Stefek’s autumn auction season will commence with its upcoming Modern Design and Fine Art Auction. The auction will be held on Thursday, September 17, 2015 starting at 3:00 p.m. EST, and will feature an array of quality pieces from several categories. Bidders are welcome to attend in person, to register as a telephone or absentee bidder, or to bid online at LiveAuctioneers.com or Bidsquare.com.
Stefek’s continues to move towards a specialization in 20th century design, and the upcoming September auction willLot 15 – Edward Womley Wingback Lounge Chair feature several mid-century pieces of note, particularly from designers Edward Wormley and Paul McCobb. One such piece is an Edward Wormley for Dunbar wingback lounge chair, model 6016 (estimate $3,000-5,000). Stefek’s featured a pair of the same wingback chairs in its March 2014 auction, which achieved a price realized of $9,225. Other notable Dunbar pieces include a laminate and wood coffee table (estimate $1,500-2,000), a pair of upholstered lounge chairs and ottomans (estimate $1,500-2,000), and a pair wood and upholstered armchairs, model 5513 (estimate $1,500-2,000). The auction will also feature furniture designed by Paul McCobb for both Calvin Furniture and the Winchendon Furniture Company. Bidders will be able to purchase a matching lacquered wood and brass cabinet (estimate $800-1,000) and a pair of night tables ($600-800) designed for Calvin Furniture’s Irwin Collection. Also available is a rare wood sideboard with wood pulls designed for the Winchendon Furniture Company’s Planner Group (estimate $800-1,000).
Stefek’s has had the privilege of offeringVASE-II numerous fine examples of Pewabic iridescent pottery in previous auctions, and an important highlight of the September auction will be a large Pewabic iridescent pottery vase previously mounted as a lamp (estimate $6,000-8,000). The vase’s impressive size measures 18 ½” in height and 12” in width. “It’s one of the largest Pewabic vases that we have featured in an auction. It is wonderful to offer such a beautiful piece of Detroit history” said head catalog developer Genevieve King. Pewabic pottery studio, founded in 1903, remains a fundamental part of Detroit’s vibrant arts community, and was an influential contributor to the advancement of Arts and Crafts pottery.
In addition to furniture and decorative items, the September auction Lot-54—Yuri-Gorbachev,-Untitledwill include a variety of fine art. The artist whose work is most widely featured in the auction is Yuri Gorbachev (born 1948), a Russian painter and sculptor born in Saint Petersburg (then Leningrad). Gorbachev is the first cousin once removed of former Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev, but the artist and his family maintained weak ties with their famous relative, and moved to the United States in mid-1991, just before the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Gorbachev is based in New York City, and his colorfully vibrant and energetic compositions have been sold and exhibited internationally. Other highlights in the fine art category include a fresco on canvas titled “Village Toscan” by Bernardino Toppi (Italian, born 1936), an untitled oil on canvas painting by Guillaume Lo-A-Njoe (Dutch, born 1937), and an untitled oil on Masonite painting by Lionel Walden (American, 1861-1933).
If you would like more information about the September 17, 2015 auction, or would like to schedule an interview with Lori Stefek, please call Stefek’s Auctioneers & Appraisers at 313.881.1800 or email info@stefeksauctions.com. Stefek’s business is located at 18450 Mack Avenue, Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan, between Cadieux and Moross Roads.