Understanding your consignment options is paramount. Believe it or not, an auction of your prized possession may not be the best way to realize maximum potential. Whether a fine painting or fine jewelry, if it’s not the right fit for the item, it’s not the right fit for you.

That’s where we come in; the auction specialist. It’s our job to guide you through the auction process and recommend the best course of action for you. Not everything is in our wheelhouse and if we don’t have the right audience for your item or collection, we’ll refer you to another firm who might. Typically, auction is the best choice to sell because competitive bidding drives up the price. However, other more creative measures may be suggested. For example, a retail consignment might be better for a larger piece of furniture that might otherwise fall through the cracks in an auction.

In certain cases we may believe we’ll get a better result by offering your item privately to a collector, museum or corporate collection who may be seeking to fill a void in an existing collection. Big collectors are often willing to pay higher prices in a private sale scenario rather through auction. Many busy dealers don’t have the time to comb through lot offerings to bid or don’t want clients knowing the purchase price of an item for resell. There’s nothing wrong with making a profit and a living, but many dealers simply enjoy being private about it and that’s ok.  Some folks prefer staying anonymous and don’t want anyone to know they are parting with family treasures which may be seen at auction and might be linked to them-think Rockefeller or Carnegie.

I’ve had the fortune of selling a few important lamps via Private Treaty over the years. I’ve enjoyed seeing several of them together on loan for an exhibition at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Of course I would have loved to sell these via auction and it would have been quite the feather in my auction cap, but the bottom line was a private sale was better for all the parties involved.

The point is to try and select an auction house who’ll meet your needs. Whether buying or selling, contact one of our specialists to discuss your unique situation so we may provide you a bespoke experience and make sure you understand your options.

 

 

We are pleased to offer a beautiful Cowan Pottery polychrome mosaic designed by Elsa Vick Shaw. The glazed ceramic tile mural titled “Egyptian Maidens” was saved from demolition by our specialist Bridget McWilliams and a small conservation team known as the “Woodsmen” from Vermillion OH. The home of Elsa Vick Shaw in Moreland Hills was scheduled to be demolished and Bridget received a call to rescue the mural. One of five known to exist, the glazed ceramic tile mural was submitted by Cowan Pottery to the 1930 Cleveland Museum of Art May Show where it was accepted and displayed amongst

other favorable works of art as seen in this vintage photograph of the exhibition. From the museum intake sheet we can see that Cowan Pottery stated only 5 murals were created. It is the only piece created by Elsa for the Cowan Pottery Studio. She was a mural painter; the most well known example of her work is the series of ancient instrument mural paintings in the Grand Foyer of Severance Hall, the home of The Cleveland Orchestra. The Cowan Museum, located inside the Rocky River Ohio Library, has one of these mosaic murals prominently displayed at the entrance to the museum.

Another item from Elsa’s home is a beautiful clear glass sand blasted panel, made for the mural titled “Oceania”. She won a national competition to design this mural for the passenger ship S.S.President Polk, of the President Lines. The metal framed panel was one of 21 etched plate glass panels. There is another panel on display at Rose Iron Works, who sand blasted the design for the artist.

While you’re here in the Gallery previewing the May auction collection, please take notice of our cherished display cases, designed by Horace Potter for Potter and Mellen. We haven’t been able to pinpoint a date of creation, but these cases were built in the store on Carnegie, so we believe ca. 1929-1933. Several were made and we are lucky to have three.

At Neue we recognize the importance of cherishing the history of Cleveland artisians past and present and passing title of ownership of their works to the next generation of collectors. We encourage the discussion of stewardship in collecting and welcome everyone to get involved.

 

You either love ’em or you don’t. I have yet to meet anyone who has a middle of the road opinion about Conover pots, but everyone sure seems to know about them. Many people purchased from Potter & Mellen on Carnegie Avenue when they had the windows filled with pots and the price back then was $500. Others received them as a gift or inherited from a family member. This is an introduction for those new to Conover pots.

Claude Conover (1907-1994) was a Cleveland ceramicist and 1983 Cleveland Arts Prize winner who devoted himself to the medium of stoneware in the 1960’s, turning out about 250 objects a year from his home studio. Self-taught in the medium and maintaining a rigorous work schedule, he constructed stoneware slabs into pots of various sizes and shapes, each with a unique pattern created by hand-made rollers and blades, sometimes finished with clay slip. Most are monochromatic in beige and tan, some with two colors. The pots range in size from stacked constructions and tall cylinders of approximately 37” down to table top vases, bowls and sculptural cats of 4”. The vessels were grouped and displayed at ground level, often decorated with branches, willow branches and dried money plants inserted into the clear plastic inserts that are typically missing today. All of his pots have his signature underneath and each piece titled with a unique name.

There are dealers for his work from coast to coast and Cleveland is home to some of the best pottery found. Savvy buyers with a keen eye for MCM before it became a design trend, were able to buy these pots for a tenth of what they sell for today. Sales data on Askart.com shows his ceramic pots peaked in 2010 and again between 2017 and 2018. However the highest recorded price at auction was in 2015 for $37,220.00 at an auction house in Paris. Many of the pots I’ve encountered were acquired by the baby-boomer generation who had no idea how collectable and desired these stoneware vessels are today. When told about the value, many people will part ways with it, and I’ve meet others who are not quite ready to let go. The Gen Xers seem to be the most keen on buying a Conover pots. Being of this generation myself, I find these pots invoke my youth; the colors and shapes of 60’s decorative arts. We are however seeing the most interest in ownership by young professionals interested in decorated in the MCM style who are looking for timeless pieces.

Conovers’ work may be found in fifteen public collections; our beloved Cleveland Museum of Art has five in it’s permanent collection. Most Conover pots are found at auction where the bidding is competitive. Rarely are they found at estate sales anymore because most look up the artist on the internet. Once they’re over the sticker-shock of retail prices, people tend to reach out to a credible local dealer or auction house to bring their Conover pot to the world market. At Neue Auctions we are offering a few in the up-coming May Fine Art and Antiques auction. We invite you to visit the gallery and tell us about your Conover pot and the story of how you came to own it, what it may be worth now, and the opportunities to sell or insure it for future generations to enjoy.

Our March 2019 Auction, with live online bidding and lots closing tomorrow, includes some spectacular antique and vintage drink ware and accessories. Even if you don’t partake in hard beverages, these one-of-a-kind finds are of extremely high quality, beauty and style. If you haven’t outfitted a spot in your home yet, here is your chance!  

First start with the bar itself. Perfect for the task is this English Mahogany Butler’s Tray on Stand, (Lot 541, estimate $200-400).

The butler’s tray form was developed in Britain in the 1700’s; the name is self explanatory. Made to be portable and flexible for the butler to serve from, today it is a handsome addition in warm mahogany to the modern house. Our tray dates to 1800.

Designed to create an impressive display, next consider these incredible decanters from the early 20th century. (Lot 280, estimate $100-200).  

Decanters come in many styles and sizes. These are of multi-faceted form and have incredible light reflecting properties.  Likely from the early 20th century, they have an Art Deco or International Style feel. They also feel great in the hand.

To add some color and sparkling beefy substance, examine this Cranberry glass decanter (Lot 281 estimate $100-200).  Large in scale and heavy in weight, this finely cut piece will enhance your bar set up by just being there, and make pouring that cocktail for a friend extra fun.

Next add this very large set of Wheel Carved Crystal Glasses, (Lot 274, estimate $500-800, with a starting bid of $50!), they will surely inspire mixology experimentation, and are finely carved with various botanical species for your inspection.

Above it all, why don’t you choose this elegant Henri Matisse linocut print to hang over the whole  arrangement? It can be a gorgeous signal that it’s time for fun! (Lot 100, estimate $800-1200).

Auction begins tomorrow at 12 noon, hope to see you online, even better if you grab a cocktail…..bottoms up!……..

 

For questions about our sale or any of the items featured please contact us at contact@neueauctions.com  or 216-245.6707. We are happy to answer questions, advise and assist you with bidding. 

The 2019 Neue Gallery Presents season began with me speaking on the topic of Collecting 101. We had a lively crowd who enjoyed light bites and wine before we gathered around the front of the gallery. I was prepared to talk about facets of collecting that would be of interest to beginners, but after spending time with our guests, I discovered that most were seasoned collectors, so I quickly switched gears. In fact, June Greenwald was in the audience, how was I supposed to speak to this iconic woman who sat at the helm of her family antiques business for decades? What happened naturally was wonderful: we all began sharing stories about great auction buys, estates sales and stories from the old White Elephant Sale that was held every year in Cleveland. It was a reunion and a “best of” conversation for collectors!

I started with a story of a gorgeous antique Caucasian carpet that was part of the display at the White Elephant sale. It wasn’t the focus of the display; it was beneath items on display. I first walked, no, ran past it as I entered the sale. I made a hard stop after processing what I had seen and asked a volunteer to help me dismantle the lovely display so I could quickly roll it up and claim it. At this event you couldn’t make a pile of goodies and continue shopping unless someone you knew well worked there would watch your new found treasure. It was best to look out of yourself here and I carried my intended purchases around until check-out. I remember paying $600 for the carpet and that was a lot in 1995. I sold that carpet a few months later for $6000 to a prominent carpet dealer in Cincinnati. I didn’t become a carpet collector from the experience, but the extra cash certainly encouraged me to keep learning.

The next Neue Gallery Presents event will be presented by Bridget McWilliams and she’ll be talking about great collectors and how to live like one. Please join us  4/17 at 6:30 for an educational and fun evening with the Neue Auctions team.