Renowned Pfannebecker Collection of American Craft Comes to Auction With Freeman’s

Freeman’s November auction of modern and contemporary American craft works from the collection of attorney Robert L. Pfannebecker will present nearly 200 lots of genre-defying fine art, sculpture, furniture, and other items. Since the 1980s, Pfannebecker has amassed a famous collection of craft based on an individual vision and style. He often collected directly from the studios of graduate students at Cranbrook Academy of Art and Alfred University. Among the top lots is a low-fire clay, wood, and acrylic sculpture from Patti Warashina, an American artist who Pfannebecker patronized for decades. Her low-fire clay works depict “situations in which irony, humor, absurdities portray human behavior as a relief from society’s pressure and frustrations on mankind,” according to her artist’s statement. The available 1979 grouping, aptly titled Freeing the Bird, depicts a partially clothed woman joyfully releasing a long-necked bird to the sky. 

Many of the available lots were made and acquired during the 1970s and 80s. This includes several sets of glass basket forms by Dale Chihuly, many of which evoke the colors and shapes of Pacific Northwest Coast Native American baskets. The catalog boasts art by William Harper, Dominic Di Mare, Michael Lucero, and Dan Dailey, as well as more contemporary items from Sunkoo Yuh. Proceeds from this auction will support scholarships for artists of merit and need. To view the complete listings and place a bid, visit Freeman’s.