Cordier Auctions held their Summer Antique and Fine Art Auction on Aug. 15 and 16 in Harrisburg, Pa. Highlights of the sale included a 1932 Ford Hot Rod kit car ($13,500), a Paul Jouvé bronze of "Le Cynocéphale" ($9,500), and a George Washington bust after William Rush from the collection of Dr. Irwin Richman ($16,000). Prices quoted are hammer prices and do not include buyer’s premium. Cordier Auctions charges a 10 percent buyer’s premium for in-house bidders and 15 percent for online bidders.
Day one featured fine jewelry, including a 14-karat chalcedony and gemstone bib necklace that sold to a bidder in the room for $8,500 and a 14-karat diamond and pearl Mickey Mouse ring that went to a phone bidder for $3,400. A Tiffany & Co. Patek Philippe pocket watch brought $2,500.
Other highlights on the first day included a 1932 Ford Roadster convertible hot rod kit car bought by a local collector in the room for $13,500. A rare Dugan carnival "Farmyard" bowl brought $3,300 after active bidding. In Asian arts, a Korean ink-painted scroll of a mountain scene sold to a phone bidder for $12,000, and a grouping of three miniature carved hardstone figures including a reclining man with a dog sold for $16,000.
In fine art, a bronze sculpture by Paul Jouvé (French, 1878-1973), titled "Le Cynocéphale" or "Monkey Contemplating an Ancient Egyptian Idol," was sold to one of the artist's heirs in France for $9,500 after spirited bidding. A painting by Ablade Glover (Ghana/UK, b. 1934), consigned by the original owner, who purchased the piece in 1988 from the Art Council of Ghana in Africa, sold for $4,500.
Day two was made up of the eclectic collection of Dr. Irwin Richman, Penn State University American Studies professor emeritus. The highlight of the day was a George Washington bust after William Rush, which sold to a phone bidder for $16,000. A similar example to this bust is housed at the New York Historical Society, and a black painted version is shown on page 88, figure 80, of the book "William Rush, American Sculptor" published by the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, 1982.
Among Richman's diverse art holdings were an American School painting depicting a landscape of mossy trees ($1,600), an oil-on-canvas by David de la Mar (Dutch, 1832-98) ($1,400), and a Latin American School (17th/18th century) oil-on-canvas painting depicting Santiago Matamoros on horseback defeating two Moors, which realized ($1,200). The Richman collection also featured a large amount of majolica and cement garden statuary. A 17th-century majolica sconce of a soldier holding a candle brought $1,000. A pair of cement sculptures of a man and woman in Colonial dress standing 45 inches tall went to a bidder in the room for $1,100.
Richman, an ardent, lifelong collector, is the past chair of the graduate program in American Studies at Pennsylvania State University, Harrisburg. In addition to authoring or co-authoring more than 20 books, he has served as an architectural history consultant for various institutions and is a frequent lecturer and guest curator.
For further information, call 717-731-8662 or visit www.cordierauction.com.