Auction Block

Georgetowner • September 12, 2013

**Sotheby?s**
*Giuseppe Penone ?Lignes D?Eau?
Bronze sculpture, 157 ? in.*
Beginning on Sept. 20 and running through October, Sotheby?s will host a selling exhibition of works by globally renowned Italian sculptor and conceptual artist, Giuseppe Penone, entitled ?When Man Meets Nature.? Presenting 36 works showcasing Penone as a modern artist integrating art with nature and member of the modern Italian art movement Arte Povera, the show will feature all mediums of his work, including bronze, stone, photography and works on paper. This selling exhibition will be one of the biggest shows of its kind in New York, as part of Sotheby?s S|2, the private sale and gallery arm of Sotheby?s global Contemporary Art department. The works on display in S|2 are available for private sale, offering an exciting new dimension to the Sotheby?s experience. In addition to gallery programming, the S|2 team also facilitates bespoke private acquisitions and sales.

**Weschler?s**
*Austrian Ormolu Mounted Parcel Ebonized and Gilt Gesso Elmwood Piano Forte
Auction Date: Sept. 20
Estimate: $10,000 ? $15,000*
Weschler?s will auction this Elmwood piano as part of its Capital Collections Auction on Friday, Sept. 20. This rare Viennese pianoforte was possibly made by Johann Fritz (1810-1820), a prolific builder with very few surviving pieces. The six-octave keyboard?FF to f4?has four pedals, including a Turkish music pedal (cymbal and drum) and a bassoon knee level. Made of Elmwood under gold leaf, this piece is originally from the collection of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Woods Bliss of Dumbarton Oaks.

**Christie?s**
*Federal Satinwood-Inlaid and Verre Eglomis? Mahogony Cylinder Desk and Bookcase
Auction Date: September 24
Estimate: $150,000 ? $300,000*
Christie?s Sept. 24 auction of American Furniture, Folk Art and Decorative Arts spans from the 17th to the 20th century, featuring property from three major collections. The collection includes a magnificent Federal desk-and-bookcase, embellished with 47 verre ?glomis? glass panels and probably made for the Van Ness family of Washington, D.C. Selections from the estate of the late Americana collector Eric Martin Wunsch include an elaborately carved New York card table from the Chippendale period. Highlights to be offered from the Westervelt Company, perhaps the most significant collection of Classical American pieces ever assembled, span the mediums of furniture, silver, paintings and Audobon prints.

**Bonham?s**
*Pair of chased brass-overlaid teak chairs, designed by Lockwood de Forest
(1850-1932). India, 1881-1882.
Auction Date: Sept. 25
Estimate: $50,000 – $80,000*
Bonhams will offer an exceptional pair of chased brass-overlaid teak chairs, designed by Lockwood de Forest in the Fine American & European Furniture, Decorative Arts & Silver auction to be held at the Madison Avenue galleries on Sept. 25. Made in Ahmadebad, India, circa 1881-1882, de Forest modeled the chairs after one he had discovered while visiting an ancient Indian palace during his honeymoon. De Forest was an instrumental figure in the Aesthetic and Orientalist movements during the last decades of the nineteenth century, leading a revival of East Indian techniques within American decorative arts. When de Forest moved to California in the early 1920s, the chairs were purchased at auction by William Randolph Hearst, who at that time was spending millions of dollars annually to acquire the most extraordinary art and antiques available.

**Potomack Company**
*George III Armorial Silver Epergne
London, 1768. 13 x 25 ? in.
Auction Date: Oct. 5 ? 6
Estimate: $6,000 ? $8,000*
Potomack Company will auction the Harry Z. Isaacs Antiques and Fine Art Collection from Long Branch House. Located in the Shenandoah Valley, the estate is on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Landmarks Register. The auction will feature more than 250 lots from the collection, including English and American antiques, furniture, decorative arts, and artworks acquired from the most respected dealers in the United States and England, including Israel Sack, N.Y. and Mallet, London. An art historian and decorative arts specialist who was a close friend of Isaacs commented, ?He bought only the best.? This George III armorial silver epergne, features a central oval basket, the spiral gadrooned rim above shaped bands of pierced foliage, circlets, stars and crosses, above a waisted support fitted with eight scroll arms with similarly pierced alternating baskets and dishes.

**Doyle New York**
*Gold, Cabochon Gem-Set and Diamond Bracelet-Watch, Cartier, France,
circa 1945. From the Estate of Margaret Truman Daniel
Auction Date: Sept. 25
Estimate: $6,000-$8,000*
Doyle New York will auction property from the Estate of Margaret Truman Daniel (1924 ? 2008) as part of its Important Jewelry auction on Sept. 25. The only child of President Harry S. Truman and his wife Bess, Mrs. Daniel graduated from George Washington University in 1946, and embarked on a classical singing career, performing at venues such as Washington?s Constitution Hall, the Hollywood Bowl and Carnegie Hall. When her father left office in 1953, she moved to New York where she worked for NBC, conducting interviews for radio and television, and even substituting for Edward R. Murrow on his television program, ?Person to Person.? She later became an acclaimed author, writing biographies of her father and mother, and publishing the best-selling novel, ?Murder in the White House,? in 1980. Until her death in 2008, she served on the board of trustees of the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation, created by Congress in 1975 to award scholarships to college students planning careers in government.

Georgetowner • August 7, 2013

Amidst a graciously mild Washington summer, we are beginning to see the first signs of autumn coming around the bend. The weather will be warm and the sun will be out for at least the next month or two, but true Washingtonians are looking for signs of fall in other ways. Announcements for major fall museum exhibits are creeping into our inboxes. Theater tickets are going on sale for upcoming shows. And, of course, the auction houses are rousing from their brief summer hibernations of sorts, preparing to kick off the holiday season with a series of not-to-bemissed auction events, featuring a variety of collections of international interest.

While many are still preparing their lots, here is a peek at what?s coming from a few of our area?s major auction houses. With the New York auction houses participating in Asia Week during the week of Monday, Sept. 16, the over-arching theme feels a little like ?Treasures of the East,? with a breathtaking collection of Chinese and Japanese works, as well as items from Eastern countries.

**Bonhams**

*Ivory netsuke of a recumbent kirin by Okatomo*

*Japanese, 17th century*

**Auction Date: September 17**

**Estimate: $25,000 – $35,000**

Bonhams is pleased to offer the James A. Rose collection of Netsuke and Sagemono on Sept. 17 at the Madison Avenue salesroom. Netsuke are 17th century traditional Japanese miniature sculptures that doubled as small containers to store personal belongings. The sculptures evolved over time from being strictly utilitarian into objects of great artistic merit and craftsmanship. As one of America?s most dedicated and knowledgeable netsuke enthusiasts, James A. Rose, M.D., (1931?2011) was a member of the board of directors of the prominent International Netsuke Society and served for 23 years as the president of its Washington, D.C., chapter. His esteemed collection will be offered in its entirety. This mythical animal (1 7/8 in. long) shown reclining, forms a compact design, the details finely carved and stained dark, eyes inlaid in dark horn.

**Sotheby?s New York**

*Ritual Bronze Food Vessel, ?Zuo Bao Yi?*

**Auction: September 17**

**Estimate: $2 – $3 million**

This autumn, Sotheby?s will present a dedicated sale of ten extraordinary ritual bronzes from the famed collection of Julius Eberhardt, as part of their popular Asia Week auction sales. Distinguished by their provenance, which includes A.J. Argyopoulos, the Greek Ambassador to China after World War II, as well as the legendary Shanghai dealer T.Y. King, the group is estimated to bring more than $5 million. The offering comprises works of incredible rarity and importance including the ?Zuo Bao Yi? Gui, an important food vessel, Early Western Zhou Dynasty 11th-10th century BC. An additional highlight is the ?Mu Xin zun?, an exceptionally beautiful wine vessel, also Early Western Zhou Dynasty. Both pieces were included in the seminal 1954 Marco Polo Seventh Centenary Exhibition in Venice.

**Doyle New York**

*Xu Beihong (Chinese, 1895-1953)*

*Horse Signed (ur)*

*Seal Ink on paper, mounted on silk Imag*

**Auction Date: September 16**

**Estimate: $100,000 – $200,000**

Doyle New York will hold an auction of Asian Works of Art on Monday, Sept. 16, at 10 a.m. The auction presents the arts of China, Japan, Korea and Southeast Asia, dating from the Neolithic Period through the 20th century. Offerings include porcelain, pottery, jade, ivories, scholar?s objects, snuff bottles, bronzes, screens, furniture and paintings. This horse painting is by artist Xu Beihong, a renowned Chinese painter from the early 20th century best known for his shuimohua (Chinese ink paintings) of horses and birds. Beihong formed a style that reflected a new modern China at the beginning of the 20th century, exhibiting his proficiency and knowledge of Western artistic technique with a stylethat expressed a native artistic expression of his homeland.

Georgetowner • July 18, 2013

In the Internet age, auctions might seem outdated and irrelevant. Yet auction houses continue to be effective marketplaces for everything from fine art to gourmet wine to bejeweled dog collars.

For those unaware, auction houses are intermediaries between buyers and sellers — the original eBay. If, for example, you want to sell a diamond-encrusted Barbie, you could contact a house and arrange for the doll to be auctioned. These arrangements involve setting your minimum selling price, transporting your item to the saleroom, settling on the commission amount to be taken by the auction house, and signing a contract.

Or, if you wanted to buy an original Steve Jobs’s Apple computer, you could work with a specialist from the auction house to find your dream work. Then, when the auction takes place, you would bid in-person, over the phone, or online and pay.
This specific example is actually on auction through Christie’s until July 9.

Some of the most prominent auction houses include Weschler’s, Potomack Company, Sotheby’s, Bonham’s, and Doyle New York. Weschler’s and Potomack Company are the only ones located in the Washington area. The other companies have sales rooms in New York City and across the world.

To become an auction buff, here are the key words to know:
Auctioneer – the trained professional who conducts the auction
Lot – an object or group of objects being exhibited in the auction
Sale number – a lot’s identification code
Provenance – the history describing the object’s chain of ownership since creation
Chattel – the physical goods of an estate, such as furniture and cars
Auction block – the object currently being auctioned
Paddle – the instrument bidders use to communicate their bid to the auctioneer
Bidder number – a bidder’s identification number used on the paddle
Reserve price – the pre-established, minimum amount the owner will accept
Hammer price – the amount of the winning bid
Buyer’s premium – the amount paid between the hammer and total purchase prices
Ring – the auction location

Whether you’re searching for that perfect Roman sculpture to complete your living room or Moscato to complement your favorite dessert, these terms will help you raise that paddle confidently. Check out a few upcoming events for the summer and happy auctioning.

Sotheby’s London
Château Pétrus 1967
Auction Date: June 20
Estimate: $10,000-$14,000
Sotheby’s London will offer a unique day for wine lovers to experience a taste of the Finest and Rarest Wines. This sale will feature extraordinary collections from Bordeaux and Burgundy to the Spanish Vega Sicilia. Wine lovers can enjoy a tour of wines from the 1960s, all the way to the 21st century. These exquisite wines will be available in bottles and magnums. Don’t forget to look out for the Château Pétrus 1967, a wine that will leave you wondering and wanting more. This wine is known by experienced wine tasters, who recognize it by its rich, sweet and complex taste. It has a lingering “sweet” taste with a low concentration and density.

Christie’s
Tubogas “Serpenti” quartz wristwatch by Bulgari
Auction Date: July 17
Estimate: $3,050 – $4,575
(£2,000 – 3,000)
This jewelry sale at Christie’s is sure to be huge. There are 262 lots in the sale, with pieces from designers, such as Tiffany & Co and Chanel to Van Cleef & Arpels. In particular is the “Serpenti” wristwatch from Bulgari that expresses the elegance that Bulgari stands for and is a design that is being revived by designers today. The specialists at Christie’s explain the watch has a silver dial with Roman numerals and a bezel set with diamonds. There is a pink sapphire crown with a five-jewelled quarts movement to a sprung bracelet and 22mm wide case. The dial, case and movement are all signed Bulgari. The wristwatch is an iconic model from the Bulgari collections and would be a perfect addition to one’s own collection. [gallery ids="119049,119062,119058" nav="thumbs"]

Georgetowner • June 6, 2013

As summer rears its fiery head, many auction houses close their doors for the season.
Through July and August, they devote their resources to selecting, organizing and curating
their fall and winter schedules. June presents the last opportunity to explore their unique
troves of art, historic furniture, antiques and collectibles before the leaves begin to signal
the arrival of autumn. Here is what?s coming up this month. So, be sure to get there quickly?
there is likely to be some friendly competition.

**Doyle New York

Woven Gold Fringe Necklace and Pair of Ear Clips
18 karat with French assay marks & French export marks, ca.1950.

Auction Date: June 20

Estimate: $3,500 ? $4,500**

Doyle New York?s Fine Jewelry auction on Thursday, June 20,
at 10 a.m. will feature a glittering array of jewelry bearing more
moderate estimates than in the Important Jewelry sales. Showcased
are exquisite designs?many of them signed pieces?set
with diamonds, colored stones and pearls, as well as gold jewelry,
fine watches and gentlemen?s accessories. The woven gold
fringe necklace is a classically beautiful accessory that feels
right in place among the recently growing popularity of fringe
necklaces. Certain designs never goes out of style.[www.Doyle-
NewYork.com](http://www.doylenewyork.com)

**Sotheby?s**
*William Faulkner Nobel Prize Acceptance
Speech

Manuscript and typescript with the Nobel
medal, citation and 4 press photographs.*

**Auction Date: June 11**

**Estimate: + $500,000**

On June 11, Sotheby?s will offer the largest
and most important archive of William
Faulkner?s work ever to appear at
auction. Featuring a recently discovered
unpublished short story and a handwritten
draft of his acclaimed Nobel Prize acceptance
speech, the lot contains a highly
personal selection of letters, manuscript
drafts and drawings, providing a remarkable
window into key moments of the celebrated author?s life. Further glimpses into the private life
of this public figure are offered by intimate gifts the author prepared by for his wife and daughter.
A portion of the collection, estimated to fetch over $2 million, was only recently discovered on his
family?s property in Virginia, including a number of items previously feared lost. Highlights will be
on view in New York in advance of the June sale. [www.Sothebys.com](http://www.sothebys.com/en.html)

**Bonhams**

*Anton Chekhov (1860-1904, Russian)
Povesti i razskazy (Stories and Tales), 1984
Presentation copy with inscription*

**Estimate: $25,000 – $35,000**

**Auction Date: June 26**

Bonhams will present its second-ever dedicated U.S. auction of Russian
Literature & Works on Paper on June 26. Building on the success of
the inaugural Russian Literature auction in December 2012, Bonhams
will offer Russian books, manuscripts, periodicals, posters, artwork
and photography ranging from the early 19th to the mid 20th century.
Movements from the intellectualism of Silver Age literature to the
groundbreaking aesthetics of Constructivism will be represented. The
auction?s top lot is the first authorized edition, signed by the author, of the complete works of prerevolutionary
master Gavrila Romanovich Derzhavin, published in St. Petersburg between 1808
and 1816. Another important edition on offer is Anton Chekhov?s ?Povesti i razskazy? (?Stories
and Tales?) from 1894. This presentation copy is warmly inscribed to a waiter and good friend at
the Grand Hotel in Moscow where Chekhov stayed, Semen Ilich Bychkov.

**Sloan and Kenyon**

*Edward Hopper (American, 1882-1967).
Portrait of Alta Hillsdale, ca. 1904-14.
Oil on canvas.*

**Auction Date: June 14 ? 16**

From Friday, June 14, through Sunday, June 16, Sloans and Kenyon
will hold its June Estate Catalogue Auction, following an exhibition of
the auction beginning June 8. An important portrait by Edward Hopper,
depicting Alta Hillsdale, his romantic interest from 1904 to 1914,
is a highlight of the event. The portrait?s discovery and authentication
coincides with the exhibition of 58 recently discovered letters from
Alta Hillsdale (1884-1948) to Hopper, which revealed their previously
unknown romantic relationship. The letters are exhibit for the first time in ?Dear Mr. Hopper?
at the Edward Hopper House Art Center in Nyack, N.Y., through Oct. 20. Hopper?s interest in
representation by photographic means and, in particular, the intersections between photography,
the creation of ?atmosphere,? and the artist?s masterworks of the 1920s and ?30s, will also be the
subject of a forthcoming scholarly article, coauthored by Sloans & Kenyon?s president,
Stephanie A. Kenyon. [www.SloansAndKenyon.com](http://www.sloansandkenyon.com)

**Weschler?s**

*M.C. Escher (Dutch 1898-1972); Stars (Bool 359); Wood engraving.
Auction Date: June 12*

**Estimate: $10,000 ? $20,000**

Weschler?s upcoming auction on June 12, at 10 a.m., will consist
mostly of prints?including serigraphs, lithographs, etchings, and
gelatin silver photographs. M.C. Escher?s ?Stars? (Bool 359) is a
signature example of the renowned graphic artist?s work, exhibiting
his style that blends symbolism and playful optical illusions of perspective
and geometry with humor and worldly beauty. Other featured
artists include Ansel Adams, Sam Gilliam, Gene Davis, Andy
Warhol and Willem de Looper. [www.Weschlers.com](http://www.weschlers.com)

Georgetowner • April 10, 2013

**Sloans and Kenyon**
*Auction Date: April 20 and 21*
?More than 1,000 lots of American & European furniture, decorative arts, paintings, sculpture, jewelry, rugs, Asian ceramics, ethnographica and antiques will be offered in Sloans and Kenyon?s April Estate Catalogue Auction, which includes property from the estates of Jane Cramer Nairn and John and Mary Anne Kirlin. The auction features over 30 works by Gustav Trois, the prolific Washington- based painter from the early 20th century, directly from the artist?s estate. Born in France, Trois captured the District through a uniquely filtered lens, and through his eyes and brush the streets of Georgetown and the C&O Canal look more like street scenes of 19th-century France than the United States? capital city. The Estate Catalogue Auction will proceed a weeklong exhibition from April 13 to 19 at Sloans & Kenyon?s gallery, located at 7034 Wisconsin Avenue, in Chevy Chase, Md. [www. SloansAndKenyon.com](http://www.sloansandkenyon.com)

**Sotheby?s New York**
*Auction Date: May 7
Estimate: $25 Million to $35 Million*
Sotheby?s will offer the Collection of Alex and Elisabeth Lewyt in a series of auctions in New York and Paris in 2013, including seminal paintings by Paul C?zanne and Amedeo Modigliani, that will lead the Impressionist and Modern Art Evening Sale in New York on May 7. ?Les Pommes,? a soft and pulsing still life by C?zanne, reveals why the artist?s work in the still- life genre is considered among his greatest achievements. The painting explores so eloquently and so clearly the paradoxes of
forms in space to which he devoted himself, and the principals of which inspired the Cubism of Picasso that signaled the very birth of modern art. ?Les Pommes? is a perfect still life, let alone a rare master- work of the past two centuries.?[www.Sothebys.com](http://www.sothebys.com)

**Bonhams**
?*Auction Date: April 29
?Estimate $600 to $800?*
Bonhams highly anticipated annual Whiskey auction will feature remarkable spirits, cognacs, scotches, bourbons and ryes. Sure to please seasoned collectors and emerging enthusiasts alike, the sale offers a wide selection of exceptional vintages spanning two centuries and ranging from the curious to the opulent. Many of the whiskies on offer are especially notable for their age, giving collectors the opportunity to savor the vintages of their favorite distilleries from previous decades. An Old Quarter Century, 25-year-old bourbon whiskey distilled in 1890 by W.L.Weller & Sons, is encased in a woven wicker cage. This bottle in such an unusual presentation is impressive for its shear survival, while W.L.Weller aficionados will appreciate the chance to taste the acclaimed company?s 19th-century product. [www.Bonhams.com](http://bonhams.com)

**Doyle New York**
*Auction Date: April 23
Estimate:$5,000 to $8,000?*
Doyle?s auction of Rare Books & Autographs include a wealth of rare treasures, from the ledger page of the 1912 insurance policy for the Titanic issued by the Atlantic Mutual Insurance Company, to original pen and ink drawings from the first book by 18-year-old Maurice Sendak. Another exciting item is a rare book from 1883, profiling American football?s earliest years. This is the first published work by the ?father of American football,? Walter Camp (1859-1925), the head football coach at Yale University from 1888 to 1892. Camp introduced several major rules that define the game to this day, including the line of scrimmage that established firm possession of the ball by one team, the snap of the ball from the center to the quarterback, the system of downs and scoring, and the positions and numbers of players. A remarkable record detailing football?s first years, this pamphlet is exceptionally rare, the only other known copy residing in the Library of Congress. [www.DoyleNewYork.com](http://www.doylenewyork.com)

Georgetowner • March 12, 2013

**Sloans and Kenyon**
*Gustav Trois (1917-2000)*
*Right: Old C&O Canal, Georgetown*
*Auction Date: April 20 – 21*
More than 1,000 lots of American and European furniture, decorative arts, paintings, sculpture, jewelry, rugs, Asian ceramics, ethnographica and antiques will be offered in Sloans and Kenyon?s April Estate Catalogue Auction, which includes property from the estates of Jane Cramer Nairn and John and Mary Anne Kirlin. The auction features over 30 works by Gustav Trois, the prolific Washington-based painter from the early 20th century, directly from the artist?s estate. Born in France, Trois captured D.C. through a uniquely filtered lens, and through his eyes and brush the streets of Georgetown and the C&O Canal look more like street scenes of 19th century France than the United States? capital city. The Estate Catalogue Auction will proceed a week long exhibition from April 13 ? 19 at Sloans & Kenyon?s gallery, located at 7034 Wisconsin Avenue, in Chevy Chase.
[www.SloansAndKenyon.com](http://www.sloansandkenyon.com)

**Sotheby?s New York**
*Special: March 2013 Asia Week*
*Auction Date: March 19 – 21*
Sotheby?s Asia Week sales include wide and diverse collections of art and artifacts from beyond the Western canon, including a sale of Indian and Southeast Asian art (March 20), fine Chinese ceramics and works of art (March 19 ? 20), fine classical Chinese paintings (March 21), and an estate sale of modern and contemporary Indian Art from the Amaya Collection (March 19). The Amaya Collection is the first single-owner sale of contemporary Indian art to be held at Sotheby?s in over a decade. Consigned by esteemed collector and author, Amrita Jhaveri, the collection comprises important Indian art produced in the second half of the 20th century through to the early 21st, and offers some of the finest examples from the oeuvres of key artists, including important works by Modernist masters S.H. Raza and Tyeb Mehta, whose untitled figure painting leads the auction and is estimated at $800,000 to $1.2 million.
[www.Sothebys.com](http://www.sothebys.com)

**Weschler?s**
*Sam Gilliam (American, b. 1933)*
*Upper Right: Oil on canvas*
*Auction Date: March 22*
***Estimate $15,000-20,000***
Weschler?s Capital Collection Estate Auction will feature a wide selection of furnishings, decorations, jewelry and fine art from various local estates and private collections, with a collection exhibition beginning Saturday, March 16, at Weschler?s downtown D.C. gallery. The auction boasts a selection of over 100 paintings, drawings and prints, including an ethereal nude drawing by Russian artist Vasily Sitnikov, Nude of Martha Wayman, a double-sided work expected to fetch between $30,000 and $50,000. Washington, D.C. artist Sam Gilliam?s ?Upper Red? is another auction gem, a seminal work from the artist?s oeuvre. A sizable collection of 19th and 20th century bronzes are also in the sale, presenting a cast of both historical and mythical figures, and include works by Marius-Jean-Antonin Mercie (French 1845 ? 1942) and Emmanuel Fr?miet (French 1824 ? 1910).
[www.Weschlers.com](http://www.weschlers.com)

**Doyle New York**
*Below: 18-karat Gold tray and Set of 18-karat Gold Cordial Cups*
*From the Estate of Consuelo Vanderbilt Earl*
*Auction Date: April 15*
***Estimate (combined): $165,000 ? $235,000***
Doyle New York will auction important jewelry, timepieces and objets de vertu from the estate of Consuelo Vanderbilt Earl (1903-2011), niece of Consuelo Vanderbilt, Duchess of Marlborough. One of the highlights of the auction is a rare artifact from the Alva, the 1931 yacht commissioned by her father, William K. Vanderbilt, Jr., one of the five largest yachts in the world at the time of its construction: an 18-karat gold cocktail tray, with twelve accompanying 18-karat gold cordial glasses by Tiffany & Co., each engraved ?Alva 1931.? The glasses are additionally engraved ?Ara 1924,? for the year Vanderbilt?s previous yacht, the Ara, was launched. Designed by Cox & Stevens and launched in 1931, the 265-foot yacht Alva set a new standard for luxury. Its maiden voyage circumnavigating the globe was documented in the film, ?Over the Seven Seas,? narrated by William K. Vanderbilt, Jr. Other property from the estate of Consuelo Vanderbilt Earl comprises important timepieces and jewelry dating primarily to the 1920s and 30s. Highlighting the collection is a rare Cartier rock crystal and diamond ?Mystery? clock, circa 1928.
[www.DoyleNewYork.com]http://www.doylenewyork.com)

Casey O'Brien • December 7, 2012

Sotheby?s (London)
James Bond?s Walther gun used by Sean Connery
Auction Date: December 12
Estimate: $160,370-240,555

Sotheby?s of London will be auctioning off the famous pistol Sean Connery used in promotion pictures for his James Bond films. The Walther air pistol, LP Model 53 comes with the manufacturer?s case, as well as letter of provenance from the original owner, and photograph of Connery with the pistol. The shots with the gun were used in promotion for From Russia with Love, Goldfinger, Thunderball, and You Only Live Twice. www.Sothebys.com

Weschler?s
Louis XV Style Ormolu Mantel Clock, late 19th century
Auction Date: December 7
Estimate: $300-500

This mantel clock will be auctioned off by Weschler?s on December 6 at 10:00 a.m. The Ormolu mantel clock has a two-train movement, striking a bell on the hour and half-hour. The movement is stamped ?C Detouche F?seur de L?Empereur? and is 16 inches in height. www.Weschlers.com

The Potomack Company
Winston Churchill Handwritten Letter, 1945
Auction Date: December 8
Estimate: $600-800

Up for auction is a handwritten letter from Britain?s legendary former Prime Minister Winston Churchill, dated shortly after the end of WWII in 1945. Writing to Dale Taylor, General Manager of one of the first U.S. radio stations. The letter, written on House of Commons stationary, reads ?I thank you sincerely for your?kind message to me?I have received and read with great pleasure. Winston Churchill.? The letter comes with its original envelope. www.PotomackCompany.com

Doyle New York
Triple Strand Cultured Pearl Necklace with clasp, Schlumberger, France
Auction Date: December 12
Estimate: $10,000-15,000

Doyle New York?s Important Estate Jewelry auction will auction off hundreds of stunning jewels, including this cultured pearl necklace. The three-strand necklace is platinum with 18-karat gold, and finished by an oval platinum class containing an oval emerald, surrounded by 72 single-cut diamonds. www.DoyleNewYork.com

Quinn?s Auction Galleries
Bone netsuke depicting a sennin grasping a mokugyo
Kyoto, mid-18th century.
Auction Date: December 7
Estimate: $12,000-$18,000

Quinn?s Auction Galleries will be auctioning off the Netsuke collection of the late D.C. Diplomat Jack A. Mang and his wife, Helen Randall Mang on Dec.7. Netsukes are the miniature carvings used in Japan as ornamental fasteners on boxes and silk robes, often made of bone, ivory and wood. The Mang?s had an extensive collection of netsukes, and founded the D.C. chapter of the International Netsuke Society. The auction of the 1,100 piece collection will take place at 360 South Washington Street, Falls Church, VA, and online through www.LiveAuctioneers.com. www.QuinnsAuction.com

Georgetowner • November 14, 2012

**Weschler ?s**
*Bronze Eiffel Tower Clock*
**Auction Date: December 7**
**Estimate: $1,000 ? 2,000**

Washington D.C.?s only auction house, Weschler?s has been a local tradition for over 120 years. On December 7th they will host an auction of Miller-Topia Designers, a longtime gallery in Alexandria, Va., that is closing and auctioning off most of their assets, which include fine art, furniture, and exotic props and accessories from both movie and theatrical sets. This French bronze Eiffel Tower clock strikes a two-train movement that strikes a bell on the hour and half-hour, and stands 44 inches tall. To see the collection before it goes on auction, you can visit the gallery: 1120 N Fairfax Street, Alexandria, VA 22314. www.Weschlers.com

**The Potomack Company**
*Antique Serapi Rug*
**Auction Date: December 8, 9**

The Potomack Company is a fast-growing auction house based in the Washington, DC area, founded in 2006. Their December 8 ? 9 catalogue sale will showcase, among other things, antique Oriental rugs, like this exquisite Serapi rug. From the northwest corners of Iran, Serapi rugs are known to become more beautiful with age, their durability the result of a major copper deposit in the nearby Mount Sabalan; traces of copper in the sheep?s drinking water produces high quality, resilient wool. This is a classic Serapi design, with geometric patterns and a large medallion at its center. The exhibition for the two-day sale will begin Dec. 1 in the gallery and online. www.PotomackCompany.com

**Sotheby?s (London)**
*Mick Jagger Love Letters*
**Auction Date: December 12**
**Estimate: $111,300 ? 159,000**

Handwritten love letters from Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger to his former lover Marsha Hunt will go on
the auction in London next month. Hunt is an American born singer who was the inspiration for the Stones? 1971 classic ?Brown Sugar? and bore Jagger?s first child, Karis. Sotheby?s books specialist Gabriel Heaton said the letters sent in the summer of 1969 show a ?poetic and self-aware? 25-year-old Jagger. In his letters, the rock star touches upon the unraveling of his relationship with singer Marianne Faithful, whom he was also dating at the time, and the death of Rolling Stones? guitarist Brian Jones. ?They provide a rare glimpse of Jagger that is very different from his public persona: passionate but self-contained, lyrical but with a strong sense of irony,? Heaton said. The collection also includes song lyrics and a Rolling Stones playlist. www. Sothebys.com

**Bonham?s**
*Ernest Hemingway (American, 1899 ? 1961) For Whom the Bell Tolls Signed original advanced printing
**Auction Date: December 4**
**Estimate: $25,000 – $35,000**

Founded in 1793, Bonham?s offers more sales categories in more auction rooms around the world than any other firm. From their offices in Georgetown, they provide local clients expert advice and international reach. Of the many and varied items for sale in their auction of Fine Books, Maps & Manuscripts, one highlight is a presentation copy of Hemingway?s seminal novel, For Whom the Bell Tolls, one of only 15 advanced copies of the first edition, untrimmed and without a dust jacket as issued. It is inscribed and signed by the author on the front free endpaper: ?To Harold Cadmus / with grateful appreciation / Ernest Hemingway.? At the time of publication Harold Cadmus was production chief at Scribner?s and one of the Directors.
www.Bonhams.com

**Freeman?s Auction House**
*Asher Brown Durand (American 1796-1886) Landscape*
*Oil on canvas*
**Auction Date: Dec. 2**
**Estimated Value: $50,000 ? $80,000**

Freeman?s, America?s oldest auction house, will hold its annual winter Fine American & European Paintings & Sculpture auction on December 2. Comprised of over 160 lots, with an emphasis on late 19th and early 20th century American paintings, it is an excellent assortment of period paintings, nearly all culled from private collections and estates. Featured in this auction is lot 86, a rare oil painting by the important Hudson River School artist Asher Brown Durand. This majestic work depicts a single figure seated on a large rock in an expansive landscape, and is a superb example of the Hudson River School?s emphasis on capturing the sublime. The America landscape is idealized as a utopia in which man lives in harmony with vast and glorious Nature. www.FreemansAuction.com

**Doyle New York**
*Art Deco Platinum, Diamond & Ruby Bracelet, circa 1930*
**Estimate: $12,000 – $18,000**
*Art Deco Platinum, Diamond & Emerald Bracelet, circa 1930*
**Estimate: $10,000 – $15,000 Auction Date: December 12**

Founded in 1962, Doyle New York is one of the world?s foremost auctioneers and appraisers of fine art, jewelry, furniture and more, with representatives throughout the U.S., including an office here in Georgetown. Doyle?s auction of Important Estate Jewelry will offer glittering creations for that special someone on your list. Showcased will be hundreds of lots of exquisite jewelry span- ning Victorian, Edwardian, Art Nouveau, Art Deco and Modern eras by such designers as Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels and Tiffany?s, among others. Featured are stunning rings, necklaces, brooches and bracelets set with diamonds, colored stones, jade and natural perals, as well as gold jewelry and gentlemen?s accessories. www.DoyleNewYork.com