Flying Boat Art Glass Sculpture by Lino Tagliapietra Gavels for $19,680 at Neue Auctions on March 2

A beautiful flying boat art glass sculpture by Lino Tagliapietra (Italian, b. 1934) sold for $19,680, oil paintings by Joseph B. O’Sickey and Max Kuehne each realized $12,300, and a Neoclassical style carved white marble mantelpiece blasted through its $800-$1,200 estimate to finish at $12,300 in Neue Auctions’ Fresh & Neue Auction held March 2nd. The online-only auction featured 341 lots of market fresh antiques, fine art, sterling and jewelry – “everything you didn’t need but definitely wanted,” said Cynthia Maciejewski of Neue Auctions.

Surpassing Estimates

This proved to be prescient, as many of the lots surpassed even their high estimates in an eclectic sale that performed well across a broad range of collecting categories. The Tagliapietra sculpture, titled Flying Boat (2002), was crafted from blown and hot worked glass and battuto-cut glass. It was 65 inches in length, with an engraved signature (“Lino Tagliapietra 2002”) on an 18-inch-tall bronze stand, and easily bested its $12,000 high estimate. The oil painting signed by Joseph B. O’Sickey (American, 1918-2013), was titled Garden Still Life with Table and Chair and Orange Trees.

It was large – 60 ½ inches by 48 ½ inches – and was acquired directly from the artist by the consignor. The pre-sale estimate was $5,000-$8,000. The oil painting by Max Kuehne (German/American, 1880-1968) was titled Brooklyn Bridge with View of Manhattan. Rendered circa 1911, the painting was signed lower right and dated. It measured 15 inches by 17 ½ inches (sight, less the frame) and had an estimate of $3,000-$5,000. Without a doubt the sleeper lot of the sale was the 19th century Neoclassical style white marble mantelpiece, carved in relief with a classical mourning scene.

Auction Highlights

It was in parts and needed to be assembled, but that mattered little to eager bidders, who blew past the $800-$1,200 estimate. Following are additional highlights from the auction. Internet bidding was facilitated by LiveAuctioneers.com and Invaluable.com. Prices quoted include a 23 percent buyer’s premium. There were two dance-themed oil on canvas paintings in the auction. One was titled Flamenco Dancers, by Benjamin A. Stahl (American, 1910-1987), signed and 28 ½ inches by 70 inches, less the frame ($1,845).

The other was titled Dancers, by the noted Ethiopian artist Afewerke Tekle (1932-2012). The work was artist signed and inscribed in Amharic lower left ($8,610). A 19th century Russian year calendar icon, centered by the Anastasis (Resurrection) and the calendar for the year with groups of saints surrounded by images of the Mother of God, was mounted on an ultra-suede panel and measured 30 inches by 27 inches, framed ($2,829).

Asian Art & Vases

Also, a colorful, 24-piece fused glass Rondelay screen by Michael and Frances Higgins, comprised of fused glass circles and squares with original connectors, 36 inches by 24 inches, hit $3,567. From Asia, a mixed media sculpture by Hiroshi Yamano (Japanese, b. 1956), titled From East to West, made from blown, sculpted and cast glass with painting, drawing and copper electroplate, went for $5,412; while a fine Japanese bronze Shibuichi Okimono of Hana-Saka-Jisan and His Dog by Katsura Mitsuharu (1871-1962), based on the story of The Old Man Who Made the Withered Trees Flower, cast and detailed with Shibuichi copper, hit $3,936.

Gorgeous vases were led by a Chinese cloisonné gourd-shaped vase, probably Qing Dynasty (1644-1912), 13 inches tall, with bats, symbolic of happiness and painted in pink enamel, found throughout the design, fetched $2,460; and a large pair of early 19th century Sevres jeweled covered vases with gilt bronze scroll handles and mounts, each finely painted with a charming scene, the bronze bases engraved “Louis Seize a Marie Antoinette, 1772” ($2,460).

Exquisite Furniture & Silver

Furniture featured a fine and rare circa 1790 small George III rosewood and satinwood Pembroke table having an oval top with two rosewood drop leaves, diminutive at 28 ½ inches tall ($1,845); a circa 1800 fine Georgian mahogany miniature secretary bookcase, the top with molded cornice over two hinged glazed doors, 37 ¾ inches tall by 17 ¼ inches wide ($2,460); and a 19th century English Regency mahogany curule bench with carved petal and seedpod rondels on curved supports, and the squared legs carved at the feet with leaf forms ($1,968).

Silver offerings included a 102-piece International Sterling partial service in the “Spring Floral” pattern, weighing 105.91 ozt. overall ($2,214); and a Russian silver rabbit, circa 1908-1916, after Albrecht Dürer’s wild hare, hallmarked with the Russian Imperial Warrant above apocryphal Cyrillic letters “KF” (for Karl Faberge), weighing around 3.87 toz. (also $2,214).

Curated Curiosities

Decorative accessories featured a giant size Bisazza Murano blown glass underwater aquarium, titled Immersion I (model 3325), internally decorated with tropical fish, sea horses, jellyfish and plant life, 13 inches tall, signed ($1,107); and an Indian gilt bronze sculpture of the Buddhist Bodhisattva Manjusri, probably from the late 19th or early 20th century, finely cast with jewelry and an animated scarf that framed the deity, 7 ½ inches in height ($1,046). The wild and wonderful is commonplace at Neue Auctions, and this sale was no exception.

A few of the more intriguing items to cross the auction block included the following: – An antique gold-filled handled walking stick, the L-shaped gold handle chased with flowers and leaves, with an engraved commemorative cartouche, “From employees to James Ferrell….” on an ebonized wood stick. The cane was 36 ¼ inches tall ($1,353).

– A French Jerome Thibouville Lamy full-size violin, circa 1880, with bow, bearing two labels” “Copie D’ Lofredus Cappa in Saluzzio Feci Anno 1640” and a “J.T.L. label for Jerome Thibouville Lamy, a violin maker from Mirecourt, established 1815. ($1,230).

– An African carved wood granary door, two-panel, secured with two iron straps, carved in low relief with a simplified male and female figure, 54 ½ inches tall by 22 inches wide ($1,230).

Wool Rug Highlights

The nice selection of wool rugs was led by a circa 1880s antique Persian woven wool Serapi carpet, 13 feet 6 inches by 10 feet 7 inches, with a large-scale geometric pattern in rust, cream and blues ($4,674); and an antique signed Persian wool Mashad carpet, 15 feet 3 inches by 11 feet 8 inches, with a design of medallions and scrolls in teal, raspberry, pink and tan ($1,353). Next up for Neue Auctions is an online-only auction slated for Saturday, April 27th. The sale will include a superb art glass collection. Consignments are being accepted for this auction.