I was brought in as guest host when Tony decided on some other career ventures and I eventually took over as host with a run for almost eight years. I used Tony’s book, which was a guide to buyers coast to coast, with more than 2,200 categories and 1,000 expert buyers, to help callers first identify what it was they had, appraise the piece based on current buying market trends, and then shoot them to the right buyer, forearmed and forewarned. I instructed people how to look at their items, taught them, through specific instruction how to identify specific marks, styles, points of construction, and, basically give them the tools that would make them experts at least in this one particular area.

I met a man who had nothing for me to appraise but told me about the antebellum house, like this one, that he was moving from a small town near Birmingham onto a plot of land that his family has owned since before the Civil War.

I was invited by an affiliate network to do an on-site broadcast and appraisal day in Alabama. While appraising at a large multi-dealer antique mall there, I met Ron, who had nothing for me to appraise but told me about the antebellum house that he was moving from a small town near Birmingham onto a plot of land that his family has owned since before the Civil War. He told me all about the house; large, framed and formerly owned by a pair of spinster sisters. The sisters—there originally had been three but one had died many years ago of tuberculosis—had been prominent Deb’s. Ron also mentioned something about some secret rooms and the sister dying in the house. They had inherited the house from their widowed father and had been left, apparently, comfortably well off, judging by the condition of the house when Ron bought it. The last surviving sister, dying in her 90s, had willed the house to some obscure cousin—we’ll call him Junior—who feigned indifference to the white elephant and put it immediately on the market it after auctioning off the contents for a small fortune, I heard later through the grapevine, down in New Orleans.

Ron told us how he had had the pillars removed, the structure secured, and then all the excitement about it being lifted onto the huge flatbed that took it the 10 miles to the new site. He explained about the difficulties, bureaucratically, to get all the paperwork accomplished in order to complete the task, describing how it had taken months to clear the route and have the power lines taken down, the timing the move across a railroad track, what had to be done to the former site, etc, etc. Not knowing what was involved in the process, I was both impressed by his purpose and determination to complete both the task and the vision that he had. Having wrapped up my weekend in Alabama, I then returned to Virginia.

Weeks later I received a call from Ron on the show. It was one of those “remember me” calls. Well of course I remembered him. I filled in the listening audience with Ron’s story and he began to tell the update. The house had been delivered, secured onto its new foundation, columns put in place and the plumbing and wiring had started to be installed. Apparently, when the electrical contractor was putting in the new wiring they ran into a snag: They had too much new line and nowhere to put it, Ron explained. When running the line on the second floor, they ran into a wall. Based on the square footage, this wall, which terminated at the end of a hallway, should have not existed. I immediately suggested he should start rapping on the walls, not to exorcize demons but to listen to see if there was a portion of the hallway that had been closed off, or better yet, to go outside and just look at the structural design of the house.

I was wrapping up the show when Ron called back. “I was knockin’ all over the back hallway wall and you’re right; I went out side and took a long look at the house, came back in, figured where, and hit a hollow sounding spot. I did the most logical thing, I got out the sledgehammer and starting to knock into the wall and you won’t guess what I found.”

I needed no prodding to ask, “What?”

“A doorway. A closed-off, locked doorway. And you’ll never guess, the key was in the lock.”

“Yes.” I say. Now, I know I’m a Southerner by adoption with old, old Yankee roots, and I’m used to the more relaxed pace of the South, but this was getting ridiculous.

“Should I open the door?” Ron asks. Should I open the door! I’m thinking, “No, Ron, don’t open the door leave us all in suspense. Of course open the door!”

“Open the door Ron,” I shout down the line. This is live radio, and dead air is dead in the water. My producer is screaming in my ear through the headphones that she has 70 callers all saying, open the damned door. We all hear more wall being knocked away, the phone being dropped, the sledgehammer bashing through plaster and lathe, then, collectively, we exhale as we hear Ron trying to turn the key in the lock, we hear a snap and hear Ron push open the door.

“Holy expletive! You are not going to believe this.”

What? What? What? We (me and the radio audience) are collectively chanting, like the Greek chorus. Dead silence.

“Ron, you still there?”

“Yeah, I’m here.”

“So, talk to us Ron,” I say, trying to remain calm.

“I’m standing in a tiny apartment; this must be the secret rooms I heard about. There’s a little kitchenette and there’s a little bedroom and bathroom right off it, and you’re not going to believe this…”

I am willing to believe anything at this point. “What, Ron?”

A Tiffany Studios acorn pattern fractured glass lamp.

“The rooms are intact. Now, I had this house moved 10 miles and raised onto a new foundation, but everything is in its place. I mean, the table is set. I mean set with linen and dishes and silverware and there’s a newspaper folded on the table like someone was going to sit down to breakfast. And the bed is made and the linens folded down. There’s a lot of stuff in here, good stuff, I mean, silver and crystal and a Persian rug on the floor and the furniture is all good and real old and, damn, if that isn’t what looks like a Tiffany lamp on the bedside table, and there’s a Tiffany, I’m sure it is, writing set on this little table that looks French and the walls are covered with prints and paintings, and there’s an unbelievable small chandelier hanging here in the bedroom. The bathroom’s crammed with silver; there’s a silver vanity set and a big silver mirror is hanging above the sink. Well, I think it’s silver; it’s kind of tarnished like all the other silver.”

An antique Bakshaish Persian Runner Rug.

Ron comes up for air. “I just can’t believe this.”

You guess it; we have to go into commercial and then wrap up the show, and we’re out of time.

“Shelly,” I say (Shelly was my producer), “get Ron’s telephone number. I’ll talk to him after we wrap up.” Two minutes to close the show, and I promise the audience that absolutely we will continue this conversation with Ron next week. And then we’re off the air.

I get Ron on the phone. “Ron, you okay,” I ask.

“Yeah, I just can’t believe this.”

“Ron, go to the newspaper and tell me the date.”

“What?”

“The newspaper, tell me the date.”

“It’s a copy of the Atlanta Constitution, and it’s dated 1938. You think these rooms have been closed up since 1938?”

The practical side of me kicks in. “Ron I want you to photograph the rooms. I want you to take detailed shots of the items in the room, I want you to take an inventory of the rooms and then I‘m going to call this appraiser I know in Atlanta to come and give you a full appraisal. Ron, you still with me?”

“Yeah,” he says, other worldly.

“And, Ron,” I continue, “keep mum about this. I know that you will want to tell everybody but my gut is telling me you should keep a lid on this. Promise me you will?”

“Sure,” he says.

I congratulate Ron on this tremendous find again, he promises that he will call next week and before I ring off to call the appraiser, out of nowhere, I say, “Ron, do me a favor. Turn to the obituary section of the paper and tell me if you see any familiar names there. Be careful with the paper.”

“Right,” he says.

There’s a moments silence and then Ron says, “I’ll be damned. I think this is the obit of the sister that died. Yeah, it is. ‘Miss Alicia F., aged 18,’ ” he reads, “ ‘succumbed on Tuesday, after a protracted illness of tuberculosis.’ There’s a whole bunch more about her daddy and his daddy. Yeah, and ‘she is survived by her father, Dr. Theodore F. and sisters Frederica and Zenobia.’ There’s an address, right, those were the people that used to own the house.”

Amazing. I ring off. I connect with my Atlanta appraiser, “Fred, you’re not going to believe this.” I tell all, give him Ron’s contact information and ring off with his promise to call Ron, get there pronto, and to give me a full report and tell him to keep this under his hat.

Late 19th century Meissen china plates with Blue Onion pattern.

Within 48 hours, Fred calls me. “Your guy has a fortune in here. The crystal is 18th century French, so is the furniture. The silver is Tiffany, all Tiffany, and there’s hundreds of pieces of silver. The rug in the bedroom is 19th century Persian and in mint condition and the kitchen gadgets are all vintage. I mean, I’m just walking around here stepping over my jaw. Oh yeah, and the china is 19th century Meissen and the kitchen table is the prettiest little French wine tasting table, the prints are all English and I swear this painting hanging over the bed is a little Romney.”

Sketch of Emma Hamilton,” by George Romney (1734-1802), believed painted between 1782 and 1784.

“Give me a bottom line, Fred,” I say.

“Just off the top of my head, I’d say that we’re looking at, at auction, easy, geez, a lot of money.”

Fred later reported that a closet within the small apartment was discovered and held shelves of silver by the “Paul’s,” Lamerie and Storr, the brilliant English 18th century silversmiths, and the finds continued when small boxes, in the same cupboard, revealed early Victorian jewelry, unset gemstones, and a strand of enormous South Sea pearls the color of pastel pink.

An antique Victorian, silver tea & coffee set by Paul Lamerie.

A seven-piece silver tea service in the Teniers pattern by Paul Storr.

The conservative estimate of the entire contents was appraised at $250,000. And, no, Ron did not take my advice about keeping a lid on the find. He leaked the discovery, confidentially, he thought, at the local watering hole that leaked it to the local rag, that leaked it to a major paper and I think there were some interviews on local and national TV.

An early Victorian Honeymoon pin in 10k yellow-gold with a tiny genuine ruby prong set in middle of flower.

A month later I’m back on the air and Shelly says, “It’s Ron from Alabama on the line.”

“Ron, how are you?”

“Well, Christopher, you’ll never guess.

“Guess what, Ron?”

“I’m being sued. You got it, by that little weasel, Cousin Junior. Says, he’s read all about it and he wants the contents of the hidden rooms back, he’s trumped up all kinds of allegations and he’s squealing all over the place.

“I never realized that when I turned the key and opened the door that I was pulling the lid off Pandora’s box and a bunch of toads were going to jump out.”

Instead of a good appraiser, I found him a good lawyer and all ended well… eventually.

Christopher Kent is a member of the WorthPoint board of advisers and director of evaluations for WorthPoint. He is also an antiques and collectibles generalist, fine-arts broker and president of CTK Design. 

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Starting off the auction in the first top 10 lots, lot # 10 is an unusual and rarely seen Anna Pottery pig flask. The diminutive 2.25-inch by 4.5-inch salt glaze molded stoneware pig contains destination points of the Arkansas railroad, stagecoach, and river routes inscribed in the clay. The flask in anatomically correct, unique small size with an atypical location of the opening of the flask at the top center of the pig’s back. The estimate of this item is $4,000-$6,000 and well worth the estimate for the serious collector. This is a possible bidding-war item and might kick off the auction with some excitement.

Jumping to lot # 305 is a particularly well-done watercolor-on-paper portrait of a young man by the well known 1930s Danish-American illustrator and artist Malthe Hasselriis. This small work, at close inspection, bears great clarity and precise painterly style, plus the sitter is attractive; all pluses to sell this item that has a $300-$600 estimate. Also, as demonstrated by past Cowan sales of paintings and drawings, the market is good and strong.

Timur Akhriev's “Portrait of a Lobsterman”

This fact will also influence the bottom line for lot # 484, the highly collectible works of the Russian-born artist Timur Akhriev. Works by this artist—now living in Tennessee—is rarely seen at auction and usually sell in the high thousands of dollars. The 24-inch by 30-inch painting, “Portrait of a Lobsterman,” is oil on canvas, signed on the lower right and in pristine condition. The estimate, at $4,000-$6,000, is low, considering the popularity and recognition of the artist, plus his strong following in the U.S. It would be a great investment for either the collector or dealer.

Rookwood Faience grates

Rookwood Faience panels

For the collector of Faience, Rookwood or architectural elements, lot # 454 is a particularly nice addition to the sale. Originally part of the décor of the Mills Restaurant in Cincinnati, Ohio, this pair of circa 1920’s grilles or grates was made by Rookwood. Each grille is molded in two pieces with impressed marks that read, 600A Rookwood, faience/89 A. The dimensions are 42-inches high by 21.5-inches wide. The estimate is good at $600-$800 for the pair. If you like these, lot # 456—also part of the Mills décor and made by Rookwood—has a similar $600-$800 estimate should be added to the purchase.

Lot # 369 consists of a fine example of late-19th century pocket watch making. French and American made, this Patek Phillippe, Duhme and Company of Cincinnati watch is in an 18-karat hunter case and is marked #4599. The movement and dial are marked Duhme and Co., and Case and Cuvette hallmarked. It carries a $3,500-$5,000 estimate.

Lot # 231, a Regency “Metamorphic” Oak Library chair, circa 1815, is an English armchair that doubles into a four-step library steps. Similar examples of this chair appear in Ackerman’s, “Repository of Arts, July 1811,” which included a caption: “This ingenious piece of furniture is made by Morgan and Sanders, Catherine Street, The Strand, London. Considered the best and handsomest article ever yet invented where two complete pieces of furniture are combined into one, an elegant and truly comfortable armchair and a set of library steps.” Estimate on this piece is $1,500-$2,500.

Carved and painted tea shop figure

Lot #151 is an important carved and polychrome painted tea shop figure. Made in the last quarter of the 19th century, this rare, painted and laminated pine figure depicts a Chinese lady wearing a tunic, trousers and skull cap, holding a vial and standing on a rectangular painted surface. It stands 63 inches tall. These figures that were used as advertising in tea and herb shops and were not mass-produced, unlike cigar store Indians. An identical example appears in Hornungs, “Treasury of American Antiques,” plate 92. The estimate is deservedly $8,00-$10,000 thousand.

Lot # 63 is a Pennsylvania Chippendale Kas from the Hearst Collection. Made circa 1760-1790, probably either in Lancaster or Berks County, and constructed of walnut, the design consists of a broken scrolled pediment with pierced carved tympanum, over arched raised-paneled doors. The lower case has three aligned drawers over two aligned drawers, the whole piece rests on claw and ball feet. Provenance; the sale of William Randolph Hearts, San Simeon, California collection, sold through Gimbels of New York, 1941, bearing original tag. Imagine the piece without the pediment and the claw and ball feet. These are later additions. The original piece would have had a flat top and probably a “dated” bun foot. In pristine condition, the piece would have a $15,000 to $20,000 estimate. In it’s “as is” condition, the estimate is $5,000-$7,000.

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Art Deco greeting card

You remember the days when a lady never went to church without a hat, gloves, handbag and matching shoes?

My mother was not the glamorous daughter. That label was deservedly bestowed on her elder sister, the statuesque, nearly 6-foot blonde, who could cause traffic accidents by merely crossing the street.

No, my mother was said to be classic, handsome and tailored. She did not, unlike her sister and mother, inherit the clothes gene. My mother’s ensembles were simple man-tailored suits, walking skirts with silk blouses and sensible shoes that were well made and usually considered a long-term investment and that went with everything.

Occasionally, she would step out of the box and attempt to glam-up her look. This would usually result in her muttering under her breath as she stood in front of her full-length mirror, “Lillian, you look like Mrs. Astor’s pet horse.” This remark would ultimately throw her into a frenzy of clothes changing, and she would happily return to her suits of choice.

The ‘boys’—no match for mother

I’m the youngest of four boys with a 13-year span between youngest and eldest. At any given time, and for many years, there would be six males, the boys, as we were always referred to, my father and his father, sitting around the dinner table. You would think, weighing in heavily on the male side, that we would dominate the scene. Not so, my mother was the overseer and would hold court at her end of the table.

We were instructed in dining etiquette, taught how to make pleasant conversation, encouraged to engage in opinions on politics, world events, cultural happenings and to avoid unseemly topics that were deemed inappropriate for dinner-table conversation. In short, under mom’s tutelage, we were well-schooled diplomats.

Don’t get me wrong, we were normal, or at least, normal enough. We all, the boys, sang in the Episcopal Church choir. This was not something that we did for fun or needed to do to fulfill our yearning for Anglican sacred music. Rather, we were paid professional singers, part of a men-and-boys choir that totaled more than 45 singers. We sang at two services a Sunday, the 9 and the 11 o’clock. This meant that we would have to be up early to drive the 40 minutes and arrive on time. Our choir mother, Mrs. Merkel, was a pill about punctuality. She could afflict you with frostbite with one glance if you arrived after final rehearsal had already commenced.

Father rushes, mother futzes

Shirts starched, shoes polished, suits pressed, ties, pretied so we could just slip them over our heads, would have been laid out the night before in readiness. My father would drag us out of bed, point us in the direction of the bathroom, the boys shared one, and disappear to make breakfast. My mother would then begin to lay out her clothes for the day. She’d hold one seemingly identical blouse up against suits that looked remarkably similar to the one before and deliberate on how to put together her outfit.

Meanwhile, we had breakfasted, and my father had gone down to the garage to rev up the Chrysler. He would pull it up to the house, and we would all pile in waiting patiently for mother to arrive. My father was one of those men of infinite patience whose quiet surface was rarely ruffled. Except, he hated to be late. We knew when dad’s patience was being tested when he started to hum some themeless, nameless tune. The humming started this particular morning as we waited for mom to arrive. Oh, and along with the humming, my father would gradually start revving the car by degrees by way of supposedly hurrying mom wordlessly along.

This Sunday happened to be Mother’s Day. My father had laid a gardenia corsage in its plastic excelsiored box by her breakfast place. We were to meet my grandmother, my mother’s mother, and her glam sister at the country club after church. I’m sure, knowing this, my mother was thrown into spasms of delight as she envisioned both mother and sister in creations by Dior or Chanel or Schiaparelli, with the perfect hats, high-heeled shoes with pointy toes, makeup and hair perfect, pearls with a scattering of diamonds, appropriate for the occasion, and scented with Shalimar and Chanel No. 5.

Dior clip earrings

Chanel heels

Schiaparelli hat

Mom threw on her original suit after changing it four times, slapped on her gold wristwatch, grabbed her handbag and in a streak of what could be called defiance and knowing that the fashion police would have something to say about it, recklessly slammed a cartwheel hat in pale lavender straw, trimmed with cabbage roses and matching lavender bow, on her head.

Mom rushed to the car while she pulled on her gloves and navigated the huge hat carefully into the car. My father, having seen her approach in the rearview mirror, made no comment as he pulled away from the house. We also made no comment as we stared at this confection that we had never seen before sitting on her head.

We had not even gotten to the bottom of the driveway when mom started to ask each of us what we thought of her hat. She started with the eldest and worked her way down to the youngest son sitting in the backseat. “Thomas, what do you think of my hat?” Tom, who was clueless, commented, “Fine.” “Raymer, what do you think of the hat?” My brother, Raymer, equally clueless, said it was OK. “Matthew, do you have an opinion?” “Ah, well,” was his reply. “Christopher, what do you think of my hat?” “Well, Mom, now that you mention it, I don’t really think it works with the suit.”

Early 20th-century card

With each answer, mom made no comment. My father, anticipating the question, reacted by speeding up the car, thinking that with the acceleration, he could dodge the question that he knew was going to be lobbed his way. “Raymer,” my dad was also Raymer, “what do you think of my hat?” My father, who invested heavily in candor, replied, “Frankly, Lillian, I think it looks like hell.”

The temperature noticeably dropped in the car. In a timbre that we boys recognized as “no nonsense” and pronounced in pear-shaped tones, my mother said, “Stop the car.” My father accelerated. “Raymer, stop the car.” Pretending not to hear, he, instead, intensely studied the road as if he was doing a quality-control check on the application of the white lines bordering his lane. With one quick motion, my mother pressed the window button, and as the window went down, she took the brim of the hat with her other hand and threw it out the open window. Without comment, she pushed the button again, and the window went up.

For the 30 minutes remaining in the trip, there was a silence in the car that could only be called cryptlike. My father was not a big laugher, meaning he was not the ha-ha, gusto type. Instead, when he laughed, the laugh would start with his shoulders beginning to shake. Then, the shake would travel the length of his body. By the time, we arrived at church, he could barely stand up he was laughing so hard.

1972 Royal Copenhagen Mother's Day plate

My mother was still silent. Ignoring him, she ushered us in the direction of the choir room. Then she disappeared. My father, thinking that she would drop us off and then proceed into the church as she had done for years, went in and sat in our pew. No mom. The organist began to play the prelude. No mom. The choir, fully dressed in cottas and cassocks, were gathering at the back of the church. No mom.

Just before the opening chords of the hymn were about to start, there was a muffled commotion that started at the back of the church where we were all congregated. The choir parted like the Red Sea, and there was my mother standing in the midst of us. On her hatless head was now a coronet of flowers, courtesy of the adjoining graveyard, consisting of lilacs, azaleas and mock orange that were woven into a halo and placed on the top of her head. With a poise and confidence not unlike a Pope dispensing indulgences or a blushing bride, she walked down the center aisle of the church and quietly took her seat, carefully avoiding the rubbernecking, smiling, and gawping stares she encountered on her way.

1924 Mother's Day card

My father took one look at her, and his whole body began to shake. He shook so hard that mom had to grab his arm for fear of his falling out of the pew into the aisle. She began to laugh, too, and her laughter was of the Wagnerian, Valkyrie type, starting low and working itself up into a crescendo. Soon the whole front of the church was laughing with them. The laughter spread down one side of the church and up the other. Meanwhile, the organist, known for his impish humor, had started playing “Here Comes the Bride” in response to mom’s march to the pew. This got the whole congregation laughing even harder, which was unheard of in an Episcopal church.

Hearing the laughter, the minister appeared and tried to shush the congregation. With the hilarity slightly subsiding, he asked my parents, in light of my mother seeming so bridelike, if they would like to renew their marriage vows. My parents, still laughing, looked at each other and said in unison, “Absolutely.” They sealed 27 years that day.

First edition Peanuts Mother's Day plate

– By Christopher Kent, a member of the WorthPoint board of advisers and director of evaluations for WorthPoint. He is also an antiques and collectibles generalist, fine-arts broker and president of CTK Design.

Want to let your mother know how much you care? Send her WorthPoint’s “Happy Mother’s Day” video compiled from vintage postcards.

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Skinner has specialized in Asian works of art for more than 20 years. This auction will offer fine furniture and decorative arts from Asia and the South Seas including Chinese, Korean and Japanese glass, pottery, netsuke, porcelain, lacquer ware, paintings, woodblock prints and textiles. The Skinner sale provides a cross-range of items both low and high for the discerning collector and dealer.

Asian works of art, particularly as the sales trends are dictating, are strong with contemporary 20th-century artists leading the sales records. (A recent Sotheby’s Asian art sale realized an 11 percent higher pre-estimate yield totaling sales of $89 million.)

Lot 46, a work by the “Van Gogh of Japan” and perhaps the most influential member of the Mingei movement in Japan, woodblock artist Munakata Shiko. It is titled “Goddess” and dated 1952. The woodblock is hand colored, signed and dated in pencil and includes the artist’s seal. The work is mounted as a scroll in a wooden box. The condition, coloration and impression are excellent. The estimate for the work is $4,000 to $6,000.

Munakata Shiko's "Goddess"

Lot 116 is a fine example of a miniature 16th-century Persian painting from the Safavid Empire (1501-1722). The signed painting depicts a “scene of courtly entertainment” and is executed in ink, jewel colors and gilt on heavy paper stock. The painting measures 9 inches by 5-1/2 inches and has an estimate of $400 to $600.

16th-century Persian miniature

Lot 149, a 12th-century celadon ewer is Korean from Korea’s Koryo period. It has a double-gourd form with thick sea-green glaze over a molded design of willow branches and lotus petals at the front with a glazed base. There are repairs to the handle and spout. The estimate for this excellent piece is $1,500 to $2,500.

Koryo celadon ewer

Lot 251, an 18th-century Turkish jeweled saber with a repoussé silver scabbard that includes designs of arabesques and trophy arms, hangers and basses of silver with Solomon’s star and a tughra (an imperial monogram) all set with diamonds, emeralds and rubies. The hilt, with a silver hand guard, is set with the same. The grip of Moghal style is pistol shaped made of white jade inset with a herringbone pattern in gold and set again with diamonds, emeralds and rubies. The watered steel blade of typical Turkish form is inlaid with gold and includes two inscriptions on either side. Estimate is $3,000 to $5,000.

Jeweled Turkish saber

Lot 483, an impressive red sandstone Image of Avalokiteshvara (the Buddha of Infinite Light) in standing position with princely jewels and robes. The image is 34 inches and Chinese, Sui to early T’ang period 7th century A.D. The estimate on this rare piece (rare for condition, subject matter and material) is $20,000 to $30,000.

Sandstone image of the Buddha

Lot 504 is a gilt-bronze image of the Buddha of the future Manjushri (Buddha of wisdom, doctrine and awareness, whose name translated from Sanskrit means Gentle Glory). It is 16th-century Tibetan. The surface is patinated and engraved with flower, clouds and an inset with coral, lapis lazuli, turquoise and pearls. The image is seated in the lotus position with hands in the Mudra of appeasement, 10 inches high with an estimate of $1,500 to $2,500.

Gilt-bronze image of the Buddha

– By Christopher Kent, a member of the WorthPoint board of advisers and director of evaluations for WorthPoint. He is also an antiques and collectibles generalist, fine-arts broker and president of CTK Design.

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Of the hundreds of pieces of Asian porcelain, three stand out.

Lot 80 is a copper-red and blue porcelain “beaker” vase, a fine example from possibly the K’ang Hsi Dynasty. The vase bears no maker’s mark, stands 17-2/3 inches high and has an estimate of $800 to $1,000. It is conceivable that this piece is late-18th century.

"Beaker" vase

Lot 95, a Ch’ing Dynasty (1644-1912), blue-and-white porcelain “bottle” vase. An estimate of $1,500 to $2,000 positions this piece in the higher end of estimates and reflects the quality of decoration, shape and possible timeline of the late-18th century.

Ch'ing Dynasty porcelain "bottle" vase

Lot 129 may be considered the crowning pieces of the porcelain collection. These two armorial hexagonal chargers from the Yongzheng period, circa 1723, bear the arms of Charles Townshend, 3rd Viscount Townshend of Raynham Hall, Hertfordshire. His son went on to become chancellor of the exchequer during the reign of George III. Condition of the two pieces is remarkably good and has an estimate of $4,000 to $6,000.

Chinese armorial chargers

Lot 1231A, “Portrait of a Woman with Her Three Children” was painted by Ruth Garnett (English, late-19th-, early 20th-century) and appears, stylistically to be similar to her teacher, John Singer Sargent. The painting, oil on canvas, with no condition issues, measuring 88 inches by 54 inches, has an estimate of $2,000 to $3,000.

"Portrait of a Woman with Three Children"

The furniture in this particular sale is considered across the board with more stylistic attributions than period pieces. Two pieces that are of note are:

Lot 1152, an interesting English papier-mâché and ebonized tilt-top table. The 19th-century piece has a columnar pedestal with a square tapering down swept tripod base. It has a Victorian street scene that was possibly painted on at a later time. The estimate is $700 to $900.

19th-century tilt-top table

Lot 1117 is a fine example of a New England, Queen Anne mahogany desk-on-frame made mid-18th century. The desk, 41 inches by 33 ½ inches by 18 inches with a low estimate of $1,200 to $1,500, is designed in two parts. The slant-front upper case with hinged molded-edge lid and breadboard ends opens to a writing surface and fitted interior. Delicate cabriole legs support the frame, with a single long drawer, shaped apron, carved rosettes with scroll carved returns and terminating in spoon feet.

18th-century Queen Anne desk

The silver runs the gamut of Tiffany, Birmingham, sterling to plate, but Lot 397A is an interesting offering. The sterling-silver, coffee-and-tea service is Japanese made possibly for the European or American market and has an elegance of neoclassical design that sets it apart from the more usual offerings. This lot is a steal with a $1,500 to $2,000 estimate.

Japanese coffee-and-tea service

– By Christopher Kent, a member of the WorthPoint board of advisers and director of evaluations for WorthPoint. He is also an antiques and collectibles generalist, fine-arts broker and president of CTK Design.

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Lot 114 and 115 are possibly the most pivotal pieces in the collection of Russian enamels. Lot 114 is a Russian silver-and-enamel tankard made circa 1900 with a clear maker’s mark of OV Chinnikov. The tankard stands just 7-and-a-half inches high and has an estimate of $5,000 to $10,000. Lot 115 is an extremely well designed lidded chalice or perhaps ciborium (a vessel to hold the wafer). Circa 1900, it bears the maker’s mark, Feodor Ruckert, a well-known and documented silver and goldsmith. The lid bears the Russian imperial double-headed eagle finial, and the body is in the teardrop-form panel. The chalice measures 13 inches high and has an estimate of $8,000 to $12,000.

Russian tankard, circa 1900

Ruckert lidded chalice

Lot 142 is a classic example of Philadelphia Georgian silver. Made circa 1790 by the well-known silversmith, Joseph Richardson Jr., the helmet-form creamer is decorated with a beaded edge and elaborate monogram above an incised floral garland. The creamer measures 7-and-a-quarter inches high and has a low estimate of $1,000 to $1,500.

Richardson creamer

Lot 150, a fine, museum-quality, New York silver tea or chocolate pot made by the well-known silversmith, Jacob Marius Groen, circa 1730. The pot is of the “lighthouse” form with an “onslow” thumb tab. Classically simple, this is a rare opportunity to own a piece by Groen. It is well worth its $12,000 to $18,000 estimate.

Groen tea or chocolate pot

Lot 292, the Hollingsworth Family Baltimore Album Quilt. This important quilt, 1884-1846, consists of 53 appliqué and patchwork blocks and contains 14 signatures of prominent northern Maryland families. The quilt measures 79 inches by 88 inches and has an estimate of $7,000 to $9,000.

Hollingsworth family quilt

Lot 366, a significant Delaware Valley Queen Anne walnut chest on frame, circa 1770. A fresh piece to the market, the chest on stand has a molded cornice that appears over five short and three long drawers resting on a frame that has a scalloped apron and cabriole legs terminating in trifid feet. This piece has a provincial integrity and is appropriately estimated at $6,000 to $9,000.

Queen Anne walnut chest

Lot 407 is the cream of the sale and an extremely rare opportunity to own a perhaps one-of-a-kind piece. It is a Simon Willard regulator banjo clock, circa 1805.The mahogany case encloses an eight-day, weight-driven works with a sweep hand and painted dial inscribed Simon Willard. The clock stands 52 inches. This clock is pictured in Sacks’ book “Good, Better, Best,” page 135. A similar Willard regulator clock without a sweep second hand is discussed in Diston and Bishops’ “The American Clock,” plate 283. The Willard clock has the deserved estimate of $18,000 to $25,000.

Willard regulator banjo clock

– By Christopher Kent, a member of the WorthPoint board of advisers and director of evaluations for WorthPoint. He is also an antiques and collectibles generalist, fine-arts broker and president of CTK Design.

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The sale has an impressive offering of furniture and objects d’art, some of which have been carried over from its winter sale. The spring auction also contains a noteworthy selection of first-time paintings by important listed artists, upon which this preview concentrates.

Beginning with one of the most recognized names in the heavy-hitter category is:

Lot 291, a signed, oil-on-canvas landscape by Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot (1796-1895). This painting depicts the “Souvenir de Saint-Servan.” It is in immaculate condition. The works of Corot make up the cornerstone of Impressionist collections in all major public and private collections. It is conceivable that it will well surpass the estimate of $25,000-$35,000.

Corot's “Souvenir de Saint-Servan”

Lot 294, a gem of a portrait by one of France’s leading mid-18th, early-19th century artists, Paul Prud’hon (1758-1823). The pastel-on-linen portrait, with the diminutive dimensions of 19¼ by 15¼ inches, depicts Mlle. Rey de Morande. The painting is unsigned but bears on the reverse the label, “Wildenstein Arte S.A. Florida 914, Buenos Aires,” with the artist’s name, title and medium and dimensions. Again, it is conceivable that the portrait will exceed its $15,000-$25,000 estimate.

Prud’hon's Mlle. Rey de Morande

Lot 295, stylistically one of the most frequently copied artists, Eugene Galien-Laloue (1854-1941) is represented by his watercolor and gouache-on-paper depiction of “Twilight Near the Hotel de Ville, Paris.” Signed on the lower left, the painting is going up with a $12,000-$18,000 estimate.

Galien-Laloue's “Twilight Near the Hotel de Ville, Paris”

Lot 288. Not usual to be represented at auction, but nonetheless exciting because of the infrequency with which his paintings are on the block, this blue-and-gray wash over pencil rendering of the “Queen Eleanor Cross, Waltham Cross, Middlesex” by Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775-1851) is once again an opportunity to invest in a leading artist’s work. The estimate for this signed, framed work is $12,000-$18,000.

Turner's “Queen Eleanor Cross, Waltham Cross, Middlesex”

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The highlights of the sale include:

Lot 1196, a Louis XVI-style bronze mounted amboynas-and-mahogany vitrine stamped with the maker’s mark, Henry Dossen 1878. The estimate is $10,000 to $15,000.

Louis XVI vitrine

Lot 1367 is an extraordinary 19th-century German ivory tankard with an estimate of $5,000 to $7,000.

Ivory tankard

Lot 1298 is a superbly designed compote by the Danish designer, Georg Jensen. Made circa 1940, it is going up with an estimate of $10,000 to $15,000. It will be interesting to track this particular item to see where it finishes.

Georg Jensen compote

Lot 1113, a uniquely distinctive late-18th-century George III English paint-decorated and japanned tavern clock. A surprisingly low estimate of $5,000 to $7,000.

George III tavern clock

Lot 1069 is Chinese export at its best. A very fine, early-19th-century Chinese export, black-and-gilt, lacquered wood chest on chest. The estimate of $20,000 to $30,000 may appear high, but the quality of the workmanship is superb.

Chinese lacquered chest

Lot 1526, a pair of paint-decorated Louis XVI bergères stamped with the maker’s mark, G Jacobs, perhaps one of the most-sought after makers of French furniture of the 18th century. They are going up with an estimate of $8,000 to $12,000.

Louis XVI bergères

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He became, at the tender age of 7, the purchasing agent for his family and their friends. He seemed, in some instances, to be psychically connected to something of beauty. Though he could not verbalize why it was important, he could translate by winnowing it out from lesser items and setting it apart for examination.

He also came fully wired to ask, “Is this your best price?”

At 11 or 12, he was able to walk into one of the oldest auction-house showrooms to preview an English porcelain collection and say with total conviction to one of the appraisers that several of the pieces had not been properly vetted. This led to his first professional appraisal job where he was asked to take a look at a collection of English creamware, not knowing that his findings were being compared to those of a foremost expert in the field.

1800 British creamware sauce boats

1840s English creamware pitcher

Are you interested in the sauce boats? Click here. The pitcher? Click here.

Another expert then scrutinized the findings, and the kid was found, nine times out of 10, to be more accurate and precise. This sleight-of-hand, instinctive knowledge was called upon on several more occasions until he was working, more or less, where his school schedule permitted, a full-time gig with the auction house. He used to take the train through the Main Line of the Philadelphia suburbs into the city, briefcase in one hand, lunch bag in the other.

All the speculative, instinctive knowledge stuff aside, he owed his early exposure to things that he grew up with in his home, his grandparents’ home and a business source that, at the time was second to none, called Merritt’s Antiques in Weavertown, Pa.

In those days, old Bob Merritt went on extensive buying trips to Europe, the British Isles and even on occasion to India and the Far East, filling huge shipping containers with treasures that, without exaggeration, were like a souk in a box. Excelsior-protected treasures packed in tea crates could be anything from 18th-century French porcelain, Dutch brass, English Jacobean pewter, crystal from Bohemia, a 19th-century silver dinner service from Russia, collections of exquisite leather-bound books from a defunct publishing house, place settings of dishes from all walks of life by the thousands, rare and unusual rugs from the Caucus, chandeliers, gas, electrified, crystal, brass, pewter . . . and those were just the smalls.

19th-century French porcelain vases

Rug from Caucus

Visit GoAntiques for information about the vases and the rug.

Huge shipping containers of furniture, stacked and packed within an inch of their lives, culturally commingled, French with German with Spanish with Italian with English with American.

Once unpacked, the Merritt’s staff, young Bob and Jiggs, would annoyingly mark the prices on these treasures with a grease pencil, usually yellow, which was both defacing and difficult to remove. The kid went to Merritt’s every Saturday morning, appraisal schedule permitting, with two family friends who, in their own right, were scrupulously sharp collectors.

He gleaned from them their instinctive good sense until he became viewed, after a year or two, as competition. Then he would keep his mouth shut and hare off by himself with a rendezvous time established to meet back at the sales office. The kid had no money to speak of (what 7-year-old does?), but he did learn early on to ask for something to be held for him until his father, who was a soft touch, could come back and take a look at it. The kid would then describe its merits until his father relented with a knowing, appreciative smile and produce, sometimes, his checkbook.

When the two of them arrived home having successfully made a purchase, the voice of their mother/wife would ring out as they entered the house. “What is it, and where are we going to put it?” Father and son would conspiratorially laugh to each other as they made moaning and groaning noises as if they were carrying in a Steinway grand and placed the purchase on the table in front of her.

Canton storage jar from Qing Dynasty

Antique Indian deity figure

Find out more about the jar and the Indian figure at GoAntiques.

Old Bob Merritt enjoyed this kid. Bob was a big, tough, sharp cookie who played his cards close to his chest, was evasive, if a little slippery, but had the good sense to recognize, in the shape of this kid, that he had a potential client for the foreseeable future. He listened to the kid expounding on a particular find with tortoiselike, veiled eyes, a Cheshire-cat expression on his face. He gave the kid free range to wander where other people were not allowed, and this included around the just-opened shipping containers.

One early Saturday morning, the three driven collectors headed for a container that had an hour before just been deposited off the back of a huge tractor-trailer truck and contained a collection from India and China. The doors were unlocked, and the three squeezed into the stifling interior. The musty smell, combined with the scent of the wood-shaved excelsior, was like an elixir that roiled the blood and got the adrenaline pumping.

Packing crates were crowbarred open to reveal an amazing collection of copper in one, brass in another, Indian deities in another, spice boxes, carved containers in mahogany and teak, blue-and-white Canton storage jars, Chinese roof tiles . . . the opening of cases became a feeding frenzy as one lid was ripped off then another, each case revealing more and more treasure.

Chinese roof tile

Another Chinese roof tile

Click here for information about the roof tile on the left, here for the tile on the right.

The three, for this particular occasion and because of the variety and delights of the contents, had thrown off their otherwise studious and slightly condescending demeanors. They were, in short, having a ball. The screech of the wood cracking as the crowbar lifted back the lid of the last container abruptly stopped. Expecting to find another giddy-making collection of goodies, the three sets of eyes instead locked on the somnambulant form of a snake lying partially buried in the wood shavings. Not just any snake but a cobra.

The snake, and who knew how long it had been packed into this box, slowly turned its head our way. The three froze, not because they were mesmerized by the unblinking gaze of the snake but because they were paralyzed with fear. Now with the eyes firmly locked on them, the snake took in the three sets of eyes staring back at him. Whether he was annoyed at having been awakened or because he was disoriented or because he was nasty by nature, the snake began to stir or rather, to begin to uncoil and slowly raise his head.

The sensation in the collective three pairs of feet said, “Run like hell.” But this sensation had not yet reached the brain that had momentarily gone blank. Oh for a snake charmer to step into the scene. A voice came out of nowhere but originated from the opening of the huge shipping container. “Back out slowly, and don’t make any sudden movements, and for god’s sake, don’t say anything.”

We registered what was being said. The advice smacked around our collective brainpans, and though it first registered as Sanskrit, it slowly seeped into our conscious minds. We inched back. The snake moved. We inched back another 2 feet. The snake raised up. We—it’s as if we were tied together and walking through two-day old oatmeal—moved further back. The snake raised still further and began to flare out.

The female member of the group, as we backed our way out, started to pick up items that she had been most dazzled by, her arms full of copper and porcelain and Indian deities. Her actions spoke volumes. This ship’s going down like the Titanic, but please put my hand luggage in the lifeboat first. Suddenly, a long shepherd’s crook attached to an equally long arm came shooting beside us. The curve of the hook used in corralling wayward sheep caught the edge of the packing crate and in one agile movement, sent the lid of the crate slamming shut, trapping the cobra.

This accomplished, we collectively exhaled and turned to our savior. Old Bob Merritt stood big and triumphant behind us with his trademark enigmatic grin. Without missing a beat, our lady companion said in a bright brisk tone, “Now Bob, what will you take for this Canton plate?”

1845 Canton plate

This plate is featured on GoAntiques.

No animals were harmed in the writing of this story.

Christopher Kent is a member of the WorthPoint board of advisers and director of evaluations for WorthPoint. He is also an antiques and collectibles generalist, fine-arts broker and president of CTK Design.

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Don Kaufman, co-founder of KB Toys, chose the time to sell his toys with the same care he always exercised in buying them. When asked why he decided to part with the collection, he replied, “It’s time. I want to have as much fun selling the collection as I had in building it.”

His is an achievement that may never be duplicated and allows all collectors a once in a lifetime of buying opportunities. The collection is “a museum” of quality toys and will be offered over a series of eventful sales beginning March 19 and running through March 26. More than 1,447 individual lots will be presented.

In reviewing this sale, it bears repeating that each of the lots is superb. Here are but a few of the highlights of the show.

Lot 9, a rare Hubley revolving monkey cage wagon circa 1920. Considered the MOST elusive entry in the famed circus menagerie on wheels, this ultimate find depicts monkeys perched on a tree housed within a mesh cage, which revolves when the toy is pulled along. The colors are striking, painted in an orange body, extensive embossing in gold, red spoke wheels, black parade horses and red-suited driver. This is a factory showroom example. Provenance: the Perelman Museum Collection. Sixteen inches long, it is in mint condition. The estimate is $30,000 to 40,000 with a minimum bid of $15,000.

Hubley revolving monkey cage wagon

Hubley monkeys climbing a tree

Lot 46, a rare 19th-century Carpenter burning building. This remarkable toy building features an elaborate cast-iron façade with second-story balcony containing a standing figure at embossed fire flames. A fireman stands on the sidewalk with an extension ladder that can pulley him to the top. This wood-finished building is considered one of the most ingenious of early cast toys. The 17-inch-high toy is restored and assembled from original parts. Estimate: $12,000 to $15,000 with a $6,000 minimum bid.

Carpenter burning building

Closeup of Carpenter burning building

Lot 71 is a “Gala” sedan created by Lehmann, one of Germany’s finest toy makers. The large limousine with seated driver, done in white and blue with red piping, reads, “Gala” on the sides. It has disc wheels, is clockworks driven and is 12-and-a-half inches long. The clockwork spring is unraveled but working. It is in pristine condition with an estimate of $4,000 to $5,000 with a starting bid of $2,000.

Lehmann "Gala" touring car

Rear view of "Gala" touring car

Lot 178, an early French auto, circa 1900. This hand-painted, back-to-back seating, open auto is done in yellow with red striping. A forerunner of the open touring car, it is modeled after the first motorized vehicles. Its rear floorboard simulates the foldable models of the day. There are two headlamps, an added composition figure and a nickel-plated fender. The auto is 11 inches long. There was some repaint to reds and a repair to a lantern. The estimate for the remarkable toy is $4,000 to $6,000 with an opening bid of $2,000.

Early French car, circa 1900

Rear view of early French car

Lot 228, Tootsietoy boxed aerial offense toy number 5062. In its original, near-mint condition packaging, the set includes nine airplanes of varied colors. It features large trimotors and four smaller monocoupes, low-wing and high-wing models. It is 10-by-15 inches. Estimate: $1,500 to $2000 with a minimum starting bid of $1,000.

Tootsietoy boxed aerial offense set

Nine Tootsietoy planes

I encourage you to go onto the Bertoia site and view and participate in this once-in-a-lifetime sale.

Christopher Kent is a member of the WorthPoint board of advisers and director of evaluations for WorthPoint. He is also an antiques and collectibles generalist, fine-arts broker and president of CTK Design.

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The collection of 676 items opens the auction with the striking, singular designs of Mexican silver jewelry coupled with the luminous names that defined the unique pieces in the ’30s through the ’50s. Designers William Spratling, Antonio Pineda and Hector Aguilar highlight this important auction. Not to be outdone, the sale includes fine and important silver pieces by Tiffany, Gorham, Morgens Ballin, George Jensen, continental silver from Russia, Austria, France along with some interesting and highly desirable Georgian silver serving pieces.

Taxco, Mexico, was the leading center for exquisite silver jewelry design. And the unique interpretation by highly skilled designers lent an individual and singular interpretation to art nouveau and Art Deco second to none. Lot 71119, an obsidian and sterling-silver bracelet by Antonio Pineda, is a fine example. The estimate is $1,500 to $2,500.

Antonio Pineda obsidian and silver bracelet

Lot 71101, a bracelet by Hector Aguilar circa 1940 is Deco of the finest. The bracelet is fully hallmarked and designed with three balls alternating with squared planes and secured with a signature spring clasp. The estimate is $1,000 to $1,500.

Hector Aguilar Art Deco bracelet

One the highlights of the fine silver pieces is Lot 71523, a Martelé silver and silver-gilt loving cup. The loving cup has an undulating rim and silver gilt interior. The chased repoussé design consists of flowers caught up in sweeping lines between the handles with floral decoration rising from engraved leaf feet. According to Gorham where the piece was conceived in 1905, it took Peter Monsen 47 hours to make the cup followed by an additional 61 hours to chase the design, which was done by Paul Hansen. The estimated cost of the piece in 1905 was $150, but today the estimate is $25,000 to $35,000 with a minimum bid of $12,500.

Martelé silver and silver-gilt loving cup

Lot 71471 is an Indian warrior silver-gilt and enamel serving fork from Tiffany & Co., New York, N.Y., circa 1884. The serving fork is designed in the Indian pattern with enamel accents to the medicine dance figural terminal as well as inset within the geometric patterning on the bowl and stem. The minimum bid for the piece is $4,500 with an estimate of $9,000 to $12,000.

Indian warrior serving fork

Lot 71326 is an exquisite American oval two-handled centerpiece on floral feet. Made by Gorham in 1875, this 18-inch centerpiece has a pierced-work border of masks amid scrolling foliage with four applied floral basses, finished with scroll handles terminating in an acanthus furl with a shaped rim flaring over the handles. Estimate: $8,000 to $12,000 with an opening bid of $4,000.

Two-handled centerpiece

Christopher Kent is a member of the WorthPoint board of advisers and director of evaluations for WorthPoint. He is also an antiques and collectibles generalist, fine-arts broker and president of CTK Design.

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This extraordinary sale offers “the rare, the unique, and the exquisite.” It is sure to draw strong international interest and pull from Bonhams’ “who’s who” client base. The collection comprises a select offering of highly desirable 17th-, 18th- and 19th-century antiques. Antonio’s Antiques was one of the driving forces that established San Francisco’s Jackson Square as a destination for antique collectors and designers from around the world.

The sale will offer some of the finest highlights of the Antonio’s collection reflecting rarity, connoisseurship and centuries of beautiful design. The collection opens for preview on Feb. 27 continuing to the day of the auction,

Highlights include Lot 246, A superb late-17th-century Brussels tapestry that depicts a loggia with Solomonic (barley twist) columns overlooking a parterre within a border of floral swags. The tapestry measures 9 feet, 4 ½ inches by 14 feet. The clarity of color and condition, with minimal reconditioning, makes this museum-quality tapestry well worth its estimate of $30,000-$45,000.

17th-century Brussels tapestry

Another standout is Lot 80, a pair of George III terrestrial and celestial globes estimated at $15,000-$20,000.

George III terrestial and celestial globes

Lot 46 is an unusual George III giltwood wall clock estimated at $10,000-$15,000. Both unique and unusual, this period Rococo clock is fashioned out of wood as opposed to being cast in bronze and gilded. The delicacy of the pierced and floral carved frame is topped by an outspread winged ho ho bird crest that centers a silvered dial with both Latin and Arabic chapter rings and seconds dial. The maker, John Page of Ipswich, England, inscribed the dial.

George III giltwood wall clock

Lot 183 is a finely proportioned, early-19th-century Russian gilt-bronze chandelier with an estimate of $35,000-$50,000.

Early-19th-century Russian chandelier

Lot 223, an important early-18th-century Louis XIV boulle work, marquetry commode has an estimate of $70,000-$100,000. This commode incorporates the finest decorative techniques of the 18th century. Its rectangular top is placed over two short and two long drawers flanked by scrolled stiles ending in gilt sabots. The quality of the pieds de biche, overall inlay in premier partie boulle work depicting media-del-arte figures and animals along with the inlay of tortoiseshell brass, pewter and shell marquetry makes this piece second to none.

Early-18th-century Louis XIV commode

Lot 224 is a marvelous 16th-century Spanish Renaissance figure of the Madonna. This deaccessioned piece from New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art has an estimate of $12,000-$15,000.

16th-century Spanish Madonna

More than 40 European paintings are on offer including works by Pieter Bout, Johann Halszel and Bartholomeus Assteyn.

The sale also includes excellent examples of Chinese Export, English and Continental porcelains, continental decorative items and silver.

(All photos are courtesy of Bonhams & Butterfields.)

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Heritage Auction Galleries’ Signature Music and Entertainment Memorabilia Auction goes up on Feb. 21 and 22 with 1,343 items for sale. It features entertainment and pop-culture memorabilia, including celebrity-signed documents, vintage photographs of stars of stage and screen, props and costumes from the world’s most celebrated productions. This auction offers entertainment treasures and is truly a collector’s paradise.

Starting of with costumes, Lot 49048 has all the bells and whistles. This head-turning and eye-popping quilted jacket made by Josephs’ Coat was owned and worn by Sammy Davis Jr. The jacket has an estimate of $5,000 and a minimum starting bid of $2,500. The coat is tasseled and decorated with brocade and assorted trim. The inner lining label bears his name along with “50th Anniversary in Show Business,” dated 1980. The jacket is in excellent condition.

Sammy Davis Jr. jacket

Back of Davis jacket

Inner label Davis jacket

Another great costume from a legendary performer is Lot 49271. John Wayne wore this cavalry coat for a Western film unknown. The estimate of $12,000 with a minimum bid of $6,000 speaks well of the Duke’s collectibles draw. The coat is a full-length, heavy wool, cavalry-style frock coat. Wayne, who starred in many Westerns during his long career, often played a heroic U.S. Army officer. The coat is in excellent condition with a Western Costume Co. tag bearing Wayne’s name in the inner pocket.

John Wayne cavalry coat

Wayne coat tag

The hot autograph market leads the way with Elvis as reigning king. Lot 50230 is a signed Elvis Presley contract dated April 10, 1974. This performance contract is between J. D. Sumner and the Stamps Vocal Group and the Elvis Presley show. The agreement is for a four-day tour. Elvis rarely signed his contracts himself. His management usually rubber-stamped them for him. To demonstrate his respect for Sumner, Elvis signed this one himself. Framed and in excellent condition, the contract is going up with an estimate of $5,000 with a minimum bid of $2,500.

Signed Elvis contract

Elvis is still topping the charts with Lot 50210. This extremely rare EP RCA SPD-23 three-disk set has an estimate of $1,200 with a minimum bid of $600. This set could only be purchased as part of a promotion by RCA to sell record players. The sets appeared in 1956 as part of Elvis’ launch with RCA, and the company seized the opportunity to market numerous products in the King’s name.

Elvis record set

To help promote RCA’s new portable player division, two special Elvis record players were made. The first was a four-speed model with Presley’s personal autograph stamped in gold on the lid. The second was something cutting edge, an autographed automatic 45 portable capable of ONLY playing 45s with the introduction of being able to stack up to 14 records above the turntable. The three-disk set is very rare, much more so than the two-disk set offered with the cheaper player. Condition for two is excellent, and the third is very good.

Of the 141 lots of photographs, three stand out. First, if you are a Boris Karloff fan, there are many photos of him throughout this category. But collectible favorites are Lot 49275, Billy Wilder’s “Some Like It Hot” promotional shots, seven total, with an estimate of $500 and a minimum bid of $250.

"Some Like It Hot" shots

Lot 51202, with an estimate of $400 and a minimum bid of $100, is a great shot by the legendary Hollywood photographer, Clarence Bull, featuring Elizabeth Taylor in a “National Velvet” promotional still shot.

Elizabeth Taylor

Rounding out the photos is a signed picture that can only be described as charming of Audrey Hepburn. Taken in the late 1950s with no attribution, it is autographed to “Allen, My Best, Audrey Hepburn.” A clear signature in blue ballpoint is in excellent condition and comes with a letter of authentication.

Audrey Hepburn

An opening bid is the amount required to begin the bidding process on a lot and is generally 50 percent of the low estimate. The next bid will meet that amount.

– By Christopher Kent, a member of the WorthPoint board of advisers and director of evaluations for WorthPoint. He is also an antiques and collectibles generalist, fine-arts broker and president of CTK Design.

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Lot 27 and 28, two companion works by Erté (Romain de Tirtoff, 1892-1990) featuring Hera and Zeus. The signed and numbered color screen prints with embossing, printed in 1981, are excellent examples of this master’s work. The estimates are low for this highly collectible artist at $700-$1,000.

Ertés Hera

Erté's Zeus

Lot 29, the 1987, pencil-signed, gelatin-and-silver print photograph of Grace Jones by the Hollywood celebrity photographer, Greg Gorman. Gorman known internationally for his cover art that has appeared on Esquire, Life, Interview, Vogue and the Rolling Stone magazines is probably best known for his photo portrait of Jimi Hendrix that launched Gorman’s career. Estimate for the photo is $500-$800. A Buy Now investment.

Gorman's Grace Jones

Lot 72, a heavy hitter in the form of the soft-ground etching of Renoir’s “La Danse à la Campagne.” With an estimate of $12,000-$18,000, this rare etching with a stamped signature is in excellent condition and would be a starting point for a new collection or a superb addition to an existing one.

Renoir's "La Danse"

Lot 75, the crowning piece of the show, Rembrandt van Rijn’s etching of “Christ Disputing with the Doctors.” Irrefutably Rembrandt, the etching is signed and dated 1652 in the plate. This remarkable piece is going up with a conservative estimate of $6,000-$10,000.

Rembrandt's etching

Lot 180 features a landscape by one of Salvador Rosa’s followers that we have seen at auction in 2007, “Landscape with Figures.” The oil on canvas inscribed Salvator Rosa Galeria Conte Di Caserta is in good condition and has a similar estimate to its ’07 estimate of $800-$1,200.

Landscape by Rosa follower

Lot 104, “Portrait of a Gentleman” by A. Galeotti has a surprisingly low estimate, $300-$500, for a work of this quality and condition. There has been movement of Galeotti’s work with the most recent sale in ’07 at Heritage Auction House. Galeotti’s portrait of Charles I’s three eldest children sold then for $2,390. This portrait will attract attention and represents one of the finest portraits in the sale’s collection.

Galeotti portrait

– By Christopher Kent, a member of the WorthPoint board of advisers and director of evaluations for WorthPoint. He is also an antiques and collectibles generalist, fine-arts broker and president of CTK Design.

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“You must lead such an interesting life finding and dealing in such beautiful things, traveling to so many fascinating places.” I’ve actually heard this from overly well-dressed people at benefit auctions where the plate of chicken is going for a thousand dollars. Of course, under the circumstances, I agree with them. Reality simply would not be appropriate to the setting. Reality rarely is.

Most days in the business are spent doing appraisals of less-than-stellar collections; making calls to collectors; attempting to sell a perfect Louis X1V bombe commode cajoled from a private collection only to find that the client is stalling on the purchase because his horoscope says he needs to be circumspect about acquiring things.

Tonka tedium relieved

One day, sitting in my overstuffed office, there’s a knock on my door. I get up from my desk where I have been glued to my laptop cataloging a collection of 400 Tonka Toys and find on the other side of the threshold an unassuming person shouldering two large paintings. It’s one of those “I was in the neighborhood, and you were recommended” situations that frankly, under the circumstance, I welcome.

The paintings, as it turns out, are good. The subject matter appears to be a husband and wife, done in a painterly fashion—painterly meaning the artist knew something about painting—following the 19th-century portrait-painting tradition. More importantly, the subjects are interesting, attractive and for those without ancestral portraits, would make a stunning addition to the dining-room walls.

Documentation: The appraiser’s joy

And, even more importantly, the bearer of the portraits has documentation about the artist and to some extent, the sitters. Now, this is the time when that cachet thing bears fruit. Another point that makes the life of the appraiser so much easier is the paintings are signed. Many people don’t know that most 19th-century portraiture was not signed. Appraisers make an educated guess based on style and the tradition of the painting as to whom may have painted it, and sometimes an attribution is impossible.

My assessing eye sees that the paintings’ condition is generally good. One has a small hole, but that is something a conservator can easily repair without devaluing the painting. The paintings are dirty, meaning the varnish has darkened with age, but that can easily be remedied. They appear to be in their original frames, another good thing. There is, with a cursory examination, no overpainting, meaning no one touched up the original painting either to enhance—by enhance, I mean to make the sitters appear younger by the removal of a few wrinkles or jowls, or richer with the addition of more jewelry—or repair damage that occurred in the 100-plus years the paintings have been around.

Sherlock appraiser

Now, here is when my job becomes fun, and yes, the words of the well-dressed lady at the benefit auction ring true. There is a certain intrigue in the process of authenticating that requires the sharp eye and instinct of the well-seasoned detective. We sometimes have to dredge through weighty Dead Sea Scrolls to get the information that we need. The Internet is useful and sometimes invaluable but can also be limited. We as appraisers have to go beneath the printed word to find additional links that will give us the information we need to make the declarative pronouncement.

People, to old paper guys like me, are invaluable. Documentation in and unto itself is sometimes as apocryphal as some of the “true” stories applied to certain pieces. “Oh, yes, these waffle irons belonged to George Washington, and he used them himself only on Tuesdays in leap years.” Hmm.

Paintings are real deal

After a few telephone calls to substantiate the documentation, all, as they say, was revealed. These paintings were the genuine article.

The artist, Theodore Pine, is a known quantity. His paintings hang in public and private collections. He is listed in all the important books. There are 2,000-plus links to him on the Internet. And although there are no recent auction reports to establish value, there is enough documentation to legitimize a perceived value on the portraits.

The portraits’ subjects, the Rev. and Mrs. George S. Hare DD, were prominent members of their community, and it was the tradition of Theodore Pine to paint people on the rise and of distinction. He came from a long line of artists. His grandfather, Robert Pine, was both artist and engraver. James Pine, his father, exhibited at the National Academy of Design from 1839 until 1857. Theodore, at 19, held his first exhibition at the National Academy in 1847 and continued to contribute through the 1880s.

Pine portraits in Ossining, home of Sing Sing

Many of Pine’s portraits are in the permanent collection of the Ossining (N.Y.) Historical Society Museum. Pine’s most famous portraits are dramatically different.

Rev. and Mrs. MacFarlan

Two are of the Rev. and Mrs. Daniel MacFarlan. They are richly dressed and seated in front of silver birch trees. A village dotted with white buildings is off in the distance, boats sail on the river, and the sky is turbulent and misty.

Typical of when the MacFarlan paintings were done (1857), embellishment of detail usually was in keeping to the fee. If you wanted your house, farm and prized bull in the painting, you paid extra. These paintings are excellent examples of American portraiture and justifiably deserve to be in the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

Pine’s other famous painting is the posthumous portrait of Gen. Robert E. Lee, which hangs in the chapel of Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Va.

Pine portrait of General Lee

Pine’s body of work not only included portraits but allegorical themes, landscapes and architectural studies in the style and tradition of a well-traveled artist. There is a school of thought within the appraising community that specializes in American portraiture that Pine is not of the first water. I disagree. There is a demonstration of a smooth style that incorporates skill without the need for artifice and tricks, and captures the personality of the sitter with a directness and candor separate from the stylized painting traditions of the day.

To appraise or not to appraise?

This begs the question. Should you have your paintings appraised? The answer is yes if the painting warrants it, remembering that an appraisal is usually done for insurance purposes and/or to establish resale value. With the Pine portraits, to be considered were their restoration, cleaning and securing the damage of the canvas, along with establishing a value. You might ask whether restoration potentially devalues the painting. The answer is only if an inferior conservator does the work, and even then, that can usually be repaired.

Okay, now for the proverbial drumroll, the time to put an appraised value on the Pine portraits. All documentation had been done. Other considerations were taken into account such as the sale trends of such paintings. And my final verdict?

The pair of Theodore Pine portraits of the Rev. and Mrs. George S. Hare would be appraised for $20,000 to $25,000.

It was a good thing I was in my office that day.

– Christopher Kent is a member of the WorthPoint board of advisers and director of evaluations for WorthPoint. He is also an antiques and collectibles generalist, fine-arts broker and president of CTK Design.

WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Follow the exciting action and bid live on Auction Network.

This phenomenal sale includes items that represent more than 70 years of music history from the jazz-age greats to rock-’n’-roll legends. An extensive amount of Rolling Stones and Beatles memorabilia tops the list along with guitars played onstage by David Bowie and Eric Clapton. There are also recording contracts signed by Frank Sinatra and Elton John, and Bob Dylan memorabilia.

Lot 3 hits the auction running with signatures from two highly marketable icons. Madonna and Andy Warhol autographed the 1985 issue of “Interview” magazine in which she was interviewed by actor Harry Dean Stanton. It was big year for the Material Girl. She married Sean Penn and made her acting debut in “Desperately Seeking Susan.” Madonna told Stanton, “I’ve had enough blasphemous photographs. Everyone knows I am a bad girl.” “Interview,” founded in 1969 by Warhol, was dedicated to the cult of personality with celebrities interviewing celebrities. The estimate is a low starter of $800-$1,200.

"Interview" magazine

Lot 4, a Police-signed Fender Stratocaster. This guitar has the signatures of members of the band, Sting, Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland. In 2003, Police was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2007, the band celebrated the 30th anniversary of the song, “Roxanne,” which got them their contract with A&M Records. Estimate: $1,000-$2,000.

Fender Stratocaster

Police signatures

Lot 102, an Elvis Presley handwritten speech. With an estimate of $2,000 to $4,000, this rare handwritten document on personalized stationary reads, “And these gentlemen here, these type people, who care. They’re dedicated, you realize they might be building the Kingdom of heaven right here, it’s not hard to believe that.” The letter measures 5 inches by 5 inches” and is in excellent condition.

Lot 101, Guns N’ Roses original cover art. Drawn by Billy White Jr. in 1987, this original pencil-on-paper drawing was used as the album cover image for Guns N’ Roses’ “Appetite For Destruction.” It was the band’s first release and catapulted them into stardom. The album has gone platinum 18 times. Estimate: $2,000-$4,000.

Album cover from pencil drawing

Neil Diamond, voted this Grammys’ person of the year, has donated his 1956 vintage Ford Thunderbird convertible. Lot 87A is a fully loaded gem, which was Ford’s answer to Chevrolet’s Corvette. Included with this mint-condition vehicle is the original license plate, which reads “Eice.” Diamond had considered using Eice Charry as his stage name. This classic car has the not-surprising estimate of $50,000 to $60,000. This one’s going to go through the roof.

– By Christopher Kent, a member of the WorthPoint board of advisers and director of evaluations for WorthPoint. He is also an antiques and collectibles generalist, fine-arts broker and president of CTK Design.

WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Worthologists Thom Pattie and Christopher Kent and Dan “The Man in the WorthPoint Van” Borsey were on hand to represent WorthPoint at the show and give expert appraisal of the hundreds of items that were brought in.

Winnowing from the chaff

As with most appraisal events, there is a lot to winnow before the gems appear. This show was no exception. One item that was fascinating and expertly preserved was a five-shilling note issued and signed Jan. 1, 1776. Its book value was about $150 to $200, and as a piece of history, it was invaluable.

Five-shilling note

Another piece of history appeared in the form of a knife with an attached engraved metal plate bearing the name Jessie James. There was, like many of the pieces that came in over the three-day period, a story attached. It seems it was acquired from a collector of knives who had amassed many. There the story ends. Background and provenance, questionable, interesting, but not substantive enough to put a value on the piece. It should be noted that on the reverse of the knife, etched into the bone handle was Kearney, Missouri June 5 1876, the date Jessie’s brother, Frank, was married.

Jesse James knife

Real or contrived, the piece did provoke interest and debate among the appraisers. The consensus—the value was at a few hundred dollars without the addition of documented proof of authenticity.

Looks may be deceiving in the next item that appeared in the form of a last-quarter, 19th-century “Pairpoint” desk lamp with scenic shade. Although it had the look, feel and smell of a genuine Pairpoint lamp, the maker’s mark was etched not stamped into the base. While the shade was, indeed, scenic and beaded, it just did not ring true. The verdict—a nice lamp at a couple of hundred dollars. Had it been the real deal, value would have been upward of $5,000.

"Pairpoint" lamp

The crowning jewel of the show was an extraordinary ceramic piece done in the Art Nouveau style by the pre-eminent entrepreneur in the field of the ceramic industry, Bernard Bloch. Marked BB on the base, numbered and signed, this incredibly graceful piece, circa 1900, matched, if not surpassed, the works of Bloch’s fellow Czech/Bohemian ceramic makers, Johann Maresch and Julius Dressler.

Bloch Art Nouveau

The piece was originally purchased at Brimfield a year before for fewer than $500. It’s important to note that many collectors of Nouveau porcelains and ceramics are turning full attention to the Bohemian ceramics makers and designers and are vying for prized pieces such as this one. A conservative value of $2,500 was placed on the piece, and the owner went away happy.

– By Christopher Kent, a member of the WorthPoint board of advisers and director of evaluations for WorthPoint. He is also an antiques and collectibles generalist, fine-arts broker and president of CTK Design.

(All photos by Dan Borsey)

WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

It may be a result of our turbulent financial times, but it is interesting to note that most of the furniture items, with perhaps a few exceptions, are listed with very low estimates. Paintings seem to be holding their own with or without attribution. Silver is still a good investment based on this sale, and interesting provincial/regional pieces deserve a second look as potential long-term investments.

Lot 5, a fine oil on canvas in the style of Edwin Landseer. It is a work by M.S. Offord and inscribed in verso, “Spaniels of King Charles Breed painted by M.S. Offord exhibitor after Edwin Landseer RA,” 1802-1873. In a period gilt frame, its estimate is $1,200-$1,600. The work was commissioned by the owner of the spaniels, Robert Vernon. It is a stylistically sound work by a listed artist.

M.S. Offord's spaniels

Lot 52, a rare Flight and Barr, Worchester, inkstand. This English piece, circa 1800, possibly earlier, is porcelain and decorated with chrome green and puce enamels enhanced with gilding. “Flight & Barr/Worchester” is marked in puce script. Although there are minor condition issues and the lid is missing, this piece is considered extremely rare. Estimate: $300-$500.

Flight and Barr inkstand

Lot 60, an American or English circa 1800 oil on canvas, unsigned. It shows a well-dressed gentleman seated in front of a draped column with glimpse of sky.
The portrait is in a period frame with minor restoration. Estimate: $2,000-$4,000

Unsigned portrait

Lot 63, the Omnibus Livery and Bait Stables at the White Swan Inn, painted by James Pollard, (1792-1867). An oil on canvas, signed and dated 1853, it depicts a lorry pulled by a Welsh cob horse in the foreground with the White Swan Inn in the background. What is significant about this piece is that Pollard is recognized as the foremost artist of coaching and sporting paintings. Pollard is a listed artist and recognized as a “chronicler” of the coaching age. Estimate: $3,000-$5,000.

James Pollard painting

Lot 137, a provincial combination collection box and traveling desk with interior watercolor drawings, American 1855. This is a hinged box in old paint with a velvet-covered writing surface inside. The interior is decorated with hand-drawn illustrations, circa 1831. Drawings include St George and the dragon, Robinson Crusoe, Richard III and Napoleon. Estimate: $500-$700.

Combination collection box

Interior of combination collection box

Lot 157, an exceptional collection of eight Hepplewhite dining chairs in mahogany, Massachusetts 1790-1800. Chairs consist of carved shield-back side chairs with swagged brass tacks on upholstered horsehair seats. These chairs were originally purchased at the 1998 Sotheby sale. Estimate: $2,000-$3,000.

Hepplewhite dining chairs

Lot 165, a museum-quality, extremely rare Chandee and Holloway (Baltimore) compass. There is an inscribed signature on the face. The compass dial is fully engraved. The face is elaborately engraved with a fleur-de-lis North insignia, single inset level bubble vial and two subsidiary numbered counters activated from beneath for counting both poles and miles. The compass is complete with the original brass cover and period-fitted wooden case. Two listed Chandee and Holloway compasses are documented to exist on in a private collection and one in a museum. Fully documented with an estimate of $10,000-$15,000.

Chandee and Holloway compass

Lot 448, an exceptional folk-art cane depicting an African-American man’s head. Circa 1880, Kentucky, the figured wooden handle is carved showing the mouth open and well-defined features. Below the carved head is a smooth silver collar followed by carved detail and a projecting twist shaft that terminates in a brass ferrule. Estimate: $2,500-$3,500.

folk-art cane

– By Christopher Kent, a member of the WorthPoint board of advisers and director of evaluations for WorthPoint. He is also an antiques and collectibles generalist, fine-arts broker and president of CTK Design.

WorthPoint—Get the Most from Your Antiques & Collectibles

Its January Antique and Decorative Arts Sale, Jan. 14, has 316 lots and a cross section of Native-American items, silver, French, English, American and Continental furniture, fine and decorative art, and a singular collection of Asian art, porcelain and statuary.

Among my selections are several Asian pieces, Korean and Chinese, with intrinsic, artistic value that will hold their own even in the volatile global economic crunch. Asian pieces of good classical artistic style as seen in the November Asian week Sotheby sale, along with contemporary Asian works of art, are still claiming high prices and make a good long/short term investment.

Lot 102, a Korean Koryo Dynasty (12th, 13th century) celadon inlaid stoneware vase depicting three blossoming chrysanthemums and banana leaves. Thirteen inches high, unmarked, with an estimate of $2,500-$4,000, it has the factors of rarity and artistic staying power to make the piece a good investment.

Korean Koryo Dynasty vase

Lot 123, an early Chinese Republic (1912-1949) eggshell porcelain vase with a continuous hand-painted landscape has an estimate of $2,000-$4,000. It is interesting not so much because of its artistic value but rather as a representative piece of the time in which it was made.

Chinese Republic eggshell vase

Lot 150, a Chinese Qing Dynasty gilt bronze “God of Prosperity” statue, superbly cast to depict a warrior seated on the back of a lion, raised on a lotus stand. This late 17th-century piece has an estimate of $5,000-$8,000.

Qing Dynasty statue

Lot 153, a unique and superbly crafted carved Chinese burl wood depicting mountains and 18 Lohan (Chinese sages) in a landscape. Signed Wu Chang Shuo, it is early 20th century with an estimate of $10,000-$15,000.

Chinese burl-wood mountain

Lot 159, a late third-quarter 20th century, Italian, carved shell cameo designed and executed by Gennaro Garofalo, depicting the Good Shepherd after the painting by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo which shows Christ as a youthful shepherd, signed Garofalo and set in an 18-karat gold setting. Estimate: $2,000-$4,000.

Garofalo cameo

Lot 267, Honolulu Pearl Harbor front page, Dec. 7, 1941. This mint condition newspaper, with headline reading “War! Oahu Bombed by Japanese Planes,” is going in with an estimate of $800- $1,200.

Pearl Harbor attack front page

Dallas Auction Gallery sells all items with a buyer’s premium of 19.5 percent for items up to $200,000 on the floor and 22.5 percent on Internet sales. For items more than $200,000, there is a 12 percent buyer’s premium on the floor and 17 percent for Internet sales.

– By Christopher Kent, a member of the WorthPoint board of advisers and director of evaluations for WorthPoint. He is also an antiques and collectibles generalist, fine-arts broker and president of CTK Design.

WorthPoint—Get the Most from Your Antiques & Collectibles

The great hue and cry these days from longtime dealers is that they cannot find their antiques, collectibles and fine art in all the usual places. Their old stomping grounds just don’t exist anymore. Instead of diversifying and going on the Internet, they will draw in on themselves, divesting their own collections and professionally poaching on their rival’s to suit the needs of their clients.

Now, I’m not talking about the new dealers, the thirty-somethings, the darlings of the Internet, who walk around shows and shops clicking digital cameras and downloading the pictures onto sites around the world. I am referring to the old guard who have become anachronisms, Hogarth caricatures of themselves. There’s a place for these curmudgeon types—in glass cases with small printed cards that read: “Antiquarian 20th-century specimen.”

My reaction to these guys is to remember them fondly as a part of my childhood learning curve. They taught me a great deal. They imparted their wisdom, sometimes begrudgingly, sometimes with an enthusiasm that matched my own childish bumptiousness. One of these relics, a rare hothouse variety who has made the transition into the 21st century and now conducts his business online, invited me to an upstate New York sale.

An example of a Utamaro beauty

“Don’t get too excited,” he said. “The sale will probably be junk, but I hear there are a couple of decent country pieces and probably a lot of tractor parts. Oh, and bring your boots. We’ll probably be in a field somewhere.”

The wellies were duly packed, and I arrived in upstate New York in a little town called something like Tooten-on-the-Hudson. The sale was just about to start, and we had the opportunity to view the small but promising collection of furniture, unpromising chipped pottery, cracked Staffordshire and as promised, tractors, combines, tillers and other farm equipment.

Seated woman

We both exhaled with the disappointment of the collection. We were standing in a pasture that probably had been cleared of cows the day before. And, frankly, I don’t know what these cows had been eating, but wow, there was manure aplenty. The sun warming up the dung prompted the memory of many a country sale that I had attended in the past.

This was a far cry from the salesrooms and gilded halls where I was of late more accustomed to frequent. The auctioneer was good, fast, really fast, so fast that the uninitiated were bidding against themselves. He cleared most of the collection by noon. My friend picked up two good Federal fancy chairs and a tigerwood tripod table. Now it seemed what was left was to rid the seller of all the rusted farm equipment.

We hung in for another hour, consoling ourselves with hot dogs and lemonade from the concession stand, when the auctioneer paused and produced, like the proverbial rabbit from a hat, seven framed prints that had not, heretofore, been seen.

Once again I experienced a solar-plexus smack that said run, don’t walk to the front and check them out. Casually, I traversed the field. Leaving my friend in midsentence and after several dead-on hits with cow pies, I got to the front.

“Utamaro,” I said aloud.

Takashimaya Ohisa with Two Mirrors

“What?” said the man next to me.

“What?” I said back to him while I zeroed in on the early-19th-century Japanese prints. “Oh nothing, they’re not what I thought they were.” The man, losing interest, turned away.

Unbelievably, in the middle of hayracks, bailing wire and milking machines were some of the loveliest Japanese prints I had seen outside a public collection. I recognized them because I had just finished cataloging a collection that was good but not like these. Kitagawa Utamaro (1753-1806) was an innovative Japanese artist. While Europe was adding yet another putti and floral flounce to their paintings, he was producing refined and simply elegant depictions of 18th-century Japanese life.

Courtesans

These prints were real, and their condition was unbelievably good. They consisted of highborn ladies at their toilet, stylized with large portrait heads in which the design style, unique to Utamaro, relies on the outlined elongated features of the face, detailed decoration of the coiffured hair and painstaking rendering of the clothing.

The bidding started low. I bid $50. Silence. Suddenly a voice from across the field said, “One hundred-fifty.” Okay, these prints are worth easily several thousand, I said to myself. “Two hundred,” I said.

“Three hundred,” said the voice.

“Three-fifty.”

“Four.”

“Four-fifty,” I said. Okay, who is this jerk bidding against me? I turned around and saw my friend raising his hand to top my bid. One is capable in rare instances when the occasion calls for it to send out daggers, thunderbolts, paralyzing paroxysms of pain. He got the full thrust of my message, threw up his hands in an “I surrender, who knew?” gesture and turned away to get another hot dog. Hammer down at $450. His apology was finally accepted after a second bottle of Bordeaux that evening.

I resold the prints through an agent to an unknown buyer. Two years later, I received a large box the day before Christmas. I opened it, and to my amazement, there were the framed prints. The enclosed note read, “Merry Christmas, I decided we’ll enjoy these on a lend-lease exchange, yours for the next two years. Enjoy, and happy New Year.” It was from my friend, the bid-oblivious dealer.

– Christopher Kent is a member of the WorthPoint board of advisers and director of evaluations for WorthPoint. He is also an antiques and collectibles generalist, fine-arts broker and president of CTK Design.

WorthPoint—Get the Most from Your Antiques & Collectibles