Brimming with prestigious collections, Bertoia’s March 15 Signature Toy Auction topped $2M with strong prices achieved across all categories

Highlights: Althof Bergmann Santa Sleigh, $96,000; massive Schoenner warship, $34,800; George Brown ‘Monitor,’ $34,800; Ives clockwork boat with two rowers, $33,600; ‘Mason’ bank, $24,000

VINELAND, N.J. – Arguably the most formidable alliance of high-level toy collections to appear in the marketplace in recent years, Bertoia’s 500-lot Signature Toy Auction confidently powered its way past the $2 million mark on March 15. The all-star lineup combined Part II of the renowned Curtis and Linda Smith Collection, Tony Cuff’s European toys and trains; Japanese tin cars from the Ira Bernstein collection, and choice Lionel trains from the Bradley Kaplan Collection.

After hammering the final lot, Bertoia Auctions’ president and principal auctioneer, Michael Bertoia, summarized the day’s highlights by saying, “The results showed what the toy-collecting hobby has always known – that great items bring great prices.”

Linda Smith and her late husband, Curt, were prominent in the toy-collecting fraternity and active members of the Antique Toy Collectors of America. They were known for acquiring extraordinarily rare pieces with illustrious provenance. The centerpiece of the Smith Collection Part II was a wonderful late-19th-century Althof Bergmann Santa in a Goat Sleigh. This great rarity is regarded as one of the finest pieces of American clockwork tin ever produced because of its impressive 20-inch size, bright colors, and endearing Christmas theme. The toy appears in the Barenholtz/McClintock book American Tin Toys as well as in The Toy Collector by Louis Hertz. When last seen at auction, it was hailed as the best of all known original examples. Against an estimate of $70,000-$140,000, the classic American bell toy was bid to an impressive $96,000.

Also by Althof Bergmann, the only known complete, all-original example of a Fire Patrol Wagon displayed vivid hand-painted colors and excellent stenciling (FIRE PATROL) on its side. Large in scale at 16 inches long, the horse-drawn vehicle retained all five of its original firefighter figures in painted blue uniforms, yellow firemen’s hats and black boots. With a line of provenance that included the Aaron and Abby Schroeder Collection, prior to being obtained by the Smiths, it blazed past its $6,000-$12,000 estimate to settle at $20,400.

The Smith Collection was also the source of one of the finest of all George Brown toys: a clockwork version of the Civil War boat the USS Monitor. Made around 1870 – eight years after the original ironclad Monitor was launched – the historically-important toy offered by Bertoia’s was a sizable 14 inches long and had survived in an excellent state of preservation. The Monitor toy’s design significantly appears in the George Brown Sketchbook. The example offered by Bertoia’s was one of only a handful known to exist and sold well above its high estimate, for $34,800.

The auction waters must have felt welcoming to fans of early ships and boats, as one antique craft after another set sail toward an above-estimate horizon. A gargantuan 1890s Jean Schoenner live-steam-powered ironclad ship, 34½ inches long, reflected the style of the most advanced warships of the mid-to-late-19th century, with a large cannon on its bow and several guns on port and starboard. A top prize from the Tony Cuff Collection, the German behemoth surpassed pre-sale expectations, dropping its anchor at $34,800.

Ives toys put in a strong performance, with a scarce circa-1870s double-oarsmen boat achieving $28,000 against an $8,000-$16,000 estimate. This well-documented piece is featured in both Blair Whitton’s reference book Clockwork Toys and the aforementioned American Antique Toys. It was previously held in the collections of Aaron and Abby Schroeder; and Curtis and Linda Smith.

Prior to the auction, there was a flurry of interest in a correct boxed set of four Bliss paper-over-wood battleships that pre-dated the Spanish-American War. The ships included the Cincinnati, the Iowa, the Maine, and a fourth vessel that was unmarked. The quartet came in its original cardboard box with a full pictorial label on the lid that was imprinted Toy Models of Uncle Sam’s Navy. In near-mint condition and with provenance from the esteemed Dick Claus Collection, it was chased to $14,400 against an estimate of $6,000-$9,000.

Alongside the perhaps more-familiar production toys with a marine theme, wooden folk-art boats also grabbed their fair share of attention. A massive 53-inch-long clockwork paddle wheeler, the Robert E Lee, charmed bidders with the accuracy of its rigging, smokestacks, and railings, as well as the artistic excellence of its hand-painted details. Against an estimate of $2,000-$4,000, it cruised all the way to $18,000.

The sale featured a small but select grouping of cast-iron mechanical banks, including a J & E Stevens Boy Scout bank. Extremely colorful with golden highlights to its grassy base and tepee, this popular and well-detailed bank’s design depicts a Boy Scout encampment. The auction example was in pristine condition, showing no touchups or repair. Importantly, the Scout figures’ arms were correct and authentic to the bank. With provenance from the Smith Collection, it conveyed to its new owner for $19,200 against an estimate of $6,000-$10,000. An outstanding Mason bank made by Shepard Hardware Co., was complete with its original wooden factory box marked “ONE COMPLETE ‘MASON’ TOY SAVINGS BANK.” It took in $24,000, the highest price realized by any of the sale’s mechanical money boxes.

The timeless appeal of German-made Steiff toys evidenced itself yet again in the form of a circa-1905 apricot long-mohair rod bear with its correct Steiff elephant button. Measuring 17 inches long, with shoe-button eyes and a pronounced nose with a gutta percha tip, it represented one of the earliest teddies Steiff ever produced. Accompanied by an actual X-ray confirming its interior rod construction, it was bid to $22,800 against an estimate of $10,000-$16,000.

In the world of American dolls, folk art productions by Rhode Island designer Izannah Walker rank very highly. The Smith Collection included a coveted 18½inch-long Walker doll from the mid-19th century with a painted cloth head and lower arms, firm stuffed body, and original shoes with later redressing. The Smiths acquired it from a descendant of the Walker family, which gave it rather unique provenance. It sold at the upper end of its estimate range for $12,000.

Many collectors answered the boarding call for a 1940s Ell-Bee wooden bus terminal replicating an NYC Greyhound bus station. Labeled Made exclusively for F.A.O. Schwarz, Ell-Bee, L.B. Goetschius Woodcraft Co., Hackensack, NJ, the set included two Arcade #4400 cast-iron Greyhound buses with their own individual Arcade-marked boxes. Housed in its original shipping box with an FAO Schwarz shipping label, the set raced to a $20,400 finish, more than 10 times the high estimate.

A fleet of large, candy-colored 1950s/’60s Japanese cars came from the collection of Broadway executive and industrial designer Ira Bernstein (1929-2023), who was hired by General Motors in 1953 as a stylist for Oldsmobile. Ira’s stellar Japanese cars were led by a Rock Valley tin rendition of a 1958 Chrysler New Yorker. A full 13 inches long with an exotic turquoise and pale lime-green motif, its tin seats were scrupulously lithographed to simulate red and white tufted upholstery. The pristine large-finned beauty even retained its original “CH-19-58” framed license plate at its rear. Against a $1,200-$3,000 estimate, it swept the postwar toy competition, closing at $12,000.

On the Lionel side of the train tracks, a big winner was the rare 1910 “Knobby Roof” baggage car stamped “1910,” with red primer and three-rivet trucks (the underframe foundation). The 15½-inch-long car from the Kaplan Collection rolled to a final bid of $11,400, nearly four times the high estimate. Of the many tempting European trains with provenance from Tony Cuff, a Bing (Germany) hand-painted gauge 1 Sir Sam Fay 14-inch clockwork locomotive and tender fared best. In pristine condition, the historical Sir Sam Fay train loco and tender was right on par with the Lionel baggage car, commanding $11,400 against an estimate of $800-$1,200.

To discuss consigning to a future auction at Bertoia’s, call 856-692-1881; or email [email protected]. All enquiries are kept strictly confidential and there is never an obligation to consign. Online: www.bertoiaauctions.com

Spotlight on Success: Tiffany Studios Glass Soars at Rago and Toomey & Co.’s April 2025 Glass & Lighting Sale

The appeal of turn-of-the-last-century Tiffany Studios glass, lamps, and decorative arts appears timeless. Rago and Toomey & Co. of Lambertville, NJ, presented a 98-lot Art Nouveau | Art Deco Glass & Lighting event on April 10, 2025. This auction featured a well-curated offering of merchandise from legacy manufacturers, including Duffner & Kimberly, Loetz, Daum, Galle, Lalique, and others… but examples from Tiffany Studios stole the spotlight in nearly all collecting categories. According to the auction houses, the event realized $1,170,656 overall. Here are some impressive highlights from this stunning, signature spring event.

Tiffany Studios Peony Border Floor Lamp

The top lot in this elegant sale was #0118, an exceptional Tiffany Studios glass peony border floor lamp. Estimated at USD 100,000 to $150,000, it delivered $145,200. This stunner from around 1910 featured a primarily pink, green, tan, and yellow leaded glass shade; a patinated bronze Piano base; and a complementary pointed finial. It measured 77 inches high with a 24-inch diameter. The shade and base were marked ‘TIFFANY STUDIOS NEW YORK 1574-6’ and ‘TGDCO TIFFANY STUDIOS NEW YORK 21551’, respectively. The lamp, which was consigned from a private collection in New England, was illustrated in several specialty Tiffany reference books.

Louis Comfort Tiffany loved peonies, and they were a regular theme throughout his work. These flowers translated well into glass, with their fluid shapes, great coloration, and natural variations. They were also deeply symbolic to Tiffany, as they represented affluence, success, and inherent beauty across several cultures.

Tiffany Studios Poppy Table Lamp

Table lamps from several premier manufacturers were also well represented in this sale. Lot #0105, a Tiffany Studios glass poppy table lamp, was estimated at $100,000 to $150,000 and traded hands at $112,200. This example measured 27 inches high with a 20-inch diameter and was manufactured around 1905. Its impressive shade was made from a mix of mostly teal, green, orange, and yellow rippled, confetti, and dichroic leaded glass. It rested upon the company’s patinated bronze, signature twisted stem style Water Lily base. The shade and base were marked ‘TIFFANY STUDIOS NEW YORK 1531-14’ and ‘TIFFANY STUDIOS NEW YORK 443’, respectively. This stunner came from the collection of Alexandra and Sidney Sheldon and was previously sold through Rago in 2008. It was also shown at the Palm Springs Desert Museum, Palm Springs, and cited in several category reference books and catalogs.

Tiffany’s signature Water Lily lamp base, which is sometimes called a Pond Lily base, debuted in 1902. It was made to mirror the look and feel of lily pads and their natural growth in nature. This specific base was only manufactured for a handful of years, with its detailing closely aligning with the Art Nouveau movement of its era. It is thought that Tiffany designed this lighting fixture based on lily plants he saw growing in his lily pond at the Briars, a home he built for himself and his family in Cold Spring Harbor, NY.

Tiffany Studios Cabinet Vase

This sale also included a fine collection of decorative arts from Tiffany Studios. Lot #0106, a cabinet vase with mushrooms, was estimated at $10,000 to $15,000 and sold for $85,800, nearly six times the high estimate. This petite, enameled copper example from around 1905 measured 2.25 inches high with a 2.25-inch diameter. It was decorated with simple, organic mushroom forms in primarily green, blue, orange, and red. It was marked ‘L.C.T. EL 42’ on its underside and was consigned from a private collection in Oregon.

Tiffany’s pottery line was probably the company’s least known and least successful business venture. It debuted at the turn of the 20th century, was exhibited at the 1904 World’s Fair, and was fully launched at the company’s Fifth Avenue retail store in 1905. However, it never gained the popularity or interest generated by the glass, jewelry, and other decorative arts lines, and production ceased for good in 1917.

Tiffany Studios Turtleback Sconces

Smaller and specialty forms of lighting fixtures also featured prominently in this event. Lot #0110, a pair of Tiffany Studios glass turtleback sconces, was estimated at $15,000 to $25,000 and traded hands at $39,600. The sconces were made around 1900 from patinated bronze and Favrile glass. They measured 16.5 inches high, 8.25 inches wide, and 11.5 inches in diameter. They formerly belonged to the John W. Graham residence, “Maerex-on-the-Hill,” located in Springfield, PA. These were previously sold through Rago in 2013.

The Graham residence was a large home built in the early 1900s. Its impressive exterior featured four, two-story tall pillars, and its hillside setting offered sweeping views of the area. The inside was furnished with room-sized carpets, elegant artwork, eye-catching lighting fixtures, and fine appointments. It is not surprising that these luxury sconces were part of Maerex-on-the-Hill, given its aesthetic and history. Graham’s residence traded hands in 1933 and was converted to a school for children with special needs; this facility was in operation through 1970.

Tiffany Studios Moth Lamp Screen

Fine Art Nouveau and Art Deco glass and lighting rarities rounded out this colorful event. Lot #0117, a Tiffany Studios moth lamp screen, was estimated at $10,000 to $15,000 and traded hands at $25,080. This example from around 1905 was in the form of a two-inch diameter insect with outstretched wings. It was made from primarily tan, green, and brown leaded glass and suspended from a patinated bronze chain for hanging. It was previously sold through Beatrice Weiss of New York, hailed from a private collection from California, and was cited in major Tiffany reference guides.

For more information on Rago and Toomey & Co.’s Art Nouveau | Art Deco Glass & Lighting sale held on April 10, 2025, visit LiveAuctioneers.

Looking for more art glass? Check out Auction Daily’s coverage of last year’s Murano glass sale at Wright.

The Return of the School by Quiringh van Brekelenkam, from the Former Eugène Schneider Collection Rediscovered

The unexpected resurgence of a previously unpublished painting by Van Brekelenkam proves, once again, that France was an essential haven for the reception of Dutch genre painting in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Quiringh Gerritz Van Brekelenkam (c 1622-1630 - after 1669), The Return to School, oak panel, 58 x 51.5 cm/22.83 x 20.27 in.
Estimate: €60,000/80,000 — **Quiringh Gerritz Van Brekelenkam** (c 1622-1630 – after 1669), *The Return to School*, oak panel, 58 x 51.5 cm/22.83 x 20.27 in.
Estimate: €60,000/80,000

Works by Van Brekelenkam, who was so close to Gérard Dou that he assisted him in signing his parents’ will in 1646, are still rare in France. Apart from Le Bénédicité and La Visite du médecin in the collections of the Louvre, La Vie studieuse in the Palais des beaux-arts de Lille — which entered national collections in the 19^th century — as well as L’Oraison, acquired in the early 1980s by the Musée des beaux-arts de Carcassonne, and a few others scattered around, his works remain a tenuous presence in France. This relative oblivion is surprising, given that the artist once graced many a French painting cabinet with his best paintings, but often without his name being remembered or mentioned. The catalog of Eugène Schneider’s collection of Northern European paintings, dispersed in April 1876 at Hôtel Drouot, is a paragon of the genre. It is also exemplary in form, in that art history offers few examples of documents in which almost all the facsimiles of the signatures at the bottom of the paintings – here 48 – are faithfully recorded, along with precise notes on their provenance. The industrialist’s collection was a veritable anthology of northern masters, providing an eloquent record of their pictorial genius. In his preface, Haro, the painter, restorer and expert, a pupil of Ingres and Delacroix, emphasized “the surety of taste, the method and the precision of mind that distinguished this eminent man”, adding: “He did not seek quantity, but above all quality; knowing how to wait, and never stopping at a question of price, he demanded in a painting not only authenticity, beauty and a perfect state of conservation, but also charm and what he called amiability.” However, in 1876, not all of Eugène Schneider’s Northern works were presented at Drouot. Among the absentees was Return to School, which Haro would perhaps have been at pains to attribute to Quiringh Gerritz Van Brekelenkam in his prestigious catalog. At the time, knowledge of the artist was still in its infancy.

Domestic Scenes
In his Galerie des peintres flamands, hollandais et allemands (1792), Jean-Baptiste Pierre Le Brun, the rediscoverer of Vermeer (“vander Meer”), presented a plate after a painting he owned, but acknowledged his lack of information about “Brekelen Kamp”: “Although the works of this artist are not rare, no author has mentioned him; and, despite my research, I have been unable to learn which town gave birth to him, who his master was, or where he died. He most often depicted the interiors of houses or kitchens. His way of painting is close to that of Gabriel Metzu [sic]: his color is beautiful and vigorous; his compositions are simple and true. There is much to choose from in the works of this master, who has produced some fine pieces.” And until the publication of the monograph by Angelika Lasius in 1992, specialists often limited themselves to similar approximations. The Bénédicité, which entered the Louvre with the donation of Dr. Louis La Caze in 1869, still bears an apocryphal signature of Brekelenkam’s younger son, Maes! The attribution of this “new” Van Brekelenkam, appraised by Stéphane Pinta, a connoisseur of Northern painting, is now much easier. He proposes to compare it with the Domestic Care of 1648 (Leiden, Museum of Lakenhal) or the two versions of Old Woman Delousing a Young Boy, from the early 1650s, one of which is in the Kunstmuseum Basel. But the artist is never where you expect him to be, and perhaps that’s the whole point. Instinctively, the subject of this composition brings to mind countless scenes of mothers delousing their offspring. From Gerard ter Borch’s famous mother-in-law, caring for her infant in the Mauritshuis painting, to Pieter de Hooch’s Duties of a Mother in the Rijksmuseum, they have established themselves as veritable “counterparts” to breast-feeding scenes, also valorizing maternal devotion. There’s a surprise in store, however, for while the little girl adopts the customary attitude of those children indiscriminately favored by lice¬ — whatever their rank or condition — she remains, one hand resting on her mother’s left knee, in peaceful anticipation, suspended as she prepares to take off her bonnet. We are equally astonished by her brother, whose candid spontaneity thwarts, with unexpected grace, the oft-repeated clichés of genre painting, handed down from brush to brush, from master to student.

For van Brekelenkam, the school becomes more than just a setting: it becomes a space for silent exchange, moral training and social stability.

As he lifted his snack to his lips, he tried, not without some awkwardness, to maintain the pose prescribed by the painter, who had instructed him to show off his schoolbag. As soon as he’s asked, he’s done: the child points to it, using a borrowed, stately hand and forearm position, the artifice that betrays the all-too-clear desire to stage the scene and, paradoxically, makes it more plausible. Also unlike his famous elders, Van Brekelenkam indicates the presence of the family man inside the home, as he has deliberately painted his hat, coat and briefcase in the top right-hand corner. The originality of Van Brekelenkam’s approach also lies in the prominent place he accords to apprenticeship, one of his favorite motifs. As the author of The Itinerant Schoolmaster and The Lacemaker’s School teaching his pupils, and himself the father of a large brood, Van Brekelenkam’s view of this world of transmission is one of rare acuity. For the artist, the school becomes more than just a setting: it becomes a space for silent exchange, moral training and social stability, valuing patience, delicacy and the continuity of domestic duties. In this humble, skilfully orchestrated interior scene, where the presence of each object is skilfully considered, Van Brekelenkam deploys a consummate science of tonal modulation. The ochre monochrome forms a veritable symphony of earthy hues, exquisitely blending natural siennas, warmly inflected yellow ochres, umber — both natural and burnt — and warm, barely ashen grays that gently absorb the subdued light of the stained glass windows. Golden browns, faded sepias, light tobacco, golden browns, scorched ochre and the dull honey color of breads resting on the table are all nuances that compose a veritable ode to domestic harmony. The pigments, weighted down with oil and deposited in a dense, skilfully nourished paste, guide the viewer’s gaze, inviting him or her to a slow revelation of the subject and its silent harmonics: here, a geography map where we can make out the faded letters Mare intern…; there, a forgotten clothesbrush; further on, the brioche with its shiny crust or the warmer discreetly tucked under the table. The palette, tempered in this way, seems to reflect the diffuse quietude and solicitude that permeate this home. This chromatic economy is matched by a fleshy, generous, almost tactile touch, allowing Van Brekelenkam to explore the variety of materials with restrained delight: from the velvety softness of the hat to the woolly warmth of the mother’s dress, each texture becomes the occasion for a discreet yet penetrating exercise in virtuosity. From this subtle harmony emerges a domestic scene that, far from being reduced to some familiar anecdote, rises to the dignity of a silent meditation on the warmth of shelter, the modesty of shared gestures, and the peaceful nobility of humble days.

TABLEAUX, MOBILIER & OBJETS D’ART – VENTE DE PRESTIGE

Friday 25 April 2025 – 13:30 (CEST) – Live

Salle 5-6 – Hôtel Drouot – 75009 Paris

Beaussant Lefèvre & Associés

Info and sales conditions

Catalogue

Fine & Decorative Arts From Three Collections Come To Turner Auctions + Appraisals On April 26

Elisabeth Frink (1930-1993). Property of Alton F. Irby III

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, CA, April 14, 2025 – Turner Auctions + Appraisals is pleased to present Fine & Decorative Arts on Saturday, April 26, 10:30 PST. Sourced from Northern California and Oregon, the sale features 245 lots from one collector, Alton F. Irby III, and two estates. On offer are diverse artworks, silver, and a wide array of decorative arts, including a large collection of paperweights, Asian items, religious pieces, and lots from noted manufacturers such as Tiffany, Lalique, Baccarat, Lladro, Staffordshire, and Limoges.

From the two estates are artworks that include paintings by Pegge Hopper, a highlight, Laddie John Dill, Leon Detroy, and Francois Brunery. Among the many silver items, mostly sterling, are tableware, flatware, serving pieces, and decorative items. There are several religious offerings: crucifixes, icons, and santos. There is a selection of decorative items: a Tiffany desk set; Staffordshire cottages, castles, and figures; Lalique butterflies and perfumes; figurines from Baccarat and Daum. From Asia come a wide array of offerings: from China, Blanc de Chine cups; cloisonne trays, boxes, vases and dishes; embroidered silk panels; figures of turquoise, malachite, lapis lazuli, or agate; carvings of coral or jade; cinnabar items; and more. There are also some lots from Japan, India, Tibet, and Thailand. The estate collection of paperweights from Oregon includes over 40 lots, including those by Ray Banford, Rick Ayotte, Debbie Tarsitano, Max Erlacher, Victor Trabucco, and Saint Louis.

From the Alton F. Irby III Collection are an extensive array of artworks and decorative arts. One highlight is a bronze sculpture of a water buffalo by Elisabeth Frink. Paintings include those by Marcel Dyf, Emile Godchaux, Dan Chen, Henry Louis Dupray, and Gaston Sebire. Among the works on paper are 18^th-/19^th-century lithographs by McKenney & Hall, etchings by Demane-Demartrais with views of Russia, and engravings of the Palace of White Hall. Decorative arts include a late 19^th-century Meissen porcelain large parrot figure; pairs of Chinese export porcelain geese and phoenix figures; Chinese Kangxi blue and white plates; pairs of Chinese export porcelain immortals and Guanyins; a set of four Delft vases and plates; and much more. Completing this collection are a cased pair of custom-made Armas Garbi engraved double barrel shotguns.

Turner Auctions + Appraisals begins its online auction on Saturday, April 26, 2025, at 10:30 am PST; sale items are available for preview and bidding now. The auction will be featured live on four platforms: LiveAuctioneers, Invaluable, Bidsquare, and Turner Auctions + Appraisals’ free mobile app, which can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Apps (“Turner Auctions”). Both are easily accessed through ‘Upcoming Auctions’ at the company’s website: www.turnerauctionsonline.com/upcoming-auctions/.

Here below are some highlights of the upcoming online sale (please see lot details in the online catalog):

Lot 189: Artist: Elisabeth (Dame Elisabeth) Frink (1930-1993). Title/Description: Standing Water Buffalo. Signature: Signed on underside. Edition/Numbered: 4/9. Year Created: Not given. Medium: Bronze sculpture. Size: Approx. 7 x 13 1/2″ Good condition. Very Good. Provenance: Property of Alton F. Irby III. Estimate $30,000-$40,000.

Lot 31: Artist: Pegge Hopper (Born 1936). Title/Description: Hawaiian Woman with Necklace. Signature: Lower left. Year Created: 1977. Medium: Oil on linen with mixed media colored crochet cord, feathers, and ceramic disk necklace. Size: 56″ x 56″ Approx. Good condition. Very Good. Estimate $5,000-$7,000.

Lot 34: Artist: Leon Detroy (1857/59 – 1955) Title/Description: “Paysage de Neige”. Signature: Lower right. Year Created: Not given. Medium: Oil on canvas. Size: 39 1/2 x 31 1/2 Approx. Good condition. Very Good. (Frame showing losses). Estimate $3,000-$5,000.

Lot 212: Meissen Porcelain Large Parrot Figure, c. Late 19th Century. The Meissen porcelain Scarlet Macaw holding cherries in his talon, and perched on a tree stump upon rockwork. Blue crossed swords mark inside base. Approx. 16 1/2″ x 6 1/2″ x 7″. Condition: Good, no chips/cracks. Provenance: Property of Alton F. Irby III. Estimate $2,000-$4,000.

Lot 230: Cased Pair Armas Garbi Engraved Double Barrel Shotguns. Serial No. 17117. 12 gauge/bore, barrels with fixed front bead sight. Blued and case-hardened finish. The receiver, lever, and trigger guard are elaborately engraved with a scroll and floral design. The walnut straight stock and splinter fore-end are finely checkered; the base of stock with a gold-plated oval escutcheon. With rubber recoil pad. In a factory leather-wrapped carrying case that includes cleaning tools, snap caps, etc. Together with two leather carrying cases. Provenance: Property of Alton F. Irby III. Estimate $8,000-$12,000.

Lot 206: Artist: Marcel Dyf (1899-1985). Title/Description: Wildflower Field and Figures beside a Beach. Signature: Signed lower right. Medium: Oil on canvas. Size: 18″ x 21 3/4″ (frame 26″ x 30″). Condition: craquelure in the sky area. Provenance: Property of Alton F. Irby III. Estimate $1,500-$2,500.

Lot 219: Set of Chinese Kangxi Blue and White Plates (4). Set of four blue and white plates with a similar design of large leaves, all but one with insects above the foliage, the rims with a geometric band, and linear design under the rims. Each approx. 9″ diam. All in good condition, some light surface scuffing. Provenance: H. Moog Antique Porcelains, Atlanta, Georgia (Henry Moog, 1938-2012). Property of Alton F. Irby III. Estimate $1,500-$2,500.

Lot 154: Debbie Tarsitano and Max Erlacher Primroses/Swan Paperweight, 1985. An art glass paperweight collaboration by Debbie Tarsitano (b. 1955), and Steuben master glass engraver Max Erlacher (1933-2022), featuring a branch of white/pink primroses and blue buds, over a base with engraved design of a swan swimming among cattails and lily pad. With “DT” cane signature, and etched “M.R.E.” and dated 1985. Approx. 2 1/2″ x 3 1/2″. Condition good, no chips/cracks. Estimate $800-$1,200.

Lot 161: Two Chinese Cloisonne Trays, 18/19th Century. Two fine and large Chinese cloisonne trays, of rectangular form, decorated in colored enamels on a turquoise ground with gilt geometric inlay. Largest example 10-1/2″ x 18″. Estimate $800-$1,200.

Lot 190: Artist: Edward J. Fraughton (1939-2024). Title/Description: Running Elephant. Signature: Signed in base. Edition: 23/50. Date: 1984. Medium: Solid cast bronze sculpture; mounted on marble-topped wood base. Size: Figure approx. 8 1/2″ x 12″ x 7″ ; total height with base approx. 12″. Good condition. Provenance: Property of Alton F. Irby III. Estimate $800-$1,200.

Lot 124: Icon of the Crucifixion and Presentation of Christ. Russia, Circa 17th/18th Century. A panel with two iconographies: The Presentation of Christ in the Temple, and The Crucifixion. Tempera on wood, with remnant gilt. 12 1/4″ x 15 1/2″ (mounted in frame 13″ x 16 1/4″). Support bar with hand-wrought nails. Condition: soiling to surface; several holes/losses; losses along edges; some cracks to wood; wormholes to verso; one support bar missing. Estimate $800-$1,200.

Lot 114: Chinese Carved Jade Guanyin Crossing the Sea. The carved pale milky green jade depicts Guanyin with flowing robes, standing with a bamboo staff on a small shell-form boat in high waves, a vase with a willow branch at the prow. Height of figure approx. 9″, width 6″. Condition: Good condition; some very tiny chips to tips of a few bamboo leaves. Together with a fitted carved wood stand. Estimate $800-$1,200.

Lot 108: Ray Banford Yellow Basket/Iris Bouquet Paperweight. An art glass paperweight by Ray Banford (1918-2003), in the form of a yellow over white double-overlay diamond motif cut basket, with a bouquet of purple irises. With black “B” signature cane. Approx. 2 1/4″ x 3″ diam. Good condition, no chips/cracks. Estimate $600-$800.

Lot 180: Besler, Basilius (1561-1629). Two Botanical Plates. Two original hand-colored engraved botanical plates from Hortus Eystettensis. (Eichstatt, 1613 or later). Depicting “Helleboraster maximus” and “Spatula foetida.” Each 19 1/2″ x 16″ (sight); 30 1/2″ x 26 1/2″ (frames). Condition: both with toning; the first with central horizontal creasing, and some rumpling at margins/matte; the second with scattered light spotting/soiling (not examined out of frames). Provenance: Property of Alton F. Irby III. Estimate $500-$700.

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ABOUT TURNER AUCTIONS + APPRAISALS

Based in South San Francisco, Turner Auctions + Appraisals was founded by Stephen Turner to expand and complement the capabilities of Stephen G. Turner Associates, an auction and appraisal consulting firm founded in 2004. Turner Auctions + Appraisals presents online auctions in diverse categories of personal property (www.turnerauctionsonline.com). Among them are Fine Arts, Decorative Arts, Asian Arts, Toys, Jewelry, Militaria, Ethnic Arts, and others. The company offers a range of auction and appraisal services for buyers, sellers, and collectors. Online auctions are held several times a month. Working with leading live and online auction houses on the West Coast since 1991, Turner is a professional appraiser of personal property and seasoned auctioneer. His areas of expertise include fine art, decorative arts, antiques & residential contents.

The company welcomes consignments and appraisals.

For more information about the company, please contact:

Stephen Turner, President

Turner Auctions + Appraisals, 461 Littlefield Avenue, South San Francisco, CA 94080

415-964-5250 / [email protected] / www.turnerauctionsonline.com

For media inquiries or photos, please contact:

Jill Turner, Rodin & Shelley Associates / [email protected]

iGavel Auctions Tops Half a Million Dollars in Online Auction Sales During Asia Week New York

Morning Glories with Bamboo and Dragonfly, sold by South Bay Auctions, which opened at $50 and soared to $78,126. — *Morning Glories with Bamboo and Dragonfly,* sold by South Bay Auctions, which opened at $50 and soared to $78,126.

New Braunfels, TX — Lark Mason Associates and iGavel Auction s announced the successful conclusion of five online auctions of Asian art, which collectively generated $651,656 in sales.

The centerpiece of the series was Chinese Bronzes and Ceramics from a Prominent Collector, a single-owner sale that performed particularly well. Leading the results was an Indian Mughal White Jade, Gold, and Ruby Inset Dagger from the 17th/18th Century. Opening at just $600 and estimated at $2,400–4,000, the dagger far exceeded expectations, selling for $20,025. Other notable results from this sale included a Chinese Bronze Tripod Cooking Vessel, Ding, from the Western Zhou Dynasty, which achieved $12,187, and a Han Dynasty Archaic Bronze Ding that brought in $7,812. A group of Five Chinese Henan Brown and Black Glazed Bowls dating to the 10th–12th Centuries realized $6,562, while a lot of Six Chinese Glazed Ceramic Vessels from the 10th Century and Later sold for $3,750. With a total of 684 lots, 585 sold to achieve $174,736.

Another auction titled–Chinese Jade Carvings from an American Collector–all of the sixty-two lots found buyers, achieving a total of $98,652. Among the highlights was a Chinese Jade Dragon Bi Disc from the Han Dynasty, which brought in $6,387.

The two-part auction, Asian, Ethnographic, and Ancient Works of Art, featured several standout items. An 18th-Century Korean Eight Panel Screen, Ink on Paper, garnered $50,000—more than twice its original estimate of $20,000–30,000. A Chinese Colored Ink and Gouache on Paper, Figure in Landscape, after Zhang Daqian, sold for $42,500. Also featured were a Chinese Red Lacquer Chest from the Qianlong Period, which achieved $13,750; a boxed set of five Chinese volumes with calligraphy rubbings that sold for $13,436, and Along the River During the Qingming Festival, after the very famous 11^th Century work by Zhang Zeduan, realized $12,500. Several lots went into extended bidding, with Chinese paintings leading the way. The most exciting to watch was the competition for a framed scroll painting of Morning Glories with Bamboo and Dragonfly, sold by South Bay Auctions, which opened at $50 and soared to $78,126.

Rounding out the series was an auction of Retro Anime: Original Cels and Other Items from the 1980s–2000s. The sale, which benefited the San Antonio Museum of Art, had an 100% sell-through rate and included nostalgic highlights such as the original anime cel and drawing from Sailor Moon, which sold for $312.

“We anticipated that this group of items would be largely purchased and bid upon by audiences in the United States,” said Lark E. Mason, Jr., founder of iGavel Auctions and Lark Mason Associates. “A combination of international regulations, fragility, and shipping costs made it difficult for buyers outside of the United States to participate. We were very pleased at the strong response that we received from a domestic American buyer base.”

New World Record for Belgian Artist Rik Wouters Set at Christie’s

Belgian art and design took center stage at Christie’s this March with the firm’s sale of the Onzea-Govaerts Collection in Paris. Curated by renowned Belgian designer and tastemaker Axel Vervoordt, the sale totaled an impressive EUR 10 million (USD 11.4 million), including buyer’s premium. This late March event delivered particularly strong results for Belgian artist Rik Wouters: 13 of his works brought in a collective EUR 4.2 million (USD 4.75 million). Wouters’ Reflets, a portrait of his wife, set a new world record for the artist after changing hands for EUR 2.46 million (USD 2.78 million).

Rik Wouters, Reflets, 1912. Image courtesy of Christie’s. — *Rik Wouters,* Reflets, 1912. Image courtesy of Christie’s.

Reflets is an oil on canvas painting executed in Boitsfort, Belgium, in the summer of 1912. Employing the dappled light of Impressionism, the piece shows Hélène “Nel” Wouters in a deep blue dress and chunky yellow necklace, gazing gently up at the viewer. Rik Wouters appreciated the Impressionists’ work and was inspired by it after a trip to Paris in 1912. The delicate colors and lighting of his paintings from this period echo the style of Paul Cézanne and Henri Matisse.

Born in 1882 in Mechelen, Belgium, Rik Wouters assisted in his father’s sculpting studio from a young age, igniting a passion for art. However, it took years of experimentation and study for Wouters to develop his own style. He moved from bronze sculpting to color contrast painting around 1905. During Wouters’ most prolific and critically acclaimed period, he produced dozens of paintings each year and collected numerous prizes.

Rik Wouters, Portrait de Rik (sans chapeau), 1911. Image courtesy of Christie’s. — *Rik Wouters,* Portrait de Rik (sans chapeau)*, 1911. Image courtesy of Christie’s.*

This rising success was interrupted by World War I. German armies invaded Belgium in August of 1914, a bloody conflict that devastated the country and ultimately involved Britain in the Great War. Wouters fought in the war before being captured and was held in a prisoner-of-war camp for years. His health declined following his release. Wouters died in 1916, at the age of 33.

Art historians came to identify Wouters as a Fauvist forefather thanks to his exuberant use of color and separation from traditional academic styles. Few of Wouters’ works have come to auction in recent decades, though international interest and prices for his work have steadily climbed since the 1980s. His previous auction record was set in 2018, when Femme En Forêt, Chapeau Bleu À La Main, Bras Levé sold for GBP 1.21 million (USD 1.58 million) at Sotheby’s London.

Rik Wouters, Femme En Forêt, Chapeau Bleu À La Main, Bras Levé, 1914. Image courtesy of Sotheby’s. — *Rik Wouters,* Femme En Forêt, Chapeau Bleu À La Main, Bras Levé*, 1914. Image courtesy of Sotheby’s.*

The recent Christie’s sale represents a leap forward for Rik Wouters’ market, as well as burgeoning interest in Belgian art in general. The Onzea-Govaerts collection helped elevate Belgian artists while simultaneously taking a global view. “The Onzea-Govaerts collection is deeply marked by the meeting of cultures and eras […] under the keen eye of interior designer Axel Vervoordt,” Christie’s noted in the post-sale press release.

The auction delivered strong prices for boundary-pushing Italian artist Lucio Fontana and Flemish Renaissance painter Abel Grimmer. The catalog also included a robust selection of antique sculptures, which fared well. An Egyptian granite head of Sekhmet from circa 1390 to 1352 BCE realized EUR 819,000 (USD 927,500); a leopard sculpture by Rembrandt Bugatti sold for EUR 352,800 (USD 399,200); and a Roman marble torso of Venus achieved EUR 315,000 (USD 356,700), nearly eight times the high estimate of EUR 40,000 (USD 45,300).

This sale enjoyed a 93% sell-through rate by lot; one dinner service set in the catalog, previously used by King George III of England, is heading to the Louvre. Among the items that failed to find a bidder: a 1622 painting by Pieter Brueghel the Younger.

Find the complete auction results and further information by visiting Christie’s.

Looking for more auction results and news? Check out Auction Daily’s news channel.

A Journey to the Heart of Abstraction with Olivier Debré

We’ll start our peregrinations in Touraine, Olivier Debré’s heartland, before heading off to Thailand in the company of Somsak Hanumas, whose painting from 2024 will mesmerize you.

Olivier Debré (1920-1999), Blanche rose, oil on canvas, signed on the back, written « Touraine 82-83 », 150 x 150 cm/59.05 x 59.05 in.
Estimate: €60,000/70,000 — **Olivier Debré** (1920-1999), *Blanche rose*, oil on canvas, signed on the back, written « Touraine 82-83 », 150 x 150 cm/59.05 x 59.05 in.
Estimate: €60,000/70,000

While Olivier Debré has traveled to many countries, painting in the USA, Italy, Spain, Mexico and Norway, he has always returned to the Touraine. This is the region in France where he spent his childhood vacations, and where, in 1978, he inherited a house in Vernou-sur-Brenne. Here, he recharged his batteries and continued his experiments. This oil on canvas, painted in 1982-1983, is a case in point. The large-format painting — classic for Debré — is entitled Blanche rose, a color that evokes the ochre colored earth found on the banks of the Loire and covers almost the entire surface, marked only in places by a thicker, more colorful material: spatial reference points, but also sensitive symbols of the ravages of time on this landscape. For Olivier Debré is indeed a landscape artist. At the end of the war, he turned away from figuration under the influence of Hans Hartung and members of the French lyrical abstraction movement, but his aim was to transcribe his emotions in the face of nature. Emotions shared by Somsak Hanumas, who draws his inspiration from the landscapes of his homeland, Thailand. €15,000/20,000 will be necessary to acquire an acrylic and lacquer work created by the painter in 2024, with the enticing title You Need Me. The format is exactly the same as that of Debré’s composition (150 x 150 cm/59.05 x59.05 in) for this work that testifies to the artist’s ascendancy on the market at the moment. “Where forms stop, colors begin; where the eye stops, art begins”, he declares. Born in Bangkok in 1980, he began his career as an engineer before turning to painting as a self-taught artist. He developed his own technique, which consists of painting the background of the canvas, then adding a multitude of colored dots applied in a gradation. Then, using a brush, he traces lines — in this case, wavy lines — on top. Working with accumulated matter is at the heart of his work, which is also a dialogue with the viewer.

EASTER SALE

Sunday 20 April 2025 – 14:00 (CEST) – Live

7, rue Saint-Nicol – 14600 Honfleur

Mytika Honfleur

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Connie Bates: The Visionary Behind Fahrenheit New York

Early Life and Education

Connie Bates, a distinguished jewelry and accessory designer, graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) in 1971 with a degree in sculpture. Originally working in ceramics, Bates discovered her passion for wearable art, leading her to establish a brand that would redefine modern jewelry and accessory design.

The Birth of Fahrenheit New York

In the early 1980s, Bates co-founded an experimental design company that quickly gained traction. A two-page feature in Women’s Wear Daily, written by André Leon Talley, catapulted her designs into the high-fashion marketplace. Her bold, sculptural aesthetic attracted the attention of luxury retailers and fashion houses, leading to collaborations with Oscar de la Renta, Anne Klein, and Geoffrey Beene.

In 1985, she founded Fahrenheit New York, an independent brand that embodied her unique artistic vision. Every piece was personally designed by Bates and exclusively crafted in New York City, ensuring exceptional quality and authenticity. Her commitment to domestic production set her apart in an era when many brands outsourced manufacturing overseas.

Design Philosophy and Signature Materials

Bates’s designs are a fusion of industrial architecture and urban glamour. She masterfully combined semi-precious stones, antique rhinestones, exotic leathers, and sculptural metals, creating bold yet wearable pieces. Her belts and jewelry, often featuring textural contrasts and intricate detailing, were favored by stylish, independent women who sought statement accessories with a story.

A hallmark of Fahrenheit New York was its limited-edition production. Each piece was meticulously crafted in small batches, ensuring exclusivity and maintaining the integrity of Bates’s original design concepts. Many of her collections drew from her personal design archive, showcasing elements of timeless craftsmanship while continuously evolving with contemporary trends.

Legacy and Continued Influence

Over the years, Fahrenheit New York has remained synonymous with high-end, handcrafted accessories. In 2013, the company moved to West 39th Street, joining a community of fashion artisans dedicated to American-made production. More than four decades after its inception, Fahrenheit continues to embody Bates’s dedication to artistry, luxury, and innovation.

Today, Connie Bates’s designs remain highly sought after by collectors and fashion connoisseurs, appreciated for their craftsmanship, distinctive materials, and enduring appeal.

Lion and Unicorn Celebrates the Visionary Spark of Connie Bates

We at Lion and Unicorn Auction House in Hollywood, Florida, are thrilled to present the custom jewelry and design pieces of Connie Bates, the visionary behind Fahrenheit New York, in our upcoming monthly specialty auctions.

It is an honor to showcase her unique vision and celebrate her legacy through these exclusive offerings to collectors and admirers around the world.

CONNIE BATES COLLECTION AT AUCTION ON APRIL 17, 2025

Milestone’s May 3 Premier Vintage Toy Auction casts wide net across many genres, showcasing museum-quality classics made in Japan, Germany, France and USA

Featured: 1 of 3 known Felix the Cat Carousels, fresh-to-market collection of battery-op robots and characters: Tarzan, Snappy the Dragon, Capt. Hook, Walking Batman, Smoking Popeye on Spinach Can

WILLOUGHBY, Ohio – Milestone’s May 3 Premier Vintage Toy Auction offers a treasure trove of classic 20th-century toys from the legendary manufacturing hotspots of Japan, Europe and the United States. Led by an extraordinary Gunthermann Felix the Cat tin carousel, the 814-lot sale is also highlighted by a 330-piece fresh-to-the-market battery-op collection, Continental toys and autos; robots and space toys; motorcycles, and big, super-hot postwar racers. Most of the toys entered in the auction come with their coveted original boxes, some of which are even harder to obtain than the toys they house.

That irrepressible cartoon feline, Felix the Cat, leads the esteemed toy lineup in his usual fun-seeking fashion, this time in the form of an extremely rare Gunthermann (Germany) tin windup Felix the Cat Carousel marketed in 1928. The visuals on this wonderful toy show Felix driving an open roadster and also riding on top of a zeppelin, both forms of transportation that captivated the public at the time of the toy’s release. Another Felix figure on the base cranks the carousel, and graphics of the wide-eyed cat running in full stride encircle the carnival-style canopy.

“Felix was a phenomenon in the 1920s,” said Miles King, co-owner of Milestone Auctions. “His image was chosen for the first-ever balloon to appear in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (in 1927). The following year, a helium-filled Felix balloon was released at the end of the parade so it could fly high and thrill kids all over New York City. Also in 1928, RCA and NBC began testing their early television equipment with an image of Felix, and 18 years later when a coin-operated TV receiver was set up in Manhattan to introduce consumers to the new form of entertainment, they chose Felix to share the screen with test patterns. He’s been a hugely popular multimedia icon for over a century, since his debut in a 1923 comic strip.”

The Gunthermann Felix the Cat Carousel in Milestone’s auction is one of only three examples of its type known to exist. In excellent condition, this fabulous rarity is offered with a $20,000-$40,000 estimate.

Right alongside Felix is the auction’s flashy pace car, a rare and coveted Yonezawa postwar-Japanese Atom Jet 58 Racer. Friction-powered and all original – including its tailfin, tires and hubcaps – this lavishly-detailed automotive favorite comes complete with its original paper-label box. At 27 inches long, it’s one of the largest and most attractively lithographed Japanese toys ever produced, combining aspects of Formula 1 racecars with imaginative design details of futuristic rocket-powered vehicles. Glossy and bright, this highly sought-after vehicle looks as though it has never been played with, and that’s quite a feat for a toy that’s nearly 70 years old. It will roll across the auction block with a $30,000-$40,000 estimate, and according to Miles King, its required opening bid of $10,000 has already been met. “This one will fly,” King said.

Another fantastic oversize Japanese racer is the 19-inch tin friction #98 Champion’s Racer made by Yonezawa. All original (including the tires) and in unplayed-with condition, it’s bright and colorful, with clean chrome accents. The car’s friction mechanism is in working order, and visually, it’s “as good as it gets,” Miles King observed. “I don’t know that you could find a better one.” Auction estimate: $5,000-$7,000

There’s a major treat in store for collectors of postwar Japanese battery-operated toys, both of the character and robot/space toy variety. In its May 3rd auction, Milestone takes pride in showcasing a 30-year collection of 330 fresh-to-the-market Japanese battery ops. Sourced directly from a US East Coast private collector, it is, without question, one of the finest of all known battery op assemblages.

Every battery op enthusiast wants a Marx Snappy the Happy Bubble Blowing Dragon, and they’ll find a superior one in this auction. Displaying very nice colors, with a clean battery box, it has been graded “outstanding.” An all-original example, 14-inch-long Snappy is accompanied by its original (relined) pictorial box. When tested, this extremely hard-to-find toy was confirmed to be in very good working order. Its auction estimate is $6,000-$8,000.

Another very rare battery op, a Marusan 8-inch-tall battery-operated Captain Hook also comes with its original pictorial box. It is in all original, unplayed-with condition, including the very clean battery box. The dastardly pirate character is complete, even retaining its original hat and sword. Collectors aren’t likely to overlook this gem, which is expected to reach the $3,000-$5,000 range.

On every battery op fan’s wish list, you’ll find Linemar’s colorful Smoking Popeye on a Spinach Can. That wish will be fulfilled for the lucky bidder who claims the all-original and complete example entered in Milestone’s sale. The punchy, spinach-loving sailor comes with its attractive original factory box (including inserts and instructions) emblazoned “See His Pipe Light Up As He Smokes.” When tested, the toy was in fine working order and ready to amuse. Estimate: $3,000-$4,000

An absolute classic of the battery-op world is Nomura’s 12-inch-tall Walking Batman, and it would be a challenge to find a nicer example than the one being auctioned by Milestone. It’s all-original, super-clean and complete, including its cloth Batman cape. The Gotham City superhero toy is accompanied by its scarce original box with a “Fairylite” logo, indicating it was made for the British market. Graded “excellent” overall and estimated at $6,000-$8,000, it joins 17 other Batman toys in the sale lineup, including a Yonezawa tin friction Batman Toyopet convertible, a profusely lithographed Yanoman tin friction Batman driving a tail-finned vehicle, and a boxed Remco “Working Batmobile Dashboard.”

The Walking Batman enjoys crossover status, as it is viewed by some collectors as not just a battery-op but also a robot. That makes it the perfect toy to introduce the selection of 47 battery-operated and windup ‘bots of every imaginable iteration, from robot construction workers driving bulldozers to UFO characters on a 1950s carnival shooting-gallery game. At the top of that list is a sensational example of a rare Yonezawa battery-operated Jupiter Robot with its elusive original pictorial box. All original and complete, with its correct remote-control battery box, the 13-inch-tall Jupiter worked well when tested. Condition-wise, it is “excellent,” with a shiny finish and bright colors. This must-have robot is estimated at $15,000-$25,000.

The European-toy category features many charming early 20th-century character toys, including seven German-made Lehmanns. Amongst the highlights are a boxed Li-La windup hansom cab, $2,000-$3,000; a flywheel Walking Down Broadway, $1,500-$2,000; and a windup Masuyama, $1,000-$1,500. Fifteen toys by the revered French manufacturer Fernand Martin include a tin windup Parisian Woman with hand-painted facial details and dressed in a fabric outfit consisting of a dress, shawl, muff and hat. All original, in “excellent” condition, and in very good working order, its estimate is set at $3,000-$4,000. Other Martins of note include The Carpenter, $2,000-$3,000; Lady Walking with Baby, $1,500-$2,500; Agent de Police, $1,500-$2,500; La Portiere, $1,000-$1,500; and The Perfect Fisherman, $1,000-$2,000.

Fifty-nine lots of all-American Buddy ‘L’ pressed-steel automotive toys are led by a #208 Passenger Bus whose condition will not disappoint even the most particular collector. This 29-inch-long hobby favorite is graded “extremely fine” with exceptional paint and decals. A winning bid in the $5,000-$7,000 range is anticipated.

Other toy manufacturers with a strong presence in the sale include Marx, Hubley, Bing, Chein, Kelmet, Keystone, Tonka, American National, Distler, Arnold and many more. The supreme German toy brand Marklin is represented in high style with a beautiful circa-1906 hand-painted 1 gauge Schlitz Beer railroad car. All original with vivid colors, an opening side door and hinged roof, it is decorated with the Schlitz “globe” logo and the slogan “Schlitz THE BEER THAT MADE MILWAUKEE FAMOUS.” The auction estimate is set at $8,000-$12,000.

The May 3, 2025 Spring Premier Vintage Toy Auction will be held at Milestone’s gallery located at 38198 Willoughby Pkwy., Willoughby, OH 44094. Start time: 10am ET. Ample free parking. In addition to live bidding at the gallery, Milestone welcomes all other forms of remote bidding: absentee, phone or live online through Milestone Live, LiveAuctioneers, Invaluable and AuctionZip. Worldwide shipping available. For additional information about any toy in the auction, to reserve a phone line for bidding, or to discuss consigning to a future Milestone auction, call Miles King at 440-527-8060 or email [email protected]. Online: www.milestoneauctions.com

Portrait of Jean-Louis Brousse-Desfaucherets by Marie-Guillemine Benoist: The Lost Painting from the 1806 Salon

This key work, presented in the Salon of 1806 by Marie-Guillemine Benoist, has remained since that period with the heirs of the model: Jean-Louis Brousse-Desfaucherets, a successful playwright championed by the Comte de Provence, Deputy Representative of the Third Estate of Paris and theater censor during the Empire.

Marie-Guillemine Benoist is the only pupil mentioned by Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun in her Souvenirs. Undoubtedly the most gifted, Marie-Guillemine Le Roulx de La Ville came from a family that considered the arts important. However, her father, director of the King’s Saltworks and assistant to the Farmers General administration, mentioned in the mid-1780s the “various circumstances” that had “altered [his] fortune instead of increasing it,” presenting his daughters’ artistic inclinations as a means of compensating them “for the good [he] could only have garnered for them by failing in [his] duties.” In 1786, the Mercure de France wrote of the time the young woman spent in David‘s studio. The rest is history. Her father had to defend himself against the intense displeasure of the Superintendent of the King’s Buildings, who disapproved of the master’s admission of women, but Marie-Guillemine Benoist stayed the course. She was constantly accused of using David’s help when she exhibited Innocence Vetween Vice and Virtue (private collection) at the 1791 Salon, and, at the following Salon, Psyche Bidding Her Family Farewell (San Francisco, Legion of Honor: see Gazette 2020 no. 20), when a critic wrote: “I would only say this of the famous artist: Miss So-and-so & Co. In truth, it takes considerable boldness to publicly exhibit works executed by umpteen hands.” Later, before one of her portraits, another critic exclaimed, ”It is worth mentioning that David did most of the portrait in question. It is pretty clear that in this little business, Madame Benoist is merely a figurehead.”

The Shadow of David

The fascination exerted by Marie-Guillemine, who became Madame Benoist in 1792, grew steadily over the years. The creator of the 1800 Portrait of a Black Woman (Paris, Musée du Louvre) was much talked about in the early days of the Empire, as Pierre-Jean-Baptiste Chaussard said in 1806 in Le Pausanias Français: “Madame Benoist’s talent and her admirable portraits are enough to arouse keen interest; but when we remember that she is the new Émilie of one of Dorat’s successors, the amiable Demoustier, who composed his Letters on Mythology to her (and was cut down, like Johannes Secundus, before his time), this interest is further spiced by curiosity, and doubled when we learn that she has since linked her fate to that of a man of letters, known for his fine translations and administrative work, and lastly, that she is one of Mr. David’s most esteemed pupils.” The gold medal at the 1804 Salon and a commission for a portrait of the First Consul certainly put paid to the endless rumors of David’s possible involvement in her works. The artist matched the ingenuity of Baron Gérard and effortlessly established herself as his rival.

The artist matched the ingenuity of Baron Gérard and effortlessly established herself as his rival.

Critics greeted her portraits with increasing acclaim: “an audacity and vigor that seem to illustrate the hand of a man long practiced in history painting;” “the overall quality and the exact relationship, age and movement of each character are, as we know, the signs of a true history painter.” With the Portrait of a Man, in which viewers and critics easily recognized the features of Jean-Louis Brousse-Desfaucherets, the painter achieved even further recognition. In the Gazette de France, art lovers read the following: “Madame Benoist, accustomed to receiving praise and applause during recent exhibitions for the grace, freshness and smooth, soft coloring of her fine portraits of women, is sure to enjoy a similar response this year for works of a different kind. I will mention, first and foremost, the portrait of the author of The Secret Marriage. Its striking resemblance is not its only merit: this painting is remarkably striking for its, warm, true colors, firm, broad touch, well-conceived layout and simple, natural manner. You would think it to be by one of our leading painters, who has, so to speak, tossed something off with ease in having to draw only a portrait.” Pierre-Jean-Baptiste Chaussard also referred to David: “The execution is so compelling that if this painting were anonymous, one would instantly attribute it to one of David’s most gifted pupils.” Marie-Guillemine Benoist’s debt to the Portrait of Cooper Penrose (San Diego, Timken Museum of Art) is obvious, but far from shameful, as references of this kind are common in the history of art. Now highly experienced, she perhaps felt stimulated by allusions of this kind, which might seem shocking today. In the 1804 Portrait of Baron Larrey (Toulouse, Musée des Augustins), the 1807 Portrait of Raphaël de Casabianca (Bayeux, Musée Baron Gérard), and that of Félix Baciocchi in 1806 (Rome, Museo Napoleonico), the artist matched the ingenuity of Baron Gérard and effortlessly established herself as his rival. At the peak of her art, she above all reveled in a power she lacked in her early days, particularly in her famous self-portrait, which shows her painting the figure of Belisarius (Karlsruhe, Staatliche Kunsthalle).

From Writer to Censor

Frédéric de Clarac rightly highlighted this “vigor” and Pierre Jean-Baptiste Chaussard appreciated this same “unusually firm stroke”, but the most interesting angle chosen by the artist — the sensitivity of the man of letters — was barely mentioned. With a few touches of white under the model’s eyes and a subtle flush on his cheeks, Marie-Guillemine Benoist shows the delicacy of a person who chose the famous Mariage Secret of his early days as his only claim to fame. The painter, her model and the public remembered not only the action taken by the Comte de Provence to overcome the reluctance of the Comédie-Française (which refused to perform the play) and its presentation at Fontainebleau, but also the topical subject matter: the love between a couple whose families opposed their union. Perhaps other, more recent disputes had prompted Jean-Louis Brousse-Desfaucherets to emphasise his status as a writer, especially as the story had a certain irony: he was now himself in charge of censoring his fellow students. By turning to Charles-Albert Demoustier’s “Émilie”, he indicated the long way he had come since his beginnings. Apart from the likeness, a true portrait painter will capture these unspoken aspects, impressions and the subject’s inner aspirations. Marie-Guillemine Benoist needed little effort to convey the truth, as her own story was as turbulent as that of her models: they had all feared for their lives during those revolutionary years. Whether crowned heads like Napoleon’s sister Elisa, Grand Duchess of Tuscany (Lucca, Villa Guinigi Museum) or simply writers now protected from the vicissitudes of the theater world, like Jean-Louis Brousse-Desfaucherets, they seemed — despite their origins and the treacherous times — to enjoy the benefits and peace of the “initial” First Empire. The portrait of the 1806 Salon is also a historical painting that tells the history of French society since 1789 through the personal story of one man.

Antique paintings, antique and period furniture, objets d’art and furnishings, silverware, jewelry, 20th-century decorative arts, design, coins, wines and spirits

Thursday 10 April 2025 – 09:30 (CEST) – Live

26, rue du Château – 29200 Brest

Thierry – Lannon & Associés

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Brimming with prestigious collections, Bertoia’s March 15 Signature Toy Auction topped $2M with strong prices achieved across all categories

Highlights: Althof Bergmann Santa Sleigh, $96,000; massive Schoenner warship, $34,800; George Brown ‘Monitor,’ $34,800; Ives clockwork boat with two rowers, $33,600; ‘Mason’ bank, $24,000

Spotlight on Success: Tiffany Studios Glass Soars at Rago and Toomey & Co.’s April 2025 Glass & Lighting Sale

The Return of the School by Quiringh van Brekelenkam, from the Former Eugène Schneider Collection Rediscovered

Fine & Decorative Arts From Three Collections Come To Turner Auctions + Appraisals On April 26

iGavel Auctions Tops Half a Million Dollars in Online Auction Sales During Asia Week New York

New World Record for Belgian Artist Rik Wouters Set at Christie’s

A Journey to the Heart of Abstraction with Olivier Debré

Connie Bates: The Visionary Behind Fahrenheit New York

Early Life and Education

The Birth of Fahrenheit New York

Design Philosophy and Signature Materials

Legacy and Continued Influence

Lion and Unicorn Celebrates the Visionary Spark of Connie Bates

Milestone’s May 3 Premier Vintage Toy Auction casts wide net across many genres, showcasing museum-quality classics made in Japan, Germany, France and USA

Featured: 1 of 3 known Felix the Cat Carousels, fresh-to-market collection of battery-op robots and characters: Tarzan, Snappy the Dragon, Capt. Hook, Walking Batman, Smoking Popeye on Spinach Can

Portrait of Jean-Louis Brousse-Desfaucherets by Marie-Guillemine Benoist: The Lost Painting from the 1806 Salon

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