Clars’ March 17th and 18th auctions will offer beautiful Chinese watercolor paintings, fine works of art ranging from El Greco to Andy Warhol, rare gold and silver coins and bars, and a nice selection of diamond jewelry in time for bridal season.

Asian Art

On March 18th, Clars’ Asian Art department will present two fine modern Chinese watercolor landscape paintings. The first painting is by Ou Haonian (b. 1935) and depicts Taipei, Taiwan’s Mount Shamao. The second painting is of a village scene and is attributed to 20th century Chinese watercolor master, Li Keran (1907–1989).

Both paintings hail from the estate of Albert and Aiko Hyderman. Albert Hyderman (1899–1992) was a successful businessman and art collector. Hyderman was the owner of P. Wiest and Son department store in York, Pennsylvania. Hyderman was also a close friend and patron of Thomas Hart Benton, the regionalist painter from Missouri. Upon his retirement, Albert and his family spent many winters residing in Italy and ultimately in Hong Kong, where he collected numerous famous Chinese watercolor paintings.

Fine Arts

This March at Clars, we will be offering an intriguing piece from the circle of Domḗnikos Theotokópoulos, better known as El Greco, one of the leading figures of Spanish Renaissance painting. El Greco is known for his mannerist modeling of figures, sfumato color palette, and expressionistic compositions which were underappreciated in his own time but have since found recognition for their innovation in the modern era. The piece in our March auction is an oil on canvas painting depicting Christ carrying the cross surrounded by Roman soldiers. Spanish art historian, Manuel B. Cossio, an expert on the artist who published the defining treatise on his life and work in 1908, affirmed in a letter dating to 1930 that this depiction of Christ is an original by El Greco.

Furthermore, figures in this painting are replicated in other works known to be painted by El Greco, including the figure on horseback, as seen in Saint Martin and the Beggar, and the soldier on the far right, who is seen again in The Martyrdom of Saint Maurice. The work in our March sale, ascribed to the circle of El Greco, is estimated at $20,000–$40,000.

Also to be featured in our March auction, is a mixed media piece by Bay Area figure, Roy De Forest. De Forest moved from Washington State to the Bay Area during the 1950s, where he earned two art degrees and began teaching. While working at U.C. Davis, De Forest and his peers exhibited under the heading of Funk Art, and later began the Nut Art movement, which embraced humor and eccentricity. The piece in this month’s auction displays De Forest’s signature use of bright color and faux-naif style, with saturated objects decorating the paper in a seemingly random and playful configuration. This piece by Roy De Forest is estimated at $6,000–$9,000.

A third highlight in our March auction is a bronze sculpture by American artist, Douglas Van Howd, known for his portrayals of the American West. This sculpture, titled Friends of Freedom, depicts a golden eagle leaping from the arm of an Apache man, who stands on a base of genuine petrified wood. First received by Ronald Reagan after being created for the Roosevelt Room of the White House in 1982, this piece comes from an edition of 50. Van Howd’s Western-themed artworks have earned him a following both within and outside of the United States, with Friends of Freedom being a favorite among collectors. This sculpture by Douglas Van Howd is estimated at $10,000–$15,000.

A work on paper by American Pop Art icon, Andy Warhol, is also being offered on March 17th. The mixed media piece shows an ice cream cone with scoops of red, pink, and white ice cream atop a cone that is decorated with playful line work reminiscent of Art Nouveau design. This work is one in a series of ice cream themed designs drawn by Warhol during the 1950s and was likely inspired by the collaborative coloring parties that the burgeoning artist would host at Serendipity 3, the New York dessert café at which he was a lifelong patron. This work by Andy Warhol is estimated at $25,000–$35,000.

Furniture & Decorative Arts

Clars is pleased to offer the largest single owner precious metals collection in the gallery’s history. This collection includes uncirculated gold coins, silver bars, silver coins, and presentation coins, some in unopened containers. In all, close to forty lots are expected to bring more than $750,000. This collection will be a highlight of our fine silver and virtu being offered on March 18th.

Fine Jewelry & Timepieces

The Fine Jewelry & Timepieces department at Clars Auction Gallery is excited to offer a selection of diamond, colored gemstone and gold jewelry, in their upcoming March 17th sale.

This sale features a variety of wardrobe staples to build up the foundation of your jewelry collection at accessible price points. A nice selection of diamond jewelry, in time for bridal season, includes a diamond and fourteen karat gold bracelet, estimated at $2,000–$4,000, and a diamond and fourteen karat white gold reviére necklace, estimated at $4,000–$6,000. A colorful gemstone selection, including a pair of ruby, diamond and eighteen karat white gold earrings, estimated at $1,500–$2,500, and an untreated black opal, diamond and sapphire ring, estimated at $3,000–$5,000, will be offered. Other wearable timepieces that will highlight your everyday life are represented by an eighteen karat gold wristwatch, Chronograph, Hamilton, estimated at $800–$1,200, and a titanium wristwatch, Porsche Design, estimated at $800–$1,200.

Norman Rockwell was a prolific American painter and illustrator, best known for depicting everyday American life.

He was commissioned to illustrate over 40 books, including Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. Rockwell is probably best known for his cover illustration for the Saturday Evening Post.

Rockwell’s career with the Saturday Evening Post spanned 47 years, from his first cover illustration in 1916, to his last in 1963 — a Portrait of John F. Kennedy.

Clars is starting Spring with our Design Auction, to be held on March 16, 2023. Highlights include pieces by Hans Wegner, Stan Bitters, Toshiko Takaezu, Gertrud and Otto Natzler, George Nakashima, Charles and Ray Eames, among others. There will also be a selection of silver including Christofle and Tiffany.

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The Spring Design Auction will have numerous highlights across genres and countries. On offer will be a fine selection of pottery and ceramics including a Stan Bitters medallion, 3’2″dia., estimated at $12,000–$15,000. Bitters is renowned for his influence on the Californian arts and crafts scene since the 1960s.

Another prominent lot in the auction is a large Gertud and Otto Natzler bowl, which has a fine blue-grey mat glaze and measures 12.75″w. The bowl is valued conservatively at $5,000–$7,000. Other ceramicists in the sale include Toshiko Takaezu, Ka-Kwong Hui, Annabeth Rosen, Richard Hirsch, Brother Thomas Bezanson, etc.

There will be numerous furniture highlights in the auction, including a Michel Buffet floor lamp, expected to sell for $7,000–$10,000. Also, to be offered are several lots by designer Hans J. Wegner such as a set of eight ‘Heart’ Chairs estimated at $4,200–$5,200, a rare pair of JH-101 Lounge chairs and JH-103 Sofa, among others. In addition, there will be a pair of Finn Juhl NV-45’s offered, with an estimate of $20,000–$30,000.

For American furniture, there will be a Philip and Kelvin Laverne Fantasia coffee table, estimated at $5,000–$7,000, a Charles and Ray Eames 670 and 671 lounge chair and ottoman, and an Ettore Sottsass Westside lounge chair, just to name a few.

As for early 20th Century items, a Tiffany Studios table lamp, with Vine Border (Acorn) shade, will be estimated at $7,000–$9,000.

Several sterling silver lots will be offered such as a Tiffany & Co. Audubon flatware set, valued at $7,000–$9,000, and a Christofle, Sceaux flatware set, expected to sell for $6,000–$9,000.

Clars is celebrating International Women’s Day by highlighting the career of Greta Grossman, one of the leading female designers of the mid-20th Century.

Not only was Grossman a furniture designer, but she was also an architect and interior designer. Her career spanned forty years and her reach was global. Although originally based in Sweden, Greta’s work became incredibly popular in the United States, and in the 1940s she opened a shop in Beverly Hills. It was there that she worked for celebrity clients, such as Greta Garbo.

Toshiko Takaezu, renowned abstract Hawaiian ceramicist from the twentieth century, drew inspiration from her own cultural background as well as contemporary painting and sculpture.

Toshiko Takaezu (American/Japanese, 1922–2011) is best know for her ‘Closed forms’ which can be described as both sculptures and paintings all in one. Each form is unique and varies in shape, size, color and texture and captures a spirit that mirrors work of other postwar expressionist artists, like Joan Mitchell and Mark Rothko.

The Junior League of San Francisco, Inc. (JLSF) is an organization of women whose mission is to advance women’s leadership for meaningful community impact through volunteer action, collaboration, and training.

The Junior League of SF held its Annual Tea, a cherished annual tradition, which took place on Sunday, March 5th at the Top of the Mark at the Intercontinental Mark Hopkins Hotel.

This event recognized and celebrated past Junior League Presidents as well as Sustainer Emeritus members with a fun Breakfast at Tiffany’s theme!

Clars Auction Gallery was invited to showcase and discuss pieces from the 1960’s relating to the Breakfast at Tiffany’s theme. The Fine Jewelry & Timepieces department team, Yao and Campbell, delighted the group with a little history from cultured pearls to retro jewelry. Clars is honored to have been a part of this event and is proud to support The Junior League of SF.

Clars had a strong 2022 Design auction season with bidders vying for the top lots, allowing Clars to achieve impressive auction records across the board.

Spring Highlights

Clars was pleased with the international response to American designers, like George Nakashima and Vladimir Kagan, at the March 25th Modern + Contemporary Art + Design Auction.

Leading the Design section of the auction was a wall hanging cabinet by master woodworker, George Nakashima, that topped off at $62,500 and sold to an international bidder.

A Vladimir Kagan Collection contour rocking chair, circa 1999, had numerous bidders competing for the lot, and found a new home with an online bidder for $16,900.

Another popular Designer among bidders was Hans Wegner, whose Papa Bear lounge chair realized $13,700.

Summer Highlights

The June 17th Modern + Contemporary Art + Design sale at Clars totaled $1,070,250 across 239 lots.

Highlights for Design included a set of Mario Bellini Cab chairs that sold for $17,500, and a Phillip Lloyd Powell New Hope Chair that brought $15,000.

Fall Highlights

Clars had a nearly 100% sell through rate for the Fall Design sale on September 16th, with just above 100 lots selling for over $210,000 total.

Top picks included an Angelo Mangiarotti ‘Eros’ Dining Table, which sold for $18,750, and a set of Christian Liaigre Bazane Stools that sold for $9,375.

Winter Highlights

Design led Clars’ December 18th Auction with 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 was pleased with the results of a set of four of these pieces which commanded $24,250.

Born in 1929 in Matsumoto, Japan, Yayoi Kusama is well known for her sculptures, installations, paintings, performances and fashion. Kusama is the highest-selling living female artist and has a body of work that spans over the past 70 years.

A preeminent figure in the art world, Kusama emerged onto the art scene in the 1960s in New York, collaborating with Andy Warhol, Claes Oldenberg, and Robert Morris and contributed to the rise of feminist and pop art.

Throughout her work, Kusama has explored such themes as her own obsessive-compulsive disorder, hallucinations, sexuality and freedom. Various Kusama prints that were sold at Clars exhibit her signature style, featuring polka dots and nets in dense patterns with obsessive repetition.

In 1993, Kusama represented Japan at the Venice Biennale. She has been the subject of major exhibitions at the Museum of Modern Art, Centre Pompidou, Tate Modern, and the National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo as well as a major retrospective at the Whitney Museum of American Art in 2012. In 2017, she opened the Yoyoi Kusama Museum in Tokyo near her studio and the psychiatric hospital where she has voluntarily lived since 1977.

Clars’ Fine Jewelry & Timepieces department had a successful year, offering beautiful diamond, colored gemstone, gold and signed jewelry and timepieces spanning antique to contemporary. The sales included essential everyday luxury as well as fine and important jewelry and timepieces.

Spring Highlights

The Fine Jewelry & Timepieces department’s crowning lot of 2022 was a Rolex Daytona chronograph wristwatch, which realized $75,000 at the Spring Fine Jewelry & Timepieces Sale. The Rolex Daytona timepiece was designed to meet the needs of racecar drivers, allowing them to gauge average speed and track elapsed time.

The February Fine Jewelry & Timepieces Auction was headlined by a diamond and eighteen karat white gold strap bracelet — an unforgettable Valentine’s Day gift — which sold for $37,500.

Summer Highlights

Ruby and gold statement necklaces proved to be popular jewelry staples for clients in Clars’ Summer auctions.

Highlights that stood out include a ruby and twenty-two karat gold necklace, which sold for $5,312.50, and a Southeast Asian ruby and high karat gold necklace, which sold for $9,375.

Fall Highlights

A striking blue moonstone and diamond earring and necklace suite realized $8,268.75 in the September auction. Both pieces are comprised of oval cabochon blue moonstones accented by single-cut diamonds.

Clars’ Fine Collectors Auction in November showcased numerous beautiful jewelry lots. One highlight that stood out in particular was a Burle Marx opal and eighteen karat gold brooch, which sold for $4,687.50.

Winter Highlights

Clars’ Winter Fine Jewelry & Timepieces Auction rounded out the 2022 year with numerous noteworthy sales. Favorites of the sale include a diamond and white gold brooch and diamond ear clips by Van Cleef & Arpels.

Since its inception, nature has been a source of inspiration for Van Cleef & Arpels’ creations. In particular, floral motifs have been seen again and again in their pieces.

Another highlight of the Winter Fine Jewelry & Timepieces Auction was a stunning diamond ring designed as a round brilliant-cut diamond, which sold for $46,875.

The City Club of San Francisco is a landmark social and business club designed by the San Francisco architectural firm, Miller & Pflueger, under the direction of Timothy Pflueger (1892–1946).

The 11-story building housed the offices of brokers who worked on the trading floor of the adjacent San Francisco Stock Exchange. Pflueger was one of the first California architects to incorporate Classic European Modernism into his work. He commissioned a number of renowned artists and craftsmen to work on the Stock Exchange Tower, which is considered the finest example of interior art deco style in the city.

More than a business and social club, The City Club is a community of diverse and talented people who value leadership and believe in San Francisco character, spirit, and traditions. The City Club inspires business connection and friendships, community service, an appreciation of the arts, and the sharing of cultural and culinary experiences.

Clars Auction Gallery partnered with The City Club members for an evening of Cocktails, Conversation and Valuations on February 22, 2023. Members of The City Club brought art and collectibles and chatted with Clars’ specialists. This evening gave members an opportunity to ask questions which helped them learn a bit of history on their items and their value in the current collecting market. In addition to the hors d’oeuvres, cocktails and extraordinary views of San Francisco, the event was a night to remember.