ALAMEDA, CA.- Fine estate property and investment-quality art, antiques and collectibles will be offered in four separate auction events at
Michaan’s Auctions in November. As a full-service auction house in the San Francisco Bay Area, Michaan’s has access to auction property of exceptional diversity, which is reflected in the November auction calendar. The monthly Gallery Auction on November 13 is preceded by two specialty sales on the 12th: the Coin Auction (live at 10 am, PST) and the auction of Historic Costumes and Textiles (1 pm). The popular Annex Auction, where incredible deals are found month after month, is set for Monday through Wednesday of the same week, November 8-10. Michaan’s app and website bring these fun and exciting auctions to a global audience, and the live events are open to the public in beautiful Alameda, CA.
On Friday, November 12, Michaan’s will present a specialty sale of historic costumes and textiles, comprising property deaccessioned from the Monterey History and Art Association, Monterey, CA. Since 1931, the Association has been the beneficiary of donations from local and area citizens. Historic items donated were often of a general nature, not specific to Monterey. In order to focus its emphasis and displays on items of interest more close to home, the History and Art Association has deaccessioned historic dress, accessories, military uniforms and related material, to be sold at Michaan’s in this special event.
The Historic Costume and Textiles Auction features a dazzling range of fascinating property, from a collection of ethnographic dress to vintage accessories by legendary couturiers. Asian art collectors take note: the sale includes Chinese silk embroidered robes and rank badges, as well as Japanese kimonos and obis. The selection of historic western dress includes garments and shoes for ladies, children and gentlemen, circa 1870 and later. Military uniforms, epaulets and related gear for service men and women, also circa 1870 and later, will also be sold in the November 12 auction (live at 1 pm PST).
This sale includes an extensive offering of millinery by Jacques Fath and Lilly Daché. Jacques Fath was among the top designers credited with rebuilding the French fashion industry and expanding its worldwide influence in the post-war period. Collectors of vintage couture and fashion will recognize Fath’s importance and the wonderful opportunity presented by this auction. Lilly Daché apprenticed with renowned Parisian hat makers before emigrating from her native France in 1924. In America, Daché built a fashion empire that included exquisite millinery collections presented in her posh Manhattan salon, as well as wildly popular ready-to-wear lines. Her designs can be seen in iconic fashion photos well into the 1960s.
Preceding the Costume and Textiles Auction on November 12 is a special Coin Auction, to be held at 10 am PST. Nearly 300 lots are offered in this sale, most from a single collector. Featured are US gold coins from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. A leading highlight is the complete set of Morgan dollars, mostly BU condition, from 1878-1921 (missing only the 1895 proof). Presented in two coin books, the set is estimated at $15,000-$18,000.
On Saturday, November 13, Michaan’s monthly Gallery Auction will showcase a treasure trove of fine gold jewelry as well as Chinese porcelains, fine art from many periods, and a 1926 Steinway Model M grand piano estimated at just $4,000-$6,000. The selection of estate furniture includes an early 19th-century Biedermeier secretary ($900-$1,200) and a set of eight neoclassical style painted side chairs in the Gustav III manner ($4,000-$6,000). Collectors will find a Tiffany Studios three-light piano lamp ($3,000-$4,000) and the lot of six ancient Roman glass vessels ($1,000-$1,500), including a fine amphora with a quilted appearance to the glass. The range of property offered is remarkable, from the Louis Vuitton trunk ($1,300-$1,800) to the 19th-century Dayak hunter’s human trophy ($4,000-$6,000) and the collection of four volumes by Dashiell Hammett ($2,000-$4,000).
Fine paintings of Paris have sold very well at Michaan’s in recent years, including throughout 2021. November’s auction offers the oil on canvas, “Paris, Boulevard de l’Opera,” by Antoine Blanchard (French, 1910-1988). Though most of his works were completed in the mid- 20th century, Blanchard’s focus was on street scenes of pre-war Paris. His paintings feature light brushwork and the rainy, gray skies and pavement so common in Paris, against which city lights glimmer with extra warmth and liveliness. From a private collection in St. Helena, CA, “Boulevard de l’Opera” is estimated at $3,000-$5,000.
A large, exuberant painting by James Hansen (American, 1951-1997) is another November highlight. “Taking All Points Into Consideration,” the 1981 oil on canvas, is estimated at $1,000-$2,000. It’s a radically modernist figural painting of a girl in a twirling skirt, pulsing with color and movement. Hansen’s works can be found in the permanent collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and many others, and the sale of this painting is a fantastic opportunity for art lovers and collectors.
J. John Priola (b. 1960) is another featured artist in the auction on November 13. A lot of two silver gelatin prints by Priola is offered in this sale, estimated at $600-$900 for the pair. The lot comprises “Sussex Street,” 2005, and “Chenery Street” from 2008. Priola is a San Francisco artist whose work is represented in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, the Los Angeles County Museum, and the Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, among others.
Asian art is a top draw at Michaan’s, and the selection in November offers many great finds. Fine Chinese porcelains include the 20th-century pink ground famille rose baluster vase ($500-$800) and the Wucai baluster vase decorated with dragons and peacocks ($600-$800), possibly dating to the 17th-century transitional period. A famille rose porcelain covered jar features bird and flowering foliage decoration on a lush green whorl ground ($400-$600, with fitted wooden base). A collection of five Chinese export porcelains, in classic blue and white, is estimated at $600-$800. Also offered is the fierce carved jade foo dog, celadon white in color with russet inclusions ($400-$600). Asian art is trending at auction, with many sales exceeding estimates, so bidders are advised to bid early and keep a close eye on the proceedings.
Fine gold is abundant in Michaan’s November fine jewelry selection. Luxurious gold coin jewelry, which has sold very well in recent auctions, returns in November; the 24k yellow gold necklace, suspending seven gleaming coins, is estimated at $5,000-$7,000. The 14k yellow gold bangle, a striking Modernist design by Jean A. Lasnier, Jr., is estimated at $1,500-$2,500. Lasnier had a Beat-era jewelry boutique in the North Beach area of San Francisco, where he sold his handcrafted jewelry designs, later becoming one of the original retailers at Ghirardelli Square.
Michaan’s is a leading source for fine brooches of all sorts, and November is no exception. In the Gallery Auction on November 13: the handsome leaf brooch of 14k gold with a diamond ($500-$700), the perky flower brooch of gold with diamonds and enamel ($300-$500), and the collection of two poodle brooches, one white gold and one yellow gold, a fun find estimated at $500-$700. The flying goose brooch (18k gold, $400-$600) would look great on a stylish man’s dinner jacket or overcoat.
Bidders in search of unique and lovely gifts should consider the bracelets on offer at Michaan’s in November. The fine old cultured pearl, ruby and diamond bracelet ($600-$800) is a romantic choice. A Victorian seed pearl, enamel, 14k yellow gold bracelet is offered at $800-$1,200. A vintage charm bracelet suspends nine finely detailed animal charms, some with diamond accents ($500-$700). Rings in this sale include the vintage color change sapphire, diamond and platinum ring ($800-$1,200) and the 18k gold ring centering a large opal surrounded by diamonds ($700-$900).
Fine timepieces always draw collectors to Michaan’s Auctions, where the November Gallery Auction includes the ladies’ diamond and 18k white gold wristwatch by Bucherer ($800-$1,200) and the Ideal pocket watch of 14k yellow gold ($700-$900). Pocket watches, wristwatches, and jewelry are also crowd favorites at Michaan’s monthly Annex Auctions, held in November on the 8th through the 10th. All auction lots can be browsed with ease using the Michaan’s app.
