Bronze figural sundial sculpture may command $15K
An uncommon bronze figural sundial sculpture, a Patek Philippe chronograph, a 1948 Chevy truck, and a selection of fine art will come before bidders July 22 during Bruneau & Co.’s auction.
CRANSTON, R.I. – A men’s Patek Philippe platinum perpetual calendar chronograph watch, a large neoclassical bronze sundial sculpture by Anna Coleman Ladd (Am., 1878-1939), and an Expressionist rendition of the Pieta by modern artist Jurij Solovij (Am./Ukraine, 1921-2007) will all be part of Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers’ Fine Art & Jewelry Auction on Saturday, July 22nd.
Eclectic Offerings
The 352-lot sale, starting at noon Eastern time, will be held live in Bruneau & Co.’s gallery, located at 63 Fourth Avenue in Cranston. Live, phone, absentee and online bidding is available. Online bidding will be facilitated by Bidlive.Bruneauandco.com, Invaluable.com, LiveAuctioneers.com and Bidsquare.com. It will be preceded at 10 a.m. by a 150-plus lot live-only DiscoverIt sale (no online bidding).
Categories will include fine art, decorative art, Asian art, sterling silver, cars and motorcycles. “It will be our usual eclectic mix of merchandise,” said Travis Landry, Bruneau & Co. specialist and auctioneer. “It was great to be able to put together a broad selection of modern and contemporary art. Exciting works by artists such as Jurij Solovij and Gam Klutier are featured.”
Kevin Bruneau, company president and auctioneer, looks to the fine group of watches in the sale. “After being able to handle a family’s fine art collection out of Westport, Massachusetts that we sold this past March, we’re proud to offer such a wonderful collection of wristwatches from the same estate,” he said. “The Patek Philippe chronograph is simply superb.”
Selection of Watches To Be Led by Patek
The Patek Philippe watch is the auction’s expected top lot. It comes with a starting bid of $35,000 and a pre-sale estimate of $70,000-$100,000. The chronograph, made in Switzerland circa 2000, features registers, 24-hour and leap-year indication with moon phases crafted by Patek Philippe. It’s powered by a 24-jewel movement and has the original presentation box and a leather band.
The fine and large rendition of the Pieta by Jurij Solovij is impressive, at 68 ¼ inches by 48 ¼ inches (in the frame 74 inches by 54 inches). The signed and dated (1964) painting depicts an unidentifiable mother and child with loose form in a disquieting color palette meant to symbolize the suffering of all mothers and children throughout the Ukrainian Diaspora (est. $2,000-$3,000).
Bronze Sundial Headlining Sculptures
The neoclassical bronze sundial sculpture by Anna Coleman Ladd is large and depicts three male figures holding laurel garland. The figures encircling a Corinthian-style column with an acanthus leaf base. The figures of the sundial represent the three stages of a man’s life – boyhood to adulthood. The sundial work is artist signed, marked (“Roman Bronze Works, N.Y.”) and is dated 1910 (est. $10,000-$15,000).
A welded steel rolling sculpture by the contemporary Dutch-Peruvian artist Gam Klutier (b. 1946) follows the sundial. It is part of his “Riders” series, carries a starting bid of $400 and an estimate of $800-$1,200. The balanced sculpture was formed with a large fin painted pink and white, bringing to mind a cockatoo. Klutier was greatly influenced by the famous mobile artist Alexander Calder.
Headlining the ladies’ jewelry category is a 5.99-carat diamond engagement ring. The platinum four-prong set solitaire ring consists of one prong-set 4.92-carat emerald cut diamond, graded SI-1 for clarity and E-F for color, flanked by two bar-set baguette cut diamond shoulders (1.07 ct., VS1/VS2 clarity, F-G color) . The size 7 ½ ring should slip on a new finger for $30,000-$50,000.
1948 Chevy May Cruise For $25,000
Shifting gears to vintage vehicles, a 1948 Chevrolet advanced design 3600 series stake body ¾ ton
truck, professionally restored and with a fully detailed engine compartment, undercarriage and original interior, is expected to roar off for $15,000-$25,000. The red truck, powered by a 3.5-liter, inline 6-cylider, 216 cu. in. engine, shows just 21,000 original miles on the odometer.
A large steel wire rod sculpture of a nude dancer attributed to John Risley (Conn./Mass, 1919-2002), 70 inches tall including steel four-leg stand, is expected to hammer for $2,000-$3,000. The work depicts a woman balancing on her right foot, with the other foot extended and arms bent. Risley exhibits attentiveness to angles, utilizing triangular forms and a diamond form head.
A rare and original example of a J. & E. Stevens (Conn.) mechanical cast iron magician bank, made around 1901, 8 ¼ inches tall, in fine working order with no apparent sign of repainting, should sell for $2,000-$3,000. Activation prompts the magician to lower his hat, resulting in the coin disappearing into the table. J. & E. Stevens banks are highly prized by collectors.
Nautical Theme Makes Auction Appearance
An oil on canvas nautical rendering by the American Impressionist George A. Renouard (N.Y., 1885-1954), depicting two fishing boats docked on a summer’s day, has a pre-sale estimate of $1,000-$2,000. Renouard's loose and effective brush strokes create a reflection in the foreground and a distant mountainous background. The 18 by 22 inch (sight) painting features an artist signature.
To learn more about Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers and the July 22nd two-session auction, visit www.bruneauandco.com or email info@bruneauandco.com.
