Presidential Documents

Lincoln, Abraham (1809-1865) Photographic Portrait by Alexander Gardner (1821-1882) (Lot 35, Estimate $20,000-$30,000)

The auction opens with three documents signed by John Quincy Adams, including a letter written to the American consul in Russia in 1815 (lot 2, estimated between $3,000 and $5,000) that contains a large section on Robert Fulton’s steamship agreement with the Russians; a legal brief drafted early in Adams’s career (lot 1, $400 to $600); and a signed ship’s passport from 1825 (lot 3, $600 to $800).

The large photographic portrait of Abraham Lincoln taken by Alexander Gardner (lot 35, $20,000 to $30,000) descended through his personal secretary John Hay, who was present when the picture was taken in August of 1863. The large image is especially striking in its oval gilt and mahogany frame.

An unassuming receipt (lot 46, $2,000 to $3,000) signed by Thomas Jefferson’s grandson in 1829 draws attention to a disturbing chapter in American history. Thomas Jefferson Randolph attempted to settle his grandfather’s estate, which was greatly in debt at the time of the former President’s passing. In this instance, he has sold Moses Gillette, an enslaved man owned by Jefferson’s estate at Monticello, for $545. Gillette, a skilled cooper who sold his wares back to Monticello, eventually did secure freedom, and moved to Ohio to be closer to his brother, Israel Gillette Jefferson.

Literary History

An engaging letter (lot 5, $3,000 to $4,000) in the hand of Louisa May Alcott sorts out the last publication details regarding Little Women on the way to the first publication. Alcott writes to her editor, Samuel Niles, concerning the illustrations, subtitle, and illustration credit for the book. She also shows her own enthusiasm and verve as she notes that she is writing while holding her small nephew on her lap, “recovering from a tumble. […] [H] is gambols are not conducive to elegance of handwriting.” The first edition of both parts of Little Women is also offered in the sale (lot 62 $2,000 to $3,000).

Mark Twain holds a book on his lap and wears a dark suit and bow tie in the signed photograph offered in the June 1st sale (lot 54, $6,000 to $8,000). The large-format portrait in period oak frame evokes the unmistakable author as he appeared in 1905.

Rare Books

Catherwood, Frederick (1799-1854) Views of Ancient Monuments in Central America, Chiapas, and Yucatan (lot 94, $15,000 to $20,000)

The cover lot is an image from Catherwood’s Views of Ancient Monuments in Central America, Chiapas, and Yucatan (lot 94, $15,000 to $20,000), a first edition from 1844, illustrated with two dozen hand-colored lithographic plates of Pre-Columbian ruins recently discovered in the rain forests of Central America. On a similar topic, McKenney and Hall’s History of the Indian Tribes of North America (lot 249, $5,000 to $7,000) is offered in the second octavo edition, illustrated with 120 hand-colored plates, in three volumes handsomely bound in full gilt-tooled red morocco.

A group of Middle Eastern manuscripts, including prayer books, manuscripts, Qur’ans, poetry, and other works in Armenian, Arabic, Persian, Coptic, Turkish, and other languages are also drawing favorable attention from potential bidders.

A milestone of theological publication and a coveted high-spot for Bible collectors, the first published edition of the Latin Bible with commentary (the Glossa Ordinaria) from the 1480s will be on offer (lot 77, $40,000 to $60,000), bound in four large folio volumes, with illuminated initials. A rare Jacobean psalm book in English from 1625 (lot 332, $1,000 to $1,500) is notable for its original memento mori silk embroidered binding, still intact after more than 375 years, worked with metallic and silk embroidery thread, and embellished with sequins.

The first English edition of Grimm’s Fairy Tales, illustrated by Cruikshank presents well in a two-volume set in a state of excellent preservation, in leather bindings by Riviere (lot 182, $3,000 to $5,000).

Natural History Prints

Besler, Basilius (1561-1629) Poma Amoris Fructu Rubro (Lot 417, Estimate $900-$1,200)

An inscribed first octavo edition of Audubon’s Birds of America in seven volumes will be offered at the sale (lot 406, $35,000 to $55,000). The work, illustrated with 500 full-color images of North American birds is a landmark in the study of ornithology, and inscribed copies are rarely presented on the market. The sale will also include a group of approximately forty imperial folio prints of Audubon quadrupeds, a first edition of the octavo quadrupeds set (lot 407, $5,000 to $7,000), and several folio bird prints.

A striking hand-colored engraving of a tomato in fruit from Besler’s Hortus Eystettensis (lot 417, $900 to $1,200) invites thoughts of summer harvest, while the sale of original artwork for several New Yorker cartoons from the 1960s allow collectors the opportunity to own something unique from a favorite American literary publication (lots 425-430, estimates ranging from $600 to $1,500).

Antique Maps

Blaeu’s monumental two-volume work on Dutch cities and towns from 1649, bound in full gilt-tooled red morocco, is sumptuously illustrated throughout with views, maps, and plans (lot 439, $15,000 to $20,000). Sauthier’s imposing and detailed map of New York State from 1779 was of pivotal use during the American Revolution (lot 463, $10,000 to $15,000) and gave great advantage to the British. The English Pilot was published in 1794, and this copy includes twenty-five detailed maps of ports from Hudson’s Bay to the Amazon (lot 466, $10,000 to $12,000).

Previews, Catalog, Events, and Bidding

Previews for the auction will be held on Thursday, May 30, 2013, 12 p.m.-5 p.m., and Friday, May 31, 2013, 12 p.m.-7 p.m., and Saturday, June 1, 2013, 9 a.m.-11 a.m.

An illustrated catalog for sale # 2658B is available by mail from the subscription department at 508-970-3240. It is also available at the gallery.

The Skinner website allows users to view all lots in the auctions, leave bids, order catalogs, and bid live in real-time through SkinnerLive!. Visit and “like” Skinner on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/skinnerauctions.

About Skinner

Skinner auctions draw international interest from buyers and consignors alike, with material regularly achieving record prices. The company’s auction and appraisal services focus on fine art, jewelry, furniture, and decorative arts from around the globe, as well as wine, fine musical instruments, rare books, clocks, Judaica, and more. Monthly Skinner Discovery auctions feature a breadth of estate material. Widely regarded as one of the most trusted names in the business, Skinner appraisers have appeared on the PBS-TV series, Antiques Roadshow, since the show’s inception. Skinner has galleries in Boston and Marlborough, Massachusetts with an international audience of bidders participating in person, by phone, and online through the SkinnerLive! online bidding platform. For more information and to read our blog, visit the website at www.skinnerinc.com, find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/skinnerauctions, or follow us on Twitter @Skinnerinc.

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Contacts

Devon Gray
Director of Fine Books & Manuscripts
508-970-3293
books@skinnerinc.com

Kate de Bethune
Director of Marketing
press@skinnerinc.com

Please join us for our monthly consignment event. Specialists from the American & European Works of Art department will provide complimentary, verbal evaluations for paintings, prints, works on paper, sculpture, and photography.

Robin Starr, Director of the Skinner American & European Works of Art Department.

Held on the first Tuesday of each month.

Next First Tuesday: June 4

1:30PM – 4PM

First come, first served.
Limit 3 works per person.

Skinner Marlborough
274 Cedar Hill Street
Marlborough, MA 01752

Questions:
events@skinnerinc.com
508-970-3240

Art Nouveau 18kt Rose Gold and Alexandrite Pendant Brooch, Marcus & Co. (Lot 586, Estimate $60,000-$80,000)

Have you ever heard of the jewelry firm Marcus & Co.? If not, you’re not alone. While Cartier and Tiffany are household names synonymous with luxury jewelry, Marcus & Co. is not. Yet this designer of fine jewelry deserves its place among the elite.

Herman Marcus came to New York from Germany in 1850 and started working as a designer at Tiffany & Co. He represented Tiffany at the 1878 Exposition Universelle in Paris. Marcus left Tiffany around 1884 to establish his own firm, Marcus & Co., with his two sons. Herman died in 1899 but his sons continued to run the company well into the 20th century.

During the early 20th century the firm produced fine Renaissance and Egyptian revival jewelry, and became known for designs inspired by the French Art Nouveau period as well as their use of enameling. Marcus & Co. jewelers learned the craft of enameling at the Lalique workshop in Paris.

The firm’s bold use of brightly colored enamel mixed with precious and semi-precious gemstones is unmistakable, and represents a confidence in design not usually seen from this period. This Art Nouveau 18kt rose gold and alexandrite pendant brooch is a beautiful example. The brooch is set with a rare, cushioned-shaped alexandrite weighing over 7.00 cts. —  an unexpected choice of material at a time when most designers were still using large diamonds to instill a sense of richness to their work.

Throughout the early 20th century, Marcus & Co. was responsible for some of the most interesting jewelry created by an American jewelry house.

Skinner is pleased to be offering a fine collection of Marcus & Co. jewelry in our upcoming June 11th Fine Jewelry Auction. We hope you will join us for a chance to see these rare pieces.

• Simple, easy-to-understand navigation
• Larger, more beautiful imagery, including a new grid view for browsing auctions
• Detailed information on the dozens of specialty collecting areas covered by Skinner
• Powerful search – presenting lots in upcoming and past sales in one view
• My Skinner – a personalized suite of online services for the registered user
• A major upgrade to SkinnerLive! – Skinner’s own live online bidding platform

The site navigation is considerably simpler than most auction websites, with the auction schedule providing direct access to auction highlights, online catalogs, live online bidding, and auction results. From the auction schedule, users can drill down into auctions, lot listings, and lot details with bidding options accessible every step of the way.

For visitors who would like to learn more about Skinner’s areas of expertise, specialty area pages provide detailed information and sale highlights from dozens of categories in which Skinner specializes – from folk art to fine wine. Users will also enjoy powerful new searching capabilities which show results from both upcoming and past auctions in one view, making it easier to buy, consign or research specific objects.

The new “My Skinner” section of the site offers registered users personalized services to enhance the experience of buying and selling at auction with Skinner, including lot tracking and consolidated views of absentee bids and purchases.

SkinnerLive! Online Bidding

The totally new SkinnerLive! online bidding platform offers an exciting and very user-friendly online bidding experience that is a step above alternatives. The new SkinnerLive! provides:

• Faster bidding
• Direct access to Skinner specialists
• Crystal-clear audio
• Complete catalog & condition information

In addition, the new SkinnerLive! allows visitors to watch and hear live auctions without registering or logging in. Since the service launched in February, tens of thousands of users have “tuned in” to watch the action.

Trefler & Sons Restoration Services, having recently watched an auction on SkinnerLive! observed on Facebook: “This could get addictive…listening to LIVE bidding at Skinner Auctions online, and having the ability to log in and bid online? Wonders will never cease.”

According to Karen Keane, CEO of Skinner, Inc., “In just two years, between May of 2010 and May of 2012, our web traffic tripled and the number of visitors just keeps increasing. While our roots are squarely in New England, our clientele is global. The redesign provides buyers and sellers more extensive up-to-date information as well as an outstanding new way to bid through SkinnerLive!”

Customer feedback has been extremely positive. Charles Horey of Boston, Massachusetts, said “I just wanted to say that I love the new website…One of my areas of interest is Galle vases… before I had to scroll through the back 20th century auctions searching for vases that have sold. Now I can just do a search and find all that have sold (including the two that I acquired). So much easier…and a great educational tool. Thanks!”

About Skinner

Skinner auctions draw international interest from buyers and consignors alike, with material regularly achieving record prices. The company’s auction and appraisal services focus on fine art, jewelry, furniture, and decorative arts from around the globe, as well as wine, fine musical instruments, rare books, clocks, Judaica, and more. Monthly Skinner Discovery auctions feature a breadth of estate material. Widely regarded as one of the most trusted names in the business, Skinner appraisers have appeared on the PBS-TV series, Antiques Roadshow, since the show’s inception. Skinner has galleries in Boston and Marlborough, Massachusetts with an international audience of bidders participating in person, by phone, and online through the SkinnerLive! online bidding platform. For more information and to read our blog, visit the website at www.skinnerinc.com, find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/skinnerauctions, or follow us on Twitter @Skinnerinc.

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Contacts

Kate de Bethune
Director of Marketing
press@skinnerinc.com

Consider offering your pieces at auction with Skinner. Fine silver commands excellent, even record-breaking prices at auction.

Gorham Sterling Silver Loving Cup, Providence, Rhode Island, 1898. Sold for $7,380. (Sale 2615B/Lot 255A)

Come meet with Stuart Slavid, Director of the Skinner Fine Silver Department, for an evaluation of your sterling silver holloware, tableware, or flatware.

REGISTER NOW

Tuesday, June 11

Appointments: 10AM – 4PM

Greenwich Historical Society
Bush-Holley Historic Site
39 Strickland Road
Cos Cob, CT 06807

Reservations:
events@skinnerinc.com
508-970-3240

Tiffany Studios Black-eyed Susan Mosiac Glass Table Lamp, Art glass and patinated bronze, New York, early 20th century (Lot 46, Estimate $20,000-$30,000)

What image do the words “Tiffany lamp” conjure in your mind’s eye? You probably see a colorful, mosaic glass lamp on a patinated bronze base with a floral or geometric motif, or perhaps some dragonflies.

The fact that “Tiffany” tends to be synonymous in the American vernacular with “beautiful mosaic glass lighting” is a testament to the legacy of Louis Comfort Tiffany’s vision, and the execution of that vision by the gifted artists and craftsmen and women working at Tiffany Studios. However, not every valuable mosaic glass lamp is a Tiffany, and Tiffany lamps are not the only highly coveted examples of early modern lighting design.

Tiffany Studios and a brand new market for mosaic art glass

By the 1890s, Tiffany Studios had already established itself as a manufacturer of stunningly beautiful and masterfully executed mosaic leaded glass windows. However, it was the introduction of a new technique to hold cut glass pieces together with copper foil instead of lead that allowed them to expand their mosaic market. The traditional lead came technique used in windows was heavy and brittle, while copper foil allowed for a lighter, more malleable structure that could be built in the three-dimensional shape of a lamp shade. Thanks to patent protection on the new copper foiling technique that lasted until 1903, Tiffany was able to get a strong (and lasting) foot hold in the mosaic glass lamp market.

The new lamps found immediate popularity and financial success despite their relatively exorbitant cost; more people could afford a Tiffany lamp than could afford a Tiffany window. Other lighting manufacturers attempted to recreate the effect of Tiffany mosaics using lead, enameling, metal overlays, and other methods, with mostly mediocre results. As soon as the patent on copper foiling expired, the flood gates opened and the mosaic lamp market in America took off.

Duffner & Kimberly Mosaic Glass Table Lamp New York, early 20th century (Lot 41, Estimate $8,000-$12,000)

The Tiffany look without the Tiffany price

Mosaic glass lamps surged in popularity in the early 20th century in America. Electricity was becoming increasingly common in homes, and people enjoyed the softening effect of the colored glass on the glare of new electric bulbs. Perhaps even more importantly, the lamps had become a trendy status symbol.

Savvy business people saw an opportunity to profit from the clout of the Tiffany name and the ever-growing population of an aspirational middle class. Lamps made in the style of Tiffany Studios lamps, but with less costly materials and construction, appealed to people who wanted the Tiffany look without the Tiffany price. Companies such as Duffner & Kimberly, Gorham, Wilkinson, and Unique all created mosaic glass lamps, or “electric portables,” of varying quality and in a range of styles, from Victorian to Art Nouveau.

This large and diverse group of second-tier mosaic glass lamps offered a more affordable alternative to Tiffany lighting at the time, and examples from these manufacturers remain an excellent option today for beginning collectors or casual appreciators of the beauty of mosaic art glass. Some of these lamps may be near equals to Tiffany in their beauty, creativity and quality of construction – yet they often come at a more accessible price.

The Skinner 20th Century Design auction in Boston on June 22, 2013 features a selection of lighting by Tiffany Studios as well as other popular manufacturers of mosaic art glass lamps.

Watch for our post next week that will provide tips on how to recognize quality in mosaic glass lamps.

Mosaic Glass Table Lamp Attributed to Unique Art Glass & Metal Co. (Lot 25, Estimate $1,200-$1,500)

Mosaic Glass Table Lamp Attributed to Duffner & Kimberly (Lot 1, Estimate $2,000-$3,000)

Tiffany Studios Pomegranate Table Lamp (Lot 10, Estimate $8,000-$12,000)

Egyptian Revival Table Lamp Attributed to Gorham (Lot 5, Estimate $1,200-$1,800)

Marie Keep, Director of Fine Wines at Skinner

with Skinner Auctioneer Marie Keep, Director of Fine Wines

May 18, 2013

Berkshire Museum
39 South Street (Route 7)
Pittsfield, MA 01201

The net proceeds from this biennial event which began in 1993 support the Berkshire Museum’s innovative education programs that provide more than 16,000 educational experiences in the arts and natural science for local schoolchildren each year.

Tickets and more info can be found on the Berkshire Museum’s website. 

Schedule

5:00 p.m.
Silent Auction and Wine Tasting

6:45 p.m.
Live Auction and Champagne Reception

8:15 p.m.
Celebratory Wine Dinner

Proceeds from this event benefit Berkshire Museum education programs.

For more information or to purchase tickets, please contact the Museum’s Development Office at 413.443.7171 ext. 51

Antique Dolls

Small Figure C Bisque Head Jules Steiner Bebe, France, c. 1870s (Lot 152, Estimate $3,000-$5,000)

The May auction features an excellent assortment of vintage and collectible dolls, including French and German fashion dolls, as well as American cloth dolls. Examples of early dolls include a small figure bisque head Jules Steiner Bebe circa 1870 outfitted in a pink dress decorated with off-white lace (lot 152, estimated between $3,000 and $5,000); a bisque head lady doll by Bru, France, circa 1870 decked out in a regal pink-pleated gown (lot 150, $2,000 to $2,500); and a small early bisque head French lady doll circa 1870 (lot 183, $1,000 to $1,500).

Notable cloth dolls include a Columbian painted cloth doll (lot 58, $2,500 to $3,500), a pair of Georgene Raggedy Ann and Andy awake/asleep dolls (lot 126, $600 to $800), an exposition Raggedy Ann cloth doll circa 1934-35 (lot 64, $3,000 to $4,000), an Alabama molded and painted cloth doll (lot 11, $2,000 to $2,400), and a large Martha Chase cloth sockinet doll (lot 51, $700 to $900). A Door of Hope Mission bride doll from the early 20th century (lot 7, $300 to $500) will also be auctioned.

Vintage Toys & Collectibles

An outstanding selection of vintage toys and collectibles will be offered at auction, led by a collection of over 60 lots of Dinky toys, including eight Meccano die-cast metal automobiles from England and France (lot 350, $200 to $300), as well as toys by Corgi, Matchbox, Hubley, and others. Additional highlights from this collecting category include a Schuco bellhop monkey (lot 50, $200 to $300), Lionel trains, collections of toy soldiers, and a group of Steiff bears.

For sports lovers and collectors, the May Discovery sale offers fourteen 1911 T201 Mecca cigarettes double folder baseball cards (lot 410, $300 to $400). Additional collectibles offered in this sale include exciting pieces of militaria, James Bond movie posters, and several examples of early film stills and head shots.

Early Photography

Quarter-plate Ambrotype Portrait of a Bearded Gentleman (Lot 529, Estimate $150- $200)

The May 2013 Discovery auction features early photography from the collection of Rod MacKenzie, including a quarter-plate ambrotype portrait of a bearded gentleman (lot 529, $150 to $200).

MacKenzie had a sophisticated taste for images that speak to the viewer emotionally, historically, and artistically. This collection is an extraordinary visual archive of American life at the advent of the photographic era. The group includes formal family portraits, wedding snapshots, and stirring singular images of young men and women at the dawn of the modern American age. These rare artifacts survive in remarkable condition in this selection of expertly collected daguerreotypes, ambrotypes, and tintypes. Skinner saw excellent results in October of 2011 when part of MacKenzie’s collection brought $220,000 in the American Furniture & Decorative Arts auction.

Furniture & Decorative Objects

Two Door Oak and Leaded Glass Four Stack Bookcase, Early 20th Century (Lot 772, Estimate $250-$350)

The auction includes a nice assortment of antique and contemporary furnishings and decorative objects. A pair of Victorian black-painted, gilt-decorated, and mother of pearl-inlaid chairs (lot 870, $150 to $250) and an oak and leaded glass bookcase from the early 20th century (lot 772, $250 to $350) are just two examples of furniture presented at the sale.

A variety of scientific instruments, three Van Briggle Art pottery vases and an unmarked pottery vase (lot 1116, $100 to $150), and a Kazak rug from Southwest Caucasus (lot 847, $400 to $600) round out an eclectic selection of décor.

Previews, Catalog, and Bidding

Previews for the auction will be held on Tuesday, May 21, 2013, 12 p.m.-7 p.m., Wednesday, May 22, 2013, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., and Thursday, May 23, 2013, 9 a.m.-10 a.m.

A text catalog for sale #2654M is available by mail from the subscription department at 508-970-3240. It is also available at the gallery.

The Skinner website allows users to view all lots in the auctions, leave bids, order catalogs, and bid live in real-time through SkinnerLive!. Visit and “like” Skinner on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/skinnerauctions.

About Skinner

Skinner auctions draw international interest from buyers and consignors alike, with material regularly achieving record prices. The company’s auction and appraisal services focus on fine art, jewelry, furniture, and decorative arts from around the globe, as well as wine, fine musical instruments, rare books, clocks, Judaica, and more. Monthly Skinner Discovery auctions feature a breadth of estate material. Widely regarded as one of the most trusted names in the business, Skinner appraisers have appeared on the PBS-TV series, Antiques Roadshow, since the show’s inception. Skinner has galleries in Boston and Marlborough, Massachusetts with an international audience of bidders participating in person, by phone, and online through the SkinnerLive! online bidding platform. For more information and to read our blog, visit the website at www.skinnerinc.com, find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/skinnerauctions, or follow us on Twitter @Skinnerinc.

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Contacts

Anne Fallon
Director of Discovery Auctions
508-970-3202
discovery@skinnerinc.com

Kate de Bethune
Director of Marketing
press@skinnerinc.com

A Skinner team participates in the Corporate Challenge Regatta to support Courageous Sailing

Courageous Sailing is a non-profit organization that aims to use sailing to build character and camaraderie among Boston children from all economic and ethnic backgrounds. Skinner’s participation in the program helps to raise money for the camps and instructional programs that the group runs.

The Corporate Challenge takes place on Pier 4 in Charlestown. There we gather at 6PM each Monday for the “Skipper’s Meeting” where the Courageous staff lays out the expectations for the night. This may include race rules, how many races we’ll have, and what the wind is like. Then we race — against other Boston-area businesses in the shadows of the Boston skyline.

Sailing gives us a great chance to get out of the office and work together in teams. Sometimes we even manage (thanks to our esteemed skipper Eric Jones), to place well! Of course, the best time we have at sailing is after the sunset cannon sounds and our regatta organizers call us back to the docks. That’s when they break out the world’s best clam chowder and finger sandwiches, and of course cold, refreshing beer, which we enjoy along with our fellow Corporate Challengers.

This year’s practice night is scheduled for May 20th, and I know that on Sunday, May 19, I’ll be saying, “I can’t wait for Monday!”

Fine Prints and Photography

Howard Hodgkins (British, b. 1932) Red Palm, 1986-1987 (Lot 70, Estimate $5,000-$7,000)

The May prints and photography auction offers more than 200 works and covers a range of styles, countries, and periods. Artists include Dürer, LeWitt, Mucha, Koons, Simpson, Hassam, Hodgkins, Evans, Toulouse-Lautrec, Rembrandt, Cassatt, Miró, Cadmus, Lichtenstein, Warhol, and others.

Print highlights include Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec’s May Belfort (lot 149, estimated between $15,000 and $25,000) and a 1978 image of Muhammad Ali by Andy Warhol from an edition of 175 (lot 164, $15,000 to $20,000). From the estate of Elizabeth A. Straus of New York and Maine comes Red Palm from an edition of 85 plus proofs by Howard Hodgkins (lot 70, $5,000 to $7,000). A print by Frederick Childe Hassam titled Union Square (lot 67, $7,000 to $9,000) has found its way back to Skinner after having been sold during a Skinner auction in 1998.

Photographs include works by Adams, Edgerton, Siskind, Uelsmann, and others. A classic image from Ansel Adams entitled Moon and Half Dome, Yosemite National Park, California (lot 176, $4,000 to $6,000) from a special edition, Photographs of Yosemite, will be offered. Two athletic studies by Harold Eugene Edgerton include the 1952 artist’s proof Moving Skip Rope and Densmore Shute Bends the Shaft, 1939 (lot 179, $1,200 to $1,800). Four street scenes by Aaron Siskind from Harlem Document including Pawn Broker Sign over Market, Bootblacks, Boys Selling Bags, and Furnished Room to Let (lot 194, $2,000 to $2,500) will also be available.

Fine Paintings

John Leslie Breck (American, 1860-1899), The River Epte, Giverny, c. 1887 (Lot 386, Estimate $100,000-$150,000)

Lesser Ury’s Rainy Night, Berlin (lot 484, $80,000 to $120,000) is an outstanding street scene by the German artist. Born in Birnbaum, Lesser Ury moved to Berlin as a youngster in 1871 and fell in love with the city. He studied art in Düsseldorf, Brussels, Paris, and Munich, where in 1893 he joined the Munich Secession, one of the several Secessions formed by progressive artists in Germany and Austria in the last years of the 19th century. In 1901 he returned to his beloved Berlin, where he exhibited with the Berlin Secession in 1915 and 1922. The city of Berlin provided a constant source of inspiration for Ury, who is best known for his urban landscapes under dark, cloud-filled or moonlit skies. This dramatic and expressive depiction of Berlin in the 1920s is from the estate of the artist through to Elsbeth Kaufman (Mrs. Otto Gottschalk), and came into the present owner’s possession through family descent. The work has been in the same family for three generations.

The River Epte, Giverny (lot 386, $100,000 to $150,000) by John Leslie Breck is a lush and serene canvas from 1887. Breck was among the earliest American artists to settle in picturesque Giverny. He subsequently entered Monet’s inner circle and became an exponent of the “new painting.” The quiet River Epte, with its tree-lined banks, was a favorite Giverny locale for painters and was recorded many times by Monet and other artists.

Jack Butler Yeats was one of the leading artists of Ireland in the 20th century. The brother of the poet William Butler Yeats, Jack shared an abiding love for Ireland with his brother and lived out his personal belief that an artist must be a part of the land and life that he painted. This is amply demonstrated in the wonderful painting A Lane in Kerry from 1914, which comes to Skinner from a private trust. The work was last seen on the market in the early 1990s (lot 464, $50,000 to $70,000).

Louis Rémy Mignot’s painting of a rainbow over a lake in the Hudson River Valley (lot 373, $30,000 to $50,000) of 1862 demonstrates the quiet repose of the artist’s mature style. The work’s contemplative, autumnal qualities may reflect the artist’s feelings about the opening hostilities of the Civil War. Mignot subsequently departed for Europe several months after completing this work, and remained there for the rest of his life.

Reginald Marsh’s Fat Men’s Shop (lot 498, $30,000 to $50,000) is one example of the artist’s affinity for bustling New York City scenes. From the estate of John Hay, this particular work was purchased from the artist in Dorset, Vermont. Marsh was a neighbor of the Hay family. A wonderful watercolor by John Marin, Hilltop, Autumn, Maine from 1923 is another work coming to Skinner from the estate of Elizabeth A. Straus (lot 531, $30,000 to $50,000).

Two works on paper by John Wesley including Landscape with Bathroom (lot 579, $12,000 to $18,000) and What’s Going On in the Hall? (lot 580, $18,000 to $22,000) will be offered. Both works descended through the family of Wesley. A work by Alexander Calder depicting two knights jousting (lot 555, $25,000 to $35,000) rounds out an excellent selection of contemporary works.

Fine Sculpture

Ruth Lanier Asawa (Japanese/American, b. 1926), Untitled (Lot 570, Estimate $30,000-$40,000)

Notable sculpture offerings include a hanging single-lobed, five-layer continuous form within a form made of crocheted wire by Ruth Lanier Asawa (lot 570, $30,000 to $40,000), purchased from the artist in 1999.

An untitled sculpture made of welded stainless steel rods by Harry Bertoia (lot 560, $10,000 to $15,000) will also be auctioned. Bertoia is best known for his metal sculptures, furniture designs, and drawings. In 1937 the promising young Italian-born artist entered the Cranbrook Academy for the Arts in Michigan. By 1939 he had impressed Eliel Saarinen, then director of Cranbrook, who asked Bertoia to start a department of metalworking at the school. After working on molded plywood furniture designs with Charles Eames from 1943 to 1946, Bertoia began experimenting further with metal sculpture. In 1950 Bertoia was invited to join the Knoll company, designers and manufacturers of modern furniture, where he was given free rein to design whatever he wished—furniture or sculpture—leading to the Bertoia Diamond Chair in 1952 and many other iconic furniture designs. Bertoia also developed “Tonals,” or sounding sculptures, which became his passion and whose sounds he recorded in his remodeled barn in Pennsylvania. These led to his dandelion-form sculptures, consisting of hundreds of carefully welded thin rods in a spray around a center orb, resembling a dandelion gone to seed. The sculpture at hand relates to the dandelion works, this time with the rods contained at welded junctions.

Previews, Catalog, Events, and Bidding

Previews for the auction will be held on Wednesday, May 15, 2013, 12 p.m.-5 p.m., and Thursday, May 16, 2013, 12 p.m.-8 p.m., and Friday, May 17, 2013, 9 a.m.-10 a.m.

An illustrated catalog for sale # 2655B is available by mail from the subscription department at 508-970-3240. It is also available at the gallery. There will be a gallery walk, led by Robin Starr, director of the Department of American & European Works of Art on Thursday, May 16th with a reception at 5:30 PM followed by a discussion of some of the auction’s highlights at 6:00 PM. Register online.

The Skinner website allows users to view all lots in the auctions, leave bids, order catalogs, and bid live in real-time through SkinnerLive!. Visit and “like” Skinner on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/skinnerauctions.

About Skinner

Skinner auctions draw international interest from buyers and consignors alike, with material regularly achieving record prices. The company’s auction and appraisal services focus on fine art, jewelry, furniture, and decorative arts from around the globe, as well as wine, fine musical instruments, rare books, clocks, Judaica, and more. Monthly Skinner Discovery auctions feature a breadth of estate material. Widely regarded as one of the most trusted names in the business, Skinner appraisers have appeared on the PBS-TV series, Antiques Roadshow, since the show’s inception. Skinner has galleries in Boston and Marlborough, Massachusetts with an international audience of bidders participating in person, by phone, and online through the SkinnerLive! online bidding platform. For more information and to read our blog, visit the website at www.skinnerinc.com, find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/skinnerauctions, or follow us on Twitter @Skinnerinc.

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