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What a thriller! Jackson moonwalk glove makes $350K at auction

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 01:11:53 +0100

NEW YORK (ACNI and AP) – The now-iconic rhinestone-studded glove Michael Jackson wore when he performed his first moonwalk dance in 1983, has sold at auction for $350,000. The presale estimate had been set at $40,000 to $60,000.

The glove and other Jackson items were part of a music memorabilia auction held by Julien's Auctions today at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York's Times Square.

The New York Daily News reported that the buyer of the glove is Hong Kong hotel executive Hoffman Ma. “It was a bargain - we were expecting to pay more,” the newspaper quoted Ma as saying. Ma said he plans to display the glove at his hotel, the Ponte 16 in Macau.

Ma traveled to New York to bid in the auction but also instructed members of his staff to bid on additional Jackson items online. All of the items purchased in the sale by Ma and his employees will be added to an existing collection of Michael Jackson memorabilia.

Jackson wore the left-handed glove when he unveiled what was to become his trademark dance on Motown's 25th-anniversary TV special. Originally a store-bought glove, it was modified with a mesh of rhinestones.

Pop legend Jackson, who died June 25 at age 50, gave the glove to Walter "Clyde" Orange, of the singing group the Commodores, after the 1983 performance.

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On the Net:

Julien's Auctions: www.juliensauctions.com

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German auction house pulls disputed painting

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 22:24:53 +0100

BERLIN – A German auction house says it has withdrawn from sale a painting that the Max Stern estate claims was one of hundreds the Jewish art dealer was forced to sell off by the Nazis.

Karl-Sax Feddersen, responsible for legal affairs at the Duesseldorf-based Lempertz auction house, said the picture by Alexander Adriaenssen had been pulled from Saturday's sale and its owner notified.

He said the painting is valued at $6,000 to $7,500.

Feddersen said the painting's owner must decide how to go forward with restitution talks, but the auction house is "ready to facilitate negotiations."

The estate claims it is one of some 400 works from Stern's collection sold under duress between 1935 and 1937. It is working to recover all of them.

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Wright’s fall auction agenda includes debut of Modern Glass sale

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:45:42 +0100

CHICAGO – The Chicago-based auction house Wright has announced details of its three specialty auctions to be held in December, each featuring Internet live bidding through LiveAuctioneers.com.

In addition to the semiannual Important Design auction, which will be conducted this year on Dec. 8, Wright will feature a double bill on Dec. 10 consisting of a Postwar and Contemporary sale, and the debut of a Modern Glass sale

Wright’s carefully vetted Important Design sale includes not only significant modern design but also highlights historical antecedents of modernism and contemporary design. Special highlights of the Important Design sale include a Douglas BTD Destroyer wind tunnel model plane, a Tatra T87 automobile, a Mercedes 230SL convertible and an Aston Martin DB6 sports car. Additionally, the sale will feature 81 Mylar prints documenting the construction of the World Trade Center North Tower. The prints will be divided into 25 lots.

For the first time, Wright will offer the work of mid-century Mexican Modernists such as Pepe Mendoza, Arturo Pani and Pedro Friedeberg, alongside Scandinavian masterworks and notable French and Italian designs.

Introducing a sale dedicated to glass, Wright's first Modern Glass sale on Dec. 10 features Masterworks of the 20th and 21st centuries from Murano. Curated by Dan Ripley, this sale will include works from top artists including, Carlo Scarpa, Fulvio Bianconi, Luciano Vistosi and Dino Martens among many others.

Finally, Wright’s autumn auction agenda will conclude with the company’s Postwar and Contemporary Art sale. In this auction Wright will offer works of various media – from works on paper to paintings to photography to sculpture – by important artists of the 20th and 21st centuries.

From the collection of a prominent New York collector, Wright will offer Security and Serenity by Haim Steinbach, and Truism Footstool by Jenny Holzer, along with artworks by several notable artists. Works by Diego Rivera, Lousie Nevelson, Banksy, Richard Avedon, Matthew Barney and Peter Halley will also be available in this sale

For additional information on any item in the three abovementioned sales, call 312-563-0020.

To view the fully illustrated catalog and to sign to bid absentee or live via the Internet, visit www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

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Click here to view Wright's Modern Glass catalog.
Click here to view Wright's Important Design catalog.
Click here to view Wright's Post War + Contemporary Art catalog.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

In Memoriam: Southwestern artist Jose Cisneros

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:14:35 +0100

EL PASO, Texas (AP) – Artist Jose Cisneros, known for his vivid depictions of the people and culture of the Southwest, has died in El Paso.

A funeral mass was held on Wednesday for Cisneros, who died Saturday, said Dolores Bolanos with Martin Funeral Home in El Paso. Cisneros was 99.

Cisneros, who was born in Durango, Mexico, was known for his historical pen and ink illustrations appearing in numerous magazines, books and newspapers. The University of Texas-El Paso library, according to its Web site, has more than 100 original drawings by Cisneros.

Although also a talented woodcarver, writer and muralist, Cisneros was best known for his illustrations depicting the Southwestern borderlands of centuries ago. He won international acclaim for his work, and in 2002 President George W. Bush awarded Cisneros the National Medal of the Humanities.

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Scientist identifies black rock that landed in Kansas as meteorite

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:51:34 +0100

LIBERAL, Kan. (AP) - A biophysicist has confirmed that a black rock that fell into a backyard in Liberal during the weekend was a meteorite.

Ten-year-old Chandler Harp found the 2-inch-diameter black rock Saturday after hearing what he thought was an explosion.

Don Stimpson of Haviland, a biophysicist who owns the Kansas Meteorite Museum and Nature Center near Greensburg, says he's convinced the rock is a meteorite.

Stimpson saw the rock during a visit to Liberal Tuesday. He says it likely came from the atmosphere around the sun and fell as far as 100 million miles.

Chandler's mother, a pharmacist, says the meteorite weighed 47 grams.

Stimpson says the value of the meteorite depends on what collectors are willing to pay, but it can go as high as $100 per gram.

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Information from: The Hutchinson News, http://www.hutchnews.com

AP-CS-11-19-09 0713EST

Wiederseim's Nov. 28 holiday auction a multiple-course feast

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:50:29 +0100

GLENMOORE, Pa. – Wiederseim Associates Inc. has lined up more than 500 lots of furniture and accessories, silver, paintings, clocks, ceramics, jewelry, railroad items, a pocket watch collection and Britains toy soldiers for its annual Thanksgiving Weekend Auction on Nov. 28. The auction, which will begin at 9 a.m. Eastern, will be conducted in Griffith Hall of the Ludwig’s Corner Firehouse, 1325 Pottstown Pike (State Route 100). LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding.

Consignments have come from estates and collections from Delaware, New England, Pennsylvania’s Main Line and locally from Chester County.

From Boston, a 19th-century Classical mahogany sofa with leather upholstery, scrolled arms and carved saber legs is expected to sell for $1,500-$2,000. It measures 34 inches high, 71 inches wide and 19 inches deep.

A late-18th-century New England slant-front desk of tiger maple has a $1,500-$2,000 estimate. The desk is 42 inches high by 32 inches wide by 19 inches deep. It has replaced brasses and several repairs to the drawers.

What was likely a wedding present, a Pennsylvania Queen Anne-style two-part walnut highboy stands 69 inches high, 39 inches wide and 20 inches deep. The bench-made piece contains a brass plaque that reads "Lelia T. Woodruff & Francis J. Stokes, M-6-26-1912." It has an $800-$1,000 estimate.

Topping the clocks in the sale is a 19th-century Federal tall case clock having a broken arch bonnet and a 30-hour movement. In a cherry case that stands 94 inches high, the clock has a $900-$1,200 estimate.

The holiday sale will include many dazzling pieces of jewelry. A sapphire and diamond ring has four half-carat round-cut blue sapphires surrounded by 16 round brilliant-cut diamonds and six single-cut accent diamonds in an18-karat yellow gold setting. With the diamonds totaling approximately 2.45 carats, the ring has a $2,500-$3,500 estimate. A ladies mesh 22-karat yellow gold bracelet having a marquis-shape lapis lazuli cabochon stone is estimated at $1,500-$2,000.

Among the fascinating smalls in the sale is a carved bone whistle in the shape of a dog’s head. Dating to the late 1800s, the 2 1/2-inch-long whistle has great detail and glass eyes. This unique item sports a $200-$300 estimate.

Previewing will take place Friday, Nov. 27, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 28, from 7 a.m. until the start of the sale.

For details phone 610-574-9010.

View the fully illustrated catalog and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet during the sale at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

Click here to view Wiederseim Associates, Inc.'s complete catalog.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

Vintage Sears Roebuck Christmas catalogs find buyers online

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:40:22 +0100

OREM, Utah – The eBay market research company HammerTap looked into sales of holiday-theme books sold on eBay this month and found that the clear winners were vintage Sears Roebuck Christmas catalogs from the 1950s and 1960s.

In a 30-day period, 153 of these catalogs were offered on eBay, with 73% of them selling successfully. The average selling price was $45 for each catalog, but other were high fliers. A 176-page Wish List Sears catalog from 1943 sold for $305 and a 439-page catalog from 1952 sold for $255.

“We definitely found a few gems in these catalogs,” said HammerTap spokesperson Jen Cano. "Our research into last year’s listings of the same item showed an equal trend. This likely indicates that we will see sales for these books remain steady during the holiday season for years to come.”

In-depth research into the catalogs showed that listings that included the word "Roebuck" increased the average selling price from $45 to $96. In addition, 100% of listings with the word "Roebuck" culminated in a sale.

Cano advises vintage book sellers to keep an eye out for Sears catalogs throughout the coming year as a sure profit-maker online during the 2010 holiday season.

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Museum of American Glass seeks $45K to receive matching donation

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:24:22 +0100

WESTON, W. Va. – “Match the money and the museum is ours!” That was the rallying cry that launched an ambitious fund-raising drive for the Museum of American Glass in West Virginia at the 19th annual Glass Gathering held at the museum on October 23rd.

Dean Six, executive director of the museum, told nearly 100 attendees that “an anonymous donor has stepped forward who will match every dollar with a dollar.” The campaign goal is $45,000, which, when matched, will retire the mortgage on the museum building before a substantial balloon payment is due. The generous donor is encouraging the museum to seek and establish new streams of support and hence will match all donations received between October 25, 2009 and April 25, 2010.

A fun skit featuring five museum board members engaged in a whispering campaign brought home the message. Dean Six, in his best “schoolteacher” voice, asked what all the whispering was about. The whisperers opened envelopes and each held up a number and then assembled themselves in a line to create the 4 5 0 0 0 figure.

Erseline Rumbach, Lewis County Regent of the Trans-Allegheny Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, approached the podium and announced that her organization wanted to kick off the drive with a $500 donation. Rumbach said the museum “is in keeping with part of our goals of preserving regional history.”

Dean Six was pleased to announce later that roughly one-third of the goal was raised in less than a week. Anyone making a donation of at least $60 will be recognized in the museum’s magazine All About Glass. Higher levels of giving will be recognized with the donor’s name listed permanently at the museum, and top-level donations of $500 or more will be recognized with the donor’s name engraved on a one-of-a-kind commemorative vase by glass artist Kelsey Murphy that will become part of the permanent collection. Since the museum is a 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt, not-for-profit organization, donations are tax deductible.

The Museum of American Glass in West Virginia holds an impressive array of American-made glass, glass-making tools and an extensive library of glass industry information. Begun in 1992, the museum relocated to its present location in 2007 and occupies 12,000 square feet with over 7,000 pieces of glass on permanent display. The museum is home to the National Marble Museum and The American Flint Glass Workers Union Archives.

Find out more about the museum online at http://wvmag.bglances.com/. Questions about programs or the museum can be directed to 304-269-5006.

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ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

Indian baskets, Chinese antiquities highlight Jenack sale Nov. 22

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:35:15 +0100

CHESTER, N.Y. - William J. Jenack Auctioneers will present its end of fall sale on Sunday, Nov. 22, beginning at 11 a.m. Eastern. The auction includes a collection of Native American Indian baskets and jewelry; a collection of fine Chinese antiques; paintings and artwork by such artists as Eugen Kampf and Rufino Tamayo; vintage and modern cameras, optics and related accessories; and 19th- and 20th-century furniture including custom and period and architectural room fittings. LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding.

The American Indian baskets were collected in the 1930s and 1940s by A. Thomas Henderson of Middletown, N.Y. Henderson is a well-known local historian, author and antiquarian bookseller. Henderson’s books included several on the history and tragedy of the American Indians, especially those of the Orange County region of New York. Henderson has an interest in the history of Native Americans as he shares bloodlines with them. The baskets are mostly of Pima or Apache origin and in fine condition. They carry estimates of $200-$3,000.

Highlights of the Chinese works of art are a Sung Dynasty carved and polychromed wood figure of Avalokitesvara perched upon a rocky outcropping, estimate of $12,000-$18,000. The statue is part of the collection of American artist Ben Birillo and carries an Orenda Authenticity Certificate. Also offered from Birillo’s collection is a finely carved limestone head of Buddha of the Sui Dynasty, estimate of $10,000-$15,000. It too has an Orenda Authenticity Certificate and is also part of the ex-collection of Ludwig Brectschnieder, Munich.

Following those two star lots are a Sung Dynasty pottery cat form pillow, estimate of $1,500-$2,500; Chinese Han Dynasty polychromed pottery pillow, estimate of $800-$1,200; Sung Dynasty double gourd form vase with applied decoration, estimate of $800-$1,200.

Furniture of note include an American Chippendale-style cherry tall chest of drawers, Victorian carved walnut secretary and a fine diminutive New York Federal carved settee with dolphins and fully carved hairy paw feet front and back. In addition there are several other pieces of 19th- and 20th-century furnishings, Oriental carpets and accessories.

Perhaps the largest and potentially most interesting lots in the sale are two 19th-century architectural carved and paneled rooms from the Clemson Brother’s-Star Hacksaw Co., Middletown, N.Y. The president’s office consists of walnut paneling, crown moldings, doors, fireplace surround, marble sink and fitted lavatory, window moldings and built-in shutters. The payroll office has outfitted in oak panels with cabinets, doors, crown moldings, window moldings and shutters. Other offerings from the factory are original nickel plated gas-o-liers (electrified), elaborate wrought iron fencing with stars and flame standards and a fantastic bronze fireplace surround with fender, andirons and bronze gas logs. All fittings are to be sold in place and removed by the buyer.

For details call William J. Jenack offices at (845) 469-9095 or visit the Web site www.jenack.com.

View the fully illustrated catalog and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet during the sale at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

Click here to view William J. Jenack Auctioneers' complete catalog.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

Phillips de Pury’s Nov. 21 MUSIC sale a new hybrid in art auctions

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:29:41 +0100

LONDON – Phillips de Pury & Co.’s new series of theme auctions held in London and New York blends contemporary art and popular culture in an exciting, innovative way. Their third MUSIC theme sale, which will take place on Saturday afternoon, Nov. 21, 2009 at the company’s London galleries, adds a new dimension to the auction experience with the introduction of live music and a cross-pollination of artistic sources.

The sale – featuring Internet live bidding through LiveAuctioneers.com – will incorporate four components: contemporary art and design with a reference to music, art created by contemporary musicians, portraits of contemporary musicians by top photographers, and music memorabilia.

Simon de Pury, chairman of Phillips de Pury & Co., commented: “Whether it’s Peter Blake creating the ultimate album cover for the Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band by the Beatles in the 60’s or more recently, Damien Hirst doing all the fabulous artwork for the last two releases of The Hours, there has been an inextricably close link between art and music.”

Top lots include two works by Damien Hirst, Beautiful Psychedelic Rays of Dancing Love Hours Spin Painting, 2008; and Spin Skull with Clocks in Eyes, 2008. Both works were produced in collaboration with the band The Hours.

Also included is a silkscreen on paper by Andy Warhol titled Michael Jackson, 1984, and a work on paper by Martin Kippenberger, Untitled (Self Portrait, Chelsea Hotel), 1990. These top works will be auctioned off alongside artworks by other important names in contemporary art, including Sam Taylor-Wood, Thomas Hirschhorn and Candice Breitz.

The inclusion of artworks created by contemporary musicians is the section that Phillips de Pury is proud to introduce as part of this new concept. Presenting some of the biggest names in music alongside some of the celebrated contemporary artists of today, the sale provides a new dynamic and dialogue between art and music. Some of the works included in this section are by Nick Rhodes, Pete Doherty, Moby, and Marilyn Manson.

Photography will play a large roll in the sale, with contemporary photographs of musicians and rock stars by top photographers such as Helmut Newton, Peter Lindbergh and Mario Testino. Key photography lots include Jonas Mekas’s Collection of 40 Film Stills, and Peter Lindbergh’s triptych, Keith Richards, New York, 1999.

In addition, rock, pop and hip hop memorabilia round out the auction, with such inclusions as hip hop jewelry, fashion, toys, musical instruments and lyrics. Top lots include Damon Dash’s platinum and Asscher-cut diamond cross pendant, and Bob Dylan’s signed Greatest Hits album cover. A limited edition Gibson Flying V electric guitar, used by Michael Jackson in the video for Scream will also be offered, alongside Björk’s multicolored couture dress designed by Bernhard Willhelm and worn during her Volta Tour.

According to Phillips de Pury, the MUSIC sale will be the first auction ever to be held with live music. The acclaimed musician Matthew Herbert, will create a “sound carpet” to accompany the auction conducted by Simon de Pury.

A new printed catalog in the form of an art and lifestyle magazine has been created for the theme sales. Every catalog includes interviews with artists, curators and collectors, art world news and more. The MUSIC sale catalogue will include articles on: Martin Creed, Jónsi and Alex, Matthew Herbert, Daniel Birnbaum, Christian Marclay, Graham Coxon, Goldie and Jeffrey Lewis, and an interview with Damien Hirst.

For information regarding the sale, call Phillips de Pury in London at 011 44 207 318 4010. Visit them on the Web at www.phillipsdepury.com.

View the fully illustrated catalog and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

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Click here to view Phillips de Pury & Company's complete catalog.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

Disney Art of Classic Fairy Tales exhibit opens at New Orleans museum

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:44:46 +0100

NEW ORLEANS - Dreams Come True: Art of the Classic Fairy Tales from the Walt Disney Studio has opened a 17-week run at the New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA). New Orleans is the only North American venue for the one-of-a-kind show, which is on through March 14, 2010 and features more than 600 rarely seen original artworks that brought legendary fairy tales to the screen. Among the Disney films represented are Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast.

Dreams Come True also will include artwork from the upcoming Walt Disney Animation Studio’s musical comedy, The Princess and the Frog, an animated feature film from the creators of The Little Mermaid and Aladdin, set in New Orleans and due for release on Dec. 11.

Visitors to the exhibition will encounter themed rooms showcasing artwork related to specific animated features. Arranged chronologically by year of release, the rooms will feature, in order: Silly Symphony shorts, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and The Princess and the Frog. Short film clips will accompany the artwork to demonstrate how individual sketches and paintings lead to a finished cinematic masterpiece.

Renowned actor and New Orleans resident John Goodman, the voice of Eli “Big Daddy” La Bouff in The Princess and the Frog, will narrate a self-guided Acoustiguide audio tour of Dreams Come True, included in the price of admission.

An eight-minute video presentation on the tradition of storytelling in Disney films will screen continuously in the Stern Auditorium as a preface to the exhibition.

With generous support from The Walt Disney Company, the New Orleans Museum of Art is able to offer underwritten student admission and transportation reimbursement for 12,000 public school students from the Orleans, Jefferson, St. Bernard and St. Tammany parishes.

Students in kindergarten through third grade will be led by specially trained NOMA docents; students in grades four through twelve will be provided an Acoustiguide audio tour. One adult chaperone for every five students is required at a fee of $6.50 per chaperone.

Admission rates for public school students outside of the four-parish area are $4 per student and $6.50 per adult chaperone. Admission rates for Louisiana private and parochial schools are $4 per student and $6.50 per adult chaperone.

Louisiana residents receive half-price admission with valid photo ID (Acoustiguide included in cost of admission). See NOMA's Web site for further information on admission prices. Tickets are available at the NOMA admission desk only on a first-come, first-served basis daily.

Dreams Come True is generously supported by The City of New Orleans, Edward Wisner Donation. Corporate sponsors include Capital One Bank for Opening Day, Chevron for Members Day, The Helis Foundation, Lakeside Shopping Center and The Feil Organization; Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport and Sheraton New Orleans Hotel.

Major donors are: Gail and John Bertuzzi, Elizabeth Heebe-Russo, Françoise Billion Richardson, and the Luther and Zita Templeman Fund. To enquire about becoming a sponsor of the exhibition, contact Marilyn Dittmann, NOMA’s director of development, at 504-658-4107 or mdittmann@noma.org.Museum Hours: The museum is open to the general public on Wednesdays, noon to 8 p.m.; Thursdays to Sundays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed Mondays, Tuesdays and legal holidays (Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day).

ABOUT THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG:

Walt Disney Animation Studios presents The Princess and the Frog, an animated comedy set against the great city of New Orleans. From the creators of The Little Mermaid and Aladdin comes a modern twist on a classic tale.

When the free-spirited, jazz-loving Prince Naveen of Maldonia comes to town a deal with a dastardly witch doctor goes bad and the once suave royal is turned into a frog. In a desperate attempt to be human again, a favor in exchange for a fateful kiss on the lips from the beautiful girl, Tiana, takes an unexpected turn and leads them both on a hilarious adventure through the mystical bayous of Louisiana to the banks of the mighty Mississippi and back in time for Mardi Gras in New Orleans.

An unforgettable tale filled with music, humor and heart where two frogs—along with the help of a 200-year-old fairy godmother from the bayou, a love-sick Cajun firefly, and a trumpet-playing alligator—discover that what they want isn’t as important as what they need.

The Princess and the Frog will feature Disney’s first African American princess, Tiana, who lives in New Orleans during the Jazz Age. Other characters include Louis, a trumpet-playing alligator, and Ray, a love-sick Cajun firefly.

The Princess and the Frog marks the return to hand-drawn animation from the revered team of John Musker and Ron Clements with music by Oscar®-winning composer Randy Newman (Monsters, Inc., Cars, Toy Story).

Visit the film’s official website at http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/princessandthefrog.

ABOUT NOMA AND THE BESTHOFF SCULPTURE GARDEN:

The New Orleans Museum of Art, founded in 1910 by Isaac Delgado, houses more than 30,000 art objects encompassing 4,000 years of world art. Works from the permanent collection, along with continuously changing temporary exhibitions, are on view in the Museum’s 46 galleries Wednesdays from noon to 8 p.m. and Thursdays to Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Admission to the adjacent Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden, featuring work by 58 artists, including several of the 20th century’s great master sculptors, is always free during public hours. Please note the Sculpture Garden is closed for renovation until early 2010. Please call for more information.

The New Orleans Museum of Art and the Besthoff Sculpture Garden are fully accessible to handicapped visitors and wheelchairs are available from the front desk.

To contact the New Orleans Museum of Art, call 504-658-4100 or visit their Web site at www.noma.org.

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ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE

Don't blame fast food: Experts say mummies reveal heart disease

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:32:28 +0100

ORLANDO, Florida (AP) - You can't blame this one on McDonald's: Researchers have found signs of heart disease in 3,500-year-old mummies.

"We think of it as being caused by modern risk factors,'' such as fast food, smoking and a lack of exercise, but the findings show that these aren't the only reasons arteries clog, said Dr. Randall Thompson, a cardiologist at the Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City.

He and several other researchers used CT scans, a type of X-ray, on 22 mummies kept in the Egyptian National Museum of Antiquities in Cairo. The subjects were from 1981 B.C. to 334 A.D. Half were thought to be over 45 when they died, and average lifespan was under 50 back then.

Sixteen mummies had heart and blood vessel tissue to analyze. Definite or probable hardening of the arteries was seen in nine.

"We were struck by the similar appearance of vascular calcification in the mummies and our present-day patients,'' said another researcher, Dr. Michael Miyamoto of the University of California at San Diego. "Perhaps the development of atherosclerosis is a part of being human.''

One mummy had evidence of a possible heart attack but scientists don't know if it was fatal. Nor can they tell how much these people weighed - mummification dehydrates the body.

Of those whose identities could be determined, all were of high social status, and many served in the court of the Pharaoh or as priests or priestesses.

"Rich people ate meat, and they did salt meat, so maybe they had hypertension (high blood pressure), but that's speculation,'' Thompson said.

With modern diets, "we all sort of live in the Pharaoh's court,'' said another of the researchers, Dr. Samuel Wann of the Wisconsin Heart Hospital in Milwaukee.

The oldest mummy with heart disease signs was Lady Rai, a nursemaid to Queen Ahmose Nefertari who died around 1530 B.C. - 200 years before King Tutankhamun.

German imaging company Siemens AG, the National Bank of Egypt and the Mid-America Heart Institute paid for the work. Results are in this week's Journal of the American Medical Association and were reported Tuesday at an American Heart Association conference.

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On the Net: JAMA: http://jama.ama-assn.org

AP-CS-11-17-09 1606EST

Superb antiques, fine art at New Orleans Auction, Nov. 21-22

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:30:53 +0100

NEW ORLEANS – Nearly 1, 500 lots of antiques and fine art will be sold at New Orleans Auction Galleries’ Winter Sale on Nov. 21-22. LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding.

Fine Continental furniture will be some of the many highlights. A grand Italian mahogany secrétaire à abattant, made in the first quarter of the 18th century, carries a $12,000-$18,000 estimate. It features a case fitted with a frieze drawer over a drop front, centered by an elaborate inlaid intarsia panel of musical and foliate patterns. The interior is fitted with an arched galleried platform centered by a gilt putto and with a mirrored back. Supported by dolphin-head feet, the case stands 66 inches high, 42 inches wide and 21 inches deep.

A Regency mahogany and ebony-inlaid sideboard from the first quarter of the 19th center is a large and impressive piece. The sideboard, which measures 39 inches high by 99 inches long and 28 inches deep, disassembles for ease of transportation. It has an $8,000-$12,000 estimate.

Art will include fine old paintings as well as contemporary works. A standout example of the former is by John Neagle (American, 1796-1865), Portrait of Mrs. Negus and Her Granddaughter Susan Negus. The oil on canvas, 36 inches by 28 1/4 inches is dated 1851. Neagle was born in Boston, but worked most of his career in Philadelphia where he had success as a portrait artist. He was influenced by Thomas Sully, another leading Philadelphia portrait painter, and eventually married Sully’s daughter. The painting has a $7,000-$10,000 estimate.

Haystacks by Moonlight, an oil on canvas measuring 18 inches by 22 inches is the work of Jean Charles Cazin (French, 1841-1901). Presented in an exhibition frame affixed with a brass plaque bearing the name of the artist and the title, the painting has a $10,000-$15,000 estimate. It is signed at the lower right “C. Cazin.”

George Rodrigue (American/Louisiana, Contemporary) is famous for his Blue Dog artwork, and New Orleans Auction Galleries has two prints for the Winter Auction. Sometimes I Feel Like a Blue Dog is a limited edition silkscreen print, 24 inches by 21 1/2 inches. It is signed and dated “7/90.” The estimate is $3,000-$5,000.

The two-day auction will contain many lots of sterling silver and estate jewelry.

For details on any lot in the sale, call 504-586-8733.

View the fully illustrated catalog and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet during the sale at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

Click here to view New Orleans Auction Galleries, Inc.'s complete catalog.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

Auktionshaus Kaupp verplant die größte Versteigerung in der Geschichte des Auktionshauses, ...

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:26:59 +0100

SULZBURG BEI FREIBURG IM BREISGAU, DEUTSCHLAND - Die diesjährigen Herbstauktionen bedeuten für Karlheinz Kaupp und sein Team die größte Versteigerung in der Geschichte des Auktionshauses. Erfolgreicher denn je zuvor hat Kaupp eine ungewöhnliche Bandbreite von Kunstobjekten zusammengetragen, die nahezu alles umfasst, was man sich als Sammler wünschen kann. Erstmals präsentiert das Auktionshaus zudem seinen Katalog in vier aufwendig produzierten Bänden. Der großen Nachfrage folgend erhält auch die Moderne und Zeitgenössische Kunst einen eigenen Katalogband. Dank zahlreicher höfischer Einlieferungen – unter anderem aus der Villa Douglas bei Konstanz, dem ehemaligen Besitz der Gräfin Marie von der Goltz, einer geborenen Gräfin Douglas, sowie den Häusern von Brauchitsch und derer von Rom, werden vom 26. bis 28. November nahezu 2800 einzigartige Kunstgegenstände aus acht Jahrhunderten unter den Hammer kommen. Neben einer umfangreichen süddeutschen Privatsammlung von über 80 Sammlerteppichen kommt zudem eine Auswahl von mehr als 170 erlesenen Schmuckstücken und Armbanduhren aus dem Nachlass einer Nürnberger Patrizierdynastie zum Aufruf.

Gerade am ersten Tag der Auktion beweist Karlheinz Kaupp, dass sein Haus nicht nur in der Malerei bestens aufgestellt ist. Aus dem Privatbesitz einer Verlegerfamilie entstammt etwa eine beeindruckende Sammlung von Meissner Porzellan des 18. Jahrhunderts: Ein Deckelhumpen mit Kakiemon-Dekor startet bei 12.000 € (Abb. 77860), eine Deckelterrine mit Fabeltieren von Adam Friedrich Löwenfinck bei 2800 € und eine um 1780 entstandene Tabakdose mit Landschaftsmalerei wird mit 3800 € offeriert. Auf einen Entwurf des Direktors der Meißener Porzellanmanufaktur, Johann Gregorius Hoeroldt, geht ein Henkeltopf mit Chinoiserie-Dekor zurück (Limit 4000 €).

Sammler edlen Glases sollten sich den 26. November rot im Kalender anstreichen – die Kunsthandwerk-Auktion wartet mit stolzen 180 Sammlerstücken auf, die zu über 90% aus einer süddeutschen Privatsammlung stammen. Spitzenstücke hierbei sind ohne Zweifel ein Deckelglas mit bekröntem Wappen aus der Zeit um 1744 (Limit 600 €) sowie ein Becherglas von 1610 (Limit 400 €). Darüber hinaus runden zahlreiche prachtvolle Fadengläser, Schnapsflaschen und Wappenbecher das Glasangebot zu absolut moderaten Limitpreisen ab.

Ebenfalls am ersten Auktionstag präsentiert Kaupp eine erlesene Auswahl russisches Kunsthandwerk, so beispielsweise eine Reihe bedeutender Ostereier der Kaiserlichen Porzellanmanufaktur St. Petersburg. Mit einem Startpreis von 5500 € wird ein exquisites Osterei mit dem Abbild des Hl. Antonius aufgerufen. Ein um 1870 entstandenes kunstvolles Ei dieser Sammlung zeigt eine wunderschöne Ansicht der Alexander-Newski-Kirche in Potsdam und soll mindestens 4500 € einbringen. Bei den russischen Cloisonnéarbeiten begeistern besonders ein schöner Kelchbecher von Fedor Rückert (Abb. 77749), der mit 10.500 € veranschlagt ist, sowie eine Moskauer Fußschale aus der Zeit der Jahrhundertwende von Nikolai Vasilevich Alexeev (Limit 3800 €).

Eines der Highlights im Kapitel Jugendstil und Art Déco ist die signierte, um 1910 gefertigte Tischlampe «Double-Poinsettia» von Louis Comfort Tiffany (Limit 25.000 €, Abb. 77326). Die Bronze-Vase «Schneekönigin» von Louis Chalon, auf der die unbekleidete Namensgeberin mit Eiskristallen im langen Haar zu sehen ist, ist dagegen schon ab 400 € zu haben.

Der Bereich Schmuck und Uhren erhält in dieser Auktionswoche ebenfalls einen eigenen Katalog und begeistert mit erlesenen Einlieferungen. Neben einem äußerst seltenen höfischen Perl-Diamant-Ensemble mit silberweißen Naturperlen (Limit 5000 €, Abb. 76874) und zahlreichen ausgefallenen Art Déco-Schmuckstücken ist der mit 25.000 € taxierte Höhepunkt zweifelsohne eine museale Prunkpendule mit Darstellungen aus der Geschichte von Atala und Chactas (Abb. 77011). Eine Allegorie auf den Handel mit den Kolonien und das Ideal des edlen Wilden ist die seltene Pendule à Negre, die einen lässig auf einen Tabakballen gestützten Matrosen zeigt (Limit 16.000 €). Zwei weitere besondere Glanzstücke sind eine im 17. Jahrhundert von dem berühmten Ulmer Zunftmeister Johann Sayller gefertigte Horizontaltischuhr (Limit 18.000 €) sowie eine weitere fein gearbeitete Horizontaltischuhr aus dem 17. Jahrhundert des Augsburger Meisters Christoff Müller (Limit 11.800 €).

Am dritten Auktionstag gibt es neben einem reichen Angebot an Bronzeskulpturen auch für Liebhaber von Sammlerobjekten gute Gründe nach Sulzburg zu kommen: dazu zählt eine auf 3400 € taxierte seltene Elfenbein-Bacchantengruppe aus der Zeit des Rokoko, die dem französischen Bildhauer Claude Michel Clodion zugeschrieben wird. Eine schöne venezianische Elfenbeindose aus dem 17. Jahrhundert ist schon ab 1000 € zu haben. Aus einer Schweizer Privatsammlung bietet Karlheinz Kaupp eine um 1830 gefertigte, in 18 Karat-Gelbgold gefasste Mikromosaik-Brosche an, die das Pantheon in Rom abbildet (Limit 2500 €), sowie eine fein gearbeitete Mikromosaik-Dose mit einer Darstellung des römischen Kolosseums (Limit 3800 €, Abb. 77859).

In der Malerei des 15. bis 18. Jahrhunderts besticht unter anderem «Mädchen mit Taube», wohl ein Gemälde des bekannten Rokoko-Meisters François Boucher, das durch einen Kupferstich von Jean Jacques Flipart belegt wurde und mit einem Limit von 15.000 € angeboten wird. Aus der Werkstatt des Peter Paul Rubens stammt das eindrucksvolle Gemälde «Allegorie der Schrecken des Krieges» (Limit 12.000 €, Abb. 75520).

Einer der vielleicht hochrangigsten Namen des französischen Rokoko ist Jean Antoine Watteau – die ihm zugeschriebene «Galante Versammlung» könnte ein bislang verschollenes Gemälde sein und wird mit einem attraktiven Limit von 2000 € sicher für spannende Bietgefechte sorgen.

Im Bereich der Malerei des 19. und 20. Jahrhunderts belegt das Auktionshaus erneut seinen Status als Treffpunkt für Spitzweg-Liebhaber mit drei Hauptwerken des berühmten Biedermeiermalers. «Auf der Bastei» geht mit einem Limitpreis von 350.000 € an den Start (Abb. 75607), gefolgt von «Die Scharwache» (Limit 200.000 €, Abb. 75608) und «Das Ständchen» (Limit 120.000 €, Abb. 75606).

Auch jenseits von Spitzweg-Werken bietet der dritte Auktionstag auf Schloss Sulzburg gute Gründe, sich in den Bieterkreis zu begeben: beispielsweise für 28.000 € ein Giovanni Boldini zugeschriebenes Portrait der legendären französischen Varieté-Tänzerin Cléo de Mérode, die unter anderem auch Edgar Degas Modell saß. Hans Thomas «Heimkehrende Kühe», das sich ehemals in der Sammlung Georg Schäfer in Schweinfurt und zuletzt in einer Schweizer Privatsammlung befand, wartet ab 25.000 € auf einen neuen Besitzer. Eines der Hauptwerke des Briten Arthur Trevor Haddon «Arabische Krieger» (Limit 30.000 €, Abb. 75893) oder eine reife Darstellung eines Hühnerhofes des in Offenburg geborenen Carl Jutz d.Ä. (Limit 6000 €) spiegeln die große Bandbreite im Bereich der Gemälde wider.

Der aktuellen Marktsituation angepasst stellt die Moderne und Zeitgenössische Kunst mit einem Sonderband den krönenden Abschluss der Herbstauktionswoche bei Kaupp dar. Zahlreiche prominente nationale und internationale Namen finden sich unter den angebotenen Losen: Rupprecht Geiger (Limit 35.000 €, Abb. 75858), Arnold Topp (Limit 28.000 €, Abb. 75841), Ida Kerkovius (Limit 2200 €), Otto Dill (Limit 9500 €) oder Gerhild Diesner (Limit 1200 €). Lovis Corinth ist mit einem seiner berühmten und vielgefragten Walchensee-Gemälde (Limit 130.000 €, Abb. 75844) vertreten.

Der Amerikaner Edward Alfred Cucuel, dessen Schaffen durch einige Studienaufenthalte in Europa stark vom Stil der französischen Impressionisten beeinflusst wurde, ist mit zwei Werken ab je 6000 € vertreten. Auch für Liebhaber moderner Skulptur kann Kaupp mit fünf musealen Werken des Bildhauers Ludwig Kasper aufwarten, die mit Startpreisen von 5000 bis 20.000 € zum Aufruf kommen werden (z.B. Abb. 75716).

Wie gewohnt offeriert das Auktionshaus Kaupp auch in den anderen Sparten einmal mehr ein breites Spektrum von ausgesuchten Sammlerstücken bis hin zu exquisiten Raritäten. Edles Silber, seltene Bücher sowie Alte und Moderne Graphik runden das umfangreiche Angebot ab. Nicht zuletzt wird eine hochrangige Auswahl besonders qualitätvoller Möbel vom Barock bis zum Biedermeier das Herz der Sammler höher schlagen lassen.

Zur Vorbesichtigung im Schloss Sulzburg wird von Dienstag, 17. November 2009, bis Montag, 23. November 2009, zwischen 11:00 Uhr und 19:00 Uhr eingeladen. Am Donnerstag, 19. November 2009, ist für alle Kunden und Interessierte bis 21:00 Uhr geöffnet. Die Herbstauktionen finden Donnerstag, 26.11.2009, ab 15:00 Uhr, Freitag, 27.11.2009, ab 15:00 Uhr und Samstag, 28.11.2009, ab 10:00 Uhr statt.

Darüber hinaus bietet das Auktionshaus Kaupp auch die Möglichkeit, den gesamten Katalog mit zahlreichen Farbabbildungen, umfangreichen Beschreibungen und Limitangaben vollständig im Internet unter www.kaupp.de anzusehen.

Abbildungen zu den im Text erwähnten Objekten finden Sie in einer Flash-Übersicht der Pressebilder unter http://www.nodesign-server.com/kaupp. Ein Download der Abbildungen ist möglich. Falls Sie noch Fragen haben oder zusätzliches Bildmaterial benötigen, kontaktieren Sie bitte:

Auktionshaus Kaupp, Schloss Sulzburg - tel.: 07634/50 38 0, Fax: 07634/50 38 50, e-mail: auktionen@kaupp.de

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Oilman Glassell's daughter loses in estate fight against Texas museum

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:11:57 +0100

HOUSTON (AP) - A jury has affirmed the charity-benefiting will of Houston oilman Alfred Glassell Jr. and rejected a challenge by his daughter.

On Monday the jury ruled against 52-year-old Curry Glassell's attempt to break the 2003 will, in an estate estimated at $500 million.

Attorney Joe Jamail, representing the Houston Museum of Fine Arts, told the Houston Chronicle that his client's evidence "refuted every one of their insinuations, accusations and innuendoes.'' Curry Glassell's lawyers had contented that her father was demented at the time he signed his last few wills.

Glassell Jr. was 95 when he died in October 2008. He founded Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corp. and the Glassell School of Art.

The museum aligned with his widow, the Glassell Family Foundation, and Curry's brother Alfred Glassell III, who is the executor.

Curry Glassell said she was disappointed with the ruling.

A foundation attorney says Curry Glassell has an estimated $15 million.

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Information from: Houston Chronicle, http://www.houstonchronicle.com

AP-WS-11-17-09 0837EST