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Camille Claudel’s L’Âge Mûr: A Remarkable Rediscovery

A major work by Camille Claudel, L’Âge mûr et la Jeunesse (The Age of Maturity and Youth), had a long and checkered history. The recently rediscovered, No. 1 in Blot’s cast edition sheds light on the various stages.

Camille Claudel (1864-1943), L'Âge mûr aka L'Âge mûr et la Jeunesse, 1898, bronze with richly shaded brown patina, sand cast by Eugène Blot in 1907, the number “1” at the feet of the imploring woman, 61.5 x 85 x 37.5 cm/24 x 35.5 x 14.6 in.
Estimate: €1.5/2 M — **Camille Claudel** (1864-1943), *L’Âge mûr* aka L’Âge mûr et la Jeunesse, 1898, bronze with richly shaded brown patina, sand cast by Eugène Blot in 1907, the number “1” at the feet of the imploring woman, 61.5 x 85 x 37.5 cm/24 x 35.5 x 14.6 in.
Estimate: €1.5/2 M

Critics of the time unanimously acclaimed Camille Claudel‘s L’Âge mûr as her masterpiece. In 1907, the art critic Charles Morice wrote in the Mercure de France: “Camille Claudel’s talent is one of both the glories and scandals of our country. That this woman is one of the great artistic personalities of our time, no one, I repeat, no qualified person disputes…We know all this, and yet we do nothing to facilitate her work, and, among so many, so strangely allocated commissions, not one is reserved for the admirable creator of L’Âge mûr et la Jeunesse.” The paradox of an artist celebrated by critics, officially recognized but receiving little financial support, explains why this group is so rare. Various institutions possess plaster casts and a few bronze editions, through donations or late acquisitions, but not all copies in private hands have been located, and this reappearance is a red-letter day for the market. The work remained in the family of the first buyer through a direct inheritance. It had lain dormant under a sheet in a Parisian apartment that had been closed for some 15 years, and which housed a whole collection of sculptures, including animal subjects by Antoine-Louis Barye and a Penelope by Bourde le. The auctioneer was immediately struck by the signature of the founder and art dealer Eugène Blot on the sculpture. Matthieu Semont had a particularly vivid memory of L’Implorante from his formative years in a Saint-Germain-en-Laye law firm… and the pieces of the puzzle came together. The figure of this young woman trying to hold on to an older man who is already abandoning her has of course been interpreted as autobiographical: the supplicant can be seen as an alter ego of the sculptor, who realized as she approached her thirties that Rodin would never leave Rose Beuret for her. The dates are confusing. Claudel sketched the first drawings for her group in the early 1890s in a letter to Léon Gauchez. She was gradually becoming estranged from Rodin at that time, and she finally broke with him and his studio in 1892. Le Chemin de la vie ou La Destinée (The Path of Life or Destiny), one of the first titles envisaged for L’Âge mûr, was also a declaration of independence and an assertion of her style. This can be felt as well through its allegorical aspect, with the three ages of life and the shadow of death, the older figure that carries the man into maturity.

The Stages of the Sculpture

Camille’s correspondence with her brother describes the various stages in the creation of this work: in 1893, Paul learned that she was thinking of including a leaning tree, to accentuate the diagonal and the interpretation of destiny. At that time, all the characters were still joined: Youth sought to hold in her arms Mature Age, which gradually replaced the tree with his own arms, evoking the forks in road of life. The process took a long time, made even longer by the artist’s financial difficulties. In 1894, she presented at the Salon a plaster cast of the female figure on the right, entitled Le Dieu envolé (The Vanished God), now lost. The pose varies slightly, as the movement of the arms is not fixed, but the kneeling, supplicating position is recognizable. She worked on a second version of this figure in patinated plaster (Musée Camille Claudel), where the arms are outstretched in supplication and the wild hair recalls her Clotho: this is the study for L’Implorante (Imploring Woman). In 1895, she produced the first plaster model of the entire group. Rodin, seeking to help her, recommended her to the Secretary of State for Fine Arts. The reports from Armand Silvestre, who discovered the sculpture, were decidedly positive, and the official commission for a plaster version of the work was signed for 2,500 francs. It took another three years for the sculptor to complete her work. Government reports describe the creation as it progressed: the widening space between the young woman and the man, their hands separating, and the appearance of streaming draperies, evoking the movement in another of her sculptures, La Valse. In 1898, the State approved the work, and Armand Silvestre gave Claudel hope that it would be executed in bronze: “As it stands, the group is admirable and of modern workmanship. It deserves to be executed in bronze, as the artist has requested, and I firmly approve her wish.” But alas, these promises were endlessly deferred. Claudel had to ask her father to intervene for the payment, which did not arrive until 1899, and although an order was drawn up the same year, the price and date were left blank. Later, instructions for postponement, then cancellation circulated within the Ministry.

L’Âge Mûr: “A Living Drama”

The work was also presented to the public in 1899 at the Salon des Beaux-Arts, where L’Âge mûr was noted for its originality. The critic Charles Fremine praised “the living drama, truly suffered despite its fantasy aspect”, and “the moving execution faithfully expressing the feeling that inspired it.” The cancellation of the commission intensified the artist’s paranoia. She saw it as Rodin’s doing, as she wrote to Léon Gauchez, suspecting that “the Weasel” had also made sure the work would not be selected for the 1900 Universal Exhibition. This was not the first time that the State had withdrawn its patronage, as witness the many tribulations of Claudel’s Sakuntala, and it was once again the support of private individuals and Eugène Blot that enabled her to transmute all of her expressive power into bronze. It was Louis Tissier, Captain of the Engineers, who first commissioned her to produce the bronze version of L’Implorante, which proved a great success. He then financed the first bronze transcription of the entire group in 1902, under Claudel’s close supervision, with the firm Thiébaut Frères, Fumière et Gavignot. It was this work that the Musée d’Orsay acquired from Captain Tissier’s descendants in 1982, after decades of oblivion.

Blot Enters the Scene

Eugène Blot met Camille Claudel in 1904, shortly after Tissier’s bronze was exhibited at the Salon des Artistes Français. Heir to the Blot et Drouard foundry, and also an art collector and dealer, he actively championed a new generation of artists. He supported the sculptor in her dealings with the authorities, trying to get them to honor their commitments, or at least to resume the project for a transcription of the group, this time in marble. Though the French government said it had no record of the promises it had made to Claudel, Blot was not discouraged and set about editing works by the artist himself. This was the case in 1905 for several sculptures, including L’Abandon (Abandonment), as well as L’Implorante, which he presented in a highly acclaimed solo exhibition. The ambitious dealer planned to produce up to 50 copies, but in the end was unable to break even. When, in 1907, he undertook to edit the entire group in a reduced version, he limited the edition to six, and the artist’s great-niece, Reine-Marie Paris, thinks that only five were actually produced. With his sand casting, he achieved a very precise execution that restored the tension of the bodies. The engraving reflects the modeling extremely accurately and, even from below, the ingenious joining of the group suggests the drama. The patina makes the contrast between the figures even more vibrant: browner for Old Age, and more golden, with hints of red, for Youth. Approved by the sculptor, this casting is as faithful as possible to her intentions. Carvillani’s large-scale cast, now in the Rodin Museum, was commissioned by Philippe Berthelot, a member of the family committee, after Claudel’s internment in 1913, but was not intended by her. Eugène Blot stated in 1936 that he had sold four of his reductions. The Leblanc-Barbedienne company, which took over the rights to the foundryman’s models, did not risk re-editing Claudel’s work as it was reluctant to continue Blot’s work without a written contract between him and the artist, now in an asylum. After her death, no further editions were made, and some copies disappeared. No. 4 is now in the Musée Claudel, and the recently resurfaced No. 1 goes on sale today.

Worth Knowing
Sunday February 16, 2025
Orléans. Philocale auction house
Cabinet Lacroix-Jeannest
The bronze will be exhibited in Paris at 20, rue Drouot on Wednesday February 12
From 11 am to 6 pm
Then in Orléans, Friday February 14

CAMILLE CLAUDEL n°1

Sunday 16 February 2025 – 16:00 (CET) – Live

4 place Sainte Croix – 45000 Orléans

Philocale

Info and sales conditions

Catalogue

With Low Reserves, Native American and Other Works of Art from an Oklahoma Collector is Now in Progress on iGavelAuctions

A Large Pair of 20th century Chinese Cloisonné Censers (Estimate $2,000-3,000) — A Large Pair of 20th century Chinese Cloisonné Censers (Estimate: $2,000-3,000)

New Braunfels, TX – Lark Mason Associates is delighted to announce their latest online auction featuring Asian, Native American, and other remarkable works of art from a prominent Oklahoma collector. Now open for bidding through January 14, 2025, on iGavelAuctions.com, this eclectic sale offers a veritable treasure chest of 547 lots at accessible price points.

This captivating collection showcases over 25 intricately woven rugs, an impressive selection of more than 108 Native American silver and turquoise jewelry pieces, belts and beadwork. The offerings extend to European and American art, Americana such as Staffordshire flow-blue historical plates, Chinese export porcelain, silver, and a wide range of Art Deco Rosenthal figures.

Lark Mason, founder of iGavelAuctions and Lark Mason Associates, states, “The incredible variety of works in this collection reflects the curiosity and diligence of a truly passionate collector. It’s a privilege to present this lifetime of discoveries, which embody such sophistication and taste.”

With estimates starting below $3,000 and reserves as low as $25, this auction provides something special for collectors of all interests and budget.

Featured Highlights:

Silver Coral and Leather Concha Belt, Stamped C MTZ Sterling (Estimate: $200-300)
A Large Pair of 20^th Century Chinese Cloisonné Censers (Estimate: $2,000-3,000)
A 20^th Century Persian Tree of Life Qum Rug, signed (Estimate: $1,500-2,500)
Pair of European Bronze Figural Candelabras, circa 1900 (Estimate: $1,500-2,500)
Four Chinese Pewter and Brass Censers (Estimate: $100-200)
A Pair of Gilt Bronze Ecclesiastical Candlesticks, circa 1910 (Estimate: $200-400)
A 20th Century Bonallen Metal-studded Tooled Leather Saddle (Estimate: $500-800)
A 19th Century French Gilt Bronze Mantle Clock (Estimate: $700-1,000)
Valjon, “Stalking Wolf” Bronze Sculpture (Estimate: $500-800)
A Native American Silver and Turquoise Purple Heart Mounted Bracelet (Estimate: $250-400)

Visit iGavelAuctions.com to view the items and place bids.

Hake’s Jan. 22 auction to launch 2025 series solely featuring Jeff Jacob’s blue-chip collection of Star Wars, GI Joe, other vintage toys

Rare, immaculate Star Wars figures share spotlight with ‘Joes,’ Transformers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Masters of the Universe figures, most AFA-graded, some highest-graded in global census

Star Wars (1978) - Ben (Obi-wan) Kenobi 12 Back-a Afa 85 Nm+ (Double-telescoping/Sku On Footer, Pop 2/Highest Graded Example). — Star Wars (1978) – Ben (Obi-wan) Kenobi 12 Back-a Afa 85 Nm+ (Double-telescoping/Sku On Footer, Pop 2/Highest Graded Example).

YORK, Pa. – Colorado custom homebuilder Jeff Jacob’s multimillion-dollar collection of Star Wars figures, GI Joes and rarities from other popular toy lines is expected to commandeer The Force when it makes its auction debut on January 22 at Hake’s. The initial offering of 435 lots from Jacob’s 33-year collection will introduce a multi-part series of online sales slated for 2025. Bidding on Part I will open on January 6, the same day the fully-illustrated catalog publishes on Hake’s website. All lots will close on January 22.

Acknowledged as one of the world’s largest and finest collections of its type, Jacob’s pop-culture trove includes more than 3,000 pieces that traverse the action-figure universe, starting with 1970s Star Wars characters and progressing into the 1980s with premier GI Joes, Transformers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Masters of the Universe, and other productions. Nearly all figures, playsets, vehicles and other items in the collection are AFA-graded and reflect Jacob’s decades-long mission to upgrade his holdings until the finest available examples had been acquired. Most pieces are high grade, and some are the highest-graded specimens of their type, per the AFA Population Report. In this opening sale of the series, 47 pieces are identified as being in the single highest grade known, with none graded higher.

“Jeff’s collection also adds a whole new meaning to the term ‘fresh to the market.’ Many of his toys have never appeared at any auction before. They’ve always been privately owned,” said Alex Winter, president of Hake’s Auctions. “In addition to extremely rare action figures, Jeff’s collection includes playsets, vehicles and other highly desirable Star Wars kits and collectibles, as well as some of the most elusive GI Joe, Transformers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Masters of the Universe productions.” Winter added that the Jacob collection stands apart because of its complete or near-complete runs, extraordinarily rare variations, and items that are either sole survivors or one of few known to exist.

Based on social-media chatter and enquiries from potential bidders, a likely contender for top lot is a Star Wars (1978) Double-Telescoping Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi 12 Back-A action figure, AFA-graded 85 NM+, with a SKU on the footer. Only two carded Double-Telescoping specimens of this figure are known to exist in such a high grade, and of those two, the one offered by Hake’s will make history as the first to appear at auction. To date, Hake’s has sold three Double-Telescoping Ben Kenobi figures, although of different grades to the one in the January 22 auction. One of them sold in November 2022 for $79,000. The current record stands at $125,000, and that record may very well be broken by Jeff Jacob’s example, which has a starting bid of $50,000 and an open-ended estimate.

A Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1982) 4-LOM 48 Back-A action figure on its blister card, AFA-graded 60 Y-EX, took Jacob 20 years to acquire. The rarest production figure of all Kenner’s Star Wars toylines, it is notable for being on a 48 Back-A with no pre-figure offer sticker, as opposed to the more-typical type on a 48 Back-C card with an Admiral Ackbar offer. Only four examples of the 48 Back-A type have been graded by AFA, and this one is the first ever to come to Hake’s. Estimate: $20,000-$35,000

There’s great excitement over a boxed Star Wars (1978) Cantina Adventure Set, a toy every collector wants. The set contains bagged action figures of a very hard-to-find blue-version Snaggletooth, Greedo, Hammerhead, and Walrus Man, as well as mailer boxes for the figures, a sealed bag of pegs, a cardboard backdrop, cardboard inserts, in-package catalogs and assembly instructions. The auction example is one of only five known with the AFA grade 85 NM+, according to the AFA Population Report, and no others have been documented in a higher grade. The estimate is $10,000-$20,000.

Rarity is front and center yet again with a Stars Wars (1978) Boba Fett action figure from Kenner’s 12-inch series. It is one of only four examples graded AFA 85 NM+, according to the AFA Population Report, with no others known in a higher grade. Of all 12-inch figures, Boba Fett is the most highly valued and will cross the auction block with a $10,000-$20,000 estimate.

Other than a few collections in Mexico, few can rival Jacob’s assortment of Mexican-made Lili Ledy Star Wars figures on cards with Spanish-language text. “Lili Ledy was one of Jeff’s obsessions, and he managed to acquire some exceptionally rare productions. One of them is a Star Wars: El Regreso Del Jedi/Return Of The Jedi (1983) 3.75-inch Luke Skywalker action figure dressed in Bepsin fatigues. On a 30 Back and AFA-graded 80 NM, it’s one of only three or four known to exist and is the first of its type to appear in one of our sales,” Winter said. It is estimated at $10,000-$20,000.

In a collection as refined as Jacob’s, one would expect to see a coveted Star Wars (1978) Early Bird Mail-Away Kit. Bidders will not be disappointed. The auction includes a beautiful AFA 85 NM+ kit with figures that include a Double-Telescoping Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Chewbacca, and R2-D2. The encapsulated case also contains the original white mailer box, vacuform plastic tray, a baggie with plastic pegs for posing figures, mini-catalog advertising the Star Wars Action Figure line and vehicles, and a mail-away offer for the corresponding stand. Only three such kits are known to have received a higher grade than the one to be auctioned. Estimate: $20,000-$35,000

A Star Wars (1978) department store catalog multi-pack mailers display, graded AFA Uncirculated U85NM+, is absolutely one of a kind. It includes four different multi-pack mailers (one Sears and three JC Penney), each with a different selection of figures. This grouping of four mailers is the only one of its type ever to be graded by AFA as a single entity, and its auction estimate is $10,000-$20,000.

Another specialty Jacob enthusiastically pursued was Star Wars character coins, including the ultimate acquisition in this category: a complete Star Wars: The Power Of The Force (1984) base set. It contains 62 pressed aluminum coins, each measuring 1.5 inches in diameter. Kenner initially offered such coins in a Star Wars mail-away offer and later issued them in a carded format with their Power Of The Force action figures. Each of the set’s coins is graded AFA 85 NM+ and originally came directly from a former Kenner employee. Hake’s experts believe the January 22 auction may be the first time a complete AFA-graded collection of this type has been sold as a whole. Set estimate: $20,000-$35,000

An extremely rare Australian issue is Jacob’s Star Wars: The Power Of The Force (1985) Nikto 92 (Warok Coin) Back, AFA-graded 85 Y-NM+. The blister card contains a 3.75-inch Kenner action figure of a Nikto – a sentient humanoid species from the planet Kintan – paired with a mismatched Warok aluminum collectors coin. Only eight examples of this exact figure/coin type and grade appear in the current AFA Population Report, with none graded higher. It comes to auction with a $10,000-$20,000 estimate.

Fans of shape-shifting Transformers are sure to be laser-focused on a mint/boxed/sealed Hasbro Transformers (1984) Series 1 Megatron (Decepticon Leader), AFA-graded 80 NM. It is among the most desirable Series 1 Transformers toys, with only two examples known in an AFA 80 grade according to the current AFA Population Report. The example to be auctioned is the first such toy of its type with intact tape seals that Hake’s has ever offered. Estimate: $10,000-$20,000

From the GI Joe portion of Jeff Jacob’s collection, a top prize is the rare Hasbro G.I. Joe (1984) Hovercraft (KILLER W.H.A.L.E.) Series 3 vehicle, AFA-graded 75 Ex+/NM. The profusely graphic box contains a G.I. Joe figure, a full complement of accessories, an instruction sheet, and much more. This iconic toy would have been an extravagance for most families of the 1980s, which explains why it did not sell in large numbers and is so hard to find today. One of only 10 sealed examples graded by AFA, it carries a $5,000-$10,000 estimate.

Also not to be missed is the first offering from Jacob’s specialty selection of Star Wars proof cards, i.e., production samples printed prior to the finalization of card designs to back action figures. Very few proof cards have survived. Those created for the Star Wars: Revenge of the Jedi title are the most popular with collectors. A Boba Fett proof card produced by Kenner prior to the film’s name change to Star Wars: Return Of The Jedi, graded AFA 85 NM+, represents one of 50 different characters appearing on the initial Revenge Of The Jedi proof cards. In an archival case, it is estimated at $5,000-$10,000.

Hake’s January 22, 2025 online auction exclusively featuring Part I of the Jeff Jacob collection of Star Wars, GI Joe, Transformers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Masters of the Universe and other vintage toys will open for bidding on January 6. For a free printed catalog or additional information on any item in the sale, call +1 866-404-9800 (toll-free) or +1 717-434-1600; or email [email protected]. View the fully illustrated catalog online and sign up to bid at https://hakes.com/.

Bidders were in a holiday mood at Morphy’s stylish $2.6M Fine & Decorative Arts Auction

Top lots included very rare Tiffany ‘Venetian’ art-glass lamp with Macklowe Gallery provenance, $114K; and a grand gilt-bronze mermaid-theme centerpiece by Francois-Raoul Larche, $69K

Rare Tiffany Studios Venetian Leaded Glass Table Lamp

DENVER, Pa. – Morphy’s December 17-19 Fine & Decorative Arts Auction made the holiday season merry and bright for discerning gift-buyers and collectors with its opulent selection of luxury goods that totaled $2.6 million, inclusive of buyer’s premium. The 2024 edition of the Pennsylvania company’s popular pre-Christmas sale featured a stunning array of jewels and watches, silver, European art pottery and antiques; and more than 40 outstanding Tiffany Studios lamps.

One of the most desirable of Louis Comfort Tiffany’s creations, a rare and extraordinarily beautiful Venetian table lamp claimed top-lot honors at the upscale gallery event. Although diminutive by comparison to other Tiffany lighting, the 19-inch-tall lamp was one of the New York firm’s most expensive productions in the early 20th century. This was due to the time and painstaking effort it took to create the breathtaking Venetian pattern from a profusion of small, delicate pieces of glass. Both the shade, which retained its attractive original “gold” heat cap, and its correct filigreed and jeweled “gold” base were signed. In excellent condition and with provenance that included a 2003 purchase from the prestigious Macklowe Gallery, it sold for $114,000 against an estimate of $60,000-$80,000.

A fine example of a Tiffany Studios Turtleback desk lamp consisted of a bronze base encircled with gleaming Favrile glass balls and a single-socket shade with two stunning iridescent-green Turtleback tiles. Signed beneath the base with Tiffany Studios New York 9949 and the number 408, this excellent example showing no cracks or dents was bid to $19,680 against an estimate of $9,000-$12,000. Another lovely Tiffany Studios desk lamp that swept past its estimate was a harp-style model in the Pine Needle pattern. Eye-catching with its streaked green leaded glass panels and patinated bronze overlay of bronze “pine needles,” the lamp was signed Tiffany Studios New York 4019 on its underside and graded “excellent” by Morphy’s experts. Against an estimate of $2,000-$4,000, it lit up the gallery at $15,000.

In addition to lamps, Tiffany produced some of the most exquisite glass objets d’art and decorative pieces of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Drawing many admirers at the preview, a rare circa-1898 Favrile-glass plaque displayed an intricate design melding blues and greens, with an incised serpentine accent at the center well. Measuring 13¾ inches, signed L.C. Tiffany and further incised

o-10125, this mint-condition piece sold for $23,370 against an estimate of $4,000-$8,000.

A gilt-bronze centerpiece created by Francois-Raoul Larche (French, 1860-1912) exemplified the highest standard of Art Nouveau artistry and Continental manufacture. A grand design that would have been worthy of a royal table in its day, it depicted mermaids holding oysters and frolicking in the sea, with a nude on a shell as its pinnacle. Bearing the artist’s signature, it was also stamped for the Paris foundry Siot-Deccauville and impressed P45. A mint-condition piece from a bygone era of extravagance and lavish hospitality, the centerpiece appears in multiple reference books. Against an estimate of $25,000-$35,000, it was pursued to $69,000.

Historically important, a unique pair of massive bronze exterior lanterns had come from a mansion in Highland Park, Michigan, a village-like suburb of Detroit that became popular with executives of the automotive industry. Many of Highland Park’s stately mansions were adorned with attractive exterior appointments, like the pair of lanterns offered by Morphy’s. Measuring 6ft high (each) and having an unusual fantasy motif, these fixtures would have made quite an architectural statement a century ago. The striking duo reached $52,800 against an estimate of $10,000-$30,000.

Several noteworthy Rolex men’s watches were among the top-selling timepieces. An 18K gold Rolex Daytona Ref #116528, circa 2111-2013 with a white MOP dial with diamonds, was accompanied by its box and papers. It ticked to $33,600 against an estimate of $18,000-$28,000. A circa-1968 18K gold Rolex GMT Master 40mm men’s wristwatch, Ref. #16758, was set with rubies and diamonds on its original serti dial. With its original Rolex box and papers, it sold above high estimate for $24,000.

The ultimate stocking stuffer for ladies was a platinum and diamond line necklace consisting of 66 natural, near-colorless emerald-cut diamonds with a total weight of 21.50 carats. The gems were graded H color, VS clarity; and the gross weight of the 16-inch necklace was 56.0 grams. New and in unworn condition, it gracefully settled within its estimate range for $28,800.

Although bears typically hibernate for the winter, there was no shortage of handsome Bavarian bruins at Morphy’s opening session. A monumental circa-1925 Hans Winterhalder (Neustadt, Germany) Black Forest two-panel tall-case clock, 78½ inches tall, was masterfully carved with three bears and grapevine embellishments. The interior was fitted with mirrors and a movement striking on eight rods. In excellent condition, this impressive timekeeper sold at the midpoint of its estimate for $23,040.

Bidders were charmed by a Black Forest bear depicted on all fours, with glass eyes and mouth agape, and sporting a leather collar with a suspended brass bell. A sizable 52 inches long, the intricately-detailed bear was a quintessential example of German turn-of-the-century carving. It commanded nearly five times the high estimate, retiring at $19,680.

Bears came to entertain, as well, in the form of a carved linden wood bench. Across the back of the bench, the carver created an incredibly well-detailed scene of bas-relief bears playing various musical instruments. At both ends of the bench, three-dimensional carved-wood bears with open mouths revealing red tongues and sharp white teeth served as sturdy supports. The appealing 54-inch-wide furnishing sold within estimate for $11,400.

Holding its own amongst the bevy of bears was a magnificently-detailed fox-head humidor designed with a hinge behind the head for opening the vessel to access tobacco. A gorgeous production, the quality of this piece was also reflected by the materials used to create it: bronze with silver plating on the interior, and large Russian cabochon garnets for its eyes. In excellent condition, it realized $10,240 against an estimate of $3,000-$8,000.

Amphora collectors worldwide always look forward to Morphy’s December Fine & Decorative Arts sale because it never fails to include a first-rate selection of the coveted European wares. The top Amphora lot in this year’s offering was a Berry Bat glazed and gilded porcelain vase with applied bats and water lilies. Its markings included RSTK and the impressed numbers 669 and 41. Similar to examples illustrated in Monsters and Maidens: Collector’s Edition (Vreeland, pg 361) and The House of Amphora (Scott, pg 127), the sought-after fantasy vessel soared to an above-estimate price of $17,640.

Another popular entry was a circa-1901 Amphora Owl vase, grey with blue and green glazes and applied gilt, and bearing an Amphora oval mark and the impressed numbers 4108 and 52. Comparable to examples seen in the aforementioned Vreeland and Scot reference books, the 12½-inch vase in mint condition sold for an astonishing $12,300 against an estimate of $1,000-$1,500.

To discuss consigning a collection or single item to a future Fine & Decorative Arts auction at Morphy’s, please call 877-968-8880 or email [email protected]. All enquiries are kept strictly confidential, and there is never an obligation to consign. Visit Morphy’s online at www.morphyauctions.com.

Milestone’s Jan. 18 Premier Military Auction surveys 250 years of war and conflict, with special focus on rare WWII and Nazi material

Featured: Regimental swallowtail standarte for Third Reich pageantry, massive Japanese flag from Battleship Nagato, Hitler’s standarte photo-matched to Nuremberg, ID’d Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross

WWII US 1St Combat Cargo Patched A-2 Flight Jacket

WILLOUGHBY, Ohio – Milestone Auctions will ring in the New Year with a January 18 Premier Military Sale that commands collector attention throughout its 705 high-quality, well-provenanced lots. The 250-year timeline starts in the 18th century with coveted Revolutionary War items and progresses to the modern-war era. Significant sections are devoted to Civil War (Confederate and Union) and World War II/Nazi relics, including important uniform groupings, helmets, flags, medals and insignia; photographs, and a comprehensive array of military swords, knives, daggers and katanas. All forms of bidding, in-person and remote, will be available for this auction, which will be webcast live from Milestone’s gallery.

Leading the exceptional selection of World War II Axis artifacts is a massive handsewn Imperial Japanese flag ID’d to the Battleship Nagato. It was recovered from the Nagato captain’s quarters during the Occupation of Japan by US Navy veteran Neil Huntington, who served on the USS Texas. The frayed edge on one side suggests the flag may well have been flown on the Nagato, but it also stands apart from other Japanese flags because it bears the signatures of several American POWs who signed it aboard the USS Texas en route home to the States. Accompanied by Huntington’s photo album and documents pertaining to his military service, the lot will be offered with a $30,000-$60,000 estimate.

Parades and pageantry were part of the Nazi propaganda campaign, and no expense was spared when it came to the creation of standartes (flags or banners) used at significant events. The January 18 auction includes a true rarity: a double-sided World War II Nazi regimental swallowtail standarte (flag/banner) reflecting the highest level of artistry of its day. The standarte is intricately hand-embroidered with eagles in relief, silver bullion wire oak and laurel leaves; and hand-applied silver wire edging. The silk fabric is of a particular shade of red that denotes the artillery branch of the German army. In excellent-plus condition and one of very few known survivors of its type, it is expected to sell for $25,000-$35,000.

Another standarte is known to have been used by Adolf Hitler during major public appearances. The double-sided wool banner is a full 10 feet square and was hand-painted by artists at its place of manufacture. It displays pristine condition with a bright red border stamped Fuhrer, gold wreath and eagle imagery, and a tab marked FIB, Pola (Fuhrer Political Flag). This estate piece is accompanied by two different photos of the flag as displayed in Nuremberg at the KongressHalle, a coliseum where Nazis held huge rallies. Possibly the largest official Hitler flag in existence, it is estimated at $15,000-$25,000.

Nazi weapons include a World War II German Luftwaffe general’s sword made by “Carl Eickhorn” and commissioned by Reichsmarschall and Luftwaffe Commander-in-Chief Hermann Göring, who was known for his flashy appearance and extravagant tastes. The sword has an excellent 29½-inch nickel-plated blade, and the ornate, acid-etched panels on both the blade and spine are crisp and bright. The presentation inscription translates to “The National Minister of Aeronautics/Hermann Göring” and “In Grateful Recognition.” The auction estimate is set at $15,000-$20,000.

A World War II Nazi German medal grouping belonging to Rudolf Heynsen, Commander of the 27th Minesweeper Flotilla, includes a highly important Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross, Steinhauer & Lück B-type (unmarked). This type of medal, as discussed in a 2007 reference book by Dietrich Maerz, was awarded in recognition of extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. The lot also includes a photo-postcard of Heynsen in uniform. Estimate: $12,000-$15,000

A trunk grouping consisting of property that belonged to Nazi German Panzer General and Knight’s Cross with Oak Leaves recipient Fridolin von Senger und Etterlin includes a tailored wool uniform made in Italy. The military ensemble consists of a tunic, trousers and cap; and is accompanied by leather marching boots, a buckled belt, a dagger, and more. This grouping comes with provenance from the highly-regarded and now-closed AAF Tank Museum in Danville, Virginia. Estimate: $6,000-$10,000

From the “right” side of World War II, Milestone is pleased to offer a stellar US Naval grouping directly linked to Rear Admiral William Clayton Butler Jr., recipient of the Navy Cross for “extraordinary heroism and distinguished service.” Both the jacket (with medal bar) and trousers are name-identified to the admiral. Accompanied by a framed array of medals, a photo of Admiral Butler, photocopies of his service records, and a signed affidavit stating the medals are the ones he wore during the war, this lot has been assigned a $3,000-$5,000 estimate.

The many collectors of wartime flight jackets will find a rare treasure in this sale: a World War II A-2-patched flight jacket for US 1st Combat Cargo Group, 1st Squadron, worn by aviator J.B. Bass. The US 1st CCG was particularly well known for flying dangerous supply missions within Asian combat zones. Bass’s jacket is impressively decorated with several fantastic China-Burma-India Theater leather insignias, including a large American Flag and blood chit on the back. It was made in 1936, suggesting Bass may have been an early member of the Army Air Corps. Estimate: $3,000-$5,000

Vietnam veteran and US Army Lieutenant Colonel Danny Cecil Miller (1942-2017) was a highly decorated career officer who received a Purple Heart, four Bronze Stars, the Vietnam Service Medal with five Service Stars, and many other medals and commendations. A group lot associated with Miller includes a weapon known to have been the first choice for Americans in Vietnam combat roles: a heavy-duty, nearly indestructible full-tang Randall fighting knife Model 14 4th. Along with its correct leather scabbard, the knife joins Miller’s dog tags and a photo of the colonel in uniform in a lot that is estimated at $3,000-$5,000.

Approximately one dozen lots represent rare and coveted Civil War Confederate weapons and other antiques. A rare and well-preserved original Confederate sword made by Thomas Leech, Memphis, Tennessee, is of a type that was known as a “floating CS” staff and field officer’s sword. Its 30-inch blade is identified with the engraved name Lieut. W. B. Spencer 31st, Regt. Tenn. Vols. Fresh-to-the-market, this desirable, recent discovery comes to auction with a $10,000-$15,000 estimate.

Other Confederate entries of note include foot soldier, cavalry and “short” swords; a writing desk named to Captain Julius H Norton with assorted documents from the 4th Arkansas Cavalry, $2,000-$4,000; a snare drum painted with the National Flags of the Confederacy, $1,000-$5,000; a key-wind engineer’s pocket watch, $500-$1,000; and a 2nd Mississippi ID’d snuff box, $300-$500.

Milestone’s Saturday, January 18, 2025 Premier Military Auction will be held at Milestone’s gallery located at 38198 Willoughby Parkway, Willoughby (suburban Cleveland), OH 44094, and will be webcast live through Milestone’s website. Start time: 10 a.m. ET. All forms of remote bidding will be available, including live via the Internet through Milestone’s own bidding platform, LiveAuctioneers, or Invaluable. For additional information on any item in the auction or to reserve a phone line for auction-day bidding, call 440-527-8060 or email [email protected]. Online: www.milestoneauctions.com

The Etro Collection Terracottas Finally Brought Together in a Reference Book

This collection, one of the most important in Italy, has been published for the first time. A further step in recognizing a too little-known genre.

Antonio Raggi (1624-1686), River God and Dolphin, 1652-1653, 68 x 45 x 26 cm/26.8 x 17.7 x 10.2 in.
© Arrigo Coppitz e Marco Palermo — **Antonio Raggi** (1624-1686), *River God and Dolphin*, 1652-1653, 68 x 45 x 26 cm/26.8 x 17.7 x 10.2 in.
© Arrigo Coppitz e Marco Palermo

Etro: these four letters, sounding like an acronym, shine out in the windows of Italy’s major shopping streets. Gerolamo Etro is well-known for the fashion house he founded in 1968 and his work as a designer. But less so for the passion he nurtures with his wife Roberta, a former Old Masters gallery owner. Though their discretion is matched only by the quality of the works they have acquired over the decades, they are nonetheless highly prominent in Italy as husband-and-wife collectors, firstly of Italian masters of modern and contemporary art (including Giorgio Morandi, Giorgio De Chirico, Antonio Donghi and Alberto Burri), then of Old Masters, particularly Baroque sculpture. Their collection of 17^th and 18^th-century Italian bronzes and marbles would be the pride of many major museums today. The same is true of their terracotta collection. Over the past 30 years, the Etros have combed through the catalogs of European auction houses, visited galleries in Paris, London and New York, and paced the aisles of the Biennial of Antiques in Florence and TEFAF in Maastricht. The result of these peregrinations is one of the most important private collections of terracotta, with 70-odd masterpieces ranging from the Renaissance to the 20^th century, from Alessandro Vittoria to Arturo Martini. A few non-Italian artists feature prominently — like the Frenchman Jean-Jacques Caffieri and the Flemish artists Peter Anton von Verschaffelt and Josse le Court — but their quest for the finest pieces has focused on the Italian Baroque. Sculptors from all the transalpine schools — Rome, Venice, Genoa, Florence and Naples — are represented, like Antonio Raggi, Filippo Parodi, Massimiliano Soldani Benz and Giuseppe Sanmartinos. With allegories, portraits, reliefs, modellos, sketches and finished works designed for the market, every theme and typology found in terracotta features in this collection, now inventoried for the first time.

Peter Anton von Verschaffelt (1710-1793), Portrait of a Young Artist, 1751-1752, 52 x 28 x 25 cm/20.5 x 11 x 9.8 in.
© Arrigo Coppitz e Marco Palermo — **Peter Anton von Verschaffelt** (1710-1793), *Portrait of a Young Artist*, 1751-1752, 52 x 28 x 25 cm/20.5 x 11 x 9.8 in.
© Arrigo Coppitz e Marco Palermo

Terracottas: Works in Their Own Right

A rich catalog produced by a team under Andrea Bacchi has just been published. “This collection of terracottas rivals those of the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg or the Ca’ d’Oro in Venice,” says the art historian and Italian Baroque specialist. “We need only mention pieces like Angelo de Rossi’s Saint John the Baptist, signed and dated, which is exceptionally rare for the period, or the portraits of Giulia Albani by Camillo Rusconi, and of Giovan Luca Durazzo by Filippo Parodi. Although the core of the collection consists of sculptures from the 17^th and 18^th centuries, one of its particularities is its huge chronological scope, ranging from the 15^th century to 1932, with Arturo Martini’s Allegory of Greek Tragedy. Pieces by the most illustrious artists rub shoulders with others still awaiting attribution. Like all true collectors, the Etro couple are not looking simply for a name, but above all for quality.” One does not exclude the other. Coincidentally, the publication of the catalog follows a very recent acquisition, Latona Transforming the Peasants of Lycia into Frogs, a relief created in around 1675-1680 by Giuseppe Mazzuoli. A symbolic work, since it belonged to Flavio Chigi, nephew of Pope Alexander VII, who was one of the first collectors of terracotta. At the end of the 17^th century, these sculptures began to attract increasing interest from aesthetes. They were no longer only preparatory sketches for larger works in bronze or marble, or models used by artists to present their projects to patrons. Firing techniques, which were haphazard until the 18^th century, were by now increasingly well-mastered. These objects, until then found in studio contents, were now sought after by collectors for their cabinets of curiosities, or for educational purposes, as the Venetian Academy did to show young sculptors the great Roman models. “However, little attention was paid to them until the 20^th century,” says expert Alexandre Lacroix. But true sculpture enthusiasts and collectors are very drawn to terracottas. They are to sculpture what drawing is to painting. Expressed by artists’ hands with no intermediaries like the brush or burin, they immerse us in their creative process and the very heart of their work. It can be very moving to sometimes spot their fingerprints, and fascinating to see early versions of an artist’s creative impulse, with their trials, errors and explorations. The terracotta models used by 17^th-century French sculptors, for example, have almost all disappeared. They were very fragile, and many were destroyed. They constitute a very dynamic niche market, with rare pieces fetching high prices when they come up for sale.” On June 18, 2023, the Louvre preempted a sculpture by François Anguier for €2.5 M at a sale staged by Osenat.

Giovanni Baratta (1680-1747), Hercules and the Nemean Lion, 1707-1708, 37 x 20 x 18 cm/14.6 x 7.9 x 7.1 in (detail).
© Arrigo Coppitz e Marco Palermo — **Giovanni Baratta** (1680-1747), *Hercules and the Nemean Lion*, 1707-1708, 37 x 20 x 18 cm/14.6 x 7.9 x 7.1 in (detail).
© Arrigo Coppitz e Marco Palermo

Le Terre cotte. Collezione G&R Etro: A Landmark Publication

“Until the end of the 19^th century, very little terracotta was collected,” says Andrea Bacchi. “Interest revived in the 20^th century, with the rediscovery of Baroque art in the 1930s-1940s, and even more strongly in the 1970s and1980s. Baroque Italy was the epicenter of terracotta. All the artists of the time worked in or were inspired by it. In the Germanic world and in the Middle Ages, preparatory sketches were most often made in wood, while sculptors in Florence began to use terracotta in the 15^th century. Since the early 2000s, prestigious museums have devoted major exhibitions to terracotta works.” Like the Louvre in 2003-2004 with “The Creative Spirit From Pigalle to Canova. European Terracottas, 1740-1840”: a major step towards getting them known and appreciated by the general public. In 2013, the Metropolitan Museum of Art inaugurated “Bernini. Sculpting in Clay”, bringing together for the first time some 50 sketches and models of the sculptures that made Bernini famous, from the fountains in the Piazza Navona to the angels on the Ponte San Angelo in Rome. More recently, in 2023-2024, the National Gallery in Washington and the Art Institute of Chicago presented “Canova. Sketching in Clay”, the first exhibition in over 50 years devoted to terracotta sketches from the plaster casts in the collection of the Canova Museum in Possagno: a tour designed to offer a revealing glimpse into the creative and technical process of the neoclassical sculptural genius. “The publication of the Etro Collection catalog will be a milestone,” says Andrea Bacchi. “It will become an indispensable tool for art lovers and professionals in the terracotta market.” Leafing through it, one can only agree with what the collector and engraver Jean-Pierre Mariette wrote in 1750: “The excellence of terracotta models cannot be overstated. A fine, enlightened eye discovers in them all the master’s spirit; that creative spirit, that dazzling, all-divine fire that emanates from the soul, and which is so very nearly extinguished and destroyed by the instant of reflection”.

Worth Reading
Edited by Andrea Bacchi
Le Terre cotte. Collezione G&R Etro
Rome, Officina Libraria, 2024
416 pages, 425 illustrations, €75

Greuze and His Beautiful Heads

The order of values was respected, with the goddess Diana towering over the pretty nymph Callisto.

Jean-Baptiste Greuze (1725-1805), Diane, 1761, oil on canvas, 46.5 x 38.5 cm/18.30 x 15.15 in.
Result: €520,000 — **Jean-Baptiste Greuze** (1725-1805), *Diane*, 1761, oil on canvas, 46.5 x 38.5 cm/18.30 x 15.15 in.
Result: €520,000

Jean-Baptiste Greuze certainly wasn’t expected in this field. Nevertheless, the painter whose work reflects a certain return to morality has given his expressive heads a noble reputation, which has been appreciated in their time and is now being rediscovered after a long period of obscurity. The results obtained by Diana and Callisto (46.5 x 38.5 cm/18.30 x 15.15 in), the subject of an article in La Gazette no. 43, attest to this. The goddess, adorned with a delicate red ribbon and displaying none of the attributes usually associated with her, fetched €520,000, while the pretty nymph, dressed in animal skin, fetched a trophy of €208,000. The two canvases had already been sold at Drouot on July 11, 1978 — which were never presented in the public since — the first fetching around €116,800 in updated value, the second €102,000. Since then, the gap has widened… the goddess dominated the nymph! This type of representation was initiated by Charles Le Brun in the 17th century, as part of an academic tradition. The expert’s enthusiasm for these beautiful, well-formed heads, the result of a change in Greuze’s style in the early 1760s, was amply justified. The 1760s were indeed the years of consecration for the Tournus-born painter. In 1764, he presented L’Accordée de village at the Salon and triumphed. The Goncourt brothers went on to write: “The success of L’Accordée de village confirmed Greuze in his path, in his vocation, the depiction of bourgeois and popular mores, to which the curiosity and interest of the great world, weary of mythological gallantries, saucy nudity and gallant tableautins, were taking a liking. The painter went in search of materials, ideas, models and inspirations in the Paris where Mercier gleaned his observations, seeking, like this painter with a pen, his notes and sketches in the streets and suburbs, in the markets, on the quays, in the midst of the people, the crowds.”

TIMELESS TREASURES

Friday 13 December 2024 – 14:00 (CET) – Live

Salle 16 – Hôtel Drouot – 75009 Paris

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Rockin’ It: Landry Pop Auctions’ December 2024 Space Toys Sale

The fascination with space exploration and the possibility of life outside of our solar system has captured the imagination of humans since the Greek era or earlier. It is no surprise that vintage toys representing interplanetary transport or space-related fictional characters and their stories have timeless appeal with collectors. Landry Pop Auctions of Lambertville, NJ presented its Space Toys sale featuring Star Wars and the Collection of Jane & Jack Pillar on December 3, 2024. This 316-lot sale featured a fine collection of midcentury-onward robots, tin litho vehicles, figurines, and other cosmic playthings. Here are some eye-popping highlights from this early winter event.

*Lot #110, a Japanese TET B-17 South Pole Explorer tin wind-up robot, was estimated at $1,000 to $2,000 and sold for $4,750. Image courtesy of Landry Pop Auctions.*

Japanese Tin Wind-Up Robot

The top lot in this out-of-this-world sale was #110, a Japanese TET B-17 South Pole Explorer tin wind-up robot. Estimated at USD 1,000 to $2,000, it traded hands at $4,750. This original example from around 1955 was in working condition and in the form of an arm- and leg-jointed human in winter wear including a green helmet, yellow parka, green mittens, orange pants, and black boots. He wore gray metal skis and held matching ski poles. The parka was printed with the words “South Pole Explorer” and B-17, as well as a patch with a penguin on it, a wide belt with a buckle, and a black camera suspended from a strap.

Star Wars Millennium Falcon Toy

This auction featured many premier boxed Star Wars toys from Kenner. Lot #263, a Star Wars Millennium Falcon toy, was estimated at $2,000 to $3,000 and landed at $3,840. The toy was produced in 1983 and included a perfectly to-scale spacecraft with a battery-powered alert sound, landing gears, an entrance ramp, a cockpit, a rear hatch, a secret hiding compartment, a space chess game table, a radar dish, and a laser gun, among other vehicle apparatus. The box, as well as its contents, were in exceptional condition.

This superstar toy was the flagship vehicle of Kenner’s Star Wars production series and probably the one most associated with the movie franchise. Director and design/ special effects expert Joe Johnston created it. Johnston is best associated with movies featuring over-the-top special effects. Over time, Kenner presented this Millennium Falcon toy in four differently illustrated boxes, with this example being the final and most desirable version produced.

Space Patrol Car Rocket Toys

Midcentury tin friction space toys were a key category in this early winter sale. Lot #131, a collection of five American and Japanese tin friction space patrol car rocket toys, was estimated at $200 to $400 and realized $3,750. The quintet included a red and yellow Courtland Mfg. Co. Space Rocket Patrol car, a white and blue Masudaya Modern Toys Space Sightseeing Bus with a driver under a clear half-bubble, a green and red X-2 Rocket with three passenger windows on each side, a round red Yonezawa S-2 Satellite with its astronaut pictured waving from two windows, and a blue and red Space Patrol car with a light blue robot driver.

Friction mechanisms are relatively simple, inexpensive ways to add action or movement to a toy, especially those with wheels. Although this technology has its origins as far back as the 1850s, it was implemented on a large scale in the 1950s by toy companies around the world looking to fill their catalogs and export orders quickly and efficiently. This movement was ideal for items including rockets and exploration vehicles, which were all the rage with their ties to the launch of the Space Race in 1955.

Boba Fett Figurine

Also grabbing the spotlight with Landry Pop Auctions were bubble-packed individual characters from now-legendary science fiction movies. Lot #218, a Boba Fett figurine from the Star Wars franchise, was estimated at $1,000 to $1,500 and delivered $2,250. This 3.5-inch tall action figure was made in 1980 in Hong Kong and was one of 41 produced as part of a series based on the movie The Empire Strikes Back. Interestingly, the Millennium Falcon lot noted above was pictured on the back of this item’s packaging.

The character of Boba Fett was invented in 1978 by George Lucas and was inspired in part by Clint Eastwood’s performance of the Man With No Name from a mid-1960s series of movies by Italian filmmaker Sergio Leone. Intended as a villainous bounty hunter, Boba Fett had screen time in four Star Wars films from 1978 through 2012. The character also appeared in other Star Wars-related media including The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, and various television shows and video games. Like the design for the Millennium Falcon noted above, Fett’s final presentation and appearance are credited to Joe Johnston.

*Lot #153, a Japanese S. H. Horikawa battery-operated Golden Roto-Robot, was estimated at $200 to $400 and sold for $1,800. Image courtesy of Landry Pop Auctions.*

Space-Themed Toys

This sale rounded out with space-themed character displays, ray guns, stuffed toys, novelties, and robots. Lot #153, a Japanese S. H. Horikawa battery-operated Golden Roto-Robot, was estimated at $200 to $400 and scored $1,800. This rarity from circa 1968 was in working condition and featured jointed arms and legs and prominent, rectangular orange feet. It retained its original box in very nice condition, which most certainly increased the toy’s overall desirability, as well as its impressive auction-busting sale price.

Find the complete results by visiting Landry Pop Auctions. Browse more auction reviews and news on Auction Daily.

Morphy’s ‘lured’ collectors of antique fishing baits to $900K+ sale of Wayne Edens collection, Part I

Extremely rare lures, many of them boxed, included one of eight legendary frogs hand-carved in 1898 by James Heddon and displayed at Heddon factory, plus many other seldom-seen examples

One Of The 8 James Heddon Hand-carved Frogs

DENVER, Pa. – The water was fine and the bidders were biting at Morphy’s December 9 auction of the Wayne Edens collection of antique and vintage fishing lures, Part I, which tallied more than $900,000. The 622-lot sale was singularly focused on treasures from the Edens collection, the largest, most comprehensive and historically-important collection of its type ever to come to the public marketplace.

As predicted, the top lot of the day was an all-original Heddon frog lure (or “bait”) personally crafted by James Heddon, founder of the Heddon Company. One of eight created and subsequently exhibited on a display board at the Heddon plant in Dowagiac, Michigan, the frog was formerly the property of Dudley Murphy (1940-2022), co-founder of the National Fishing Lure Collectors Club. Murphy had obtained the lure directly from the Heddon factory. In addition to its unbroken line of provenance, Edens’ frog lure was definitively photo-matched to one of the original eight “board” examples. It made its first-ever auction appearance on December 9 at Morphy’s and sold within estimate for $30,750.

An extremely rare Heddon special order 1309 Black Sucker in a five-hook configuration dazzled with its spectacular white saltwater color, glitter finish and solid amber-glass eyes. Graded Excellent Minus to Excellent, it reeled in a winning bid of $22,200.

A Heddon 707 Dowagiac Musky Minnow bait with a sienna crackleback finish was of a type first marketed in 1909. Sturdy and sizable at 5-3/8 inches long, it was one of the finest of those few known to have survived. On top of that, it was accompanied by its oversize introductory box. It landed within its pre-sale estimate range at $20,910.

Among other exotic Heddon lures that met with success on auction day was an 8-inch 7602 Musky Vamp produced around 1925. With red eyes and tail, a shiny finish and perfect glass eyes, it was graded Excellent and came with its Excellent original box. It sold for $9,840 against an estimate of $4,500-$6,500. An Introductory 3-bellyweight 150 Dowagiac Minnow in early olive-green Fancy Back crackle-paint finish, with egg-yolk glass eyes, represented the earliest of all Heddon Underwater Minnows from the 1904 season. It correctly matched its thicker Type II intro wood box with a slider top, and glided to $7,680 against an estimate of $2,000-$4,000. Also, a Heddon 309V Dowagiac Surface Minnow in the desirable special-order motif of glossy orange paint with black spots, L-rigged on its belly with marked pointed props and perfect glass eyes, surpassed its high estimate to realize $5,280.

Beautiful and sought after, a Shakespeare No. 64 five-hook Red Musky (Muscallonge) Trolling Minnow bait exhibited deep crimson coloration and a high forehead design that definitively dated it to circa 1906-7. Oversize baits of its type are rarely encountered, and with the bonus inclusion of an elusive circa-1908 pictorial box, it was one of the auction’s most desirable entries. Attracting 15 bids, it sold near the mid-point of its estimate range, for $27,600.

Another fabulous lure was a Shakespeare No. 1611 Wooden Minnow with five hooks, a red back and white belly; thin, hand-painted gills, and perfect glass eyes. Dating to circa 1907-09, the irresistible fish-enticer came to auction with its correct and equally-rare white-label pictorial box, making it an incomparable duo for any serious collector. Against an estimate of $10,000-$15,000, it leaped to a winning bid of $19,680.

Made by one of the most collected of miscellaneous makers, A.F. Bingenheimer, Milwaukee (established 1904-05), a gold-painted Bing’s Nemahbin Minnow was graded VG Plus to Excellent Minus. It retained its incredibly rare pictorial box adorned with an image of the bait, its name, and the description “A NEW BAIT.” One of the box ends was correctly marked “GOLD WEEDLESS.” Cataloged with a $5,000-$15,000 estimate, it swam to even friendlier waters, settling at $18,000.

A Jan Cummings Fairform Bait Works set consisting of four diminutive handmade Savage Shrimp, each displaying a different, exceptionally beautiful color, was a popular entry. Each bait was new in its individual paper-labeled box, along with a larger dealer case to accommodate the quartet. Against a $3,000-$6,000 estimate, the appealing little fly rod baits drew 22 bids before closing at $14,145.

Also noteworthy, a desirable “Missouri Barberpole” made by Charmer Minnow Company and known as “The Charmer Minnow” certainly lived up to the claim imprinted on its included original orange box: “The Most Attractive Fish Lure Any Angler Ever Cast.” Additionally, the box label indicated a retail price of $1 and the words “THE CHARMER” and “Patent Applied For.” It rose to $7,200 against a pre-sale estimate of $2,000-$4,000.

Parts II and III of the Wayne & Lori Edens fishing lure collection will be auctioned at Morphy’s in 2025, with dates to be announced soon on the Pennsylvania company’s website. Each of the sales will offer 600-700 lots and feature many special-order and one-of-a-kind lures, some in their original picture boxes. To discuss consigning antique or vintage fishing or sports-related antiques of any type to a future auction conducted by Morphy’s, please call Dan Morphy at 877-968-8880 or email [email protected]. Visit Morphy’s online at https://www.morphyauctions.com. All enquiries are kept strictly confidential and there is never an obligation to consign.

Takis: A Magnetic Sculptor Back in the Limelight

The White Cube gallery is devoting its first exhibition in France for ten years to the Greek artist, who died in 2019. A chance to rediscover a pioneering corpus at the intersection of science and metaphysics.

Takis (1925-2019), Signal, 1954, painted iron, Plexiglas and bronze, 103.5 x 29.7 x 25.3 cm/40.6 x 11.4 x 9.8 in. One of the works featured in the exhibition at the White Cube gallery, Paris.
© TAKIS FOUNDATION / ADAGP, PARIS AND DACS, LONDON, 2024
PHOTO © WHITE CUBE (THEO CHRISTELIS) — **Takis** (1925-2019), *Signal*, 1954, painted iron, Plexiglas and bronze, 103.5 x 29.7 x 25.3 cm/40.6 x 11.4 x 9.8 in. One of the works featured in the exhibition at the White Cube gallery, Paris.
© TAKIS FOUNDATION / ADAGP, PARIS AND DACS, LONDON, 2024
PHOTO © WHITE CUBE (THEO CHRISTELIS)

Duchamp dubbed him “the happy ploughman of magnetic fields”. It was an apt sobriquet for Panayótis Vassilákis, aka Takis, who not only broke down the boundaries between art and science, but also sought to reveal invisible forces he likened to the “fourth dimension”. His last exhibition in France was in 2015, when the Palais de Tokyo hosted a retrospective overseen by Alfred Pacquement, former director of the Musée National d’Art Moderne. The White Cube’s exhibition focuses on the sculptor’s relationship with Paris, and features 20-odd works conceived or created in the capital between 1950 and 1980. This is where Takis really established himself during these four decades, even if he also spent time in London and New York. But like many artists of his time, he was drawn to the dazzling City of Light. And “he aspired to a better life,” says Ikenna Malbert, Associate Director of Artist Relations at the White Cube Gallery. With good reason. Born in 1925 on the outskirts of Athens, the sixth of seven siblings, Takis spent his early years in poverty, in the context of the Nazi occupation and civil war. Against his parents’ wishes he took up art, teaching himself. His first works were plaster busts and wrought-iron silhouettes inspired by Cycladic art and Giacometti’s work, which he discovered through books. He arrived in Paris in January 1954, joined Brancusi‘s studio and soon became part of the avant-garde milieu, where he met Klein, Calder, Tinguely and Giacometti.

Takis in the Luxembourg Gardens in 1955, next to a Signal.
© PHOTO COURTESY OF MARTHA ROCHER ARCHIVE, ROME. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED — **Takis** in the Luxembourg Gardens in 1955, next to a Signal.
© PHOTO COURTESY OF MARTHA ROCHER ARCHIVE, ROME. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Signals and Telesculptures: Welcome to the Fourth Dimension!
It was during this period that he experienced “his two most important artistic epiphanies”, says Ikenna Malbert. In 1954, while waiting for a train at the station in Calais, he was fascinated by the signals and signs. This “iron jungle” illustrating the industrial world inspired him to create the “Signals” that accompanied him throughout his life. These works resembled rigid or flexible metal totems, topped with salvaged objects or flashing lights. Near Paris, on the esplanade of La Défense, around 50 of these have been swinging above a pond since the late 1980s. “His second ‘Eureka’ moment, to quote critic Alain Jouffroy, came in 1959, when Takis began experimenting with the powers of magnetism,” continues Ikenna Malbert. An “intuitive scientist”, as he described himself, he invented “telesculptures”, in which metal elements remain suspended through the power of magnets. In November 1960, at Iris Clert’s gallery, for a few moments he even levitated his friend the poet Sinclair Beiles, who was wearing a metal belt held in place by ceiling-mounted magnets. Takis was thus “the first to send a man into space”, six months before Yuri Gagarin’s flight! This led to the “magnetic walls”: paintings or panels on which metal elements floated, activated by magnets concealed on the back. He also introduced movement, making him one of the founders of kineticism, and developed “telelights” featuring large light bulbs, and “musical telesculptures”. In this case, electromagnets triggered strange random sounds, which he described as the “music of the universe”. “The cosmos was central to his explorations,” says Alfred Pacquement. One thing was certain: his pioneering approach intrigued a lot of people. In 1968, he was invited to lecture at the prestigious MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). Naturally, a string of international exhibitions followed, and it was in the middle of his retrospective at London’s Tate Modern that Takis died in August 2019 at the age of 93, like an artist taking his farewell bow on stage.

The garden of the Takis Foundation on Gerovouno Hill, near Athens.
© PHOTO: FAY ZERVOS — The garden of the **Takis Foundation** on Gerovouno Hill, near Athens.
© PHOTO: FAY ZERVOS

Takis: A Price Index to be Consolidated
Although he lived outside Greece, he was always very attached to it. In 1964, he built a studio and a summer home on Gerovouno Hll, some 15 km (9.3 miles) from Athens. This choice was no accident. Since antiquity, Gerovouno (Greek for “holy mountain”) had been said to contain minerals with magnetic powers, whose benefits Takis asserted he could feel. Over the years, he terraced the arid slope, planting pine, olive and fig trees, and adding other white concrete buildings. In 1986, with the support of Melina Mercouri, then Greek Minister of Culture, he transformed the site into a research center for Art and Science, better known today as the Takis Foundation. But it was only inaugurated in 1993, after the artist had decided to return to his homeland. “Currently, the foundation has one of the most comprehensive collections, ranging from his 1940s works to the most recent, and we’re always trying to add to it,” says Penelope Sideri, vice-president of the foundation’s board of directors. “Since 2018, it has been very active. Until then, visits were by appointment, because Takis lived and worked there. Now it is open to the public, and offers a very broad program.” Guided tours, lectures, recitals and performances are organized, as are artist residencies and events for institutions and patrons. “We intend to intensify projects and collaborations to honor the memory of this artist who thought so differently about sculpture and space, with the idea of passing on his legacy to future generations,” she adds. The peace and quiet of this hillside is all-pervasive. You can see the master’s studio, his library, the dining room for which he designed the furniture, and the living room with its piano. And everywhere, works of art enchant the eye or pique the curiosity. Here you find plaster idols, there weightless spheres, brightly colored telepaintings or a gigantic gong vibrating with an eerie sound. And from the park with its myriad wind-powered signals and mobiles, there is a spectacular view of the Hellenic capital and the Acropolis. Pursuing its development policy, the foundation entrusted White Cube with the sculptor’s estate in 2020. “The presentation of Takis’s work in its spaces, notably at solo shows in London and Hong Kong, has had a major impact on the market,” says Penelope Sideri. This assessment is corroborated by Artprice, though it only includes auction results: “Sales rose a lot after the artist’s death,” says Jean Minguet, head of the Economics department. Annual turnover figures, mainly recorded in France, have followed an upward curve even if they fluctuate. In 2022, sales totaled €1.7 M, with 86 lots sold (mainly sculptures). Since January 2024, sales have topped the million mark, with 65 transactions. “These results are still relatively low, given the artist’s reputation,” says Jean Minguet. “But his price index could rise.” A sale at Piasa on October 30, 2024, points in this direction. A four-meter-high (13+ ft) “Signal” from the 1980s fetched €253,000, beating the previous record of €187,000 set by a 1970 “Double Signal” at Christie’s Paris in December 2021. A new dimension undoubtedly awaits Takis’s work.

Worth Seeing
“Takis, The Void”, White Cube Paris, Paris 75008.
Until January 11, 2025
whitecube.com

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