COMPLIMENTARY COPY
New Exhibition Explores Works By Visionary Porcelain Modeler
FRIDAY JANUARY 22, 2016 • VOL. 47, NO. 4
Holiday “Surprises” At Bertoia’s $1.8 Million Auction What’s an auctioneer’s first clue that a sale is going to be a barnburner? “Running out of catalogues,” answered Bertoia Auctions associate Rich Bertoia, referring, in particular, to the company’s Nov. 13 through 15 Holiday Surprises auction, which grossed $1,867,000. “It was the diversity and quality of the goods that caused the rush on catalogs. With every passing week in the run-up to the sale, more and more catalogs were leaving the gallery. I knew we would run out, which is very unusual for us because we always make sure we publish a bumper supply. So that no one would be disappointed, in the two weeks prior to the auction, if someone called about a particular category in the sale, we would mail them a color copy of the catalog section that interested them,” said Bertoia. Inside the thick, full-color catalog with a cheery Santa-in-sleigh toy on the cover were 2,240 lots of premiumquality toys, trains, banks, dolls, bears, games, doorstops and holiday antiques. And there were scores of buyers for each and every one of the categories. “Everything was in demand, but European handpainted tin was exceptionally strong,” said Bertoia. “I would say one-fourth of it was shipped back to Europe
The Bunker Hill cast-iron mechanical bank, one of fewer than five known, sold for $10,620.
“Miniature World in White Gold: Meissen Porcelain by Johann Joachim Kaendler” is a new exhibition exploring the career of this innovative porcelain modeler and runs through January of 2017, at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art in Hartford, Conn. The exhibition, assembled from the museum’s collections, showcases a broad
range of finely detailed porcelain figures created by Kaendler over his 44 years as a modeler at the Meissen Porcelain Factory in Germany. The exhibition is organized by Vanessa Sigalas, Dangremond Resarch Fellow for European Art and Decorative Arts at the Wadsworth Atheneum. Johann Joachim Kaendler was one of the most visionary artists in the history of porcelain, creating more than 2,000 models over the
French toy sold for $8,260. All prices quoted are inclusive of buyer’s premium. The top lot of the sale was Lot 297A, a 30inch-long Marklin “Olga” battleship, which sailed across the Atlantic to a European bidder for $29,500.
A Meier (German) lithographed tin Father Christmas penny toy sold for $5,015. Although diminutive, the penny toys that crossed the auction block required many pennies, indeed, to be purchased during the opening session. A German Meier lithographed tin Father Christmas penny toy more than fulfilled expectations when it sold for $5,015. Cast iron performed well. Lot 750 was a circa-1929 Arcade “White” delivery panel van with advertising for “Peerless Cleaning & Dyeing” and sped past its $10,000-$12,000
Martyn Gregory Gallery To Hold First Exhibition In New York on page 10
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and three-fourths went to American buyers. Lot 73 was a Fernand Martin “Parisian Woman” clockwork toy in elegant attire, looked ready for a stroll down the Avenue des ChampsElysees. The scarce This German Santa and reindeer candy container, 17-inches tall, sold for $6,490.
AAN Current News
Fooled By Fakes Flow Blue - Old Versus New on page 13
The “Roller with Squirrel” is from the Meissen Porcelain Factory, model by Johann Joachim Kaendler, circa 1739, hard-paste porcelain,Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917.1277.
The “Teapot” is from the Meissen Porcelain Factory, model by Johann Joachim Kaendler, circa 1753, hard-paste porcelain,Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917.1287.
David Burliuk Painting Sells For $24,000 At Cordier Auctions Cordier Auctions Fall Antique and Fine Art Auction was held Nov. 14 and 15 in Harrisburg, Pa. Highlights of the sale included a painting by David Burliuk (RussianAmerican 1882-1967) selling for $24,000; a portrait of Grigory Gagarin (1810-93) which sold for $14,000; a 8.24 ctw diamond pendant ($7,500), and a Chinese Qing rock crystal covered urn ($4,500).
Prices quoted are hammer prices and do not include buyer’s premium. Day one of the auction featured fine jewelry including an 8.24 ctw diamond pendant having a 2.72 carat emerald cut center stone ($7,500) and a 5.9 ctw diamond and pearl pendant in the form of a flower ($4,700) that both sold to bidders in the salesroom. A Mario Buccellati 18-carat and pink sapphire dress set sold after heavy bidA 1894 Morgan ding for $2,500, and an Illinois Bunn silver dollar pocket PCGS PR64 sold Special for $4,500.
The Original 166th Semi-Annual York Antiques Show And Sale on page 14
Heritage Auctions Posts 2015 Results With $860 Million Year on page 14
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These three Chinese Famille Rose porcelain plaques sold for $4,500.
A Short Exploration Of Jewelry Through The Eras: 18th- To Mid-20th Century
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In This Issue The circa 1929 Arcade “White” delivery panel van with “Peerless” ad sold for $21,240.
The Pennsylvania Chippendale fall-front desk sold for $4,000.
David Burliuk’s “Winter’s Tale” sold for $24,000.
SHOPS, SHOWS & MARKETS . . . . . . . . . . starting on page 3 SHOPS DIRECTORY . . . . . . . . . on page 4 AUCTIONEER DIRECTORY . . . . . on page 8 EVENT & AUCTION CALENDAR . on page 7
FEATURED AUCTION: Morphy Auctions - January 30 and 31 in Las Vegas, Nevada - page 9
AUCTION SALE BILLS . . . starting on page 7 CLASSIFIEDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . on page 15