BOULDER COUNTY,
CO – Provenance and pedigree
combine to form a compelling reason to bid in Antiquities Saleroom’s Feb. 1
sale of premier Pre-Columbian art. The 110-piece selection offered in the
absentee, phone and Internet auction comes from the carefully curated
collections of two Hollywood notables – an Emmy Award-winning executive
producer/writer, and a producer/director who specializes in movie trailers.
Together, the collections provide an unbroken timeline that
traces the fascinating and mysterious ancient civilizations of Central and
South America. The auction showcases all of the better-known cultures, such as
Aztec, Incan and Mayan; as well as the Pre-Columbian Moche, Salinar, Chancay
and Chinesco cultures. Together, the collections are valued at no less than
$900,000.
“We are accustomed to handling very fine pieces, but the
examples in these two collections are genuinely investment grade and would be
welcomed with open arms at any major museum in the world,” said Bob Dodge,
co-owner of Antiquities Saleroom. “The first collector – the TV producer –
specialized in Mayan and Southeast Mexican artifacts, including pieces from
Veracruz and Olmec. The second collection is very wide ranging and includes
articles from far south Peru and Chile to Northern Mexico and the West Coast
cultures. The owner immersed himself in the antiquities trade so he could
become a well-educated buyer. He attended all of the major shows and bought
from every prominent dealer.”
Most pieces in the auction boast provenance from
distinguished sources, including Sotheby’s, Christie’s, the Denver Art Museum
and even Andy Warhol, who reportedly had a discerning eye for antiquities. In
addition, several artworks are of monumental height, exceeding 30 inches. “That
is almost unheard of in this business and is always exciting to collectors,”
Dodge noted.
Some of the finest Moche art to reach the auction market in
a decade will be featured in the Feb. 1 sale. According to Dodge, Moche
artisans (Peru, circa 400-500 CE) were among the earliest to incorporate portraiture
and humor into their pottery production. A prime example is the erotic drinking
vessel of a male with well-defined facial features and a disproportionately
large, erect phallus that serves as a spout. It is expected to make
$12,000-$15,000. Other Moche highlights include a terracotta stirrup vessel
shaped as a stern-faced warrior with a diminutive prisoner of war hoisted onto
his shoulder, est. $8,000-$12,000; and a beautifully patterned pottery jar
modeled as a mythological creature, part serpent and part jaguar with deer
antlers. Formerly in the Platt Friedenberg and University of Virginia Art
Museum collections, it is estimated at $6,000-$10,000.
Very rare and desirable, a Colima (West Mexico, circa 200
BCE – 200 CE) terracotta redware vessel is formed as a row of three finely
detailed ducks with a spout emerging from one side. It measures 11 inches wide
and could reach $5,000-$7,000 at auction.
From the Central Mexico Mixtec culture comes a carved
redstone stele carved with the image of a fierce running warrior in full battle
dress, holding a feather shield and war club. “This object would have been used
as a boundary marker to warn intruders to stay away or their warriors would
come after them,” said Dodge. Formerly in a Zurich museum, the lot is expected
to sell for $20,000-$30,000.
A two-tone janiform Jalisco (Mexico, circa 0-200 CE) pottery
jar depicts a pair of dogs conjoined on four feet. Acquired many years ago from
the Ron Messick Gallery, the Pre-Columbian rarity is entered in the sale with a
$5,000-$7,000 estimate.
From the Mayan Territories, a circa 500-900 CE carved
volcanic stone skull exhibits deep eye sockets and applied shells to replicate
teeth. A large-beaked bird is carved into the top of the skull and points its
beak into the center of the skull’s forehead. Macabre and alluring at the same
time, it is estimated at $4,000-$6,000.
Formerly in the personal collection of pop art genius Andy
Warhol, a three-tiered Pre-Columbian Mayan polychrome jar from Honduras, circa
500-900 CE, features dancing stick figures, glyphoids and lotus blossoms on its
bands. It commands an auction estimate of $3,000-$4,000.
Many high-carat gold antiquities are included in the sale. A
Pre-Columbian Moche (Peru, circa 100-400 CE) royal ceremonial scepter or “atl
atl” is decorated with a standing lord carved from bone on a turquoise mosaic
platform. Highly important, it carries a pre-sale estimate of $30,000-$40,000.
There are several bas-relief gold masks in the auction, as well as a Sican
(Chimu Culture, Peru, circa 800-1,000 CE) beaker with the face of the god
Naylamp crafted in relief on its surface. The deity wears gold earrings with
turquoise beads and has repousse “hair.” The piece formerly belonged to Ian
Arundel, proprietor of The Curiosity Shop on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles. In
the 1950s and ’60s, Arundel’s shop was a magnet for collectors of the day,
including Vincent Price and John Wayne. The beaker is estimated at
$15,000-$20,000.
Bob Dodge stressed that all items offered for sale in the Feb.
1 auction have been legally acquired, are legal to resell and are
unconditionally guaranteed to be authentic and as described in the catalog. “We
do not sell replicas or anything ‘in the style of’ any ancient culture. Also,
no sale is ever final. We want only satisfied customers,” Dodge said.
Antiquities Saleroom’s Exceptional Pre-Columbian Art from
Hollywood Auction will commence at 12 noon Eastern Time on Friday, Feb. 1,
2013. Bids may be placed through a variety of methods: absentee (including
absentee online), by phone or live via the Internet on auction day through
LiveAuctioneers.com. All items may be viewed online at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.
For additional information call 720-890-7700. E-mail antiquitiessaleroom@gmail.com.
Web: www.antiquities-saleroom.com.
CAPTION:
Moche mythological beast jar, ex-Platt Friedenberg
collection, North Coast Peru, circa 400-500
CE. Estimate $6,000-$10,000. Antiquities Saleroom image.
