Leonard Auction
330 W. Interstate Rd., Addison, Chicago, Illinois 60101
630-495-0229
About Auction House
Leonard Auction connects a global market of buyers to ourcurated catalog of estate auction lots and makes it easy to buy and sell quality items. We ensure that every item we feature is alwaysrepresented accurately and given the utmost carethrough the entire auction process. From appraisal and item pickup, all the way through to final delivery to the buyer, our experienced team of auction professionals ensures a smooth transaction. Leonard Auction offers customers an honest, easy-to-work-with, knowledgeable and experienced partner for all their auction needs.Auction Previews & News
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Auction PreviewAbstract Watercolor Painting by Dong Kingman Showcased in Upcoming Leonard Auction Event
California Style School artist Dong Kingman was among the seminal watercolor painters of America. He was famous for his cityscapes depicting the urban lifestyle in San Francisco and New York City. The upcoming Leonard Auction event presents Guanajuato, Mexico, a watercolor landscape by Dong Kingman. The available painting portrays a scene at Plaza de la Paz as people and cattle linger around the Our Lady of Guanajuato statue. It is a prominent example of the artist’s post-war artworks with an abstract geometric style and complex themes. Fine art collectors will also find a still life by Henry Faulkner portraying a bunch of roses in a vase against a pink background. The oil on Masonite piece depicts Faulkner’s colorist and Surrealist style. Also showcased is an Ecrou de Cartier bracelet inspired by Cartier’s iconic jewelry designer Aldo Cipullo. The 18-karat yellow gold bracelet reflects a mix of industrial design innovations. Another auction highlight is a Gorham sterling silver Melrose flatware assortment. The company defined this 1948 Rococo Revival pattern flatware series as a symbol of the “American way of living.” The scallop-design flatware features a combination of classic scroll leaves and floral patterns. Additional lots include a Persian Hamadan wool rug, a Waterford Crystal assortment, and Rado timepieces. Interested collectors can explore the entire catalog and register to bid online on Bidsquare.
Auction PreviewUpcoming Sale by Leonard Auction Showcases Gio Ponti Furniture, Rolex ‘Pepsi’ Watch
The end of World War II increased demand for new furniture designs in the United States. To meet these design expectations and bring modern furniture to America, makers Singer & Sons collaborated with designer Gio Ponti. This partnership introduced Italian design to the American furniture market. The upcoming Leonard Auction sale will present a Singer & Sons double dresser by Gio Ponti. The featured luxury wood dresser features smooth shapes and a fine finish— Ponti's signature style. Also showcased is a Rolex GMT-Master II ‘Pepsi’ wristwatch featuring a jubilee bracelet and a black dial. This Rolex sports watch includes a 24-hour multi-color Cerachrom bidirectional bezel. Due to the red and blue color of the bezel, which resembles Pepsi’s logo, it became popularly known as a ‘Pepsi watch.’ However, the two-color bezel was only designed to tell the time of day. Red symbolized daytime and blue signaled night. The auction also highlights a Georg Jensen Caravel sterling silver flatware service. Designed by Henning Koppel in 1957, the Caravel silver pattern is famous for its style and expression. Other notable lots include a Japanese Meiji-period Kinkozan Satsuma jar and oil paintings by Lewis Henry Meakin. The auction also features George Nakashima furniture, Vacheron Constantin timepieces, gold and diamond jewelry, and Lalique Crystal items. Interested collectors can explore the entire catalog and register to bid online on Bidsquare.
Auction PreviewOnline September Auction
Kehinde Wiley's painting is one of the highlighted lots in the upcoming September sale, presented by Leonard Auction. Titled Psyche Abandoned, the piece shows a Black woman's portrait against a heavily-ornamented pattern of flowers. Wiley is recognized for his highly patterned portrait paintings of Black Americans. The poses, objects, and backgrounds used in his portraits take inspiration from French Rococo, the modern urban landscape, and everything in between. Wiley says his figurative paintings "quote historical sources and position young black men within that field of power." Another featured work in this event is from Kara Walker. An American artist, Walker is known for creating black-and-white silhouette works that explore the history of American racial discrimination. Titled I'll Be a Monkey's Uncle, the available piece depicts the figure of a girl and a monkey in black silhouette against a white background. Also offered is a cylindrical, abstract vase from Clyde Burt. Explore the full catalog for this auction and register to bid on Bidsquare.
Auction IndustryArtist to Know: Ndidi Emefiele
Leonard Auction to Present Mixed Media Painting from Rising Nigerian Artist Among the leading voices of contemporary Nigerian art is Ndidi Emefiele, a painter in her early 30s who is working to subvert Western expectations of African art. The women shown in her paintings have wide eyes protected by colorful glasses and are dressed in rich fabric scraps. Emefiele’s work raises questions about gender, culture, and style. “Physically and emotionally covered up, [the northern Nigerian woman] has to grow into a role that is already carved out for her from infancy. It was normal for a while but it didn’t take long before I began to feel a need to revolt using my work,” Emefiele has said about her art. One of her paintings will be on offer in Leonard Auction’s upcoming online sale, held on August 16th, 2020, at 11:00 AM EDT. Get to know Ndidi Emefiele before the bidding starts. Ndidi Emefiele. Image from New African Woman Magazine. Born in 1987, Emefiele spent the majority of her life in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria. Her interest in art began at an early age but strengthened while she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Delta State University, Abraka. While still building a following in Nigeria, Emefiele traveled to London to pursue her master’s degree at the Slade School of Fine Art. Her experience studying abroad not only provided professional opportunities but also threw light on the global lack of support for women artists. “In Nigeria, some would easily classify you as a mediocre for being female and inferior to your male counterparts, or spend more time looking for the bad in your work as they believe you are likely to spend less time making art,” Emefiele told Omenka, a Nigerian art gallery. The empowering nature of her paintings is designed to combat these beliefs. Citing Frida Kahlo, Wangechi Mutu, and Nike Okundaye among her influences, Emefiele’s art plays with the proportions of women’s heads and shoulders. Placing sun or eyeglasses on her subjects’ faces, Emefiele creates a boundary between them and the viewer: “[The glasses are] that curtain,…
Auction PreviewOnline August Auction
As Troy Brauntuch worked with a group of artists called the Pictures Generation in the late 19th century, he was introduced to mass media. For several years, he studied the art form, which eventually defined his style. Describing his abstract and figurative works, Dominique Von Burg writes, “Brauntuch’s compositions challenge perception and call for great concentration.” One of his pastel on paper pieces will be highlighted in Leonard Auction’s upcoming online sale. The 1985 piece is an abstract composition in shades of teal and gray against a black backdrop. Another mass media work is from Ndidi Emefiele. A renowned artist, Emefiele creates works that drew on cultural, gendered, and personal references. Her works portray women as strong, vibrant, and self-confident. The available piece shows a brown leather couch with fabric pillows and glasses on the seat. Also offered is a Baroque sterling silver flatware service from Wallace Silver. Wallace is recognized as the first American metalsmith to make spoons out of German silver. The offered set includes dinner knives, forks, teaspoons, and a gravy ladle among the 83 pieces. Explore the full catalog for this auction and register to bid on Bidsquare.
Auction PreviewOnline July Auction
Between 1989 and 1995, the Moscow Mint produced a series of palladium bullion coins that pictured a ballerina on the front. Created to honor the Bolshoi Theatre, one of the best-known cultural institutions in Moscow, these coins continued production through the dissolution of the Soviet Union. A 25-roubles ballerina coin from 1990 will be featured in the upcoming Online July Auction, offered by Leonard Auction. The back of the piece places it before the collapse of the U.S.S.R., showing the hammer and sickle symbol atop a globe. Other notable numismatic lots include a 1975 South African Krugerrand and a 1915 gold ducat from Austria. Leading the fine art lots are two paintings from Béla Czóbel, a Hungarian painter and graphic artist associated with Fauvism and Expressionism. One of the works, titled Grand Bouquet, shows a striped vase filled with red and pink flowers. The other captures a dirt road and a few houses under a dark sky. Instrument collectors will also find a Gibson ES-335 TDW electric guitar with a mother-of-pearl inlay. To browse the complete catalog and register for online bidding, visit Bidsquare.
Auction PreviewOnline June Auction
Frank Helsley, the founder of Republic Guitars, was a teenager when he first heard Johnny Winter playing a resonator. Helsley became obsessed with music and guitars after that. Failing to find affordable options, Helsley founded his own guitar company. In 2009, he designed a travel-sized guitar, the Highway 61, which became famous among the likes of the Doobie Brothers, the Eagles, and Winter himself. The upcoming Online June Auction, presented by Leonard Auction, offers a Republic Highway 61 resonator guitar with a copper finish. The sale also includes over 150 lots of jewelry and fine art. Among the key items is a Lariat-style necklace. Originating in Spain in the 1820s, a lariat is a long chain that lacks a clasp. It is often draped multiple times around the neck. The available 14-karat gold chain has a round cut citrine mounted on a slide. The length of the chain can be altered by moving the slide. Also available in this auction is an oil painting by John Bradshaw Crandell. Known as the “artist of the stars,” his clientele included such celebrities as Bette Davis, Judy Garland, and Carole Lombard. Visit Bidsquare to browse the full catalog and register to bid online.
Auction PreviewOnline Only May Auction
Towle Silversmiths is believed to be the first and longest operated company in the United States. In 1895, Lucien D. Cole, a designer at the company, introduced the Old Colonial pattern. Inspired by the historic Newburyport area of Massachusetts and 18th-century Philadelphia furniture, Old Colonial is Towle's longest-running design. The pattern features a glossy finish accented with beads and a pointed tip. The handles show a scroll design with delicate piercing. The upcoming auction, offered by Leonard Auction, will present an 86-piece set of Towle Old Colonial silver flatware. Notably, the spoons have rectangular grooves in the center of their bowls. Another highlight is a Chinese jade dragon sculpture. Ancient China prized jade as a symbol of purity and moral integrity. The available piece shows a dragon curling itself around a vase that holds flowers, Buddha finger citron, grape clusters, and leaping fish. The vase is in pale lavender with hints of light and darker green. Rounding out the auction is a selection of jewelry, modern furniture, fine art, and timepieces. Explore the full listings and register to bid online on Bidsquare.
Auction PreviewOnline Only Auction
This April, Leonard Auction will present a collection of fine art, sterling silver, vintage timepieces, minted coins, and other items in the Online Only Auction. A standout lot is a bronze figure titled Torero, which evokes the abstract image of a Spanish bullfighter. The sculptor, Venancio Blanco, and his bullfighter have appeared in various auctions and exhibitions around the world. Other highlights include sterling silver flatware in the ‘La Scala’ pattern from Gorham. Since 1831, the silverware and sterling company has created the America’s Cup for yachting and the Davis Cup for tennis. A cityscape coffee table by Paul Evans is also available in the sale. Evans was one of the leading figures in the mid-century Brutalist furniture movement. The birdseye maple burl coffee table features chromed steel and a square glass top. An oil painting by Robert Kipniss is presented as well. Best known for his monochrome and shadow-filled compositions, Kipniss often captures trees, cottage-style interiors, and countrysides in his works. The available lot by Kipniss is titled The Trees. For more information, visit Bidsquare.
Auction PreviewOnline Only March Auction
As a tribute to the British Royal Air Force and its pilots, Rolex released the Air-King wristwatch in 1945. The watch has a 34mm case, one of the largest of the time, earning it the name ‘King.’ Today, the Air-King is one of Rolex’s oldest watch models still in production. The upcoming Online Only March Auction, presented by Leonard Auction, will offer an Air-King 5501, a two-tone watch with a gold fluted bezel. New York-born artist Robert Kipniss is known for his colorless and shadowy paintings of trees, cottage-style interiors, and countrysides. The sale features an oil painting by Kipniss, titled The Trees. Also highlighted is a Towle sterling silver flatware set in the King Richard pattern. Named after Richard the Lion-Heart, this pattern was introduced in 1932 and was inspired by the architecture of old English mansions. Collectors can also explore sculpture, furniture, and coins in this auction. View the entire catalog and register to bid online on Bidsquare.
Auction PreviewFebruary Auction
The Kangxi period was often considered the height of decorative Chinese screen production. Among the most famous screens produced during this time are Coromandel screens. Although made in China, these screens received their name from India’s Coromandel coast, where they were shipped to Europe. Coromandel screens were made by applying lacquer in even layers over a softwood core. In the next step, designs are carved into the screen’s surface, and the recesses are filled with scenes. A Chinese Coromandel screen is one of the leading lots of the upcoming February Auction, to be offered by Leonard Auction. The six-panel screen belongs to the Kangxi period. It is carved on both sides; one side depicts figures in a courtyard while the other features trees and waterfowl. Another notable lot in this sale is a jadeite pendant. Because of its limited production in Burma, as well as its translucency and quality of reflection, jadeite is highly prized in the Eastern market. The available heart-shaped pendant has a circular jadeite disc surrounded by a gold and opal filigree. The auction will also present a Mills 25-cent slot machine with a figural stand by Royal Bell. The machine is included in the ‘Rock n’ Roll Singers’ collection produced by the company. View these lots and register to bid on Bidsquare.
