20th Century Design: Maloof rocking chair may claim $25,000
On Tuesday, Nov. 13, John Moran Auctioneers will host its second biannual Prints & Multiples auction at noon, followed by a 20th Century Art + Design auction at 2 p.m.
MONROVIA, Calif. – On Tuesday, Nov. 13, John Moran Auctioneers will host its second biannual Prints & Multiples auction. Featuring 76 lots, the diminutive catalogue packs a punch with intriguing selections from an array of Modern, Post-War and Contemporary artists. The Prints & Multiples auction will kick off at 12 p.m., with the 20th Century Art + Design auction following at 2 p.m. The 20th Century Art & Design auction comprises 229 lots of fine art, furniture, and decorative objects.
The Prints & Multiples auction offers a small selection of late 19th and early 20th century posters slated to head to the block, including Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec’s (1864-1901) “Aristide Bruant, Dans son Cabaret” (estimate $8,000-$12,000). Roger Soubie’s (1898-1984 French) 1920 travel poster advertising the Chamonix railway, “De Chamonix au Montenvers,” is expected to bring between $2,000 and $4,000.
An example of Georges Braque’s (1882-1963 French) print work post-WWII, when the artist turned more and more towards themes of birds, landscapes and ateliers, “Oiseau noir sur fond bleu (Oiseau VIII),” has been assigned a $3,000 to $5,000 estimate.
Jim Dine, known for his Happenings and his work in assemblage and collage, is featured in the Prints & Multiples sale with a color lithograph and screenprint “Double Venus in the Sky at Night” ($5,000-$7,000).
Photographic works include “Le Petit Parisien,” which dates to 1952, a gelatin silver print by French artist Willy Ronis (1910-2009), depicting a young boy running down a sidewalk while clutching a baguette under one arm ($2,000-$4,000). A first edition of “Helmut Newton: SUMO,” a bound compilation of the works by the influential photographer, is offered with its original book stand ($3,000-$5,000).
While not photographic prints strictly speaking, two lithographic works by Japanese photographer Hiroshi Sugimoto (b. 1948) will make their way to the auction block. Each expected to bring $1,000 to $1,500, the two works are both seascapes dating to 1991: the first is titled “#367, Black Sea, Inebolu”; the second is “#302, Pacific Ocean, Iwate.”
The 20th Century Sale begins at 2 p.m., in which furniture highlights include two lots by master woodworker Sam Maloof (1916-2009 Alta Loma, CA). One of the maker’s iconic spindle-back rocking chairs will head to the block with a $15,000 to $25,000 auction estimate. A less common example by the maker, a game table accompanied by four low-back armchairs, hails from the estate of California artist Millard Sheets, and has been assigned a $15,000 to $20,000 estimate.
An Eames/Herman Miller lounge chair and ottoman (models 670 and 671, respectively) featuring black leather upholstery and rosewood shells have been valued at $1,500 to $2,500. A malachite-veneered brass coffee table by celebrated New York metalworking house P.E. Guerin will surely find a number of interested bidders; the piece is conservatively estimated to bring between $5,000 and $7,000. For those with a competitive streak and a little extra space in their homes, a regulation-size ping pong table customized with a giclee print of Andy Warhol’s (1928-1987 New York, NY) “Missile Map” on the top will make a fun buy ($1,000-$2,000).
The November auction catalogues are available online at Moran’s website, www.johnmoran.com, Liveauctioneers, AuctionZip, and Invaluable. For more information, contact John Moran Auctioneers directly at info@johnmoran.com or 626-793-1833.
