ROMANO-EGYPTIAN CARTONNAGE MUMMY MASK, EX-CHRISTIE'SIt's not often we start a listing by stating the provenance, but in this case the pedigree is almost as impressive as the piece. Sold - Christies, December 1996; Ex Alan Dershowitz (legal and TV fame) / Carolyn Cohen collection, MA; published (Illustrated on the cover) in 2013 - Art of the Ancients, Aphrodite Ancient Art; featured - Pawn Stars, History Channel, August 14, 2017.
Egypt, Romano Egyptian Period, ca. 2nd century CE. A stunning mummy mask made from gesso-lined linen called cartonnage depicting the elegant visage of a youthful female. Presented in vibrant polychrome, the serene woman peers forward with almond eyes, elongated outer canthi, and sweeping brows lined with thick lashes, her head extending outwards and slightly downwards in a manner consistent with "Egyptian Group" masks. Full lips outlined with red pigment, a slender nose, and a rounded chin further emphasize her feminine grace, all beneath a headdress that rests low along the forehead. Dense decorations in traditional Egyptian stylization further embellish her timeless beauty. Size: 5.25" L x 13.625" W x 18.75" H (13.3 cm x 34.6 cm x 47.6 cm); 20.125" H (51.1 cm) on included custom stand.
The top of her head just in front of her diadem bears a red band containing a blue scarab flanked by a pair of segmented columns, 2 seated deities of unknown identity, an additional pair of columns, and 2 wadjet eyes. Beneath a curving brown band is a white-ground panel featuring a central sun disc with dangling triangular ornamentation - perhaps representing lotus blooms - flanked by the goddess sisters Isis and Nephthys as well as 2 papyrus columns and a pair of unidentified zoomorphic funerary deities holding their arms towards the sun. Outlining her head is a grand diadem bearing a plaited pattern above horizontal stripes in red and green, the midsections dotted with lotus buds, the terminals with recessed pink rosettes, and a pair of uraeus cobras emanating out from either side of a sun disc on the front. The upper corners show columns of polychrome panels, 2 panels containing a mummiform Osiris wearing an Atef crown and Horus or Ra in mummiform donning the Pschent crown. Stretching across the brow are 2 sphinxes atop column capitals as well as images of the ibis-headed god Thoth wearing an Atef crown, a left-facing human deity with a sun disc resting between a pair of horns; beneath this decorative register is a right-facing procession of royal uraei. Below the cobras are 2 windows each showing the sisters Isis and Nephthys anointing the body of the mummiform god Osiris beside sections of blue, pink, and white segmentation. Further below are 2 columns showing a rosette, a wadjet eye, and a recumbent Anubis jackal holding a pesesh-kef - a tool used during a ceremony known as the "opening of the mouth" - along with the body of the deceased resting atop a leonine-form embalming table and 2 sets of the 4 Sons of Horus wearing blue headdresses. An additional pair of sphinxes and a pair of Horus falcons with outstretched wings lie below the funerary fraternities, and an inverted T-shaped panel of triangles, petite floral beads, blue stripes, diagonal striations on a pink ground, checkerboarding, and additional painted beadwork completes the elaborate and visually dazzling composition. The verso of the mask shows the beige, khaki, and brown-hued linen framework that has been impregnated with bituminous material to solidify the linen as well as create a general likeness of the deceased that would hold for eons to come. One lower section even shows a plaster patch job that was included to perhaps fix a hole or abrasion made by the embalmer.
Given the size of both the sarcophagus mask itself as well as the interior head cavity, this was likely made for a young woman from a prominent, middle-to-upper-class family. While gilding was a popular decorative element for later Egyptian sarcophagi, embellishing with gold was reserved solely for those who could afford such luxuries. The lack of gilding on this example would perhaps indicate the somewhat lower status of this individual's family, however the artistry, polychrome pigments, and overall elevated craftsmanship suggests that perhaps the deceased was someone who favored substance rather than superficiality with their religious or spiritual ideals.
The use of cartonnage in the Ptolemaic and later Romano-Egyptian periods signified a transitional time in Egyptian funerary techniques from using a full, multi-part sarcophagus for the deceased to using fewer materials but with all the same decorative panache. These cartonnage masks, according to Egyptologists Dr. Salima Ikram and Dr. Aidan Dodson, "…are a reflection of a trend for the mummy to become free-standing, perhaps housed in a rectangular wooden sarcophagus, but without an intervening anthropoid coffin. This development came to fruition during the succeeding Roman Period which saw a range of outer treatments, some broadly maintaining earlier principles, while others diverged widely, although remaining true to basic concepts. The fundamental division is between mummies that conformed to a traditionally-derived 'Egyptian Group', and a 'Roman Group', which incorporated elements grounded in Classical art." They continue on to explain how, "The [Egyptian Group] continued with the use of separate cartonnage helmet-masks, together with other foot and body adornments in the same material. Distinctive points, however, are the head which was somewhat raised and angled forward…As time passed, masks took on a less 'Egyptian' look. A Hellenistic style prevailed in the area of the head and shoulders, while traditional Egyptian vignettes and ornamentation remained around the sides and crown of the head." (Ikram, Salima and Aidan Dodson. "The Mummy in Ancient Egypt: Equipping the Dead for Eternity." Thames & Hudson, London, 1998, pp. 187-188)
Published in "Art of the Ancients: A Selection of Ancient Art." Aphrodite Ancient Art, New York, Vol. 1, 2013, pp. 8-9 and front cover
Cf. Ikram, Salima and Aidan Dodson. "The Mummy in Ancient Egypt: Equipping the Dead for Eternity." Thames & Hudson, London, 1998, p. 187, fig. 218 and p. 188, figs. 220 & 221; The Walters Art Museum, accession number 78.3
A similar mask with gilding and fewer decorations from the 1st century CE hammered for $55,000 at Christie's, New York "Antiquities" auction (Live auction 1915, December 6, 2007, lot 35).
Provenance: ex-private Las Vegas, Nevada, USA collection; ex-Gold and Silver Pawn Store, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, acquired 2016. As see on Pawn Stars, "If the Pawn Don't Fit" (History Channel, August 14, 2017, season 14, episode 28); ex-Aphrodite Ancient Art, New York, New York, USA, published in "Art of the Ancients: A Selection of Ancient Art," Vol. 1, 2013, pp. 8-9 and front cover; ex-collection of Alan Dershowitz and Carolyn Cohen, Chilmark, Massachusetts, USA; ex-Christie's, New York "Antiquities" auction (auction 8568, December 18, 1996, lot 82, hammered for $9,775, published in corresponding catalog)
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.
Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.
#170552
Condition:
Obverse gesso layer repaired from dozens of small pieces with restoration and new material to missing areas, and resurfacing with extensive overpainting across new material and break lines; the linen layer on the verso is intact albeit with some plaster patches placed in antiquity given the desiccated nature. Losses around most peripheral areas, with fading and heavy overpainting to pigment, with light abrasions, and softening to some finer raised details. Verso also shows some dark bituminous resin used to stabilize the form of the linens. Beautiful remains of original pigment, iconography, and facial details.
Alfred Thompson Bricher New York/New Hampshire (1837-1908) BY THE RIVER BANK oil on canvas mounted to board framed signed & dated: lower right '77 H14 1/4'' W21 1/2'' Provenance: Upstate South Carolina private collection. Condition: Canvas laid to Masonite. UV light examination reveals splotches of inpainting to area left of trees and dark areas at lower left of painting as well as spots along the reflection of the right river bank. Total amount is +/- 5 percent. Frame and stretcher appear to be original. The frame shows signs of small repairs and retouching to gilding and a few chips to molding. Back   Inquiry    Previous Item  Next Item © Charlton Hall Auctions. Images descriptions and condition reports used on this site are original copyright material and are not to be reproduced without permission. For further information telephone 803.779.5678   © 2012 CHARLTON HALL GALLERIES INC.
1583 - Linton, "The Winds of Mozart", W/C
David Linton (American), "The Winds of Mozart", watercolor and pastel, New England scene, signed and dated verso, 18"h x 24"w (view), 30"h x 36"w (frame). Provenance: Directly from the artist. David Linton’s art combines the very best of color and light with a precise detail that renders all of his paintings to realism. He has developed a unique “masking” technique resulting in sharper, more colorful images taking the form of surrealistic reflections of light. This award-winning artist has exhibited in some of the leading galleries and is a well-known lecturer.
Folk Art Silhouette & Ink Drawing: comprising a cut paper and watercolor silhouette of a gentleman, possibly Edward Livingston of NY/NJ with accompanying note, and a calligraphy drawing of a bird. Both framed, not examined out of frames. Light stains to bird, toning, losses to watercolor. Largest frame size: 4 3/4" high, 6 1/2" wide. Provenance: Property of a New Haven County, CT Estate. Condition Any condition information included in our lot descriptions is not the equivalent of a written condition statement, and the absence of condition information does not imply that the lot is free of defects. Our auction lot descriptions reflect our effort to provide accurate, objective and fair information on all lots for sale, and we encourage bidders to request written condition statements and large file images on any lots of interest by emailing condition@woodburyauction. com. We also strongly advise that you or someone on your behalf inspect the lot personally before bidding. All lots are sold "as is" and "where is" and neither we nor any consignor makes any warranties or representation of any kind or nature with respect to the property. There are no returns and no refunds based on condition
Gold Dress Cane: Ca. 1910-Classic 9 karat rosé gold knob with a straight tapering profile and gently raised round top entirely engine turned with a mille grain pattern except for a circular and blank cartouche on the top engraved “HOWELL LONDON” and struck with a full set of English hallmarks as well a “J. H” mark for Jonathan Howell London. Jonathan Howell was the sole proprietor of the Henry Howell, the largest single manufacturer of walking sticks and one of the world’s leaders in the production of high quality canes. Real Makassar Ebony shaft of the finest grain and warm color bespoke fashioned in a superbly curving profile and fitted with a horn ferrule. Quintessential luxury and signed by one the best walking stick manufacturers ever, this cane is the expression of the finest London Style of the period shortly before WWI. Luckily, it survived flawless and with its entire initial sparkle. H. 1 ½” x 1 ¼”, O. L. 35 ½” Makassar Ebony is part of the “fancy” Ebony species with its characteristical heartwood showing in the radial cut pronounced sections and strips of real dark and light brown. Its origin is Indonesia and is so named for the Indonesian port-city of Makassar, which is one of the primary points of exportation. Its botanical name is Diospyros celebica. Engine turning, also often called guilloché like in the French language, is done with a machine called a rose engine or decoration lathe, which cuts grooves in geometric patterns. It was used to adorn the cases of pocket watches and other small items and also to engrave printing plates for stock and bond certificates. Because the pattern is engraved, the reflection of light is enhanced, and its brilliance can be seen as the piece is moved from side to side. The best known artist, but not the first using this technique, was Fabergé, who, when showing pieces in Paris in 1900, brought a new interest to this practical method. Engine turning is very delicate and requires sophisticated equipment and high skill; it was developed in the 18th century and died out after WWI. Dimension
Eanger Irving Couse (1866–1936) — The Evening Camp (1920): . Eanger Irving Couse (1866–1936). The Evening Camp (1920). oil on canvas. 16 × 20 inches. signed lower left. . VERSO. Label, Kennedy Galleries, New York, New York. . The Evening Camp will be included in the E. I. Couse Catalogue Raisonné. . According to Virginia Couse Leavitt, “An Indian is crouched in the gloaming on a river bank before a small fire. His upper body, silhouetted against some dark trees, is illuminated by the warmth of the fire, whereas his deerskin leggings reflect a cool white light. This theme of an Indian seated before a campfire is repeated in many Couse paintings, but always in a somewhat different and compelling manner. . “Couse arrived in Taos in 1902. He soon became famous for the moonlight and firelight pictures he began to paint under the influence of the strong light and brilliant colors of the region. The muted palette he used in The Evening Camp is of special interest because it falls into the middle years of his Taos experience, when it was common for the artist to use strong tonalities, yet in this case he was exploring something different. Although he often repeated certain themes, his main purpose was always to explore the varied qualities of light. Here he was interested in the juxtaposition between the warm firelight reflected off the bare torso of the model and the cool light reflected by the white deer skin of his leggings. ”. . PROVENANCE. Newhouse Gallery, St. Louis, Missouri, 1921 . Kennedy Galleries, New York, New York. Mongerson Galleries, Chicago, Illinois, 1977. Private collection, Janesville, Wisconsin. Coeur d’Alene Art Auction, Reno, Nevada, 2016. Private collection, Reno, Nevada. . View more information Dimension Condition Surface condition is excellent. Canvas is lined. Small spots of inpainting throughout.
Silver and Enamel Dress Cane: Ca. 1900-Silver knob fashioned in an elegantly tapering, classic Milord shape, totally engine turned and canary yellow enameled, slightly flamed lemon wood shaft and a horn ferrule. The knob is struck with the German “Half Moon and Crown” silver hallmark besides a “935” for the precious metal title and a “AW” unidentified makers mark and survived in superb condition. Production of translucent hard enamel demands the highest levels of patience, experience and skill. Since excessively fragility, the very few of these wonderful knobs survived intact. The best known, but not the first, artist using this technique was Fabergé, who, when showing pieces in Paris in 1900, brought a new interest to this technique. H. 2 ½” x 1 ¾”, O. L. 36 ½” Engine turning, also often called guilloché like in the French language, is done with a machine called a rose engine or decoration lathe, which cuts grooves in geometric patterns. It was used to adorn the cases of pocket watches and other small items and also to engrave printing plates for stock and bond certificates. Because the pattern is engraved, the reflection of light is enhanced, and its brilliance can be seen as the piece is moved from side to side. The best known artist, but not the first using this technique, was Fabergé, who, when showing pieces in Paris in 1900, brought a new interest to this practical method. Engine turning is very delicate and requires sophisticated equipment and high skill; it was developed in the 18th century and died out after WWI.
Frederick Knab Impressionist New England Painting: Massachusetts, 1873-1918. Impressionist landscape depicting a meandering river between forested banks beneath a bright blue sky with billowing white clouds. Notice the clear reflection of the trees on the water's surface. Oil on canvas, 16" x 22", . Would benefit from a cleaning, light craquelure lower center, light edge wear from frame, otherwise good condition. From the collection of an Uxbridge, Massachusetts gentleman. Signed "F. Knab" lower right. Condition Would benefit from a cleaning, light craquelure lower center, light edge wear from frame, otherwise good condition.
LABRADORITE POLISHED BOULDER Near Vosy, Providence of Labrador Canada This specimen comes from the original locality in Labrador, which this mineral is named after. Because this locality is on tribal lands, it makes specimen such as this very difficult to obtain. This piece displays a high quality schiller effect with bright colors ranging from blues, gold, and greens. This phenomenon is present because of alternating parallel layers of two different feldspar crystals, which selectively reflect only those light waves of the proper wavelength or color. This finely polished sculpture measures 23 x 10 ½ inches and is mounted on a black metal base.
Sale 413 Lot 333
* Three Limited Edition Inspired by the Paintings Barbies model 17783, 19366, 23884 including Water Lily by Claude Monet, Sunflower by Vincent van Gogh and Reflections of Light by Pierre August Renoir. inches.
HENRY OSSAWA TANNER (1859 - 1937) Boy and Sheep under a Tree. Oil on linen canvas, 1881. 444x686 mm; 17 3/8x27 inches. Signed and dated in oil, lower left recto. Provenance: the artist: Edward Lawrence Scull (1883); thence by descent to the current owners, private collection, Philadelphia (1999). This painting has a remarkable provenance having been passed down through the descendants of Edward Lawrence Scull (1846 – 1884). Scull bought at least three paintings from Tanner in 1883 then he died, tragically, at age 38 the next year. On the back of another Tanner painting in the family, his wife Sarah Elizabeth Marshall Scull (1845 – 1910) wrote the following note to her children: "The first picture that dear Edward bought of the colored Artist Tanner in 1883. Tanner was then butler for Dr. Albert Smith but had begun to draw and paint and used to go to Papa's office to talk with him about art. Now in 1900 he is living in Paris his paintings are in many of the finest private modern collections of the world." Dr. Albert H. Smith was a famous Philadelphia clinician, an Orthodox Quaker and the Scull family doctor; he was known as a medical reformer who helped found the Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania. He introduced Tanner to Scull; four generations in Philadelphia have since owned the painting. Exhibited: The Art of Henry O. Tanner, the National Collection of Fine Arts, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, July 23 - September 7, 1969, the Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH, September 30 - November 2, 1969, the McNay Art Institiute, San Antonio, TX, December 28 - January 31, 1970, Isaac Delgado Museum of Art, New Orleans, LA, February 20 - March 29, 1970, Museum of Art, Carnegie Institution, Pittsburgh, PA, April 26- May 31, 1970, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, September 15 - October 26, 1970; Henry Ossawa Tanner, Philadelphai Museum of Art, Philadelphi, PA, January 20 - April 14, 1991, Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit, MI, May 12 - August 4, 1991, High Museum of Atlanta, GA, September 17 - November 24, 1991, The Fine Art Museums of San Francisco, M.H. De Young Museum, San Francisco, CA, December 14- March 1, 1992; Henry Ossawa Tanner, Modern Spirit, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA, January 28 - April 15, 2012, Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati, OH, May 26 - September 9, 2012, the Houston Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX, October 14, 2012 - January 13, 2013, with several labels on the back board and frame verso. Until the end of 2014, the painting had been on loan and exhibited at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Illustrated: Marley, Anna O., Henry Ossawa Tanner, Modern Spirit, pl. 4, p. 170. This beautiful pastoral painting is one of the finest and earliest Tanner paintings to come to auction in the past twenty five years. In this landscape Tanner displays the polish and the skill of a great talent. He painted Boy and Sheep under a Tree early in his studies at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art when he seized on the speciality of painting animals. Henry Ossawa Tanner was born in Pittsburgh to a well-educated and devoutly religious family. His father Benjamin Tucker Tanner was an eminent bishop, author and leader in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. He and his wife, Sarah Elizabeth Miller, an ex-slave from Winchester, Virginia, were both graduates of Avery College, just outside Pittsburgh. Bishop Tanner was an abolitionist, a friend and collaborator with Frederick Douglass and a supporter of the Underground Railroad. With the support of his parents and inspiration from the 1876 Philadelphia Exposition, Henry Ossawa Tanner enrolled in the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in December of 1879. A year later he began life drawing classes under the tutelage of Thomas Eakins. After an interest in maritime painting, Tanner settled on painting animal subjects, with his stated desire "to become an American Landseer." According to Anna O. Marley, "Tanner was so devoted to animal painting that he bought a sheep to serve as a model for his pastoral compositions." In addition to the animals, Tanner's attention to realism in this painting is evident in the careful rendering of small detail and naturalistic light. The Christian imagery of a young shepherd with his flock is also a reflection of the environment of his family, patrons and supporters. Marley p. 19.- 300,000
Brewster, David -- Astronomy and telescopes
67 autograph letters to James Veitch of Inchbonny, near Jedburgh, of between 1 and 4 pages each, some with integral blank, discussing object glasses, astronomical observations, his reading of works on astronomy, observations on telescopes in the Edinburgh Observatory, comparing of Brewster and Veitch's calculations on the transit of Mercury, discussing a mistake respecting the hourly motion of Mercury, praising the "Nautical Almanack", a Newtonian telescope made by Mr Hauskbee, Makyelyne's method for removing tremors from a reflecting telescope, flint glasses, Jupiter and various telescopes, common and Achromatic refractors, a machine for grinding glass, La Lande's formula for computing the sun's angle of position, grinding lenses, "the angle of Position", calculation of the elements of the occultation of Venus, requesting a frame for a glass globe, Dopplemayer's "Celestial Atlas", his work on a Planisphere, thumbnail sketch of his 4 inch globe, requesting directions for constructing the "Electrical Machine", details of a composition for reflecting specula, advice on setting up a globe apparatus, study of optics and double microscopes, praise of Chambers' Dictionary, Dr. Robison's receipt from Dr. Herschel of a speculum, results obtained from Veitch's 45 inch Newtonian reflector, improvements to reflector and praise for it at the Observatory, deficiencies of the Newtonian telescope at the Observatory, technical discussion on the Moon's movements, longitudes of all the stars of the First Magnitude in his catalogue, eclipse of the moon seen through his Newtonian telescope, calculations of an eclipse due in March 1801, appreciation of Veitch's early encouragement and support, technical disucssion of impending eclipse of the Moon and of the satellites of Jupiter, describes the Galvanic Column, telscope made by Messer in London, dispute relating to the moon, enclosing Table for moon calculations, expected occultation of Venus, Short's method of making handles, illustrates with a diagram the action of light in a speculum of a parabolic figure, Veitch's "very ingenious" method of accounting for the variation of meridians, deficiencies and abilities of the new director of the Edinburgh Observatory, requests details of Veitch's instrument for finding the stars in daytime, description of his invention of two micrometers, Dr Herschel's seven foot telescope, description of Veitch's new plough to be included in his Encyclopaedia, request for plough drawings, advice of Mr Tulley of Islington on construction of achromatic telescopes, errors in astronomical tables, Veitch's article on Grinding, work on book on New Philosophical Instruments, requesting Veitch to make another object glass for his microscope, appreciation of Veitch's proposal to make a telescope for him, purchase of a portable transit instrument for the Astronomical Institution from Troughton, simplified method of interpolation, Capt. Colby of the Trigonometrical Survey drawing a perpendicular to the Meridian at the Observatory, forwarding order from Professor Shumacker of the chair of Astronomy at Cophenhagen, for a reflecting telescope, receipt of observations on the occultation of Jupiter, observations on differential thermometer readings in rain, plates of Optics, urging Veitch not to publish the method of centring achromatic object glasses, introducing Professor Sedgwick of Cambridge, &c., 15 September 1797 - 11 May 1832; and 2 other letters to Veitch from John Grainger and Oliphant Brown
Note: An important archive of Scottish scientific correspondence.
David Brewster (1781-1868), Scottish physicist who investigated the polarization of light, discovering the law named after him for which he was awarded the Rumford Medal by the Royal Society in 1819. Born in Jedburgh, his education was extended by his friendship with James Veitch of Jedburgh, an amateur astronomer, and he entered the Univeristy of Edinburgh at the age of 14. One of Brewster's major concerns was increasing the public awareness of the importance of science. He edited a number of scientific periodicals and wrote many books and articles on science. He was also instrumental in the foundation of several academic organizations including the Edinburgh School of Arts in 1821, the Royal Scottish Society for Arts in 1821, and the British Association for the Advancement of Science in 1831.
With James Veitch, Brewster built many optical devices such as microscopies and sundials, developing an expertise that resulted in the invention of the kaleidoscope in 1816. In trying to improve lenses for microscopes, he became interested in optics and particularly in the polarization for light that transverses it. Brewster then sought an expression for the polarization of light by reflection and found, in 1815, that the polarization of a beam of reflected light is greatest when the reflected and refracted rays are at right angles to each other. This is known as Brewster's Law, and it may be stated in the form that the tangent of the angle of polarization is numerically equal to the refractive index of the reflecting medium when polarization is maximum.
Brewster then worked on the polarization of light reflected by metals, and established the new field of optical mineralogy. During the 1820s he studied colour in the optical spectrum and worked on absorption spectroscopy of natural substances.
James Veitch (1771-1838) was a self-educated polymath, who while earning his living as a ploughwright, also found the time to dabble in mathematics, mechanics and astronomy. He set up a scientific workshop on the Jedburgh turnpike where he gave lessons to local educated men in these subjects. By the late 1820s he had stopped making ploughs and devoted his time to making telescopes and clocks. His customers for telescopes included Brewster, Sir Walter Scott, the Earl of Hopetoun, the Earl of Minto, and Professor Schumacher of the Altona Observatory in Germany.
Veitch's early encouragement inspired David Brewster to take an interest in scientific matters and, as this correspondence shows, the friendship lasted more than 35 years [the last three letters are undated]. With Veitch's help, Brewster had made his first telescope by the age of ten. Veitch was known to major public figures such as Walter Scott and Francis Jeffrey, editor the Edinburgh Review and, amongst others, Mary Somerville, also a native of Jedburgh, the first woman to have a work published in the the Royal Society of London's Philosophical Transactions.
Provenance:Veitch family, by descent.
Very good and clean, a few with small hole where wax seal removed - affecting a few letters or a couple of words to letters numbered lightly in pencil 34, 38, 42, 43, 44, a few with a short tear with no loss of text; one or two light spots
PAIR NY CLASSICAL STENCILED ROSEWOOD CARD TABLESwith cross-banded "D" shaped folding tops on substantial gilt acanthus carved standards, quadruped carved paw footed gilt highlighted base with ebonized paw feet. Lifting to veneer of one, light wear and small losses to gilt surfaces. 29" high, 36" wide, 18" deep closed, 36" deep open. Provenance: Property of a Connecticut Private Collector.
Condition:
Any condition information included in our lot descriptions is not the equivalent of a written condition statement, and the absence of condition information does not imply that the lot is free of defects. Our auction lot descriptions reflect our effort to provide accurate, objective and fair information on all lots for sale, and we encourage bidders to request written condition statements and large file images on any lots of interest by emailing condition@woodburyauction.com. We also strongly advise that you or someone on your behalf inspect the lot personally before bidding. All lots are sold "as is" and "where is" and neither we nor any consignor makes any warranties or representation of any kind or nature with respect to the property. There are no returns and no refunds based on condition
LEON AUGUSTIN LHERMITTE (FRENCH 1844-1925)Depart des laveuses le soir, 1892oil on canvas98 x 78 cm (38 1/2 x 30 3/4 in.)signed and dated lower left L Lhermitte 1892PROVENANCEAcquired from Boussod, Valadon & Cie, Paris (no. 22249)Collection of John Parkinson, Boston, MAMuseum of Fine Arts, Boston (loan 1920-1946)Vose Galleries, Boston, MACollection of Jacob L. Rosenthal, New York, NYPrivate Collection, New YorkEXHIBITEDSalon de la Societe nationale des beaux-arts, 1892, no. 683Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA 1920-1946LITERATURENew York Herald, March 29, 1892Doumic R. le Moniteur universel, May 5, 1892Fourtel Eugene, le Petit Marseillais, May 5, 1892les Petites Nouvelles, May 5, 1892Andre A. la France nouvelle, May 6, 1892Cardon E., le Moniteur des arts, May 6, 1892Correspondence Haras, May 6, 1892Fremine Ch., le Rappel, May 7, 1892l'Electeur, May 7, 1892Silvestre A. l'Echo de Paris, May 7, 1892De Fontissant M., le Telegraphe, May 9, 1892Dac H., le Monde, May 16, 1892Godin H., la Revue des Beaux-Arts, May 21, 1892l'Echo republicain, May 27, 1892De Gourcoff O., l'Avenir national, May 28, 1892Dalligny A., le Journal des arts, May 31, 1892le Phare de Dunkerque, June 10, 1892Talansier Ch., le Genie civil, July 2, 1892Furnel Ch., Revue moderne, September 10, 1892Hamel M. M., op cit., C 184, cat. No. 181Monique Le Pelley Fonteny, Leon Augustin Lhermitte: 1844-1925, Catalogue Raisonne, (Paris: Editions Cercle D`Art, 1991), p. 136, no. 160, illustratedLOT NOTESLeon Lhermitte spent the formative years of his life in rural northern France before moving to Paris at the age of 19 in 1863 to attend the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, and debuting at the salon the following year. He has been praised for his monumental and unsentimental treatment of the peasant life with which he himself was so familiar from an early age. Lhermitte at once showed the hard, daily toil of the rural working class and imbued his subjects with a sense of dignity so often lacking in the works of his predecessors. Lhermitte revisited the subject of women doing laundry on the banks of the Marne on several occasions, but this composition focusing on two young women at dusk is among his most striking. When Depart des Laveuses le Soir was shown in 1892 at the Salon exhibition of the new Societe nationale des beaux-arts it caused quite a stir, and in the catalogue raisonne Monique Le Pelley Fonteny has accrued an extensive list of reviews and mentions of the painting in contemporary publications. In the 20th century, the work continued to fascinate and inspire its audience during the decades it was at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.Ever since first seeing his work in the early 1880s, Vincent van Gogh was taken with the Lhermitte: ?He`s a master of the figure. He`s able to do what he likes with it -- conceiving the whole neither from the color nor from the local tone, but rather proceeding from the light -- as Rembrandt did -- there`s something astonishingly masterly in everything he does -- in modeling, above all things, he utterly satisfies the demands of honesty.? (Letter to his brother Theo, September 2, 1885)In the dapples of soft pink on a robin egg blue sky, the reflections of the setting sun in the water highlighted with scrapes from the wooden end of the brush, and the delicate silhouette of the carefully modeled peasant woman`s profile shimmering in the twilight, one can sense Lhermitte`s attempt to create a synergy between the teaching of the academies and the play of light using unadulterated colors popularized by the Impressionists. The admiration heaped upon Lhermitte by the van Gogh brothers may have also contributed to the artist`s association with Boussod, Valadon & Cie, the prominent international gallery which signed an exclusive contract of representation with Lhermitte in 1887. Vincent van Gogh (the uncle of the painter) was a partner at the firm, and both of the brothers were at one point or another employed by the gallery, as well.PLEASE NOTEIf you will be bidding live on auction day, please note that Session I of the Auction (Asian and Russian Fine & Decorative Art), starts at 10:00 AM New York Time and goes from Lot 1 through Lot 254. Session II of the Auction (European, American and International Fine & Decorative Art) starts at 3:00 PM New York Time and goes from Lot 500 through Lot 676. We sell approximately 70 lots per hour.
PHIL BECK O/C NATIVE AMERICAN PORTRAIT PAINTING, REFLEC...Phil Beck (American/Arizona, b.1949) oil on canvas portrait painting titled "Reflections of Youth" depicting two young Native American girls attired in traditional clothing and seated on a rocky bank, gazing into the water below, with light cast from behind them. Signed "Phil Beck" lower right corner. Title and artist engraved on nameplate, lower center of frame. Housed in a contemporary wormy-wood style frame with a copper-toned foliate frieze. Sight: 23 1/2" H x 29" W. Framed: 32 1/2" H x 38 1/2" W. Note: The original purchase receipt from Mountain Trails Galleries in Sedona, AZ is available to the winning bidder.
Condition:
Overall excellent condition.
Federal Mahogany Carved and Inlaid Lady's Secretary-bookcase, attributed to Thomas Seymour, Boston, c. 1807-12, the decorative eglomise painting attributed to John Ritto Penniman, the turnings possibly by Henry and/or Thomas Ayling. some brasses replaced, (minor imperfections), ht. 76 3/4, wd. 37 1/2, dp. 19 3/4 in. Provenance: John Bryant III (1780-1865), a Boston China Trade Merchant, and his wife Mary Cleveland (Smith) Bryant (1784-1860). Presumably to their son John Bryant IV (1811-1847) and his second wife Mary Ann (Lee) Bryant. To their daughter Julia Bryant (1847-1901), who married Brigadier General Charles Jackson Paine (1833-1916), a railroad magnate and yachtsman, of 87 Mount Vernon Street, on March 26, 1867. To their daughter Georgia Paine Fisher Howland. To her son Charles Paine Fisher. Estate of Charles P. Fisher. Note: The lady's secretary and bookcase was a cultural badge signifying a Boston lady of refinement and education during the Federal period. Mary Cleveland (Smith) Bryant (1784-1860) was such a lady. She had been well-educated as daughter of Rev. John Smith, a professor of Ancient and Middle Eastern Languages at Dartmouth College, and was widely read. It was probably purchased around the time of, or a few years after, her marriage in late 1807 to John Bryant III (1780-1865). He was the son of John Bryant II, the Deputy Commissary of Military Stores at the Federal Armory in Springfield. The elegant bookcase provided space for the increasingly affordable books then available to educated Bostonians. It was also designed to provide everything needed for letter writing to her increasingly dispersed family. The year after the couple's marriage on November 25, 1807, Bryant evidently furnished their Boston house, listing twenty-seven payments in his financial Waste Book under the category "House Furniture". These included one for a "Bedstead" on July 5, 1808 to Boston's premier cabinetmaker, Thomas Seymour. Under financial pressure in 1808, Bryant shipped out on an adventure in the brig Mandarin for Canton, his first to China. Bryant's voyage and trading proved extremely profitable. After his return in 1809, he formed a partnership with William Sturgis dba Bryant and Sturgis, which eventually became one of Boston's most successful China trade firms. The couple lived initially in a fashionable home in Tremont Place, later on Beacon Street near Charles Street. After his return, Bryant made numerous additional purchases of house furnishings in 1810, including another from Thomas Seymour for $39.00 for unspecified furniture which he recorded on Dec. 27. This payment may have been for the present secretary and bookcase. However, Bryant's several voyages in this period are reflected in sporadic and incomplete entries for household expenses. Other purchases from Seymour and other craftsmen probably went unrecorded. Surviving Bryant family and business records do not include actual bills and receipts. The secretary is one of at least four which employ églomisé (reverse glass) painting in two shades of green with repeating Gothic arches and centering stylized leafage. Details are picked out in fine black lines. This "fancy painted" work can be firmly attributed to John Ritto Penniman based on the very high quality of work, and on at least two of his characteristic techniques - faux-shadowing below and to the right of both leaves and arches which simulate light cast from the upper left; and detailed modeling formed by two or more layers of fine black lines applied at right angles to each other, also simulating depth and shadows. Penniman was a tenant in Thomas Seymour's Boston Furniture Warehouse from at least 1808-1810. The two collaborated numerous times, most commonly for decoratively painted panels featuring flowers, leafage, or sea-shells on work boxes and quartetto, work and card tables. Every aspect of the Bryant family secretary reflects Seymour's habitual attention to detail and precise execution. Mahogany veneers are carefully selected of four different grain characters. Spandrels between gothic arches at the tops of the doors are beautifully faced with book-matched curly satinwood and outlined with his typical very fine-gauge black and white stringing lines. Large drawer fronts are framed with curly maple crossbanding, each accented by sand-scorching one long edge to provide greater depth and modeling. Keyholes on doors and drawers are lined or faced with bone shaped to three different patterns. Precisely executed small-scale bead moldings are employed on lower case edges, the frieze, as an astragal molding on the glazed doors, on pilaster columns separating door panels and on the cornice. Molding miter joints are perfect. Drawer construction follows Seymour's typical habits, with fine-gauge dovetails and bottoms beveled on the edges to fit into grooves in drawer sides and fronts. Glue blocking on drawer bottoms along front edges is of even size and evenly spaced. Glue blocks along the drawer sides are cut into short, regular segments from one continuous strip of pine, then butted, glued and cut off at an angle at the rear edge. Small interior and mid-case drawers require no glue blocking. The design of the cornice is particularly refined, with its central oval inlaid with curly satinwood and black stringing surround set into a stripe-figured mahogany ground, its upper molded frame in the form of a semi-oval, and elegantly shaped and molded finial support block above. The small turned roundels applied at terminations of the half -oval molding and on the leg blocks were employed frequently by Seymour in this period. They reflect English Regency designs he began employing at about this period, and which increasingly dominated his work from about 1808 to 1817. Seymour's use of lion-pattern hardware for the interior drawer pulls also follows Regency period preference. An interesting and perhaps unique feature is the hinged lid which slants downward when opened to enable easier writing. This is supported at both ends by lopers which also slant down and slide in slanted housings in the case. Seymour's penchant for constant experimentation resulted in enormous variation in his work. Except for sets and pairs, no two pieces it seems are alike. The Bryant secretary is no exception. Robert D. Mussey, Jr. Milton, Mass. Note: Please note that a copy of Robert Mussey's Furniture Examination Report is available for this piece, with endnotes. We would like to thank Mr. Mussey for his assistance in cataloguing this lot. Estimate $100,000-150,000 The absence of a condition statement does not imply that the lot is in perfect condition or completely free from wear and tear, imperfections or the effects of aging. Condition requests can be obtained via email (lot inquiry button) or by telephone to the appropriate gallery location (Boston/617.350.5400 or Marlborough/508.970.3000). Any condition statement given, as a courtesy to a client, is only an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact. Skinner Inc. shall have no responsibility for any error or omission.
JOHN LA FARGE (american 1835-1910) "A BOY AND HIS DOG (DICKEY HUNT)" Oil on paperboard laid on canvas 40 x 34 in. (101.6 x 86.4cm) provenance: Albert Stickney, New York, 1884(?)-1908. Mrs. Albert Stickney, New York, 1908-1911. J.G. Butler, Jr., Youngstown, Ohio, 1912(?)-1923. Edwin C. Shaw, Akron, Ohio, 1923-1941. Caroline Shaw, Akron, Ohio, 1941-1955. The Estates of James A. & Dorothy C. Vaughn, Sea Island, Georgia, 1955-present. exhibited: National Academy of Design, New York, 1874, cat. no. 72. Inter-State Industrial Exposition, Probably, Chicago, 1875, cat. no. 23. Centennial Exposition, Philadelphia, 1876, cat. no. 417. Pierce & Co., Boston, 1878, 2nd day, cat. no. 12. Society of American Artists, New York, 1880, cat. no. 58. Konigliche Glaspalaste, Munich, 1883, cat. no. 1130. Ortgies & Co., New York, 1884, cat. no. 24. Vose Gallery, Boston, 1911, cat. no. 97. Panama-Pacific Exposition, San Francisco, 1915, cat. no. 2674. Akron Art Museum, Akron, Ohio, 'The Edwin C. Shaw Collection of American Impressionist and Tonalist Painting', April 19-June 29, 1986. Museum of Art, Science & Industry, Bridgeport, Connecticut, 'American Artists Abroad: Painting In The European Style', September, 27-November 9, 1986. literature: The Edwin C. Shaw Collection of American Impressionist and Tonalist Paintings by William Robinson, Akron Art Museum, 1986, pp. 80-81, illustrated. A Beautiful Child and a Portrait Commission Gone Awry: The Richard Morris Hunts and John La Farge by James L. Yarnall, American Art Journal, Vol. 29, 1998, pp. 86-97. Art News, March 31, 1923, p.1. note: "A Boy and His Dog is a little known but highly important work executed at the end of La Farge's Newport period, around 1868-1869. The sitter is "Dickey" or Richard Morris Hunt, Jr., son of the famous architect. La Farge was at this time closely involved with the circle of William Morris Hunt. Historian James L. Yarnell has said of this work: "This is a singular work in La Farge's career, his only large scale, semi-formal portrait." Art historian Henry Adams has observed that during 1868-1869 La Farge concentrated his efforts on two ambitious figure paintings, this one and The Sleeping Girl (destroyed by fire). Since La Farge would soon turn his attention to decorative works and stained glass, "in many ways these two paintings mark the end of his career as an easel painter." The precise genesis of this work is not known. Historian Henry A. La Farge believes it was originally a commissioned portrait which was later turned into an exhibition piece. It is known that La Farge worked this painting for a long period of time, requiring that the dog be tied, which greatly displeased the boy. The artist eventually asked his own son, Bancel, to pose for the figure. Bancel later reported to Sargent Kendall: It was painted at a moment when he was working gradually alone and has very distinctly the qualities of that epoch...I was a little boy at the time and remember posing for the picture, perhaps for a hand of the feet or what is more likely, to hold the dog. Although this painting may have begun as a commissioned portrait, it was never in the Hunt family collection. The artist exhibited it in 1876 simply as Portrait-Boy and Dog. La Farge seems to have become more interested in it as a study of natural, outdoor light than as a portrait; it was even subtitled Study in Sunlight in the catalogue of an exhibition in New York in 1884. The painting's sharp contrasts and fresh, strong colors are the result of natural light, which is quite unlike the soft, gentle shading of studio light. The artist has attempted to translate concerns of his plein air landscapes to genre of figure painting. While the subject and interest in natural detail may reflect the influence of the Pre-Raphaelites and Ruskin's "truth to nature" aesthetic, the broad handling is closer in spirit to the paintings of Gustave Courbet and the French Realists. Henry Adams has speculated about the possible meaning of the subject, which he regards as depicting "the interaction fo the two minds, the one animal and the other human," noting that the "deep psychic communion between the boy and the dog" reflects the existence of a "harmony between the bestial and the human mind." There are no specific symbols or narrative meanings to this painting. In that sense, it is similar to the artist's flower pieces: behind the veneer of a sensuous, beautifully painted, naturalist image exist implications of more complex meanings. A Boy and His Dog is thus representative of La Farge's best work. It is both beautifully painted and replete with the mysterious aura of personal associations and unexplained meanings." Text by William Robinson from the catalogue for The Edwin C. Shaw Collection of American Impressionist and Tonalist Painting, Akron Art Museum, 19 April-29 June, 1986, pp. 80-81, illustrated. With regards to the genesis of the work, the noted La Farge scholar, James Yarnall was subsequently able to shed some light on the paintings origins in an article published in the American Art Journal, Vol. 29, 1998. According to Catherine Hunt's memoirs, the portrait was intended to commemorate the sitters appearance prior to his childhood locks being shorn. The Hunt's only ever envisaged a sketch being done and it was La Farge who took it upon himself to create the full length and more ambitious depiction much to the displeasure of his patrons. The acrimony between the two parties was further exacerbated by La Farge's failure to deliver the portrait on time - Richard Hunt intended it to be a seventh wedding anniversary gift to his wife on April 2, 1868. The painting remained unfinished six months later and on the Hunts return to Newport from New York in the spring of 1869 they refused to take the portrait leaving it in the artists hands. In 1885 the painting was finally sold to a collector of La Farge's work, the New York lawyer, Albert Stickney. ,000-90,000 The support and paint film are stable and in good condition overall. There is an isolated damage to the support/paint film located at 30 x 15 1/2 in. (H x distance from left edge). The 8" long linear area of damage has a vertical orientation and is apparent due to planar distortion at the site, possibly the result of poor filling/retouching. There are scattered retouchings in the head of the boy covering small age cracks. A few other, small, scattered retouchings cover minor paint abrasions and age cracks.
FOLK ART SILHOUETTE & INK DRAWINGcomprising a cut paper and watercolor silhouette of a gentleman, possibly Edward Livingston of NY/NJ with accompanying note, and a calligraphy drawing of a bird. Both framed, not examined out of frames. Light stains to bird, toning, losses to watercolor. Largest frame size: 4 3/4" high, 6 1/2" wide. Provenance: Property of a New Haven County, CT Estate.
Condition:
Any condition information included in our lot descriptions is not the equivalent of a written condition statement, and the absence of condition information does not imply that the lot is free of defects. Our auction lot descriptions reflect our effort to provide accurate, objective and fair information on all lots for sale, and we encourage bidders to request written condition statements and large file images on any lots of interest by emailing condition@woodburyauction.com. We also strongly advise that you or someone on your behalf inspect the lot personally before bidding. All lots are sold "as is" and "where is" and neither we nor any consignor makes any warranties or representation of any kind or nature with respect to the property. There are no returns and no refunds based on condition
SILVER AND ENAMEL DRESS CANECa. 1900-Silver knob fashioned in an elegantly tapering, classic Milord shape, totally engine turned and canary yellow enameled, slightly flamed lemon wood shaft and a horn ferrule. The knob is struck with the German “Half Moon and Crown” silver hallmark besides a “935” for the precious metal title and a “AW” unidentified makers mark and survived in superb condition. Production of translucent hard enamel demands the highest levels of patience, experience and skill. Since excessively fragility, the very few of these wonderful knobs survived intact. The best known, but not the first, artist using this technique was Fabergé, who, when showing pieces in Paris in 1900, brought a new interest to this technique. H. 2 ½” x 1 ¾”, O.L. 36 ½” Engine turning, also often called guilloché like in the French language, is done with a machine called a rose engine or decoration lathe, which cuts grooves in geometric patterns. It was used to adorn the cases of pocket watches and other small items and also to engrave printing plates for stock and bond certificates. Because the pattern is engraved, the reflection of light is enhanced, and its brilliance can be seen as the piece is moved from side to side. The best known artist, but not the first using this technique, was Fabergé, who, when showing pieces in Paris in 1900, brought a new interest to this practical method. Engine turning is very delicate and requires sophisticated equipment and high skill; it was developed in the 18th century and died out after WWI.
Dennis Sheehan (American, b. 1950), "The Way Back", oil on canvas depicting Impressionistic summer landscape, vineyard or orchard bisected by dirt path, signed "Sheehan" LL, original retail labels verso, gilt frame, not examined out of frame, ss: 14 1/2" h. x 17 1/2" w. [Sheehan describes his artistic philosophy in the following terms: "My goal is to have the painting emanate light, rather than be just a surface that records the reflection of light...the light areas are focal points of this effort, but the power comes from the shadows."]
6V Fashion Plates ANTIQUE LADIES' LITERATURE & REFERENCE Godey Hand Book Details: This lot consists of the antique ladies' literature and reference books shown in the corresponding images.Notable volumes include an 1897 gift book/annual with hand-painted plates, and "The Lady's Book and Magazine of Belle Lettres Fashions and Music" an early Louis A. Godey book featuring hand-colored fashion plates. Also present are "Winsome Womanhood" by Margaret E. Sangster, "Reflections of a Bachelor Girl" by Helen Roland, and "What Can a Woman Do?" by Mrs. M. L. Rayne.To inspect and acquire more detailed information about this lot, please attend our live preview before the auction.Condition / Notes: These items show well with some age/wear indicators such as chipping, fading, and light soiling to covers and spines. Antique gift books and bound fashion magazine show more advanced signs of wear, including loose pages and moisture markings to interior. "Winsome Womanhood" and "What Can A Woman Do" feature well-preserved decorative covers.For lots which include only books, our shipping charge applies to any address within the fifty United States. For lots which are not books, the stated shipping cost in this listing will apply only to addresses within the continental 48 states. Within those parameters, the shipping cost for this lot will be: $15.50
RAY HOWLETT - FANNINGSigned, 2001, Coated glass and mirror with electric light, 26.5h x 9w x 9d. The American artist Ray Howlett is a pioneer of infinity light sculpture. He has been creating dichroic glass light sculptures for almost half a century. First experimenting with dichroic glass in 1973, Howlett was intrigued with structural optics and electric light that yielded an array of reflections and by 1978 had developed his sophisticated, personalized technique that we now associate with his name. Howlett’s sculptures are characterized by their cascading colors, complex geometries, organic symmetries, and by the illusion, they create of an expansive space within them. The sculptures are interactive and viewer kinetic, as the spectator moves around the sculpture, using their own time and space to create the famous Howlett shifts in composition and color inside the transparent sculpture. The contrast between the fixed physical dimension and expanded optical dimension creates an undeniably sublime sensation.The works emphasize a limited physical space containing an unlimited virtual space, addressing Howlett's fascination with illusions in which "the space inside the sculpture looks to be larger than the outside 3-dimensional measurements."He has created a totally original art form that explores the possibilities of light as a perceptual phenomenon. His art has shown in 25 solo museum exhibitions and can be seen in 25 museum permanent collections.Ray Howlett was born in Lincoln, Nebraska in 1940. Earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Nebraska in 1963.
Condition:
Excellent
19C Frank Sutliff Vermont Landscape O/C Painting: Frank L. Sutliff, United States, 19th Century. Naturalist work depicting a forested cliffside over a lake beneath a bright blue sky with white clouds. Notice the reflection of the sun on the water's surface. The painting was part of a Newport Art Association exhibition during the early 1900's, verso retains original exhibition label. Oil on canvas, Canvas 20" x 15', Frame 25" x 20". Signed with initial monogram lower right. From the collection of a Pawtucket, Rhode Island gentleman. Verso retains original exhibition label from the Art Association of Newport Winter Exhibition. Condition Mild surface grime, light craquelure, otherwise good condition. Would benefit from a cleaning.
Navajo Handmade Turtle Pin Abalone Shell: This lot features a handmade Navajo turtle pin. The turtle is sterling silver and has an abalone shell that shows many colors in the reflection of light. The turtle in Native American is a sacred symbol. The symbol of a turtle meant a long life and good health. In the Navajo tribe, a turtle was a symbol of water, which was a necessity to their life in modern day Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. A turtle in the Navajo was essentially a symbol for life. The pendant is 2" long x 1 ½" wide.
Two Ammolite Cabochons
Southern Alberta, Canada
Ammolite was first discovered by the Black foot Indians in an area bordering the Canadian Rockies. In 1908 a member of the National Geological Survey team found mineralized opalescent fossil shells from prehistoric sea creatures known as ammonites along the St. Mary River in Alberta. It was not until 1981, however, that enough high quality ammolite was discovered to make mining commercially viable of this beautiful organic gem material. Ammolite is now considered to be Canada’s finest gemstone. It has a mineral composition of aragonite (calcium carbonate), which is similar to that of pearls with multiple thin layers, which catch and reflect light. The iridescence, which occurs is created by light interference and reflection from these layers.
These two freeform cabochons have excellent play-of-color. The first one with predominantly green flashes in various patterns, weighing approximately 11.36 carats and measuring 24.0 x 15.0 x 2.5mm ; the other with red predominantly red flashes, weighing approximately 11.0 carats measuring 27.5 x 16.5 x 2.2mm. (2)
43. HARD STONE AND SILVER DRESS CANE -CA. 1900 -THE ELE...43. Hard Stone and Silver Dress Cane -Ca. 1900 -The elegant knob is fashioned of smoky colored topaz in a stretching and plain Milord shape, wider and tapering engine turned silver collar framed by two plain rings and embellished with the Twin Eagles Russian coat of arms. A characteristic sense of luxury shines through this exquisite knob which embodies the romance and splendor that was Imperial Russia and forwards a taste of the follies of the Romanov days. It is graced by a well-figured snake wood shaft and a horn ferrule. -H. 4” x 1”, O.L. 37 ½” -$1,200-$1,800 -Engine turning, also often called guilloché like in the French language, is done with a machine called a rose engine or decoration lathe, which cuts grooves in geometric patterns. It was used to adorn the cases of pocket watches and other small items and also to engrave printing plates for stock and bond certificates. Because the pattern is engraved, the reflection of light is enhanced, and its brilliance can be seen as the piece is moved from side to side. The best known artist, but not the first using this technique, was Fabergé, who, when showing pieces in Paris in 1900, brought a new interest to this practical method. Engine turning is very delicate and requires sophisticated equipment and high skill; it was developed in the 18th century and died out after WWI. -Piratinera Guianensis or snake wood belongs to the family of Moraceae and originates in tropical South America. It is a truly exotic species and probably one of the most difficult woods to find. Typically, it is a very small tree, and only shows the wonderful reddish brown heartwood with speckles of black appearing as hieroglyphics or snakeskin markings in a small quantity of the wood, and then rarely evenly spread across the entire face of the board. Its markings which resemble those of a snakeskin, give this small, relatively rare timber its name. Snake wood is dense, extremely heavy and hard, brittle and splits easily. It becomes very smooth when finished and has natural polish.
NELS HAGERUP (American, 1864-1922) MOONLIGHT OVER SAN FRANCISCO HARBOR. Large oil on canvas nighttime scene shows a full moon over a harbor scene including buildings with light reflecting in water and tugboat in foreground with running lights reflecting in water. A full moon reflects at center water. A very nice scene of a rare subject matter. Signed lower left “N. Hagerup S.F. 1901”. Housed in a period gilt carved wood frame. SIZE: 24” x 36”. CONDITION: Very good. 9-97223 (3,000-5,000)
SUSAN SIMON "LANDING GEAR ENGAGED" DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHPhotographer Susan Simon experiments with the use of light in her images. She works to capture Cape Cod’s variable light, the reflections of sky in water, and the curves of marsh and dune. In addition to seascapes and landscapes, her special focus for the past few years has been on flowers and the shapes and surprises found with a macro lens, including the wonder and uniqueness of every wave, and the osprey who nest near her favorite beach. Dimensions: Framed 20" x 16"
Romano-Egyptian Polychrome Cartonnage Mummy Mask: Egypt, Romano-Egyptian period, ca. 30 BCE to 300 CE. A striking cartonnage sarcophagus mask of a woman's face, made from layers of plaster-covered papyrus and painted with bright pigments. The visage is painted in hues of yellow ochre, black, and white atop a layer of gesso. The dramatic eyes are outlined with stark black pupils to mimic kohl cosmetic eyeliner. She bears an aquiline nose above thin lips in an enigmatic smile. Her coiffure is arranged atop her head and painted in black, swirling lines representing strands of hair under an ochre wreath of laurel leaves. The ground color of the face is a yellow ochre with traces gilding on the surface. Her ears and neck are adorned with beaded jewelry. A shift towards more naturalistic features, as seen here, reflects the profound change that the Greco-Roman world brought to Egypt. Depictions of a deceased person's distinctive face, full head, or body replaced the stylized art of dynastic Egypt. This lovely lady is a outstanding example of funerary art. Size: 7. 215" L x 5. 75" W (18. 3 cm x 14. 6 cm); 10" H (25. 4 cm) on included custom stand. . A mask like this would have been placed over the face and fastened into the linen wrappings of a mummy. Death masks were created for the soul to recognize the body and return to it, and so masks were made in the relative likeness of the deceased. Such portrait masks are significant, because they demonstrate conclusively that Greco-Roman individuals represented in encaustic paintings also subscribed to traditional Egyptian beliefs about the afterlife. . . Interestingly, Roman Egypt was a multicultural society, and this provided great resources for portraiture. The sculptural style and painting technique of this example, for instance, speaks to Greco-Roman traditions of realism with sensitive modeling that allows for shadows and highlights on the face. What's more, since virtually no paintings from the ancient Greeks have survived, mummy portraits - both paintings and painted masks like this example - are the only examples that can point to one of the purportedly highest achievements of Greek culture. Furthermore, the clothing, jewelry, and hairstyles depicted present fashions that embraced eastern Mediterranean preferences. . This piece has been searched against the Art Loss Register database and has been cleared. The Art Loss Register maintains the world’s largest database of stolen art, collectibles, and antiques. . . Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection, 2000s; ex-private Scottsdale, Arizona, USA collection. . All items legal to buy/sell under U. S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. . . A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. . We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience. . #164565 Condition Fragment of a larger section. Repaired with large piece reattached on upper right corner and visible break line. Chipping and fading of paint. Light mineral and earthen encrustations to verso. Good preservation of facial features.
Sigurd Skou (Norwegian/New York, 1875-1929), "The Old Silver Set", oil on canvas laid on board, signed lower right, labels with artist and title en verso, 34 in. x 34 in., framed. Note: Sigurd Skou was born in Norway in 1875, and by the age of 18, he had immigrated to the United States. He was involved in several art clubs throughout the United States and France, including as a founding member of the Grand Central Art Galleries in New York City along with other illustrious artists such as John Singer Sargent and Walter Leighton Clark. Later in his career, Skou worked as an artist and illustrator traveling between Chicago, New York and Concarneau, France. The painting offered here showcases Skou?s skill in layering paint to create depth and texture in the fabrics of the background and reflections of light on the smooth surface of the silver service.
G. Harvey (1933-2017); The Country Post Office (1982): . G. Harvey (1933-2017). The Country Post Office (1982). oil on canvas. 24 x 40 inches. signed and dated lower left. . VERSO. Titled, artist’s stamp, and “#4902”. . Randy Best wrote, “G. Harvey’s art has intrigued and captivated a generation. The appeal is broad-based, finding meaning in the hearts of diverse groups and categories of collectors. He paints the memory of a rainy afternoon; of a lonely child confined to a screened porch at the end of a country lane; a bent, rough-handed, balding cowboy’s memory of a springtime when he sat tall in the saddle and rode stirrup-deep through fields of wildflowers along a Texas draw. His canvas reveals the last hours of a holiday evening and the afterglow of twilight; the warmth of a father’s hand while standing on a busy city street corner; and the reflection of a thousand lights dazzling the eyes of a little girl visiting a great city for the first time. You can feel the crunch of fresh snow and being dressed warmly for a cold wintry morn, as we look through a peep-hole back on an age of innocence - an age when lovers sat holding hands in a buckboard, and Model T. ’s clattered across the rails of streetcars. “We find in his paintings a tranquility - a time when we did not lock the doors to our houses, and strong, willing hands helped us up when we fell. G. Harvey paints the spirit of America, from its western hills and prairies to the commerce of its great cities. His paintings give depth and dimension to scenes that move across, into and out of his living canvases. ” Dimension Condition Surface condition is excellent. No signs of inpainting.
Iron City Real Beer 170-04 Cone Top Can: Reference: USBC I 170-4. Brewery: Pittsburgh Brewing Co. , Pittsburgh, PA. Manufacturer/Plant: Continental Can Co. Date of manufacture: Circa early 1950s. Contents/Type: 12 oz. Condition/Comments: Silver trim version. A little tarnish/spotting to the silver but overall very clean for this can. Note that the black spot in the silver above Real is a reflection, not spotting. Light scratch across red label on face. Iron City crown. Condition See description
SEGUY, E. A. Prismes. 40 brilliant color pochoir plates. Folio, publisher's cloth-backed pochoir boards, worn; internally fine. Paris: Moreau, circa 1930
An uncommon Seguy title. The plates show the natural reflections of light against objects including crystal clusters and botanical designs, interpreted in bold, colorful forms.
Dennis Sheehan (American, b. 1950), "Evening Path", oil on canvas depicting Impressionistic view of stand of trees, pastures, and sandy path, signed "Sheehan" LR, title inscribed in pen along bottom stretcher verso, isolated gilt and frame paint spatter mostly along margins, small white scratches LR, gilt frame, not examined out of frame, ss: 15 1/2" h. x 19 1/2" w. [Sheehan describes his artistic philosophy in the following terms: "My goal is to have the painting emanate light, rather than be just a surface that records the reflection of light...the light areas are focal points of this effort, but the power comes from the shadows."]
Ray Howlett - Fanning: Exclusive on Bidsquare Signed, 2001, Coated glass and mirror with electric light, 26. 5h x 9w x 9d. The American artist Ray Howlett is a pioneer of infinity light sculpture. He has been creating dichroic glass light sculptures for almost half a century. First experimenting with dichroic glass in 1973, Howlett was intrigued with structural optics and electric light that yielded an array of reflections and by 1978 had developed his sophisticated, personalized technique that we now associate with his name. Howlett’s sculptures are characterized by their cascading colors, complex geometries, organic symmetries, and by the illusion, they create of an expansive space within them. The sculptures are interactive and viewer kinetic, as the spectator moves around the sculpture, using their own time and space to create the famous Howlett shifts in composition and color inside the transparent sculpture. The contrast between the fixed physical dimension and expanded optical dimension creates an undeniably sublime sensation. The works emphasize a limited physical space containing an unlimited virtual space, addressing Howlett's fascination with illusions in which "the space inside the sculpture looks to be larger than the outside 3-dimensional measurements. "He has created a totally original art form that explores the possibilities of light as a perceptual phenomenon. His art has shown in 25 solo museum exhibitions and can be seen in 25 museum permanent collections. Ray Howlett was born in Lincoln, Nebraska in 1940. Earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Nebraska in 1963. Condition Excellent Overall Dimensions Unit: Height: 0. 00 Width: 0. 00 Depth: 0. 00 Weight: 0. 00
Chinese Han Dynasty Terracotta Standing Guardian Figure: East Asia, China, West Han Dynasty, ca. 206 BCE to 8 CE. A large, hand-built pottery human figure with lengthy, delineated legs. The figure stands nude with male genitalia beneath a slender torso, lightly rounded pectoral muscles, recessed mortises for articulated arms, and a slender neck. The bulbous head features almond-shaped eyes, a petite nose with flared nostrils, thin, pursed lips with recessed corners, and tab-shaped ears, all beneath a coiffure drawn back into a bun. The pale orange-slipped body imbues the figure with a flesh-like presentation, and the nude nature suggests the legs, body, and original wooden arms were at one time covered in additional textile clothing or armor. A tall and finely constructed example of ancient Han funerary traditions! Size: 3. 625" W x 23. 1" H (9. 2 cm x 58. 7 cm); 23. 375" H (59. 4 cm) on included custom stand. . This figure is of the type from Yangling. Yangling Mausoleum was constructed near Xi'an, Shaanxi province, in central eastern China, which during the Zhou, Qin, Western Han, and Tang dynasties was the eastern end of the Silk Road and home to their ruling houses. The Han Dynasty was a period of wealth and stability for China, and the burial places of their rulers reflected this prosperity. Yangling consisted of two massive burial mounds and contained more than 50, 000 miniature terracotta figures who reflected the daily life of the Emperor's court, including warriors clad in full armor, like this figure probably was, servants, eunuchs, animals, and models of important buildings like granaries. The creation of all these pottery figures spawned a huge industry and the remains of workshops have also been found near the burial mounds. . . Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection. . All items legal to buy/sell under U. S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. . . A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. . We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience. . #148402 Condition Repaired from multiple large pieces, with light restoration, resurfacing, and overpainting along break lines. Original arms and clothing missing. Minor chips and abrasions to legs, body, and head, with softening to some finer details particularly on face, fading to original pigmentation, and light encrustations. Nice earthen deposits throughout.
BRASS STUDENT CANDLE LAMP Mid-19th CenturyWith brass conical-form reflective shade directing light to student's paperwork. Height 11.5."ConditionDent at the back of the foot.
Pair NY Classical Stenciled Rosewood Card Tables: with cross-banded "D" shaped folding tops on substantial gilt acanthus carved standards, quadruped carved paw footed gilt highlighted base with ebonized paw feet. Lifting to veneer of one, light wear and small losses to gilt surfaces. 29" high, 36" wide, 18" deep closed, 36" deep open. Provenance: Property of a Connecticut Private Collector. Condition Any condition information included in our lot descriptions is not the equivalent of a written condition statement, and the absence of condition information does not imply that the lot is free of defects. Our auction lot descriptions reflect our effort to provide accurate, objective and fair information on all lots for sale, and we encourage bidders to request written condition statements and large file images on any lots of interest by emailing condition@woodburyauction. com. We also strongly advise that you or someone on your behalf inspect the lot personally before bidding. All lots are sold "as is" and "where is" and neither we nor any consignor makes any warranties or representation of any kind or nature with respect to the property. There are no returns and no refunds based on condition Overall Dimensions Unit: Height: 0. 00 Width: 0. 00 Depth: 0. 00 Weight: 0. 00
FRAMED PERSIAN MINIATURE/BATTLE SCENEpigments on paper, not examined out of frame. Light water stains. Frame size: 16" high, 13" wide. Provenance: Property of a CT Estate.
Condition:
Any condition information included in our lot descriptions is not the equivalent of a written condition statement, and the absence of condition information does not imply that the lot is free of defects. Our auction lot descriptions reflect our effort to provide accurate, objective and fair information on all lots for sale, and we encourage bidders to request written condition statements and large file images on any lots of interest by emailing condition@woodburyauction.com. We also strongly advise that you or someone on your behalf inspect the lot personally before bidding. All lots are sold "as is" and "where is" and neither we nor any consignor makes any warranties or representation of any kind or nature with respect to the property. There are no returns and no refunds based on condition
13. Jeweled Gold and Enamel Dress Cane -Ca 1900 -Slightly tapering engine turned and translucent pale pink enameled silver knob embellished with two y: Exclusive on Bidsquare 13. Jeweled Gold and Enamel Dress Cane -Ca 1900 -Slightly tapering engine turned and translucent pale pink enameled silver knob embellished with two yellow gold bands set with half pearls and a larger rose cut diamond on the top, closed pored deep black ebony shaft and a metal ferrule. A Russian identity is apparent on the profile of this cane from the glorious Romanov Imperial days and possibly Fabergé. It impresses with its balanced harmony and perfect execution and symbolizes better, than any other, the luxury spirit of the fin de siècle. -H. 1 ¼” x ¾”, O. L. 37 ¼” -For similar pieces authenticated as Fabergé, see the WMFA?Virginia Museum of Fine Arts , Fabergé Collection -$2, 000-$3, 000 -The industrial revolution brought new technological developments and facilitated engine turning and the production of enameled cane knobs and handles. Engine turning, also often called guilloché, is done with a rose-engine machine or decoration lathe, which cuts grooves in geometric patterns. It was used to adorn the cases of pocket watches and other small items and also to create printing plates for stock and bond certificates. Because the pattern is engraved, the reflection of light is enhanced, and its brilliance can be seen as the pieces are moved at different angles. Engine turning is very delicate and requires sophisticated equipment and high skill. This technique was developed in the 18th century and died out after World War One. -Enamel is a smooth, glassy, protective or decorative medium that can be fused on to a metal, glass or ceramic surface by firing and generally pairs well with engine turning. Enamel colors are made out of powdered glass and pigmented metallic oxides such as gold, copper and manganese suspended in an oily medium. During firing, the oily medium burns away and the others fuse together. In enamelware, colored enamel pastes are applied to a metal body by various techniques and then fired. In basse-taille or low relief enameling, a design is carved on the body and the whole area is covered with one or more layers of translucent enamels. In champlevé enameling, the ground is cut away and the hollows filled with the enamel paste, leaving the raised areas free.
HELMHOLTZ, Hermann Ludwig Ferdinand von (1821-1894).Beschreibung eines Augen-Spiegels zur Untersuchung der Netzhaut im lebenden Auge. Berlin: A. Förstner'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, 1851. 8vo (9 x 5 1/2 inches; 230 x 140 mm). Engraved plate by Afinger after Helmholtz. Original yellow printed wrappers, modern red morocco-backed box. Condition : Light spotting to text, wrapper lightly stained. the first edition of helmholtz’s announcement of his invention of the opthalmoscope “which made it possible for the first time to study the fundus, the optic nerve and the blood vessels of the living eye, and vastly improved the capacity for diagnosing pathological conditions” (Norman Library). Helmholtz designed this important instrument, after his friend professor Ernst Brücke showed him that eyes could be made to glow with diffused reflected light, helmholtz realizing that the reflected light could give one an image of the retina if magnified, hence the opthalmoscope. Garrison & Morton 5866; Grolier 100 Medicine 65; Heirs of Hippocrates (1980 ed.) 1009; Norman Library 1041; Waller 4294.
LUIGI LUCIONI (American, 1900-1988) INTERIOR ROOM SCENE. Large oil on canvas scene shows mahogany gate leg table with one half round leaf up displaying a group of items. Included is a blue and white vase, pitcher, cup, a multi-colored sugar bowl, brown teapot, a plate with apple, a tapestry throw and a fancy silver mirror with reflections of a girl. On each side of the table are two windows with sheer curtains. Light cascades on arrangement with shadow reflections on wall. Signed lower right “Luigi Lucioni”. Housed in a gesso decorated gilt frame. SIZE: 30” x 72”. CONDITION: Very good. 9-26952
Chinese Han Dynasty Terracotta Guardian Figure: East Asia, China, West Han Dynasty, ca. 206 BCE to 8 CE. A large, hand-built terracotta human figure with lengthy, delineated legs. The figure stands nude with male genitalia beneath a slender torso and features lightly rounded pectoral muscles, recessed mortises for articulated arms, and a slender neck. The bulbous head features almond-shaped eyes, a petite nose, full lips, and tall ears, all beneath a centrally parted coiffure that is drawn into a bun on the verso. The red-orange slip pigment imbues the figure with a fleshy presentation, and the nude nature suggests the legs, body, and original wooden arms were covered in additional textile clothing or armor at one time. Size: 3. 65" W x 23. 875" H (9. 3 cm x 60. 6 cm). . This figure is of the type from Yangling. Yangling Mausoleum was constructed near Xi'an, Shaanxi province, in central eastern China, which during the Zhou, Qin, Western Han, and Tang dynasties was the eastern end of the Silk Road and home to their ruling houses. The Han Dynasty was a period of wealth and stability for China, and the burial places of their rulers reflected this prosperity. Yangling consisted of two massive burial mounds and contained more than 50, 000 miniature terracotta figures who reflected the daily life of the Emperor's court, including warriors clad in full armor, like this figure probably was, servants, eunuchs, animals, and models of important buildings like granaries. The creation of all these pottery figures spawned a huge industry and the remains of workshops have also been found near the burial mounds. . . Provenance: private J. H. collection, Beaverton, Oregon, USA, acquired in December 2012; ex-St. Johns Art & Antiques, Vancouver, Washington, USA. . All items legal to buy/sell under U. S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. . . A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. . We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience. . #151890 Condition Repaired from multiple pieces with heavy restoration to feet, legs, body, and head, with resurfacing and overpainting over most surfaces, new material, and break lines. Original arms and clothing missing. Nicks and abrasions to legs, body, and head, with fading to areas of original pigment, softening to some facial details, and light encrustations. Nice traces of original pigment and light root marks throughout.
LUIGI LUCIONI (American, 1900-1988) INTERIOR ROOM SCENE. Large oil on canvas scene shows mahogany gateleg table with one half round leaf up displaying a group of items. Included is a blue and white vase, pitcher, cup, a multi-colored sugar bowl, brown teapot, a plate with apple, a tapestry throw and a fancy silver mirror with reflections of a girl. On each side of the table are two windows with sheer curtains. Light cascades on arrangement with shadow reflections on wall. Signed lower right “Luigi Lucioni”. Housed in a gesso decorated gilt frame. PROVENANCE: Originated from a Vermont Estate. SIZE: 30” x 72”. CONDITION: Very good. 9-98979
Otto Weber (German, 1832-1888) "The Horse Market", oil on canvas, 48" x 70", signed lower right "O. Weber", verso retains partial label en verso "Otto Weber/Rillestrag?/Parlag No. 9 ?". Presented in a period carved giltwood frame. This painting was exhibited in the Maryland Historical Society's Seventh Exhibition of Paintings held in 1868. The lot is accompanied by a copy of the exhibition catalogue that lists the painting as number 82 and the owner as J. H. Meredith. A review of the exhibition from a newspaper clipping states "Amongst the critics who have visited the rooms, the opinion is nearly universal that the 'Horse Market' by Otto Weber is really the great thing. It was purchased in Berlin by Mr. J. H. Meredith, a few years since, and has been loaned to the Exposition. In the foreground are a large number of figures, and the grouping of them, the expression of the faces, the delicate tints of coloring, and the reflection of light upon the houses in the background, combine to form a picture whereupon the eye and taste may feast long and constantly discover new beauties".
PAL (JEAN DE PALEOLOGUE) LA LOIE FULLER. Circa 1895.
48x32 3/4 inches. Paul Dupont, Paris.
Condition B+: sharp vertical and horizontal folds; creases and abrasions in image. Framed.
One of five posters Pal designed for the American performer turned Parisian music hall star. Of all his images for her, this one best captures her famous effect of having lights reflected off her twirling robes. Reims 944, Abdy p. 59.
LEONARDO NIERMAN ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONIST PAINTING New York, Mexico,b.1932Realistic depiction of folded and creased aluminum foil reflecting various colored lights. Nierman has had major exhibitions in the United States, Italy, Israel, Australia, Spain and Japan.
KYU-BAIK HWANG, SOUTH KOREAN (B. 1932), NAIL AND GRASS, ETCHING, 30"H X 22"WKyu-Baik Hwang, South Korean, (b. 1932) Nail and Grass, etching Numbered (15/75) lower left, titled lower middle, signed lower right. Born in Pusan in 1932, Kyu-Baik Hwang was by 1968 a well-established painter in Korea when he decided to seek new challenges in Europe. In Paris, he studied art history at the Ecole du Louvre and printmaking at the celebrated Atelier 17. Working with founder Stanley Hayter, among the most innovative and influential printmakers of the 20th century, Hwang mastered various intaglio techniques. By the time he moved to New York City in 1970, where he was to reside for thirty years, Hwang was primarily working in color mezzotint, a print medium to which he now devotes himself exclusively. With soft lighting and colors at once vivid and subdued, Hwang depicts familiar objects in surreal settings: chairs on the lawn cast shadows on what appear to be grey skies behind; reflections of a crescent moon peek from soup bowls on the grass; a wedge of watermelon floats among rolling hills of green. His "superb prints" present "a serene world of unexpected classical calm" while offering the viewer "new meanings, new recognitions, of the realities found in (them)" (Gordon Gilkey, Curator of Prints and Drawings, Portland Art Museum). Twice prize winner at the Ljublijana Print Biennale in the former Yugoslavia, and prize winner at the Bradford Print Biennale, England, Hwang has had numerous solo exhibitions in Japan, Korea, Yugoslavia, Germany, France, Norway, England and the United States. His work is found in the collections of The Art Institute of Chicago; the Museum of Modern Art, New York; the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; The British Museum, London; The National Gallery, Oslo; the Uffizi Museum, Italy; and the Museé d'Art Moderne, Paris, inter al. etching Dimensions: 30"H x 22"W
Framed 18th C. European Portrait Painting of Gentleman: European, Stuart (perhaps British or European), "Portrait of a Gentleman, in grey coat with green vest", oil on canvas, ca. 1765 CE. A very large 3/4 length portrait of a gentleman donning a fine buttoned grey jacket and mint green vest with a lacy cravat. Middle aged, clean shaven, and donning a fashionable powder white curled wig, the gentleman presents costume and hair style characteristic of the mid-18th century. He looks out toward the viewer with a realistically delineated visage, and his double chin bespeaks of his wealth and privilege. The background is painted in warm russet red hues that complement the sitter quite nicely. The intricately carved gilded frame was created by James Bourlet & Sons - a framemaker extablished in 1828 - as per the label on the verso. Given the style of the portrait, it may be English or French, reframed in England. Size: 30. 25" L x 25. 25" W (76. 8 cm x 64. 1 cm); 40. 75" L x 34. 75" W (103. 5 cm x 88. 3 cm) including frame. . During the mid-18th century, style was characterized by intricate details and luxurious fabrics reflective of the Rococo artistic tastes of the period. This gentleman's fanciful grey coat with its generous collar and many buttons over his green vest and white dress shirt with lace frill cascading down the front demonstrate the opulence favored during this period. His short, curled, white powdered wig was also quite fashionable in the mid-18th century. High fashion and fastidious tailoring were quite important to the upper class. . Label on verso of stretcher bars reads, "STUART - 109 - Portrait of a Gentleman, in grey coat with green vest - 29 1/2 in By 24 1/2 in. " Label on verso of frame for "James Bourlet & Sons - a framemaker established in 1828. . . Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection. . All items legal to buy/sell under U. S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. . . A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. . We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience. . #144701 Condition Painting shows a few minute losses to pigment around the peripheries, but these are not readily visible to the naked eye. Rather they are visible under blue light. Nice craquelure to the face and areas of the coat. Colors of the pigments are still nice and vivid. Overall the painting is in very good condition. The frame shows minor scuffs here and there, and there are some partial intentional perforations to verso of the frame, but in general the frame is very good with liberal gilding . Label on verso reads, "STUART - 109 - Portrait of a Gentleman, in grey coat with green vest - 29 1/2 in By 24 1/2 in. " Label on frame for "James Bourlet & Sons - a framemaker extablished in 1828. Original stretchers show some inactive insect wear. There are minor tears to the canvas wrapped over the stretchers. Some remains of old gallery tape around the back stretchers. Newer metal clips to secure the painting to the frame on the back. Verso of canvas shows normal darkening.
MASSIVE ROMAN MARBLE TRAPEZOPHORON W/ LION HEAD & PAWRoman, Imperial Period, ca. 2nd century CE. A handsome, large marble table leg, also known as a trapezophoron, with a giant clawed foot, leg joint, and smooth body that widens to a fierce lion's head. The mane is carved onto the leg below the lion's projecting snout and radiates outward around the heavy head, which features small ears, deep-set eyes, a furrowed brow, and a mouth full of sharp teeth with the tongue between them. Above and behind the lion is a plinth and support. Imagine the size and grandeur of the table that this leg once supported! Size: 8.1" L x 6.75" W x 30.25" H (20.6 cm x 17.1 cm x 76.8 cm); 33.75" H (85.7 cm) on included custom stand.
Feline-headed table supports were a sign of wealth and refinement in ancient Rome, and several examples of different styles are known, although most, unlike this one, have been restored. Perhaps the most famous are the three found with a round marble tabletop in the house of Cornelius Rufus in Pompeii, which stood behind the impluvium, the area of a Roman house usually lined with marble and designed to carry away rainwater. Tables like this one were designed to support a display of vases, oil lamps, and other household treasures. These legged tables were not always tripods - other examples found at Pompeii were two- and four-legged. Fascinatingly, many of these table legs - the ones not frozen in time by volcanic eruptions - took on a life of their own, long after their original owners commissioned them. For example, some have been found from the medieval period in cities that were not in existence during the Roman period, no doubt carried there by people who found the ruins of a Roman villa and were struck by the beauty of the Roman's artwork.
Cf. "Reflections of the Past." Fortuna Fine Arts, Ltd., 2001, pg. 39; a more dramatic but partially restored example at Christie's that sold in 2008 for GBP 84,500 (approximately USD 110,000); and a similar but restored example at the British Museum, museum number 1805,0703.454
Provenance: East Coast collection, New York Gallery, New York City, New York, USA, acquired before 2010
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.
Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.
#143887
Condition:
Intact and unrestored. Weathered surface with some light deposits. Losses to upper plinth and the lion's snout, with surface wear commensurate with age overall.