Unsigned oil on canvas may sail to $500,000

FAIRFIELD, Maine — James D. Julia will bring to auction 1,900 lots during the firm’s annual August Fine Art, Asian & Antiques sale August 24-26, 2016.

In addition to pre-bids, telephone bids, and in-person bids, James D. Julia accepts bids via Invaluable.com and Bidsquare.com.
The first day of this event includes more than 650 lots, showcasing many paintings and bronzes. These include Edward Willis Redfield’s River Decorations ($80,000-$120,000) and two works by Andrew Wyeth: River Greys and By The Lower Dam. Each is estimated at $20,000 to $40,000. Another ‘mane’ attraction in this elite category would be Wilhelm Kuhnert’s Resting Circus Lion Couple, estimated at $30,000 to $50,000.

Vivian Milner Akers’ Bird Brook Winter, estimated at $8,000 to $12,000, is certain to take flight with enthusiasts. And it’s a family affair when it comes to the amazing selections of works by Maine’s own Peirce family, including Waldo Peirce’s Autumn Leaves With Kittens ($8,000-$12,000) and Gabrielle In A Cap ($4,000-$6,000). This sale also features several paintings by Elzira Peirce, including Key West ($2,000-$4,000); Family Group ($1,500-$2,500); and Ring Necked Lady, which is expected to commanded upward of $1,000.

The bronze selections in day one of this sale are heavy favorites. Jud Hartmann’s 48 inch by 24 inch Susquehannock depicts a Native American Indian as described by The Voyages of Captain John Smith from 1607-1609. It is estimated at $10,000 to $20,000. Abastenia St. Legar Eberle’s joyful Girl With Roller Skate takes the wheel with its $10,000 to $15,000 estimate, and according to Julia’s catalogers, is the first example offered in recent auction history.

Day one also includes a selection of works by Canadian artists, such as Jack L. Gray’s Chockle Cap, Lunenburg Co, Nova Scotia, which is estimated at $20,000 to $30,000; Frederic Remington’s pen and ink wash on paper Trail Riders comes into the auction with an estimate of $15,000 to $25,000.

The second day of the auction features more than 600 lots of American and European antiques, furniture, historical items, and nautical paintings. Fitz Henry Lane’s New Bedford Harbor, unsigned oil on canvas in a Eli Wilner & Co. frame is expected to vie for top lot of the auction, as it heads into the sale with an estimate of $300,000 to $500,000.

Low tech, nautically inspired “hardware” is prominently featured throughout the second auction day.

A mid-19th century patriotic carved paddle box lunette from Massachusetts, estimated at $20,000 to $30,000, leads the selection that also boasts six early and all-original Nantucket lightship baskets, estimated at $3,000 to $5,000.

Additional features of the second auction day include:
• Aaron Willard clock ($20,000-$40,000)
• William & Mary walnut gateleg table ($25,000-$50,000)
• Figured mahogany blocked end reverse serpentine chest of drawers, circa 1770 ($3,000-$5,000)
• Cigar store Indian Princess trade figure ($45,000-$65,000)
• 19th century C. Chackney horse weathervane ($8,000-$12,000)
• Silk, hand sewn Civil War battle flag ($8,000-$12,000)
• 1765 schoolgirl pictorial needlework sampler ($12,000-$25,000)

The third and final day of Julia’s annual summer auction is dedicated to contemporary decorative arts, unusual offerings, and Asian art. Of particular interest is a lot of four pieces of Quimper, including an unusual pair of bellows-form wall pockets. The lot also includes a tray and compote; this quartet is estimated at $3,000 to $5,000. A six-piece sterling beverage service, in the “Champlain” pattern and manufactured by The Ellmore Silver Co., is estimated at $4,000 to $6,000. And a monumental Le Funi urn by Gio Ponti, only one of three examples known, is estimated at $50,000 to $100,000.

For more information, visit www.jamesdjulia.com, email antiques@jamesdjulia, or call 207-453-7125.