Auction Blog



Picasso “Face & Owl” Ceramic Vase At $25,620 Leads Schwenke March 29th Modern Design Estates Auction


Posted March 30th, 2017


Medoura Picasso Ceramic Vase


Lamar Dodd, City Abstract Cityscape OC


Madoura Picasso Bird Plate


Parzinger Set Six Dining Chairs


Donghia Six Piece Sectional Modernist Sofa


Pair Exceptional Large Lucite Table Lamps


Group Design Books

Picasso Vase Headed to France, Lamar Dodd Artwork Returns to Atlanta, and Second Picasso Goes To England

Woodbury, CT – On Wednesday, March 29th at 1pm, Schwenke Auctioneers offered 366 lots of estate material featuring 20th century decorative arts presenting items from several important collections, including items from 35 Sutton Place in New York City; a collection from Scarsdale, New York; a private collection from White Plains, New York; a design collection from Southbury, Connecticut.; and a recently consigned estate of a noted New York interior designer, architect and author whose collection includes an astounding number of fine framed and unframed modern and contemporary artworks. The auction included items by name designers and retailers such as Tommy Parzinger, Lorin Marsh, Eero Saarinen, Milo Baughman, and Melchiorre Bega. The sale was held live in the firm’s auction hall at 710 Main Street South in Woodbury, and was broadcast on two internet platforms to over 6500 registered online bidders.

The top lot of the sale at $25,620 was a Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881-1973) "Face and Owl Vase" partially glazed earthenware vase made in 1958 by Madoura Pottery, France, incised on base "Edition Picasso 96/200 Madoura" with edition Picasso and Madoura Plein Feu stamps, measuring 9 1/2" high, 9" wide. The lot sold to a phone bidder from France, winning the lot against competition from the internet and another in-house phone bidder.

The second top lot of the sale was Lamar Dodd (American, 1907-1986), "City" abstract cityscape oil on canvas, signed and dated lower right 'Lamar Dodd '52", measuring 11 3/4" high, 32 1/2" wide. A paper label verso identified this work as the 1st prize winner, 7th Southeastern Annual Exhibition 1952, High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA. The lot returned to Atlanta, being knocked down after spirited competition between the internet and two phone bidders for a final price of $12,065.00 to the winning internet bidder.

Surprising well beyond estimate was a mid-century modern round marble breakfast or dining table with a conical shaped matching marble base, measuring 29" high, 47" wide, which sold to a phone bidder at $2,928 against stiff competition from an internet bidder.

Also surprising above estimate was a Lars Calmar (Danish, 20th century), modern pottery sculpture bust entitled "Head", signed, numbered verso "Lars Calmar 2/8", which measured 12" high, 8" wide. The bust went out at $2,413 to an internet bidder from Hawaii.

The second Picasso lot in the sale, both having been gleaned from a New Haven area estate, was the Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881-1973), "No. 86 Bird Plate", a white glazed bird on earthenware field made in 1963 by Madoura Pottery, France, marked in black glaze verso "M 86 94/140 Edition Picasso Madoura", measuring 10" diameter. The plate was claimed by an internet bidder from England for $3,048.

A matched set of six Tommi Parzinger dining chairs, originally designed by Tommi Parzinger for Charak Modern, comprising two arm and four side chairs, fashioned in mahogany with "X" backs, measuring 35" high, 21" wide, 20" deep, performed as expected, selling to an internet bidder at $2,795.

Consigned from a Westchester estate, a Donghia six piece sectional modernist sofa upholstered in textured diamond lattice cream fabric, 30" high, 149" wide, 74" deep overall, was knocked down to an internet bidder at $2,074. From the same estate was an exceptional pair of large lucite table lamps, measuring 31 1/2" high, 10" wide, 5 1/2" deep, which sold to an internet bidder from New York City for $1,952.

The sale also included groups of scarce reference books on French modern furniture designers. One lot which was cataloged as the next to last lot in the auction was a group of ten volumes on French furniture designers comprising Rene Herbst, Sieges D'Emilio Terry, Jean Royere, Jules Et Andre Leleu, Maxime Old, Gilbert Poillerat. E. Printz, Andre Arbus, Jacques Quinet and Pierre Chareau. The lot surprised above pre-sale estimate to sell for $2,074 to a phone bidder, prevailing over two other phone bidders, two absentee bids and the internet.

The firm’s next scheduled gallery auction is Americana & Folk Art Fine Estates Auction, currently scheduled to be on Wednesday, April 26th at 11:00 am. The catalog for the sale will be viewable at www.woodburyauction.com and the auction will be broadcast on the internet. For information on the sale, or to discuss consignments, please call Schwenke Auctioneers at 203-266-0323.



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