Catalog: Sold Items (421)

A beautiful landscape of a clearing storm over the French country side. A fine impressionist painting contrasting the storm clouds with the sunlight on the landscape. Oil on board signed lower right measuring approx 13 x 19 inches framed in a quality gallery frame 17 x 23 inches overall. A fine painting by a listed and highly regarded French and Belgian painter.

Biography

Painter of landscapes and marines. inspired by the landscapes of Brabant Wallon. Deceased about 1945. Exhibited at the Triennial "Exposition of Antwerp "in 1901 ("Mill in Dordrecht"). Lived in Saint-Gilles at that time. Listed in BOTTOM II and "Two Centuries of Signatures of Artists of Belgium". ...

A beautiful example with hand painted motif of gold fish Tong Zhi period 1862 1874 with date mark on bottom. Provenance: the Sunn collection with fitted silk box and certificate of authenticity.

A Tibetan Tara Buddha bronze with traces of gilt and old polychrome late 19 th early 20 th century measuring approx. 8 inches tall.

Han Dynasty Cocoon Jar (206 BC-220 AD). The distinctively plump, ovoid form of this jar, imitating the shape of a silkworm cocoon, has a fair amount of the original paint remaining on the body. Characteristic swirling cloud / scroll designs in reddish-pink and white cold-paint pigments decorate the surface. This jar is in very good, “as excavated” condition with no visible repairs, one chip to the rim of the mouth (see photos), as well as some burial dirt still attached. Authenticity guaranteed. Measures approx. 12 1/2” wide x 10 1/2” high x 8 1/2” thick. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND: During the time of Han Emperor Wudi (140-87 B.C.), fascination with the idea of the afterlife and the search for immortality reached a pinnacle. This preoccupation was given physical form in the distinct swirling decorations of painted Han earthenware vessels. Along with a variety of other earthenware objects such as domestic animals, soldiers, and attendant figures, richly decorated vessels of this kind were placed in the tomb and intended to serve the spirit of the deceased in the afterlife.

A fine Mayan Jade classic period pectoral chest ornament plaque. From a Stanford collection measuring 11.5" x 7".

A very fine antique Japanese Ivory netsuke of a Buddhist monk and a Oni figure. Artist signed very fine intricate carving the Buddha has a gold pin third eye on his forehead. Measuring approx. 2 inches tall or 5 centimeters. Truly a masterfully carved piece.

An antique beautiful Large Coral bead tribal necklace Tibet or Nepal natural Mediterranean red coral and copper disk beads. Measuring 20 inches or 50 cm. long. beads average 2 cm in diameter. A fine example in good condition professionally restrung.

A beautiful example from the Meiji period c. 1900 green foil background with flying cranes over ocean waves. Measuring approx. 5 inches tall 12.5 centimeters. In excellent condition no damage to this piece. There is some seperation in the foil under the enamel this is in the making or firing and is not damage see pictures. A fine and beautiful example.

An Ancient Greek Pottery Ewer Mycenaean era polychrome designs of mythological lions c. 1000 BC.-1030 Measures approx. 7.5 inches tall in good antique condition.

A fine antique Kentucky Rifle with tiger maple stock and silver decorations percussion muzzle loader approx. 50 caliber. The lock mechanism is by Whitmore and Wolfe of Pennsylvania the barrel octagon by N. Schennefelt Penn. A fine gun in very good antique condition.

Impressionist oil painting of an Italian coastal village signed lower right "Luigi Bertolingrande" (1912-1965), a highly regarded 20th-century Italian Impressionist artist. Oil on canvas laid on masonite board in excellent condition. Unframed.

Beautiful Egyptian street scene an Original oil painting on board signed lower right measuring approx. 20 x 24 in excellent condition. Biography LEONID GECHTOFF, 1883-1941 

Leonid Gechtoff was born in Odessa, Russia, in 1883, an only child of parents already in their forties and not particularly well off financially.  After his art school training in Russia, where he probably first met his close life-long friend David Burliuk, he and his parents fled from their homeland when he was in his twenties, rather than have him face possible conscription into the army. Cairo proved to be a haven for several years and Gechtoff painted many city and genre scenes of Egypt in his heavily impastoed style, bringing him acclaim in the Orientalist-enamored European art world as well.

Gechtoff always felt most influenced by the work of Vincent van Gogh, however, and this led him to travel to Holland where Dutch-born van Gogh painted in his early years, though not in the colorful later style Gechtoff most admired. There he established good connections which led to gallery shows in Amsterdam, and at one he met his future Russian-born wife Etya while she was on vacation from her pre-medical studies in Germany. Her family was well-to-do and supportive of the young couple, so they were able to wed and settle in Holland initially for about a year, around 1917. Several Alpine landscapes indicate painting trips in more mountainous parts of Europe too. Both Leonid and his wife were fluent in several languages.

The Gechtoffs soon moved to Indonesia, then a major South Pacific colony under Dutch control, hoping that the warmer climate would be better for Etya's health. The lush volcanic landscapes were strongly appealing to the artist as well. They lived in Java for about two years, in 1918 and 1919, and enjoyed traveling and collecting throughout the region during painting trips.

By 1920 they were living in Manila, and in early 1921 they planned a visit to see two of Etya's brothers in Pennsylvania later that year.  Once in America, the Gechtoffs found themselves persuaded to stay and settle in Philadelphia, with both becoming US citizens.  Leonid's major patron and benefactor was either a member of the family of Dutch-born philanthropist Edward Bok or Bok himself. Along with inclusion in various group exhibitions, his work was featured in a solo show at the Philadelphia Art Alliance in the early 1930's.

Gechtoff had achieved substantial success throughout the 1920's from his landscape paintings near his home in Philadelphia, and had also purchased a summer home on Cape May, New Jersey, where he painted many coastal scenes.  Unfortunately, he made large investments in the stock market in the latter years of the decade, and these disappeared almost overnight in the Wall Street Crash of 1929. The family now included young Sonia, born in 1926, and soon her sister, born in 1933.

With their fortunes in decline, like so many artists in the Depression of the 1930's, they sold the Cape May house but still were able find suitable rentals at the shore for their summer sojourns, and otherwise still lived in downtown apartments in Philadelphia. Gechtoff's works began to depict wintry landscapes along with his bright rocky seascapes and still lifes.

Gechtoff continued vigorously painting in his vivid and distinctive style, a blending of post-Impressionism and expressionism, until his health became a problem in 1940, with the stress of high blood pressure and complications. He died in 1941 at the age of 58. His widow later moved to San Francisco and ran an influential exhibition space in San Francisco called the East-West Gallery, while daughter Sonia became a well-known artist currently living in New York City. 
Gechtoff is listed in the Archives of American Artists, part of the Smithsonian Institution.

Fine Santa Clara pueblo pottery example by Gwen Tafoya. Completely hand made and fired in the traditional manner featuring a water serpent design. Measuring approx. 3 tall and 5 inches in diameter. A fine signed example of Native American pottery by one of the great pottery artists.

A fine antique shoushan stone carving of the laughing Buddha or hotei a beautiful piece in excellent condition with carved hong mu rosewood stand measuring Approximately 11 inches wide and 8 inches tall.

A fine original antique photograph of the Oxford tennis team photo by J Soame stamped lower right framed and archival matted image approx. 11 x 14 inches.

A beautiful example with subtle blue enamel hues and a pair of crane with flowers. Meiji period c. 1900 in fine condition no damage an exquisite miniature measuring approx. 3 5/8 inches tall 10 centimeters, a fine addition to any collection.

James Everett Stuart sunset glow Mt. Hood Oregon from near Portland. Oil on canvas signed lower left and dated Jan 11, 1917 signed and titled priced and dated on reverse. A fine example of this highly regarded American artists work measuring 12x18 inches in good all original condition some minor age cracking framed in a contemporary gallery frame measuring overall 20x26. A fine example of this great American artists work.

A painting Sunset Glow Mt. Hood sold for $12,000 at Santa Fe Art auction 11/14/1998 lot no. 121

Biography

Born in Bangor, Maine, James Everett Stuart became known for his panoramic landscapes from Maine to California to Alaska to the Panama Canal, but especially of the American West with focus on Northern California and Oregon. Reportedly he painted more than 5000 paintings during his lifetime and originated a method of painting on aluminum and wood with a special adhering process that he thought made his work quite durable but proved not to be so. He also wrote on the back of most of his paintings His parents took him to California at the age of eight, and the family settled in San Francisco where he attended the public schools and studied art with Virgil Williams, Raymond Yelland, Thomas Hill, and William Keith at the San Francisco School of Design. His early work was dramatic California landscape including the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers, and in style the works were moody and mysterious and suggestive of the French Barbizon School. He first traveled to the Northwest in 1876, and in 1881, he opened his studio in Portland, Oregon and from there traveled throughout the West and East Coast and into Mexico. Subjects included Yosemite as well as California missions and adobes. He painted landscapes whose sales ultimately were financially remunerative and which established his reputation. Of those years, he expressed that he much preferred being in the park to studio painting, but he stopped visiting in 1889 and instead traveled to Alaska and the Coastal Range. During much of the 1890s, he lived in Chicago, but in 1912 returned to San Francisco until his death in 1941. There, from his studio near Union Square, he was highly successful and popular among his peers, underscored by his membership in the Bohemian Club. Many of the owners of old homes in California have his paintings on the wall, suggestive of a time of grandeur. One of his paintings is in the White House, and his work is in the historical societies of Oregon, Washington, and Montana.

An exquisite carved Ivory image of Guanyin with the Buddha atop all hand carved from a very large tusk Measuring 5.5 in diameter 15 inches tall and 18 inches tall with stand. Signed with carved symbol on bottom. A fine example would make a nice addition to any collection.

Staffordshire brown transferware platter circa 1830 by T. Heath Burslem England titled on reverse sporting subjects. This beautiful example is in excellent condition no chips or cracks repairs etc. some age discoloration on the reverse. Measuring approx. 16 inches by 12.5 inches.

A fine original Oil painting on canvas board signed lower right by Professor Starcce. Sailing boats in harbor in original frame.

A beautiful buzzer bell ringer button for calling servant or hotel desk call button. Fine example in very good condition original wire very pretty stone. Measuring approx. 2 1/4 inches long.

A beautiful Japanese Art nouveau carved wood urn or vase stand finely carved details of Iris flowers measuring approx. 28 inches tall. A fine decorative piece.

Antique brass balance scale with elaborate design of Serpent or Dolphin Fish motif. Complete with weights set in solid brass base. Dimensions 8" L x 18" W x 24" H

A fine Japanese Ivory netsuke of a Noh Drama character artist signed measuring approx. 2.5 inches 6 cm. tall in excellent condition.

A Beautiful antique S Kirk and Sons sterling silver covered urn with heavy chased repousse a floral finial and ram head finial handles monogramed with a letter P measuring approx. 9.5 inches tall marked 11 oz. In very fine condition.

A fine antique Bronze Statue of an Oni finely detailed casting in the finest Japanese tradition of bronze works. Cast in three pieces body pined to base. Measuring 17"T x 15"W x 11D.

Japanese bronze Ichibana bowl circa 1900 signed with a rich dark patina and relief design of Japanese figures gathering blossoms for ichibana floral arrangement shishi dog feet and elephant handles. In excellent condition measuring approx. 11” wide 8” deep and 3.5” tall.

A fine pair of Sheffield Silver Candlesticks by Mathew Boulton c.1790. Boulton a famed English inventor and manufacturer of fine Sheffield Silver Plate. Each candle stick is hall marked with the Boulton touch mark. Measuring 8.5" T x 4.5"W. in very good condition some copper showing through.

A beautiful original oil painting by renowned California impressionist Angel Espoy oil on canvas signed lower right.In very good condition. An investment quality art work. Biography Known for paintings that evidence his great love of the sea, Angel Espoy did work that includes seascapes and maritime subjects; however, he was also an accomplished painter of California's rolling hills of poppies and lupines. He was born in Villa Nueva, Spain on October 2, 1879. He left home at age eighteen to work as a first mate in the Spanish merchant marines. While in that capacity, he acquainted himself with every detail of the clipper ships he later painted. His desire to paint took him to Barcelona where he studied with Joaquin Sorolla. Following his father's tobacco interests in the Philippines, he made many trips there at the turn of the century. Two years were spent in Havana where he began to earn his living as an artist by painting designs on furniture. Destitute, he made his way to New York City in 1904. After a return to his native land, he moved to San Francisco in 1914. There he supported himself for seven years making cartoons for movies while painting on weekends with Manuel Valencia, Carl Jonnevold, and John Califano. In 1922 he moved to southern California and from that time was able to subsist by the sale of his paintings. Espoy died in Seal Beach, CA on January 31, 1963. He was a member of the Los Angeles Art Association and exhibited at Barker Bros Galleries in Los Angeles. Works held: Los Angeles City Hall; Oakland Museum; Loyola University. Source: "Artists in California, 1786-1940" by Edan Milton Hughes

Japanese Imari vase Meiji period circa 1890 a large bulbous base with a long neck. Hand painted in traditional Imari design and colors with blossoms and landscape elements. A fine piece with 24k gold color highlights in excellent condition some roughness to the bottom edge. A fine addition to any collection.

An original painting by famed Irish artist Roderic O'Conor a profile portrait of a Tahitian woman probably influenced by his friend Paul Gaugin as O'Conor did not travel to Tahiti. Watercolor on paper atlier stamp lower right and initialed lower left. measuring 8 x 12 inches in excellent condition. Provenance Crane Kalman gallery London sold in 1959 to James Costigan Esq. Biography

RODERIC O’CONOR An exact contemporary of Charles Gruppe, O’Conor is listed as both Irish and Irish-American (by Bénézit, in error). His place of birth was Roscommon, Ireland (on 17 October 1860). Regarded as Ireland’s most progressive painter of his time, O’Conor was close to both Gauguin and Armand Seguin in the Pont-Aven region, and he was wealthy enough to purchase paintings by Cézanne, Gauguin, Renoir, Manet, and others. O’Conor studied art in Dublin (1879-83), Antwerp (1883), then in Paris under Carolus-Duran and at the Académie Julian. He was working in Grèz-sur-Loing in the 1880s (Jacobs, 1985, p. 33), and began exhibiting his works at the Salon des Indépendants in 1890. Later he would take part in the Salon d’Automne. O’Conor first came to Brittany in 1890, and two years later he executed Yellow Landscape at Pont-Aven (Barnet Shine Collection, London). At Pont-Aven, O’Conor also did engravings. The Irishman befriended Gauguin there, also in 1892. The latter tried to persuade his “drinking buddy” O’Conor to accompany him to Tahiti. The Irish painter was certainly as avant-garde as Gauguin. Breton Peasant Knitting, already post-impressionistic, was painted in 1893, and The Farm at Lezaven, Finistère (National Gallery of Ireland), a year later. According to tradition, O’Conor inspired the character of Clutton, the failed artist in Somerset Maugham’s Of Human Bondage. The letters between Seguin and O’Conor were published in 1989, as Une vie de bohème. In the introduction, Denys Sutton describes how O’Conor served as Seguin’s “father confessor.” O’Conor’s friend Clive Bell (in Old Friends, 1956, p. 163), pointed out that O’Conor “seems to have known . . . most of the more interesting French painters of his generation — the Nabis for instance.” O’Conor’s use of bold color anticipates the Fauves and the German Expressionists. His knowledge of avant-garde painting had a direct impact on the formalist critics Roger Fry and Clive Bell. O’Conor influenced both Robert Vonnoh and Edward Potthast in Grèz, and he oriented Alden Brooks (1840-1931) to Vincent van Gogh’s innovative techniques. Brooks stated that O’Conor was “considered by all the one genius of the crowd.” (Hill, 1987, p. 14). He died at Neuil-sur-Layon on 18 March 1940.

Pair of Beautiful 19th century French Bronze busts of young women. Finely detailed castings mounted on dark stone bases measuring overall approx. 10 inches 27 cm. tall in excellent condition. Some minor wear and chips to the base on one. Truly a wonderful pair would be a great decorative addition to any interior design.

A fine antique bronze Chinese bronze buddha with very fine details in the hand mudra postures. Measuring approx. 8 inches tall a fine example.

An Antique Japanese Ivory Netsuke of a reclining Buddha with a rich patina and warm color great form. Measuring 4 cm or 1.5 inches in length.

A Japanese Bronze Water dropper Suiteki in the form of a Samurai Helmet. Meiji period c. 1900 measuring 3 1/4 L x 3 W x 2.5 H. in excellent condition nice patina.

English 19th century oil painting portrait of a Thoroughbred race horse in a paddock. Oil on canvas signed and dated indistinctly lower left. A fine quality painting measuring approx. 24x30 inches overall and framed in a quality contemporary gallery frame. The condition is excellent the canvas has been relined and there is some areas of in painting. A beautiful painting and a great decorative equestrian artwork.