Mastro Auctions will conduct a live “Connoisseur” event at 10:00 am on Saturday, December 13, at company headquarters: 7900 S. Madison, Burr Ridge, Illinois. A preview is scheduled on Friday, November 24 from 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m., and private previews may be arranged by appointment. Call 630-472-1200 for more information. The more than 500 lots will provide an outstanding array of fine collectibles. Sections of the auction will be dedicated to: Decorative art, Lalique glass, fine art, luxury goods and gifts, perfume bottle and historical items.

According to Doug Allen, COO and President of Mastro Auctions, one of the key areas to watch in this event is the Lalique category. “The response to the Lalique items we have offered in the past has been extremely encouraging,” says Allen. “As we have continued to record solid prices for these items and expand our reach into this market, we have continued to increase the number and variety of high quality consignments in this collecting genre. Lalique collectors will find this auction especially exciting.”

Specific highlights of the live December 2008 Connoisseur auction include:

LALIQUE GLASS

1937 Lalique Opalescent Chrysis Mascot
This is a very rarely seen and highly desirable opalescent version of Rene Lalique’s classic automobile mascot design, one of only two featuring a full female nude. Chrysis is considered an icon of the Age of Elegant Motoring and emblem of the Age of Speed. It remains one of Rene Lalique’s most popular Art Deco designs. The Lalique Company has produced versions for over eighty years in clear, amber and even black glass, but nothing approaches the luminescence and latent energy evoked by opalescence. Height 5 ½ in. Mp. 505, No. 1183. Minimum bid $25,000.

Bacchantes Vase, Opal, Base
Vase Bacchantes is widely considered Rene Lalique’s crowning achievement as a glassmaker. The timeless design brings the ancient world of classical mythology onto the cutting edge of glass design in a modern era. The offered lot is one of the few opalescent Bacchantes vases that can still be found today. It is presented in very fine condition with deep opalescence heightened by an effective touch of blue patina. An opalescent Bacchantes vase on this base holds the world record for the model at auction, selling recently in London for over $90,000.00. Overall height 12 ¾ in. Mp. 438, No. 997. Minimum bid $20,000.

Amber Suzanne on Base
Few Suzanne statuettes were produced in color or opalescent glass. The offered example combines both into a highly successful ‘butterscotch’ appearance. This example is a superb, untouched original condition with full base and extremely fine molded detail, including crisp signature lower rear. It is presented on a bronze base of ‘Peacock’ pattern, suitable for illumination (not fitted). Mp. 399, Overall height on base 11in. Minimum bid $12,000.

Sirenes/Bouchon Vase, Clear/Sepia – Meplat
This is an exceptionally scarce and decorative creation by Rene Lalique, who conceived this vase using elements perfected in perfume bottle design, including a large scale version of his famous ‘Amphritite’ stopper. It is in exceptional condition with finely formed figural details on body and stopper, all finished in warmly toned original sepia patina and engraved with full signature including design number. Height 14 in. Mp. 411, No. 883. Minimum bid $10.000.

Acanthes Vase, Blue
This large and bold vase design is from Rene Lalique’s earliest range of mold-blown vases, made possible by the new factory at Wingen opened in 1921. Lalique has wrapped the acanthus plant around the bulbous body, highlighting the thorny leaves with frosted finish. As further contrast, the body is polished to a high gloss, especially effective in this rare color evocative of a Mediterranean sea. It is a scarce example of Lalique’s large, colored vases. Height 11 in. Mp. 417, No. 902. Minimum bid $10,000.

Tourterelles, Opal/Blue
Among Rene Lalique’s most appealing and romantic vase concepts, ‘Tourterelles’ features a pair of superbly modeled turtle doves locked in the embrace that earned them the nickname ‘lovebirds’, on an elegantly formed, egg-shape base. This example is in fine condition with strong opalescence, pale bluish patina, original cover and clear, engraved signature. Height 11 ½ in. Mp. 431, No. 963. Minimum bid $6,000.

1921 R. Lalique “Trois Sirenes” Inkwell with Original Cover in Opalescent Glass
This is the largest and most spectacular from Rene Lalique’s range of seventeen inkwell designs created from 1912 to 1927. This model is rarely found in any state, and is especially scarce with the original domical cover. It is engraved “R. Lalique France” and attractively finished with subtle blue patina. Mp. 317, No. 435. Diameter 9-1/4in. Minimum bid $5,000.

Sultane Box/Cover
Here is an exceedingly scarce figural cigar box featuring an alluring harem temptress as the finial. It is generally in very good condition and excellent presentation, with warmly toned sepia patina and bold, wheel-cut signature. Height 5 ¾ in., box 5 ½ in square. Mp. 239, No. 83. Minimum bid $4,000.

Pair Swans on Mirror
This superb and classic design was conceived by Rene Lalique in 1944. It was inspired by swans at his country estate outside Paris. The swans are becoming increasingly difficult to find (and expensive) from Lalique at retail. They are presented in excellent condition with clear signatures. Length of mirror 28 in. Minimum bid $3,000.

FINE ART

F Remington Painting
Seven black laborers toil on a road project in this original oil painting attributed to the Western master, Frederic Remington (1861-1909). Three of the men are tasked with carrying trays of bricks, two men smooth the dirt with rake and shovel, and the last two men crouch to place the bricks in parallel rows. The oil-on-board artwork is of a haunting, grisaille style, rendered in a limited palette favored by Remington—tones of gray, brown, and black. Its dimensions are 12-1/2″ x 14″, and it is housed in an antique, gold-bordered, cloth-matted frame. The artist’s distinctive, meticulous signature resides at lower right, “Frederic Remington.” Minimum bid $15,000.

Madsion Portrait by Morse
The fourth President spent much of his life and career living reverently in the deep and powerful shadow of Thomas Jefferson, eventually retiring to a Virginia tobacco plantation near Monticello. Upon Jefferson’s death on July 4th, 1826, nine years after his two-term presidency, Madison continued his homage by assuming the role of Rector at Jefferson’s University of Virginia, and held the position until his death a decade later. It is likely the offered portrait was prepared in honor of this appointment, and depicts a 77 year-old statesman in the somber tones and garb befitting his new position. The recently discovered offered portrait is not a magnificent or academically styled work comparable to Morse’s likenesses of Lafayette. It is the work of Morse as a humble, journeyman commercial portraitist, probably created in studio conditions involving the painting in of background by assistants, and certainly not resulting in a large fee. It remains however, a historically significant and highly compelling work, painted at the confluence of two uniquely American careers, one near its end and one heading definitively upstream. The canvas verso is boldly stenciled ‘NY’ in oval on reverse and inscribed by hand: “James Madison, Rector of the University of Virginia, 1826. Painted by Samuel F.B. Morse of the National Academy of Design, N.Y.” Minimum bid $10,000.

1939 World’s Fair Bronze “Abe Lincoln, Rail Joiner” by Louis Slobodkin
Few images portray Abraham Lincoln before his presidential years, and this may be the only representation of him as a young man before he embarked on a political career. This remarkable tribute was created for the Federal Building at the New York World’s Fair of 1939. The original was tragically destroyed following the fair, but a copy was commissioned the following year for display at the Department of the Interior in Washington, D.C., where it remains today. This offering presents a rare opportunity to acquire an authentic example of this important sculpture in desktop scale. Signed “L. Slobodkin,” the item is in a very fine state with rich brown patina. Height 8.5″. Minimum bid $2,500.

LUXURY GOODS AND GIFTS

1980s Asprey Falcon Bookends in Crystal, 18K Gold, Diamonds, Rubies
Commissioned by a Prince (at a value exceeding $120,000), these magnificent bookends each present a Peregrine falcon comprised of hand cut rock crystal, mounted in 18K gold, perched on a black marble base, which has minor flaking to the finish. The bird’s eyes are set with large rubies and the beaks are covered in diamonds. Offered in fine condition, they are in the original chamois lined presentation case. Minimum bid $18,000.

c.1911 Tiffany & Co. 18K Gold Fountain Pen - Used at 1911 Inauguration of New York Governor John Alden Dix.
The pen is hand crafted in a classic style, with a detailed rendering of the arms of New York (adopted 1778), and a foliate oval frames the inscription: “This gold pen and holder was used by the Honorable John A. Dix upon his taking the oath of office as forty-first Governor of the State of New York at Albany on January 1, 1911″. The pen is set with a ruby and a pearl. The nib is marked 14K- Tiffany & Co.- New York. It is presented in its original Tiffany box with legend on cover. Minimum bid $7,500.

c.1906 Tiffany & Co. 18K Gold Picture Frame
This luxurious Tiffany & Co. photo frame is made of 18K gold, with doors inspired by the grand ironwork gates of financial institutions of the time, with elaborately chased moldings and three dimensional open work flourishes on the doors. It is presented in excellent condition. Marked Tiffany & Co. 5870 Makers 18KT, and inscribed ‘February 19th, 1906.” Minimum bid $7,500.

c.1910 Gorham 14K Gold Picture Frame
The Gorham silver company of Providence, Rhode Island, is recognized for generations of quality silver, but little is seen of their gold production (1895 to 1915), which was made in response to special orders. This 14K gold photo frame with easel is engraved to resemble striped French fabric with floral garlands. Marked Gorham, 14 KT, and numbered. Height 9 3/8 in. Minimum bid $3,000.

1993 Hermes Large Birkin Bag for Travel
The “Huat a Courroies” is the largest Birkin bag made by Hermes. Presented in red leather, it comes with lock, two keys, clochette, and dustcover. It is in fine condition and marked Hermes. Height 22 in. Minimum bid $4,000.

1980s Chanel Black Crocodile Camera Bag
Here is the ultimate little black bag. The1980s Chanel black crocodile camera bag comes complete with shoulder strap. It is in fine condition and marked Chanel. 28 cm. Minimum bid $2,000.

HISTORICAL ITEMS

Hoard of Signed and Graded President Franklin D. Roosevelt 1943/44 Wartime Checks (15)
Each item has been encapsulated with Autograph Grade NM-MT 8 by PSA/DNA. Attractive, blue fountain pen scripting of “Franklin D. Roosevelt” graces the appropriate line of this collection of fifteen bank checks, each of which has been drawn on FDR’s personal account at the Guaranty Trust Company of New York. Each document measures 2-3/4″ x 6-1/2″. Minimum bid $5,000.

1940s The Ultimate Collection of WWII Propaganda Posters Including Numerous Rarities (160+)
The vast majority contains painted imagery or line drawn illustrations with an accompanying message. Some use photographs for their graphic elements, while others may be text heavy. The subject matter within this collection is even more diverse than the variety of sizes, delivering messages that deal with industry and production, general safety and industrial safety, women in the work place and on the farms, conserving, recycling, rationing, resisting inflationary pricing, buying war bonds and stamps, taking on a war job for the duration, farm production, Rail Road jobs, Civil Defense, “Loose Lips” messages, patriotic and anti-propaganda themes, war maps and maps of the world used for training, V-Mail, forest fires, Victory Gardens, military orientation, the relief funds for China and Russia and the support fund for the Free French, work to win and much more. Minimum bid $5,000.

House of Representatives Desk
Philadelphia architect Thomas Ustick Walter led the ambitious renovations to the U.S. Capitol that were completed in 1857, more than doubling the edifice’s previous size. This beautifully ornate, carved oak desk was installed, along with its brethren, in the new House chamber and served there for almost two decades. Crafted by Doe Hazelton & Co. of Boston, the antique desk measures 3 feet high, 29 inches across, and 21 inches deep. It features a hinged leather writing surface, an iron pen well, and an inner drawer. The impressive decorative ornamentation includes a U.S. federal crest, an orb engraved with “AMERICA,” floral and vinyl flourishes, star shields, a portcullis-like lattice barrier, beaded borders, a trestle base, and scroll feet. A small, coin-shaped, gilt disk on the thin hutch provides a chamber floor location: “No. 38 W.” A reproduction brass cover for the iron well is also included with this rare, distinguished offering from a political era spanning the presidencies of Buchanan, Lincoln, Johnson and Grant. Minimum bid $4,000.

PERFUME BOTTLES

1920s Vintage Czech Hoffman “Nude Dauber” Perfume Bottle
This is an extraordinary and rare model of the Heinrich Hoffman “nude dauber” bottle, in grey crystal with a pink stopper, set in a flourished gilt metal stand with white enamel, set with purple jewels. It is in fine condition and the only known example. Height 6 1/2 in. Minimum bid $7,500.

1970s 19K Gold Perfume Bottle With Jewels
The bottle was likely crafted in Barcelos, Portugal based upon its hallmarking, but has not been fully attributed to its maker. This little gem is encrusted with fully faceted European cut diamonds, faceted rubies, and faceted sapphires. Most of the faceted stones are held by hammered bezels and prongs except for the four largest that compose the central floral decoration, which use bezels hold the rough cuts. There are three channels of white gold prong set faceted diamonds comprising the foot, neck, and stopper seal. The shape is of a flattened ovoid with a domed crown that screws into the neck with the attached spoon. The total weight is 67.85 grams or 2.18 ounces including the stones! There are approximately 2.07 ctw of faceted Diamonds, 2.67 ctw of rough Diamonds, 3.14 ctw of Rubies, and 1.35 ctw of Sapphires. Minimum bid $6,000.

1920s St. Louis Bichara “Rameses” perfume bottle
Here is a magnificent Saint-Louis crystal perfume bottle shaped as an Egyptian obelisk with engraved hieroglyphics and lettering highlighted with grey patina, with inner stopper. Height 9 1/2 in. Minimum bid $4,000.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

To pre-register for Mastro Auctions’ December 2008 Connoisseur Auction and receive
auction catalogs, call 630-472-1200 or go to www.mastroauctions.com.

On November 21, Pook & Pook, Inc. Auctioneers and Appraisers will present an outstanding array of fine art from the 17th through the 20th centuries - including paintings, drawings, etchings, prints and sculpture, from private institutions, collectors, and estates. Exceptional works by American, European, and Asian artists will be sold. The exhibition will run Monday through Friday the week of the sale and the auction will start promptly at 6 p.m. on Friday.

Tremendous interest is anticipated for Daniel Garber’s oil-on-canvas landscape titled Holicong Road. This piece, which retains its original Harer frame, is estimated to bring $150,000 to $250,000. This is one of the best examples of this Pennsylvania Impressionist’s work to come across the auction block in the past decade.

Incredible attention is also expected for the Fern Coppedge oil on canvas landscape titled Autumn From Music Crew Hill Lambertsville. Coppedge, a close friend of Daniel Garber, may be best known for her winter landscapes but the bright contrasting hues of this fall piece are sure to attract many bidders who have an eye for exceptional impressionistic art and a fantastic love of color.

Also slated for the upcoming fine art auction is an oil on canvas still life with fruit, painted by Severin Roesen. Known for painting still lifes in the mid 1800’s, Roesen painted this piece in such detail that one feels as though the fruits and wine depicted can be plucked off the canvas and consumed!

Other outstanding pieces in this sale include an oil-on-canvas landscape with canvasback ducks off of Turkey Pointe, by George Cope, estimated at $10,000 to $15,000. Several wonderful coastal scenes will go off, including one by Emile Albert Gruppe (estimated at $7,000 to $10,000), one by Haley Lever (estimated at $7,000 to $10,000) and one by George Howell Gay ($10,000 to $15,000). Several pieces by Barclay Lawrence Jacob Rubincam will be sold, including a wonderful winter landscape titled Exercising the Hounds on the Green Valley Road (estimated at $15,000 to $25,000).

Two wonderful Ben Austrian pieces will be featured, both containing a hen with thirteen chicks. A wonderful still life by Mary Jane Peale features a basket of fruit with peaches and grapes cascading over the side, atop a marble pier table (estimated at $12,000 to $18,000). A Maynard Dixon oil-on-board of an Inuit riding a dogsled will be offered, and is estimated to bring $20,000 to $30,000.

Of historical interest is a painting by Paul Dominique Philippoteaux, the French-American artist. This piece depicts a dramatic oil-on-canvas Civil War scene of eight Union soldiers riding an ammunition wagon (estimated at $5,000 to $10,000). Immediately following this piece in the sale is an oil-on-canvas winter landscape by Edward Willis Redfield. The vivid painting shows a shepherd and his flock traveling down a snow-covered road through a thick forest of dark trees. It is titled Road to Fontbleau, and is estimated to bring $20,000 to $30,000.

Several European and Asian works will be offered including several Italian, French, Chinese, and Russian pieces. One piece of note is an oil-on-canvas portrait by the Russian-American artist Ivan Gregorewitch Olinsky titled My Neighbor’s Daughter. Another wonderful piece from overseas is an abstract portrait by Bernard Cathelin, a French artist of distinction. This particular piece is titled Portrait d’Yvette Octobre 1960 and was once shown at Findlay Galleries in New York. A spattering of more modern pieces can be found throughout the sale, including three unusual ink works by Samuel Joseph Brown, a Disney celluloid from Bambi, and a tromp l’oeil by Gayle Blair Tate, as well as several others.

Additional artists represented at this auction include Martin Lewis, whose turbulent etching titled The Passing Storm, is sure to evoke the emotions of the crowd. Frank H. Desch’s piece titled Narcissus shows a beautiful young woman dressed in a kimono gazing downward and clutching a Narcissus flower. A lovely Hugh Bolton Jones oil on board landscape of a river with a farm in the background is estimated to bring $15,000 to $20,000.

A late addition to the sale is Eric Sloan’s oil on masonite winter landscape titled Vermont Ski Weather which depicts a single skier making their way down a snowy slope with farms and a town in the background. Two other late additions to the auction include a wonderful oil on canvas landscape by Alexander Helwig Wyant and an oil on board New York winter scene title Broad Street - Winter Morgan Bank - Stock Exchange by Johann Berthelsen. An Andrew Newel Wyeth pencil portrait of Walt Anderson is one of the last items in the sale. This wonderful piece is estimated to bring $20,000 to $25,000.

For further information about the items in this auction, please send an e-mail to info@pookandpook.com or call (610) 269-4040. To view all of the items in this auction, visit Pook & Pook’s Web site at www.pookandpook.com and click on Upcoming Auctions.

Pook & Pook, Inc. is located in Downingtown, Pennsylvania, and holds auctions monthly from September through June. Their sales feature period furniture, Oriental rugs, fine art, and antique accessories. They are currently accepting consignments for the upcoming 2009 auction schedule.

Morphy Auctions December 11 to 13 Winter Sale of 2,900 lots of antique toys, banks, trains and antique advertising, enhanced by the warmth of superior-quality Austrian art-glass lamps and the cheerful colors of vintage Bakelite.

“With each successive auction we’ve expanded into new categories of fine and decorative art,” said Morphy’s chief operating officer, Dan Morphy. “In this sale, we’re offering collections of rare Austrian bronze art-glass lamps and extremely fine Bakelite novelty jewelry. Both are from the same consignor, who has a remarkable eye for quality and artistic design.”

More than 20 Austrian art-glass lamps from the single-owner collection will be auctioned, including a superb figural Peacock lamp whose draped bronze base dramatically replicates a peacock’s showy tail feathers with inset jewels. Adding to its magnificence is a Mont Joye enameled-glass shade with quintessential Art Nouveau butterfly-and-dragonfly motif. Estimated at $6,000 to $8,000, the 18-inch stunner is in excellent working order, as are all of the lamps from this collection.

The lamps’ consignor spent 30 years pursuing the Art Nouveau rarities, which are seldom seen on the open market. “These lamps have always flown under the radar,” the consignor said. “Not too many people know what they are. They’re very unusual and of incredible quality. From a design standpoint, they were ahead of their time, and are now rarer than Tiffany lamps - that’s something that attracted me to them.”

Other lamps singled out for special attention include a circa-1915 bronze alligator with jewels inset on its back (estimate $5,500 to $6,500), a circa-1915 bronze Frog and Toadstool lamp ($2,000 to $2,500), and a second peacock-theme bronze lamp with variegated green marble base and reticulated shade with inset peacock-feather motif.

From the same consignor comes a collection of more than 150 rare and exquisite Bakelite bracelets, necklaces and brooches. A googly-eyed jack-o’-lantern scarecrow brooch with pumpkin head and painted-wood body trimmed with original “ragged” hemp hands and feet, is described by the owner as “my best piece of Bakelite”. Known to collectors as the “Pumpkin Man,” it is expected to fetch $5,000-$7,000.

Two Bakelite designs by Martha Sleeper are expected to finish near the top of their category. Both a necklace replicating cigarettes, and a necklace of both “cigarettes” and “matchsticks” carry a presale estimate of $1,500 to $2,000. Other eye-catchers in the beautifully varied collection include a black and cream “bow tie” bracelet ($2,500 to $3,000), and a multicolored “bow tie” bracelet ($750 to $1,000).

Bakelite jewelry is far from unappreciated, but few may realize how small the production runs were. “This type of jewelry would be made in a short series for high-end department stores like Saks Fifth Avenue or Bonwit Teller,” the consignor said. “A piece might have cost $5 to $7, which was a lot of money in the mid 1930’s. If the jewelry sold, the store would order more. If it didn’t sell, you never saw it again. It really is American folk art, because no two pieces are exactly alike. From 15 feet away, five pins of the same style might have looked identical, but up close, they were very different and reflected the artistry of the person who might have been working on them on any given day.”

In other categories, more than 400 lots of antique advertising and general store items will be offered in the sale. A top lot is an oval Yuengling Brewery reverse-on-glass sign promoting porter and ale, estimated at $5,000 to $7,500. Tobacco pocket tins include a crossover favorite: the Taxi Crimp Cut tin, which could fetch $3,500 to $5,000.

The Winter event includes 150 mechanical banks, with a J. & E. Stevens Horse Race bank estimated at $25,000 to $35,000. An array of still banks, and more than 100 pieces of figural cast iron - primarily desirable examples of figural doorstops - also will be offered.

More than 100 German tin wind-up toys will be available, including limos and other autos, 15 penny toys, a large Bing ocean liner with original box, a circa-1930 boxed Marx “Red the Ice Man” ($2,000 to $4,000), and a fine early Doll et Cie. Ferris wheel ($1,500 to $2,500). Among the 100+ tin character toys are many coveted examples of Disney and Popeye animated stars, including a Linemar Juggling Popeye & Olive Oyl tin wind-up estimated at $2,000 to $3,000. Morphy’s will also sell 300 graded Star Wars action figures on their original cards, and a colorful selection of antique and vintage marbles.

More than 200 lots of cast-iron automotive toys will be sold, as well. A pristine Say It With Flowers motorcycle van comes with its original box and provenance from the Perelman Museum. Morphy Auctions’ general manager, Tom Sage Jr., described the motorcycle as “the nicest, cleanest cast-iron toy I have ever seen - it’s dead mint.” Estimate: $30,000 to -$50,000.

Morphy’s new Toy Trains division makes its debut with an excellent 35-year single-owner collection of pre- and postwar toy trains and accessories. Of the 600 train lots, the top entry may be the early 1930’s Lionel No. 423E standard-gauge freight set estimated at $14,000 to $18,000. Another train highlight is the postwar Lionel O-gauge Sears promotional set estimated at $4,000 to $6,000; while coveted accessories include a Lionel (paper) submarine base, $4,000 to $6,000; and a No. 840 accessory powerhouse, $5,000 to $7,000.

Coin-operated machines include two Wurlitzer jukeboxes, a circa-1900 Watling (Palmer Cox) Brownies tabletop nickel slot machine ($15,000 to $17,500), and a few well-detailed baseball-theme machines.

A division of Geppi’s Entertainment Auctions & Publications, Morphy Auctions will hold its Winter 2008 sale December 11 to 13 at the Adamstown Antique Gallery, 2000 North Reading Road, Denver, Pennsylvania (on the Adamstown antique strip). All forms of bidding will be available, including live via the Internet through eBay Live Auctions. For additional information, call 717-335-3435 or visit www.morphyauctions.com.

On Saturday, November 8, 2008, more than 200 art collectors, dealers, and enthusiasts gathered at the Academy of Art University for its highly anticipated 13th Annual Faculty & Alumni Fine Art auction. Exhibiting approximately 350 works of fresh paintings, sculpture, and jewelry by nationally esteemed AAU faculty and alumni, this year’s auction achieved an extraordinary $159,000 in fine art sales. The artists of top-grossing works included Zack Zdrale, Earl Enriquez, and Brian Blood. With special thanks to Bonhams & Butterfields, an enthusiastic art collecting community from across the country generously expressed their support for students pursuing their fine art education at AAU. As in past years, half of the proceeds from the 13th Annual Faculty & Alumni Fine Art auction benefit students through the Fine Art Student Scholarship Fund, with the rest going directly to the artists themselves.

As the nation’s largest private art and design university, the Academy of Art University has brought emerging artists from across the world to San Francisco for nearly eight decades. Even amid a sharp economic downturn, all bidders at this year’s non-profit, fund-raising Fine Art auction confirmed San Francisco’s status as one of the top emerging art centers in the world. In addition, these informed collectors spoke volumes about the dazzling artistry of AAU faculty and alumni works newly placed in hundreds of homes.

“The incredible turnout and lively bidding at the 2008 Faculty & Alumni Fine Art auction far exceeded my expectations,” says Dr. Elisa Stephens, President of the Academy of Art University. “The phenomenal generosity that so many collectors showed towards AAU’s emerging artists in the midst of economic uncertainty is truly inspiring. I look forward to passing these scholarships directly on to deserving AAU School of Fine Art students through our merit-based juries at the 2009 Annual Spring Show this coming May.”

Each year, the Academy of Art University’s Annual Faculty & Alumni Fine Art auction offers guests a unique opportunity to support emerging student artists by bidding on works graciously provided by some of the finest internationally collected artists from the Bay Area. Many of the featured AAU Faculty and Alumni from the 2008 auction, including Erik Blome, Margaret Keelan, Laurie Kersey, Po Pin Lin, Carolyn Meyer, Kevin Moore, Craig Nelson, Siddharth Parasnis, Tae Park, Bill Rhea, and Peter Schifrin have representation at esteemed galleries nationwide and have earned coveted accolades in wide-ranging competitions and publications. As in past years, half of the proceeds from the 13th Annual Faculty & Alumni Fine Art auction will benefit students through the Fine Art Student Scholarship Fund, with the rest going directly to the artists themselves.

TOP-SELLING ARTISTS
Zachary Zdrale came to the Academy of Art University’s School of Fine Art Painting MFA program after many years of avoiding a career in fine art out of fear. Concluding that if he could “make great, tightly rendered, and life-like figure paintings I would be happy no matter how poor I was,” and discovering work such as this was possible in the contemporary art market when visiting John Pence Gallery in San Francisco, Zdrale pursued his dream at the Academy. By the time of his graduation, Zdrale won the prestigious First Place in MFA Painting Award at the 2006 AAU Annual Spring Show. His stirring mastery in figurative realism echoes the classical traditions of the Renaissance, imparting an aesthetic of stillness and silence to Zdrale’s modern day models. Now a prominent artist at the John Pence Gallery, Zdrale has also exhibited at the Eleanor Ettinger Gallery in New York, NY; the Wendt Gallery in Laguna Beach, CA; and the 2008 Oil Painters of America National Juried Exhibition at Dana Gallery in Missoula, Montana. Crediting the “excellent instructors” at AAU in establishing a successful career as a fine artist, Zdrale himself now teaches rising young artists as a School of Fine Art instructor.

Earl Enriquez first experienced the ambition to become an artist growing up as a child in the Philippines. Fusing his awe for such honored talents as Bernini, Caravaggio, and Velazquez with influences from contemporary sculptors Eugene Daub and Bruce Wolfe, Enriquez has built an impressive following for his bronze figurative sculpture on both sides of the Pacific. Enriquez attended the Academy of Art University as a student and now teaches in the School of Fine Art Sculpture. Thinking of his students, Enriquez shares, “The energy of their youth, the untainted imagination, and with every student a different mind, with a different logic and taste: put a group of them together and the variety you get to see!”

As one of California’s most sought-after plein-air painting artists, Brian Blood has excited and inspired fine art collectors for over two decades. Since graduating from the Academy of Art University and becoming a faculty member in the School of Fine Art, Blood’s signature California landscapes have been featured in a multitude of publications including American Artist, Art of the West, Plein Air, and Southwest Art. Blood devotes much of his time to teaching popular workshops near his home in Pebble Beach. His recent achievements include the Best Local Artist Award, the Artist’s Choice Award, and the People’s Choice Award at the 2008 Carmel Art Festival in Carmel, CA; the Southwest Art Award of Excellence; showing at the 96th Annual California Art Club’s Gold Medal Exhibition; the 2005 People’s Choice Award at the Napa Valley Museum in Yountville, CA; and the Landscape Award of Excellence at Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Art’s 2005 Salon International in San Antonio, TX. Blood was recently honored as an Outstanding Alumnus and awarded an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from the Academy of Art University.

www.academyart.edu

(Pittsfield, Mass.) - The vintage clock world was buzzing this past June when a magnificent E. Howard & Co. #61 astronomical floor regulator realized $195,500 at a Spring Clock Auction held by Fontaine’s. Lightning struck twice when another example, even nicer than the June clock, gaveled for $189,750 at Fontaine’s Fall Clock Auction, held Nov. 8 in at 1485 West Housatonic Street in Pittsfield.

“Most auction houses would have felt blessed to be able to offer one Howard astronomical regulator in their lifetime, and we had two in one year,” enthused John Fontaine of Fontaine’s Auction Gallery. “The fact that it was a superior example to the one sold in spring must have made the winning bidder feel pretty special, especially since he paid about $5,000 less. This was truly a great auction.”

About 475 vintage antique clocks – many of them rare, museum-quality pieces – crossed the block at the two-session sale. All but about 25 sold in an auction that grossed over $1 million. Around 200 enthusiastic bidders packed the gallery, while a combined 300 phone and absentee bids were fielded. Online bidding was facilitated through Proxibid, eBayLiveAuctions and Auctionnetwork.com.

The Howard astronomical regulator was by far the top lot of the sale. The case was carved walnut with burled trim. All case parts were original and in excellent condition. The movement had a Graham dead beat escapement with red ruby pallets. The clock had been consigned from only its third owner, with papers dating to its original purchaser, (Edmands & Wiggins, Bangor, Maine, 1874, $800).

The second top lot was also an E. Howard clock – a #60 astronomical hanging regulator that soared to $46,000. The piece featured a 12.5-inch dial, period hands, a highly carved and refinished case, a massive brass movement with jeweled pallets, a Graham dead beat escapement (which had maintaining power and beat seconds) and original cut to cranberry fancy cylinder glass pendulum bob.

Three other clocks topped the $20,000 mark. They were:

• A rare United States Clock Co. astronomical floor clock with regulator “D” style carved walnut case with a bonnet top and figural maiden head in the crest ($37,375). The massive clock stood over 9 feet tall and was made around 1870, in New York City. The case was in excellent condition.

• A 30-day period Beidermeier lantern clock with bold Roman numerals, brass weight and pendulum bob, a period mahogany veneered case and a single band of inlay at the corners ($25,875). The arched panel door featured side panels, and the 9-inch marble dial was signed Happacher & Sons.

• A monumental Brocot French figural three-piece clock set, with heavy gilt bronze case featuring a pair of putti holding filigree on either side of a globe in the center ($20,700). The 5.25-inch porcelain dial was signed A. Brocot & Deletthez and featured a jeweled pallet open escapement.

Additional auction highlights follow. All prices quoted include a 15 percent buyer’s premium.

A French figural conical mantle clock, attributed to Farcot & Laurent (Paris, circa 1880), with a 23-inch robed bronze maiden mounted on the top, chimed on time for $19,550. The clock’s movement was mounted inside a heavy red marble base. Also, an Austrian astronomical wall regulator with mean and sidereal time, in a period 1840 rosewood case with glazed door and side panels, realized $18,400.

Two clocks brought identical prices of $17,250: an astronomical standing jewelers regulator clock, attributed to Joseph Condliff, with a carved walnut Victorian-style floor standing case; and a French mystery swinging balloon timepiece (circa 1900), with a basket below, carrying the balloonist. Also, a Joseph Jennens inlaid grandfather clock in a documented Tobey case (#944) garnered $16,675.

Remarkably, six clocks all finished at the same price of $14,950. They included a French figural bronze and marble annular clock, featuring two nude women embracing a tall torchier; an E. N. Welch pinwheel jewelers regulator clock with massive 8-foot carved Victorian case in elaborate detail and burled trim; and a Jappy Freres champleve triple-section crystal regulator with relief molded columns.

Also crossing the block at $14,950: a gilt bronze French figural annular mantle clock with a movement signed and dated (Dec. 17, 1879); a French industrial beam engine automated clock with a base made by Albert & JM Anderson Mfg. (Boston) and platform formed from rouge and black marble; and a Tiffany & Company custom grandfather clock (made 1888) with original finish mahogany case.

A Waterbury #69 pinwheel jewelers regulator with a large brass time-only weight-driven dead beat movement and Lyre pendulum made $13,800; an Ithaca Bank Model #2 oak double-dial calendar clock, with a nice oak case and the original upper and lower 12-inch dials, achieved $12,650; and a Gilbert regulator #16 standing jewelers regulator clock with elaborate carved oak case rose to $12,650.

Rounding out the top lots: a massive Ithaca Clock Collector walnut hotel lobby calendar clock with a massive Victorian custom two-part case attained $12,650; a Waterbury #60 pinwheel jewelers regulator clock with an 8-day brass weight-driven movement and dead beat escapement climbed to $10,925; and an E. Howard & Co. Figure 8 weight-driven wall clock with 11.25-inch dial hit $10,350.

Fontaine’s Auction Gallery has another clock auction scheduled for the spring of 2009 (time and date to be announced; watch the website for more details, www.fontainesauction.net). The firm will close out 2008 with an Antique Discovery Auction, on Saturday, Dec. 6. The non-cataloged sale will feature around 500 quality lots from several local estates, including many fine antiques. All bidding must be done in person.

Fontaine’s is preparing an exciting slate of auctions for the first half of 2009, to include the aforementioned Spring Clock Auction in May. The firm is always accepting quality consignments for future sales. To consign an item, estate or collection, you may call them directly, at (413) 448-8922, or e-mail them at info@fontaineauction.com.

To learn more, you may log on to www.fontainesauction.net.