Gavels and Paddles
Recent Antique & Collectibles Auction Results From Around the World
by Ken Hall

Elizabeth Taylor’s La Peregrina necklace, $11.8 million, Christie's
La Peregrina—a natural pearl, diamond, ruby and cultured pearl necklace by Cartier—sold for $11.84 million at the sale of The Legendary Jewels Collection of Elizabeth Taylor held Dec. 13 by Christie's in New York City. It was a new world auction record for a pearl jewel. Also, The Elizabeth Taylor Diamond—a rectangular-cut diamond of 33.19 carats, D color, practically flawless, fetched $8.18 million (a new world auction record for a colorless diamond per carat, at $265,697 per carat). Both prices include 12% bp.

Three Stooges poster, $59,750, Heritage
A one-sheet movie poster for The Three Stooges in Three Little Beers (Columbia, 1935) sold for $59,750 at a Vintage Movie Posters Signature Auction held Nov. 18-19 by Heritage Auctions in Dallas, Tex. Also, a half-sheet for RKO's 1932 horror film The Most Dangerous Game made $31,070; a Style B one-sheet for Paramount's 1935 movie The Devil is a Woman, showing Marlene Dietrich and Cesar Romero, brought $26,290; and a rare one-sheet from the 1935 Gaumont film The 39 Steps gaveled for $19,925. Prices include 19.5% buyer's premium.

Apollo 13 checklist, $388,375, Heritage
The Apollo 13 lunar module systems activation checklist, upon which Commander James Lovell made his handwritten calculations to guide the wounded spacecraft and crew home just two hours after uttering the words, “Houston, we have a problem,” consigned by Commander Lovell himself, sold for $388,375 at a Space Signature Auction held Nov. 30 by Heritage Auctions in Dallas, Tex. The buyer was an anonymous East Coast collector. The pre-sale estimate was a little more than $25,000. The price includes 19.5% bp.

Joe DiMaggio jersey, $256,858, Grey Flannel
A game-used road jersey worn by Joe DiMaggio in 1948 and possibly into 1949, with the left sleeve showing evidence of a black armband to memorialize Babe Ruth who died on Aug. 16 of 1948, sold for $256,858 at a Holiday Auction held Nov. 30 by Grey Flannel Auctions in Westhampton, N.Y. Also, a baseball signed by all the members of the 1927 Yankees, known as “Murderer's Row” (including Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig), hit $86,581; and a Sandy Koufax 1966 game-worn road jersey made $131,770. Prices include 20% bp.

Gettysburg pass, $43,200, Cowan's
A pass to the dedication of the Gettysburg Cemetery, issued Nov. 18, 1863 to Gideon Welles to accompany President Lincoln by special military train for the dedication, sold for $43,200 at an American History and Civil War Auction held Dec. 2 by Cowan's, Inc., in Cincinnati, Ohio. Also, a William Henry Harrison campaign flag banner went for $32,400; a Daniel S. Mitchell and John Hiller album of American Indian CDVs hit $41,125; and Deputy U.S. Marshall Buck Garrett's shaving mug brought $27,025. Prices include 15% bp.

Ancient Chinese bear, $8 million+, Elite
An exceedingly rare ancient Chinese Eastern Han Dynasty solid nephrite jade bear, made circa 475 B.C.-220 A.D., sold for more than $8 million at a multi-estate auction held Dec. 10 by Elite Decorative Arts in Boynton Beach, Fla. Also, a Russian silver enameled box with a miniature landscape enameled painting after Ivan I. Shishkin (1832-1898) realized $862,500; and an 18th century Chinese relief-carved, ivory-and-cloisonné, six-piece tea set brought $10,620. Prices include 15% bp.

Andy Warhol book, $45,600, Swann Gall.
An association copy of Andy Warhol's book 25 Cats Named Sam and One Blue Pussy, with 18 lithographs (New York, 1954), sold for $45,600 at a sale of Art, Press & Illustrated Books held Nov. 8 by Swann Galleries in New York City. Also, a signed copy of David Hockney's Paper Pools, with a lithograph (London, 1990), hit $10,800; Lysistrata with six etched plates by Pablo Picasso, signed by the artist (New York, 1934), brought $6,480; and an original ink and watercolor by Beatrix Potter made $14,400. Prices include 15% bp.

Painted tin on wood sign, $46,000, Noel Barrett
A painted tin on wood sign advertising confections and beverages, five feet tall, sold for $46,000 at a multi-estate auction held Nov. 18-19 by Noel Barrett in New Hope, Pa. Also, a 19th century full-color wood sign advertising Charles F. Wagner Furs brought $26,450; a painted-wood fishing lure trade sign replicating a speckled fish jumped to $19,550; and The Automatic Foot Race (made in the 1880s by Wm. Britain & Sons, England), with two cloth-dressed figures that trot around a paper-litho metal cylinder, hit $18,400. Prices include 15% bp.

Van Der Zee photo, $52,500, Christie's
An untitled 1932 gelatin silver print photograph of West 127th Street in Harlem, N.Y., by James Van Der Zee sold for $52,500 at a Photographs Auction held Dec. 19 by Christie's in New York. It was a new world auction record for the photographer. Also, a 1970s gelatin silver print of a photo taken around 1944 by Ansel Adams titled, Winter Sunrise From Lone Pine, Sierra Nevada, made $21,250; a 1935 untitled gelatin silver print by Man Ray breezed to $27,500; and an Arthur Rothstein gelatin silver print hit $21,250. Prices include 25% bp.

Continental portrait, $384,000, Millea Bros.
A late 17th or early 18th century unsigned Continental portrait of a bearded man shown knitting, with red wax seals on verso, sold for $384,000 at an auction held Nov. 18-20 by Millea Brothers in Morristown, N.J. Also, a Portuguese Colonial period tortoise-and-ivory chest on stand breezed to $38,400; a large pair of Sevres cobalt blue urn or lamp bases with bronze mounts realized $37,200; and a Chinese 8-panel hardwood screen with blue-and-white porcelain plaques depicting landscapes went for $12,000. Prices include 20% bp.

Bronze Chinese Buddha, $143,000, Alderfer Auction
A Chinese gilt-bronze seated Buddha statue, probably made in the late 19th or early 20th century and large at 20.5 inches tall, sold for $143,000 at an Asian Discovery Sale held Nov. 17 by Alderfer Auction & Appraisal in Hatfield, Pa. Also, a pair of cinnabar lamps (created from a hand-carved mold and given a Chinese red-lacquer finish) achieved $3,300; a Chinese porcelain vase with fish commanded $1,320; and one lot consisting of two highly collectible Japanese carved netsuke figures made $1,044. Prices include 13% bp.

Huanghuali armchairs, $118,500, Skinner, Inc.
A pair of low-back Huanghuali armchairs with rattan seats sold for $118,500 at a sale of Asian Works of Art held Dec. 1-3 by Skinner, Inc., in Boston, Mass. Also, a pair of Huanghuali 18th century stools with rattan tops and hoofed legs realized $112,575; a large, elaborate gilt and cloisonné Mt. Pengali Island with stylized tortoiseshell breezed to $118,500; a Zitan Kang table adorned with a carved archaic motif apron went for $85,750; and a large celadon vase from the Ming period hammered for $18,960. Prices include 18.5% bp.

11-carat diamond ring, $69,000, James D. Julia
An 11-carat natural yellow brilliant cut diamond set in a platinum band with 14 smaller diamonds sold for $69,000 at a Glass & Lamp Auction held Nov. 30-Dec. 2 by James D. Julia, Inc., in Fairfield, Maine. Also, a Tiffany Nasturtium leaded lamp with bold green leaves and polychrome flowers brought $57,500; a Tiffany Studios Arrowroot table lamp with a conical shade decorated with flowers in various stages of bloom hit $51,750; and a Eugene Michel cameo and intaglio carved vase rose to $47,150. Prices include 15% bp.

Patek Philippe watch, $482,500, Sotheby's
An exceptional and fine Patek Philippe platinum tonneau automatic minute repeating perpetual calendar wristwatch with retrograde date and phases of the moon (Ref. #5013P) sold for $482,500 at a sale of Important Watches & Clocks held Dec. 6 by Sotheby's in New York City. Also, a Patek Philippe 18kt yellow gold world time wristwatch (Ref. #96HU) also soared to $482,500; and a Patek Philippe 18kt yellow gold perpetual calendar chronograph wristwatch with registers (Ref. #2499J) commanded $338,500. Prices include 20% bp.

Marklin 'Avalanche', $41,400, Bertoia Auc.
A Marklin 'Avalanche' tinplate clockwork boat, 16 inches long, sold for $41,400 at a Toys on World Tour Auction held Nov. 11-12 by Bertoia Auctions in Vineland, N.J. Also, an Ives cloth-dressed man on a tin rocking horse went for $39,100; a Vichy automaton of a lady with a hand mirror, 30 inches tall, with Jumeau head, reached $18,400; a circa-1932 Arcade cast-iron Mack dump truck rolled off for 17,250; and a Hans Eberl clockwork two-seat tourer with turbaned drives and clown passengers made $10,925. Prices include a 15 percent buyer's premium.

5.55-carat diamond ring, $55,800, Rago Arts & Auc.
An emerald-cut, 5.55-carat diamond ring with Cartier jacket sold for $55,800 at an Estates, Jewelry, Silver & Coin Auction held Dec. 2-4 by Rago Arts & Auction Center in Lambertville, N.J. Also, a 45-piece Russian enameled gilt silver punch set realized $52,700; a pair of Philadelphia dueling pistols rang out at $45,880; a fine solitaire diamond ring soared to $35,960; and an original painting by Antonio Paoletti de Giovanni titled, The Fish Sellers, Venzia, went to a determined bidder for $22,320. Prices include 22%.

Charles White drawing, $306,000, Swann Gall.
A 1953 crayon-and-charcoal drawing by Charles White titled, Work, and large scale (four feet tall), depicting a laborer carrying wood beams, sold for $306,000 at a sale of African-American Fine Art held Oct. 6 by Swann Galleries in New York City. Also, a 1962 oil on canvas by Lois Mailou Jones titled, Marche de Kenscoff, Haiti, coasted to $32,400 (a record for the artist); a circa 1945 oil on canvas by Joseph Delaney titled, Low Key, made $33,600 (a record); and a Henry Bannarn sculpture hit $24,000. Prices include 15% bp.