Nest Egg Auctions To Host Gala Holiday New Year’s Auction On Jan. 7

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date of Release:  Dec. 27, 2011

Tiffany & Co. grandfather clock, Guy Wiggins painting among sale’s highlights

MERIDEN, Conn. – The Brechlins are home for the holidays and will celebrate as the Connecticut family’s Nest Egg Auctions presents its annual Gala Holiday New Year’s Auction on Saturday, Jan. 7. The sale will begin at 2 p.m. Eastern time.

Those attending the 209-lot auction will be offered festive hospitality, with complimentary food and drink; and live music.

“Everyone comes to our New Year’s auction,” said auctioneer Ryan Brechlin. “Hey, free shrimp!”

Along with the food and entertainment, guests will be able to enjoy previewing an outstanding lineup of antiques and collectibles on display prior to the auction.

LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding for those who cannot attend the sale, which will be held at Nest Egg Auctions’ gallery at 30 Research Parkway in Meriden.

Ryan Brechlin will oversee the event together with his sister Jennifer Brechlin and their mother Mary Ellen Brechlin. All three family members work full time for the second-generation auction house. Present in spirit will be the family patriarch, Carl Brechlin, who died in 2008.

The Jan. 7 auction will be Nest Egg’s first sale of 2012. What better way to ring in the New Year than with a late-19th-century Tiffany & Co. grandfather clock that stands an impressive 100 inches tall and has all the bells and whistles expected of a fine Tiffany timepiece.

“It has a good German movement [Winterhalder & Hofmeier] and a beautifully carved mahogany case,” said Ryan Brechlin. “It’s enormous. People who want a Tiffany clock like them big.”

With a sun and moon dial, eight bells and Westminster chimes – all in running condition – the clock is estimated at $3,000-$5,000.

Another large mechanical marvel in the sale is a Model 92 National cash register, which was custom made for a New York department store, Barton & Hoysradt, around 1902. The register is fully functional and includes all keys and its original instruction book. The entire piece – register and attached cabinet – measures approximately 19 1/2 inches by 26 inches by 36 inches and has a $1,000-$2,000 estimate.

“It’s a cool piece, one of the biggest registers National made. The drawers all integrated to the different departments in the store,” said Brechlin.

Another choice mechanical device in the auction is a Mills Novelty Co. American War Eagle nickel slot machine from the mid-1930s. From an Old Saybrook, Conn., estate, the classic one-arm bandit in working order is expected to make $1,000-$2,000.

The auction’s high point may come with the introduction of a Guy Carleton Wiggins (American, 1883-1962) oil-on-board painting of the New York Library in a winter storm. The artwork executed in quintessential Wiggins style carries a $5,000-$10,000 estimate.

“It has everything you want in a Guy Wiggins painting – New York in winter, snow and American Flags,” said Brechlin. “This one has two flags.” 

Brechlin noted that the 12-inch by 16-inch Wiggins painting is from the Alfred Cheney Johnston Collection. Johnston was a famed New York City-based photographer known for his portraits of Ziegfeld Follies showgirls as well as of 1920s/1930s actresses. The final 65 lots of the auction consist exclusively of Johnston photos of this type.

“This will be the last of the Alfred Cheney Johnston estate photographs, which we’ve spread over three auctions during the past year. Because they’re the last offering, I’m hoping people will go a little crazy for them,” said Bechlin.

Some of Johnston’s beautiful subjects were noted silent film stars. These particular images will be sold individually. Many other lots include multiple images. Estimates range from several hundred to several thousand dollars.

While the subject matter was risqué for its time, Johnston’s work was technically and artistically superb, and is highly collectible today. The enlargements, many 10 inches by 13 inches, are in excellent condition.

An especially desirable collector’s item in the sale is an Art Deco porcelain figure of a woman made by Lenci of Torino, Italy. The sultry blonde, wearing a short dress and carrying a basket of flowers, stands 9½ inches high. With minor damage, it has a $500-$1,000 estimate. 

“Lenci was a small Italian pottery and their best pieces are highly sought after,” said Brechlin. “We sold a Lenci piece earlier in the year for around $13,000.”

A line from the popular 1934 hit Winter Wonderland – “Gone away is the bluebird” – comes to mind when considering a taxidermied passenger pigeon displayed in a period display case. The trophy, an example of a wild species that was hunted to extinction by 1914, is the size of a typical pigeon. The custom-crafted glass and wood case measures approximately 12 inches by 13 inches by 19 inches.

“We’ve done well with some taxidermy,” says Bechlin, who hopes to make $3,000-$5,000 with this former museum piece.

Three scarce Arts & Crafts Movement books on papermaking by Dard Hunter, a one-time associate of Elbert Hubbard, will be sold. One, published in 1927 and dealing with primitive papermaking, is number 83 of an edition limited to 200 copies. It has a $1,000-$2,000 estimate.

The Literature of Papermaking 1390-1800 by Dard Hunter, published in 1925, is numbered 76 of 160 and signed by the author. The illustrated volume is hand printed in type of Hunter’s own design on handmade paper. It carries a $500-$1,000 estimate.

Hunter’s Papermaking in Indo-China, a limited edition published in 1947, exhibits similar handcraftsmanship and also has a $500-$1,000 estimate.

For additional information on Nest Egg Auctions’ Gala Holiday New Year’s Auction, call 203-630-1400 or toll-free 800-448-0692; or e-mail ryan@nesteggauctions.com. All forms of bidding will be available. View the fully illustrated catalog and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet at www.LiveAuctioneers.com. The catalog may also be viewed on Nest Egg’s website: www.nesteggauctions.com.

CAPTIONS:

Guy Carleton Wiggins (American, 1883-1962) ‘New York Library in Storm,’ signed lower left, 12 x 16 in. sight, 20 x 16 in. in signed Fredrix NY frame. Est. $5,000-$10,000. Nest Egg Auctions photo.

 

Gold Coins, Spectacular Jewels and Art in Government Auction’s Jan. 1 Sale

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date of Release: Dec. 20, 2011

 

On Jan. 1, 2012, California-based Government Auction will host its seventh annual New Year’s sale, featuring rare gold coins, fine jewelry and gems; art and antique music machines. 

TEHACHAPI, Calif. – On Jan. 1, 2012, California-based Government Auction will host its seventh annual New Year’s sale, featuring rare gold coins, fine jewelry and gems; art and antique music machines. More than two million dollars in merchandise will be sold to the highest bidder at the event, which is structured as an absentee, phone and Internet auction, with Internet live bidding available through LiveAuctioneers.com.

The company traditionally reserves for its annual New Year’s sale only the best and most valuable items in its inventory. “It takes a lot of time to prepare for our New Year’s auction, but it’s always worth it. Collectors love it because most of the lots have no reserve and start with an opening bid of only one or two dollars,” said Chris Budge, of Government Auction’s Marketing department.

A strong candidate for top lot of the 2,000-lot sale is a 1795 13-leaves $10 gold eagle coin. Fewer than 5,100 gold eagle coins were minted in 1795 – some with the eagle grasping a branch with 13 leaves and others with nine leaves. Only 400 to 500 examples of the 13-leaves coin are known to exist. These coins hold strong interest with collectors because they were the first U.S. gold eagle coins to be stamped. Designed by Robert Scott, each weighs 17.5 grams and has 91.7% gold content. The coin in Government Auction’s sale is graded NGC AU by Numismatic Guaranty Corp., and is expected to make $123,000-$246,000.

Additional coin highlights include an 1882-CC $20 Liberty Head coin, est. $37,500-$75,000; and a 901-S Barber 25-cent coin, est. $70,500-$141,000.

Several truly exquisite necklaces are entered in the auction. A design in 18K yellow and white gold features 35 emeralds with a total weight of 19.02 carats and 288 diamonds having a total weight of 7.20 carats. The Gemological Laboratory of America has valued the necklace at $86,419. It carries a presale estimate of $43,000-$86,000.

An 18K yellow gold necklace with 36.15 carats of genuine Ceylon cabochon sapphires and 3.5 carats of diamonds could fetch $32,000-$64,000; while a striking 7.90-carat cabochon ruby pendant-style 14K gold necklace is estimated at $18,000-$36,000. The ruby in the latter necklace is a blood-red color and serves as the focal point of three stepped squares of surrounding diamonds. The pendant is suspended from a heavily diamond-encrusted necklace. Estimate: $18,000-$36,000. Yet another select entry is the 2,281.35-carat faceted emerald gemstone, described as having a “dark tone with strong, vivid saturation.” The massive emerald could realize as much as $80,000 on auction day.

A signed John Lewis Brown (French/Scottish ancestry, 1829-1892) oil-on-board painting showcases the artist’s skill in painting equine, canine and military subjects. “Brown was influenced by the Impressionists, especially Degas, which is obvious in this painting,” said Budge. The framed 18 by 22in. pastoral work is estimated at $13,500-$27,000.

The auction will not be short of musical accompaniment with a 1940s Rock-Ola jukebox in the lineup. The classic jukebox plays 78 RPM records and exudes visual appeal with its colorful, illuminating Art Deco façade. Estimate: $5,100-$10,200. Two early forms of mechanical musical entertainment will be available to bidders, as well. A rare Polyphon music box in immaculate condition carries an estimate of $10,500-$21,000; while a Regina upright music box in mint condition and accompanied by 15 discs may climb much higher, to its estimate of $57,000-$114,000.

From the same general timeframe as the mechanical music machines, a Caille upright 5-cent slot machine is richly decorative, with a copper marquee, front plates, paw feet and additional trim to its handsome oak body. A stunning work of art, its target price is $66,000-$132,000.

Sports fans won’t want to miss the opportunity to bid on a custom-matted and framed collage of autographs, images and collector sports cards representing the athletes known collectively as the “NBA 60 Greatest Players.” Among the superstars included in the collage are Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain, “Pistol” Pete Maravich, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, Julius “Dr. J” Erving, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O’Neal and many other masters of the hardcourt. An estimate of $14,997-$29,994 has been set on this lot.

Government Auction’s Jan. 1, 2012 New Year’s Day sale will commence at 7:30 a.m. Pacific Time/10:30 a.m. Eastern Time. Absentee, phone and Internet live bidding through LiveAuctioneers.com will be available. For additional information on any lot in the sale, call Debbie on 661-823-1543 or e-mail info@governmentauction.com.

View the fully illustrated catalog and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

CAPTION:

1795 13-leaves $10 gold eagle coin, graded NGC AU by Numismatic Guaranty Corp., est. $123,000-$246,000. Government Auction image.

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Don Presley’s New Year’s Auction Features Scottish Rite’s Antique Marble Sculpture ‘Paetus et Aria’

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date of Release: Dec. 19, 2011

The treasured Carrara marble grouping will be among over 1,000 lots of antiques and fine arts, including Asian art, in the two day sale December 31-January 1.

ORANGE, Calif. – A superb European sculpture unveiled at the Los Angeles Scottish Rite Cathedral on Christmas Day of 1913 is the highlight of Don Presley’s Dec. 31-Jan. 1 New Year’s Auction. The sale features 1,000 lots of antiques, Asian and other fine art, plus a bumper selection described by Presley as “a gallery of amusements.”

The headliner – a Carrara marble grouping known variously as ‘Paetus et Aria,’ ‘The Gaul Killing Himself and His Wife,’ and ‘The Galatian Suicide’ – is a copy of the Hellenistic 3rd century B.C. original by Epignonos, ex Boncompagni Ludovisi Collection. In 1900, the Italian State purchased the original – and 103 other sculptures – from the royal Boncompagni Ludovisi family for ensconcement in the Pergamum Museo Nazionale at Palazzo Altemps.

A deaccession from the Scottish Rite Library & Museum, the antique copy of the famous Greek statue in Presley’s sale – whose exact age is unknown – comes with a written history from Masonic archives. In its post-Christmas 1913 “Bulletin to the Los Angeles Consistory,” an article describes the statue – a gift from Scottish Rite member V.M. William Rhodes Hervey – as “one of the finest marbles in America, not unworthy of being the center of [the Cathedral’s] collection of statuary, pictures and books.”

The statue measures 94 inches tall by 42 inches wide, inclusive of custom-made marble base, and is expected to make $40,000-$75,000 at auction.

Presley’s New Year’s sale also features an extensive selection of top-quality ivory and Asian antiques. A pair of coveted Chinese huanghuali chairs in spotless condition came from a Los Angeles residence. Auctioneer Don Presley explained that one reason chairs of this type are so scarce is because the wood from which they are constructed is only rarely found in pieces large enough to be used in furniture.

“Huanghuali chairs were made for emperors and royalty from exotic hardwoods in the rosewood family that have an especially beautiful grain and pattern of knots,” Presley said. “They can fetch high prices at auction. We have placed a conservative estimate of $15,000-$25,000 on the chairs consigned to our sale.”

Another Asian highlight is a 19th-century carved bone over wood statue of Guanyin. The figure, which has an ivory face and hands, holds a candle and has a phoenix (bird) ornament in its hair. It carries an estimate of $8,000-$15,000.

Approximately 200 antique clocks will be auctioned, including 40 more from the same Beverly Hills collection that highlighted Presley’s Nov. 5-6 sale. The grouping includes French and other European clocks, carriage, boulle and tortoiseshell; champleve, gilt-bronze, jewel-face and American clocks (Tiffany, Ansonia, etc.). There are also a few wall and mantel clocks.

Several impressive diamonds, sized from 2 to 3 carats each, add a fine edge to the sale, as does a Rolex Daytona Model 16520 Oyster Perpetual man’s wristwatch with Zenith movement. With original box, the classic timepiece could realize $12,000-$20,000.

An Art Deco sterling silver tea set marked “Jimenez” is a premier example of Mexican craftsmanship. The teapot and accessory pieces are stamped ‘Sterling 925’ and have a fluted exterior, while the stamped tray is adorned by a substantial, wide repousse trim. The stylish set weighs in at 159.6 troy ounces and is estimated at $8,000-$12,000.

The perfect furnishing in which to display a tea set of such quality is the 19th-century bronze ormolu vitrine that comes to the auction from a residence in the exclusive Orange Park Acres section of Orange County. With cartouches hand painted in the vernis Martin style, and with its original glass intact, the elegant vitrine could fetch $4,000-$6,000.

Don Presley has amassed an assortment of unusual amusements for his Dec. 31-Jan. 1 sale. Several were featured on the History Channel’s new show Real Deal, which is taped at Presley’s gallery. They include a 1957 Williams “Deluxe Baseball” pinball machine, est. $3,500-$5,500; and a fully documented circa-1891 binnacle from the Spanish flagship Infanta Maria Teresa, $15,000-$25,000. A third item that appeared on Real Deal is a circa-1900 medical device called a “nebulizer.” Presley explained that the device was used in upscale medical or dental practices and produced a mist for inhalation by patients. Estimate: $1,200-$1,800.

A special transportation attraction that would be right at home at Knott’s Berry Farm is a Butterfield stagecoach, 3/4 size, made around 1942 for use in parades, rodeos and other festive events. The vehicle has perfect wheels, is leather slung with barrel sides and even has lanterns to accommodate candles, in the manner of 19th-century stagecoaches. The auction estimate is $25,000-$30,000. For those who favor the Mod era, a pair of zippy 1960s Vespa scooters may fit the bill, with an estimate of $2,000-$3,000 apiece.

Additional entries of note include a Capodimonte chess set on a wood base with bronze ormolu, est. $1,500-$2,500; a sizable collection of Roseville, Bauer and other California pottery; fine porcelains, various other fine and decorative-art objects; and 200 Hummel figurines. A 5ft. 6in. electric automaton organ grinder and monkey comes with cassettes to provide a musical accompaniment.

Both the Saturday and Sunday sessions will commence at 12 noon Pacific Time. Preview Mon.-Sat. 10-5. The gallery is located at 1319 W. Katella Ave., Orange, CA 92867. All forms of bidding will be available, including live at the gallery, by phone, absentee or live via the Internet through LiveAuctioneers.com. For additional information, call Don Presley at 714-633-2437 or e-mail info@donpresleyauction.com. Visit the company’s website at www.donpresleyauction.com.

CAPTION:

Antique marble copy of ‘The Gaul Killing Himself and His Wife,’ a k a ‘Paetus et Aria,’ 94 inches tall, 42 inches wide inclusive of custom-made marble base. Provenance: Collection of the Scottish Rite Library & Museum. Estimate $40,000-$75,000. Don Presley Auctions image.

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