Moran's offers mid-century modern, arts + cafts, and Native American objects in February A new year of sales at John Moran Auctioneers opens on February 5, 2013, when the Southern California house’s Decorative Arts Auction shines a spotlight on Native American artifacts and American and C
category of sterling silver, modernist masters Allan Adler and Georg Jensen are represented by the former’s ‘’Starlit’’ flatware and the latter’s ‘’Acadia’’, or ‘’Blok’’, flatware. Jensen is also the maker of a large pedestal compote decorated with grape vines that is estimated at $5000 – 7000. Silver items from earlier eras exhibit similarly high standards of design, including a George III covered serving dish by Dublin, Ireland maker Edward Power, featuring a wolf’s head finial (estimate: $1500 – 2000), a lovely repoussé George III sterling silver tea caddy by John Denziloe of London (estimate: $500 – 1000), a Louis Philippe chocolate pot and a tureen, and a signed Japanese Meiji-era jewelry box with three hinged compartments, the exterior incised with various flowers and a wheelbarrow (estimate: $1000 – 1500).
Moran’s will offer Native American artifacts for the first time since June, 2012, when the house set a new auction record for a Native American textile with the sale of a Navajo lac-dyed First Phase Chief’s wearing blanket for $1.8 million. The February sale will include weavings and a large group of baskets consigned from a private collection. The baskets are highlighted by several fine examples of Northwest Coast, Pima, Pomo, Apache and Washoe work. One of the Washoe baskets, of degikup form, is attributed to the celebrated maker Dat-So-La-Lee, while another is (reputedly) a collaboration between Dat-So-La-Lee and an unidentified Washoe maker. They are offered at $8000 – 10,000 and $15,000 – 20,000 respectively. Other highlights are a Northwest Coast Nootka basket-covered abalone shell (estimate: $1500 – 2000) and a Pomo bowl decorated all over with brown, yellow, white and green duck feathers in a geometric pattern (estimate: $2000 – 3000).
Additional sale categories include Asian artifacts, 19th century Continental furnishings, and American and European fine art, including modern sculpture and prints. Several groups of Edward Weston (1886 – 1958) portrait photographs will nicely complement the modern design offerings.
Updated highlights are viewable at www.johnmoran.com. The sale will be conducted at the Pasadena Convention Center at 300 East Green Street in Pasadena, CA. Full sale catalogues are posted at www.johnmoran.com 2 -3 weeks prior to each sale. Bidding is available from the floor and via absentee, telephone or online through Artfact.com or LiveAuctioneers.com.
Consignments are accepted throughout the year for Moran’s Antiques and Decorative Arts Auctions, held six-seven times a year, their tri-annual jewelry sales, and for their major Fine Art Auction, held bi-annually. Please contact Moran’s offices at 626-793-1833 or info@johnmoran.com for more information about any of their upcoming events.
