Catalog: Sold Items (421)

George Bacon Wood fishing dory on the beach oil on board signed lower left. This painting was exhibited at the Salmagundi Club in New York in 1897. In excellent condition measuring Approx. 7 x 9 with liner 8 x 10 inches. overall size 12 x 14. Biography, George B. Wood, Jr. was born into a Quaker family in Philadelphia on January 6, 1832. He studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts under Christian Schussele and probably saw the Exhibition of English Art there in February 1858. The exhibition laid out the work of those English painters that were following the precepts of the English painter and critic, John Ruskin. Wood as well as many of his contemporaries from Philadelphia were deeply influenced by the Ruskinian ideal and began to paint according to the precepts of "Truth in Art". Wood's neighbor and friend in Germantown, Pennsylvania, William Trost Richards, was one of the leaders of the movement and probably encouraged Wood to paint to this heightened perception of physical reality. Wood began exhibiting at the Pennsylvania Academy as early as 1858 and at the National Academy of Design by 1861. The American Ruskinians organized by 1863 with a house organ called The New Path, which was published from 1863 to 1865. His artist friends and their writings probably led to Wood's acceptance of the style and ideals of Ruskinian painting. Wood spent the Civil War years painting mainly in the area surrounding Philadelphia, but judging from the titles of his paintings, he also took a few longer trips. In 1866 he rented a studio in central Philadelphia, and the following year he moved downtown. At about this time he began summering (and even spending an occasional winter in the early 1870s) in the Adirondacks near Elizabethtown, New York. By 1870 he was married and well established as an artist. Wood exhibited at the Pennsylvania Academy from 1858 to 1869 and again from 1876 to 1887. He also exhibited at the National Academy of Design from 1861 to 1885 and the Brooklyn Academy of Art in 1886. A member of the Philadelphia Sketch Club and the Philadelphia Artists' Fund Society, he was generally part of the artist community in that city. By the seventies, Wood had turned from landscapes to documenting Philadelphia streets and interiors, but at the end of the decade added photography to his arts. In 1883 Wood traveled abroad, recording the sights in carefully rendered watercolors. Some of these sketches served as sources for later, more highly finished work he submitted to the Pennsylvania Academy in 1884 and 1887.

Traditional hand painted mandarin figures and floral and butterfly motif. An 19th century example c.1880 a dinner plate measuring approx. 9 5/8 inches in good antique condition some wear to enamels no chips or cracks. A nice addition to any group or a great decorative piece on its own.

Gustav Adolph "Dolph" Hensel was born in Germany and came to the U.S. in 1906. He was a Lutheran minister who settled in Wisconsin and later moved to San Francisco, where he was pastor of St. John's Reform Church until 1922. Hensel was also an artist who mainly painted portraits and religious genre. He spent three years as a missionary in Africa during the 1920s, and it may have been during this period that he painted this middle eastern scene. His nickname was "Dolph" and many of his paintings are signed 'D. Hensel," as in this example. Presented in the original frame canvas 12" x 14".

An ancient southeast Asian (Thailand) pottery bowl from the Ban Chiang culture, dating to approximately 500 B.C. A wonderful piece measuring approx 10" x 8.5" in excellent ancient condition a small hair line at the top edge. This a distinctive vessel with a bold form and individualistic style, the body rises from a rounded base. The piece is adorned with exuberant painted curvilinear forms This striking earthenware vase was produced at the site of Ban Chiang, Thailand, and is typical of works attributed to its later phases. A site of remarkable social complexity, Ban Chiang is considered the most important prehistoric settlement so far discovered in southeast Asia. It marks an important stage in human cultural, social and technological evolution, presenting the earliest evidence for farming and complex metallurgy in the entire region. Its long cultural sequence, size and economic status has no parallel in any other contemporary site. Representing a seminal point in the history of human development in its region, it is unusual for vessels of this type to survive undamaged and in such excellent condition.

An original oil depicting a Brigantine Ship sailing ship off the coast with other vessels and a lighthouse. Oil in board signed lower left in an original arts and crafts era frame. Measuring approx. 10 x 16 inches in excellent condition. A fine example of this artists work. Biography C. Myron Clark (1858-1925) was a painter of mountain landscapes in oil and watercolor, as well as ships (USS Constitution, 1906; Frigate in Tow). He worked mostly in Massachusetts, though his oil landscape of Mounts Skihist and Lilovet was painted north of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in 1921. His work is in the collection of the Peabody Museum in Salem, Massachusetts. A FINE EXAMPLE AND NICE ADDITION TO ANY COLLECTION.

A fine vintage African Dan mask. a beautiful piece of fine form and carving and patina. Provenance From The Late Phillip Kirkeby Collection. Custom display mount overall 15.5 inches the mask is 9 inches in length in excellent condition a fine addition to any collection.

Julian Walbridge Rix early California landscape oil on wood panel scene of Marin county landscape looking toward Mt. Tamalpias and San Francisco bay. Measuring approx. 10.5 in. by 13 in. framed in a ornate gilt frame 18 in. by 20 in. overall. A fine example of this renowned artists work.

biography

Known for poetic landscapes, often sunset, illuminated by atmospheric light, Julian Walbridge Rix was early in his career an active painter in California and then on the East Coast. He was born in Peacham, Vermont on December 30, 1850 and moved with his family to San Francisco in 1853. Because of his mother's death, he went back to Peacham four years later to live with his grandmother and graduating from Peacham Academy in 1868. He returned to San Francisco where he was apprenticed to a trading firm and later worked in a paint store painting signs and doing decorative work. Primarily self-taught, he was briefly a pupil of Virgil Williams at the School of Design. He became close friends with Amédée Joullin and Jules Tavernier, and when the latter established an art colony in Monterey in 1876, Rix was one of the "Bohemians" who followed him there. His studio in Monterey was in the French Hotel, but in 1879 he returned to San Francisco and shared a studio with Tavernier at 729 Montgomery Street. The art market in San Francisco during this period was not a healthy one which prompted Rix to move to Paterson, New Jersey in 1880 and subsequently establish a studio in New York City. This milieu was what he seemed to need to find artistic success. His work was exhibited at the National Academy of Design during the 1880s. He studied art briefly in Europe during 1889 and upon his return, he found that his watercolor and oil paintings were in great demand in the East. He maintained an active interest and participation in the San Francisco art scene and in 1883 sent back 200 paintings for a successful solo show. In 1888 his illustrations appeared in "Picturesque California." Rix returned to California for several months in 1901 and painted the valleys and mountains near Monterey and Santa Barbara. A handsome man with a New England accent and blond sideburns, he never married and was called the Adonis of the profession. Following a kidney operation, Rix died in New York City on November 24, 1903 and was buried in the cemetery plot of a patron-friend in Paterson, New Jersey. Source: "Artists in California, 1786 to 1940" by Edan Milton Hughes

A charming oil on copper panel of young street boys playing dice with a dog and another eating scraps. Measuring 8x10 inches framed in a quality antique frame 13 x 14 overall size. A charming painting would enhance any collection.

Thomas L Hunt American impressionist view of Gloucester harbor Mass. Oil on canvas board signed lower right. This painting was exhibited at the Laguna Beach Museum of Art impressionist show in 1986 . Measuring 14 x 17 framed in the original American Impressionist frame. In excellent condition.

Biography

Thomas L. Hunt was born in London, Ontario, Canada on February 11, 1882. He studied with his father John Powell Hunt and with Hugh H. Breckenridge. He resided in Laguna Beach, Hollywood and San Bernadino, California and maintained a studio in Laguna Beach, California. He was a founding member of the Laguna Beach Art Assn. and he was a member of the California Art Club and San Diego Art Guild. Examples of his paintings can be found in the Kansas City Museum, the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana, California and the Laguna Beach Museum of Art, Laguna Beach, California. He won First Prize at the California State Exposition in 1923, First Prize at the Laguna Beach Art Assn. in 1927 and 1935, and awards at the Pasadena Art Institute, 1933 and at the San Diego Fine Arts Guild in 1933. Thomas Hunt painted in Canada, Northern and Southern California and New England. Drawn to the seaside, he sought his preferred subject matter -- wharves and boats. He also painted beach scenes with crashing waves over rocks, cottages, snowy hillsides and village scenes. Known for his use of pure color, he creates paintings intended to sparkle and vibrate with scintilating light effects. His viewpoint and treatment of his subject matter is highly distinctive. A "Los Angeles Times" critic in 1931 summed up, "One is impressed, in fact, by the poetry of nature he has felt". Thomas Lorraine Hunt died in Santa Ana, California on April 17, 1938.

A beautiful antique carved stone statue of a Hindu deity 10 - 11th century. Of a red sandstone measuring approx. 18.5 inches tall. A fine example would be a nice addition to any collection.

An exquisite antique Burmese Mandalay style gilt bronze Buddha c. 18th century. measuring approx. 13 inches or 33 cm. tall . A fine example would in good antique condition some losses and wear.

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.

Original oil Marko Stupar modernist portrait of a woman colorful beautiful painting measuring 11 x 14 framed in a beautiful quality gallery frame overall size 14 x 16 a quality painting would enhance any collection.

Biography

Born in 1936 in Yugoslavia, Stupar chose France as his permanent home in 1964 after completing his studies at the Beaux-Arts of Belgrade. Today we find that the art of Marko Stupar is totally integrated into the School of Paris. Although his work continues to be very personal, the graphic nature of his Slavic background is now uniquely combined with the subtlety found in Bonnard.Stupar has participated in juried exhibitions since 1966 when he won the Silver Medal at the Center of Diffusion of the Cote-d’Azur. He regularly participates in the Salon d’Automne, the Salon National des Beaux-Arts, the Salon des Artistes Français, and the Salon Comparaison. Among his other honors, Stupar has won both the Silver and Gold medals of the prestigious Salon des Artistes Français. One-man exhibitions of Stupar’s work have been held in cities all over the world including Paris, Geneva, Lyon, Osaka, Dusseldorf, Strasbourg, Zagreb, Annecy, Havre, New York, Philadelphia, Dallas, and Houston.

Fine Shreve and Company Sterling Copper and Deer or Stag Antler three handle trophy loving cup. An exquisite example of mixed metal workmanship which shreve and gorham were so highly know for. Measuring approx. 5 inches tall and 7 at widest point. Monogramed with beautiful script initals in excellent condition original patina some minor bending at inside where one handle meets body.

Fine Santa Clara pueblo pottery example by Joe Chevarria. Completely hand made and fired in the traditional manner featuring a water serpent design. Measuring approx. 4.5 tall and 7.5 inches in diameter. A fine signed example of native American pottery by one of the great pottery artists.

A fine Ban Chiang pottery bowl in very good condition no restorations original polychrome decorations. Measuring approx. 5 inches tall a museum quality piece.

Original oil peacocks and birds in a park like setting painted at Botke’s aviary in Santa Paula California. Original oil on board measuring 12 x 16 inches framed in a fine hand made gold leaf frame overall approx. 20 x 24. Provenance: the estate of the artists and Karges gallery estate stamped signed and numbered and titled and labeled on the reverse. A fine painting by this renowned artist.

Biography

The paintings of Jessie Arms Botke are a unique and wonder-filled world all their own. Most often, they are pictures of birds, a large variety including white peacocks, blue peacocks, cockatoos, ducks, swans, geese, pheasants, and toucans, among others. The birds are shown in natural settings accompanied by carefully painted flora, with studiously observed renditions of leaves and flowers. Far from being mere pictures of birds and plants, her paintings are richly adorned with an abundance of minutely rendered detail: every petal, every leaf and every feather becomes an important element of the whole pictorial scheme.1 Painter, illustrator, printmaker and muralist, Jesse Arms was born in Chicago, IL on May 27, 1883. She began her studies at the Art Institute of Chicago, and continued with J. C. Johansen and Charles Woodbury. In 1911 she obtained employment with Herter Looms in NYC and assisted Herter with the mural in the St Francis Hotel in San Francisco. Upon returning to Chicago in 1915, she married Cornelis Botke. The Botkes moved to Carmel CA in 1919. After an extended trip to Europe, in 1927 they settled on a ranch in Santa Paula, CA where she remained until her death on Oct. 2, 1971. She made a career of bold, decorative paintings of birds both in oil and watercolor, and often used gold leaf in her paintings. From about 1917 her work won many awards both in Chicago and Southern California. Member: Calif. Art Club; Calif. WC Society; Nat'l Ass'n of Women Artists; Carmen AA; Chicago Society of Etchers. Exhibited: AIC NAD; PAFA; LACMA; CPLH; Springville (Utah) High School, 1928; GGIE, 1939; Paris Salon. Awards: Cahn prize, AIC, 1918, Shaffer prize, 1926, Carpenter prize, Chicago Society for Sanity in Art, 1938. Works held: Art Institute of Chicago; Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts; Municipal Gallery, Chicago; Mills College, Oakland; San Diego Museum. Murals: I Magnin Co. of Los Angeles; Woodrow Wilson High School in Oxnard, CA; Noyes Hall at the Univ. of Chicago; Kellogg Factory, Battle Creek, MI Literature AAA 1929, 1933; Ben; Fld; YAMP; AAW; WWA; SCA; WAA; Sam; WWAA 1936-66; So. Calif, Artists, 1890-1940; Women of the West.21 American Impressionism California School, Fleischer Museum (cat.)2 Hughes, Edan Milton, Artists in California 1786-1940, Hughes Publishing Company

Korean Silla period, 6th century A.D., glazed Pottery Pedestal bowl with pierced decoration on the pedestal traces of celadon color glaze on the interior measuring approx. 6 inches tall ,or 16cm. A beautiful example in excellent condition it would be a fine addition to any collection.

Claude Buck still life of a rope and sea shells 1966 oil in masonite signed and dated lower left. Measuring Approx. 28x48 inches in excellent condition. A masterful painting by this remarkable American artist. Provenance; the artist’s wife Leslie Buck.

Biography

A leading member of the avant-garde symbolist artists in Chicago, Claude Buck moved there from his birth place of New York City in 1919. He was known for his "fantastic, sometimes disturbing images with allegorical and literary themes" (Kennedy 97) drawn from writings of Edgar Allen Poe, operas by Richard Wagner, classical mythology and New Testament writings from the Bible. Some of these early paintings had nude figures rendered in classical style to express abstract themes developed through dream-like landscapes and disregard of relative scale or relatedness between the figures. These paintings had luminist elements achieved with light-toned paints worked with transparent glazes. In the 1920s to earn money by gaining public favor and also expressing his increasing disdain for modernism, Buck did a number of "hyper-real" portraits, figures and still lifes. These proved popular and aligned him with the opponents of abstraction and their "Sanity in Art" movement whose headquarters were in Chicago. Buck taught drawing and painting at the Chicago Academy of Fine Art from 1921 to 1926, and at the Art Institute, where he took over classes of George Bellows. In New York City before coming to Chicago, Buck had a reputation as a radical artist. He took his first art training from his father, William R. Buck, from the time he was ages three to fourteen, and then until he was twenty-two, he studied at the National Academy of Design where he was nicknamed "Kid Hassam" because his painting reminded viewers of that of Claude Hassam. Buck worked as a scene painter in the theatre and at the Willet Stained Glass company, and in 1914 began portrait commissions to earn money. In New York he founded a group named the Introspectives, which reflected his own problems with melancholy during that period. Members, holding their first exhibition at the Whitney Studio in 1917, were artists who expressed their personal feelings and experiences and included Raymond Jonson and Emil Armin. In this phase of his career, Buck was focused on Old World styles of Leonardo da Vinci, Ralph Blakelock and Albert Pinkham Ryder. In 1929, the Arts Council of New York voted him one of the top one-hundred painters in the United States. In 1949, Buck and his wife, Leslie, moved to California to a studio-home in the Santa Cruz Mountains, and ten years later they settled in Santa Barbara where he died on August 4, 1974. In California, he was a member of the Carmel Art Association, the Santa Cruz Art League that he served as President in 1953,and the Santa Barbara Art Association. His paintings are in the collections of the Santa Cruz Public Library; the Santa Cruz City Museum as well as the Spencer Museum in Lawrence, Kansas; the Brigham Young University Museum; and the Museum of Elgin, Illinois.

Fine antique Japanese carved wood and gilt lacquer Buddha and shrine 19th century. Professional repair to the back of shrine otherwise very fine condition. Measuring 9 inches tall and 3.5 inches wide.

An original oil on board by Alexander Nepote signed lower right and signed and titled on the reverse "River Edge" Milbre Ca. 1959 measuring approx. 24 x 30 inches image size.

Biography

A painter known for mixed-media abstractions, Alexander Nepote was born on a ranch in California near Stockton. He studied at the California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland, at Mills College, and at the University of California from where he received a Master's Degree. From 1945 to 1950, he was Dean of the Faculty at the California College of Arts and Crafts and served in the same capacity at San Francisco State College from 1950 to 1977. Memberships included the West Coast Watercolor Society, the Bay Region Art Association, and the California Watercolor Society.Source: Edan Hughes, "Artists in California, 1786-1940"

Chinese Imperial yellow porcelain censer with frogs on lid and elephant handles. The pierced lid setting on a rounded form bowl on tripod legs impressed mark Daoguang period 1821-1850. In excellent condition no damage a fine addition to any collection.

AFTER NIKOLAI IVANOVICH LIBERIKH (1828-1883), A RUSSIAN BRONZE OF A BEAR STANDING ON HIND LEGS with signature and with a plaque engraved in Russian "Killed by the Emperor near / Lisin 9 March 1865" Height 21 1/4 in. 54 cm Condition: excellent some age discoloration an early 20th century casting. Provenance: Private Collection Stanford Ca. Dimensions: Approx. 21" x 10" x 9"

A beautiful 20 th. century carved serpentine jade censer with dragon finial and handles. Celadon green quality stone measuring approx. 8 inches tall in excellent condition.

An original antique oil painting of a Dutch or Flemish tavern scene after David Teniers painted late 18th century. Canvas size 9"L x 11"W. Framed size 12.5" L x 14.5" W. David Teniers the Younger (15 December 1610 – 25 April 1690) was a Flemish artist born in Antwerp, the son of David Teniers the Elder. His son David Teniers III and his grandson David Teniers IV were also painters.

A fine antique Chinese rosewood jewelry box with white jade inlayed plaques. Opens to a group of silk lined drawers for jewelry. Measuring approx. 12.5 x 8 x 6 inches. In very good antique condition.

A finely carved Pair of Ivory Carvings of an Emperor and Empress. Measuring approx. 12 inches tall in excellent condition.

Fine early oak Welsh Dresser with scrolled top molding, banded inlay, cock beaded drawers and cabinet doors with original antique brass hardware. Presented over finely carved Queen Ann legs with slippered feet. 20" L x 68" W x 77" H Please inquire for shipping cost.

Original Watercolor painting Modernist Seascape by Harold Christopher Davies, signed lower right. From the estate of the artist and the Hoover Gallery, San Francisco. Davies' work was exhibited at the San Francisco Art Association, the Oakland Art Gallery, the Birmingham Museum, the Southampton Museum, the University of Long Island Museum, the Parrish Art Museum, the Hoover Gallery, the Haggin Museum, and the Huntsville Museum. Image 13.5"L x 17"W. Framed 21.5" L x 25" W.

. A beautiful bronze head of the Buddha Thailand Sukhothai style. A serene face with elogated ears and a top unisa flame. in good antique condition measuring approx. 15 inches tall with mounted stand overall 22 inches.

A Tibetan Tara Buddha bronze and sliver with inset coral and turquoise 20 th century measuring approx. 8.5 inches tall. A fine example.

Sterling Stuffing or serving spoon by Hester Bateman London 1788 In excellent condition only minor wear fully hallmarked monogrammed W A H. Measuring approx. 11 inches 28 cm. long.

Hester Bateman 1708 - 1794 Hester Batemans's long career began after the death of her husband John Bateman(1704-1760. John was a chainmaker in London, but little is known about him. After his death, Hester began to build the business, entering her first silver mark in 1761 and continuing to expand the business and went on to be one of the best known of the female silversmiths working in London during the 18th century.

Gorham Sterling silver art nouveau floral design bowl elaborate monogrammed initials GER in center marked sterling with Gorham mark and number. In excellent condition some minor scratches measuring approx. 5.5 inches by 1.5 inches.

A W Best Navajo indian camp near bear mt. Arizona oil on canvas signed lower right measuring 8x10 inches framed in a hand carved 24k gold leaf frame approx. 16 x 18 overall. In excellent condition.

biography

Arthur William BEST 
1859 - 1935 Arthur William Best was born in Mount Pleasant, Canada on July 17, 1859. He and his brother Harry attended public school in Mount Pleasant and were members of a small band. Arthur played the cornet; Harry, the violin. When the band broke up in Oregon, the brothers learned to paint before moving to San Francisco in 1895. Arthur and his wife Alice established the Best Art School at 1625 California Street and a residence at 309 Broderick. He was a staff artist for the San Francisco Examiner (1904-06). Arthur was commissioned by Southern Pacific Railroad to paint pictures of the Southwest and Mexico for travel and tourist publicity in 1905. Many of his oils and watercolors were destroyed by the earthquake and fire of 1906. His landscapes include depictions of the Arizona desert, Grand Canyon and the Sierra Nevada. He died in Oakland on January 26, 1935. Member: San Francisco Art Ass'n; Berkeley League of Fine Arts; Bohemian Club. Exhibited: Oregon State Fair, 1891 (first prize); Mark Hopkins Art Institute, 1898, 1904; San Francisco Art Ass'n, 1904-16; San Francisco Artists Society, 1905; Berkeley Art Ass'n, 1908; California State Fairs (awards); Alaska-Yukon Expo (Seattle), 1909 (bronze medal); Del Monte Art Gallery, 1910, 1912; Sorosis Club, 1913. Works held: Oakland Museum; Phoenix Museum; University of Oregon; Charles M. Russell Gallery (Great Falls, MT); Santa Fe Railroad.

A beautiful antique Indian statue of a Hindu female deity standing approx. 14 inches tall finest details patina and form. A beautiful piece would enhance any collection.

Sterling silver overlay porcelain tea service tea pot sugar and creamer. All in excellent condition without chips or cracks featuring a beautiful art nouveau silver overlay design. The tea pot measures approx. 8 in. by 8 in. the service is probably Lennox but it unmarked.

Chinese export porcelain bowl circa 1790 a beautiful example with hand painted floral sprays and a scalloped decorated rim. Measuring approx. 9 1/4 inches in diameter and 4 inches deep in excellent antique condition for a piece of its age with a couple of barely visible faint hairline stress cracks in the outside glaze probably from cooling in manufacturing and one minute flea bite on the outside rim (see pictures). A fine piece would be a nice addition to any collection.

A Beautiful original oil painting Robert William Wood of a Texas landscape with bluebonnet flowers and old homestead and oak trees. Oil on canvas measuring approx. 25x30 inches. Condition is excellent the canvas has been relined due to age cracking overall a fine example of this artists work ready to hang. Biography A painter of realistic landscapes reflecting a vanishing wilderness in America, Robert Wood (not to be confused with Robert E. Wood) is reportedly one of the most mass-produced artists in the United States. His painting became so popular he was unable to meet all of the demands, and many of his works were reproduced in lithographs and mass distributed as prints, place mats, and wall murals by companies including Sears, Roebuck. He was born in Sandgate, Kent on the south coast of England near Dover, the son of W.L. Wood, a famous home and church painter who recognized and supported his son's talent. In fact, he forced his son to paint by keeping him inside to paint rather than playing with his friends. At age 12, Wood entered the South Kensington School of Art. As a youth, he came to the United States in 1910, having served in the Royal Army, and he never returned to England. He traveled extensively all over the United States, especially in the West, often in freight cars, and also painted in Mexico and Canada. His itinerant existence took him to Illinois where he worked as a farmhand, to Pensacola, Florida where he married, briefly in Ohio, Seattle, Washington, and Portland, Oregon. In 1912, he was in Los Angeles, and In the late 1920s and early 1930s, in San Antonio, Texas, where he lived and in 1928 exhibited in the "Texas Wildflower Competition." From San Antonio, he gained a national reputation for his strong colored, dramatic paintings. Some of that prestige has been credited to his asssociation with Jose Arpa, prominent Texas artist. Wood also gave art lessons, and one of his students was Porfirio Salinas. During this period, Wood sometimes signed his paintings G. Day or Trebor, which is Robert spelled backwards. In 1941 he went to California and painted numerous desert and mountain landscapes and coastal scenes. He lived in Carmel for seven years, and then moved to Woodstock, New York, but he soon returned to California, settling first in Laguna Beach, then San Diego, and finally in the High Sierras, where he and his wife built a home and studio near Bishop and lived until his death in 1979.

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 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.

"Eutoxeres Aquila" An original John Gould Hummingbird lithograph published in 1861 Beautifully hand colored with watercolor and added iridesence. Hallmandel and Walto printers London in good antique condition some age toning and light foxing. Slightly trimmed measuring approx. 14 x 21 overall size. A fine example of this important work one of the finest images. A Monograph of the Trochilidae, or Family of Humming-Birds Written by John Gould
Published by John Gould (London, England)
5 volumes and supplement, 1861-1887 John Gould (1804-1881) was a British ornithologist, artist, and successful businessman. Sometimes referred to as the "English Audubon," Gould had an illustrious career in which he served as official taxidermist to King George IV and established himself as Queen Victoria's favorite illustrator of birds. Gould was so devoted to the study of birds that he asked for his epitaph to read: "Here lies John Gould, the Bird Man." Though he chronicled a wide variety of bird species, from partridges to toucans, spanning all corners of the globe from Great Britain to Australia, Gould had a particular interest in hummingbirds. He developed a personal collection of 1500 mounted and 3000 unmounted specimens, containing at least 300 different species of hummingbird. A Monograph of the Trochilidae represents Gould's stunning effort to create a comprehensive guide to all the varieties of hummingbird with a high degree of accuracy, detail, and beauty.Gould's five volumes on the hummingbird contain 360 hand-colored lithographic illustrations. Gould would draw rough pencil or watercolor sketches of hummingbird specimens, which then served as guides for a team of artists (including his wife, Elizabeth). Gould also worked with lithographers, who used pure gold and silver leaf (applied underneath the watercolor) to achieve a lifelike illustration of the hummingbird's iridescent feathers.

Antique Japanese tall Bronze vase with ornate dragon handles and floral and bird motif. In excellent condition measuring 9" x 17".

A fine antique Berber tribe of Morocco N. Africa brides dowery necklace made of coin silver with enamel beads and champleve work with inset coral. Measuring approx 28 inches overall. A fine example.

A fine original oil painting on board 18 x 26 inches signed lower left J.W. Curtis and dated 1893. A scene of the Australian blue mountains and the famous three sisters mountain. excellent condition. A fine example of this important Australian artists work. Known for his paintings in black and white which he exhibited at the Victorian Academy of Arts, in the 1880s.

Biography

James Waltham Curtis (1839-1901) was an eminent Australian colonial artist whose work lives on as a tribute to Australia’s early days of European settlement. His approach is of technical, poetic and historical interest, emphasizing man’s battle with a primeval landscape and nature, his picturesque landscapes being fine examples of the late 19th century period which preceded the Heidelberg School. Curtis was an English painter and illustrator who it is believed, came to Australia during the Gold Rush. Curtis’ work plays an important part in the preservation of Australian history and is an excellent reminder of how life was in the latter part of the 19th century.

The Three Sisters

The Sisters were formed by erosion. The soft sandstone of the Blue Mountains is easily eroded over time by wind, rain and rivers and the cliffs surrounding the Jamison Valley are being slowly broken up. [edit]Aboriginal legends The commonly told legend of the Three Sisters is that three sisters (Meehni', 'Wimlah' and Gunnedoo') lived in the Jamison Valley as members of the Katoomba tribe). They fell in love with three men from a neighbouring tribe (the Nepean tribe), but marriage was forbidden by tribal law. The brothers were not happy to accept this law and so decided to use force to capture the three sisters. A major tribal battle ensued, and the sisters were turned to stone by an elder to protect them, but he was killed in the fighting and no one else could turn them back. This legend is claimed to be an Indigenous Australian Dreamtime legend.[1] However, Dr Martin Thomas, in his work "The artificial horizon: imagining the Blue Mountains",[2] clearly shows that the "aboriginal" legend is a fabrication created by a non-Aboriginal local Katoomba, Mel Ward, presumably to add interest to a local landmark. The story originated in the late 1920s or early 1930s and is unknown prior to that date. The Aboriginal traditional owners, the Gundungurra, have a legend that includes the Sisters rock formation. They are currently[when?] developing a website which will include these traditional stories.

A beautiful original 18th - 19th century Qing dynasty Chinese painting on silk measuring approx. 36 x 48 inches painted on silk mounted to board in antique condition some foxing and damage overall a beautiful painting would enhance any interior.

A original Camille Pissarro pencil drawing figural drawing sketches initialed lower left and signed and dated 1890 lower right, Framed in a quality hand carved silver gilt framed image measuring approx 8 x 11 inches. In good condition some wrinkling of the paper and a small puncture in the top edge, Provenance Mackay Gallery London and Bonhams San Francisco.

Camille Pissarro (10 July 1830 – 13 November 1903) was a Danish-French Impressionist and Neo-Impressionist painter His importance resides in his contributions to both Impressionism and Post-Impressionism. Pissarro studied from great forerunners, including Gustave Courbet and Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot. He later studied and worked alongside Georges Seurat and Paul Signac when he took on the Neo-Impressionist style at the age of 54. Pissarro is the only artist to have shown his work at all eight Paris Impressionist exhibitions, from 1874 to 1886. As a stylistic forerunner of Impressionism, he is today considered a "father figure not only to the Impressionists" but to all four of the major Post-Impressionists, including Georges Seurat, Paul Cézanne, Vincent van Gogh and Paul Gauguin.[2]

A beautiful antique still life oil painting on canvas of wine grapes. Measuring Approximately 14 X 16 overall size. 21 X 23 INCHES. framed in a beautiful stenciled Italian frame. A nice decorative painting.

Chinese Chinoiserie lacquer box with scenes of temple houses and figures in landscape circa 1860. A beautifully all hand painted scene on a red lacquer background the box is made of wood and the clasp of brass. A fine example in very good antique condition.

A fine antique Chinese carved zitan wood statue of Buddha or a Bodhisattva beautiful patina and fine carved details. Finest quality one solid piece of rare Zitan wood measuring approx. 16.5 inches tall or 42 cm. A fine addition to any collection.

A beautiful abstract composition oil on paper by Harold Christopher Davies singed lower center and on reverse. a well listed California modernist Provenance is from the estate of the artist and Hoover Gallery of San Francisco. Measuring approx. 24 x 20 inchesA fine example of this artists work. Harold Christopher Davies was a painter with whom art came first and commercialism last. Though he was a remarkably passionate and somewhat prolific artist, he resisted gallery representation until the age of eighty-four, just one year before his death. Davies began his formal art education at the age of fourteen, enrolling in the Corcoran Art Institute in Washington, D.C. Later he continued his studies at the San Francisco Institute of Art. An abstract expressionist, his style was directly influenced by Cezanne, Gorky and de Kooning. Being a man of intense dedication to his art, he kept extensive notebooks and sketchbooks in which he developed his own artistic and aesthetic philosophy, often through his candid critiques of other artist’s works. Painting, for Davies, was not a means of earning his living. Though he exhibited frequently at various local colleges and museums, he never sought public recognition of his talent. He believed fame compromised the integrity of an artist’s work. Davies earned his living as a businessman, eventually owning and operating his own chemical company. He lived a life of balancing his monetary obligations with the true love of his life: painting. After living in a variety of cities around the United States, Davies moved to Inverness, California in 1969 where he was free to devote all his time to his art. MEMBER: Oakland Art League San Francisco Art Association Huntsville (Ala.) Art Association EXHIBITED: San Francisco Art Association, 1921-1931 Oakland Art Gallery, 1931 Birmingham Museum, 1951 Southampton Museum, 1959 University of Long Island Museum, 1964 Parrish Art Museum, 1964, 1966, 1967 Hoover Gallery (San Francisco), 1975 Fresno Art Center, 1976 (Solo) Haggin Museum 1982 Huntsville Museum, 1982

Japanese Satsuma pottery vase with cobalt blue background and beautifully hand painted with the finest detailed images of flowering branches and nesting birds. Artist signed on bottom in excellent condition measuring approx. 5 in. tall 4 in. wide or 13 x 11 cm. An exquisite example of this sought after art form.

A fine antique Gilt bronze Buddha Thailand 19th century. Fine casting of the Buddha seated in Mara Vijaya (calling the earth to witness) Gilt bronze over lacquer most all original gilding remains in good condition. Top of the head is a stupa-shaped "flame" or called usnisa, symbol of the realization of Nirvana or indicative of supreme knowledge. Measuring approx. 15 inches tall A fine example.

A Beautiful work of art by this highly regarded California painter Patricia K. Jones. Oil on canvas signed lower right measuring 8 x 10 inches framed in a quality gallery frame overall size 14 x 16 inches in excellent condition. A nice addition to any collection. Biography Patricia is especially drawn to the familiar objects and sights that we usually take for granted. In her paintings, she strives to translate the essence of the everyday, the ordinary and the overlooked into works of art. This approach has allowed her to reach out to a wide audience, and today her paintings can be found in private collections in the U.S. and Europe. Education and Background: Bohemian House of Fine Arts: Carmel, California ,2001-2004 Russian Impressionism, 2003 Landscape Painting - Tuscany, Italy ,Academy of Russian Realism: St. Petersburg, Russia, 2002 Landscape Painting en Plein Air, California Academy of Painters: Provence, France, 2001 Painting in the Lavender Fields, Sauveterre-de-Bearn, France, 1999 Painting the Colors of Southwest France, Pacific Art League and Palo Alto Art Center: Palo Alto 1995-2002 Plein Air Oil Painting, Figure Drawing,Still Life and Portrait Painting, Scottsdale Artists School, Scottsdale, Arizona 2006, 2008 Workshops in Still Life Painting, Stanford University : Florence, Italy, 1995 Drawing in the Renaissance City Stanford University: MBA - 1976 Member, Oil Painters of America Member, American Impressionist Society

Fine antique Japanese ivory netsuke of a man hiding under a basket from an Oni signed Mitsu Nobu . Measuring approx. 2.5 inches in length.

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.

A beautiful Rookwood pottery vellum matte vase with a burgundy purple color and a floral type design. Artists signed and marked with the rookwood date mark for artist initialed M M. measuring approx. 7.5 inches tall in excellent condition no damage.

Fine Antique miniature Bronze Portrait bust of a young man. Finely detailed bronze casting. Measuring 7.5" x 4 x 3.5 Inches. In excellent antique condition.

An fine Equestrian portrait of a thoroughbred and original oil painting on canvas laid on archival art board signed lower right Thad Leland measuring 16 x 20 inches in good vintage condition framed in a quality wood frame overall 24 x 28 in.

Thad Emory Leland by John Hovard 
 ◦ The paintings of Thad Leland reflect his enduring association with the horse including the cultural spectacle of the Peruvian Paso, polo horses and racing thoroughbreds. Working in pastels, oils, acrylics, and watercolors, Thad Leland left a beautiful legacy of the spirit and tradition of the horse, its cultural harness and how man interacts with this spirit. 
It all started for Leland when he was a boy in Michigan, exercising the fine horses of Detroit millionaires. He went home and sketched these horses, which began the lifelong journey to recreate the spirit and beauty of the horse. 
Thad Emory Leland was born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1914 and passed away in Pebble Beach, California, in 1987. He studied art at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan, received a B.A. in fine art from the University of Michigan where he studied with Sarkis Sarkisian and John Carroll. 
Before the war, he exhibited throughout Wisconsin and Michigan, and was awarded a mural commission for the New York World's Fair. After World War II he received a masters degree in fine art from Stanford University. In the early 60s, his diligence to study equestrians continued with his painting and sketching of polo events at Pebble Beach, thoroughbred racing at Bay Meadows and Golden Gate tracks, and western riding events at the Salinas Rodeo and Monterey County Fair. He became sought after for commissioned portraiture.

Anna Althea Hills California Impressionist view of Laguna Beach sunset oil on canvas c. 1925. A beautiful plein air painting by this highly regarded California artist. Oil on canvas signed lower left measuring 10x14 inches framed in a hand carved and 24k gold leaf quality frame overall size 16x20 inches. Provenance; From the estate of Anna Hills stamped on reverse stretcher with the estate stamp and catalogue number in addition attached is an accompanying letter from the Robert Beck Gallery as to the provenance of this painting. The condition is excellent the painting has been relined and cleaned and is in fine condition. A quality investment piece of California art. An Anna Hills 10x14 painting of Laguna sold for $23,000 at John Moran auction on 6/21/05.

Biography

Anna Althea Hills was born January 28, 1882 in Ravenna, Ohio. She studied at the Chicago Art Institute; Cooper Union Art School in New York City; she worked with Arthur Dow (1857-1922) and later studied at the Academie Julian in Paris. While in Europe she studied with John Noble Barlow (1861-1917). In 1912 she moved to Laguna Beach, California becoming a leading member of the Laguna Beach art community. She was an active member of the California Art Club, held a membership at the Washington Watercolor Club and served at the Laguna Beach Art Association as president from 1922 to 1925 and from 1927 to 1930. Hills was highly regarded as an art teacher and encouraged the study of the visual arts at the local public schools. Captivated and inspired by her new surroundings, she created atmospheric impressionist landscapes showing a reverence and appreciation of nature. The subjects of her plein-air landscapes varied from treescapes, the Laguna Beach coastline, Mission San Juan Capistrano, the vast Southern California and Arizona deserts, Santa Ana Canyon, arroyos and interior scenes. Hills won the Bronze Medal at the Panama-California Exposition, San Diego in 1915; the Bronze Medal at the California State Fair, 1919; and the Landscape Prize at the Laguna Beach Art Association, 1922, 1923. She died at the early age of forty-eight on June 13, 1930 in Laguna Beach, California.

A Fine Japanese Ivory Netsuke of a man with a cane and lantern finely carved by an expert artist signed on foot. Measuring approx. 2.5 inches or 6 centimeters tall in very fine condition. A great example would be a nice addition to any collection. Please view my other netsuke here in Trocadero and at my ebay site.