Bonhams presents its Period Art & Design Auction, December 11-12 in San Francisco, featuring property from the Estate of Katherine Elkins Boyd; jewelry from the Collection of “Golden Age” actress Hedy Lamarr; and unique designs for the home, sold to benefit museums and notable organizations throughout the Western United States.
Leading the sale is the much-anticipated “part two” of Bonhams sales of Property from the Estate of Katherine Elkins Boyd (Bonhams Fine Furniture and Decorative Arts sale, October 31, featured “part one” of Property from the Estate). Elkins Boyd was a well-known San Francisco Bay Area figure, Co-Chair of the Republican National Committee Eagles, delegate to the Republican National Convention, and daughter of legendary 20th century designer Frances Adler Elkins.
On offer from the Estate will be a selection of custom painted furniture and one-of-a-kind decorative accessories, from faience, jardinières and candlesticks to Venetian glass, fabric rolls and table lamps. Unique highlights will include a pair of Neoclassical style polychrome decorated zinc and cast aluminum finials from the second quarter of the 20th century (est. $1,500-2,500), a Spanish Talavera blue and white faience four piece garniture (est. $600-800) and a Frances Elkins painted plaster urn (est. $400-600). Also, there will be artworks by the artist Gene Frances Baker McComas (1886-1982), who Frances Adler Elkins commissioned for many works of art (estimates vary).
Jewelry featured in the sale will include gems from the Collection of Hedy Lamarr (1914-2000). Lamarr, born in Vienna, Austria, began her career in Czech and German films and was a student of theater director Max Reinhardt in Berlin. Lamarr’s role in the Czech production Ecstasy (1933) brought her worldwide attention and resulted in her call to Hollywood, to sign with MGM. The studio put her in a series of exotic adventure epics, including Algiers (1938) and White Cargo (1942). Her biggest success was in Cecil B. DeMille’s spectacular Samson and Delilah (1949), as the title temptress. In 1957, Lamarr left the screen and retired in Florida.
Property from the Collection of Hedy Lamarr will include a colored and baroque cultured pearl, diamond and silver-topped gold bar brooch (est. $600-800) and a pair of baroque cultured pearl, diamond and gold bar brooches, together with a 1915 Austrian gold coin and 14k gold brooch (est. $600-800), among others.
Additional jewelry highlights will include a 22k gold coin bracelet (est. $2,500-3,000) and a fabric and 18k gold flower brooch by Elsa Peretti of Tiffany & Co., Spain (est. $600-800).
Of the sale, Bonhams San Francisco Director of Period Art & Design auctions, Christine Skinner, says, “The December sale will offer a large amount of property with spectacular provenance, whether it be museum deaccessioned artwork or property belonging to famous and interesting personalities. Each piece has a story to tell.”
The decorative arts section of the sale will offer a bountiful selection of property. It will be led by a Sevres style, gilt bronze mounted porcelain large vase from the late 19th century, that measures 30 inches tall (est. $2,000-4,000) and a Wedgwood majolica turquoise ground fish platter (est. $1,500-1,800). The platter is oval-shaped and molded in relief with a scaly salmon resting on a bed of leaves, and is raised on four small feet.
Also on offer will be a pair of Paris porcelain urns, circa 1900 (est. $1,000-1,500) and a selection of flags from a collection from a museum in the Southwest, including four separate 48-star United States flags (estimates all $400-600) and a framed 13 star United States flag (est. $300-500), among others.
About 70 lots of Native American arts and artifacts will appear in the sale, including two Paiute baskets sold to benefit the Palm Springs Art Museum (est. $600-900), and a Tesuque bowl, sold to benefit the Southern Oregon Historical Society, Medford, Ore., (est. $400-600).
The furniture sector of the auction will feature a model M Steinway grand piano (est. $4,000-6,000) and a George III japanned corner cabinet (est. $2,500-3,500). Property sold to benefit the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco will include a Louis XVI style gilt bronze mounted and paint decorated mahogany center vitrine cabinet (est. $1,000-1,500). There will also be a selection of bookcases, desks, dining and game tables, sofas, stools, stands, parlor chairs, chandeliers and more, with varying estimates – all sold to benefit the California Historical Society.
Approximately 90 lots of photography will appear in the sale, accompanied by more than 120 fine art examples. Selections of property from both categories will be sold to benefit notable institutions, such as Tuscany, Italy, a 2009 Multiple Impression Pigment Print by Richard Benson, sold to benefit the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (est. $800-1,200) and The Road to Calvary, an oil on canvas from the School of Master of Huancayo, that is Property sold to benefit the Portland Art Museum, Portland, Ore., (est. $1,500-2,000). Additional highlights will include Edward Curtis’ Apache, comprising two images in one frame (est. $1,000-1,500) and Beniamino Benvenuto Bufano’s The Artist’s Mother, in glazed terracotta (est. $1,500-2,500).
There will also be various works by Imogen Cunningham (1883-1976), an American photographer, known for her photographs of nude and botanical scenes. Some highlights will include Mendocino Motif, a 1965 Gelatin silver print (est. $2,000-3,000); My Father, My Mother and Bossy, a 1923 gelatin silver print (est. $1,000-1,500); and Magnolia Bud 2, a 1920s Gelatin silver print ($700-900).
About the Auction Category: This monthly event will include paintings, prints, rugs, lighting, mirrors, antique furniture, modern designer furniture, decorative accents, silver and much more, with many in the $500-$5,000 price range. The property is hand selected to include items that would appeal to collectors of all levels, interior designers and those who may want to find a unique piece for their home. Sourced primarily from the West Coast, the majority of the property comes from exclusive sources – from high-profile Napa Valley estates filled with contemporary designer furnishings to Pacific Heights homes, embellished with antiques and unique decor. Many of these homes have been styled by high-profile Bay Area interior designers. Each auction catalog will feature an interview with a prominent interior designer with their take on current design trends. The sale’s illustrated catalogue will be available online in the weeks preceding it, for review and purchase at www.bonhams.com.
Auction Preview: December 9-11, San Francisco
Auction: December 11-12, San Francisco