Clars is pleased to announce the upcoming two-day July auction series, featuring the Gallery Auction on Friday, July 17th, followed by the Warehouse Auction on Saturday, July 18th. Collectors, designers, dealers, and art enthusiasts will discover a thoughtfully curated selection of fine art, Asian art, furniture, decorative arts, jewelry, and estate property, offering opportunities across a wide range of collecting categories.

Furniture & Decorative Arts

Furniture & Decorative Arts highlights are led by a Herter Brothers armchair, one of only three commissioned for Thurlow Lodge, with an estimate of $8,000–$12,000. Renowned for furnishing many of America’s most prestigious Gilded Age interiors, Herter Brothers pieces remain among the most coveted examples of 19th-century American furniture.

The sale also features an impressive selection of decorative arts, including two Carlton Ware luster articles in the celebrated ‘Chinatown’ pattern, estimated at $400–$600, and two Carlton Ware pottery luster vases decorated with the ‘Magical Tree and Heron’ and ‘Tree and Cloud’ motifs, estimated at $800–$1,200.

Additional highlights include an English Rococo-style gold-mounted agate patch or pill box, estimated at $800–$1,200, and a large signed Baccarat opaline glass vase, estimated at $2,500–$3,500. Together, these pieces offer collectors exceptional examples of European decorative arts, fine craftsmanship, and timeless design.

Fine Art

Leading the Fine Art category is an exceptional carved wood relief by Mario Sanchez. Old Key West – Everything in Profusion is a vibrant oil on carved and painted wood relief that captures the colorful character and architectural charm of historic Key West. Signed and titled by the artist, the work is expected to realize $20,000–$40,000.

Additional Fine Art highlights include Henrietta Berk’s Green Valley Road, a richly colored oil on canvas signed and titled by the artist, estimated at $7,000–$10,000. Also featured is Charles Reiffel’s Untitled (Trees Along Water’s Edge with Buttes in the Distance), an atmospheric oil on canvas estimated at $6,000–$9,000.

Completing the category highlights is Ira Yeager’s Untitled (Snow Leopard), an expressive oil on canvas estimated at $3,000–$5,000. Together, these works represent a compelling selection of American art spanning Impressionist landscapes, California scenes, folk art, and contemporary wildlife painting.

Fine Jewelry & Watches

The Fine Jewelry & Watches department offers an elegant selection of jewelry and luxury watches, led by a Rolex 14k gold hidden watch bracelet, estimated at $4,000–$6,000. Combining the prestige of the Rolex name with the sophistication of a concealed bracelet watch design, this piece is expected to attract significant interest from both watch collectors and jewelry enthusiasts.

Additional highlights include a striking diamond and platinum ring, estimated at $2,000–$3,000, showcasing the enduring appeal of classic platinum-set diamonds. Also featured is an antique turquoise, blue diamond, 14k, and 18k gold pendant necklace, estimated at $700–$1,000, offering collectors a distinctive example of antique craftsmanship with vibrant gemstone accents. Together, these pieces present a refined cross-section of fine jewelry and luxury accessories, ranging from collectible watches to elegant diamond and gemstone designs.

Asian Art

The Asian Art department presents a refined collection of Japanese cloisonné enamels and Chinese textiles, highlighting the extraordinary craftsmanship of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Among the featured offerings is a Japanese cloisonné enamel carp vase by Ando Jubei, estimated at $3,000–$5,000, alongside a Japanese cloisonné enamel vase by Gonda Hirosuke, also estimated at $3,000–$5,000.

Additional highlights include a Japanese cloisonné enamel wisteria vase attributed to Hayashi Kodenji, estimated at $1,500–$2,500, a Japanese cloisonné vase estimated at $1,500–$2,500, and a Japanese cloisonné enamel sake pot in the style of Namikawa Yasuyuki, estimated at $2,000–$4,000.

Complementing these exceptional enamels is a Chinese blue-ground silk brocade dragon robe, estimated at $2,000–$4,000. This carefully selected group reflects the remarkable artistry and technical mastery that continue to make Japanese cloisonné and Chinese court textiles highly sought after by collectors worldwide.

The Warehouse Auction: July 18th

Following the Gallery Auction, the July 18th Warehouse Auction features hundreds of additional lots from estates and private collections.The sale includes furniture, decorative arts, fine art, collectibles, home furnishings, and unique discoveries across a wide range of price points, making it an ideal opportunity for both seasoned collectors and first-time buyers. Whether searching for antiques, interior furnishings, or one-of-a-kind estate finds, bidders will find an exciting array of opportunities throughout the sale.

Miles away from the foggy mornings, overcast afternoons, and chilly evenings of July in the Bay Area is the sun-warmed island of Key West, Florida, where the white sand, crystal-clear waters, and laid-back pace invite you to relax and enjoy a moment of quiet tranquility.

These moments are the ones chosen by Cuban American folk artist Mario Sanchez (1908–2005) to immortalize in his charming and singular relief panels. Sanchez was born and raised on the island, working from his home studio for over 70 years and creating a treasury of everyday scenes that harken back to a simpler time. Sanchez’s colorfully painted and carved reliefs depict landmarks like the Hemingway House and the 150-year-old lighthouse, a waterfront bait-and-tackle shop, well-loved bungalows, palm trees, and of course, the unique characters of Old Key West.

The brightly colored panel in our July auction, titled Old Key West – Everything in Profusion, shows a section of Duval Street, a main thoroughfare of the town and the center of local Cuban influence, where a fruit stand is packed with bananas and watermelons. A bicyclist pedals past, his baskets reading “Sure Cure with Doctor Santiago,” and a trio of floppy-eared dogs follow behind. The blue sky overhead, decorated with Sanchez’s signature fluffy clouds, and the vibrant hues of the flowering plants imbue the scene with a peaceful energy. This highly collectible piece of history from the United States’ southernmost city is the centerpiece of your beach house, the reminder of a fabulous vacation, or your ray of sunshine on a cloudy day. Old Key West – Everything in Profusion is estimated at $20,000–$40,000.

Among the Furniture & Decorative Arts highlights at Clars Auctions’ July 17th Gallery Auction are three extraordinary lots that tell a fascinating story of California’s early political, financial, and cultural history.

Together, they trace the intersecting legacies of Governor Milton Slocum Latham and railroad magnate Mark Hopkins — two figures whose lives helped shape the Golden State during the nineteenth century.

At the center of this narrative is a rare set of Herter Brothers armchairs, commissioned circa 1872 for the billiard room of Governor Milton Slocum Latham’s Menlo Park estate, Thurlow Lodge. Celebrated as America’s premier cabinetmakers during the Gilded Age, Herter Brothers furnished many of the country’s most prestigious residences, and these chairs stand as exceptional examples of their craftsmanship. Following Latham’s financial collapse and death in 1882, Thurlow Lodge and its contents were purchased by Mary K. Hopkins, widow of railroad executive Mark Hopkins, weaving the furnishings of one prominent California family into the legacy of another. The armchairs remained within the Hopkins family until they were sold as part of the estate in 1942.

Further strengthening this remarkable connection is an 1878 carved marble bust of Mark Hopkins by Italian sculptor Pietro Mezzara. Executed during the same year as Hopkins’ death, the portrait captures one of the famed “Big Four” railroad pioneers whose vision transformed transportation and commerce throughout the American West. Offered alongside the Herter Brothers armchairs, the bust provides collectors with an exceptional opportunity to acquire objects connected through one of California’s most distinguished historical estates.

Completing the grouping is a beautiful Baccarat opaline glass vase dated 1867, produced during the same year the renowned French glassmaker exhibited at the Paris Exposition Universelle. Unlike the furnishings from Thurlow Lodge, the vase descends directly through the family of Governor Latham, offering an unbroken lineage to one of California’s earliest political leaders.

Together, these exceptional works represent far more than fine examples of decorative arts. They embody the intertwined histories of two influential California families, preserving a tangible connection to the personalities, homes, and ambitions that shaped the state’s Gilded Age. Opportunities to acquire objects with such well-documented provenance and historical continuity are increasingly rare, making this grouping a standout feature of Clars’ July 17th Gallery Auction

Continuing the offering from the celebrated Emmy and Dolph Andrews Estate this past February, Clars is pleased to present in the July 17th Gallery Auction another selection from one of San Francisco’s most distinguished private collections.

Emily Taylor Andrews and Adolphus “Dolph” Andrews Jr. were descendants of California pioneers and longtime figures in the city’s cultural and philanthropic circles. Their legacy of connoisseurship, refined taste, and commitment to preserving the decorative arts was reflected throughout the elegant interiors of their San Francisco residence, designed by renowned interior designers Michael Taylor and Anthony Hail.

The July offering presents another opportunity to acquire works that once furnished these storied interiors. Leading the collection is a remarkable pair of Attilio Codognato semi-precious stone-mounted silver-gilt Venetian figures, estimated at $6,000–$8,000. Created by the celebrated Venetian jeweler and designer, the sculptures exemplify Codognato’s signature blend of Renaissance inspiration, exquisite craftsmanship, and luxurious materials.

Additional highlights from the Andrews Collection include a pair of French faience or Delft blue and white orangerie urns, estimated at $600–$800, an elegant S.T. Dupont leather and Lacque de Chine lacquer dressing case, estimated at $500–$700, a dramatic pair of Italian polychrome figural pedestals, and a distinguished pair of 19th-century Russian Nicholas I mahogany brass-mounted armchairs, estimated at $1,000–$2,000. Together, these pieces reflect the Andrews’ appreciation for exceptional European craftsmanship and timeless design — qualities that defined their remarkable collection.

As another chapter in the offering of the Andrews Estate, these works invite collectors to own objects distinguished not only by their beauty and craftsmanship, but also by a provenance rooted in one of San Francisco’s most admired collecting traditions.

The Making of a Photographer

Born on October 2, 1949, in Waterbury, Connecticut, Annie Leibovitz grew up in a military family that moved frequently across the United States. It was this itinerant upbringing, and an early habit of recording places and faces she feared losing, that first drew her to image-making. She enrolled at the San Francisco Art Institute in the late 1960s, intending to study painting, but a darkroom class changed everything. Within a short time, photography had become her primary language.

In 1970, at 21, Leibovitz walked into the offices of Rolling Stone magazine in San Francisco with a portfolio of photographs. Jann Wenner, the magazine’s founding editor, was struck by what he saw and gave her an assignment immediately. Her first published photograph ran on the cover of Rolling Stone in January 1971: a portrait of John Lennon taken during a session that would become one of the defining moments of her early career. She was hired as a staff photographer, and by 1973 had been named the magazine’s chief photographer, a title she held until 1983, during which time she produced some of the most memorable celebrity portraiture of the era.

The thirteen years she spent at Rolling Stone established the visual grammar that would define her reputation. She photographed musicians, actors, athletes, and politicians with an intimacy that felt genuinely earned rather than performed. Her subjects included the Rolling Stones on tour, Patti Smith, Bruce Springsteen, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Bette Midler. Her approach was immersive: she would spend extended time with subjects, often traveling with them, building enough trust that the camera seemed to disappear. The resulting photographs felt less like posed portraits and more like brief, honest glimpses into private lives.

Vanity Fair, Vogue, & the Portrait at Scale

In 1983, Leibovitz transitioned to Vanity Fair, where she would spend the next several decades producing work that would extend and deepen her reputation. The editorial budgets and production scale available at Vanity Fair allowed her to realize increasingly ambitious visual concepts. Her portraits from this period are among the most widely reproduced magazine images in American publishing history: Demi Moore, visibly pregnant, photographed nude on the August 1991 cover; Whoopi Goldberg submerged in a bath of milk; a reclining Keith Haring covered in body paint. These images were not simply photographs; they were cultural events.

Alongside her editorial work for Vanity Fair, Leibovitz has contributed extensively to Vogue, photographing fashion campaigns and portraits for both the American and international editions. Her advertising clients have included American Express, Honda, and Louis Vuitton. The latter campaign, which featured major cultural figures, including Mikhail Gorbachev, Catherine Deneuve, and Keith Richards, in travel settings, became one of the most celebrated advertising series of the 2000s.

December 8, 1980, produced what many consider the most significant single photograph of her career. In the hours before John Lennon’s assassination, Leibovitz photographed him curled around Yoko Ono in their Dakota apartment. The image, a nude Lennon in fetal embrace around a fully clothed Ono, ran on the cover of Rolling Stone following his death and has since become one of the most iconic photographs of the twentieth century. Leibovitz was the last professional photographer to photograph Lennon alive.

Museum Recognition & Institutional Legacy

In 1991, Leibovitz became the first woman to stage a solo exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery in London. The show, drawn from two decades of portraiture work, established her within a tradition of formal portraiture that extended well beyond magazine photography. The accompanying monograph, Photographs: Annie Leibovitz 1970–1990, remains a key reference for collectors and researchers.

Subsequent exhibitions have included Women (1999), a collaboration with writer Susan Sontag featuring portraits of women from diverse backgrounds and professions; American Music (2003), which documented musicians across genres; and A Photographer’s Life: 1990–2005, which originated at the Brooklyn Museum before traveling internationally. That exhibition was significant for its candor; it interwove professional editorial work with deeply personal photographs documenting the final years of Susan Sontag’s life and the early childhood of Leibovitz’s daughters.

Her work is held in the permanent collections of major institutions, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Art Institute of Chicago, the National Portrait Gallery in London, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. In 2006, she was named a Living Legend by the Library of Congress. She is currently represented by Hauser & Wirth, one of the world’s leading contemporary art galleries, a relationship that situates her work firmly within the contemporary fine art market rather than solely within the world of editorial photography.

Her Most Iconic Photographs

A handful of images have come to define Leibovitz’s public identity as a photographer:

• John Lennon and Yoko Ono (1980) — Taken hours before Lennon’s assassination, this gelatin silver print is among the most reproduced photographs of the twentieth century.
• Demi Moore, Pregnant (1991) — The Vanity Fair cover that redefined how pregnancy was represented in mainstream media and generated international debate.
• Whoopi Goldberg in a Milk Bath (1984) — A conceptually daring image that remains among her most discussed early works.
• Keith Haring with Body Paint (1986) — A collaboration that merged the visual languages of two distinct artistic practices.
• Queen Elizabeth II (2007) — Commissioned portraits taken at Buckingham Palace, which generated significant press coverage and became landmarks of official royal portraiture.
• Caitlyn Jenner (2015) — The Vanity Fair cover that generated the magazine’s highest newsstand sales in decades.

These images are not simply well-known. They occupy a specific place in the broader history of photography as a medium capable of shaping public perception, reframing cultural narratives, and functioning as historical documents of their moment.

Collecting Leibovitz: What to Know

For collectors interested in acquiring work by Annie Leibovitz, understanding the structure of her market is essential. Her photographs exist in several distinct formats, and the format, print date, and edition size all have a direct bearing on value.

Print Formats & Media

Leibovitz’s photographs are produced in three primary media:

• Gelatin silver prints: The traditional photographic medium used for her black-and-white work from the Rolling Stone era and beyond. Vintage gelatin silver prints — those produced at or near the time the photograph was taken — are the most sought after by serious collectors and carry a premium over later editions.
• Chromogenic (C-print) prints: Used for her color photography, particularly the Vanity Fair and Vogue work. These are typically available in limited editions and represent the most accessible tier of her market for collectors entering at a mid-range price point.
• Digital inkjet (pigment) prints: Used for more recent work and large-format editions. These prints are often produced in very small editions and are associated with her gallery representation through Hauser & Wirth.

Edition Size & Print Date

Edition size matters significantly in Leibovitz’s market. Smaller editions command higher prices; a print issued in an edition of five will typically outperform one issued in an edition of fifty, all else being equal. Print date is equally important: vintage prints, those produced close to the time the photograph was taken, consistently achieve stronger results at auction than later reprints, even of the same image. Collector preference for vintage prints reflects the historical and material authenticity of the object rather than the image alone.

Provenance also plays a meaningful role. Prints that can be documented to private sales through Hauser & Wirth or major photography galleries, or that carry exhibition history, are generally more desirable to institutional buyers and serious private collectors.

Price Ranges at Auction

The market for Leibovitz photographs spans a wide range. At the entry level, signed prints from later editions, particularly color work from the 1990s and 2000s, have sold at auction for low thousands. Mid-tier examples, particularly vintage gelatin silver prints of iconic subjects, typically realize between $5,000 and $30,000. Major works — large-format prints, unique or near-unique vintage examples, and images with significant cultural resonance — have reached six figures at major auction houses. The John Lennon and Yoko Ono gelatin silver print from 1970 is among the most actively traded of her works, with realized prices at auction varying based on print date, size, and condition.

Collectors new to photography will find useful context in Clars’ fine art photography department, which handles a range of vintage and contemporary photographic works across price points.

Annie Leibovitz at Clars Auctions

Clars Auctions has handled Annie Leibovitz’s work at auction, including a gelatin silver print of John Lennon and Yoko Ono (1970), measuring 11″ × 7.5″ and signed, which sold for $6,300. The print originated from the same session in which Leibovitz captured Lennon for what would become the January 1971 cover of Rolling Stone, one of the pivotal early milestones of her career.

Works by Leibovitz appear at auction infrequently relative to collector demand, particularly vintage prints of her most recognized subjects. When they do come to market, they tend to attract sustained interest from collectors building collections in American photography, modern portraiture, and twentieth-century cultural history.

For Buyers

If you are building a collection in American photography or fine art portraiture, we recommend reviewing our auction calendar and live catalogs to stay informed when a Leibovitz work enters one of our sales. Our team of fine art specialists is also available to assist with research and pre-sale inquiries.

New to the auction process? Our guide for first-time bidders walks you through registration, bidding options, and what to expect on sale day. You can also explore ways to buy, including absentee and telephone bidding.

For Sellers

If you own a work by Annie Leibovitz — whether a vintage print, a signed later edition, or a large-format gallery work — Clars Auctions is well-positioned to help you understand its current market value and bring it to the right buyers. Our specialists provide professional appraisals for fair market, insurance, and estate purposes, and our established presence in fine art and photography auctions means your consignment reaches a targeted, qualified collector base.

We work with individual sellers, estate executors, fiduciaries, and institutions. To begin, you can request a complimentary valuation online, contact our team directly, or visit us at our auction house in Oakland, California.

Clars is pleased to announce its upcoming Summer Antique Jewelry Salon Auction on June 18th, featuring an exceptional selection of fine antique and estate jewelry, rare gemstones, and historically significant decorative arts.

The highly curated sale will showcase an elegant array of Victorian, Art Nouveau, Edwardian, Art Deco, Retro, and contemporary jewelry designs, highlighting remarkable craftsmanship, important gemstones, and timeless sophistication. Collectors will encounter an exciting selection of antique diamond jewels, colored gemstone creations, fine goldwork, and rare collector pieces drawn from distinguished private collections.

Leading the sale is a spectacular diamond, gem-set and 18k gold suite, estimated at $25,000–$35,000, alongside an impressive Retro diamond and 18k gold bracelet, estimated at $8,000–$12,000. Additional highlights include a jade, diamond, platinum and 14k gold pendant necklace, estimated at $8,000–$12,000; a Retro ruby, diamond, and 18k gold brooch estimated at $6,000–$8,000; and an antique diamond and 14k gold brooch carrying an estimate of $2,000–$4,000.

The sale further features a striking Retro ruby, diamond, and 14k gold ring, estimated at $5,000–$7,000; an elegant diamond, sapphire and 18k gold brooch, estimated at $3,500–$5,500; and a refined pair of diamond and platinum brooches, estimated at $4,000–$6,000 and $2,000–$3,000 respectively.

Collectors of antique jewelry will also appreciate a diverse selection of Victorian and Art Nouveau treasures, including a Victorian guilloche enamel, diamond, and 18k bi-color gold pocket watch, estimated at $1,000–$2,000; an antique quartz, ruby, mother-of-pearl and 14k gold pendant-brooch, estimated at $500–$700; and an antique peridot, seed pearl and 9k gold lavalier necklace, estimated at $500–$700.

Additional offerings include antique jade, coral, amethyst, sapphire, and seed pearl jewelry, as well as mourning jewelry and decorative pendants that reflect the rich artistry and symbolism of 19th and early 20th century design. Among them are a coral and jade worry bead necklace, estimated at $2,500–$3,500; a carved jade and 22k gold pendant, estimated at $800–$1,200; an amethyst and 14k gold pendant, estimated at $250–$350; and a Victorian coral, turquoise and gold-filled figa seal, estimated at $300–$500.

Concluding the sale is The Irene Deitsch Collection of English Victorian and French Posy Holders, an extraordinary collection of more than 130 antique tussie-mussies and posy holders, many of which are being offered at auction for the first time. These delicate and highly decorative objects, once fashionable accessories of the Victorian era, were designed to hold fragrant floral bouquets and symbolized refinement, romance, and sentiment.

Clars is pleased to present its upcoming June 19th Gallery Auction, offering an exceptional selection of Fine Art, Asian Works of Art, Furniture, Decorative Arts, and Design. The sale will feature important paintings, rare Asian objects, fine furnishings, and decorative pieces spanning centuries of craftsmanship and collecting traditions.

Fine Art

Leading the Fine Art offerings is Chaparral Hills (1918) by celebrated Western artist Maynard Dixon (American, 1875–1946). Executed in oil on canvas and signed and dated lower right, the work exemplifies Dixon’s iconic depictions of the American landscape through bold composition and rich tonal atmosphere. The painting carries an estimate of $15,000–$25,000.

Also featured is Yosemite View by Thomas Hill (American, 1829–1908), an important California landscape painter renowned for his romantic portrayals of the American West. The oil on canvas painting, signed lower right, captures the grandeur and serenity of Yosemite’s natural beauty and is estimated at $6,000–$9,000.

Asian Art

The Asian Works of Art department will present an impressive selection of Chinese and Japanese objects highlighting exceptional craftsmanship and historical significance. Among the leading lots is a Chinese four-panel rosewood, burlwood, and famille verte porcelain screen from the 19th century, estimated at $4,000–$6,000. Also featured is a pair of Chinese famille rose ‘bats’ bowls bearing Daoguang marks and of the period, estimated at $5,000–$7,000. The duo reflects the refined porcelain artistry of the Qing dynasty.

Additional highlights include Ananda by renowned Japanese artist Munakata Shiko (1903–1975), estimated at $3,000–$5,000, as well as a Japanese export sterling tea service by Arthur & Bond of Yokohama, estimated at $4,000–$6,000, showcasing the elegance and craftsmanship associated with one of Japan’s most celebrated export silversmiths.

Furniture & Decorative Arts

Complementing the sale is an exceptional presentation of Furniture and Decorative Arts, showcasing European and American antiques, modern and contemporary design, fine silver, ceramics, lighting, and decorative objects. Collectors can anticipate a thoughtfully curated offering of elegant case furniture, seating, mirrors, garden elements, and designer furnishings, paired with distinctive decorative accessories that span traditional to modern aesthetics.

The department continues to attract discerning collectors and interior designers alike with pieces that seamlessly combine functionality, craftsmanship, and enduring appeal. Highlights include: a large Tiffany & Co. sterling ice bucket, estimated at $7,000–$10,000; a collection of 60 American flag paperweights, including a rare pair of dual American and Italian flag glass paperweights, estimated at $400–$600; Kip Stewart’s Bronze Age collection outdoor patio suite, estimated at $6,000–$9,000; a Christian Dior porcelain dinner service in the Casablanca pattern, estimated at $2,000–$3,000; and a Spanish Vargueño cabinet, circa 1820, estimated at $1,000–$1,500.

The Warehouse Auction: June 20th

The series concludes on Saturday, June 20th with The Warehouse Auction, an eclectic and accessible sale offering decorative arts, furnishings, collectibles, and estate material. Known for its breadth and opportunity, this auction provides bidders with the chance to discover unique pieces and exceptional value across numerous collecting categories.

A Lifetime of Collecting Elegance and Sentiment: The Irene Deitsch Collection of Victorian & French Posy Holders will be offered through Clars Auctions as the closing presentation of the June 18th Summer Antique Jewelry Salon Auction. The event presents a rare opportunity to acquire pieces from a deeply personal collection — each lot carrying forward a fragment of a story defined by elegance, craftsmanship, and enduring taste.

Irene Deitsch was born in Akron, Ohio, and graduated from Ohio State University with a degree in art education. She married Marshall Deitsch and moved to Los Angeles, where she taught art at the junior high school level before leaving the classroom to raise their two sons. When the family relocated to Palo Alto, California, she joined the art library at Stanford University, deepening the scholarly sensibility that would later define her life as a collector.

After a brief venture into catering, Irene pursued gemology and jewelry design, eventually opening Vanguard Gems, her own store, which she ran with great success for many years. With her sons grown and her grandchildren “up and out,” she turned her full attention to worldwide travel and antique collecting.

Her passion for antique tussie-mussies took hold in the late 1990s after visiting an exhibition at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. From that moment, she began assembling what would become a sizable and highly refined collection of posy holders, many of which are depicted in her book Tussie-Mussies: A Collector’s Guide to Victorian Posy Holders (published in 2016 by Marene Press). She also collects antique scent bottles, while her husband Marshall has long been devoted to paperweights.

Now appearing at auction for the first time, The Irene Deitsch Collection of English Victorian and French Posy Holders comprises approximately 130 examples, known variously as porte-bouquets, bouquetiers, or tussie-mussie holders. At the height of fashion between the 1830s and 1880s, these exquisite objects were designed to carry fragrant nosegays, often suspended from chains or fitted with finger rings — uniting artistry, sentiment, and elegance in a single luxurious form.

The collection stands among the most significant private holdings of its kind to appear at auction, rivaling institutional collections in quality and scope. The Frances Jones Poetker Collection at the Smithsonian Gardens, by comparison, comprises approximately 250 examples — underscoring just how remarkable this private assemblage is. Ranging from gold and silver to enamel, jeweled, and filigree work sourced from across Europe and beyond, the collection reflects decades of passionate pursuit and an eye of refinement.

Highlights include a very rare Chinese high carat gold posy holder with presentation case, circa 1890, estimated at $8,000–$12,000, with an intricate wire basket and filigree handle, attached floral pin and finger ring, and a fitted presentation box carved with figural panels and its original key. Also featured is an English 14k gold and enamel posy holder, Liverpool, circa 1880, estimated at $2,000–$3,000, in a satin and velvet-lined octagonal case; a rare English enamel-decorated silver-gilt and glass combination posy holder, perfume bottle, and vinaigrette, circa 1870, estimated at $400–$600; and two European posy holders, circa 1870, estimated at $400–$600, one a possibly Russian example set with a hand-painted miniature portrait encircled by diamonds, the other gilt-metal inset with portrait miniatures and paste jewels on a mother-of-pearl handle.

The Irene Deitsch Collection presents a portrait of a life shaped by discernment, curiosity, and a deep appreciation for artistry across cultures and eras. A consistent thread of sophistication runs throughout — objects chosen not simply for beauty, but for meaning, craftsmanship, and presence — suggesting a home where each piece was genuinely lived with and admired.

The objects an artist chooses to keep often tell a story that formal histories cannot. Gathered over decades, the works in Viola Frey’s personal collection trace a network of friendships, mentorships, artistic affinities, and shared histories.

The Artists’ Legacy Foundation and Clars are pleased to present a benefit auction offering access to this deeply personal constellation of objects and the vibrant creative community from which it emerged on June 18th, beginning 10 AM PDT.

Together, these works illuminate a remarkable chapter in Bay Area art history. They reflect the creative community that surrounded Frey and the artistic currents that shaped the region from the 1970s through the 1990s — from functional ceramics and experimental sculpture to the vibrant culture of California College of Arts and Crafts.

Viola Frey collected with care. Every work in the auction was made by an artist who was part of her extended community. During her tenure at California College of Arts and Crafts from 1963–1999, Frey taught and mentored generations of artists. Beginning as a part-time teaching assistant and “resident potter,” she became a tenured professor and helped guide the design and construction of the Noni Eccles Treadwell Ceramics Art Center, known as “the Pot Shop,” in 1973.

The expansive collection to be offered at Clars includes works by Frey’s colleagues and students at California College of the Arts as well as pieces by popular ceramicists and fine artists including Richard Blake Shaw, Arthur E. Nelson, Marguerite Wildenhain, and more. From functional pieces like whimsical tea sets and elegant vases to finely rendered sculptural work, there is something for every collector to admire in this treasure trove.

Frey’s life in the Bay Area intersected with many of the defining artistic and social movements of the late twentieth century: abstraction and figuration, Funk art, Hippie counter-culture, LGBTQ+ activism, and the AIDS crisis. The works in this auction bear witness to those histories and to the community of artists with whom Frey lived, worked, and taught.

While best known for her ceramic monumental sculptures, Frey’s artmaking spanned more than 40 years and encompassed paintings, drawings, and bronze and glass sculptures. Frey was obsessively devoted to her practice and produced thousands of artworks during her lifetime.

Her work explores social constructs, marks of civilization, and gender dynamics, and features a thoughtfully built iconography including suited men, hands, and cast figurines. Her work in clay was ahead of its time, bridging the gap between craft and fine art, while pushing the boundaries of ceramic sculpture.

The Artists’ Legacy Foundation stewards Frey’s legacy and advances the preservation of artists’ estates. Proceeds from this auction support our ongoing work to expand scholarship on Frey, care for her archive, and provide educational resources for artists planning their own legacies. We hope these works find homes who value not only their individual histories, but also their connection to Frey and this extraordinary moment in Bay Area art.

The Artist Who Defined the Visual Identity of the Harlem Renaissance

When Aaron Douglas arrived in New York City in 1925, he had planned to keep moving, and Paris was the destination, as it was for so many artists of his generation. He never made it. What he found in Harlem was something more urgent: a cultural awakening in full swing, and a community of writers, thinkers, and artists who recognized in him exactly what they needed. Douglas stayed and, in doing so, became the defining visual chronicler of the Harlem Renaissance.

Born in Topeka, Kansas, on May 26, 1899, Douglas came to art with both formal training and personal conviction. He earned his fine arts degree from the University of Nebraska in 1922, taught in Kansas City, and arrived in Harlem already serious about his craft. Under the mentorship of German portraitist Winold Reiss, he was pushed toward something more daring, a visual language rooted in African artistic traditions that could speak directly to the Black American experience. Douglas embraced the challenge fully, and what emerged was a style unlike anything in American art at the time.

A Style Built to Last

What makes Aaron Douglas’ paintings immediately recognizable is the deliberate tension between simplicity and complexity. His figures are rendered as flat silhouettes, stripped of individual features, yet radiating collective power. He layered concentric rings of light behind his subjects, a signature compositional device that gave his scenes an almost spiritual luminosity. Color was handled with restraint: muted earth tones, dusky blues and greens, punctuated by sharp gradients that suggested both sunlight and searchlights.

These choices weren’t aesthetic accidents. Douglas was synthesizing multiple art historical traditions simultaneously — the geometric rigor of Cubism, the decorative clarity of Art Deco, and the narrative conventions of ancient Egyptian wall painting — and filtering them through the rhythms of jazz, the imagery of the African continent, and the daily realities of Black life in America. The result was a visual vocabulary that felt both ancient and completely modern. It became, as scholars have noted, the aesthetic signature of the Harlem Renaissance itself.

His figures inhabit two worlds with equal fluency. In some works, they move through abstracted African landscapes, spear in hand, surrounded by dense foliage, beneath vast skies. In others, they navigate the urban North: playing brass instruments in jazz clubs, operating industrial machinery, marching against city skylines. Across both settings, the message is the same: people with deep roots, in motion, asserting their place in history.

Aaron Douglas’ Most Significant Accomplishments

Douglas was not simply a studio painter. He was a public artist in the fullest sense, and his most celebrated works were made for walls, not galleries.

His four-panel mural cycle Aspects of Negro Life (1934), commissioned for the Countee Cullen Branch of the New York Public Library in Harlem, is widely regarded as his masterwork. Moving from African origins through slavery, Reconstruction, and the Great Migration into the promise of the Harlem Renaissance, the series functions as both a history painting and a declaration of cultural identity. It remains one of the most ambitious works of public art produced in 20th-century America.

Other major commissions followed: mural cycles for Fisk University’s library in Nashville (1930) and Bennett College in Greensboro, North Carolina (1931), painted for two of the country’s most important Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Into Bondage (1936), part of a series created for the Texas Centennial Exposition, is now in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., institutional recognition that situates Douglas firmly within the canon of American art history. His works are also held by the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.

Beyond painting, Douglas was a prolific illustrator whose work appeared in Vanity Fair, Theatre Arts Monthly, the NAACP’s journal The Crisis, and the National Urban League’s Opportunity magazine. He illustrated landmark texts of the Harlem Renaissance, including Alain Locke’s The New Negro (1925) and James Weldon Johnson’s God’s Trombones (1927), and collaborated closely with writers including W.E.B. Du Bois and Langston Hughes. In 1935, he helped found the Harlem Artists Guild — serving as its first president — an organization that created a vital professional network for Black artists working in New York during one of the most challenging periods in American history.

In 1939, Douglas transitioned to education, joining the faculty at Fisk University. He would go on to found and chair the university’s Art Department in 1944, a role he held until his retirement in 1966. His influence on subsequent generations of African American artists, including Jacob Lawrence, who absorbed Douglas’ use of bold color fields, and Kara Walker, whose silhouetted figures carry forward his visual legacy, is a measure of just how far his impact reaches.

Aaron Douglas Prints, Paintings, & Works on Paper: A Collector’s Overview

For collectors looking to acquire art by Aaron Douglas, the market offers several distinct entry points.

Oils on canvas and board represent the top tier of the market and the rarest category. These works — particularly those that showcase his characteristic silhouetted figures, layered light effects, and signature palette — command the strongest prices at auction. The auction record for a Douglas painting stands at $500,000, achieved at Swann Auction Galleries in 2008 for Building More Stately Mansions. Works from his peak Harlem Renaissance period (1920s–1930s) attract the most sustained collector interest, though accomplished late-career paintings also perform well.

Works on paper and prints offer a more accessible entry into the market. Douglas produced a body of etchings and aquatints, often in small editions, that allow collectors to acquire his draftsmanship and compositional intelligence at a lower price point than his oils. Artist proofs and documented impressions with clear provenance are especially sought after.

Illustrations and published works — original drawings made for books and periodicals represent another collecting category, often surfacing at auction alongside Harlem Renaissance literature and archival material.

Across all fine art departments, provenance connected to the Harlem Renaissance community, documented exhibition history, and strong signature placement all contribute meaningfully to value.

Aaron Douglas at Clars Auctions

Clars Auctions has handled Aaron Douglas’ work at auction, and we understand both the significance of these pieces and what collectors are looking for when they come to market. Among the works we have offered is an Untitled oil on canvas (circa 1955, 22″ × 44″, signed lower left), a large-format late-career painting that demonstrates Douglas’ sustained command of abstracted landscape, figure composition, and the interplay of color and light that defines his best work. The painting was offered in our Important Summer Fine Art Sale, with an estimate of $10,000–$20,000 (sold for $10,710), and drew serious collector interest.

For Buyers

Authentic Aaron Douglas paintings, prints, and works on paper appear at auction far less often than collector demand would suggest. When they do, they rarely last. If you are building a collection in American modernism or Harlem Renaissance art, we recommend reviewing our current catalog and auction calendar to see when a Douglas work enters one of our sales.

For Sellers

If you own a work by Aaron Douglas, whether a painting, print, illustration, or work on paper, Clars Auctions is well-positioned to help you understand its value and bring it to the right buyers. Our fine art specialists offer professional appraisals for fair market, insurance, and estate purposes, and our established reputation in American and African American art means your consignment reaches a serious, targeted collector base. We work with individual sellers, estate executors, fiduciaries, and institutions, and we handle every step of the process with care. You may also contact us or visit us at our auction house in Oakland if you have any questions.