LaVerne Coffee Table and Scarpa Furniture Group for Cassina Top Neue Auctions' Feb. 19 Online Sale

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A bronze coffee table by Philip and Kelvin LaVerne, titled Eternal Forest, sold for $27,060, and a Soriana leather furniture seating group by Afra and Tobia Scarpa for Cassina brought $15,990 in an online Winter Fine Antiques & Art auction held February 19th by Neue Auctions. They were the two top earners of the more than 300 lots that came up for bid. 

The LaVerne coffee table, 47 ½ inches in diameter, was cast with an allover tree pattern patinated in silver, and had a brass and green patina. It was raised on a shaped base and signed by LaVerne, the Mid-Century Modern designers. The Scarpa for Cassina furniture seating group comprised two lounge chairs and two side chairs, made from leather with stainless steel details. 

“We had a fabulous auction of fine antiques and art, curated from local estates and collections, and many new record prices were hit all day long,” said Cynthia Maciejewski of Neue Auctions. 

She added: “Our next big online auction will focus on English Georgian and Regency furniture, French provincial furniture, rustic wares in pewter and ceramics, Asian art, including a selection of Chinese Export porcelain and China Trade paintings, paperweights, paintings and prints and two bronze sculptures by Frederick William MacMonnies. That will be on Saturday, March 26.” 

Following are additional highlights from the auction, which was hosted by LiveAuctioneers.com, Invaluable.com and Bidsquare.com. All prices are inclusive of a 23 percent buyer’s premium. 

A pair of face-related lots each posted a selling price of $12,300. One was a screenprint in colors by Tom Wesselmann (American, 1931-2004), titled Bedroom Face with Orange Wallpaper (1987), 62 inches by 68 inches as framed and signed, dated and numbered. The other was a double-handled face flask by R. W. Martin and Brothers (British, 1873-1914), made in 1901 and depicting a grinning character face. The obverse was inscribed with a poem regarding a potter. 

Two of the more visually dazzling items in the sale were a bronze kinetic sculpture by Bill Keating (American, b. 1932), titled Dancer, 24 ½ inches tall, signed and dated 1990, with the original sale receipt and brochure ($11,685); and a spectacular Albany of England porcelain, bronze and enamel peacock on a stand, 60 inches in height, the bronze bird brightly glazed in turquoise, cobalt blue and lime green, and the tail spread with fully articulated feathers ($5,842). 

In addition to the LaVerne coffee table and Scarpa leather seating group, other furniture lots also did well, to include the following: 

- A monumental Art Nouveau marquetry display cabinet, possibly Austrian, with a central unit and two side cabinets fitted as one, plus interior shelves throughout ($4,612).

- A 19th or 20th century baroque style refractory table, the rectangular walnut top raised on a trestle base carved in relief, with shield-shaped cartouches flanked by figures ($4,305).

- Two 18th or 19th century South German or Austrian baroque style cabinets with shaped rectangular tops over a conforming case, with two frieze drawers to each side ($4,305). 

Original oil paintings featured an oil on canvas by Mark Lancelot Symons (British, 1887-1935), titled Moving Day (circa 1929-1930), artist signed lower right and housed in a 30 inch by 41 inch frame ($11,685); and an oil on canvas by Antoine Blanchard (French, 1910-1988), titled Paris, Point St. Martin, 18 inches by 21 ½ inches (canvas, less frame), artist signed and titled ($6,150). 

World-famous artists made an appearance auction day. An aquatint by Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881-1973), titled Painter and Model Leaning on her Elbow, signed in pencil and numbered (5/50) lower left, 15 ½ inches by 10 ¾ inches (sight), matted and framed, went for $6,765; while a lithograph on paper by Norman Rockwell (American, 1984-1978), titled Boy with Two Dogs (Raleigh Rockwell Travels), after the 1929 original, signed, framed and numbered, hit $3,690. 

Artworks of a more statuary variety included a finely carved marble figure of a nude (Italian, late 19th/early 20th century), the figure carved in white Carrara marble, her hands clasped to her neck, on a green marble pedestal, unsigned, 34 ½ inches tall ($4,920); and a waist-up gilt bronze bust of Loie Fuller by Charles Louchet (French, 19th/20th century), depicting the innovative dancer partially clad, manipulating her flowing silk fabric around her body, 9 inches in height ($4,920). 

Artworks by the renowned Puerto Rican artist Angel Botello (1913-1986) featured a linocut on Japanese paper, depicting Ann Frank, signed lower right, titled, numbered (49/50) and matted and framed to a size of 31 inches by 22 ½ inches ($5,228); and a 1951 linocut titled Two Figures at the Beach, signed and dated lower right, numbered (5/12) and matted and framed ($4,305). 

Several mythological subject oil on canvas paintings by John Hemming Fry (American, 1860-1946), all from the collection of the Canton (Ohio) Art Institute, were sold. The titles were Orpheus & Eurydice, 80 inches by 51 inches as framed ($4,920); The Elemental Drift, 26 inches by 42 ½ inches as framed ($3,567); and The Fates, 39 inches by 30 inches as framed ($3,075). 

On Saturday, April 30th, Neue Auctions will hold an online-only Fine Interiors Auction, also at 10 am Eastern. Many antiques, fine paintings and decorative objects will be offered in addition to furniture by such names as Baker and Henredon, beautifully upholstered chairs, ottomans, side, lamp and coffee tables, lighting, mirrors and decorative items from some of the best homes east of the Mississippi, from St. Claire Shores, Michigan and Pepper Pike, Ohio to Naples, Fla. 

Then, on Saturday, May 28th, at 10 am Eastern, Neue Auctions will hold what’s become an annual event: their May Modern auction. The firm has been busy collecting modern works of art such as fine printwork, original paintings, pottery, sculpture and classic modern furniture by known designers. They are reviewing and accepting consignments for this auction right now.

To learn more about Neue Auctions, visit https://www.neueauctions.com