Clars Auction Gallery gladly presents a fine Asian art auction on Sunday, November 20th, offering an exquisite selection of various paintings and calligraphy, archer’s rings, fine porcelains, and other categories of Asian works of art.

The paintings and calligraphy section will be led by a massive ink and color on paper hanging scroll by Wu Changshuo (1844–1927), titled Pine and Lingzhi, painted in 1921. As one of the world’s most acclaimed masters in Chinese painting and one of the leading masters of Shanghai School in the Republic period, Wu Changshuo is known for his style of merging calligraphy techniques into paintings, using the ink and brushstroke to demonstrate the conception rather than striving for realism, which greatly influenced the modern and contemporary Chinese art world. This massive piece at Clars presents a great example of Wu Changshuo’s iconic style of mixing traditional Chinese with Western sensibility to depict one of his favorite subject matters in his late years, pine trees.

The painting is from an important Southern California estate and will be offered with an estimate of $80,000–$120,000.

A strong San Francisco Bay Area collection of archer’s rings will lead the jade and miscellaneous section, presenting nearly 40 lots of imperial quality white jade, celadon jade, jadeite, agate, glass, enamel, and various organic material archer’s rings. The collector acquired this impressive collection throughout the 1970s to 1990s from various important dealers and estates in the San Francisco Bay Area, including Ching Wah Lee, Herb Newman, and Sandra Sakata, among others.

The September 16 Modern + Contemporary Art + Design sale at Clars, totaled over $1.3M across 230 lots.

Clars’ Fall Modern + Contemporary Art + Design sale on September 16th started off the season with impressive results having 230 lots achieve a little over $1.3 million in sales. Fine Art led the way with $1.1 million in sales with the highlight being Andy Warhol’s complete set of ten screenprints, Cowboys and Indians, selling for $503,750. Rick Unruh, Clars CEO, remarked, “Clars is definitely ‘moving up the ladder’ in being recognized internationally as one of the premier auction houses for Modern and Contemporary works. This past auction was our 3rd complete set of Warhols to be offered in the last 2 years — all with outstanding results.”

Another stellar performance was several Pumpkin screenprints by Yayoi Kusama (Japanese, b. 1929) selling for a combined price of $108,750.

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

Clients from across the country were vying for Design lots, with many items selling at or above the high estimate. Cristina Campion, Associate Director of 20th Century Design at Clars commented, “strong sales like this one really demonstrate that Clars is a recognized name among Design collectors across the United States.”

Top picks included an Angelo Mangiarotti ‘Eros’ Dining Table sold for $18,750, with a $6,000–$9,000 estimate. Other auction highlights include a suite of eight Mario Bellini Cab Chairs, Model 413, that brought $10,625, a set of Christian Liaigre Bazane Stools that sold for $9,375, a Charles and Ray Eames 670 and 671 chair and ottoman that realized $8,125, and a Vladimir Kagan Ondine Chair that commanded $8,125.

Clars is gearing up for it’s next Design auction on December 18th, and is hopeful that the department will continue to see an upward trajectory in sales.

The October 16th auction at Clars will feature a wide range of Fine Art, Asian Art, Furniture and Decorative Arts, and Fine Jewelry.

Fine Art

Clars is pleased to offer a monumental work by Nathan Oliveira (American, 1928–2010) titled, Wing-Owl (1996), is estimated at $20,000–$30,000. This large oil on canvas (50″h x 42″w) was part of a series the artist was commissioned to create for Stanford University in the 1990s. It was also featured in Architectural Digest magazine in December 1999.

Offered in its entirety for the first time at auction, Richard Diebenkorn’s (American, 1922–1993), Six Soft Ground Etchings, a suite of six (6) prints, will be offered at $15,000–$25,000 on October 16th. This rare group of etchings comes from the collection of the assistant printmaker on this project published by Crown Point Press in 1978.

Furniture & Decorative Arts

There will be a fine selection of sterling silver in the auction including a large Wallace Grande Baroque sterling silver flatware service, 196 pieces, estimated at $5,000–$7,000.

Also to be offered is a Heyn carousel horse, valued at $2,000–$4,000, and an Hermes “Attelage” flatware set expected to sell for $1,500–$2,000.

Asian Art

The Asian Art Department gladly offers a large Chinese embroidered ‘dragon’ wall panel with an estimate of $3,000–$5,000. The panel features two pairs of dragons chasing a flaming pearl and one dragon in the center with a fierce expression. While the dragons symbolize royal status and power, the bats and Shou medallions surrounding them represent longevity and prosperity.

Fine Jewelry

The Fine Jewelry & Timepiece department at Clars Auction Gallery is excited to offer a selection of diamond, colored gemstone and gold jewelry, in their upcoming October 16th sale.

This sale features a variety of wardrobe staples to build up the foundation of your jewelry collection at accessible price points, including diamond jewelry such as lot 2014, a diamond and eighteen karat white gold bracelet, estimated at $3,000–$5,000; lot 2043, a diamond and eighteen karat white gold moi et toi ring, estimated at $2,000–$3,000. To be offered as well is is a colorful gemstone selection, including lot 2001, a Ceylon sapphire, diamond and eighteen karat white gold ring, estimated at $2,500–$3,500; and lot 2046, an emerald, diamond and fourteen karat gold ring, estimated at $2,000–$3,000. Other wearable pieces that will highlight your everyday life are featured by makers such as by Hammerman Brothers in lot 2105B, a gemstone and eighteen karat gold brooch, estimated at $1,000–$2,000; and lot 2105A, an eighteen karat gold brooch, by Buccellati, estimated at $300–$500.

Clars is excited to kick off the Fall Season with an exceptional Modern + Contemporary Fine Art sale on Friday, September 16th, 10AM PST.

The star lot will be the complete portfolio of Andy Warhol’s 1986 Cowboys and Indians. The ten screenprint series portrays a range of imagery representing both historical and mythical lore of the American West. They will be offered with an estimate of $500,000–$700,000. Additional highlights will include important works by Bay Area Figurative artists including Nathan Oliveira, Raimonds Staprans and Joan Brown, as well as works by KAWS, M.F Husain, Yayoi Kusama, and Richard Pettibone.

Clars’ upcoming Modern + Contemporary Art + Design Auction will be held Friday, September 16th, featuring an array of mid-century San Francisco Bay Area figurative works.

Highlights include the complete portfolio of Andy Warhol’s Cowboys and Indians — one of his last major works before his death — estimated at $500,000–$700,000. In this portfolio, Warhol portrays a range of images that represent both the history and constructed lore of the American West, pulled from reality and fiction. Warhol interspersed portraits of world-famous Americans with those of anonymous Native Americans in his ironic commentary on America’s collective mythology of the historic West.

Another exceptional highlight is an oil on panel from 1965 by Joan Brown (American, 1938–1990) titled Cucumber and Lemon estimated at $40,000–$60,000. This charming still life was gifted to fellow artist and friend, Ira Yeager (1938–2022), on his birthday.

Two later paintings by Nathan Oliveira (American, 1928–2010) from his Windhover series (commissioned by Stanford University in 1991) will be also offered at $12,000–$18,000 each.

The auction will feature a fine selection of Design items including a set of Mario Bellini Cab Chairs estimated at $10,000–$15,000, an Angelo Mangiarotti Eros Dining Table estimated at $6,000–$9,000, and a Vladimir Kagan Couture Sloane II sofa estimated at $6,000–$9,000.

There will be other noteworthy Designers in the auction including ceramicists such as James Lovera, Antonio Prieto and Lagardo Tackett, as well as Danish Modern including Eric Hansen, Arne Iversen, Johannes Andersen, Peter Hvidt, and American and Italian Modern such as Charles and Ray Eames, Christian Liaigre, among others.

The August sale at Clars will be led by the Asian art department with numerous highlights from porcelains, to furniture and paintings, among others.

Asian Art

The Asian art department will offer a fine selection of Asian works of art on Sunday, August 14th. This auction will include various exquisite Chinese Imperial metal works, ceramics, huanghuali furniture, Buddhist objects and other categories of Asian works of art.

The sale will be led by two related Qing dynasty imperial bronze square-form zun vases. Each features five-clawed dragons in pursuit of flaming pearls amid scrolling clouds in low relief. One vase features a six-character Qianlong mark, and the other one features a six-character Jiaqing mark. The precision and intricacy of the molding indicates the imperial origin, while the patina on the surface demonstrates the age. Both square-form zun vases were acquired in Tokyo, Japan, circa 1949. Another imperial object is a cloisonne enamel ‘crane and peach’ wall panel, depicting a pair of cranes perching on a garden rock under nine peaches, symbolizing longevity and prosperity.

The porcelain section will feature a blue and white brush pot of the Kangxi period. The cylindrical scholars’ object is painted with scholars in a serene mountain and river landscape with a fishman sailing on a boat. The masterful utilization of shades depicts the depth of the landscape, while the vivid illustration of the figures adds a lively touch to the tranquil scene.

Other highlights of the sale include a Ming dynasty bronze figure of Manjushri, a pair of Qing dynasty celadon glazed arm rests, a huanghuali round-corners cabinet, a Liu Guosong (Chinese, b. 1932) watercolor depicting an abstract Smokey Landscape executed in 1980, a white jade bird-finial seal, and many other fine selections from various categories of Asian works of art.

Fine Art

The art portion of the Clars August sale will offer an exquisite watercolor and gouache on silk painting by renowned Bay Area artist, Chiura Obata (Japanese/American, 1885–1975). The 1933 painting, titled Shower, Point Lobos, captures Obata’s time in California and his exploration of the landscapes in the greater Bay Area. The intricate watercolor also demonstrates his skills at traditional Japanese sumi-e ink painting, a style Obata trained in as a young boy. Shower, Point Lobos will be offered on Sunday August 14th with an estimate of $15,000–$20,000.

Furniture & Decorative Arts

The Furniture & Decorative Arts portion of the auction will be led by a large 18th century Flemish verdure tapestry, depicting a castle within a naturalistic setting, estimated at $8,000–$12,000. The tapestry was the centerpiece on the wall of chic San Francisco, CA Financial District pied-de-terre. Also coming up the auction block will be an early Mughal School miniature painting attributed to Payag, also known as Prayaga, dating to 17th century, depicting a mystic sitting around campfire with a group of devotees; this painting is a highlight from an impressive collection of Indian miniature paintings, presale estimate of $30,000–$50,000.

There is also a lovely mélange of 19th century European ceramics and 20th century art glass including a large Spanish Triana majolica basin featuring a rabbit, a fine Victorian pair of Minton porcelain pate sur pate pilgrim flasks depicting a scenes from Aesop’s fables and a Daum pate de verre glass ‘Les Danseurs’ figural group.

Fine Jewelry

The Fine Jewelry & Timepiece department at Clars Auction Gallery is excited to offer a selection of diamond, colored gemstone and gold jewelry, in their upcoming August 14th sale.

This sale features a variety of wardrobe staples to build up the foundation of your jewelry collection at accessible price points, including diamond jewelry such as a pair of diamond and fourteen karat white gold earrings, estimated at $3,000–$5,000 and a Retro diamond and fourteen karat gold ring, estimated at $1,000–$2,000. To be offered as well is a colorful gemstone selection, including a peridot, pink beryl and fourteen karat gold ring, estimated at $400–$600 and a sapphire, diamond and eighteen karat gold ring, estimated at $800–$1,200. Other wearable pieces that will highlight your everyday life are represented by a gemstone and eighteen karat gold brooch, by Fred Paris, estimated at $800–$1,200.

Clars Auction Gallery will offer a fine selection of Asian works of art on Sunday, July 17th. This auction will include various Chinese Ming dynasty bronze Buddhist sculptures, huanghuali furniture, Chinese paintings, porcelains, and other categories of Asian works of art.

Asian Art

The auction will be led by three Ming dynasty bronze Buddhist sculptures. The first will be a bronze Avalokiteshvara figure seated on a double-lotus thrown with one hand in an abhaya gesture, estimated at $10,000–$15,000. The back of the base is incised with the name of the patron of the sculpture and dated the sixteenth year of Hongzhi reign (1503). This bronze sculpture of Avalokiteshvara is from a Bay area private collector who previously acquired it from Gu Yea Guan Art Gallery in Bangkok in 1993. The other is a seated figure of Avalokiteshvara in ‘royal ease’ position, with a calm and serene expression. The gilt bronze figure of Vajrasattva is presented sitting on a double-lotus throne, holding a Vajra and a bell in each hand, with turquoise inlay on the crown and ornaments. These two bronze sculptures come from a prominent San Francisco estate. In addition to the three sculptures, there will also be several other gilt bronze Himalayan Buddhist sculptures from an important San Francisco collector.

The furniture section will feature a pair of Qing Dynasty huanghuali horseshoe-back armchairs, valued at $30,000–$50,000. Each chair features a ruyi-head-form roundel on the back carved in relief with a mythical beast amongst flaming clouds. The arched back and the arms with white brass hardware are decorated with prunus motifs.

Another furniture highlight is a Qing dynasty huanghuali cabinet of tapered form, expected to sell for $40,000–$60,000. The elegant design amplifies the rich and dramatic wood grains of huanghuali.

Other highlights of the sale include a painting by a contemporary Chinese artist, Gu Gan (Chinese, born 1942); this painting was acquired from Michael Goedhuis Gallert, in London in 2001, and is valued at $5,000–$7,000. Along with a pair of blue and white ‘dragon’ bowls with Xianfeng mark of the period, are a pair of blue and white garden stools, a cobalt blue ground yellow glazed ‘dragon’ dish with Chuxiugong Zhi mark, a Japanese early Edo period Katana, and a Japanese wakizashi.

Fine Art

Clars is pleased to offer two large paintings by Harry Curieux Adamson (American, 1916–2012) titled, Flooded Timber Mallards and Winter Quarters – Widgeon. Both are estimated at $10,000–$15,000 each. Adamson’s portrayals of wildfowl in their natural surroundings are highly sought after by many sporting art enthusiasts.

The print portion of Clars’ July 17th sale will have a wide variety of works for all collectors. Several prints will be offered by Bay Area figurative artist Nathan Oliveira (American, 1928–2010) including four intaglio works from his Revisited series printed in 1994. Christopher Brown (American, b. 1951) followers will also be excited to see the three works In the Green, Malage, and Station coming up for auction. Rounding out the sale is a collection of Salvador Dali (Spanish, 1904–1989) lithographs formally in the private collection of master printer, Irwin Hollander. The early prints by Dali were trial proofs aside from the known edition of 150. One of the 1965 prints, titled Cosmic Rays Resuscitating Soft Watches, will be offered at $7,000–$10,000.

Furniture & Decorative Arts

The Furniture & Decorative Arts portion of the sale will be led by a large Empire style gilt bronze and crystal six light chandelier circa 1909, estimated at $6,000–$9,000. The chandelier was original to the Scottish Rite Freemasons lodge 1909, currently the Regency Center, San Francisco, CA. Also coming up the auction block with the same provenance will be another large Empire style chandelier at $5,000–$7,000, and a pair of Empire style gilt bronze wall sconces, circa 1909, having swan supports.

There will be a lovely mélange of decorative arts, including an Italian micro mosaic, a selection of Delftware including a figure of a dalmatian, chargers, faience figures of cows, a Rene Lalique Ambre perfume bottle, etc.

Fine Jewelry

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

This sale features a variety of wardrobe staples to build up the foundation of your jewelry collection at accessible price points, including bridal jewelry such as lot 2004, a diamond and eighteen karat white gold ring, estimated at $1,500–$2,500; everyday diamonds such as lot 2076, a diamond and eighteen karat gold necklace, estimated at $1,800–$2,200. To be offered as well are a colorful gemstone selection, including lot 2038, a pair of unheated Burma ruby, diamond and fourteen karat gold ear jackets, estimated at $2,500–$3,500 and lot 2073, a black opal, diamond and fourteen karat gold ring, estimated at $2,000–$3,000. Other wearable pieces that will highlight your everyday life include gentleman rings such as lot 2077, a diamond and fourteen karat bi-color gold ring, estimated at $1,000–$2,000.