A non-crystalline material often translucent in appearance, glass has a rich history. Once a luxury, glass products have evolved considerably over time with different techniques in place today. A hand-blown clear glass hat vessel by Preston Singletary is among the top lots of the American Indian Art + Objects Auction, offered by John Moran Auctioneers. The renowned Native American glass artist Preston Singletary has managed to capture the timeless beauty of his material. The inverted hat-form vessel has a sand-carved figural Tlingit motif, a theme often incorporated by Singletary into his glass works.
A polychrome wood rattle in the form of an oystercatcher and a Navajo mixed metal concho belt are other notable lots. The belt comes with a heavy detachable buckle equipped with 14 round conchos, all in sterling silver and 14-karat gold. Visit Bidsquare to browse the full catalog and discover other online auctions.
In the twilight of the pre-war German empire, Kaiser Wilhelm II still lived like an emperor. He surrounded himself with intellectuals and artists, a group that came to be known as the Liebenberg Circle. This group included diplomat and composer Philipp, Prince of Eulenburg, as well as Emil von Schlitz, a noted sculptor and cultural figure. Von Schlitz frequently accompanied Wilhelm II on summer hunts. A mounted stag skull from one such hunt will soon come to the market with Clarke Auction. This skull belonged to a red deer, or Cervus elaphus, with a 27-point count. Emil von Schlitz took the stag in 1892. It later entered the hunt collection of Philipp, Prince of Eulenburg. Black Gothic lettering decorates the skull, indicating the year and involved parties.
The catalog also includes a selection of vintage furniture items. Leading these lots is a set of eight grass-seated chairs from George Nakashima. This classic style was among Nakashima’s first inventions. It blends heavy and light elements, as well as modernist angles, to create a sleek look. Collectors of fine art can consider paintings by Juliusz Kossak, John Sloan, Tony Berlant, and others. To view the complete catalog of this and other online auctions, visit Bidsquare.
Yozo Hamaguchi was a Japanese artist well-known for his bold color mezzotint prints. Hamaguchi was responsible for re-introducing mezzotint printmaking during the 20th century. Through the copper-plate engraving technique, Hamaguchi offered a still-life-like effect to his work. His artworks were notable for balancing color tones and textures. The upcoming Freeman’s auction presents Seventeen Cherries by Yozo Hamaguchi. The color mezzotint print is noteworthy for its calm and detailed elements.
Another highlight is a wrought iron study by Samuel Yelling for the UGI Building in Pennsylvania. The master metal designer’s work was notable for its artistic independence and functionality. Yellin often stated, “Ironwork must not come out simply as a barrier, instead, it should create a visual connection between people and structures.” The available iron sketch is similar to the medallions on the UGI Building gates. Also featured is partial glass-handled flatware set by renowned glassmaker Frederick Carder. The circa 1929 set is composed of sterling silver and plain lead glass.
The auction also offers a serigraph titled Kiss V by Pop artist Roy Lichtenstein. The available screenprint presents a similar composition to Kiss II and Kiss III. The artwork depicting an embracing couple utilizes Ben-Day dots. This Art and Design sale also showcases furniture by Gustav Stickley, Knoll, and Herman Miller. Interested collectors can explore the entire catalog and register to bid online by visiting Freeman’s.
Chicago-based American painter Gertrude Abercrombie was commonly known as “the queen of the bohemian artists.” Abercrombie’s creative work was inspired by Chicago’s jazz scene along with musicians such as Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, and Sarah Vaughan. Many of her works featured self-portraits. One of her paintings, titled Self and Cat (Possims), is available in Casting Spells: The Gertrude Abercrombie Collection of Laura and Gary Maurer sale, presented by Hindman. The painting from 1953 is notable for its quick, gestural brushstrokes.
Abercrombie created numerous variations of her favorite subjects, including self-portraits, landscapes, sparsely furnished homes, and still lifes with mystical objects like an owl, a black cat, a crystal ball, or a broomstick. Another highlight is a 1942 painting depicting a woman walking down a lonely path. The woman is being followed by a white cat. Explore a range of paintings by Gertrude Abercrombie and register to bid online by visiting Hindman.
Brunk Auctions will be presenting a two-day sale from the Estate of Peter H. Tillou, an avid collector of art and antiques. On the first day of the auction, an oil painting by Osias Beert leads the listings. A Flemish painter, Osias Beert was one of the most influential still life painters in the early 17th century. He contributed to the early emergence of floral still life compositions. His paintings often feature dense groupings of flowers in a balanced arrangement. The presented still life work depicting fruit on a pewter platter is true to Beert’s style with quasi-geometric elements.
A carved leather artwork titled Chain Gang Picking Cotton #4 by Winfred Rembert is also notable. This artist started to craft his colorful dyed leather works at the age of 52. According to Tillou Fine Art, “… it is not just the stories that make Rembert’s pictures so compelling; it is their explicit expressiveness, rhythmic lines, bold compositions, pattern and repetition, and brilliant color that makes them such visually spectacular works of art.” In the available work, the fields represent the forced servitude that many of his town’s Black laborers were subjected to. To explore additional lots, register to bid in this and other online auctions on Bidsquare.
Alden Mason garnered national attention for his large-scale canvases that had their origins in his earlier watercolors. The artist’s “Burpee Garden” series was named after the Burpee seed-packet company, and the images he painted were abstractions that suggest colorful floral landscapes. One of the works from this series, titled Orange Goofer, is available for bid in the Modernism: Art and Object auction from MBA Seattle Auction House. Other featured pictorial works in the sale include one of Andy Warhol’s Flowers acrylic and screenprint originals, an Ellsworth Kelly color lithograph titled Blue/Green, several tempera bird compositions by Morris Graves, and more.
There are several modernist sculptural and furniture pieces in the catalog. Sculptural works include glass seaforms and other pieces by Dale Chihuly, a William Morris “Stone Vessal” vase, and several other glass items from a variety of artists. Furniture items include an A. Bender Madsen & Ejner Larson teak drop leaf desk, two sets of Eames Herman Miller DCW chairs, and a Scott Szloch wrought iron side table. Visit Bidsquare to find the complete catalog and browse other online auctions.
Based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, sculptor Thaddeus G. Mosley works in wood to transform it into ingenious abstract forms. His designs are influenced by both ancient and avant-garde cultures across the world. Largely a self-taught artist, Mosley sources wood from sawmills, reclaimed buildings and local forests, repurposing it into inventive monumental creations. The upcoming Concept Art Gallery sale will feature Mosley’s Blues for Pablo (2013), a cherry wood sculpture carved in three pieces. The sculpture is signed with the artist’s conjoined monogram on the lower base. The biomorphic design was created using a mallet, chisel, and skillful carving techniques. Another noteworthy sculpture in the auction is Dave McGary’s The Honor Dress. The painted bronze sculpture is part of McGary’s Native American Woman series. Measuring 23 by 18 by 13 inches, the piece features a cast signature.
Kenneth Noland’s Doors: Carving the Rock (1989) also leads the fine art listings. The acrylic on canvas is mounted to a wood panel with color Plexiglass. Kenneth Noland was a renowned American Color Field painter who stained the canvas with colors instead of painting with brushstrokes. To view the complete catalog and register to bid online, visit Bidsquare and browse other online auctions.
An emerald green-eyed Panthère de Cartier bracelet is among the top lots in AAA Auction Gallery, Inc.’s upcoming sale, which offers vintage, estate, and designer Russian jewelry. This Cartier bracelet features onyx, emeralds, and brilliant-cut diamonds studded on the panther’s head and the body of the bracelet. The bracelet starts with the head of the panther, and twists in the middle to fit the wearer’s wrist. All the gemstones have been set in 18-karat yellow gold, and the diamonds weigh 13.2 carats. The auction also offers a Cartier Panthère ring in white gold.
A large Russian gold guilloche egg with diamonds makes its mark in the auction. Its ovoid body is colored in semi-translucent red moiré enamel. Further decorations include applied ribbon-tie with rubies and two-color gold foliate swags. The top half has a diamond-encrusted crown perched on yellow gold wreaths. Encircling the crown are imperial eagles set with a melee of diamonds and a central ruby cabochon. The egg opens when the diamond and ruby thumb piece releases the hinge. A “surprise” of a ruby-encrusted elephant awaits inside the egg. This bejeweled egg is the work of master Mikhail Perkhin. Find the listed items and more online auctions on Bidsquare.
American sculptor Bessie Potter Vonnoh (1872 – 1955) was renowned for her small-sized bronze sculptures and garden fountains. These included works portraying domestic details of everyday life in the modern American world. The upcoming Fall Painting & Drawing Discovery sale, offered by 500 Gallery, will feature Girl on a Swing, a noteworthy sculpture by Vonnoh. The bronze garden piece depicts a young girl swinging with a serene and graceful expression on her face. Signed and dated ‘Bessie Potter Vonnoh/1906’, it is stamped ‘Roman Bronze Works NY.’
An oil on canvas painting attributed to Lee Lenore Krasner leads the listings. Specializing in collage, the American Abstract Expressionist blended 20th-century style and postwar American ideas. Like most of her works, this abstract painting represents psychological content manifesting the horrors of WWII and other events that overwhelmed the minds of Americans. Another noteworthy oil on canvas is attributed to Thomas Hart Benton, a distinguished American painter and muralist. Year of Peril features significant motifs from a series the artist created soon after the Pearl Harbor bombing. Benton is known for his prolific portrayal of the people and culture of his home state, Missouri. To view the complete catalog and register to bid online, visit Bidsquare and browse other online auctions.
This September, United Help Ukraine and Bidsquare will present a timed auction benefiting the Okhmatdyt National Children’s Specialized Hospital in Kyiv, Ukraine. Started in 2014, United Help Ukraine is a nonprofit providing medical supplies, humanitarian aid, and other assistance to civilians in Ukraine. Okhmatdyt is the largest children’s hospital in Ukraine; it provides intensive care to hundreds of patients. This benefit auction includes over 45 fine art pieces donated by established American artists. Many of the works feature the colors of Ukraine’s flag, blue and yellow, or include the national sunflowers. Among the top lots is Lola Panco’s Voskresen’e (Sunday), a portrait showing a young woman in bright yellow gloves. She bends to the side while gazing intensely at the viewer with Ukraine’s landscape faintly visible behind her.
A selection of still lifes are also notable. These include Robert Johnson’s depiction of five dark sunflowers. They appear against a brown background and bend shyly away from the viewer. Other artists donated works showing fruit or vegetables, such as Patrick McKee’s The Blue Vase with cut oranges and grapes, as well as Virginia Price Johnson’s Onion Ensemble. Bidders can consider Galloping from Wei Tai, a Chinese American artist who specializes in brush paintings of Western subjects. For more information on this and other online auctions, visit Bidsquare.
