Correction: A photo of a Chippendale-style mahogany block-front desk was misidentified as a Louis XV-style bureau. This story was updated on January 27, 2004.
Familiarity breeds contentment in local auction circles.
Owners of area galleries will share stories of working with clients through the years -- even over several generations of the same family. Mutual respect, trust and integrity are key to developing and maintaining these enduring bonds. Of course, good sales returns also ensure future patronage.
Still, in an age when loyalty of any type seems antiquated, these long-standing relationships glow with a well-earned patina.
Constantine & Mayer
Ask Jeff Constantine about his roots with Jack Gregory, and the jovial Oakmont-based auctioneer starts reeling in the years. Going back to the late 1980s, the Upper St. Clair resident sought Constantine's guidance on selling some personal effects. Since that first encounter, several more collaborations followed, leading up to a Feb. 7 auction of select items from the Gregory collection and outside additions.
With plenty of fine arts highlights, Claude Strachan's "Bassington Village" is a best buy. Interestingly, the British-born watercolorist apparently moved so frequently throughout the English and Scottish countryside that hard-and-fast information is difficult to find. Born in 1865, he studied in Liverpool and exhibited in London at the Royal Academy of Arts and Royal Institute of Painters of Watercolors. Although poster reproductions of his work sell for $10 to $20 at big-box crafts stores, the real deals fetch prices in the tens of thousands at auction. Conservatively estimating a sale price between $3,000 and $5,000, Constantine says he expects a "battle to ensue" for this 11- by 15-inch rural gem, distinguished by its great detail, brilliant colors and totally untouched, intact original frame.
"Like father, like son" might sum up the relationship between Armin Hansen and his painter pop -- almost. While the elder Hansen specialized in Old West frontier scenes, the younger artist gravitated toward the shore. Inspired by the seas and the men who sailed them, Hansen produced some of the 20th century's more notable works of marine and coastal life. No surprise then that a tiny etching here depicts fishermen at work. Signed in pencil and dated 1922, "Unloading Fish" might net a whopper of a price.
Local collectors will note that another A.F. King is up for grabs, along with works by Adolf Kaufmann, Herbert Carmichael and George Gay. Several bronze sculptures should also attract bidders.
In 1832, Joseph Bailey set up shop in Philadelphia with just $28 worth of jewelry tools to his name. Over the next 170 years, his company established a reputation for craftsmanship in jewelry, clock making, silver and other valuables. A magnificent grandfather clock is a towering example of Bailey, Banks & Biddle quality. Carved from mahogany, the clock features Westminster chimes that ring on the quarter-hour and a silver chapter ring with the company name engraved on it. Showing its aesthetic movement roots, this early 20th-century American masterpiece is -- figuratively speaking -- a timeless classic.
Tiffany is another sought-after name brand. Silver collectors will want to scoop up a slender sterling ladle of the 1872 "Persian Pattern." Designed by Edward Moore and in production for less than 30 years, the pattern features design influences drawn from Moore's extensive travels in the Middle East. Online prices start around $800.
Although he was no Howard Dean, Franklin Delano Roosevelt also courted voters south of the Mason-Dixon line -- and urged them to stay there. Writing in March 1931, the then New York governor entertained a West Virginia woman's desire to move to his home state. Yet, in an extremely long run-on sentence, he expressed his wish for her continued residence in the Mountain State. In a typed letter on executive stationery, FDR replied: "I hope sometime that you will become a resident of (New York). In the meanwhile, I am rather glad that you are located in West Virginia ... where good Democrats ... can be of great service in convincing their neighbors ... that the Democratic Party ... is the Party which really represents ... all progressive people." Neatly signed by the future president, the letter captures the warm wit and political savvy of the father of the New Deal.
As the self-billed "Boutique Auction Specialists," Constantine & Mayer also offers a fine Renaissance-style carved library table, a writing desk from the Samuel Adams family, fine ceramics and glassware and a fully loaded classic 1989 Jaguar XJS V-12 (rocket fuel not included) with just 50,000 original miles.
For a special preview of select items, visit Constantine & Mayer's Oakmont gallery, 638 Allegheny River Blvd., between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday and Feb. 3. The general preview will run from 9 to 11 a.m. Feb. 7, with the auction following immediately afterward at the West View Fireman's Banquet Hall, 398 Perry Highway, West View.
Details: (412) 828-7015.
Dargate Auction Gallery
Whoever said "art is everywhere" might have sneaked a peek at Dargate's upcoming sale, set for Saturday and Sunday. On the roster are enough watercolors, oils, etchings, prints, statues and other creative works to fill a small museum. Portraits, landscapes, nautical scenes and even a horse oil-on-canvas study will keep bidding constant and competitive.
Most notable might be a difficult-to-decipher George Grosz watercolor. Born in Germany, Grosz seemingly never met an "ism" he didn't dislike -- aside from Dadaism. Disdaining Nazism, communism and capitalism during his lifetime, he mercilessly lampooned the German bourgeoisie after World War I. His early ridicule of Hitler earned the Gestapo's uncomfortable scrutiny, which eventually forced his move to the United States. In America, Grosz's work exhibited a more optimistic outlook. A deceptively simple watercolor depicts two black-robed nuns approaching an alabaster stone building, gloriously splashed with the red, white and blue of the Stars and Stripes. Upon returning to post-WWII Berlin, where he died, Grosz explained that his American dream was just a burst bubble.
"Lots of Chippendale" best sums up the sale's furniture offerings, according to gallery director Tim Murphy. Yet, two 18th-century pieces rise above. A finely carved Rococo candle stand with a piecrust-edged, curvilinear top sits on a stop-fluted pedestal tripod base. Also notable is a double-decker mahogany dumb waiter, ready to serve on spiral-turned baluster stems and snakehead feet.
For a bit of flair in the boudoir, check the custom-crafted, nine-piece "Swan" bedroom suite. After seeing a similar set in the home of legendary Met coloratura soprano Lily Pons, the original owner placed an order with the Leonardo Co. of New York. Still in good condition after many decades, the ensemble is a must-see with its marble-topped and veneered sidepieces. But the showstoppers are the majestic green-painted frame and gilt-feathered headboard, complete with a feather corona and oval-mirrored drapery tiebacks. Be sure to see an old photo that shows the elaborate drapery that once added an elegant grace note to the collection.
Previews will be from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday. Sales will start at 10 a.m. Saturday and Sunday at Dargate's showroom, 214 N. Lexington Ave., Point Breeze.
Details: (412) 362-3558 or www.dargate.com .
Fair warning
Three local houses break the ice with a quintet of sales over the next couple of weeks:
J.S. Dill Auctions: A pre-Valentine's Day threesome heats up this Evans City emporium at 360 W. Main St.
Starting Thursday, the contents of an Enon Valley home will serve up some nice smalls such as glassware, china pocket watches and a Jadeite rolling pin. A few days later, on Feb. 5, the furnishings of a North Hills condo will go on the block. Along with a houseload of mahogany furniture, biddables include fine china and a collection of early oil lamps. Completing the set on Feb. 8, a can't-miss sale of antique and mission oak furniture also includes an 1860 pistol, classic table radios and an old-timey postcard collection.
Details: (412) 362-9001, (724) 538-3700 or www.jsdillauctions.com .
Royal York Auction Gallery: Fine home furnishings will take center stage at the Royal York's Feb. 7 auction. Top picks include a Louis XV-style bureau with ormolu mounts, a 19th-century deacon's bench, a Chippendale-style block-front desk and a mahogany corner cabinet. Additional items: Stueben and Lalique pieces, Llardo figures, Royal Daulton collectibles and Hummels. Previews will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Feb. 5 and 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 6. The sale will start at 9 a.m. Feb. 7. All the action will happen at 5925 Baum Blvd., East Liberty.
Details: (412) 661-1171.
Three Rivers Auction Company: Three Rivers will open its doors for a Monday sale that includes stamp collections, Pittsburgh sport memorabilia, 18 Story Book dolls in their original boxes, Depression glass, Basset furniture, needlepoint purses, prints, paintings and more. Look for the new auctions-within-the-auction sales that focus on specialty items.
Located in the shadows of Washington, Pa.'s, historic courthouse, Three Rivers is on the corner of West Beau and Washington streets. Previews will start one hour before the noon auction.
Details: (800) 976-4607 or www.3riversauction.com .
