Clars Auction Gallery’s November 12 and 13, 2016 sale will feature many major highlights from highly notable estates and special collections. Prominently represented in this sale will be property from billionaire venture capitalist Thomas J. Perkins estate (San Francisco and Belvedere, CA), as well as from the interior of his famous yacht, the Maltese Falcon. Also of important note will be a very rare, single-owner collection of vintage couture, accessories and handbags.

In an interview prior to the sale, Deric Torres, Vice President and Director of Furniture and Decorative Arts commented, "This sale represents many high level estates with world class property being offered and with stellar provenance.  We are very excited to see the market response to the wealth of rare items and collections being offered".  

The Fine Art

The Hudson River School was one of the most important 19th century American art movements, which consisted of a small group of the most talented and trained landscape artists whose aesthetic vision was influenced by Romanticism and the meticulous beauty of nature in the Northeastern United States. Rick Unruh, Vice President and Director of Fine Art at Clars Auction Gallery commented, “Rarely have two such important paintings by these monumental American artists ever been offered on the West Coast.”

One of these works is by Jasper Francis Cropsey (American, 1823-1900) who was one of the elite first generation masters of this group with his richly colored canvases. Cropsey would often travel widely around the East Coast looking for the ideal picturesque subject matter. Most often, of course, it would be the Hudson River and the White Mountains areas, but one location that became one of his most favorite was the pristine beauty of New Jersey’s Greenwood Lake. Clars is pleased to offer one of Cropsey’s finest paintings of this locale, that was the source of many inspired works, in their Important November 13th Auction. Painted in 1874, Greenwood Lake, New Jersey is at $80,000-120,000. This delicate, luminist landscape having a setting sun over the calm waters with trees in the foreground at their peak Autumnal foliage is a ‘must have’ for any collector of American art.  

Another Hudson River School painting that will be a highlight of the Clars Important November sale is Kaatskill (Catskill) Creek by Worthington T. Whittredge (American, 1820-1910) estimated at $80,000-120,000. Whittredge’s most poignant and sought after landscape paintings are his rich, meticulous, woodland interiors which is epitomized in Kaatskill (Catskill) Creek. This large oil on canvas expresses a mysterious, atmospheric silence with its layering of trees and dappled sunlight that filters through on the forest floor and babbling stream. Outside of the presence of a small gray squirrel watching the water, the mood of this scene exudes the untouched, solemn beauty of pure wilderness. Without a doubt, Kaatskill (Catskill) Creek is one of the finest examples by Whittredge to come on the market in many years.

Following in the tradition of other American masters like Thomas Eakins, Winslow Homer, and Andrew Wyeth, Bo Bartlett (American, b. 1955) is a contemporary, American realist painter who follows these trained techniques and has become one of the foremost painters of this genre. Bartlett's paintings have a dreamlike narrative which makes the viewer ponder the mysterious, almost surreal, undertones of what is happening in his compositions. Are they dreams, memories, or actual past events? One such example is, Lifeboat, one of Bartlett’s most important works and the one which epitomizes all these characteristics.  From the Estate of prominent San Francisco investment capitalist, Thomas Perkins, this large oil on canvas (81” x 100”) hung in the interior of his yacht, the Maltese Falcon, and will be offered for $30,000-50,000. NOTE: This work was also featured on the cover of the book: Bo Bartlett by David Houston and Carter Radcliff, Scala Art Publishers. The exquisitely designed volume is the first full publication to document Bartlett's evolution as an artist, his personal creative process and places his work in the context of the long-standing tradition of American realism. Published May 2016.

Also to be offered by Bo Bartlett is his oil on canvas titled Thinking, Wonder, Tub, Baptism, Heir which comes to the sale with an estimate of $30,000 - $50,000.

The Fine Art Prints and Multiples section will be an exciting section to watch. Highlights include three Andy Warhol Sunset screen-prints he created in 1972, in a series that resulted in unique tonalities in each Sunset Warhol produced. Originally commissioned to be hung in the newly renovated Hotel Marquette in Minneapolis, MN, Warhol ended up with a total of 472 different ways of seeing the same Sunset, while using just three silk-screens. Each Warhol Sunset will be offered at $20,000-$30,000.

Richard Diebenkorn’s Touched Red, 1991, color aquatint with spit bite aquatint, soft ground etching and drypoint, is the only color print collaboration the artist created with  San Francisco acclaimed print publishing house, Crown Point Press, that year. Working diligently on 10 separate working proofs, Touched Red is the culmination of all of Diebennkorn’s pasting, adding and subtracting to the print until his perfect work had been born. Diebenkorn’s Touched Red, will be offered with an estimate of $40,000-$60,000.

Rounding out the impressive selection of Prints and Multiples is Lazlo Moholy-Nagy’s linocut, Suprematist Composition, 1922, yet another rare piece to find its way to auction this fall at Clars. This particular piece is a perfect example of the artist’s integration of art and technology and the influences of Constructivism in his work. Suprematist Composition, 1922, will be offered for $18,000-$25,000.

The Photography section of Clars’ November sale is also extraordinary with the inclusion of the rare Edward Weston Fiftieth Anniversary Portfolio, 1952. The Portfolio was limited to a run of 100 complete sets, of which only two complete sets have ever found their way to auction. Making this portfolio even more exceptional, there is rumored to only be approximately 30 complete existing sets left in the world. Clars is pleased to offer this rare piece of photographic history from one of the pioneers of the medium in the 20th century with an estimate of $80,000-$120,000.

The Decorative Art and Furnishings

Among the many highlights in this category will be a very rare 1851 $50 gold slug minted in San Francisco, graded PCGS XF40, and comes to the sale from the Perkins Estate. This rare numismatic treasure will be offered for $25,000- $45,000. Also to be offered from the Perkins estate will be a Continental marquetry decorated foyer table, second quarter 18th century, that is estimated to achieve $6,000-$9,000.  

From a prominent Berkeley (CA) estate, will be two George Nakashima pieces, the highlight being a highly figured slab coffee table with single butterfly that is estimated at $12,000-$16,000.  Both Nakashima offerings were commissioned by the matriarch of his family in 1959.

Furthering the important 20th century works in art and design will be important works by Georg Jensen. “The Sun Chariot,”. His figural sculpture comes from a diplomat in Carmel( CA) with documentation on back, the original bill of sale from Jensen plus correspondence to the diplomat..  The Sun Chariot is one of his rarest pieces executed in the 1960's.  In the late 1950s, the Danish government commissioned Georg Jensen Silversmithy to precisely recreate the original Solvognen, or Sun Chariot, that was discovered buried in Denmark's Trundholm Moor in September 1902 and was immediately hailed as a Bronze Age artifact of great importance.  Jensen recreated “The Sun Chariot” in the original materials for use by the state as a diplomatic gift. Only seven models are believed to exist of which three reside in the collections of the United Nations, the White House and the Finnish Parliament. This rare piece of Georg Jensen sculpture will be offered at $25,000-$35,000.  Also by George Jensen will be a flatware service for twelve in the “Acorn” pattern that is estimated at $6,000-$9,000.

Also to be offered will be two important Flemish scenic wool tapestries, early 17th century. The larger tapestry will be offered for $20,000-30,000 and the smaller for $15,000-20,000.  

The Vintage Couture Collection

Clars is pleased to announce they will be offering a very rare and exceptional single-owner collection of fine vintage couture fashion, handbags and accessories spanning the 1960s through 1980s as well as vintage trunks as a special section of their Sunday, November 13, 2016 sale.

Coming to the market from a prominent Oregon estate, this exclusive wardrobe collection will feature couture dresses and jackets by designers including Pierre Balmain, Christian Dior, Ferragamo, Fabienne, Celine, Hermes, Nina Ricci, Oscar de la Renta and Jeanne Lanvin. 

The top lot of this impressive collection comes from the Hermès Paris collection and is a handbag, model Kelly. Executed in Bordeaux alligator skin and featuring golden metal applications and lock, this handbag is accompanied by its original box and will be offered for $15,000 - $20,000. Three additional Hermes handbags will be offered as well as fifteen silk scarves, eight silk scarf dresses, both two-piece and ensembles, three-quarter length sport coats embellished with embroidered H’s, a camel mohair cape and everyday dresses.

Several rare steamer trunks include a French E. Goyard steamer trunk, circa 1900, estimated at $4,000 - $6,000, and a Louis Vuitton steamer trunk, circa 1920, will be offered for $5,000 - $7,000.

Asian Art and Antiques

Clars is honored once again to offer a collection of Yu Youren (Chinese, 1879-1964) calligraphy from the estate of a prominent Republic period official.  Works by this master calligrapher were offered in both their September and October 2016 sale where well-over-high estimate results were achieved, including over $57,000 on a set of four calligraphy dedicated to his son Yu Wangde.  Coming to the November sale is a  calligraphy handscroll, ink on paper, signed on the left and inscribed with the date (Republic) 36th year seventh month. Dedicated to his son Yu Wangde, this work will be offered for $30,000-$50,000.

Jewelry & Timepieces

Diamonds will lead this category’s offerings with a 3.15 ct round brilliant cut diamond and 14k yellow gold pendant necklace that will be offered for $12,000 - $16,000. Coming from Tiffany & Co., will be an Edwardian old mine cut diamond and gold brooch sporting a total diamond weight of 3.96 cts. (Estimate: $4,000-$6,000)

Perfect for a lady’s wrists will be a Patek Philippe two-tone quartz Nautilus wristwatch that is expected to tic away for $4,000 - $6,000. And complementing the vintage couture collection will be several groupings of unusual stick pins, always popular with vintage accessory devotees.

A complete catalog will be available online one and one-half weeks prior to the sale. For more information, please visit www.clars.com or email: info@clars.com

Clars’ Fine Art, Decorative Art, Furniture, Jewelry/Timepieces and Asian Art Auction will be held on Saturday and Sunday, November 12th and 13th, 2016. The sales will begin promptly at 9:30am on Saturday and Sunday. Previews for this sale will be held Friday, November 11th from 1pm to 6pm, Saturday and Sunday beginning at 9:00 am and by appointment the week prior.

Clars Auction Gallery is based in Oakland (CA) and is the largest full service auction gallery in the Western United States. Clars Auction Gallery has been the chosen auction gallery of a number of institutions and distinguished private collectors across the country.  

Bidding for Clars’ auctions is available in person, by phone, absentee and live online at www.Live.Clars.com  and through www.liveauctioneers.com, and www.Invaluable.com.  Clars Auction Gallery is located at 5644 Telegraph Avenue, Oakland, CA 94609.