bottles, animals, and stringed instruments. Lot #135, a Tiffany style "Dragonfly" table lamp. Image courtesy of Abell Auction Company. Larry Flynt had a fine eye for lighting and fixtures. This sale presented over three dozen stunning stained glass, art glass, and figural lamps from his personal collection. Lot #135, a Tiffany style "Dragonfly" table lamp, was estimated at $300 to $500, generated 36 bids, and realized $9,375. This 14 ½-inch tall example featured a textured, bulb-shaped bronze base and an unsigned leaded art glass shade decorated with blue and purple dragonflies with outstretched wings. The shade measured 7 ½ inches by 16 inches. And just how desirable are signed, authenticated Tiffany Dragonfly fixtures? During its April 27, 2022 sale, Toomey & Co. Auctioneers sold a…
Auction IndustryAbell Auction Co. hosts Important Fine Art, Antiques and Jewelry Sale on February 21
William Wendt, California Landscape. Estimate: $50,000-70,000. LOS ANGELES, CA.-Abell Auction Co. will host an important fine art, antiques, 20th century design and fine jewelry auction on Sunday, Feb. 21, 2021 at 10 a.m. PST. Featuring property from prominent California estates, the online-only sale will offer a 23.73 carat Colombian emerald ring by Graff (est. $200,000-$250,000), a cube by Larry Bell (est. $20,000-$30,000), an important pair of Chinese imperial palace panels ($est. 80,000-$120,000) and a still life painting by Francoise Gilot (est. $12,000-$18,000). As recounted in her memoir, Gilot was Pablo Picasso’s student, decade-long partner and mother of their two children. Abell’s February 21 auction also includes property from the estate of Audrey Steele Burnand, Newport Beach; the estate of Valerie Franklin, Los Angeles; and the estate of Eva and Loran Whitelock, Los Angeles, to benefit the Loran and Eva Whitelock Fund for Cycad Cultivation, Conservation and Research at The Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens (The Huntington). Loran Whitelock, a world-renowned cycad expert, spent a half-century studying, collecting and writing about the primordial plants. In 2015, The Huntington acquired his cycad collection, known as one of the best private collections of its type in the world. Fine art in the upcoming auction includes paintings, drawings and sculptures signed Charles Arnoldi; Larry Bell; Maurice Braun; Arthur Dove; Francoise Gilot; Duncan Gleason; Yoshio Ikezaki; Jean Mannheim; Gustavo Montoya; Ed Moses; Leon Nikolaievitch Bakst; Eric Orr ; Edgar Payne; Ronald Peterson; Hanson Duvall Puthuff; Giulio Rosati; Richard Schmid; Millard Sheets; Elmer Wachtel; William Wendt; Hans Zatka; and more. Modern and contemporary prints and multiples include works signed Richard Diebenkorn; Jim Dine; Sam Francis; Pedro Friedeberg; Robert Graham; David Hockney; Jasper Johns; Willem de Kooning; Roy Lichtenstein: Henri Matisse; Joan Miro; Robert Motherwell; Pablo Picasso; Edward Ruscha; and other renowned artists. Fine jewelry includes a 23.73 carat Colombian emerald ring by Graff; a pair of Cartier Panthere diamond and sapphire earrings; rings by Marina B.; Chanel fine earrings; pair of Bulgari rock crystal and diamond ear pendants; a group of 10 loose 3.0+ carat diamonds; a 5.72 round brilliant diamond ring; a 7.60 pear…
Auction IndustryItems from the Estate of Penny Marshall head to auction
Treasured belongings of the acclaimed Hollywood actress, director and producer head to online auction on September 13 in Los Angeles. LOS ANGELES, CA.- Celebrating its 104th year, Abell Auction Co. will present a collection of one-of-a-kind pieces from the estate of Penny Marshall on Sunday, Sept. 13 at 10 a.m. PDT. The online-only auction will offer an impressive collection of rare American lighting and personal belongings from the late actress, director and producer’s prominent Los Angeles estate. Marshall is most beloved for her role as Laverne DeFazio on the award-nominated television sitcom “Laverne & Shirley” (1976-1983), for which she received three Golden Globe nominations. Marshall made her directorial debut with “Jumpin' Jack Flash” (1986) before directing “Big” (1988), which became the first film directed by a woman to gross more than $100 million at the U.S. box office. Among numerous other television shows and films, she subsequently directed “Awakenings” (1990), which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture, and “A League of Their Own” (1992), which grossed over $132 million at the worldwide box office and advanced women’s baseball in 29 countries. Over decades, Marshall acquired art, memorabilia and collectibles reflecting her unique interests, tastes and lifestyle. Vintage signage, rare American ceramics, outsider art, Stickley and other Arts & Crafts furniture, and Americana also will highlight the Sept. 13 sale. Tracy Reiner, the daughter of Marshall and actor and director Rob Reiner, said the family respected her mother’s wishes to entrust many of her belongings to museums, universities, sports and military organizations, and loved ones. “This auction is very personal to our family and includes my mom’s most beautiful, fun and interesting collectibles, including an expansive array of American folk art and lamps,” shared Reiner. “My mom was often attracted to people and things that went unacknowledged. She wanted others to remember each artist’s era and work, and championed each collection into some recognition. The collections of my mom and her dear lifelong friend Carrie Fisher were to revere the unseen artists.” Notable auction items include a pair of Handel Native American motif table lamps (est. $5,000-7,000); Tiffany Studios bronze smoker’s…
Auction PreviewAbell Important Jewelry Auction
The French Constitution of 1848 allowed a new standard for luxury in France. Like many jewelers, Louis-François Cartier began experimenting with different materials under the rule of the new government. He saw a breakthrough with platinum, a material which became the stepping-stone for Cartier to experiment in form, mechanisms, and attitude. The house of Cartier was the first to use platinum in jewelry making. Highlighted in the upcoming Abell Important Jewelry Auction, presented by Abell Auction Co., is a platinum Panthère bracelet from Cartier. The seven-inch long bracelet has a central cushion-shaped aquamarine surrounded by diamonds and onyx. Another featured item is a gold wing nude statue by Carrera y Carrera. In the 1970s, Manuel Carrera incorporated his family business to create Carrera y Carrera. He applied his talent as a sculptor and pioneered the brand’s signature female figures in matte gold. A Bulgari Serpenti bracelet is also available. Set in 18-karat gold, the piece has natural-cut turquoise and full-cut diamonds. Browse the full catalog and register to bid on Invaluable.
Auction IndustryAbell Auction Co. hosts important online-only jewelry sale
The online-only auction will be headlined by a 3.10 fancy natural grey-blue diamond flanked by two fancy natural pink diamonds (est. $225,000-275,000). LOS ANGELES, CA.- Celebrating its 104th year, Abell Auction Co. will hold an important jewelry sale on Sunday, June 14, beginning at 10 a.m. PDT. Featuring exquisite gold, platinum and large diamond jewelry by iconic designers, the online-only auction will be headlined by a 3.10 fancy natural grey-blue diamond flanked by two fancy natural pink diamonds (est. $225,000-275,000). All diamonds larger than 1.00 carat will be accompanied by a GIA Diamond Grading Report. “Abell is offering a fabulous collection of high-value diamond jewelry that promises to attract both new and seasoned connoisseurs of fine estate items,” said Abell CEO Don Schireson. “We have temporarily transitioned to an online-only platform due to the coronavirus pandemic, and look forward to reopening the gallery when government guidelines allow. Our clients will continue to experience the high level of service, trust and integrity synonymous with the Abell name.” Abell Auction Co. will represent the estate of Lois Erburu, a noted Southern California civic and arts patron, with an impressive collection of 20th century jewelry including signed pieces by Tiffany & Co., Seaman Schepps, Harry Winston, Schlumberger for Tiffany & Co., Silverhorn, Kern and other iconic brands. Erburu earned a bachelor’s degree in Botany from the University of Southern California, where she met her late husband of 65 years Robert F. Erburu, who formerly served as chairman and CEO of the Times Mirror Corporation and board chairman of the American Newspapers Association of America. Devoting much of her time and effort to the arts, Erburu most recently helped establish a new five-room art gallery at the Huntington Library, Art Collection and Botanical Gardens in the Lois and Robert F. Erburu Wing of the Virginia Steele Scott Galleries of American Art. She served as a Trustee for the Santa Barbara Museum of Art and also enjoyed supporting the Music Academy of the West. Signed jewelry pieces at the June 14 auction, with estimates of $2,000 to $150,000, include: • Cartier platinum, aquamarine, emerald, onyx and…
