Michaan’s Features Chic Jewels and Fortuny Gowns, American Art and Antiques in August 10 Auction discover great finds at Michaan’s

ALAMEDA, CA, USA, July 23, 2019 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Press Office Contact! Talesa Eugenio (510) 740-0220 x 116
Auction: Gallery Auction Saturday August 10, 10am
Previews: August 4, 9 and 10 day of sale
Location: Michaan’s Auctions 2751 Todd Street
 Alameda, CA 94501

August may be a great time for beach reading, weekend getaways and back-to-school shopping, but auction buyers know it’s also a good time to discover great finds at Michaan’s. “Our summertime sales have been so strong this year,” says Fine Art specialist Susan Paffrath, “and in August Michaan’s has many wonderful choices for buyers.” In addition to works of fine art and Asian art, highlights of the August 10th Gallery Auction include fine timepieces, Fortuny gowns, an ‘Indian Princess’ cigar store figure and an exceptional MidCentury Modern chess set.
Dating to the 1960s, the chess set with its smooth carved wooden board is by Arthur Espenet Carpenter (1920-2006), the Northern California designer and master woodworker known as “Espenet.” Beautifully crafted of mixed woods, the chess pieces feel marvelous in hand. Estimated at $8,000-$12,000, the Espenet chess set makes the perfect finishing touch to a fine MidCentury home or office interior.

Cigar store figures have long held sway among collectors of American artifacts and memorabilia. In August Michaan’s offers a circa 1890 ‘Indian Princess’ figure attributed to Samuel Anderson (“S.A.”) Robb, a Scottish-born shipwright/carver who emigrated to New York in the latter half of the nineteenth century. Robb’s cigar store figures are recognized and prized by discerning collectors. The carved wood sculpture ($12,000-$18,000), decorated with colored paint and touches of gilt, depicts a Native American woman with long black hair wearing a feather headdress. The consignor’s father owned a sign painting store in Chicago; this figure was owned by one family from the 1920s to the present.

Another American collectible offered in August will interest collectors of Civil War and Masonic artifacts: the walking stick carved and inscribed by Corporal J. Warren Sheffield to commemorate his service in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Estimated at $1,500-$2,000, it is carved with various symbolic emblems and motifs.
The signature pleated designs of the House of Fortuny have been coveted by women of style for over a hundred years. In August Michaan’s offers the graceful belted Delphos gown in pink and the rose silk Peplos gown (c. 1925) with stenciled sash and Murano glass bead detail (each estimated at $3,000-$4,000). For detailed condition reports on these exquisite gowns contact Michaan’s specialist Jill Fenichell, jill@michaans.com or 510-227-2511.


Featured in the August sale, Rufino Tamayo and San Francisco’s own Benjamino “Benny” Bufano are two names sure to resonate with collectors. Tamayo’s “Untitled, Two Figures” mixed media on paper ($800-$1,200) presents the opportunity to own a work by one of Latin America’s most celebrated artists. Bufano’s “Owl” drawing, also estimated at $800 to $1,200, renders a favored subject in the artist’s singular style — modernism with great warmth and accessibility. Bufano is especially well known for his sculptures. The August auction includes his elegant and charming bronze “Snail” ($3,000-$5,000).
Also offered are mixed media works on paper (three lots, each estimated at $2,000-$4,000) by Tie Feng Jiang (b. 1938). These intensely expressive and vibrant works explore human emotions and the energy of all living things. Jiang’s body of phenomenal work includes a 1980 monumental mural permanently installed in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People.
A top August highlight is “Portrait of a Child” ($8,000-$10,000) by Guido Reni (1575-1642) in sanguine (red crayon) on paper. For details including condition reports on this and all works of fine art, bidders may contact Michaan’s Fine Art Manager Kyrah Leal at Kyrah@michaans.com or 510-227-2519.

At Michaan’s in August there are excellent opportunities for collectors of works by women artists. The lovely oil “Portrait of a Young Girl” ($2,000-$4,000) is by Belgian painter Diana Coomans (1861-1952). “Horse Race” ($800$1,200) is a large oil by American equestrian artist Fay Moore. The superb “Still Life With Flowers” ($1,000-$2,000) is by Abbie Zuill (1856-1921) of the Fall River (Massachusetts) School in American art.

Specialist Elise Coronado offers many noteworthy fine jewelry lots in the August auction such as the piece by Eric de Kolb (1916-2001), Austrian-born surrealist artist and designer. The lava cameo, 14k yellow gold necklace featuring six cameos depicting cherubs with baskets ($2,000-$3,000) will delight collectors in search of unusual but pedigreed jewels. De Kolb’s designs are sensuous and sly, a mash-up of modern ideas and ancient motifs.

Fine timepieces offered in August include several by Rolex, most vintage and hard to come by. The ladies two-tone (18k yellow gold and stainless steel) Oyster Perpetual is accented by diamonds, including the hour markers as well as the diamond bezel($2,000-$3,000). A vintage stainless steel Rolex with fluted top and bottom lugs and a leather band is $1,000-$1,500. For the pocket watch collector, the 18k gold hunting case minute repeater with repoussé scene and inscription commemorates the 1818 “Batalla de Maipú” for Chilean independence ($1,500-$2,500).

Diamonds, jade, coral and gold are mainstays of Michaan’s jewelry department and are featured in the August sale. Gorgeous peridot, the birthstone for August, is offered in a number of fine jewelry pieces.
Asian art is another great reason to visit Michaan’s in August. Fine porcelains include the large Chinese blue and white jar painted with Arabic characters and ruyi clouds on a lotus scroll ground ($1,800-$2,500) from the collection of Captain Edward Pearce, who served in the U.S. Navy in Japan and England during the 1960s to early 1970s. From the same fine collection are the Guan type openwork Yuhuchun vase ($1,500-$2,500) and the Jian ware ‘oil spot’ tea bowl with beautiful iridescent glaze ($1,000-$1,500).

Famille rose porcelains offered in August include the lot of two Budai, both with fitted stands of carved wood ($400$600). A blue and white Hu form vase with deer handles is in the sale at $1,000-$1,500. Chinese treasures include the pendant carved of white jade with figures in a landscape and an inscription ($400-$600). The court necklace composed of beads, pendants and a Canton enameled butterfly, in a hardwood box decorated with dragons, is estimated at $300-$500. Huanghuali and Chinese giltwood furniture is offered, as well as diverse Asian artworks including the Japanese woodblock print ($300-$400) by Kawase Hasui. Michaan’s Gallery Auction on Saturday, August 10 offers several ways to bid, including online and at the live auction event in Alameda. Details at www.michaans.com.

Talesa Eugenio
Michaan’s Auctions
+1 510-740-0220
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