The Dec. 11, 1999, Premier Beverly Hills Collectible Sale, Sale 4

Art

Including Drawings, Paintings, Prints and Sculpture

   

498   "After Rembrandt" Etching by Amand-Durand. In the 1600s Rembrandt created his famed etchings, noted worldwide for their delicacy of tone and intricacy of detail. In Rembrandt's later years these etchings were in great demand by collectors. At Rembrandt's death in 1669, many of his plates had been canceled or destroyed. However, there remained an important body of approximately 100 plates which were still capable of producing fine quality impressions. For nearly a hundred years (1669-1767) the whereabouts of the bulk of his plates seemed shrouded in mystery. By the 1800s, Rembrandt's surviving plates were very worn and flat. Amand-Durand (1831-1905), a noted engraver of that time, decided to remedy this with his own skill. He researched and studied those pieces available in collections, and then spent the major part of his life exactly duplicating Rembrandt's images onto copper plates, achieving great quality through his own technical abilities. He published a complete set of very fine reproductions of all the Rembrandt etchings.

"Christ Preaching" [The hundred-guilder print] With drypoint and burin. Second state of two. Amsterdam, about 1643-49. The main themes of Matthew 19 are telescoped by Rembrandt into a single scene, unprecedented in earlier iconography. Plate Image 12¼ x 16¼", overall 23 x 19½". Fine. The traditional title refers to the unusually high price the print was said to have fetched in the 17th century.
Estimated Value $600-750.

   

499   "After Rembrandt" Etching by Amand-Durand. "Christ presented to the people: the oblong plate". Drypoint. Third state of eight. Originally printed on Japanese paper. Amsterdam, circa 1650s. Plate Image 18 x 15¼", overall 25 x 22¼". Fine.
Estimated Value $600-750.

   

500   "After Rembrandt" Etching by Amand-Durand. "The Angel Departing From the Family of Tobias" With drypoint. Third state of four. Signed and dated in the plate, Rembrandt f. 1641. Haarlem. Plate Image 6 x 4", overall 12 x 12". Fine.
Estimated Value $600-750.

   

501   "After Rembrandt" Etching by Amand-Durand. "The Good Samaritan". With burin. Fourth state of four. Amsterdam 1633. Plate Image 8½ x 10½", overall 15 x 19". Fine.
Estimated Value $250-300.

   

502   "After Rembrandt" Etchings by Amand-Durand.
A.) "Joseph Telling his dreams" Second state of three. Haarlem, 1683.
B.) "Joseph's coat brought to Jacob" First state of two. Signed in the plate, Rembrandt van Ryn fe. Haarlem, circa 1633.
C.) "Joseph and Potiphar's wife" First state of two. Signed in the plate and dated Rembrandt f. 1634. Haarlem. Fine.
Estimated Value $600-750.

   

503   Antique Nepalese Thangka. "Untitled". Handpainted on fabric, beautifully framed to an overall size of 18.5 x 27", Circa 1700-1800s, Nepal. A wonderfully ornate painting featuring numerous patterned wheels within which the Buddha reposes. Rendered in crimson, gold, indigo, dark green, brown, cobalt, etc. Some minimal creasing, otherwise clean. Fine.
Estimated Value $300-400.
This painting was acquired by the consignor in Thailand. It had been smuggled out of Tibet in the early 1970s by Tibetans escaping Chinese persecution.

   

504   Antique Oriental Bronze Mule. A finely sculptured cast bronze mule with movable saddle and elaborate trappings, 7 x 6". Included is an oriental ceramic figure of a dog placed on a hand made Japanese stand giving the appearance as if the dog is spooking the mule. Quite interesting. All in fine condition.
Estimated Value $350-500.

   

505   Antique Tibetan Thangka. Tibetan Art can is best understood in the context of its sacred Buddhist origins. The ancient King Srong Tsen Gampo unified the then non-Buddhist country we now know as Tibet in the 7th century. Establishing one of the largest empires in the history of mankind, his domain stretched from Afghanistan to Xian, the capital of China. King Srong demanded wives from the courts of his closet neighbors, the Buddhist kingdoms of China and Nepal. It is the works of art that these first two wives brought with them to Tibet as part of their tribute that form the sacred seeds of Tibetan art.

The Chinese princess Wen Ju brought a pair of ancient life-size sandalwood Indian statues of the Buddha said to have been made as portraits during the lifetime of Shakyamuni Buddha. The most highly venerated and important of these is the Jo rinpoche. This statue became a sacred object of pilgrimage, and hundreds of thousands of Tibetans walked thousands of miles over centuries to venerate this icon.

When King Tri Srong De Tsen attempted to lay the foundation for the first monumental temple and monastery in Tibet, local authorities were disturbed by these religious activities. Padmasambhava -- "the Lotus-born," popularly known as Guru Rinpoche, the Precious Master -- is revered throughout the Himalayan ranges as a Second Buddha. Invited from India in the eighth century to subjugate the forces inhibiting the spread of Shakumuni's teachings, he managed to transform hitherto hostile powers into guardians and protectors of Buddhism and, in the process, left an indelible mark on the entire Himalayan region.

Thangkas are painstakingly hand painted religious "scroll-paintings," traditionally executed on fabric, depicting Buddha, Bodhisattvas, and other deities. They adhere to strict iconographic traditions, are formal, vividly colored and richly patterned, and possess a striking intricacy of detail. Despite their decorativeness, Thangkas are works of art used in Buddhist culture as an aid to meditation and contemplation. "Wheel of Life", Handpainted on fabric, Framed to an overall 18 x 25", Circa 1700-1800s, Tibet. This intricate painting features a very elaborate scene of animals and human figures in a large wheel being turned by a monstrous red-eyed deity, rendered in vibrant reds, golds, browns, numerous shades of blue. The edges are worn but the overall quality of the piece is very good. Very Good.
Estimated Value $300-400.
This painting was acquired by the consignor in Thailand. It had been smuggled out of Tibet in the early 1970s by Tibetans escaping Chinese persecution.

   

506   Antique Tibetan Thangka. "1000 Buddhas". Hand painted on fabric, Framed to an overall size of 23 x 29", Circa 1700-1800s, Tibet. This piece depicts numerous images of the Buddha as well as other deities and animals. The painting features many vibrant colors, predominantly brown, green and red with an upper background of indigo and a lower background of khaki. Exhibits overall wear, mostly at the lower right edge, where there are minor areas of paint loss. Very Good.
Estimated Value $300-400.
This painting was acquired by the consignor in Thailand. It had been smuggled out of Tibet in the early 1970s by Tibetans escaping Chinese persecution.

   

507   Antique Tibetan Thangka. "1000 Buddhas". Hand painted on fabric, Framed to an overall size of 23 x 31", Circa 1700-1800s, Tibet. This richly detailed work features numerous images of the Buddha floating on a lotus petal stream of life, radiating around a central "Wheel of Life" design rendered in a multitude of colors, including cobalt, light blue, green, crimson and violet. Shows considerable wear throughout, including a minor tear along right edge, but is still quite vibrant. Very Good.
Estimated Value $300-400.
This painting was acquired by the consignor in Thailand. It had been smuggled out of Tibet in the early 1970s by Tibetans escaping Chinese persecution.

   

508   Antique Tibetan Thangka. "1000 Buddhas". Hand painted on fabric, Beautifully framed to an overall size of 17 x 23", Circa 1700-1800s, Tibet. Various images of the Buddha in repose, reclining on a low divan, and seated in the lotus position, with attentive elephants and other deities. Rendered in mustard-gold, seafoam green, cobalt blue, and rust. Exceptionally clean. Fine.
Estimated Value $300-400.
This painting was acquired by the consignor in Thailand. It had been smuggled out of Tibet in the early 1970s by Tibetans escaping Chinese persecution.

   

509   Antique Tibetan Thangka. "Buddhas". Hand painted on fabric, Nepal. Exquisitely presented within a "frame" of silk, and floating in a plexiglass shadow box. Overall size is 28½ x 44½". A painting of ethereal beauty, this thangka portrays a delicately poised deity surrounded by lotus blossoms, processions traveling on clouds, and deities on horseback. The figures are rendered in shades of slate, blues and greys, pale greens, and white. Extremely clean. Fine. Circa early 1900s, Nepal.
Estimated Value $500-800.
This painting was acquired by the consignor in Thailand. It had been smuggled out of Tibet in the early 1970s by Tibetans escaping Chinese persecution.

   

510   Antique Tibetan Thangka. "Buddhas". Hand painted on fabric, Handsomely framed to an overall of 23 x 35", Circa early 1900s, Tibet. An exceptional vibrantly painted thangka with intricately detailed demons, saddled deities, and a subtly varied repeated image of the Buddha in repose beneath a fecund treetop, all arranged around an elaborate centerpiece depicting the Buddha lost in tranquil meditation. Strikingly rendered in a delicate pattern of varying reds, mustard, slate-grey, brown and gold. Extremely clean. Fine.
Estimated Value $300-400.
This painting was acquired by the consignor in Thailand. It had been smuggled out of Tibet in the early 1970s by Tibetans escaping Chinese persecution.

   

511   [Batman]. Kane, Bob (1916- ). Cartoonist and animator. Creator of Batman (Detective Comics, 1939). Original Sketch of Robin the Boy Wonder Signed. 8½ x 11", on posterboard, in black felt-tip ink, with a punchy holograph inscription, "Bats Wishes, Bob Kane." Image depicts the "boy wonder" in his familiar black mask. Very Fine. Both sketch and signature are boldly penned.
Estimated Value $250-UP.

   

512   Biss, Earl. "Autumn Mountain". Original color serigraph. Image 23¼ x 31 3/4"on coventry rag paper. Framed to 29½ x 38". Signed and numbered by the artist 171/300. Plate which rendered this item has been destroyed thus adding to the rarity of the piece. Fine. Comes with Certificate of Authenticity.
Estimated Value $1,000-2,000.

   

513   Biss, Earl. "Storm on Thunder Mountain". Original color serigraph. Image 23¼ x 31 3/4"on coventry rag paper. Framed to 29½ x 38". Signed and numbered by the artist 171/300. Plate which rendered this item has been destroyed thus adding to the rarity of the piece. Fine. Comes with Certificate of Authenticity.
Estimated Value $1,000-2,000.

   

514   Bragg, Charles. Original Copper Plate Etching. "Jury Deliberation" Hand-colored. Signed and numbered 88/300. Beautifully matted and framed to 20 x 16". Fine.
Estimated Value $500-600.

   

515   Cartoon Art. "B.C." By Johnny Hart Cartoon Strip Signed Twice. Black and white, on artists board, Oct. 2, 1994, n.p. Inscribed, "Thanks and good wishes from Johnny Hart." Also signed "Hart" in the last box of the strip. Very Good.
Estimated Value $200-300.

   

516   Daffy Duck. WARNER BROTHERS STUDIOS
"An Ounce Of Prevention". 1982
Production cell, approximately 12½ x 10", color, hand painted in opaque watercolor on acetate, of Daffy Duck wearing a fireman's hat, brandishing an Inspector's clipboard. This indignant fireman, his mouth shaped like a horn, prepares to give vent to some professional displeasure! Accompanied by the original graphite and blue pencil production sketch, from which the cell was made. Margin notes. Very Fine. Matted to an overall size of 16 x 14".
Estimated Value $300-400.

   

517   Dali, Salvador. A 19 x 34" glazed, brick-tile Limited Edition Bas-Relief. The depiction of a mandolin player rendered in a Cubist type fashion. Executed and signed in Spain by Dali in conjunction with Grisline Corp. Number 35/99. Fine. Highly colorful.
Estimated Value $5,000-7,500.

   

518   Dali, Salvador. A 31½ x 31½" glazed, brick-tile Limited Edition Bas-Relief. A Cubist type portrait. Executed and signed in Spain by Dali in conjunction with Grisline Corp. Number 98/99. Minor chip on bottom right and center. Fine. Highly colorful.
Estimated Value $5,000-7,500.

   

519   Dali, Salvador. "Bas-Relief" - Brass-like metal sculpture. "Moses and the Ten Commandments" 20 x 26". A time honored theme by the Surrealist master. Fine.
Estimated Value $1,500-2,000.

   

520   Dali, Salvador. Original Color Lithograph. "Christ of St. John on the Cross". 22 x 30½". Artist Proof 71/75, signed in pencil. Fine.
Estimated Value $400-600.

   

521   Dali, Salvador. Original Color Lithograph. "Dali-Dali-Dali". 21½ x 29½". On blind embossed paper. Artist Proof V/C, signed in pencil. Fine.
Estimated Value $400-600.

   

522   Earle, Eyvind. "Mauves, Reds & Purples". Original color serigraph. #264/275. Signed and numbered by the artist --- a well known contemporary California artist. 45 x 36". Mint condition.
Estimated Value $2,500-3,500.