Morphy Auctions enters new territory, May 13-15, with African art collection More than 300 lots of authentic African tribal art from a 40-year collection amassed by an Ohio private collector will be featured in Morphy's May 13-15 Spring Auction.
News-Antique.com - Mar 27,2010 - DENVER, Pa. - In what will be one of the company's largest sales to date, Dan Morphy Auctions will offer 3,000 lots of antiques from fresh-to-market collections in a May 13-15, 2010 Spring sale. Morphy's will enter exciting new territory with its offering of more than 300 lots of authentic African tribal art from a 40-year collection amassed by an Ohio private collector.
Among many other featured categories, the auction will also contain 300 lots of antique advertising and coin-operated machines, 250 examples of fine and decorative art, 70 lots of napkin rings, part III of the Pat and Lowell Wagner steam toy/steam engine collection, and an outstanding collection of rare occupational shaving mugs. Additionally, the toy section will incorporate 70 dolls, 30 mechanical banks and 300 lots of early Mattel Hot Wheels vehicles - one of the largest groupings of its type to reach the auction marketplace.
Following tradition, the auction will open with a fine selection of marbles. The 60-lots to be sold include a boxed set of 25 Christensen agate “Guinea” marbles, estimated at $8,000-$12, 000, and many handmade onionskins, Lutzes and sulphides. Top sulphide lots include a painted number “3” and a tricolor painted rooster.
The extensive collection of African art was cataloged by noted specialist dealer and appraiser Oumar Keinde. Keinde confirmed that all of the art in the sale was carved in Africa and is geared mostly toward entry-level buyers or those who wish to decorate their homes or offices with collectible original tribal art. “These items are mostly from the period between1950 and the late 20th century, and are known as 'original replacements.' If they were the early originals, they would cost 30 to 50 times as much and would be in museums. While the items in the auction are primarily meant to be decorative, they are still original African artworks and are very collectible.” Keinde noted that the most important articles in the sale include a pair of Central African Songeye shrine artifacts, $5,000-$6,000; a Central African Luba Shankadi mask from Zaire, $2,800-$3,500; a West African Dogon post depicting a couple, $2,400-$2,800; and a West African Bambara warrior shrine piece, $2,800-$3,500. Keinde estimates that 90 percent of the collection consists of African masks, figurines, shrine statues and other artifacts.
A grouping of 60+ timepieces is led by a circa-1870 French bronze enamel clock, $2,500-$3,500; and a large octagonal time-and-strike clock, $2,000-$3,000. Immediately following will be a lineup of more than 40 music boxes plus a large selection of cylinder boxes and phonographs with original horns. The star lot is a Regina 15_-inch double-comb bow-front automatic changer, which is expected to make $12,000-$15,000.
Next up will be lighting, featuring 15 slag-glass and 20 student lamps; followed by a fine grouping of more than 70 silver figural napkin rings. “This is a very nice assortment - the cream of the crop from two napkin ring collections,” said Morphy Auctions' CEO, Dan Morphy.
Fine antique dolls await bidders in the Spring Sale, among them a
