Sterling Associates leaves winter behind with March 2 auction of estate art, antiques and mid-century modern furniture
Fresh and vibrant 1989 Dahlov Ipcar ‘kaleidoscopic’ painting of African animals attracts strong pre-auction interest
NORWOOD, N.J. – On Wednesday, March 2nd, Sterling Associates will bid farewell to winter with a 171-lot auction of fine and decorative art, antiques and mid-century modern furnishings from estates in the NY/NJ/CT tri-state area. Bidders may participate absentee or live online through LiveAuctioneers.
The auction’s long list of highlights includes a stunning Dahlov Ipcar oil painting of an African animal scene, a Philip and Kelvin LaVerne “Kang Tao” bronze coffee table, a 1926 Steinway baby grand piano, and a Franz Bergmann cold-painted Austrian bronze and glass lamp. A specialty collection of 15 mid-Victorian portrait miniatures is included, as well.
From the first hour of its appearance in Sterling’s online catalog, the Dahlov Ipcar painting was already attracting hits from potential bidders. Ipcar’s work is held in the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Brooklyn Museum, and other institutions. Her large, impressive oil titled Cherangani (referring to a hilly region in Kenya) is an exciting depiction of African animals against a landscape typical of the artist’s “kaleidoscopic” style. Painted in 1989, the 48- by 40-inch painting is signed and dated, and has an artist’s label on verso that documents the title and date of creation plus a description (“oil on Belgian linen”) and original fixed selling price of $9,000. It is offered in Sterling Associates’ auction with a $10,000-$15,000 estimate.
“For years, Dahlov Ipcar’s paintings typically sold for $3,000 to $4,000, but she has been increasingly discovered by collectors, and now her paintings can fetch $20,000,” said Stephen D’Atri, owner of Sterling Associates.
Among other artworks worthy of special mention are three botanical depictions by Joseph Stella (Italian/American, 1877-1946). His crayon and pencil on paper creation titled Flower Study is estimated at $1,000-$2,000. Also, there is a fine oil-on-board portrait of a youthful, clean-shaven Abraham Lincoln by Franklin C. Courter (American, 1854-1947). Courter painted a number of Lincoln portraits, several of which are in the collection of the Smithsonian and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. The auction entry is Inscribed “19” on verso and has a framed size of 30 by 36 inches. It is expected to achieve a price in the $3,000-$5,000 range.
An exotic Franz Bergmann (Austrian, 1861-1936)) cold-painted bronze and glass lamp is titled The Prince and the Mandolin Player. It is a quintessential example of Bergmann’s style, which blends Oriental themes with romantic or animal figures. Standing 21 inches high (31 inches with its included period brass pedestal), it comes to auction with a $6,000-$8,000 estimate.
A very different but equally collectible type of lamp offered in the sale was made by America’s oldest glass company, Pairpoint. Known as a Pairpoint “Puffy,” it is marked inside its etched, enameled and gilded shade and should easily reach its $500-$700 estimate. Another coveted lot in the lighting section is a Handel “Ivy” table lamp with a brass-rimmed, hand-numbered and signed mosserine green six-panel shade. It stands on its correct, signed base and, like the Pairpoint, is expected to sell for $500-$700.
Made by father-and-son designers Philip and Kelvin LaVerne, a “Kang Tao” low coffee or cocktail table is crafted from bronze and has a patinated mixed-metal top that is richly adorned with a Chinese court scene. This coveted mid-century piece is signed on its top and will cross the auction block with a $4,000-$5,000 estimate.
If anything adds an instant feeling of elegance to a room, it is a baby grand piano like the Steinway Model M that graces Sterling Associates’ End Of Winter Estates Auction. Accompanied by its tufted-top piano bench and bearing the serial number 243899, the piano can be positively dated to 1926 – the height of the ultra-stylish Gatsby era. The Steinway awaits the chance to entertain its new owner with a Cole Porter tune or two and is estimated at $6,000-$8,000.
Sterling Associates’ March 2, 2022 End of Winter Estates Auction will begin at 5pm US Eastern Time. Sterling Associates, Inc., is a full-service brick-and-mortar auction house. Their auctions are conducted online, exactly like a gallery auction, but without a live audience in attendance. Bidders may participate absentee or live via the Internet through LiveAuctioneers. All items may be previewed at Sterling Associates’ gallery by appointment only. Masks are required. Winning bidders have the option of picking up their auction purchases at Sterling Associates’ premises at 537 Broadway, Norwood, NJ 07648. Alternatively, goods can be shipped anywhere in the world.
For additional information on any item, call 201-768-1140 or email [email protected] . Online: http://www.antiquenj.com. View the fully illustrated catalog and sign up to bid absentee or live online through LiveAuctioneers.com.
About Sterling Associates:
Sterling Associates of Norwood, New Jersey, is owned and operated by its founder, Stephen D’Atri. Stephen’s family has been in the antiques business for over 60 years and provided the all-important foundation that launched him toward his lifelong career. After working with his family and graduating from Rutgers University, Stephen furthered his education at New York School of Interior Design. He followed his passion and, in 1989, opened his own businesses, Sterling Restoration and Antique D’zynes. Those firms merged to become the company known today as Sterling Associates Inc., a full-service antique sales, auction and restoration facility, specializing in the finest European and American antiques. Stephen scours the world for the rare and beautiful objects he offers to collectors, interior designers and decorators; and others in the trade. Sterling Associates’ restoration services are known for their historical accuracy and are always undertaken or personally overseen by Stephen D’Atri himself.
