Known as Clodion, Claude Michel (1738 – 1814) was a French sculptor who favored the Rococo style. He was particularly noted for his terracotta and bronze works. One of the highlights of the upcoming New York City Estate Auction, presented by Showplace Antique + Design Center, is a Clodion bronze sculpture. This figural group is arranged in a Bacchanalia scene, identifiable by the groups of satyrs and clusters of grapes. Another key lot is a Hamilton Gibbs Wilde oil on canvas painting titled Granada Market. A 19th-century painting, this depicts an open-air market scene. It bears period labels with handwritten inscriptions on the reverse, including ones from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and the Great Central Fair.
A noteworthy jewelry lot is a Lynda Benglis sterling silver Olympia brooch pin. Known for her poured latex sculptures, Benglis is an American sculptor and visual artist. The auction also showcases a Maison Francois Daide French parquetry cabinet with a shaped white marble top. The piece has a swing door cabinet, gilt bronze mounts, and claw feet. Another lot of interest is a marble and enamel mantel clock designed with aesthetic movement. It depicts an artist, a model, and a lute player, as well as brass finials and Corinthian columns on the front. To view the complete catalog and register to bid online, visit Bidsquare.
Two years before the release of Sleeping Beauty (1959), Walt Disney was already preparing for an attraction dedicated to the animated movie at Disneyland. One of Disney’s main concerns with what would become the Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough was the empty space inside. To solve this, he asked animator Eyvind Earle, who was also working on the film, to produce dioramas that visitors could look at while walking through the castle. A concept painting for those dioramas by Earle is among the highlighted lots in day one of the upcoming Disneyland: The First 65 Years auction, presented by Van Eaton Galleries.
The event will offer over 500 pieces of memorabilia from Disneyland and other Disney parks. This includes a 1967 original attraction poster for Disneyland’s “Pirates of the Caribbean” ride. “Sail with the wildest crew that ever sacked the Spanish Main,” invites the poster. Also representing Disneyland is the original entrance sign for Don DeFore’s Silver Banjo Barbecue. From 1957 to 1962, the restaurant offered Disneyland visitors barbecue spare ribs, fish and chips, and other dishes. It was named after actor Don DeFore, notable for his role as the neighbor “Thorny” on the television series The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. Interested collectors can learn more about the featured lots in this Auction Daily article and register to bid on LiveAuctioneers.
French painter and printmaker Max Papart’s paintings and graphics were suffused with sunny humor and the bright colors of the French Riviera, where he was born. Working in the Cubist style, Papart depicted circus scenes, soaring birds, and similar cheerful subjects. As Papart said, his paintings “force the viewer to think, and it is for the viewer to respond to the art based on his own personal experiences.” The upcoming Summer VIP Collections auction, presented by Great Gatsby’s Auction Gallery, Inc., features a mixed media collage by Papart. Titled Blue, Red, and Five, the work depicts symbols, numbers, and a blackbird.
Also among the leading lots is a glass sculpture by Jay Musler. An American artist, Musler began creating in response to the alienation, violence, and crime that he found in modern cities. Taking inspiration from the urban environment, his constructions often include sharp lattices and cracked forms. Titled The Mask, the offered work resembles a small rectangular building with a peaked roof. Beyond fine and decorative art, the auction also includes a collection of handbags, furniture pieces, rugs, and more. Browse the full catalog and register to bid on Invaluable.
Eden Galleries offers a wide array of Asian art and antiques, with a focus on Chinese works of art, in the upcoming sale. Featured is a gilt bronze Manjushri-Ghosha Buddha. In Mahayana Buddhism, Manjushri is believed to have originated in China from Mount Wutai. According to mythology, the diety is an embodiment of great wisdom who uses his flaming sword to cut through ignorance and delusions. The available sculpture represents the craftmanship of the Ming dynasty. Seated on a lotus base, Manjushri’s right hand rests atop the knee, performing the mudra gesture.
The second session of the Peter Lyon & Harold Mousser Estate Auction also showcases a variety of imperial ceramics, including Song and Qing dynasty porcelain. Among them, a Yongzheng Jihong monochrome glazed porcelain pot is a highlight. Also available is a Kesi 12-chapter silk robe. In 1759, a dress code was established by the Qing court to indicate rank and status. Robes, such as the available piece, were only worn by one of the Emperor’s high-ranking consorts. This Kesi robe is decorated with the 12 symbols of sovereignty: the sun, moon, seven-star constellation, mountain, dragon, seaweed, and several other motifs. Also offered are antique jewelry pieces, jade sculptures, rugs, and furniture. Interested collectors can explore the full listings and register to bid online on Invaluable.
The upcoming Documents Auction from a Mexicanista Library, offered by Morton Subastas, includes a variety of books, manuscripts, and other original documents from a single library. The offered works span the categories of history, mathematics, early Mexican periodicals, and more. Of the original historical documents up for bid is Reports of Explorations and Surveys, to Ascertain the Practicability of a Ship – Canal Between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, by the Way of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, which was published by the Government Printing Office in Washington, D.C. in 1872. Documented is the proposed route with maps and charts, as well as meteorological and geological profiles.
Other featured lots of the sale include an 1876 copy of El Reportorio, which was an encyclopedic newspaper. Also available is text by Joaquín Giménez that was published in the periodical El Tío Nonilla, which described itself as a “political, entangling, gossip and thunder” newspaper. Those interested in rare and unusual books can consider The Book of Corn: A Complete Treatise upon the Culture, Marketing, and Uses of Maise in America and Elsewhere. The edition on offer is written in English and was published in 1919. View any of these lots and register to bid on Bidsquare.
Born to a metal gilder family, Jules Moigniez was a 19th-century French animalier sculptor. Primarily working with bronze, Moigniez developed an interest in sculpting while studying under Paul Comolera. He frequently exhibited his sculptures at the Paris Salon between 1859 and 1892. Although his career was short, Moigniez’s works are admired for their details, craftsmanship, and distinct style. The upcoming Antiques, Estates & Interiors | Online auction, presented by Fontaine’s Auction Gallery, features a lion sculpture by Moigniez. Executed in bronze, the sculpture shows a hand-chased lion in brown patina.
Also among the leading lots is a 12-piece punch set by Steuben Glass Works. Named for the county in New York where the company was located, Steuben Glass Works was widely recognized for producing fine glass in the early 1900s. The firm took shape in 1903 when Thomas Hawkes, president of T.G. Hawkes and Company, and Frederick Carder began collaborating. Beyond the fine and decorative arts, the auction also includes a selection of clocks, furniture, and more. Browse the full catalog and register to bid on Fontaine’s Auction Gallery.
Blue and white ceramics were introduced in Jingdezhen, China during the Tang dynasty. The blue pigment was derived from cobalt ores, imported from the Middle East. At the time, cobalt was a scarce ingredient and was only used in limited amounts. Several pieces of blue and white porcelain are highlighted in the first session of the Peter Lyon & Harold Mousser Estate sale. Among them, a blue and white scalloped rim plate from the Yuan dynasty stands out. During this period, porcelain makers combined elements of Persian art to create a new style.
A gilt bronze Buddha figure of Vajradhara and Aureola is also featured in the event, presented by Eden Galleries. Of the Buddha’s many forms and manifestations, Vajradhara is considered a key source of enlightenment. The available sculpture depicts Vajradhara holding a scepter in his right hand and a bell in the other. Also highlighted in the sale is a representation of Guanyin Avalokiteshvara Chaturbhuja. Guanyin, a deity of infinite compassion and mercy, is shown seated in the vajra posture on a lotus base. To view these items, visit Invaluable.
The impacts of many 20th-century world conflicts continue to resonate today. From World War I and II to the Korean and Vietnam wars and the Cuban Revolution, Bonhams will offer collectors parts of this global history in the upcoming political memorabilia auction. Particularly featured is a 26th of July Movement flag. Fidel Castro led the 26th of July Movement as a revolt against the dictatorship of Cuban President Fulgencio Batista, initiating the Cuban Revolution. The offered flag is dated September 7th, 1958, and is signed by Fidel Castro, Che Guevara, and Camillo Cienfuegos. Also included in the lot is a revolutionary armband.
Showcased in this sale is a piece of fuselage from a Lafayette Escadrille aircraft. In 1916, during World War I, the Lafayette Escadrille was a French unit mostly comprised of American volunteers. This piece of fuselage is painted with a Native American head insignia, complete with full headdress. “Escadrille Lafayette” is painted in the lower left and it is marked with the German iron cross, meaning one German plane down. Another lot of interest is Theodore “Dutch” Van Kirk’s collection of navigator logs. These logs detail flights from the Kwajalein air force base on the Marshall Islands to Bikini Atoll during the atomic bomb tests of World War II’s Operation Crossroads. View the entire collection and place a bid by visiting the Bonhams website.
Prince Edward of Wales visited Canada after the end of World War I in 1919. During this tour, the Prince gained popularity among the Canadians due to his informal dressing style and mannerisms. To commemorate his visit, the Merchants Bank of Canada published several Prince of Wales five-dollar notes. Circulated beginning in November of 1919, the Prince of Wales Canadian dollars are among the most popular bills printed by the Merchants Bank of Canada. The upcoming auction, presented by Stack’s Bowers Galleries, will offer one of these rare five-dollar notes with the serial number 000001. The note bears a Prince of Wales portrait on the front and the bank’s seal on the reverse.
Another highlight is an August 1st, 1916 Zanzibar ten-rupee note featuring eight fruit pickers on the right and a dhow or boat on the left. Zanzibar was a famous trading center for spices and did not have official currency until 1908. The subsequent years saw the creation of the one rupee and five hundred rupee notes. However, in 1936, the printing of Zanzibari notes was stopped. Few surviving examples come to market today. The World Paper Money – Session A sale also offers Leeward Islands shillings, Republica de Panama balboas, and Indian rupees. Interested collectors can explore the full listings and register to bid online on the Stack’s Bowers Galleries website.
Tony South, a self-taught Yorkshire painter, is known for his humorous depictions of animals performing everyday activities, including drinking tea and reading the morning newspaper. South’s influences are taken from the Marvel and DC comic worlds, as well as his immediate surroundings. As he recalls, “The power of the illustrative image blew me away as a youth and I spent countless hours trying to replicate them.” South’s oil painting will be featured in the upcoming Nantucket Summer Antiques Show, offered by Antiques Council. Titled Britannia Revisited, the painting explores the biker culture of Britain and shows an ape with a helmet, shield, and trident.
The event will feature over 30 lots, ranging from furniture and decorative art to collectibles and jewelry. Standing out among them is Tiffany & Co.’s Japonisme bowl. Introduced in 1871 by Tiffany’s head of silver, Edward C. Moore, Japonisme drew inspiration from Asian decorative art, paintings, and books. The available piece has a hammered surface and is engraved with water motifs. It is decorated with mixed-metal frogs, fish, and lily pads. View the full listings and register to bid on Bidsquare.
