(OCEANSIDE, N.Y.) – A wonderful pair of oil on wood Russian icons, each measuring 41 inches by 15 inches and with raised copper riza, sold for $30,510 at a weekend multi-estate sale held April 24-25 by Philip Weiss Auctions. One of the icons depicted Evangelist holding a book; the other was of an angel. The sale was held at Philip Weiss Auctions’ showroom, at #1 Neil Court in Oceanside.
“We were very happy with the results of this sale. They actually exceeded our expectations,” said Philip Weiss of Philip Weiss Auctions. “There was a lot of action on Friday night, with the phones competing with bidders on the floor. Then, on Saturday, we had fewer people in the room, but that’s when the Internet bids (via Proxibid) and left bids kicked in. In all, around 700 lots changed hands.”
The auction featured fresh-to-the-market estate material in an array of categories. The Friday session was loaded with decorative arts, original oil paintings and other works of art (many by Russian painters), and furniture from a Park Avenue estate. The Saturday session had antique advertising items (many of them tin and porcelain), coin-ops, pedal cars, trolley posters, battery-ops and wind-up toys.
The pair of Russian icons was the top lot of the sale. Additional highlights follow. All prices quoted include a 13 percent buyer’s premium.
A bronze relief of Jules Bastien Le Page, done by the Irish-born American artist Augustus Saint-Gaudens (1848-1907), achieved $23,730. The portrait was mounted on an oak back support. Executed around 1900, the sculpture measured 14-1/2 inches by 10-1/2 inches. It was a new world auction record for the work. Mr. Saint-Gaudens was one of the more famous American sculptors of The Gilded Age.
A signed abstract oil on canvas work by the Russian-born American artist Abraham Manievich (1881-1942) realized $13,560. The Early Period painting measured 21-1/2 inches by 25-1/2 inches (25-1/2 inches by 29-1/2 inches framed), signed lower left. Mr. Manievich was renowned as a Post-Impressionist landscape artist. He painted Russian village and country scenes in a bold Fauvist style.
An original oil on canvas rendering of two gypsies, executed in Paris around 1900 by Ludwig Brucke Lajos (55 inches by 38 inches, signed lower right), gaveled for $9,605. Also, an outstanding Brussels Verdu tapestry, made in the 17th century by an unknown artisan, climbed to $8,190. The tapestry, over 13 feet long, featured classical figures in front of a fountain with classical facade at right.
A large oil on canvas painting by British-born American artist William Arber Brown Kirkpatrick soared to $7,345. The portrait of a woman holding a vase, probably executed in the 1920s, was signed in the lower right corner and measured 38 inches by 41 inches (framed). Kirkpatrick was a prominent Boston artist who gained early fame for his calendar paintings, some depicting World War I soldiers.
A fabulous large pair of Art Nouveau figural andirons, 22 inches high by 33 inches deep and with a great patina, went to a determined bidder for $5,650. Also, an antique Greco-Roman style male bust from the collection of noted antiquities aficionado Mathias Komor wowed the crowd for $4,630. The bust, in remarkable condition for its age, was an authentic stone relic from an early Roman period.
An Art Deco bronze depiction of a nude with a falcon, titled Charmion, by American artist Allan Clark (Mont./Colo., 1896-1950), hammered for $4,630. The work, done circa 1940s/1950s, stood 15 inches tall. Also, a bronze statue titled Le Faucher by Canadian painter-sculptor Mark-Aurele de Foys Suzor-Cote (1869-1937), brought $4,520. The piece stood 11 inches high and was dated 1907.
Next up for Philip Weiss Auctions is a weekend sale planned for May 29-30. The Friday, May 29 session, beginning at 6 p.m., was added only recently. It will feature quality, fresh-to-the-market merchandise from prominent area estates. Sold will be period furniture, fine art, pottery, rugs and more. Check the website for more details as the sale date approaches. Log on to www.prwauctions.com.
May 30 will feel like a two-day sale in one. Toys and sports will share the spotlight, with a few expected star lots including a rare “Columbus Egg” (original in the box) and the Caravel “Santa Maria” (both from the Columbian Exposition of 1893); an Ives Walking Santa Claus; a Santa Claus cast-iron Christmas tree holder; cast-iron kicking frogs on a wheeled base; and a rare vintage Buster Brown cart.
Other lots that will cross the block May 30 include a high-grade speaking dog bank; a Powerful Katrinka wind-up; Brownies Nine Pins, boxed; an early tin litho carousel; a nice Shoenhut Circus Tent, with accessories; a rare Vanner & Prests Molliscorium clock; a tin German-made wind-up aviation toy; Part IV of the B.L. “Phil” Phillips battery-op collection; and items from the Steve Rathkopf collection.
The sports portion of the May 30 sale will feature baseball material, to include a phenomenal single-owner collection of 1950’s-1980’s baseball and sports cards; a collection of early baseball programs from the 19th and 20th century; baseball press photos from the 1920’s and ’30s; and other items from various estate collections. Material for this and the other sales was still being added at press time.
Philip Weiss Auctions is always accepting quality consignments for future sales. To consign an item, estate or collection, you may call them directly, at (516) 594-0731, or you can e-mail them at [email protected]. To learn more about the company and its calendar of upcoming auctions, to include all of the April and May sales, and to view color images, log on to www.prwauctions.com
