Clars’ February 9th Important Winter Modern + Contemporary Art Auction will feature a selection of artwork from an array of international artists.

A featured highlight this month is a watercolor on paper by influential German-Swiss artist Paul Klee. This piece, titled Fragment of a Mural (Fragment einer Wandmalerei), shows an abstract image that is left to the viewer to decipher. Klee is known for the use of geometric forms in his work — often building his arrangements with triangles and rectangles — but here we see an unrecognizable object, made more mysterious by the title identifying it as just one section from a larger composition. Klee is perhaps even better known for his innovative take on color theory. The blending of purple into red into gray tones seen in this work illustrates Klee’s opinion that small sections of color could be unified to create a harmonious visual. Furthermore, during his time as an instructor at the Bauhaus, Klee taught as a master of stained glass, often using smoking techniques to color pieces of glass. The muted tones in this watercolor echo the hazy, blended hues that would result from smoking glass. The work on paper is estimated at $100,000–$150,000.

Also included in the sale this month is a work on paper, titled Green Hill, by American artist, Mark Tobey. As a founder of the Northwest School in Seattle, Washington, Tobey imbued in his peers an appreciation of East Asian culture — the effects of which are visible in Green Hill, with its muted color palette echoing Shan Shui landscapes, and an expressionist style that mimics calligraphy. The misty atmosphere of the Pacific Northwest was a driving influence on Tobey, who used earthy tones to illustrate Green Hill, with the green of the hill obscured almost completely by a heavy fog against a sepia sky. Green Hill is dated 1957, the year before Tobey became the second American artist to win the International Grand Prize at the 1958 Venice Biennale. The work is estimated at $30,000–$50,000.

Another important work in the February sale is a steel sculpture by acclaimed Mexican artist, Rufino Tamayo. The piece depicts two figures, likely one male and one female based on their clothing, standing with hands overlapped in an uncomplicated embrace. The stylized figures are reminiscent of the simplified figures seen in well-known Tamayo paintings like Tres Personajes, with dominant geometric lines replacing the naturalistic curves of the human body. The sculpture shows the figures’ bodies as rectangles, with semicircle arms and circular hands. The male figure’s legs and female figure’s skirt are triangular, and the base is a narrow rectangular platform. The gray patina of the metallic material is consistent throughout and recalls the stone and clay sculptures of the Zapotec, an indigenous Pre-Colombian culture from whom Tamayo claimed both heritage and inspiration. The work is estimated at $70,000–$100,000.

Next featured in the February sale is the Makemono lithograph scroll by Catalan painter and sculptor, Joan Miró, created circa 1956. Considered a major figure in the Surrealist family, Miró uses this color-printed Chanton silk scroll to marry a traditional East Asian medium with his “automatism” technique, a method of revealing an individual’s psyche through spontaneous drawing and painting. Makemono presents form and color before narrative, showing abstract human figures interspersed with birds, eyes, and nonobjective forms derived purely from the artist’s imagination. From an edition of only 50, the vibrant scroll is anchored by wooden batons on each of the two ends and includes its original carved and painted wood box. The scroll is estimated at $20,000–$30,000.

Other notable artworks to be offered in the sale include prints by Yayoi Kusama, a ceramic plate by Pablo Picasso, and a painting by Guy Anderson.

American artist Tom Wesselmann began his career in his hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio, later moving to New York City to teach art, where his creativity blossomed, and he began his Great American Nude series.

For over a decade, Wesselmann added to the series, which consisted of works both small and large depicting the nude female form in a variety of poses, and always surrounded by objects familiar to his American audience, including ice cream sundaes, radiators, and Camel cigarettes, to name a few. These elements in Wesselmann’s work, which were sometimes collaged from photographs or painted by the artist himself, led many to include him in the burgeoning Pop Art movement of the 1960s.

Wesselmann himself rejected this label, saying he utilized the objects in his compositions not to make a statement on consumerism, but because of his interest in the aesthetics of the everyday. Indeed, the works in Wesselmann’s Great American Nude series show Coca-Cola bottles, presidential portraits, and rotary telephones decorating the background of each room; objects of American mundanity, juxtaposed with the playful and dynamic nude figures for which the artist is known.

For almost two centuries, Tiffany & Co. has been at the forefront of innovation and exquisite craftsmanship in designer jewelry — setting the standard for American luxury.

Although it originally opened in 1837 as a stationary and fancy goods store in New York City, Tiffany & Co. was clearly destined for more. Founder, Charles Lewis Tiffany, also known as the “King of Diamonds,” spearheaded the discovery and exploration of rare gemstones — going as far as to introduce the world to never-before-seen gemstones along with his Tiffany gemologists.

For example, Dr. George Frederick Kunz, a Tiffany gemologist, discovered the new specimens of kunzite in 1902 and morganite in 1910. Following this tradition of discovery, the Tiffany team founded both tanzanite and tsavorite, bringing them to the public eye in 1968 and 1974, respectively.

Our February 10th and 11th Auctions will offer stunning jade from China, rare furniture and collectibles, and Edwardian and Art Deco jewelry from private estates.

Asian Art

On February 11th, the Asian Art department will feature two fine Chinese jade lots comprising a set of imperial quality Chinese white jade belt buckle and associated ornaments depicting dragons and cranes from the 18th to 19th century.

The other lot is a Republic Period Mughal style celadon jade vase and linked cover finely carved in low relief with bamboo, prunus and chrysanthemum along with a pair of magpies. It also has a pair of openwork peony handles and a finial, all set with a linking chain. It is estimated at $4,000–$6,000.

Another imperial quality piece being offered in this month’s auction is a 18th century Chinese mother-of-pearl inlaid black lacquered box and cover, which is decorated with a stylized longevity character painted in gold lacquer, surrounded by a profusion of floral roundels inlaid with mother-of-pearl.

Furniture & Decorative Arts

There will be a fine selection of furniture, porcelains, coins, silver, and other objects de vertu in our February 10th sale. Highlights include a pair of French Napoleonic demilune bronze mounted tables circa 1850, estimated at $3,000–$5,000.

Fine Jewelry & Timepieces

The Fine Jewelry & Timepieces department is excited to offer a selection of antique diamond, colored gemstone and gold jewelry in their upcoming February 10th sale.

This sale features a variety of lovely new and old wardrobe staples to build up the foundation of your jewelry collection at accessible price points, including a colorful gemstone selection with an Art Deco star sapphire and diamond ring, estimated at $800–$1,200 and a pair of emerald, diamond and fourteen karat bi-color gold earrings, estimated at $1,500–$2,500. Other exquisite pieces that will highlight your everyday life are represented by an Edwardian diamond and platinum pendant brooch, estimated at $2,000–$4,000, and an antique diamond and eighteen karat gold pendant, estimated at $1,200–$1,800.

While attending the Nihon Bijutsuin art school in Tokyo, Japan, Okayama-born artist, Chiura Obata, was trained in both Japanese and Western painting techniques — a unique education that would influence his style over the years.

As a young man entering the United States, Obata settled in California and focused his talents on depicting the landscapes he saw, ranging from deserts and treeless plains to the cliffs and lakes of Yosemite. Obata found success with these subjects, working in both painting and woodblock printing, and began his teaching career at the University of California, Berkeley in 1932. During the second World War, Obata experienced discrimination due to his Japanese identity and was interned at the Topaz War Relocation Center in Utah, where he painted some of his darkest and most emotionally resounding works.

Throughout his career, the marriage of Japanese and Western approaches to visual language set Obata apart from his peers both in Japan and in the United States. Using Japanese techniques, like woodblock printing and sumi ink-and-brush painting, while portraying distinctly American landscapes earned him a glowing reputation in and around his chosen home of California. Obata’s work resonates within the blended cultures of the San Francisco Bay Area, where his art, whether in subject or technique, feels familiar to so many residents. Obata’s resiliency during and after confronting the horrors of war, with his continued commitment to cultural collaboration, feels just as inspirational and relevant today as it surely was during his lifetime.

Jaime Zacarias, also known as “GERMS,” is an artist native to South Los Angeles who names his Chicano heritage and predecessors among his influences.

Mentored by Chicano painter, Gilbert “Magú” Lujan, and taking inspiration from the Surrealists as well as Avant Garde and street artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring, Zacarias paints otherworldly creatures that draw reference from familiar imagery while creating strikingly original forms.

Zacarias says, “I find myself mesmerized by the seemingly infinite details and borderline infectious behaviors of each character I create, while striving to transform and challenge the traditional interpretations of the icons we all know so well.” The marriage of nostalgia and innovation in the work of GERMS creates a visual language that transcends barriers, both cultural and temporal.

The Estate of Joanna Barnes and Jack Warner (Santa Barbara, California), will highlight Clars’ January auctions.

Asian Art

A selection of woodblock prints will lead the Asian Section of the January auctions. Among the woodblock prints created by the great Shin-hanga artist, Kawase Hasui (1883–1957), is the design Zojo Temple, Shiba, commissioned in 1925. Zojo Temple, Shiba is regarded as Hasui’s most outstanding and iconic creation. Among collectors of Japanese prints of the Shin-hanga movement, it is one of the most sought-after and valuable designs.

Fine Art

Clars is pleased to be offering the Estate of Joanna Barnes and Jack Warner (Santa Barbara, California). Ms. Barnes was a Hollywood film actress featured in movies such as Auntie Mame (1958) and The Parent Trap (1961). Mr. Warner was a prominent architect featured in numerous issues of Architectural Digest. One of the highlights from the estate is a large monotype (diptych) by Charles Arnoldi (American, b. 1946), Untitled (GTW-CA-SF-3-86), estimated at $12,000–$18,000. This colorful work exemplifies Arnoldi’s bold style.

Furniture & Decorative Arts

Clars’ Furniture & Decorative Arts department will be offering a selection of Spanish Colonial religious figures including a Spanish Colonial santos figure, 18th century, with inset glass eyes and painted details, overall 22″h estimated at $2,000–$4,000, and a Spanish Colonial gilt and polychrome decorated santos figure, retaining original pigment decorated face with glass eyes, and traces of pigment to the body, 37″h x 28″w, also with a $2,000–$4,000 estimate. Rounding out the sale, our fine silver and Vertu department will offer a selection of fine sterling silver from important Bay Area estates and collections.

Fine Jewelry & Timepieces

The Fine Jewelry & Timepieces department at Clars is excited to offer a selection of diamond, colored gemstone and gold jewelry, in their upcoming January 13th sale. This sale features a variety of wardrobe staples to build up the foundation of your jewelry collection at accessible price points, including a colorful gemstone selection with a jadeite and fourteen karat gold ring, estimated at $800–$1,200, and an opal, diamond and fourteen karat gold pendant necklace, estimated at $2,500–$3,500. Other wearable pieces that will highlight your everyday life are featured by makers such as Tiffany & Co., represented in a coral and eighteen karat gold brooch, estimated at $1,200–$1,800.

The December 16th–18th auction series will include the Winter Fine Jewelry & Timepieces Auction and the Winter Design + Art + Asian Art Auction.

Jewelry & Timepieces

Clars is thrilled to host their Winter Fine Jewelry & Timepieces Auction on Friday, December 16th, beginning at 10 AM PST. The sale includes a fine selection of diamond, colored gemstone, antique and signed jewelry.

The sale is highlighted by a selection of important diamonds, which includes lot 5241, a 4.01 carats VVS1 Fancy Yellow diamond, diamond and eighteen karat white gold ring, estimated at $40,000–$60,000; and lot 5229, a 7.75 carats old European-cut diamond ring, estimated at $25,000–$35,000.

Complementing the auction will be exceptional gemstones, including lot 5043, a 13.64 carats Colombian emerald ring, estimated at $15,000–$25,000; lot 5244, a natural pearl, diamond and platinum pendant, estimated at $10,000–$20,000; and lot 5033, a jadeite “A” jade, diamond and platinum ring, estimated at $6,000–$9,000.

Makers, such as Van Cleef & Arpels, are represented in lot 5246, a diamond and white gold brooch, estimated at $25,000–$35,000, and lot 5247, a pair of diamond ear clips, estimated at $10,000–$20,000. Tiffany & Co. is represented in lot 5005, a sapphire, diamond and palladium bracelet, estimated at $5,000–$7,000. Lot 5069, a pair of coral, onyx, emerald and diamond pendant earrings, will present Cartier, estimated at $8,000–$12,000.

Also leading the sale is a selection of timepieces led by lot 5184, an early Rolex small crown Submariner wristwatch, ref 6205, estimated at $50,000–$70,000; lot 5178, an eighteen karat gold wristwatch, ‘Hourglass,’ Patek Phillepe, estimated at $4,000–$6,000; and lot 5177, an eighteen karat rose gold wristwatch, Tri-Compax Chronograph, Universal Geneve, estimated at $3,000–$5,000.

Design

The December 18th auction will be led with Design. There will be a large selection of pottery including several pieces by Toshiko Takaezu. Takaezu, a Hawaiian ceramicist of Japanese descent, is most well known for her ‘Closed forms.’ Clars is pleased to offer four ‘Closed Forms’ in the auction; the largest, a ‘Closed Form (with rattle),’ commanding a conservative estimate of $4,000–$6000. Other designers include Viola Frey and Jim Melchert, among other Clay Funk potters.

Another highlight of the sale will be a Napoleone Martinuzzi Incaminciato vase, estimated at $8,000–$12,000. Incaminciato glass is a Murano glass technique that overlays lattimo (or milk glass) with layers of transparent colored glass, in this case cobalt blue. There will also be numerous noteworthy Italian glass items on offer by various designers such as Carlo Scarpa, Fontana Arte, Vittorio Zecchin, etc.

Beyond pottery and glass, there will also be a fine collection of furniture, including a Mathews Furniture Shops fall front desk estimated at $3,500–$4,500. Numerous noteworthy names will be featured, including Charles and Ray Eames, John Dickinson, Mies Van Der Rohe, George Nakashima, Vladimir Kagan Couture, etc.

Asian Art

The Asian Art department will offer a fine group of Chinese scholar’s rocks hailing from a Piedmont, CA collection. The collection consists of rocks of various forms suggesting mountain landscapes as well as an array of abstract imagery evoking mythical animals and sagely figures. The collection also features rocks of various sizes ranging from the small desktop variety to the imposing variety used for furnishing scholar’s studios and gardens.

Also up for auction is set of three watercolor paintings by the famous Burmese artist, Mg Tun Hla (1874–1946). Hla was one of the first and most important Burmese artists who painted in Western watercolor style in the early 20th century. The three watercolors depict street scenes from Mandalay, the former capitol of Burma.

Fine Art

Clars Fine Art department is excited to offer two ceramic pitchers by Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881–1973). The two works, titled Visage and Quatre Visage, were both produced at the Madoura de Vallauris workshop in the 1950’s and have Picasso and Madoura stamped beneath. They will be offered at $6,000–$9,000 and $4,000–$6,000.

Clars Auction Gallery is thrilled to invite you to join our Winter Fine Jewelry and Timepieces Auction on Friday, December 16th, beginning 10 AM PST.

The sale includes an exquisite selection of diamond, colored gemstone, and signed jewelry from makers such as Van Cleef & Arpels, Cartier, Tiffany & Co., and Trabert & Hoeffer Mauboussi.

Clars donated a “Starter Wine Collection” curated by Clars’ Director of Fine & Rare Wines, Andrew Bradbury, to the Junior League of San Francisco Holiday Ball Silent Auction on December 15, 2022.

The collection included Burgundy, Bordeaux, and Chablis from France and a Cabernet Blend from Sonoma, California. This donation contributed to the success of The Junior League’s fundraising goals helping to achieve 62% of their target. The proceeds from this fundraiser support The Junior League’s mission of promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women, and improving communities through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers.

Starter Wine Collection – Notes From Andrew Bradbury

2019 Aurélien Verdet, Le Prieuré, Bourgogne, Hauts-Côtes de Nuits, Burgundy, France
Burgundy can lead to some of the most amazing experiences in the world of wine and you don’t have to spend hundreds, or even thousands of dollars, to gain a taste of this beautiful Pinot Noir. Loaded with ripe red berries, red floral aromatics, spice, and lively acidity, this underappreciated region up in the hills of Burgundy delivers the goods. Capable of aging for up to 10 years, I think this wine shows perfectly with 3–5 years of aging before pulling the cork! It’s always a favorite of top wine critics for over-delivering and offering value year in and out! 2019 Pride Mountain Vineyards, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma-Napa Valley, California — a fantastic estate with numerous awards and “wines of the year” in their accolades — this blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, along with a little Merlot and Petit Verdot, always delivers a broadly structured and intense drinking experience that benefits with some cellaring. Loaded with dark cherries, plum, spice, and chocolate, it shines when paired with steak and other rich game. Can age effortlessly with 15–20 years but I think it shows best with 5–10 years of bottle aging to soften the tannins and meld the flavors into a great glass of Cabernet.

2018 Château de Pez, Saint-Estèphe, Bordeaux, France
This is a great example of a top-notch Bordeaux Estate owned and operated by the famed Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande in Pauillac, Bordeaux. As a blend of 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 49% Merlot, and touch of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, this classic wine is loaded with black currants, blueberries and black cherries with a Medium + to Full bodied structure. It is capable of 15–20 years of cellar aging, though I would recommend at least 5 years to soften its broad structure and tannin. A great rule in Bordeaux is to seek out other Châteaux that are owned by the top estates in the region like those from Château Cos d’Estournel (Pagodes de Cos), Château Palmer (Alter Ego) and Château Léoville Las-Cases (Clos du Marquis), which deliver excellent value and are cellar worthy.

2019, Domaine Jean-Claude Martin, Montmains, Premier Cru, Chablis, France
Chablis can offer some of the most age-worthy of all of the Chardonnays produced in Burgundy. The combination of its unique climate and complex soils (limestone and fossilized shells from ancient sea beds) showcase its textbook lemon-lime “racy” citrus acidity and minerality that seem to go on and on. Montmains is one of the most famous Premier Crus (designated vineyards) in the appellation, and it is not uncommon to see top bottles aging gracefully for decades in the cellar. This wine will benefit with time in the cellar (3–5 years) to soften and round off some of that intense grip that a young Chablis can showcase, but also still be enjoyed 10–15 years from now. Again, great Burgundy doesn’t have to be overly expensive or impossible to track down. Also, check out some of the other Chardonnays from the Macon region to the South of Burgundy — another region that over-delivers top wines with value.

22013 Peter Michael Winery “Les Pavots”, Cabernet blend, Knights Valley, Sonoma
A true cult wine producer — earned from a combination of factors, including high consumer demand, small production, and overwhelmingly broad and glowing critical praise, have placed Peter Michael Winery amongst the best producers in California. Les Pavots is a single vineyard bottling comprised of 69% Cabernet Sauvignon and 21% Cabernet Franc, with a dash of Merlot and Petite Verdot and built to last. Famed wine critic, Robert Parker, awarded this wine 98+ points and said it could easily age 40–50 years! Loaded with black and red fruits, aromas of dried flowers, and bark and a rich vanilla and chocolate-like finish, this is a truly special wine. I would recommend keeping it in the cellar for at least another 5+ years before even thinking of pulling the cork! A truly remarkable red.