Elite Decorative Arts Hosts a Four-Day Auction of Chinese Antiques

The sale is timed so it will be held during Asia Week, a huge event scheduled for Mar. 15-23.

Boston, MA – On March 16th-19th Elite Decorative Arts will host approximately 1,200 high-quality lots of Asian antiques. The four day auction will take place in the Quantum Town Center, located at 1034 Gateway Boulevard in Boynton Beach as well as online at Artfact.com. Previews, photos of items and advance bidding for this sale are available now on Artfact Live!.

The timing of the sale is key. It is being held during Asia Week, a hugely popular annual event that is centered in New York City and should attract the attention of bidders worldwide. “We expect that this will be our largest Asian sale ever,” said Scott Cieckiewicz of Elite Decorative Arts. “It features a magnificent array of Asian antiques, to include jade, ivory, coral, rhinoceros, porcelain, stone carvings, fine jewelry, cloisonné, silver and more. We’ve front-loaded the best items into the first two days, but all four days will feature quality merchandise.”

Advance and live bidding for this auction is available through Artfact Live! which offers live online bidding at premier auctions around the world. Artfact Live! bidders benefit from an enhanced, easy-to-use bidding console, the largest auction database and a powerful search engine that allows them to search for items by keyword, auction house or artist name. Artfact’s Secure Bid™ feature allows bidders to place a maximum bid in advance, so they can participate in the auction even if they can’t attend online or in person.

About Artfact
Artfact provides web-based software, tools and services that connect 25,000 auctioneers with more than 23 million bidders in the world’s largest live auctions marketplace. Artfact’s three websites—Artfact.com, AuctionZip.com and Invaluable.com—list collectibles, art, antiques, real estate, equipment and estate auctions. Auctioneers rely on Artfact’s proven online bidding and auction management software to simulcast their live auctions. Artfact is privately held and is based in Boston, Massachusetts.

Duane Merrill & Company Presents their Winter Americana and Canadiana Auction on Artfact.com

BOSTON, January 23, 2013 – On January 26th & 27th Duane Merrill & Company will host their Winter Americana and Canadiana Sale. The two day sale will take place in Williston, Vermont at 137 James Brown Drive as well as online at Artfact.com. Previews, photos of items and advance bidding for this sale are available now on Artfact Live!.

Duane Merrill & Co. presents a catalogue auction of Americana & Quebec furniture, folk art, paintings, textiles, silver, Tiffany jewelry, Orientalia, & accessories. They will be selling 400 lots of Americana on Saturday and 250 lots of Canadiana on Sunday. The lots are from the estate of Rev. Gaston Carrier; a retired Vermont dealer’s private family collection; pieces sold to benefit the Hood Museum in Hanover, NH; and other new to the market pieces.

Advance and live bidding for this auction is available through Artfact Live! which offers live online bidding at premier auctions around the world. Artfact Live! bidders benefit from an enhanced, easy-to-use bidding console, the largest auction database and a powerful search engine that allows them to search for items by keyword, auction house or artist name. Artfact’s Secure Bid™ feature allows bidders to place a maximum bid in advance, so they can participate in the auction even if they can’t attend online or in person.

About Artfact
Artfact provides web-based software, tools and services that connect 25,000 auctioneers with more than 23 million bidders in the world’s largest live auctions marketplace. Artfact’s three websites—Artfact.com, AuctionZip.com and Invaluable.com—list collectibles, art, antiques, real estate, equipment and estate auctions. Auctioneers rely on Artfact’s proven online bidding and auction management software to simulcast their live auctions. Artfact is privately held and is based in Boston, Massachusetts.

Artfact and Swann Galleries to Present Illustrated Books by Well-Known Illustrators of the 20th Century

Featuring a Collection of Maurice Sendak Works, Dr. Seuss, Disney Studios, Schulz, Addams and Others, Items to be Auctioned Live in New York and at Artfact.com

BOSTON, January 15, 2013 – On January 24, 2013 at 1:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Swann Galleries will host its first auction of the New Year. The sale, which is devoted to 20th Century Illustration: Original Art/Books, Featuring Maurice Sendak, will take place in New York, N.Y. at 104 East 25th Street, as well as live online at Artfact.com. Previews and photos of items and advance bidding for this sale are available now on Artfact.com.

The auction has 100 lots of illustrated books that feature the Reed Orenstein Maurice Sendak Collection. Copies of 'Where the Wild Things Are' include a signed true first edition; a first edition inscribed and signed with a drawing of one of the creators; and a 25th anniversary edition, signed with a separate original ink drawing of another Wild Thing. Other signed copies from Sendak are also available.

In addition to the book section the sale has a large assortment of original cartoons, book illustrations, dust jacket designs and sketches.

Advance and live bidding for this auction is available through Artfact Live!, which offers live online bidding at premier auctions around the world. Artfact Live! bidders benefit from an enhanced, easy-to-use bidding console, the largest auction database and a powerful search engine that allows them to search for items by keyword, auction house or artist name. Artfact’s Secure Bid™ feature allows bidders to place a maximum bid in advance, so they can participate in the auction even if they can’t attend online or in person.

About Artfact
Artfact provides web-based software, tools and services that connect 25,000 auctioneers with more than 23 million bidders in the world’s largest live auctions marketplace. Artfact’s three websites—Artfact.com, AuctionZip.com and Invaluable.com—list collectibles, art, antiques, real estate, equipment and estate auctions. Auctioneers rely on Artfact’s proven online bidding and auction management software to simulcast their live auctions. Artfact is privately held and is based in Boston, Massachusetts.

Willis Henry Auctions to Feature an Americana and Estates Auction

Items to be auctioned live in Rockland, MA and at Artfact.com

Boston, MA – On, January 20th, 2013 at 11 a.m. Eastern Standard Time,Willis Henry Auctions will host an Americana and Estates Auction. The sale will take place at the Holiday Inn in Rockland, MA, as well as live online at Artfact.com. The auction boasts a large collection of Americana painted furniture, fine signed paintings, sterling silver, a collection of Grueby, painted woodenware and other items. Previews and photos of items and advance bidding for this sale are available on Artfact.com.

With only 296 lots, in the one day sale, bidders will have ample time to study each item from estates and collections including John P. Richardson, James Baird’s Collection, Frederick Hager’s estate and more. A few notable lots are a Victorian Bird Cage from the Late 19th c., a Victorian Sterling Silver Tureen, a pair of 18th c. braceback continuous arm Windsor chairs and an American impressionistic spring landscape by Wilbur Dean Hamilton titled “Apple Trees in Bloom”.

If you can’t join the live auction action on January 20th advance and live bidding is available through ArtfactLive! which offers online bidding at auctions around the world. Artfact Live! bidders benefit from an enhanced, easy-to-use bidding console, the largest auction database and a powerful search engine that allows them to search for items by keyword, auction house or artist name. Artfact’s Secure Bid™ feature allows bidders to place a maximum bid in advance, so they can participate in the auction even if they can’t attend online or in person.

About Artfact.com
Artfact provides web-based software, tools and services that connect 25,000 auctioneers with more than 23 million bidders in the world’s largest live auctions marketplace. Artfact’s three websites—Artfact.com, AuctionZip.com and Invaluable.com—list collectibles, art, antiques, real estate, equipment and estate auctions. Auctioneers rely on Artfact’s proven online bidding and auction management software to simulcast their live auctions. Artfact is privately held and is based in Boston, Massachusetts.

RR Auction to Auction Unpublished Princess Diana Photograph

Boston, MA – On, January 17th, 2013, RR Auction, located in Amherst, NH is to host an auction live and online powered by Artfact Live!. The one day sale will include over 750 lots of authentic autographed memorabilia and rare signed documents. Lot 488 is gaining a particular amount of media attention. The photograph is a previously unpublished picture of Princess Diana, taken in 1979 or 1980 prior to her marriage to Prince Charles. The intimate picture is marked “NOT TO BE PUBLISHED” for reasons unknown. The possibilities are endless and many believe the picture did not surface for copy right reasons or to avoid embarrassing Diana and Charles.

If you can’t join the live auction action on January 17th advance and live bidding is available through RR Auction which offers online bidding, powered by Artfact Live!, at auctions around the world. Artfact Live! bidders benefit from an enhanced, easy-to-use bidding console, the largest auction database and a powerful search engine that allows them to search for items by keyword, auction house or artist name. Artfact’s Secure Bid™ feature allows bidders to place a maximum bid in advance, so they can participate in the auction even if they can’t attend online or in person.

About Artfact
Artfact provides web-based software, tools and services that connect 25,000 auctioneers with more than 23 million bidders in the world’s largest live auctions marketplace. Artfact’s three websites—Artfact.com, AuctionZip.com and Invaluable.com—list collectibles, art, antiques, real estate, equipment and estate auctions. Auctioneers rely on Artfact’s proven online bidding and auction management software to simulcast their live auctions. Artfact is privately held and is based in Boston, Massachusetts. 

@Auction Snapshot: American Art

This July, Artfact had the privilege to partner with The Coeur D’Alene Art Auction in a stunning display of 19thand 20th Century Western and American Art. Featured at the auction was artist Edward Borein (1872-1945) who’s Los Rancheros Visitadores sold to an Artfact online bidder for over $50,000! Not only is the work a significant contribution of Americana; it masterfully depicts a tradition that continues to this day.

Borein was born in San Leandro, California and began sketching herded cattle and cowboys at the age of 5. Enrolled at the San Francisco Art School at 19, he later became a successful illustrator for the San Francisco Call.[1] After a brief stint in New York, Borein moved back to California in 1921 where he taught at the Santa Barbara School of the Arts until his death in 1945.

As the story goes, it was the spring of 1929 when Borein suggested to his friend Elmer Awl that they gather a group of comrades for riding and camping in the Santa Ynez Valley. In April, 1930, Awl organized a short six mile ride. Among them was ranch owner Thomas Wilson Dibblee who is credited with naming the group Los Rancheros Visitadores (The Visiting Ranchers).

The first official journey of The Rancheros lasted four days in May, 1930 and its membership has grown to almost 700 today. Over the years, The Rancheros have boasted many prominent American figures including Walt Disney, Clark Gable, and Ronald Reagan.[2] As an original member, Borein used his artistic skill to capture the inception of this great American tradition.

[1] http://www.nationalcowboymuseum.org/research/cms/FindingAids/BOREIN/tabid/176/Default.aspx

[2] Redmon, Michael. Santa Barbara Independent, Los Rancheros Visitadores Celebrating Horsemanship and Ranching on the South Coast, July 11th, 2012

Genuine vs. Generic: Bronze

In the auction and antique world, a little knowledge is a powerful tool. Understanding what you are looking at, and what you should be looking for, can make or break a purchase. In this edition of Genuine vs. Generic, we will provide simple tricks you can use to authenticate bronze sculptures.


Let’s get down to base-ics.

• It is highly unusual for any authentic 19th or 20th century bronze sculpture to come permanently fixed to a base. Originally, customers would purchase the bronze and then choose a separate base to suite their decorating needs.
• A rubber pad under the base often times disguises how the sculpture is affixed. If you see a Philips head screw, chances are good it is a reproduction.

• Use caution if you notice the same base on several sculptures from the same seller.

• Is there a metal tag on the base with the artist’s name and sculpture’s title? This is not a good sign. “Virtually no originals have these tags.”[1] 

What’s it really made of?

• Try the magnet test. Place any small magnet against the sculpture. If it sticks, the work is made of iron.
• Check for red rust, especially in crevices. Moisture is slow to evaporate in these areas.

Devil is in the Details

• Look carefully at hands, eyes, and hair (human sculptures) and at hooves/paws, eyes, and fur (animal sculptures). In reproductions, these features lack any detail.
• Drilled holes are often used in reproductions for hands holding objects.

What’s in a name?

• Tiffany Studios New York
• Forged signatures often appear with raised letters against a depressed rectangle background. Authentic signatures are “impressed below the surface.”[2]
• Frederic Remington

• Authentic sculptures are marked with the foundry name and only two firms produced Remingtons: Roman Bronze Works and Henry-Bonnard Bronze Co.
• Reproductions are marked with limited edition numbers while originals display the sequence of production number.
• Authentic Remingtons were only cast in one or two sizes. Reproductions are made in many sizes.

[1] Chervenka, Mark, Antique Trader: Guide to Fakes and Reproductions C.2001 Krause Publications. Iola, WI

[2] Chervenka, Mark.