ALAMEDA, CA.- This October, Michaan’s Auctions will hold two auctions in addition to the monthly Annex Auction. Friday, October 14th will see the Traditional & Old Masters Auction, in which fine art, furniture, and decorative arts from the Baroque era to the Barbizon school will be offered. The monthly Gallery Auction will conclude the auction week on Saturday, October 15, bringing a selection of rare articles and decorations including a fire extinguisher grenade circa 1890, a lithograph by Marc Chagall (French/Russian, 1887-1985), and a rare Chinese coromandel lacquer screen.

Friday’s auction will present no shortage of rare decorations, including a 19th century Derbyshire fluorspar Blue John Urn estimated at $2,000-$3,000. Blue John, or Derbyshire Spar, is a rare form of fluorite which has only been observed in two caverns of Derbyshire. Mined for ornamental purposes since at least the 18th century, operations continue today only on a small scale, making those products that surface a valued find. Also offered at the sale is a Louis XVI Gourdin giltwood fauteuil upholstered with a silk floral branch brocade in autumnal colors estimated at $3,000-$5,000. Seats produced by the Gourdin family are prized for their high quality and fine carving, which made them some of the most renowned carpenters of the 18th century. The fauteuil is a gorgeous example of their work. Friday’s auction also brings a pair of Italian giltwood pedestals estimated at $3,000-$5,000. The pedestals are thickly carved in foliate and floral patterns interspersed with cherub faces, striking examples of the Baroque era.

The Traditional & Old Masters Auction also comprises a diverse selection of fine art, such as an oil on canvas by Frits Thaulow (Norwegian, 1847-1906), Claire du Lune, estimated at $4,000-$7,000, a fine example of his Impressionist style. Bronze figures are represented as well, such as a sculpture after Pierre LePautre, Aeneas Carrying His Father Anchises (1691) estimated at $8,000-$12,000.

Saturday will bring the Gallery Auction, and with it a variety of unique acquisitions for any bidder. Starting off with a bang will be a California fire extinguisher grenade circa 1890 estimated at $2,000-$3,000. Michaan’s has auctioned one fire extinguisher grenade before; identical in nearly respect, it commanded $11,070.00.

Fine art in a range of mediums will be offered on Saturday, including a framed photograph by Sebastião Salgado (Brazilian, b. 1944) estimated at $1,000-$3,000. Salgado gained international acclaim for his dramatic portrayals of impoverished working class subjects, and touring exhibitions of his work have been presented throughout the world. Saturday’s auction also brings a dazzling lithograph by Marc Chagall, Sun in the Studio, at an estimate of $6,000-$9,000, as well as modern works like Casa de Muñecas, an oil on canvas by Amy Nelder (American, b. 1971) estimated at $400-$600.

As always, this sale will bring a selection of desirable jewelry in various precious gemstones. Diamonds, men’s items, and watches are only some of the pieces available at the auction. Saturday’s sale brings Asian art in an array of genres as well, from junware to jade carvings. Of particular note is a rare Chinese coromandel lacquer screen. Estimated at $4,000-$6,000, this screen is a work of art, with carved bone and semiprecious stone in relief embellishing a dark ground, and traditional scenes of the eighteen Lohan scattered across the panels. Birds and flowers in gilt outlines decorate the reverse. An excellent companion to this lot is a Chinese rosewood cabinet, estimated at $4,000-$5,000, each door finely carved with Archaic bronze vessels.