Clars is excited to present our Winter Furniture, Art & Jewelry Auction on December 15th and our Fine Asian Art & European Décor Auction on December 16th. These sales will offer a splendid variety of art, jewelry, Asian works, furniture and decorative arts.

Furniture & Decorative Arts

The December 15th auction will showcase a diverse range of items, including Mayan style carved vessels, Native American pottery, Patriano Barela carved sculptures and Kachina figures. Additionally, English and German sterling silver, gold and silver coins, fine porcelain dinner services, and glass stemware and vases from renowned makers and artisans such as Moser, St. Louis, Michael Nourot, and Marialyn Hawke will be featured.

The auction will also present a variety of antique decorative arts, furniture, and rugs, as well as a contemporary furniture collection from an exclusive St. Helena winery. To round out the holiday season, a delightful selection of oversized stuffed animals and a miniature Christmas house will be available.

Fine Jewelry & Timepieces

The Fine Jewelry & Timepieces department is excited to offer a selection of diamond, colored gemstone gold jewelry, and timepieces in their upcoming December 15th sale. This sale features a variety of wardrobe staples to build up the foundation of your jewelry collection and elevate your festive celebrations. To be featured in the sale are a nice selection of diamond jewelry, including a diamond and 14k gold wedding ring set, estimated at $3,000–$5,000, as well as a colorful gemstone selection, including a ruby, diamond and 14k gold brooch by Seaman Schepps, estimated at $5,000–$7,000.

Other wearable pieces that will highlight your everyday life include items such as a diamond, onyx and platinum dog brooch, estimated $7,000–$10,000, complemented by classic timepieces like a Patek Philippe 18k gold ‘Calatrava’ wristwatch, estimated at $6,000–$8,000.

Fine Art

Clars’ Fine Art department is pleased to offer a selection of works from diverse and talented artists this December, with highlights by three painters whose influence can still be seen in contemporary art today. First, we are excited to present an oil on canvas portrait by African-American artist, Bob Thompson. Thompson was active in the bustling mid-century art scene in New York City and is known for his colorful figurative paintings that blend traditional Renaissance and Baroque composition with the energy and experimentation of 20th century Abstract Expressionism. In the painting offered in this month’s sale, titled Portrait of a Lady, we see a woman with a disproportionately large head and an aloof expression. Thompson marries traditional portraiture conventions, like the three-quarter view of the subject and the bust-length focus, with abstracted elements of shadow, color, and dimension to create a distinctive and unique image.

Second, we are featuring a striking work by celebrated Chinese-American artist, Hung Liu. Liu was born in Changchun, China in 1948, and emigrated to California in 1984 where she experimented with different methods and media to create a signature painting style. The mixed media work in this month’s auction, titled Yellow Current, is an outstanding example of this style, for which Liu is best known. The image shows a bust view of a young Chinese woman in a fuchsia robe against a golden-yellow background. We see Liu’s trademark technique of using a wash of linseed oil over heavy brushstrokes — giving a drippy, melting, almost underwater appearance to the composition.

Lastly, we will offer an oil on canvas genre scene from American Impressionist, Edward Potthast. Potthast was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, and studied in Paris and Munich before settling in New York City. He worked primarily as a lithographer during his early career, only shifting his focus to painting at age 39. Potthast was likely stylistically influenced by his European studies, as techniques of French Impressionists, including Monet, Renoir, and Berthe Morisot can be seen in Potthast’s work. The painting in this month’s sale is a beach scene — the subject for which Potthast is most known. Figures are gathered in groups on a sunny seaside, seated on blankets and under umbrellas, with emphasis on painterly brushstrokes and soft yet vibrant colors. The atmosphere is relaxed, warm, and inviting, a trademark of Potthast’s work.

Asian Art

The Asian Art department will have its year-end offerings of fine Chinese and Japanese works of art sourced from various private collections and estates at the Fine Asian Art & European Décor Auction on December 16th.

The auction is highlighted by a set of three Chinese ‘qianjiang’ enameled ‘landscape’ plaques by the famous late Qing dynasty porcelain artisan, Cheng Men (1838–1908), a late Qing dynasty imperial style zitan lantern, a pair of huanghuali lantern stands, a late Qing dynasty silver-inlaid bronze figure of Guanyin bearing the Shisou mark, a late Qing dynasty uncut purple ground ‘dragon’ robe, a Qing dynasty white jade ruyi scepter, and a magnificent Japanese Meiji period Shibayama lacquered shodana.

Clars is excited to present our Fine Interiors & Design Auction on November 17th and our Art, Furniture and Asian Auction on November 18th. These sales will offer a splendid variety of art, furniture and Asian decorative pieces.

Fine Art

This November at Clars Auctions we are pleased to offer a selection of highlights showcasing the American landscape. One standout is a large oil painting by American artist, Joseph Rusling Meeker, titled Bayou Barbary – Near Lake Maurepas, Louisiana. Meeker was well-known for his depictions of Louisiana swampland, and his work is regarded as a great example of American Luminism — which focused on the effects of light on landscapes. The piece in this month’s auction shows the bayou with a large cypress tree in the foreground and Spanish moss hanging from its branches.

Also featured in our Friday sale is an oil painting by Utah artist, Kirk Randle. This large-scale narrative piece shows a group of Native American men on horseback, riding over the snowy ground, with teepees and trees in the middle ground and the moon glowing over mountains far in the distance. Finally, we present an oil by California Impressionist, Samuel Hyde Harris. The piece depicts a familiar view of green farmland with a house in the background and a large tree in focus, with its branches full with voluminous leaves.

Furniture & Decorative Arts

In our Fine Interiors & Design Auction we will offer a diverse collection of decorative arts and furniture from the 18th to the 20th century. These highlights feature a wide range of items, such as sterling silver, Meissen porcelain, and Steuben glass.

The variety continues with a NY Giants Baseball Club sterling season pass, a Hawaiian Poi bowl, a Wooly mammoth tusk and Bronze Age fragments. Contemporary furniture from a St. Helena cult winery rounds out the selection.

Asian Art

The Asian Art department will present an array of works of art and decorations from China, Japan, and the Himalayas. Some of the highlights from the sale include a Japanese red coral carving of the lucky god Jurogin, a 19th century Chinese export gilt-lacquered desk, and several lots of Chinese export porcelains spanning the period of late Ming dynasty to the late Qing dynasty. There is also a nice group of antique and decorative Tibetan bronze Buddhist statues and figures on offer.

Clars Auctions is delighted to be offering 3 timed auctions in October. These timed auctions allow bidders to register and place one or more bids on lots of interest until the last day listed. If you are outbid, you will be notified and will be given the opportunity to raise your bid.

(please note: you can retract 3 bids per sale)

Art Within Reach: Bidding Closes October 16th, 2 PM PDT

This month in our Art Within Reach sale we are featuring a duo of oil paintings by Dutch Impressionist Paul Rink, paintings by early California artists Victor Hugo Basinet and Luther Evans de Joiner, and contemporary pieces by Carrie Lederer and Jack Ogden. We are also pleased to include prints and photographs by George Demont Otis, Carol Jablonsky, Jim Millett, and more.

The Discovery Sale: Bidding Closes October 16th, 3 PM PDT

In this month’s Discovery Sale we will offer a diverse range of items, including sterling flatware and hollowware from renowned brands like Tiffany, Gorham, and Dominick Haff. This sale will also feature collectibles, such as Pepsi-Cola and Coca-Cola paraphernalia, as well as carnival architectural elements.

For those interested in antique furniture, we have George III armchairs, a Hepplewhite table, a Biedermeier parlor suite, Federal mirrors, an Art Deco headboard, and Arts & Crafts desks. If you prefer contemporary designers, we carry pieces from brands like Bernhardt, Restoration Hardware, Henredon, and Cisco Home. Additionally, we will showcase exquisite porcelain pieces by Royal Crown Derby, Meissen, Herend, Royal Copenhagen, Lenox, Wedgwood, and Spode. For modern ceramics enthusiasts, our collection includes works by Marja Vallila, Dorren Blumbardt, and Tom Colman. Rounding out this sale is a selection of carpets, including Persian Bidjars, Aubusson styles, and Indo-Nains.

Asian Decorative Arts: Bidding Closes October 16th, 4 PM PDT

This month’s Asian Decorative Arts Auction presents a wide array of Japanese works of art — encompassing exquisite metalwork in bronze and cloisonné along with a captivating selection of lacquered objects. Additionally, we are delighted to offer a noteworthy collection of suiseki viewing stones from a private collection. As a longstanding tradition, we prominently showcase Chinese works of art in this auction, featuring an impressive range of ceramics, intricately carved jade pieces, and various scholarly objects.

A notable work in our October Collections Auction is a large print by funk artist, William T. Wiley. Wiley began his artistic studies at the California School of Fine Arts (now the San Francisco Art Institute), and later taught at U.C. Davis alongside artists Roy DeForest and Robert Arneson.

As an associate of the Funk Art movement, Wiley was a purveyor of using unconventional materials, eschewing the Minimalist trend and embracing chaos. He often described himself as a sort of spiritual descendent of Marcel Duchamp, building upon the Dadaist tradition of absurdity. One of Wiley’s graduate students was Bruce Nauman, who would go on to become one of the biggest names in American Conceptual art. Nauman remembered Wiley as keeping his studio open at all hours for students. In doing this, young artists could practice their craft and work through creative blocks.

Wiley’s work has been the subject of major exhibitions, including showings at the 1980 Venice Biennial, the de Young Museum, and a retrospective at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C. The monumental woodcut print featured this month is titled Mr. Bones, and features hand coloring by the artist.

The piece demonstrates Wiley’s eclectic visual style, including sketchy, movement-heavy lines and text interspersed throughout, with a humorous, surrealist-inspired subject. Wiley was known for wearing blue jeans and cowboy boots around his Marin County home, a look that is replicated on the aforementioned character of Mr. Bones. His peers and neighbors lovingly referred to the artist as a frontiersman for his choices in wardrobe, but within the artistic community of the San Francisco Bay Area he was exactly that — a pioneer of experimentation.

Clars is excited to present our October Collections Auction on October 13th. This sale will offer a splendid variety of art, jewelry, and furniture.

Asian Art

Highlights from the Asian Art department include a group of Chinese monochrome glazed ceramic bowls and vases from Song and Yuan dynasties, and Chinese export underglaze blue items from the Ca Mau shipwreck acquired from Sotheby’s Amsterdam in 2007.

Additionally, there will be a selection of Japanese works of art, such as two Edo era tanto daggers and various Meiji period metalwork vases.

Furniture & Decorative Arts

The Furniture & Decorative Arts department will offer a collection for the discerning connoisseur, including 18th and 19th century furniture and rugs, such as a Francoise Linke table, a collection of Regency Chinoiserie furniture and a Palace Kashan carpet.

Russian bronze sculptures and decorative arts, including Czarist examples and Grachev Bros enameled flatware, will also be up for auction. In addition, there will be a group of modern and contemporary pottery and art glass, and a selection of cameras and lenses available.

Fine Jewelry & Timepieces

The Fine Jewelry & Timepiece department is excited to offer a selection of diamonds, colored gemstone gold jewelry, and timepieces in their upcoming October 13th sale. This sale features a variety of wardrobe staples to build up the foundation of your jewelry collection at accessible price points. To be featured in the sale are a nice selection of diamond jewelry, including a diamond and 14k white gold tennis bracelet, estimated at $4,500–$5,500, and a colorful gem-set 18k gold bracelet, estimated at $3,500–$4,500.

Other wearable pieces that will highlight your everyday life include items such as a diamond and 18k bi-color gold starburst pendant brooch, estimated $1,200–$1,800. This brooch is complemented by classic timepieces, including a Rolex two-tone Oyster Perpetual lady’s wristwatch, estimated at $2,000–$3,000.

Fine Art

This month the Fine Art department is pleased to feature a number of works by contemporary and early California artists, including an oil on canvas painting by painter George Demont Otis. Otis first came to California in 1924, where he worked as a scene designer for Metro-Goldwyn Mayer (MGM). He later moved to San Francisco and eventually settled in Marin County. He is known for landscapes of central and Northern California scenes, often depicting eucalyptus trees and rolling hills. In the featured painting this month, titled Marin Redwoods, he depicts a grove of the California state trees with sunlight peeking in through the canopy.

Another highlight this October is a large print by funk artist William T. Wiley. Wiley began his artistic studies at the California School of Fine Arts (now the San Francisco Art Institute), and later taught at U.C. Davis alongside artists Roy DeForest and Robert Arneson. Wiley’s work has been the subject of major exhibitions, including showings at the 1980 Venice Biennial, the de Young Museum, and a retrospective at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C. The monumental woodcut print featured this month, titled Mr. Bones, features hand coloring by the artist. The piece demonstrates Wiley’s eclectic visual style, including sketchy, movement-heavy lines and text interspersed throughout, with a humorous, surrealist-inspired subject. Also to be featured this month are an important print by Roberto Matta, paintings by Guy Anderson and Arthur Grover Rider, sculptures by Squeak Carnwath, and much more.

“I seek the power of the rock, the magic of the water, the religion of the tree, the color of the wind, and the enigma of the horizon,” George Morrison (American, 1919–2000).

George Morrison was a Native American artist well known for his abstract paintings and landscapes. Morrison captured the American landscape and environment in vibrant multicolored paintings through the lens of the Chippewa tribe’s culture.

Morrison was born Wah Wah Teh Go Nay Ga Bo (Standing in the Northern Lights) in 1919 on the Grand Portage Indian Reservation, MN, a rural fishing village on the north shore of Lake Superior. He began drawing as a child while he was confined to a full-body cast after a surgery. He later attended the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, graduating in 1938.

After graduation, Morrison associated himself with a group of Abstract Expressionist painters in New York City. He graduated from New York’s Art Students League in 1946. There he would find critical acclaim, and eventually, as a Fulbright scholar, he studied and worked in Paris and Aix-en-Provence.

He began a teaching career at Cape Ann Art School in Massachusetts and continued to teach art and Native American studies at various institutions, such as the Rhode Island School of Design and University of Minnesota, throughout his life. While teaching Morrison also produced art and showed his work — primarily in the Midwestern United States.

Later in life, he would go on to receive several important commissions and continue his work on the Grand Portage Indian Reservation — creating prolifically assembled totemic sculptures and making horizon-line paintings. In 2022, a selection of five of his paintings were commemorated by the United States Postal Service as Forever Stamps.

Annie Leibovitz began her artistic career at the San Francisco Art Institute in the late 1960s, where she originally studied painting but was inspired to change her focus to photography. In 1970, Leibovitz began working as a staff photographer for Rolling Stone magazine, where she continued to photograph musicians such as John Lennon and Fleetwood Mac for 13 years.

In 1970, the then 21-year-old Leibovitz secured an interview with Jann Wenner, the founding editor of Rolling Stone. Impressed by her portfolio, Wenner entrusted her with her inaugural task, capturing photos of John Lennon in New York. The photograph to be offered at Clars’ Fall Modern + Contemporary Art Auction originates from the momentous session and effectively captures a portion of the lighthearted essence shared by the renowned couple. An image of Lennon by Leibovitz from this series graced the cover of Rolling Stone in January 1971, marking a pivotal juncture in the early journey of this significant photographer. She quickly gained recognition for her distinctive style of capturing candid and intimate moments with musicians and celebrities.

Nearly a decade after, on December 8, 1980, Leibovitz captured the iconic photo of a nude Lennon embracing a clothed Yoko. In taking this photo, Leibovitz became the final professional photographer to immortalize Lennon before his tragic shooting and death, which happened just five hours later. Her iconic photograph of John and Yoko is one of her most famous works from that era. Leibovitz’s photographs for Rolling Stone helped redefine the concept of celebrity portraiture and set a new standard for the magazine’s visual identity.

In 1983, Leibovitz started working with Vanity Fair magazine, and in 1991, she was the first woman to stage an exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery in London. In her personal life, Leibovitz was the long-time partner of writer and philosopher Susan Sontag and has three daughters.

Clars is excited to present The Collectors Auction on September 15th. This spectacular collection is overflowing with an impressive variety of art, jewelry, and furniture.

Asian Art

Asian Art will feature various distinguished private collections of Chinese, Himalayan, South Indian, and Southeast Asian religious works of art. One of the highlights is a Chinese Daoist painting of various religious figures.

Also, to be presented in this auction is an extensive collection of Chinese mixed metal ink boxes, silver accessories, and miniature decorative objects.

Furniture & Decorative Arts

The Furniture & Decorative Arts portion of the sale will be offering an extensive selection of fine objects, including contemporary furniture from an exclusive St. Helena winery, antique furniture and decorative arts from the 17th through 20th centuries, American carousel animals from Gustav Dentzel, Native American blankets and beadwork, and Indian and Middle Eastern decorative arts.

Fine Jewelry & Timepieces

The Fine Jewelry & Timepieces department is excited to offer a selection of diamond, colored gemstone and gold jewelry, in their upcoming September 15th sale. This sale features a variety of wardrobe staples to build up the foundation of your jewelry collection at accessible price points. To be featured in the sale are a nice selection of diamond jewelry, including a diamond and 14k white gold band, estimated at $1,200–$1,800, and a pair of diamond stud earrings, estimated at $1,200–$1,800.

The sale will also include a colorful gemstone selection, including a tanzanite, diamond and silver necklace, estimated at $2,000–$3,000, and a pair of emerald, diamond and platinum-topped 18k gold ear clips, estimated at $1,000–$1,500.

Other wearable pieces that will highlight your everyday life include items from makers Seaman Schepps, in a gem-set and 18k gold, ‘Chessman,’ brooch, estimated at $1,500–$2,500, and an enamel and 18k gold bracelet, by Buccellati, estimated at $10,000–$15,000.

Fine Art

This September at Clars we are excited to offer an original print by French-American naturalist, John James Audubon. Audubon is well known for his illustrations of the birds of North America. The featured engraving is titled Canvas Backed Ducks and dates to 1836.

Also included in our sale are an oil on canvas painting by Thomas Virgil Troyon Hill Jr., depicting California’s Yosemite Valley, and a still-life oil on canvas painting by Luigi Lucioni.

Our Design + Art + Fine Asian Art Auction on August 11th will showcase a wide range of treasures, including Design pieces by T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings, artwork by renowned artists such as Henrietta Berk and William Laven, and fine Asian jade, porcelain, glazed pottery, and paintings.

Design

The August 11th auction will include a nice selection of Design items. Highlights include a pair of T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings Slipper Lounge Chairs and Ottoman, estimated at $4,000–$6,000, and a T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings Sofa, Model 1711, estimated at $4,000–$6,000. This rare sofa has the original upholstery and retains the Widdicomb label.

Robsjohn-Gibbings is perhaps most well-known for his work for Widdicomb, where he worked as a designer from 1943–1956. The softness and shapeliness of his designs for the company were a stark contrast to the rigidness of the Bauhaus aesthetic that was popular at the time. Largely inspired by the Classical world, Robsjohn-Gibbings was also recognized for his Klismos furniture (designed in collaboration with Susan and Eleftherios Saridis). He was largely inspired by Greek furniture and design.

Also on offer will be a set of four Mario Bellini Cab Chairs, valued conservatively at $2,000–$4,000, and a Charles and Ray Eames 670 and 671 lounge chair and ottoman, estimated at $3,000–$5,000.

The sale will feature a collection of pottery items, including examples by Marguerite Wildenhain. The collection belonged to Lorelei Brede who studied at Pond Farm with Wildenhain from 1960–1962. Afterwards, Brede opened a pottery studio and became a pottery instructor in her own right. Several pieces by Brede will be included in the auction alongside Windenhain’s works.

Other designers in the sale include Clyde Burt, Betty Feves, Paolo Soleri, Julian Watts, Ward Bennett, Daum, Burgun, and Schverer & Cie, among others.

Fine Art

Clars is pleased to be offering a painting by influential California artist, Henrietta Berk. A member of the Bay Area Figurative Movement, Berk and her peers dedicated much of their practice to restoring focus on human form and experience in an artistic landscape that was primarily concerned with modern abstraction and conceptual art.

As a student of Richard Diebenkorn, whose own work had shifted from abstract expressionism to figurative painting, Berk was introduced to his wife, psychologist Phyllis Deibenkorn, of whom she painted a portrait. Berk’s technique in painting this portrait does not completely eschew abstraction; Diebenkorn is rendered in broad, painterly brushstrokes with an impressionistic feel, bold color choices and a somewhat geometrical approach to the play of light and shadow on her face and hair. Berk’s portrait embodies the concurrence of traditional figurative art with innovative abstraction during the mid-20th century, creating an emotive and dynamic depiction of her subject.

Asian Art

The Fine Asian Art Auction will feature the following items sourced from various distinguished estates and private collection: a 17th century Chinese cloisonné enamel meiping vase, a Kangix period Chinese famille verte phoenix-tail vase, a collection of Chinese embroidered robes, various Tang dynasty sancai glazed pottery, a group of four Qing dynasty imperial edicts, and various archaic and later period jade carvings.

Jade, porcelain, glazed pottery, antique textiles, scrolls and paintings sourced from various distinguished estates and private collections will headline the Fine Asian Art Auction to be held on Friday, August 11th. Our inaugural Timed Asian Decorative Arts Auction will feature Chinese jade and hardstone carvings, Chinese ceramics, furniture items, Chinese scrolls, Japanese woodblocks, and works of art. Bids will be accepted 8/5–8/14.

One of the August 11th sale highlights is a Chinese cloisonné enameled gilt bronze meiping vase from the 17th century, with an estimate of $6,000–$9,000. The exterior is decorated with two registers of flower blossoms amidst leafy scrolls, all against a blue enameled ground and between vertical lappets. The upper section is further decorated with large ribbon roundels.

Another highlight in the auction is a large Chinese iron-red decorated ‘dragon’ charger. This charger has two energetic five-clawed dragons, amongst ruyi-clouds, which are chasing a precious flaming pearl heightened in gold. Two additional dragons are on the exterior walls engaged in the same pursuit. The charger has a Guangxu six-character mark in regular script and is of the Guangxu period. This lot is estimated at $2,000–$4,000.

A Chinese famille verte phoenix-tail vase, depicting an auspicious bird perching on wutong and flowering plum trees over a lotus pond with Mandarin ducks, will be featured in the sale as well. This lot is estimated at $5,000–$7,000.

Another interesting item in the sale is a large Chinese grisaille-decorated ‘figural’ vase, with a globular body that was skillfully painted with a fictional scene. The scene depicts a figure bowing to a seated official figure, surrounded by an additional nine figures. One side of the vase has an inscription echoing the painted scene, dated ‘renshen,’ corresponding to 1932. There are three painted seals and the slightly waisted long neck is decorated with geometric bands, ruyi-heads, and stylized lappets. The rim and some of the painted details are highlighted in gilt, and the recessed base bears an apocryphal ‘Kangxi yu zhi’ mark. The vase will be offered at an estimate of $4,000–$6,000.

Also up for auction is a Chinese embroidered lady’s turquoise-ground silk robe, estimated at $2,000–$4,000. The slender robe has a right side opening and a turquoise-green ground made of brightly colored silk floss. The robe is embroidered with pleasant flowering branches and butterflies. It’s lined with purple floral ribbon and wide black bands that are embroidered with a similar flower and butterfly theme.

Additional highlights of the sale include a Tang dynasty sancai glazed pottery horse, amphora vase, a group of four Qing dynasty imperial edicts, work by Zhu Qizhan, and various archaic and later period jade carvings.