Catalog: Sold Items (421)

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.

Majolica pottery bowl with water lily or lotus motif by Holdcroft. The English potter Joseph Holdcroft established the Sutherland Pottery in Longton at Daisy Bank, England in 1870 and operated until 1906 when its name changed to Holdcroft Ltd., as which they continued operations until 1920. Having eighteen years experience at the Mintons pottery, Holdcroft was proficient in manufacturing majolica, especially birds and flowers. Measures 11.5 x 10.5 x 4.5.

A Beautiful antique French oil painting on canvas by the famed French artist Baron Jean Antoine Gudin.

A Japanese Ivory Netsuke of a reclining Daruma and child figure 19th century very large size with beautiful patina and wear a nice addition to any collection. Measuring 3.5 inches or 9 centimeters long. A nice addition to any collection.

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.

Classical bronze figure of a Grecian woman with robe and sandals alongside a urn and disc. Signed Evrard for Victor Evrard French 1807-1877 sculptor known for works in bronze. The bronze in is in excellent condition with a nice original patina measuring approx. 19 inches tall a fine piece.

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 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 18th century Dutch painting school of Jan Vermeer of an interior scene Picturing a woman at work in a traditional 17th century kitchen. Oil on oak panel signed lower right P.V. Ameyden beautifully painted framed in a gilt decorative frame. Measuring approx. 12.5 in. by 14.5 in. framed size 16.5 x 18.5 inches. A fine decorative painting would be a nice addition to any collection.

A Beautiful antique sterling silver overlay cut crystal decanter. Marked sterling. Dimensions 5.0ʺW × 5.0ʺD × 10.0ʺH Condition Excellent

Fine Antique American Victorian drawing of a young boy, circa 1880. Image, 10"L x 16"H. Matted and in quality frame 20 X 26 overall. Wear to edges under the mat minor flaws to surface. In a quality gallery frame.

An exquisite gilt bronze Buddha Thailand circa 1840 in very fine condition measuring approx. 14 inches tall. A fine and beautiful image.

Chinese crackle glazed robins egg blue vase 19th century. A beautiful tall slender form with long neck in excellent condition a minor chip on the bottom under the foot. Measuring approx. 14 inches tall a fine example.

Fine porcelain cylindrical vase or brush pot circa 1860 hand painted with floral and bird motif. Measuring approx. 11 inches tall and 4 3/4 in diameter. In excellent condition this piece has a Chinese ministry of antiquities export stamp on the bottom. Japanese Imari porcelain was first produced in the Genroku period c.1700 It is characterised by the striking use of underglaze blue, red and gilt, and occasionally green enamels. When it came to the attention of the Chinese at Jindezhen that these wares were extremely popular in Europe, they began to produce Imari wares in competition with the Japanese. The first Chinese Imari pieces were produced during the latter half Kangxi period (1662-1722). As a generalisation the Chinese Imari pieces are much more finely potted and have a thinner and more even glaze. The Japanese glaze is often crackled and on the inside of vases the glaze is clearly seen to have run. Furthermore most Chinese Imari has a much finer quality underglaze blue.

Fine original oil painting on canvas signed lower left J.B.Smith dated 1876 titled on the reverse on "Vale of Heath Wales" provenance Richard Green Gallery London. Measuring 18 x 14 inches. In excellent condition a couple of minor touchups. John Brandon Smith fl. 1848 - 1888 was a London landscape painter who exhibited from 1859 to 1884 at the Royal Academy. From 1860 to 1874 he exhibited at The British Institute and also at the Royal Society of Artists, Suffolk Street. Titles at the Royal Academy included View in Surrey 1860, On the Lledr, 1867 and Caldron Linn, Perthshire, 1874. He is most commonly known for his pictures of rivers and waterfalls.

A fine antique ivory Japanese Netsuke of a Shishi dog or Lion. Beautifully carved with a great patina. measuring approx. 4 x 4 centimeters or 1 3/4 inches. A nice addition to any collection.

Original David Roberts lithograph of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, April 8th 1839, plate 6 from Volume I of The Holy Land engraved by Louis Haghe 1806-85 pub. 1842. Original hand colored deluxe edition. In good antique condition some age discoloration minor fading spotting. Framed matted actuall image 12" x 18" framed matted 21 x 27 framed size.

A rare antique Chinese finely hand carved white Jade seated Shakyamuni Buddha with exquisite detail form and surface. Measuring an impressive 10.5 in. or 27.5 cm. tall. In excellent condition A fine addition to any collection.

A antique 19th century English Royal Navy Blunderbuss gun percussion cap c. 1860 all original in good antique condition.

An antique sterling silver repousse Crown for a Spanish colonial santo figure of Holy Mary, Hallmarked 925 in excellent condition. measuring approx. 4 x 3.5 x 2 1/4 inches.

Original gouache and watercolor "Sail Boats at Sunset" signed lower right by Renowned American artist Edmund Darch Lewis. Lewis exhibited at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (1854-69) and was elected an associate of the Academy in 1859. He also showed at the National Academy of Design in New York (1860), the Boston Athenaeum (1858-69), and the Brooklyn Art Association (1862-70). Beautifully Framed and Matted. Image 8.5"L x 19.5W. framed size 16" L x 27" W.

An original oil on canvas of a early American trotter horse and buggy by Thomas Kirby Van Zandt oil on canvas signed and dated measuring approx. 24 x 30 in good antique condition.

Biography

Van Zandt, born in New Scotland, Albany County, New York in 1814, was a well-known painter of the horses of wealthy New Yorkers, including Leland Stanford. The Stanford Museum has a half dozen of T.K. Van Zandt's work in its collection. In 1859 he was awarded a silver medallion for "Best Animal Painting in Oil" by the New York State Agricultural Society. His son, William Garrett Van Zandt, was also known for his equine subjects. A second son, Bleecker (1855-1915) was a sculptor. Thomas Kirby Van Zandt died in 1886.

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 fine antique Ivory carved chess set of the finest quality with the King And Queen being Chinese Emperor and Empress with complete court all 36 are pieces carved from solid ivory and finely detailed. The pieces are substantial the King measures approx. 6.5 inches tall. In excellent condition.

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.

Antique bronze south east Asian opium weights in the form of birds or roosters. Complete collection numbering 9 weights in tapering sizes the largest 5 inches tall. I good condition with a great patina.

A beautiful antique Italian original painting gouache on paper in an exquisite French matte and frame. Measuring Approx. 6x8 overall framed size 11x13 inches. In excellent condition one of a pair see #341 sold together or separate.

Antique Japanese Bronze planter with dragon image on one side and Mt Fugi on the other. Original deep brown rich patina. The bottom has been replaced with a wood stand. Measuring 10" x 9".

Fine porcelain large bowl with profusely hand painted decorations in traditional Imari colors and motifs. A impressive size measuring 11 3/4 inches in diameter and 4.5 inches high in excellent condition. A fine piece would make a great addition to any collection.

A rare Barbizon landscape oil painting by 19th century American woman artist lived in New Orleans died in 1891. Oil on canvas measuring Approx. 20 x 30 inches framed in fine antique gilt frame.

An original oil painting on canvas signed lower right Baxter and dated 1868. A beautiful portrait of two women. Measuring approx. 30 x 40 inches. Biography

Charles Baxter (March 1809 - 10 January 1879) was an English portrait and subject painter, known especially for his portraits of pretty young women. Baxter was born in Little Britain, London in 1809, the son of a book clasp maker, and started his career apprenticed to a bookbinder. However, he gave up this business to commence life as a professional painter, chiefly of miniatures and portraits. In 1834 he made the acquaintance of George Clint, from whom he received some valuable instruction, and in the same year exhibited for the first time at the Royal Academy. In 1839 he joined the Clipstone Street Society, and studied there along with Paul Falconer Poole, William Müller, Edward Duncan (1804-1882), Joseph John Jenkins (1811-1885), Francis William Topham (1808-18), and others, who afterwards became distinguished in the profession. He became a member of the Society of British Artists in 1842, and contributed to its exhibitions many of the poetic and rustic subjects and fancy portraits upon which his reputation chiefly rests. His female heads are especially characterised by refinement of expression and purity of colour.

A fine original oil painting signed lower left oil on canvas painted in his time studying in France measuring approx. 16 x 28 in excellent condition.

biography

Born in New York City in 1836, Ransome Holdredge came to California via the Isthmus of Panama in 1858 and worked as a draftsman at the Mare Island Naval Yard. His paintings of the 1860s and early 1870s were signed "Holdridge" and were done in the realistic style of the Hudson River School. During this period he maintained a studio in San Francisco's Donahoe-Kelly Bank Bldg and exhibited locally. In 1874 he and Hiram Bloomer held a joint sale of their paintings to finance European studies. He left in that year and spent about two years studying in France. His obituary states that he was a field artist for Scribner's publications and was with Major Reno's troops at the time of the Custer massacre in 1876. After his studies in France, he returned to San Francisco with a distinctly different style. Paintings done after that time show the influence of the Barbizon School and were signed "Holdredge." His works were in great demand during his lifetime, received rave reviews by the local press, and were often considered superior to those done by William Keith. Holdredge traveled extensively throughout the Northwest, Southwest, the Rockies and western Canada, often living for long periods of time among the various Indian tribes. Due to his malnutrition and alcoholism, his paintings done during the latter part of his life were not of good quality. Like his friend Jules Tavernier, he made considerable money as an artist but did not manage his money well. He died penniless at the Alameda County (CA) Infirmary in April 1899 and was buried at public expense. ASSOCIATIONS San Francisco Art Association (cofounder) Bohemian Club EXHIBITIONS California State Fair, 1881-83 Mechanics' Institute (SF), 1868, 1880, 1886 COLLECTIONS Bohemian Club Oakland Museum Society of California Pioneers Orange County Museum California Historical Society Nevada Museum (Reno) Bancroft Library (UC Berkeley) Crocker Museum (Sacramento) Oregon Historical Society Source: Edan Hughes,

Bourcieria Torquata 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.

A fine antique Japanese bronze Ikebana planter in the motif of bamboo in excellent condition a large size great for bonsai tree etc. measuring approx. 19 x 14 x 6 inches. Signed on bottom.

A beautiful pair of antique Sheffield Silver wine coasters circa 1850 hallmarked Padley Parkin & Co Sheffield England 1849 - 1855. Wine grape and grape leaf decoration with wood interiors. Sheffield plate, a sheet of silver is fused on to a thicker one of copper and the compound billet rolled, both metals expanding equally, become a thins sheet of copper coated with a layer of silver. About 1840 the Electroplate process superseded Sheffield Plate. Its production ceased about 1860.

A beautiful antique American portrait of a young girl circa. 1890 framed in a spectacular period frame. Oil painted on an oval canvas measuring 16x20 inches and overall framed size approx. 26 x 30 inches. The painting is signed lower right C. T. Webb and titled with the Childs name on the reverse. In very good condition some minor touch ups and the frame has some touch ups to the gold leaf liner. Overall a very fine and decorative antique painting.