Oakland, CA – On Sunday, February 16th, Clars will host one of the most significant sales in their history. Across the board, all categories will offering exceptional works in fine art, decoratives, furnishings, Asian antiques and art and estate and fine jewelry.
FINE ART
Turning first to Fine Art, Clars is very honored to offer a monumental work by one of Australia’s most collected, as well as renowned, 20th century, Contemporary Aboriginal artist - Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri (1932-2002). His paintings are held in numerous collections, galleries and museums, including the National Gallery of Australia, the Kelton Foundation and the Royal Collection. Estimated at $200,000-300,000, Possum Dreaming (1994) is a richly colorful, yet powerful, acrylic ‘dot’ painting on canvas that was inspired by the ancient Aboriginal mythology known as the Dreaming, or Dreamtime. Dreaming emphasizes a visual interpretation through color, patterns and space of a particular animal’s trails (a possum’s) in relation to the earth and the sun to denote specific times of the day. Combined with strong figurative elements over a highly descriptive background of carefully placed ‘dots’, the result is both visually spectacular, as well as mesmerizing. The two, handmade painting sticks used by Clifford Possum to create these ‘dots’ will be included in this lot. Furthermore, accompanying the painting is a DVD with documented video footage of the artist displaying, describing, as well as, signing and dating the actual painting, Possum Dreaming.A video of Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri discussing and signing his painting, “Possum Dreaming,” in 1994, is available for viewing on YOUTUBE. Click to view:
Highlighting the 20th century, American paintings category is Theodoros Stamos’ (American/Greek, 1922-1997), Petroglyph (1947), an oil on masonite being offered for $30,000-$50,000. Petroglyph is a quintessential example of the artist’s paintings from his time as one of the Irascible Eighteen. Coming from Bay Area Figurative Movement Artist, Joan Brown (1938-1990), the piece, Model in Upstairs Studio H2 (1975), is being offered with an estimate of $10,000 to $15,000. A haunting painting of the famous Blue Dog by the recently deceased New Orleans artist, George Rodrigue (1944-2013) will be offered with an estimate of $25,000-$35,000. Painted in 1991, this rare painting, created at the turn of Rodrigues’ career from Louisiana landscapes and commissioned works to only Blue Dogs will find its way to a new collection on February 16th.
European paintings and sculpture, some that have lasted several centuries, will add to the impressive mix of fine art offerings at Clars. Topping off the list is a rare, 17th century painting by Dutch painter, Jan Albertsz Rootius (1615-1674) titled, Portrait of a Young 
Boy (1666), which is offered at $20,000-40,000. One of the most impressive, bronzes to be offered at Clars is one after Pierre Lepautre (French, 1660-1744) titled, Aeneas Carrying His Father Anchises, with an estimate of $15,000-20,000. Standing at 41 inches in height, this dramatic sculpture depicts the moment that Aeneas carried his father, the elderly Anchises, and his son Ascancius from Troy after the city had been taken by the Greeks. In the 19th century paintings category, a spectacular example (with impeccable provenance) by German artist, Adolf Schreyer (1828-1899) titled, The Imperial Courier, will be offered at $10,000 to $20,000.
Turning to modern Europe, works by Miro, Chagall, and Matisse are expected to gather global appeal. L’exile vert (1969) by Joan Miro (Spanish, 1893-1983), is a massive color etching and aquatint with carboundum, (estimate: $15,000 to $20,000).
The Blue Village (Second version) 1974 by Marc Chagall(French/Russian, 1887-1985), is a lithograph in colors on japon paper. This rare edition of one of Chagall’s most important lithographs will easily attain its $15,000-$20,000 estimate. Rounding out the fine art prints section is Le Loup (Plate VI), 1947, by Henri Matisse (French, 1869-1954), from his famous Jazz Suite which will be offered at $8,000-$12,000.
Important works by California artists will be leading off the sale. From Society of Six artist, William Henry Clapp (1879-1954) his work titled, Estuary Home (1937), is estimated at $20,000 to 30,000. A lovely oil on board by Maynard Dixon (1875-1946)
from 1937 (the same year Dixon married Edith Hamlin in Utah) titled, Little Home, will be offered at $20,000 to $40,000. Two monumental California mountain landscapes will be highlighted, one of which is Sierras with Blue Sky by Edgar Alwin Payne (1883-1947) with an estimate $15,000 to $25,000. An equally impressive painting of a snowcapped mountain by Jack Wilkinson Smith (1873-1949) titled, Sierra Mountains, will also be offered at $10,000 to $15,000.
Post War sculpture will be yet another Fine Art category of focus at Clars. Two geometric wood sculptures will be offered by the important Brazilian sculptor, Amilcar de Castro (1920-2002). They are estimated to achieve $10,000 to $15,000 each. From the Collection of David C. and Sarajean Ruttenberg (Chicago, IL), an iconic sculpture, Sphère-Trame (1962), will be featured by the French painter and sculptor, François Morellet (b. 1926) and will be offered at $8,000 to $12,000.
DECORATIVE ARTS & FURNISHINGS
Topping this category, perhaps not in age but likely dollars, will be a 2001 Ferrari 360 Modena Spider which is expected to zoom away for $90,000 to $100,000.
Moving from outside to in, this category will feature is a large collection of Studio Glass highlighted by a three-piece Dante Marioni group estimated at $10,000 to $15,000.
Tiffany Studios is also represented with a decanter suite ($2,500 to $3,500), a candlestick lamp ($1,500 to $2,500), and a three light lily lamp estimated at $3,000 to $5,000. Furthering antique lighting will be examples from Wilkinson, Pairpoint, Pittsburg with the highlight being a Williamson (Chicago) leaded glass floor lamp rising on a partial gilt and patinated bronze base estimated at $12,000 to $15,000.
Exceptional furniture highlights include a Warren Platner (Am. 1916-2006) for Knoll dining suite estimated at $5,000 to $7,000. Fine Louis XV style gilt bronze mounted furniture from a prominent Piedmont (CA) estate will include marquetry decorated commodes, and a bureau rognon surmounted with a bronze figural sculpture of putti ($5,000 to $7,000).
Important Ethnographic offerings from a prominent San Francisco estate include an Oron Tribe, Nigeria, (19th century, possibly earlier) standing figure, that is estimated at $20,000 to $30,000.
In sterling there will be 50 plus lots of American, Continental, and Southeast Asian silver. There are five hot beverage services including two coin silver suites, one executed in the Neo-Renaissance manner by John William Tucker, San Francisco, CA, circa 1850-1886, weighing over eight pounds. Another 19th century hollowware suite weighing over six pounds of sterling silver is a five-piece coffee and tea service by Tiffany & Company. Also by Tiffany & Company is a Victorian style sterling silver tea kettle on stand and a 20” tall trumpet form vase, 1907-1947. A partial sterling flatware service by Tiffany & Company, the multi-motif “Olympian” pattern is very rare, and includes thirty-two pieces weighing in at about four pounds.
ASIAN ART AND ANTIQUES
The Asian category will be highlighted by a significant and large collection of Chinese huanghuali furniture from a Reno estate with estimates ranging from $1,000 to $20,000. The selection includes round corner cabinets, altar tables, armchairs, and various other pieces. In addition to these furniture offerings will be Chinese screens including a Chinese six panel inlaid lacquer screen (Pictured Below) with various scholar’s items and bouquets of flowers in jade, stone, wood and cloisonné inlay, estimated at $10,000 to $20,000. A Qing dynasty cloisonné lacquer four panel screen carved with figural narrative scenes of the life of a boy is estimated at $10,000 to $20,000. Jade items include Ming dynasty jade cups and Qing dynasty belt hooks and toggles. In ceramics, there will be examples of Han dynasty pottery such as a horse and green glaze vessels, Longquan celadon ware, and a variety of enameled porcelain from the Qing dynasty and Republic period.
In the Japanese section, a highlight is a large bronze figure of the Shinto goddess Uzume (Okame) from the Edo period, estimated at $10,000 to $20,000 as is a Japanese Haniwa teracotta figure of a horse, 6th/7th century, estimated at $15,000 to $25,000.
And, from Southeast Asia, three Khmer stone carvings from the 9th -12th century, consisting of a sandstone head of Vishnu, a sculpture of Shiva, and a torso of Um will be offered.
ANTIQUE AND ESTATE FINE JEWELRY
Diamonds and Rolex headline this rich category. A ring features a fancy 4.02ct near colorless yellow diamond and is set in18k white and yellow gold and carries an estimate of $25,000 to $40,000. In 14k white gold is a Riviera necklace dripping in diamonds weighting approximately 29.35cts. This piece is expected to achieve $30,000 to $50,000. And for the gentlemen is a Rolex “Prince” duo dial doctors 9k yellow gold 1930s wristwatch that is estimated at $4,000 to $6,000.
Clars’ Sunday, February 16, 2014 Fine Art and Antiques Auction will begin promptly at 9:30am. Previews for this sale will be held Friday, February 14th from 1pm to 6pm and 9am each auction day and by appointment. A complete catalog will be available online one week prior to the sale.
Bidding for Clars auctions is available in person, by phone, absentee and live online @ www.clars.com, and through www.liveauctioneers.com and http://www.artfact.com.
Clars Auction Gallery is located at 5644 Telegraph Avenue, Oakland, CA 94609.
Since 2001, Clars Auction Gallery has sold over $125,000,000
of Fine Art, Furnishings, Jewelry Vehicles and Collectibles.
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