Irving Penn (American, 1917-2009), Gelatin Silver Prints inc. Balenciaga, 1950 Single

Last week’s auctions were dominated by a collection from Ruggerio and Associates’ Spring Auction containing some fine examples of American portraiture and Chinese porcelain, as well as a collection of fashion photographic prints by Irving Penn. Highlights from the sale include: a Ming Dynasty Chinese blue and white covered box, Wanli mark and period; a family miniature collection by Charles Campbell Worthington (American, 1854-1944); a Chinese blue and white Ming style porcelain Hu form hexagonal vase with stand; an oil on ivory panel portrait of General James Gadsden by Charles Fraser (American, 1782-1860); and 3 Irving Penn (American, 1917-2009) Gelatin Silver Prints for Balenciaga, 1950.

Ming Chinese blue and white covered box, Wanli mark and period- This uniquely shaped blue and white porcelain box bears a Wanli dynastic inscription on the bottom. Of ingot shape with half rounded ends and deep waisted sides, the box is painted with a pair of five clawed dragons contesting a flaming pool on top, and further dragons in a running frieze around the sides and base. The rims boast demi-florettes in a zigzag pattern.

The lot was extended by two minutes and 32 seconds as it achieved $ 19,796.40, nearly five times its pre-auction high estimate, with buyer’s premium after 14 bids.

Charles Campbell Worthington (American, 1854-1944) Family Miniature Collection – This collection of miniature portraits draws the picture of a quintessential American family. Charles Campbell Worthington was an American industrialist and early PGA founder of Shawnee Country Club. The 6 miniatures include: C.C. Worthington (1854-1944) in blue enamel framed locket, on ivory, unsigned; his mother, Sara Newton Worthington, on ivory, unsigned, in gold plated locket; two sisters, Sara Newton Worthington, in 14k gold locket and another sister, in gold plated locket, both signed C.F. Howard; an early 19th Century miniature portrait of father-in-law Commodore John Thomas Newton (Alexandria, VA, 1793-1857), in tested 10-12k gold frame locket, painted on ivory, unsigned, possibly by Benjamin Trott (1770-1843); another C.F. Howard signed miniature portrait of Helen Alice Rice, on ivory, dated 1907.

After 23 bids and over five minutes of extended bidding, this collection sold for $ 15,600 with buyer’s premium.

Chinese blue and white Ming style porcelain Hu form hexagonal vase with stand – This porcelain Hu form vase, originally from a South Florida private collection, features  straight sides and a concave neck with a scrolling lotus design, separated by the broad band of white capped waves pattern around the sloping shoulders. Other decorative motifs include the base with petal lappets, and the neck and foot with key fret decoration repeated on the bamboo sectioned handles. The base is marked with a six-character Qianlong (乾隆) seal mark, and the item is featured on a pierced carved teakwood base.

Estimated at $3,000-5,000, this lot nearly tripled its high estimate, ultimately selling for $ 14,400 after buyer’s premium over 25 bids that extended the sale by nearly twenty minutes of competitive bidding.

Charles Fraser (American, 1782-1860) oil on ivory panel portrait of General James Gadsden - General James Gadsden (American, 1788-1858) was an important figure in 19th century America. He served in the Army under General Andrew Jackson during the War of 1812, established Fort Gadsden and Fort Brooke (present day Tampa) in Florida, was the commissioner involved in the expulsion of the Seminole Indians from Florida and Southern Georgia to Oklahoma, presided over the South Carolina Railroad Company from 1840 to 1850, worked to establish a southern transcontinental railway route and slavery in Southern California, and negotiated in his capacity as U.S. Minister to Mexico the Gadsden Treaty, 1853, in which over 30,000 square miles of land in New Mexico and Arizona was purchased from Mexico and the U.S./Mexican border was firmly delineated. Gadsden was buried in St. Philips Church Cemetery in Charleston, South Carolina. For more information on the portrait’s subject see James Gadsden’s Wikipedia Entry.

This painting, accompanied by a newspaper clipping from Charleston Evening Post from Friday, May 7, 1971 picturing the portrait and discussing the ceremony in Florida, which displayed the painting at the opening of Fort Gadsden State Park, was descended in the Gadsden family until its recent sale on iGavel. After three bids, the lot realized $ 13,800 with buyer’s premium.

Irving Penn (American, 1917-2009), Gelatin Silver Prints inc. Balenciaga, 1950 – This excellent set of fashion prints by iconic American photographer Irving Penn was brought to auction from the estate of Louis J. Gartner, Jr. After graduating from Cornell in 1947, Lou came to New York and became the assistant of the young and brilliant fashion photographer Irving Penn. As Penn’s assistant, Lou became deeply involved in the world of high fashion and design and became very friendly with the great fashion photographers of the period, forming friendships that would continue for the rest of their lives. The Gartner Photographic Archive includes photographs given to Lou during this period, and over 50 photographs by Penn, Horst, Kertesz, and Beaton are included in the sale.

These photographs feature work done for Balenciaga, Lisa Fonssagrives-Penn Fashion Studio, and Conde Nast Publications. After 28 bids and over 21 minutes of extended bidding, the lot more than doubled its high estimate of $ 5,000, ultimately closing at $ 12,120 with buyer’s premium.

Click here to view more auction highlights from Ruggiero and Associates’ Spring Sale.

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