The first day of the upcoming two-day Ceramic Auction, offered by Whitley’s Auctioneers, will present figurines and porcelains by Royal Doulton and other companies. Doulton & Co. was formed in 1815. Originally specializing in storage jars and tankards, they later expanded to make pipes for drains and other bathroom-related ceramics. In 1902, the company was given a royal warrant, becoming Royal Doulton. They became largely known for their tableware and figurines during the 19th century. Available in this sale is a Royal Doulton prototype of a powder bowl, made for Dubarry Perfumery. This 1917 bowl is shaped like a woman in a flounced blue skirt and short blonde hair. One hand is behind her back holding a pink fan while the other rests on her chest. The piece is marked ‘Dubarry’ with the Royal Doulton stamp on the bottom.
A Doulton Burslem figure showing Ellen Terry as Queen Catharine will be highlighted as well. This porcelain figurine is colored in ivory with green and gold tints, standing nine inches tall. A complete set of six Royal Doulton Charles Dickens busts can also be found in the auction. Produced in 1930, these busts are modeled as characters from Dickens’ stories. View the complete collection and register to bid at Bidsquare.
Alan Bean was the fourth astronaut to walk on the moon on the Apollo 12 mission. He resigned after 18 years as an astronaut to paint the sights he had seen beyond Earth. Painting his experiences on canvas, the artist created textures in his work using lunar tools. In the second session of the upcoming Fine Art & Antiques auction, Simpson Galleries presents a piece from Alan Bean, executed in 1986. The painting depicts an astronaut in a suit holding a piece of equipment on the Moon.
Also offered is a map by William Sandusky, titled Plan of the City of Galveston Texas. Completed in 1839, Sandusky’s map is based on a manuscript map of the city. The available map, published shortly after Sandusky’s death, is a somewhat simplified copy of the original. Julius Stockfleth’s landscape painting is also highlighted in the collection. His paintings often incorporate bright colors and precise detail. Stockfleth’s work frequently contains images of old ships, including sailing vessels, steamers, freighters, fishing schooners, and barges. View more of these items and register to bid online by visiting Bidsquare.
Morphy Auctions’ upcoming Field & Range Firearms Auction, presented this February, will include a large collection of antique guns. One lot of interest from the collection is Cranston Arms model 1941 machine gun. This firearm is marked “Cranston Arms Co” on the right side of the receiver within an inverted triangle. The piece is among the leading lots of the three-day auction, which will include over 1,800 items in total.
Another key lot is a Colt Fluck dragoon percussion revolver. Also known as a Fluck or Walker Replacement Dragoon, the gun was manufactured in 1848 with a long walker backstrap and grip angle. Also available are several Colt model 1851 Navy revolvers, manufactured in 1864 and 1865. Octagon blued barrels, varnished walnut grips, case colored frames, and blued cylinders help differentiate these pieces. Browse the full catalog and register to bid by visiting Morphy Auctions.
The upcoming Post-War and Contemporary Art auction, offered by Christie’s, will offer 97 pieces of fine art from both rising and established artists. One mixed media piece from Miquel Barceló will be particularly highlighted. A seasoned traveler, Barceló spent much of the 1980s in Western Africa observing the dry weather and land. Christie’s quotes his inspiration for the available piece: “The light in the desert is so intense that things disappear, and the shadows are more intense than the things themselves.” The lot, titled PRSPCTV, is thickly textured in shades of cream and gray. Circular objects cast dark shadows on the background, yet lose their definition as the viewer gets closer to the work. The edges of the canvas are light blue.
Another key artist featured in the sale is Peter Halley. He uses clearly defined blocks and bars of color to form his Minimalist and geometric compositions. Halley is known for applying the terms “prisons” and “cells” to describe his own work, inviting an association between impartial Minimalism and the concept of imprisonment. One of his works, titled Three Prisons, will be presented in this auction. Three of his units are layered on top of each other, together standing over six feet tall.
Contemporary works from emerging artists are also present, including an oil on Plexiglass painting by Evans Mbugua. Originally trained as a graphic designer, the Kenyan artist creates colorful portraits beneath repeating prints that evoke wallpaper. Mbugua’s Spin shows a break-dancer balancing on one arm. Loie Hollowell’s Standing in Light woodcut print will also be presented. Though her works appear abstract, Hollowell’s paintings often use subtle geometry to explore female sexuality. Pace Gallery quotes Hollowell in a recent exhibition: “I want the viewer to come away not necessarily knowing what I was trying to tell them… but absorbing an impression of brightness or richness or radiance that has something to do with their relationship to their own body.” The available piece is arranged in orange and teal concentric circles. View the complete catalog for this auction and register to bid by visiting Christie’s.
In 2014, the British multinational jeweler, Graff, created the “Rhythm Collection.” To achieve a sense of fluidity and movement and invoke the spirit of music, gemstones cut in marquise, pear, and emerald shapes are strategically positioned in multiple directions. Rubies, sapphires, and emeralds are set in platinum to heighten the impact of the diamonds. The upcoming Jewels Online auction, to be presented by Christie’s, features a pair of Graff’s “Rhythm” diamond earrings. Dangling from each cluster of round diamonds are three cascading lines of smaller diamonds.
Another key highlight is a morganite and diamond necklace and earring set by Gucci. The set is designed with rectangular diamonds surrounding a geometric morganite and diamond centerpiece. The auction will also feature a selection of fine jewels and designs by Bulgari, Cartier, Chanel, David Webb, Dior, Tiffany & Co., Van Cleef & Arpels, and Verdura. To view the complete catalog and register to bid online, visit Christie’s.
During the early period of American statehood, a little-known edition of an important Texas map was published by Jacob De Cordova. He was one of the first major land speculators in Texas. Covering the topography of approximately 250 million acres, the map provides a detailed record of settlement in Texas after the Mexican War. The 1849 map published in Houston will be featured in the upcoming Fine Art & Antiques Session I, offered by Simpson Galleries. It incorporates extensive revisions to the western parts of the state, with new counties, towns, railroads, and topographical details added over time.
Along with maps, this auction will include fine art, decorative art, and Asian antiques. Featured in the sale is a hand-colored engraving on watermarked paper from John James Audubon. Another highlight is a sculpture by Arman. Known for his distinct style, the American-French artist used forks, instruments, and teapots in his works. Inspired by the aesthetic of Dadaism, Arman aimed to critique consumerism, waste, and mass production through his works. Explore the full listings and register to bid online on Bidsquare.
Whitley’s Auctioneers will present the upcoming Home and Interiors Auction on February 13, set to feature a Manuel Carbonell sculpture, Japanese WWII binoculars, and a Maksymilian Novak-Zemplinski oil painting. As a contemporary and modern artist, Manuel Carbonell is known as one of the most influential Cuban sculptors of his generation. Available in this auction is Carbonell’s sculpture titled Tritons & Nymphs. The aluminum statue shows two aquatic horses and a fluid female form. It stands 84 inches tall and is 60 inches wide.
The available World War II binoculars include an adjustable wooden tripod with the lot. Made in Japan, these brass binoculars were issued between 1939 and 1949. Another key item in the auction is an oil painting by Maksymilian Novak-Zemplinski. This untitled 2014 painting shows a greyhound dog against a dark beachscape. A red spirit figure floats above. Other lots include a Royal Doulton signed and painted table vase, a Tiffany Studios magnifying glass with a bronze zodiac pattern, and a winter Lladro figurine. View the entire catalog and place a bid at Bidsquare.
Available in the upcoming Unreserved Fine Art Storage Sale offered by Clarke Auction Gallery are nearly 200 lots of paintings and sculptures. These items have remained in storage due to non-payment or lack of placement in another event. They come to auction this March with no reserves. Several oil paintings from Xavier Cugat will be featured. Cugat was best known as a bandleader and composer who helped popularize Latin American rhythms in the mid-20th century. When he was not making music, he worked as a cartoonist for the Los Angeles Times. The available pieces show amorphous beings in humorous settings, including a group of surgeons operating with a pitchfork (while one reads Playboy magazine) and a yellow-hatted figure asleep in a dense patch of watermelons.
Other lots of interest include a signed watercolor painting by Alexander Dobkin, an Italian-American artist who frequently examined childhood innocence in his work. This framed lot shows a mother holding her baby to her face. Domestic scenes from Irwin Greenberg are also offered, including an oil painting of a woman reading a book. Behind her, a window pours light into the room. View the complete catalog for this auction and register to bid by visiting Bidsquare.
Featuring artists such as Francis Newton Souza and Banksy, John Moran Auctioneers offers a variety of fine art pieces in the upcoming Winter Modern + Contemporary auction. The sale particularly explores Cubism, Impressionism, and Abstract art alongside more contemporary works. One featured lot in this auction is a painting by Francis Bacon. Britannica describes the artist as “… a painter whose powerful, predominantly figural images express isolation, brutality, and terror.” The available lithograph on paper by Bacon is titled Etude Pour Une Corrida, which translates to Study For A Bullfight No. 1.
Also available is a sketch made in the style of Pablo Picasso. An oil on canvas painting by Luis Feito Lopez will be highlighted as well. Throughout his career, Lopez was influenced by informal Cubism, which can be seen in the available lot. An Abstract black-and-white form is positioned off-center on the canvas. For more information, visit John Moran Auctioneers.
Leland Little presents a selection of decorative arts, Asian arts and antiques, and collectibles in the upcoming Presidents’ Gallery Weekend Auction. Featured is a LeCoultre Atmos clock. The clock was invented in 1928 by Swiss engineer Jean-Léon Reutter, who desired to create a clock that would run forever. The result was the Atmos, which is driven by changes in ambient temperature. A sealed capsule of gas and liquid expands and contracts as the temperature rises and falls, winding the mainspring of the clock. Other highlights of this auction include a vintage Singer Featherweight sewing machine. Singer commissioned these model 221 sewing machines in 1933. Featherweight machines were only made in the United States until production stopped in 1957.
The auction also offers sculptures and furniture. John Rogers’ The Council of War sculpture is a notable piece. An American sculptor, Rogers produced popular, relatively inexpensive figurines in the late 19th century. Popularly termed ‘Rogers Groups,’ he mass-produced sculptures in cast plaster. Explore the full listings and register to bid online on Leland Little.
