Black History Month online auction ends Feb. 24 at UniversalLive.com Nearly 250 lots of Black Americana items, timed to coincide with Black History Month, are being sold in an Internet-only auction currently online that will end Friday, Feb. 24, at UniversalLive.com.
her hand moves to her mouth; and a 7 ½ inch tall Mammy still bank. Both should realize $250-$375.
Pipes fashioned in the 19th century, depicting black faces (some of them even made by black Americans) are also coveted by collectors. The auction boasts many examples, including an exceptional carved walnut pipe of a black alligator trainer about to leap into a swamp and straddled to a huge alligator, crafted by a black American in South Carolina (est. $1,725-$2,500).
Other pipes include an early clay pipe depicting the head of a Southern slave (circa 1840-1860), unearthed at a tavern site in South Carolina, probably cast and given to a bidder when slaves were sold in the Charleston area (est. $400-$600), a detailed African-American clay pipe, 4 inches long (est. $150-$225), and a hand-carved wooden slave pipe (est. $370-$555).
Prints of concert posters from the 1960s carry pre-sale estimates of $50-$80 each. These include Aretha Franklin at Philharmonic Hall in New York City in Oct. 1968 (and featuring the Sweet Inspirations with Cissy Houston, Whitney’s mother), James Brown in Nov. 1963, a week before the Kennedy assassination, and Stevie Wonder for a 1969 concert appearance in England.
Returning to artwork, multiple works by emerging and established artists are being sold. Examples include a half-dozen works by Mary Ann Rose (all est. $3,920-$6,030), two original mixed media works depicting Muhammad Ali by Peter Mars (est. $7,900-$9,880, $1,900-$2,925), and works by artist Nathaniel Barnes, two of them expected to sell for $3,500-$5,380.
Other items of Black Memorabilia include an engraved whale’s tooth depicting the wharf at New Bedford, Mass., and a slave (est. $250-$375); a cast-iron black boy eating a watermelon (est. $150-$225); an original seat from Chicago Stadium (est. $600-$925); and a 1992 political button showing Bill Clinton and the black Senate candidate Carol Moseley Braun (est. $40-$60).
UniversalLive, founded in 1995, is based in Northbrook, Ill. The firm has conducted thousands of Internet-based auctions through various venues. Online bidding for the Black History Month auction is being facilitated by LiveAuctioneers.com and iCollector.com. The firm attributes a good measure of its success to proprietary software, which is easy to use and track.
UniversalLive specializes in collectibles, militaria, sports memorabilia, fine art, coins, jewelry and other items. The firm is always accepting quality consignments for future auctions. To consign a single item, a collection or an entire estate, you may call them at (847) 412-9900; or, you can e-mail them at marty@mebmail.com. All e-mailed inquiries are answered promptly.
To learn more about UniversalLive, or to participate in the Black History Month auction currently underway, please log on to www.universallive.com. Updates are posted frequently.
