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  • Archive for August, 2013

    CARTIER RED PEACOCK BROOCH AT SOTHEBY’S, HONG KONG

    Friday, August 16th, 2013
    The Cartier Red Peacock brooch at Sotheby's, Hong Kong.  (Click on image to enlarge).

    The Cartier Red Peacock brooch at Sotheby’s, Hong Kong. (Click on image to enlarge).  UPDATE: IT SOLD FOR $871,770

    This Cartier Red Peacock brooch is one of a number of  highlights  at Sotheby’s autumn sale of magnificent jewels and jadeite  in Hong Kong next October 7.  The sale will offer a selection of jewels to epitomise the glamour of the most stylish personalities of the old and new worlds. The selection is complemented by pink, yellow and colourless diamonds, Burmese rubies, Colombian emeralds and Kashmir sapphires, to natural pearls and the finest jadeite.  Around 350 lots are expected to make more than $80 million US.

    From a Royal private collection the Cartier Red Peacock brooch is estimated at  $400,000-500,000 US.

    STANLEY MATTHEWS AUTOGRAPH AT LIMERICK AUCTION

    Wednesday, August 14th, 2013
    A Sunday Express postcard signed in 1959 by Sir Stanley Matthews, the only English footballer to have been knighted while still playing, comes up at Limerick Auction Rooms on August 21.  It is an auction of more than 400 lots of antiques, art, military collectibles and Irish history.  The card signed by Matthews, who died in 2000, relates to the Limerick v. Dundalk match on October 25, 1959.  Signed in black ink it reads:  “From Stanley Matthews with best wishes and hoping you make the grade”. It is estimated at 100-200.
    Other lots include an Irish genre work “Lady sitting in field” in a frame made by Daniel Egan on Dublin.  The work, which is unsigned, is estimated at 1,000-1,500. (Click on any image to enlarge it.

    19th century Irish oil on canvas, "Lady sitting in a field", unsigned (1,000-1,500).

    19th century Irish oil on canvas, “Lady sitting in field”, unsigned (1,000-1,500).  UPDATE: IT SOLD FOR A PRICE IN THE REGION OF 825.

    The poster for the match in 1959.

    The poster for the match in 1959. UPDATE:  IT MADE 90 EUROS.

    The card signed by Stanley Matthews.

    The card signed by Stanley Matthews.

    SOTHEBY’S AUTUMN HONG KONG SERIES MARKS 40 YEARS IN ASIA

    Monday, August 12th, 2013

    A series of sales at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre from October 4-8 will mark Sotheby’s 40th anniversary in Asia.  The autumn sale series will be anchored by the 40th anniversary evening sale which will combine 20th century Chinese Art, Contemporary Asian Art and Modern and Contemporary Southeast Asian art.  This sale will have the highest total estimate of any comparable sale in Asia.  The sale series will include  Fine Chinese Ceramics and works of art, Fine Chinese paintings, early Ink Masters, 20th century Chinese art,  Contemporary Asian art, Modern and Contemporary Southeast Asian paintings, jewellery, watches and wines.

    Selected highlights will be showcased in Jakarta (August 30-31), Shanghai (September 4-5), Beijing (September 7-8), Singapore (September 13-14), Bangkok (September 16-17), Taipei (September 21-22) and Kaohsiung (September 24-25). Here is a small selection from what is on offer, with all estimates in US dollars.  (Click on any image to enlarge it).

    Huang Binhong (1864-1955) Recluse in a secluded valley, hanging scroll (256,00-385,000).

    Huang Binhong (1864-1955) Recluse in a secluded valley, hanging scroll ($256,00-385,000). UPDATE: THIS MADE $314,662 US

    Rudi Mantofani (b1973)  Bayangan Merah (Red Shadow), 2009 ($48,000-61,000).

    Rudi Mantofani (b1973) Bayangan Merah (Red Shadow), 2009 ($48,000-61,000).  UPDATE: THIS SOLD FOR $496,487 US

    I Nyoman Masriadi (b 1973), Aerobik 2000  ($154,000-232,000).

    I Nyoman Masriadi (b 1973), Aerobik 2000 ($154,000-232,000).  UPDATE: THIS MADE $454,010 US

    13.19 emerald cut light pink diamond and diamond ring, Cartier (600,000-800,000)

    13.19 carat emerald cut light pink diamond and diamond ring, Cartier ($600,000-800,000)  UPDATE: THIS SOLD FOR $1,475,382

    Set of two Jadeite bead necklaces from the Republican period (2.8-3.8 million)

    Set of two Jadeite bead necklaces from the Republican period ($2.8-3.8 million)  UPDATE: THIS SOLD FOR $5,504,013 US

    8.03 carat pigeon's blood Burmese Ruby ($3.5-3.8 million).

    8.03 carat pigeon’s blood Burmese Ruby ($3.5-3.8 million).  UPDATE: THIS MADE $3,317,949

    Zeng Fanzhi (b1964)   Mask Series No. 14, 1994 ($1.2-1.5 million).

    Zeng Fanzhi (b1964) Mask Series No. 14, 1994 ($1.2-1.5 million).  UPDATE: THIS MADE $2,326,799 US

     Luo Zhongli (b 1948) Children's Games. 1992, oil on canvas ($769,000-1 million)

    Luo Zhongli (b 1948) Children’s Games. 1992, oil on canvas ($769,000-1 million)  UPDATE: THIS MADE $933,815 US

    LOWRY’S STEPS AT BONHAMS

    Friday, August 9th, 2013
    Laurence Stephen Lowry R.A. (British, 1887-1976), ‘Steps at Wick".

    Laurence Stephen Lowry R.A. (British, 1887-1976), ‘Steps at Wick”.  UPDATE: SOLD FOR £890,500.

    “Steps at Wick” by L.S. Lowry is expected to make £500,000-800,000 at Bonhams sale of Modern British and Irish art in London next November 20.  The artist used to holiday in Scotland in the 1930’s and this work is signed and dated 1937. Wick is a fishing town in Caithness.  Known locally at The Black Steps the vantage point from where Lowry painted the work is commemorated with an engraved plaque on the site.

    Penny Day, of the Modern British and Irish Art Department at Bonhams, comments: “We are privileged and delighted to be offering such an important, striking Lowry which has not been available for over 20 years.  With the market for the artist stronger than ever and alongside the interest in the current Tate exhibition, we expect collectors will seize the opportunity to acquire this early tour de force”. (Click on image to enlarge it).
    UPDATE: THIS SOLD FOR £890,500

    KINROSS HOUSE TAKES RESTORATION AWARD

    Friday, August 9th, 2013
    Kinross House exterior.

    Kinross House exterior.

    Built in 1685 Kinross House, Scotland’s first neo-classical Palladian mansion, has taken the 2013 Restoration Award from Sotheby’s and the Historic Houses Association.  When designed to entertain guests and welcome visitors the house transformed a landscape previously scattered with defensive castles, fortified towers and structures designed to keep people out. When acquired by Donald Fothergill in 2011 it was nearly beyond repair.

    Using traditional products and craftsmanship where possible, and drawing inspiration from it’s history, the house and gardens have been returned to their former glory by a team of specialist architects, builders and historical experts. The roof was replaced, along with every single wire and pipe in the 55 room mansion. In line with architect Sir William Bruce’s vision for the house 350 years ago, the original seventeenth century garden designs have also been reinstalled – restoring the long lost historic views, geometries and horticultural plans which were so integral to Bruce’s neo-classical design.  As well as functioning as a contemporary home the house is now open to the public for the first time. (Click on any image to enlarge it).

    The grand salon before restoration.

    The grand salon before restoration.

    The reception after restoration.

    The reception after restoration.

    The grand salon after restoration.

    The grand salon after restoration.

    The dining room before restoration.

    The dining room before restoration.

    The dining room after restoration.

    The dining room after restoration.

    CORK POTTERS AT DUBLIN’S GALLERY ZOZIMUS

    Wednesday, August 7th, 2013

    Ceramic artists from the Society of Cork Potters are exhibiting at Gallery Zozimus, Francis St., Dublin until August 31.  Those taking part are Sinead Fagan, Kate Standen, Deirdre de Courcey, Etain Hickey, Jim Turner, Kira O’Brien, Sarah Roberts, Clare Green, Martha Cashman, David Seeger, Cillian Gibbons and Adrian Wistreich.  Here is a small selection (click on any image to enlarge it):

    Sara Roberts.

    Sara Roberts.

    Sara Roberts.

    Sara Roberts.

    Kathleen Standen.

    Kathleen Standen.

    Kira O'Brien.

    Kira O’Brien.

    Deirdre de Courcey.

    Deirdre de Courcey.

    CHRISTIE’S AND SAATCHI – THINKING BIG

    Wednesday, August 7th, 2013
    Thinking Big is the title of a special auction of monumental sculpture and installation art by the Saatchi Gallery and Christie’s in London next October 17.  The sale will feature the work of 50 artists who have been shown at the Saatchi Gallery including Tracey Emin and the Chapman brothers.  It is to support the Saatchi Gallery’s continuing policy for free entry to all exhibitions and free education programme for schools.  The sale will be exhibited at The Sorting Office  a vast former postal depot in central London from October 12 – 18 to coincide wit the Frieze Art Fair in October.
    “The exhibition and auction will be pioneering in that  all the works will be offered without estimate or reserve” said Francis Outred, Christie’s head of Post-War and Contemporary Art, Europe. It will, he added, be a fundamental celebration of the sculpture of the 21st century.
    The Saatchi Gallery will be thirty years old in 2015. It was the first art space in the UK to show a number of leading artists before they became household names, from Jeff Koons and Bruce Nauman to Andreas Gursky, Sigmar Polke and Damien Hirst. During the last five years it has showcased new art from the Middle East, China, India, Russia, Germany, America and Britain. Art from all of these regions, as well as the UK will be on display. (Click on any image to enlarge it).

    Gert and Uwe Tobias, Untitled, Woodcut on paper laid down on canvas in four parts, executed in 2009. Image courtesy of Saatchi Gallery, London.

    Gert and Uwe Tobias, Untitled, Woodcut on paper laid down on canvas in four parts, executed in 2009. Image courtesy of Saatchi Gallery, London.

    Jitish Kallat, Public Notice 2, painted fibreglass, executed in 2007. Image courtesy of Saatchi Gallery, London.

    Jitish Kallat, Public Notice 2, painted fibreglass, executed in 2007. Image courtesy of Saatchi Gallery, London.

    Mat Collishaw, Madonna, ceramic, cement, wood and paint, in twelve parts, executred in 2001. Image courtesy of Saatchi Gallery, London.

    Mat Collishaw, Madonna, ceramic, cement, wood and paint, in twelve parts, executed in 2001. Image courtesy of Saatchi Gallery, London.

    Kader Attia, Ghost, number 3 from an edition of three executed in 2007. Image courtesy of Saatchi Gallery, London

    Kader Attia, Ghost, number 3 from an edition of three executed in 2007. Image courtesy of Saatchi Gallery, London

    LEONORA CARRINGTON RETROSPECTIVE AT IMMA

    Tuesday, August 6th, 2013
    Leonora Carrington, The Giantess (The Guardian of the Egg), 1947 circa, Tempera on wood panel, 117 x 68 cm, Collection Miguel S. Escobedo, © Estate of Leonora Carrington / ARS

    Leonora Carrington, The Giantess (The Guardian of the Egg), 1947 circa, Tempera on wood panel, 117 x 68 cm, Collection Miguel S. Escobedo, © Estate of Leonora Carrington / ARS

    The first major retrospective in Ireland of the work of Surrealist painter Leonora Carrington open at the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA) in Dublin on September 18.  Known for her figurative dreamscapes and informed by her rich interest in mythology, alchemy, fairy tales and the occult The Celtic Surrealist focuses in particular on the imagery that enchanted Carrington as a child and on the influence of Mexico in her later work. It is a show of 30 paintings, six sculptures, four tapestries and 30 works on paper from the 1940’s onwards.

    Leonora Carrington (Lancashire 1917 – Ciudad de México 2011) was the daughter of a British father and an Irish mother from Moate, Co Westmeath. In 1936, when she was 19, she moved to London and Paris, where she became a central figure in the Surrealist movement later exhibiting with André Breton, Max Ernst and others. In 1940, following the internment of her lover Max Ernst, she suffered a mental breakdown after which she escaped from Lisbon to Mexico where she lived until her death in 2011 at the age of 94.  The show at IMMA will run until next January 26.

    BUSTS OF PALLADIO AND INIGO JONES AT CHRISTIE’S SALE IN SEPTEMBER

    Sunday, August 4th, 2013
    Andrea Palladio - one of a pair of life-size busts after Michael Rysbrack, probably cast by John Cheere, circa 1740 - courtesy Christie's Images Ltd., 2013.

    Andrea Palladio – one of a pair of life-size busts after Michael Rysbrack, probably cast by John Cheere, circa 1740 – courtesy Christie’s Images Ltd., 2013.

    Inigo Jones - one of a pair of life-size busts after Michael Rysbrack, probably cast by John Cheere, circa 1740. Courtesy Christie's Images Ltd., 2013.

    Inigo Jones – one of a pair of life-size busts after Michael Rysbrack, probably cast by John Cheere, circa 1740. Courtesy Christie’s Images Ltd., 2013.

    A pair of magnificent lifesize lead busts of Andrea Palladio and Inigo Jones will lead Christie’s sale of the collection of Professor Sir Albert Richardson PRA (1880-1964)  in London on September 18 and 19. The collection of the celebrated architect and President of the Royal Academy (1954-1956) comprises around 650 lots.  It includes Old Master and British paintings, watercolours, architectural drawings, English and European furniture, sculpture and objects, garden statuary, books, clocks, musical instruments and Georgian costume.  The busts of Palladio – the most recognised of all classical architects – and Jones – the first classical architect in Britain – are estimated at £400,000-600,000. The collection is expected to make around £4 million. (Click on either image to enlarge it).

    EILEEN GRAY – FROM PARIS TO DUBLIN

    Friday, August 2nd, 2013
    Eileen Gray.

    Eileen Gray.

    THE Eileen Gray retrospective from the Centre Pompidou in Paris is moving to Dublin next October.  It will be at the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA) from October 12 to January 19, 2014.  The exhibition features drawing, lacquering, interior decorating, architecture and photography. It includes lacquer work, several of her carpet designs, samples from her Paris shop Jean Désert and key items of furniture from her work on the apartment of Madame Mathieu Levy and Gray’s own home, Tempe à Pailla.

    Significant focus is given to her landmark piece of modernist architecture the French villa E-1027, built in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin in 1929, in close collaboration with Romanian architect Jean Badovici. The exhibition includes examples of furniture for E-1027, including the tubular steel designs with which Gray’s name has become synonymous.

    Eileen Gray (1879-1976) was born near Enniscorthy, Co Wexford and spent most of her childhood between Ireland and London. After World War I, Gray moved to Paris. She died in France at the age of 98.

    (See post on antiquesandartireland.com for February 20, 2013).