Premier California Abstract Expressionist Art, Jewels, Historical Bay Area Treasures in Michaan's Dec. 9 Auction of Fine & Decorative Art

ALAMEDA, Calif., Dec. 7, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Two extremely desirable original paintings by Sam Francis (Californian, 1923-1994) headline Michaan's Fine Art, Furniture, Decorative Arts and Jewelry Auction slated for Friday, December 9. Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

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Francis, who spent his formative years in Berkeley but lived and worked all over the world, is best known for a style that incorporates vivid, corpuscular drips of pigment applied with gestural freedom and large "empty-center" canvases that reflect the influence of Japanese art. Untitled (SF70-723), estimated at $60,000-$80,000, is a fine example of his signature style. Point Reyes Self Portrait, created in 1990, is an explosion of color in Francis' free-gesture style and estimated at $150,000-$200,000. The consignor acquired the paintings directly from Francis, and both works will be included in the next printing of the artist's catalogue raisonné.

Fernando Amorsolo (1892-1972) is the leading painter of the late colonial period in the Philippines and is a favorite with collectors of Filipino art. Michaan's will offer Amorsolo's Marikina, a masterful landscape infused with the golden light and relaxed mood of the tropics, an effect for which Amorsolo is well known. The subject is farmhands at work in a scene reminiscent of Monet's haystack paintings. Estimate: $50,000-$70,000.

In 1958, a New York Times review dubbed French Expressionist Bernard Buffet (1928-1999) one of "France's Fabulous Five," alongside Brigitte Bardot and Yves St. Laurent. Michaan's will auction his sensational landscape Coastal Town With Lighthouse, South of France, a signed and dated work estimated at $30,000-$35,000.

Colorful Cakes, a 1990 lithograph by Wayne Thiebaud (Californian, b. 1920-), is expected to make $10,000-$15,000. Also offered are original Yosemite Valley scenes by Thomas Kinkade, and LeRoy Neiman serigraphs, including some of his popular bar scenes, e.g., San Francisco's legendary Buena Vista Café.

The December 9 sale presents a rare opportunity to acquire three pieces by legendary couturier and fabric designer Mariano Fortuny. They include a richly embroidered velvet cape and two versions of the Delphos gown.

Exquisite period jewelry is led by an Art Deco platinum bracelet with fine diamonds totaling 14+ carats. Estimate: $25,000-$35,000. Diamond rings range from 1.70 to 3.85 carats, while a spectacular diamond necklace with central emerald weighs over 38 carats. Estimate: $8,000-$12,000. Additional lots include platinum/gold pocket watches, a ladies Rolex, and estate jewelry pieces from Cartier and Tiffany.

A large array of early 20th-century Tiffany Studios glass and desk sets will cross the auction block, with estimates ranging from $400 to $3,500. An imposing tiger oak ceremonial chair from the San Francisco Masonic Lodge, $3,000-$5,000, was crafted at the Mathews Furniture Shop, whose works are found in the Oakland Museum of California but rarely appear at auction.

A special section of the sale is devoted to a collection of fantastic dollhouse miniatures in opulent 1:12 scale-model interiors created by Elizabeth Larke Blodget, also known as "Mother Larke." Assembled from more than 25,000 fine miniatures collected around the world, the rooms were first displayed at the 1935 California Pacific International Exposition and later at San Francisco's Cliff House, where they remained until the 1970s. The miniature-filled rooms will be sold as three lots, with the one containing both the Chinese Room and Lady's Boudoir estimated at $20,000-$30,000.

Michaan's Dec. 9 auction begins at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET, with Internet live bidding through LiveAuctioneers.com.

Media Contact:
Talesa Eugenio
510-740-0220

SOURCE Michaan's Auctions