Hess Fine Auctions welcomes you to their final auction of 2022 on December 3. This 170-lot auction will feature stunning lighting from a landmark Florida hotel, The Vinoy, in St. Petersburg and some wonderful mixed media pieces from famed artist Peter Max, along with collections of art glass, modern art, Arabic and Israeli art, as well as Asian art and antiques.
Here are a few of the top lots not to miss:
This pair of Murano art glass sconces are from the Vinoy Renaissance Resort Pre-War grand lobby, the prominent downtown St. Petersburg hotel designated by the National Trust For Historic Preservation as one of the Historic Hotels of America. This lot is comprised of two wall sconces each featuring two electric bulb lights and two layers of hand-blown organic Murano glass festoons.
Also from the Vinoy Renaissance Resort Pre-War grand lobby comes a single chandelier with twelve electric bulb lights, each light projecting from a central decorative column surmounted by organic festoons and additional blown glass ornamentation. Because the Vinoy staff removed the fixture from the ceiling and wrapped its parts, the overall measurements were not taken. The Vinoy has been a long-time supporter of Tampa Bay projects and is currently undergoing a spectacular renovation of the the lobby design. These lighting fixtures were in place until 2022 as part of a tribute to international glass artist Dale Chihuly who has a studio museum in downtown St. Petersburg. This chandelier illuminated the Chihuly sculpture installation in the center of the Vinoy lobby.
Peter Max is a pop artist who is perhaps best known for his "Cosmic '60s" period of brightly colored, psychedelic collages. This offered work is a unique mixed media blend, indicative of his bold, abstracted style, and is an original acrylic painting on lithograph. Titled Woman in Love Large, it features the face of a woman turned away and explosive brushstrokes of vivid hues around her.
Several myths and animal symbolism collide in this beautifully engraved brass decorative tray, which shows a loose translation by the maker that states, “I am from Azerbaijan.”
As always Hess Fine Auctions brings you excellent jewelry and time pieces. Here are some favorites:
This is a Hahn Hof Mechanicus Stuttgart Germany 1790s duplex calendar watch. Without the Hahn family, current-day computers might not exist. This is a very rare example of the Hahn family mathematical oriented watchmaking business. It is running and has a huge duplex balance wheel, regulator-style hour and minute hands, and a calendar.
This Cartier pearl and diamond necklace is from the estate of Eleanor Hoyt Dominick, as a gift from William Gayer Dominick of New York banking firm, Dominick & Dominick. Eleanor Dominick’s daughter received this with a letter from her mother and photographs of her wearing it. Properly signed and numbered by Cartier, it is made from approximately 850 lustrous seed pearls with old cut diamonds embellishing the classic buckle design. It is truly a genuine heirloom piece with timeless appeal.
Especially made for the French market is this Patek Philippe Tiffany 18k gold men’s unisex antique wristwatch. The dial signature is baked on and it comes with a French case serial and movement serial 76633 match.
