One of the largest assemblages of high impact items in Garth’s history will go into the record books on July 26 and 27, when more than 1,000 lots come up for auction in Delaware, Ohio. “It really could have been two auctions,” comments Amelia Jeffers, President of Garth’s. “We have an important Asian auction on Friday; with very good mid-Century Modern furniture, accessories and art; and European furniture, silver and art on Saturday. Pound-for-pound, it is some of the best material in these categories that we have had in a very long time. We are, as we always try to be, cautiously optimistic.”
Kicking off the Saturday session are Helen Porter’s motorcycle and a Mercedes S500 from the collection of the late Benjamin and Marian Schuster, well-known benefactors from Dayton, Ohio. Once the heavy metal is out of the way, the auction jumps right into a very good collection of Mid-Century Modern from a collection in Arlington, Ohio. “It was like walking onto the set of Mad Men,” smiles Shane Hall, a recent addition to Garth’s staff. “The owners lived with what they loved, had lived with it for years, and seemed fairly oblivious to my excitement!” This list of makers reads like a primer on the era: Eames, Harold Schwartz for Romweber, Kip Stewart for Drexel, Charles Pollock for Knoll, George Nelson, Herman Miller, Jens Risom, Arne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansen, Piet Hein & Bruno Mathsson, Arne Vodder for George Tannier, among others. The forms range from a quintessential modern styling desk, dining room suites, full bedroom suites and sofas and chairs. “We have all fallen in love with the Eames management chairs,” comments Jeffers. “They are incredibly sleek and comfortable.”
Buyers looking for fine art and decorative accessories emphasizing 20th century design will not be disappointed. Among the highlights are an Andy Warhol screenprint of Jacqueline Kennedy. Titled “Jackie 1,” the silver-toned print is estimated at $12,000 – $15,000. An Alexander Calder lithograph, “Study Le Grande Vitesse,” offers a striking pop of color and is estimated at $2,500 – $3,500. A Lalique frosted and molded glass chandelier (Champs Elysees), Tiffany silver tumblers, a large silver collection by Joel F. Hewes (Titusville, PA), and lamps by makers including Cedric Hartman offer many opportunities to complete a swanky decor. Among staff favorites is a recumbent sterling silver goat by Italian maker Buccellati, replete with fine wire hair and estimated at $4,500 – $6,500.
The larger portion of Saturday’s session includes a breadth of European furnishings and decorative arts including early English, French and Scottish furniture; good English silver; Art Deco French advertising posters; a small collection of early firearms; an assortment of bronzes; and fine paintings. Across the hundreds of items, a few highlights include oils by Emile Gruppe, Joseph Henry Sharp, an important Jaques Courtois battle scene, and a Leonard Ochtman landscape. A large selection of silver contains pieces by Tiffany (early tea set), Buccellati (impressive candelabra), and various 19th Century English and American silversmiths. A quality assortment of early Continental furniture includes a French Restauration plum pudding mahogany daybed, a wonderfully detailed French Provincial corner cupboard, formal and country tables, a fine secretary and a two 19th Century Scottish longcase clocks.
Backing up to day one, buyers of Asian Art will be pleased with the depth of quality and variety of material from collections throughout California and New York, including snuff bottles from a private California collection, early jade, good ivory and fine contemporary art. Among the snuffs are several important examples in fine materials including jade, tourmaline, coral, agate, glass and porcelain; with a few of the more rare and important examples being a fine white jade carving of a fish (Est. $3,800 – $4,800), a wonderful 19th Century white jade with tourmaline stopper (Est. $4,500 – $5,500), a rare 19th Century pink and green tourmaline (Est. $6,000 – $8,000), an inscribed porcelain example from the TaoGuang Period (Est. $4,800 – $5,800), and decorated examples by Ye ZhangShan and Le Yuan.
Jade carvings will not disappoint with a small, but rare and significant early pendant dating to the late 18th – early 19th Century and carved with an inscription and landscape (Est. $18,000 – $28,000). A carved box with a pair of fish is from the same time period (Est. $7,500 – $8,500), while a white jade imperial thumb ring dates to slightly later (Tao Guan period, Est. $3,500 – $4,500). An 18th Century white nephrite jade censer is finely carved and expected to sell for $28,000 – 38,000. Animal carvings in jade are abundant, with an interesting Song Dynasty carved dog in black and white jade ($3,800 – $4,800). Other jade in high contrast includes a Buddha hand in a lovely brown and white (Est. $4,500 – $5,500). Exquisitely carved, an open-work toggle from the 18th / 19th Century is estimated at $5,000 – $6,000. With too many examples to list, a final highlight from the selection of jade is a rare and finely carved archaic beast shaped vase from the Ming Dynasty ($3,000 – $4,000).
Scholar objects are well-represented, with a rare and important carved circular inkstone from the Qianlong Period and signed by Zi Gang (Est. $25,000 – $35,000). The auction also includes several brush pots (including a rare hexagonal example), ink stones, and screens.
Bronze statutes have seen an enthusiastic market in recent history, and Garth’s hoped buyers will like the early Tibetan examples offered in this auction, including an 8” tall, four-armed figure of Avalokitesvara (Est. $12,000-$18,000). Javanese bronze works include an early multiple-armed deity with silver and bronze content and nice patina seated on a lotus throne (Est. $8,000 – $12,000).
Fine and early cloisonne includes a gilt bronze wine vessel marked for “Qianlong” and estimated at $18,000 – $28,000, and a rare double peach form censer with twelve gilt bats and seven small peaches from the Qianlong Period (with Qian Long Nian Zhi on base, Est. $15,000 – $25,000).
While ivory offerings will include netsuke and other traditional carvings, an impressive pagoda-shaped urn with foo lions, dragons and a Buddha in the tower should excite bidders (Est. $4,000 – $6,000).
Among the porcelain in the auction, several choice pieces of early blue and white include a fine cup with Chen Hua mark (Est. $2,000 – $3,000), a bowl marked for Qianlong with immortals (Est. $1,200 – $1,800). A fine peach-bloom glazed Guan Yin vase with Guang Xu mark surfaced in a Stanford University private collection (Est. $1,500 – $2,500). Additional porcelain offerings include a Famille Rose dish with Jianqing mark with wonderful decoration (Est. $3,500 – $4,500), a WuCai round container with pierced holes from the Jia Qing Period (Est. $2,000 – $3,000), and teapots by Shao Jing Nan, Chen Min Yuan and Gu JinZhou.
Early scrolls offer choices including Zhu Da and Qiu Yin; while many contemporary scrolls will be offered, including works by Qi Liang Mo, Wu Changshou, Chen Dayue, Huang Bin Hong, Li Hong Zhang, and renowned artists Yu Hui (Director of Research at the Beijing Palace Museum) and Song Baiping (an award-winning calligraphy artist). Many fine contemporary paintings including examples by Chuang Che, Zhang DaQian, Guang Zeju, Lu Sibai, To Wu Zoren and Yin Wen Liang with subjects ranging from portraits to landscapes.
Rounding out the Asian Art session are several other important carvings, including a carved agate bowl (Est. $6,000 – $8,000) and a coral carving of Guan Yin with a dragon (Est. $1,800 – $2,800); chinese silver; peking glass; textiles, rare currency, court necklaces, and woodblock prints.
For more information about the Summer Asian Art, Continental and American Fine & Decorative Arts, visit garths.com or call 740-362-4771. Full color catalogs are available ($30, postage paid) and the auction will be offered with live online bidding via garthslive.com.
