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

Elisabeth Frink (1930-1993). Property of Alton F. Irby III
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 18th-/19th-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 19th-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 Auctions 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 11th 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

Info and sales conditions

Catalogue

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 (1768-1826), Portrait of Jean-Louis Brousse-Desfaucherets (1742-1808), oil on canvas, 116.5 x 89 cm/45.86 x 35.03 in. Estimate: €120,000/150,000
Marie-Guillemine Benoist (1768-1826), Portrait of Jean-Louis Brousse-Desfaucherets (1742-1808), oil on canvas, 116.5 x 89 cm/45.86 x 35.03 in.
Estimate: €120,000/150,000

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

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Catalogue

Esterházy Collection Masterpieces at the Guggenheim

As part of a partnership, the Bilbao Guggenheim is hosting some exquisite works on paper from the Budapest Museum of Fine Arts. A selection spanning seven centuries of graphic creation in a minimalist staging that shows off the collection impeccably.

Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), Studies of Heads, c. 1504-1505, black chalk or charcoal and traces of sanguine, 19.1 x 18.8 cm/7.5 x 7 in (detail). Budapest, Museum of Fine Arts. © 2025 Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest
Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), Studies of Heads, c. 1504-1505, black chalk or charcoal and traces of sanguine, 19.1 x 18.8 cm/7.5 x 7 in (detail).
Budapest, Museum of Fine Arts. © 2025 Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest

The Guggenheim in Bilbao is a mecca of 20th and 21st century artistic creation, where Old Masters are few and far between. It is administered by a foundation set up by Solomon R. Guggenheim, an American industrialist whose fortune came from his family’s mining and metallurgical activities. In principle, a whole world separated the Guggenheims from the Esterházys, a princely Hungarian dynasty who built up one of Europe’s foremost art collections. Purchased by the Hungarian state in 1870, this collection of thousands of antiques, paintings, sculptures, drawings and engravings now forms the core of the Budapest Museum of Fine Arts collections. This unexpected exhibition in Bilbao highlights a group of a 100-odd drawings and prints of outstanding variety and quality from the Esterházy collection, including works by Albrecht Dürer, Watteau, Claude Lorrain and Van Gogh.

Also worth reading: Italian Renaissance Drawings at the Fondation Custodia

From Albrecht Dürer to Vera Molnár

A chronological exhibition layout in 12 sections starts with some very rare 15th-century drawings by anonymous artists from Bohemia and Italy. Landscapes drawn by Hans Leu the Younger and Albrecht Altdorfer give particular radiance to the German Renaissance selection, and underscore the Budapest museum’s prominence in this field. Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael may shine in the counterpart Italian section, but prominent names in the German school dominate, with several sketches of lunatics, stags and satyrs juxtaposed by Dürer on the same page alongside a Saint George drawn by Lucas Cranach the Elder on gray-tinted paper, and a Christ by Hans Baldung Grien. Meanwhile, the Dutch Golden Age is represented by Rubens and Rembrandt, the Grand Siècle by Nicolas Poussin and Charles Le Brun, and 18th-century Venice by Francesco Guardi and Piranesi. The French 19th century provides another high point, with drawings by Courbet, Daumier and Rodin. Klimt, Cézanne and Picasso introduce a final room devoted to contemporary acquisitions, which link up with the Guggenheim Museum collections. With various less striking works by Sam Francis and Gerhard Richter, these stand out only for the presence of the Hungarian artists Vera Molnár and Dóra Maurer.

Landscapes drawn by Hans Leu the Younger and Albrecht Altdorfer give particular radiance to the German Renaissance group, and underscore the Budapest museum’s prominence in this field.

From one room to the next, archives in display cases detail the history of the Esterházy family and the Budapest collections, offering an exhibition within an exhibition. The exhibition benefits enormously from the expertise of the Bilbao teams, well-versed in clear and simple contemporary presentations. The drawings are hung at well-spaced intervals in rooms painted in different shades of lilac, designed to provide the greatest possible visibility despite the low light levels normally used for the graphic arts. The contemplative approach of contemporary curators is also evident in their concern to provide only brief commentaries. With no detailed notices to divert attention from the works themselves, the stage design is focused on the gaze, while descriptions of printmaking techniques are relegated to an adjacent gallery. It is a delight to see these masterpieces exhibited so sensitively, and we can only hope that other contemporary museums will pay tribute to Old Masters using similar techniques.

“Masterpieces on Paper from Budapest”, Bilbao Guggenheim Museum, Spain.
Until June 1, 2025.
www.guggenheim-bilbao.eus

Sterling Silver Sensation | April 27 at SJ Auctioneers

Auction :  JEWELRY, SILVER, GLASS ART, FASHION and TOYS

Sterling Silver Sensation | April 28 at SJ Auctioneers

An exquisite Sterling Silver Collection From Buccellati, Tiffany & Co, Gorham, Georg Jensen, and More are up for Auction. The Designer Silver are amongst the strong demand for antique and savvy collectors as they bring tradition and hand made expertise with a history of its era.

Addition lots include collectibles of Fine Jewelry, Decor, Toys, Disney Lalique, Swarovski, 

42767 Georg Jense pair of pedestal bowls

https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/202066271_georg-jensen-sterling-silver-pair-of-pedestal-bowls-made-in-denmark-641b-pattern

42708 Swarovski Signed Marvel Superman Figurine new in its box

https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/202066211_swarovski-signed-crystal-marvel-dc-comics-super-man-figurine-with-box

42886 Itzchak Isaac Tarkay “Maria & Susie” Framed Art

https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/202432991_itzchak-isaac-tarkay-maria-and-susie-framed-art

42749A Buccellati Sterling Silver Tray Made in Italy

https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/202657160_mario-buccellati-sterling-silver-sea-shell-tray

42794H  Ralph Lauren Clutch

https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/202242095_ralph-lauren-collection-black-with-cream-ebmossedprinted-flowers-and-silver-hardware-evening-bag

The auction house offers in house shipping which is hassle free to its bidders. No need to arrange shipping on your own.

Browse and bid the catalogue

https://www.liveauctioneers.com/catalog/367262_jewelry-silver-glass-art-fashion-and-toys

To consign with auction house please email [email protected]

Asia Week New York Rings Up $125M Million in Sales

Forge Lynch

New York: Asia Week New York–the only event of its kind devoted to Asian Art in the United States– concluded its 16th edition on March 21st with a triumphant close. Over the course of eight days, twenty-seven galleries and six auction houses– Bonhams, Christie’s, Doyle, Freeman’s|Hindman, Heritage, and Sotheby’s– collectively tallied an impressive $125,041,630 in sales.

Brendan Lynch, chairman of Asia Week New York, noted an uptick in visitor numbers compared to 2024, with many purchases made by U.S. museums. “There was a resumed presence of private and institutional buyers from East Asia, and continued buoyancy in prices for Indian Contemporary and Modern Art,” he said. Looking ahead, Lynch expressed enthusiasm for resuming year-round coverage of Asian cultural events and planning for the 2026 edition.

The week launched with gallery open houses and the annual reception at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, which welcomed over 500 collectors, dealers, curators, auction house experts, museum patrons, and Asian art enthusiasts. Together, they celebrated a spectacular selection of artworks spanning over six millennia.

As of press time, 74 percent of the participating 27 galleries reported results. Here is a snapshot of the week’s activity according to specialty:

Japanese and Korean

The Art of Japan reported the successful sale of approximately 25 Japanese woodblock prints, driven by their latest acquisitions.

Dai Ichi Arts, Ltd. principal Beatrice Chang reported the sale of over two dozen ceramic vessels. Artists whose works found new homes included Hamada Shoji, Shin Sang-ho, and Tomimoto Kenkichi, affirming the robust market for high-quality ceramic art.

Veronica Miller, principal of Egenolf Gallery Japanese Prints, said that she had a steady flow of collectors and curators, who were enticed by her single artist exhibition; Love of Place: The Landscapes of Kawase Hasui (1883-1957).  His scarce pre-earthquake Seaside Cottage, Himi, Etchu, and Night Rain, Teradomari were quickly snapped up because of their scarcity. 

Ippodo Gallery, participating for the first time from its new TriBeCa location, saw a strong turnout and significant sales. More than two dozen works—many in the mid-five-figure range—were acquired by collectors. Highlights included Luminous Raden Fubuki Caddy by Terumasa Ikeda (2023); Gold and Silver Vessel by Hirotomi Maeda (2022); Solemn and Auspicious New Year Pine by Daisuke Nakano (2024); Doll, Prayer of a Thousand Years by Junko Narita (2023); Blowing Leaves Ginkgo by Shota Suzuki (2024); Mochizuki Full Moon by Hiraku Sudo (2025); and two works by Jihei Murase—Gold Melon-Shaped Water Jar (2024) and Silver Hatchet-Shaved Flower Vase (2024).

Sebastian Izzard LLC Asian Art welcomed a steady stream of curators and collectors, resulting in notable transactions.

By March 20th, Joan Mirviss, of her namesake gallery Joan B Mirviss LTD, had sold 95% of the value of the works in her important retrospective exhibition, Beyond Surface: The Unity of Form and Pattern in the Work of Wada Morihiro.  Mirviss reported that many pieces sold in the mid-five-figure range, and two of them are heading to important museums with outstanding collections of Asian art. “We had an outstanding week—many of our best works sold to established collectors, and two major pieces are going to museums with renowned Asian art collections,” said Mirviss.

“The traffic during Asia Week was terrific,” said Nana Onishi, who recently moved her eponymous Onishi Gallery from Chelsea to the Upper East Side. “Some collectors visited multiple times before deciding on a purchase, and many out-of-state collectors and curators stopped by, often combining their visit with a trip to the Met, which is just around the corner. Most of our sales–including Flower Vase Spiral Shell by Hara Satoshi, a Kogei ceramic crafted in silver, gold, copper, and iron– were to private collectors, with a few going to interior designers purchasing on behalf of their clients.”  

“We were delighted to see that so many collectors came to New York early in the week, with some of our best works selling as soon as we released the online component of our exhibition, Landscape Escapes,” said Katherine Martin, managing director of Scholten Japanese Art. “Buyers were quick to snag any prints that featured wave-related subjects, such as Utagawa Hiroshige’s The Sea Off Satta in Suruga Province (1858).” She added that museum group visits over the weekend were followed by a strong turnout of curators later in the week, many focused on post-war Japanese prints—an area of growing institutional interest.

Seizan Gallery in Chelsea, which featured a solo exhibition of Takashi Seto, whose silver leaf, gold leaf, and artificial dye on silk mounted on wood panel caught the eye of a private collector, ands works by Yasuko Hasumura and Taro Tabuchi, attracted buyers.

“We had a very successful Asia Week this year,” said Margo Thoma, director of Santa Fe-based TAI Modern. Notable sales included Genbu (Water God) by Yufu Shohaku and Frill: Espressivo by Nakatomi Hajime.

At Thomsen Gallery, Erik Thomsen reported sales included Lingering Snow by Konoshima Okoku, a hanging scroll on silk (circa 1910s), and Weasel in Bamboo Thicket by Yoshida Tokoku, a six-panel folding screen in ink, gold leaf, and gold wash on paper (circa 1930s).

Korean specialist Heakyum Kim of HK Art & Antiques, LLC sold numerous works from the dual-artist exhibition Elegance and Simplicity: Bohnchang Koo and Geejo Lee, including Koo’s EWB 01, an archival pigment print.

Indian and Southeast Asia

London-based Oliver Forge and Brendan Lynch, Ltd. reported that 20 Indian and Persian miniature paintings were sold or reserved, including a Sawar yellow ground elephant; a Guler Equestrian portrait of a princess; A scene from a Rasikapriya series: The Lover’s Desire, A folio from the Ramayana attributed to Purkhu of Kangra, depicting the Marriage of Siva; and Sita Ram’s Study of a grasshopper.

Francesca Galloway, also here from London, reported excellent sales including Zebra – Imperial Mughal, attributed to Murar; A Mughal Beauty, possibly from an Album Made for Nawab Shuja’ al-Dawlal, by a master court artist, mid-18th century; Kunwar Rajmalji and Kunwar Chandmalji Riding to a Mela – Rajasthan, Kota, Krishna Stealing the Butter – Folio from a Bhagavata Purana; Krishna slays Keshi, the Horse-Demon – Folio from a Harivamsha Series; A Rainbow Lorikeet Perched on a Flowering Branch – Folio from the Impey Album – Company School, Patna, signed by Zayn al-Din, 1778.

Carlton Rochell of his namesake gallery Carlton Rochell Asian Art sold works of art from his exhibition of Classical art from India and the Himalayas to a mix of private collectors and museums.

Chinese

Steven Chait, of the 115-year-old family-owned Ralph M. Chait Galleries, Inc., reported the gallery’s most active Asia Week since the pandemic, with steady attendance and high levels of interest in Chinese art.

“It was an especially vibrant week for INKstudio,” said Mee Seen Loong, who with Craig Yee are the principals of the Beijing-based gallery. “We sold all four red flower paintings in the Sumeru Series by Kang Chunhui and have a few more works by artists under consideration.”

Eric Zetterquist, of Zetterquist Galleries, reported robust activity and multiple sales, including a Goryeo Dynasty Korean tile acquired by an American museum, and a rare Jin Dynasty Yaozhou “Moon White” plate sold to a private collector.

Museum Curators and Directors Flock to Asia Week York:   

Asia Week New York is a must-attend event for museum directors and curators, who make the rounds to see what the galleries have on offer. Among the museums represented were the Alfred Ceramic Art Museum, Art Institute of Chicago, Asia Society, Baltimore Museum of Art, Brooklyn Museum, Cincinnati Art Museum, Cooper Hewitt | Smithsonian Design Museum, Dallas Museum of Art, Detroit Institute of Arts, Harvard Art Museums, Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art (Cornell University), Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art (University of Oregon), Kimbell Art Museum, Loeb Art Center (Vassar College), Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Minneapolis Institute of Art, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, National Museum of Asian Art (Smithsonian Institution), Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, New Orleans Museum of Art, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Princeton University Art Museum, Ringling Museum of Art, St. Louis Art Museum, Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art, San Antonio Museum of Art, Seattle Art Museum, Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, University of Michigan Museum of Art, Walters Art Museum, Williams College Museum of Art, Worcester Art Museum, and Yale University Art Gallery.

The strong presence of museum curators and patrons reaffirmed Asia Week New York’s status as a vital destination for museum professionals, collectors, and connoisseurs seeking the finest in Asian art.

About Asia Week New York

The only event of its kind in the U.S. that promotes Asian art, Asia Week New York is the collaboration of top-tier international Asian art galleries, the six major auction houses, Bonhams, Christie’s, Doyle, Freeman’s|Hindman, Heritage Auctions, and Sotheby’s, and numerous museums and Asian cultural institutions. This nine-day celebration is filled with a non-stop schedule of simultaneous gallery open houses, Asian art auctions as well as numerous museum exhibitions, lectures, and special events. Participants from Great Britain, Japan, Switzerland, and the United States unveil an extraordinary array of museum-quality treasures from China, India, the Himalayas, Southeast Asia, Tibet, Nepal, Japan, and Korea. Asia Week New York Association, Inc. is a 501(c)(6) non-profit trade membership organization registered with the state of New York. For more information visit www.asiaweeknewyork.com @asiaweekny #asiaweekny