Artfact Live! Presents Auction House Zezula’s Autumn Auction

Boston, MA On November 3, 2012, Zezula’s Auction, located in Brno, Czech Republic will host its “39^th Auction of Antiques & Objects of Art” live online with Artfact Live!.  During the one-day sale, Zezula’s Auction house will have 629 lots of the most exclusive objects from the collections of the world’s imperial courts. The autumn auction includes categories such as Chinese painting and calligraphy, Russian icons, rare porcelain cups and European art treasures of world importance.  Zezula’s expected top item is a fire gilded Altar Statue, China, Beijing, Ming Dynasty, era Zhengtong.

If you can’t join the live auction action in Brno, Czech on November 3, 2012 advance and live bidding is available through Artfact Live!, 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.comArtfact 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. For more information visit: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Artfact/170692722479 or @artfactlive on Twitter.

AuctionZip.com Hosts Elite Auction Featuring Chinese Carvings

OVER 300 FINE CHINESE CARVINGS AND WORKS OF ART WILL BE SOLD AT AUCTION SATURDAY, AUG. 18^th, BY ELITE DECORATIVE ARTS IN FLORIDA

The sale will be held in the firm’s gallery at the Quantum Town Center in Boynton Beach.

Contact:  Scott Cieckiewicz
(561) 200-0893
info@eliteauction.com 

(BOYNTON BEACH, Fla.) – Over 300 fine Chinese carvings and works of art – to include porcelains, jade, ivory, bronze, jewelry, stone carvings and silver – will be sold to the highest bidder on Saturday, Aug. 18, by Elite Decorative Arts, at the firm’s spacious gallery located in the Quantum Town Center in Boynton Beach, at 1034 Gateway Blvd. (Stes. 106-108).

The auction will be the final event of the summer season for Elite Decorative Arts, a firm that has become synonymous with Chinese antiquities and rare Asian objects. “It has become difficult to assign some items high and low estimates, because the market for Chinese antiques, especially porcelain pieces, is so hot right now,” said Scott Cieckiewicz, an officer with the firm.

He added, “In the end, it will be the bidders who determine the value of these lots. That’s the beauty of an auction. It’s an accurate and instant barometer of market conditions.” Previews will be held on Friday, Aug. 17, from 11-5, and on auction day, Aug. 18, from 11-1. The auction will begin at 1 p.m. Internet bidding will be provided by AuctionZip.com and Artfact.com.

A piece of jewelry, not a porcelain, may end up being the day’s top earner. It’s a stunning ladies’ 18kt yellow gold imperial jadeite cabochon and diamond ring/pendant combination (est. $40,000-$50,000, against an appraised value of $80,000). The center of the ring/pendant is prong set with a fine oval cabochon cut natural Burmese jadeite weighing a staggering 12.50 carats.

A large Chinese Qing Dynasty relief carved, fully reticulated ivory tusk, depicting atotal of 24 men and women, each wielding an item, has a pre-sale estimate of $6,000-$8,000. The people are situated amongst pine trees and enclosed by dragons and Phoenix birds. The tusk is 53 ½ inches in length, with an ivory weight of 4.96 kilograms. It includes a fitted wooden stand.

An impressive and palace-sized Chinese carved jadeite pagoda village, featuring five pagoda towers with an overall height of 98 inches, is expected to make $10,000-$15,000. Each pagoda is linked to the next with a hanging chain. The massive late Qing to Republic period village shows a total of eight foo dog figures, four tripod dragon urns and four dragon plaques.

Another jade piece expected to do well is a Chinese Qing Dynasty, hand-carved jadeite Guan yin (Quan Yin) figure of a woman, depicted in a standing position with a tassel to the right hand and a bead to the left (est. $7,000-$10,000). A halo can be seen behind her head and she is standing on a stylized lotus blossom base. The piece is 15 ½ inches tall and weighs 3,192 grams.

Two bronze pieces are certain to get paddles wagging. One is a Chinese Tang Dynasty silvered bronze mirror, well cast and of disc form, with the central hemispheric knob enclosed by calligraphy and with a sunburst design to the center (est. $6,000-$8,000). The mirror, 8 ½ inches in diameter, shows a raised serpent, a dragon, phoenix and chin lung dragon with lotus blossoms.

The other is a Chinese Tibetan bronze figure depicting a seated Quan Yin goddess with four arms seated over a lotus blossom throne (est. $5,000-$7,000). The figure, dating to the Ming Dynasty, is 15 ¼ inches tall and has a total weight of 4.14 kilograms (almost 5 pounds). It was purchased in New York in the 1980s and was consigned from an important St. Louis collection.

Porcelains will be offered in abundance. Two have pre-sale estimates of $5,000-$7,000. The first is a rare imperial Chinese heritage Kangxi period Qing Dynasty famille verte plate. The plate is unusual in that it bears an incised inventory mark (N481) from the Dresden collection, formed by Augustus the Strong (1670-1733), the former King of Poland and Elector of Saxony.

The second is a Chinese Qing Dynasty famille rose enameled double gourd hulu form vase. The piece holds the red, six-character archaic Qianlong period (1736-1795) reign mark to the bottom, and is made of the period. It is 4 ¾ inches tall and weighs 134 grams and shows a vibrant scrolled floral design over yellow ground, with pink draped cloth knotted to the front.

Two other porcelain pieces of note carry pre-sale estimates of $2,000-$3,000. One is a 19^th century Chinese phoenix tail form blue and gold vase, 13 ¾ inches, with a hand-painted gold design depicting a paradise bird on a tree branch with lotus blossoms over a cobalt blue ground. The vase holds blue six-character calligraphy Qianlong (1736) period reign marks to the bottom.

The other is a Chinese lidded Qing Dynasty enameled porcelain mei ping form vase, 10 ¾ inches tall, holding the red six-character calligraphy Guangxu period (1875-1908) reign marks to the bottom. The vase is finely hand painted and enameled throughout, depicting pink and blue chih lung dragons amongst a scrolled floral design over a light green ground and stylized border.

One more jade piece of note is a massive Chinese relief carved jadeite boulder depicting a seated laughing Buddha with five attendants climbing on him and playing musical instruments (est. $6,000-$8,000). Also in the scene are two foo dogs, both climbing on the Buddha. The 16 ½ inch tall Late Qing to Republic piece has mottled white, lavender and apple green jadeite colors.

Elite Decorative Arts’ next big sale after this one will be a fine porcelains and decorative arts auction slated for Saturday, Sept. 15, also in the firm’s Boynton Beach showroom. Quality consignments are still being accepted. To consign an item, an estate or a collection, you may call them toll-free at (800) 991-3340; or, you can send them an e-mail, at info@eliteauction.com. 

To learn more about Elite Decorative Arts and the upcoming calendar of events, to include an online catalog of the Aug. 18 auction, please log on to www.eliteauction.com.

Cabochon ring:
Ladies' 18kt yellow gold imperial jadeite cabochon and diamond ring/pendant combination.

 

Ivory tusk:
Large Chinese Qing Dynasty relief-carved, fully reticulated ivory tusk. 53 ½ inches in length.

 

Pagoda village:
Palace-sized Chinese carved jadeite pagoda village, featuring five pagoda towers, 98 inches tall.

 

Bronze mirror:
Chinese Tang Dynasty silvered bronze mirror, well cast and of disc form, 8 ½ inches in diameter.

 

Porcelain plate:
Imperial Chinese heritage Kangxi period Qing Dynasty famille verte plate, from the Dresden 

collection.

 

Porcelain vase:
Chinese Qing Dynasty famille rose enameled double gourd hulu form vase, 4 ¾ inches tall.

James D. Julia Auctioneers Receive Special Business Excellence Award

James D. Julia Auctioneers Receive Special Business Excellence Award From The Governor of the State of Maine

At a formal ceremony on Monday May 14th, Governor Paul LePage presented James D. Julia Auctioneers of Fairfield, Maine with the 2012 Governor’s award for Business Excellence.  This was the 22^nd annual awards which are administered by the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development and sponsored by Fair Point Communications.  The award recognizes Maine companies that demonstrate a high level of commitment to the community, employees, and to manufacturing or to service excellence.  Only six Maine companies received this award this year, and as per Governor LePage, “This year’s honorees represent businesses that are regional, national, and International leaders in their fields”.  Governor LePage came into office with a promise to focus on expanding job bases in Maine.  His approach is to minimize cumbersome regulations and to encourage business development in general throughout the state.  As such, the awards and what they represent were very much a part of LePage’s philosophy for the State of Maine.

 
Governor Paul LePage, center, congratulating Jim Julia on the receipt of his Business Excellence in Maine Award.  To the extreme right is Jim’s dad, Arthur Julia, to Governor LePage’s left is Sandy Julia, and to the extreme left is Fred Olsen, General Manager of James D. Julia, Inc.

The company conducts specialty catalog auctions of high-end antique collectibles, and is divided into four primary divisions: 

Rare Firearms and Military Division.  Based on the sale of high-end quality firearms, Julia’s is currently the leader in the world today.  They do not sell the most firearms; they sell the greatest number of valuable firearms at auction.  For approximately eight years now, their auctions have averaged just under $10 million dollars each with the recent March 2012 auction generating nearly $18 million dollars, which is by far the largest grossing firearms auction conducted by an firm in the world. 

Fine Lamp and Glass Division.  Julia’s rare lamp and glass division is one of the top three in the world today.  It regularly features one of the finest array of quality lamps and glass offered including rare Tiffany, Handel, Pairpoint, Quezal, and other lamps, exquisite French and English cameo glass, high-end art glass including Tiffany, Durand, Quezal, quality Victorian glassware, rare paperweights, silver, and jewelry.

Rare Toy, Doll, and Antique Advertising Division is one of the top three of it’s type in North America today.  In 2010 it set the new world’s record for the most expensive antique toy ever sold at auction anywhere in the world.  It being a small early American Santa Claus and sleigh being pulled by goats that realized just over $160,000.

Fine Arts, Antiques, and Asian Division.  This division is one of the leaders in the country today, and their new Asian Division recently featured a number of items which had come from the descendent of the last Emperor of China, in February of 2010, they sold Washington’s hand-drawn map of the siege of Yorktown for nearly $1.1 million dollars.

Julia also started a rare decoy auction division many years ago, and sold that to his two partners some years back.  At the time, it was the largest decoy auction house in the world.  It still is the largest decoy firm in the world, and while Julia no longer owns that division, he still serves as a consultant and auctioneer annually for this firm.

The Julia Company has always been aggressive in marketing their clients’ goods, and has been innovative in marketing techniques and special services.  Some of their approaches are unique in their industry.  In 2008, when the economy began to go sour, Julia was prepared.  Anticipating the decline in the economy and in consideration of the strength of his company at that time, he invoked a new approach to commissions.  All auction houses charge the seller a seller’s commission and the buyer a buyer’s premium.  The auctioneers keep both of those commissions for their services.  Just as the economy was beginning to get very tough and auctioneers were faced with a declining number of goods being offered to them, Julia’s invoked his 0% stimulus plan.  Essentially, he set up a commission structure for sellers that declined as the average value of their consigned good increased.  Therefore, a consignor with expensive goods could expect as little as 0% commission charge.  While other auction houses were scurrying to cut costs and services, Julia increased services and cut their commission fee, and as a result stimulated greater response than normal and continued to attract not only a large quantity of consignments but a greater quantity of high-end consignments.  Last year Julia’s initiated their Estates and Collections Division, a unique division in the auction industry in that it works with antique collectors to formulate eventual plans for a collector’s collection.  This year, Julia’s started a new satellite office in Woburn, Massachusetts to better serve those clients in the greater Massachusetts area and further on.  Their new office is located in the elegant and historic 1790 House located at 827 Main Street, Woburn, MA.

In receiving the award, Jim and his wife Sandy made it very clear that they were accepting this special recognition on behalf of their company as a whole.  Julia credits the success of his company to what he calls in his opinion the finest auction crew in North America.  “It is a team oriented organization and we all pull together to generate the success that we do.”

Julia is a member of the Waterville, Rotary Club where he was honored with a Paul Harris Fellow a few years back, and his firm was also selected by the Waterville, Maine Chamber of Commerce in 2003 as the Business Person of the Year.  In 2006, Jim Julia was installed in the Maine Auctioneer Association’s “Hall of Fame”.  In 1993 he was awarded, by the Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce, a Certificate of Achievement and some years earlier, he was awarded by the Gowie-Normand House, the title “New England Auctioneer of the Year”.  The company regularly travels all over North America and sometimes into Europe for consignments for their up-coming auctions.

For more information about James D. Julia Auctioneers, visit their website at www.jamesdjulia.com or contact them at James D. Julia’s on Route 201, mailing address: #203 Skowhegan Road, Fairfield, ME  04937, telephone number 207-453-7125.

Gordon S. Converse & Co. Auction

OVER 400 LOTS OF ANTIQUE CLOCKS, ASIAN OBJECTS, FINE ART, VINTAGE TOYS AND MORE WILL BE SOLD THURSDAY, MAY 24^th, BY GORDON S. CONVERSE & CO.

The auction will be held at the Peoples Light & Theater Company in Malvern, Pa., at 10:30 a.m.

(MALVERN, Pa.) – Over 400 quality lots of important antique clocks, Asian objects, fine art, toys and toy trains, period furniture, Native American and African objects, decorative accessories and porcelain will be sold at auction Thursday, May 24, by Gordon S. Converse & Company, at the Peoples Light & Theater Company in Malvern, starting at 10:30 a.m. (EST).

Previews will be held on Wednesday, May 23, from 10-2, and on Thursday, May 24, from 8:30-10:30 a.m., when the first gavel comes down. Online bidding will be available, and phone, write-in and absentee bids will also be accepted. The Peoples Light & Theater Company is located at 39 Conestoga Road in Malvern, in eastern Pennsylvania.

Bidders may preview the lots online, at the Gordon S. Converse & Company website (www.auctionsatconverse.com). Antique clocks – a specialty of Gordon S. Converse & Co. -- will be offered in abundance, and the collection of nearly 50 toys will feature numerous trucks and cars, airplanes and railroad trains. Chinese arts and porcelains were pouring in at press time.

The fine arts category will be highlighted by more than 25 oil paintings and some larger landscapes from a single consignor. Ethnic pieces will include African tribal arts and Native American arrowheads and pottery. Furniture will feature a Massachusetts tambour desk and an early 20^th century English mahogany corner cupboard with cabinet top section and glazed doors.

Antique clocks are certain to attract keen bidder interest. Lots to watch include an early 19^th century double steeple form mantel clock with fusee clockworks and strap brass movement plates, 23 ½ inches in height; and a mahogany veneer so-called “pillar-and-scroll” clock with an interior label identifying the maker as Seth Thomas, with brass finials, 29 inches without finial.

Also offered will be a sheep's head-type single-hand lantern clock with an engraved brass case, in which the chapter ring is signed “Steph. Levitt, Chelmsford,” with three dolphin frets (one engraved) and a clockworks with an hour strike; and a fine Regency “bracket” clock (or chamber timepiece) with a solid mahogany case, nice Egyptian-style feet and a pineapple finial.

Artwork will include a framed oil painting titled Stravanger Fjord, signed indistinctly (possibly by “H. Lyber”), 36 inches by 52 inches; a framed oil on canvas landscape signed lower left by “H. Wolff,” 18 ½ inches by 28 inches; a landscape work signed by the Danish artist Otto Balle (1865-1916); and an impressionist oil on canvas by Auguste Deneken, framed, dated 1943.

Oriental objects will be highlighted by a pair of rosewood carved, Chinese-made stands, 29 inches by 11 inches (circa 1840); a fine pair of poly-glazed decorated Chinese reticulated plates; and a davenport service consisting of a serving platter and eight matching plates, in a design that honors the palette and forms of many Chinese export items during the 19^th century.

Antique toys will include a German sedan called the “Baron” in very good to excellent condition, made by Blech-Spielman; a mostly plastic and finely detailed model of a Mercedes Benz touring car, about 27 inches in length; a silver tri-engine toy airplane, 20 inches long; and a metal toy sedan from the mid-20^th century, 20 inches long and still with the original green paint.

Trains will feature an OO gauge train set by Markel with a transformer, tracks, buildings and train car accessories; and a set of Hornby-type trains, including four wind-up lithographic decorated locomotives and other cars. Also offered will be a Quapaw Native American vase, 10 inches tall, found in Phillips County, Ark., with original vivid polychrome paint and item shards.

Gordon S. Converse & Co. is always accepting quality consignments for future sales. To consign an item, an estate or a collection, you may call them directly, at (610) 722-9004; or, e-mail them at Gordon@ConverseClocks.com. Gordon Converse replies promptly to all e-mails.

Anyone interested in finding out what an antique item might be worth may do so by sending a photo of the item, along with a check for $40, to Gordon S. Converse & Co., Attn: Gordon S. Converse, 758 Mancill Rd., Strafford, PA 19087. To learn more about Gordon S. Converse & Co., and the May 24th auction, please log on to www.AuctionsatConverse.com.

Contact:  Gordon Converse
(484) 431-5543 or (610) 722-9004
Gordon@ConverseClocks.com

Porcelain plates:
Fine and gorgeous pair of Chinese poly-glazed decorated reticulated plates.



Seth Thomas clock:
Mahogany veneer “pillar-and-scroll” clock with label identifying the maker as Seth Thomas.



Corner cupboard:
Early 19^th century English mahogany corner cupboard with glazed doors, 8 feet 6 inches tall.



Toy car:
German-made toy sedan car, the “Baron,” by Blech-Spielman, in very good/excellent shape.



Native American vase:
Quapaw Native American vase, 10 inches tall, found in Arkansas, with original polychrome paint.



Otto Balle:
Original oil on canvas landscape rendering by the Danish artist Otto Balle (1865-1916).



Toy Mercedes:
Finely detailed model of a Mercedes-Benz touring car, mostly plastic, about 27 inches long.



Hornby trains:
Group of Hornby-type trains, including four wind-up lithographic decorated locomotives.