Auction PR Publicity Announcements News and Information
Auction PR Publicity Announcements News and Information

PAIR OF HUGE AFRICAN IVORY ELEPHANT TUSKS, LARGE PERUVIAN SILVER BOX AND TWO 18th CENTURY RUSSIAN ICONS TO HEADLINE CRESCENT CITY AUCTION GALLERY MULTI-ESTATE AUCTION SLATED FOR SEPT. 7-8 IN NEW ORLEANS, LA.

(NEW ORLEANS, La.) – A pair of enormous mid-20th century African ivory elephant tusks, a large and unusual Peruvian silver box weighing a staggering 12 pounds, and a pair of 18th century Russian icons will all share top billing at a two-day multi-estate auction planned for Sept. 7-8 by Crescent City Auction Gallery, in the firm’s showroom at 1330 St. Charles Avenue.

Unusual and large 19th century Peruvian silver box, weighing a staggering 12 pounds of silver.
Unusual and large 19th century Peruvian silver box, weighing a staggering 12 pounds of silver.

Start times both days will be 9 a.m. (CST). Around 1,250 lots will be offered, to include Chinese and Russian objects, silver, furniture (American, English, French and continental), antique lighting, estate jewelry, Southern art, Oriental rugs and more. Internet bidding will be facilitated by LiveAuctioneers.com and Artfact.com. Phone and absentee bids will also be taken.

The ivory tusks (est. $15,000-$25,000) feature brass-plated bands and weighted brass-plated iron bases. They are impressive: 60 inches tall and 79 inches long, with an outward curve. The 19th century Peruvian silver box (est. $5,000-$7,000) has a sloping lid with an armorial of Charles I of Spain. It is 10 inches tall by and 18 ½ inches wide and weighs 184.08 troy ounces.

One of the Russian icons is an oil on curved wooden panel of the Mother of God of the Sign, with a silver oklad (St. Petersburg, 1799). It is 11 1/8 inches tall by 9 ¼ inches wide. The other icon is a large and unusual panel depiction of three saints (including St. Timothy and St. Pantelaimon), presented in a rounded stepped edge trefoil frame. Both should hit $6,000-$9,000.

The furniture category will be highlighted by an American carved walnut double-door armoire (circa 1860), probably made by the Mitchell & Rammelsberg Company of Cincinnati, 115 inches tall by 64 inches wide (est. $1,500-$2,500); and a Louis XV-style carved oak and walnut buffet a deux corps (two-part buffet), from the early 19th century (est. $1,000-$2,000).

Other furniture offerings will include a Louis XIII-style carved oak double-door armoire made around 1800, 84 inches in height (est. $1,200-$1,800); a French provincial Louis XV-style sideboard from circa 1850, 60 inches wide (est. $1,000-$1,500); and a French provincial Louis XV-style cherry and elm double-door armoire, circa 1820, 83 ½ inches tall (est. $900-$1,500).

Regional art done by some of the South’s finest painters are a hallmark of Crescent City auctions, and this sale will be no exception. Two works by Alexander Drysdale (La., 1870-1934) will be offered. One is a 1932 signed and dated oil wash titled Moss Draped Trees (est. $6,000-$9,000). The other is a 1933 oil wash on cardboard titled Moonrise Bayou (est. $2,000-$4,000).

Additional noteworthy artworks will include the following:
• A 1998 oil on canvas by James Michalopoulos (New Orleans, b. 1941), titled House and Garden, unframed signed and dated, 31 inches by 39 inches (est. $5,000-$7,000).

• A 20th century oil on board by Odon Marffy (Hungary, 1878-1959), titled Portrait on the Artist’s Easel, signed and presented in a gilt and gesso frame (est. $3,000-$5,000).

• A 1977 oil on canvas by George Schmidt (La., b. 1944), titled Still Life of the Counter at Café Du Monde, signed, 18 inches by 24 inches (est. $2,000-$4,000).

• A 1981 pastel by Emery Ann Clark (La., b. 1950), titled Lighthouse in the Marsh, signed and dated lower right and framed, 16 inches by 24 inches (est. $2,000-$4,000).

• A 1970 acrylic on board by Jack R. Meyers (La., 1930-1994), titled Loluisiana Lazy Day, 5 inches by 7 inches, signed and dated lower right, framed (est. $2,000-$3,000).

• A 1977 pastel by Noel Rockmore (La., 1928-1995), titled Portrait of Gypsy Lou Webb, framed, artist signed and dated, 19 inches by 15 inches (est. $1,200-$1,800).

Certain to attract keen bidder interest is a French Empire-style three-piece bronze and porcelain clock set (est. $1,000-$2,000), made circa 1870 by A. D. Mougin (perhaps Sevres). The set consists of a cobalt urn-form clock and a pair of matching six-light candelabra, with scrolled relief decorated arms. The clock is 21 inches tall; the candelabra are 26 ½ inches tall.

Also sold will be a large selection of jewelry (including South Seas pearls, sapphires, diamonds, tanzanites, emeralds and rubies); estate jewelry (including Rolex watches); Chinese items (including two zitan scroll weights); and sterling (including flatware, bowls, Christofle silverplate and a set of eight silver footed goblets by International in the Lord Saybrook pattern).

Previews will be held Thursday, Aug. 29, through Friday, Sept. 6, from 10-5 (except on Sunday, Sept. 1, and on Labor Day, Sept. 2, when the gallery is closed). A late evening preview, lasting until 8 p.m., will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 4. Absentee bids must be received by fax no later than 1 p.m. (CST) on Friday, Sept. 6th. Crescent City’s fax number is (504) 529-6057.

Crescent City Auction Gallery, LLC is always accepting quality consignments for future sales. To consign a single item, an estate or a collection, you may call them at (504) 529-5057; or, you can e-mail them at [email protected]. A catalog for the Sept. 7-8 sale is available on request. All the lots can be seen online, at www.crescentcityauctiongallery.com.

To learn more about Crescent City Auction Gallery and the upcoming Sept. 7-8 auction, please log on to www.crescentcityauctiongallery.com. Updates are posted frequently.