Date: Fri 24-Apr-1998

Publication: Ant

Author: DAVIDS

Quick Words:

Greenwood

Full Text:

Greenwood Estate Offered At Simpson's

w/6 cuts

By Rita Easton

HOUSTON, TEX. -- The estate of Mary Owen Greenwood was auctioned at Simpson's

in two sessions on March 14-15. The 950-lot event drew many phone and left

bids, in addition to a full house of 350 competing for English and American

furniture, silver and plate, crystal porcelains, Oriental rugs, oil paintings,

and Chinese Japanese, and pre-Columbian art works.

Ringing up the highest bid was an oil on board by Paul Schaan (French,

Nineteenth to Twentieth Century), "Le Dejeuner des Ecclesiastiques," signed

and framed, with dimensions of 32 by 26 inches, to a collector at $22,000. The

work was estimated at $5/7,000.

A seven carat sapphire ring surrounded with diamonds and set in platinum was a

close second at $20,000, but a faux set of earrings, bracelet, and necklace

was rumored to be Greenwood's favorite jewelry. Given to her as a gift by her

friend Beverly Sills, of operatic fame, the set, designed by Miriam Haskell,

consisted of a bracelet of four strands of pearls set with a cameo in the

center, a pair of pearl drop earrings, and a three strand pearl necklace

having a center cameo with drop pearl. The costume jewelry set often worn by

Greenwood brought $250.

An oil on canvas of two children in an interior setting by Roosenboom

(Belgian, 1845-1875), "Playing Grown Up," signed and framed, eight by ten

inches, garnered $6,500; a J.L. Hamon (French, 1821-1874) oil on canvas, "My

Sister's Not Home," signed and framed, 12 by 17¬ inches, brought three times

the estimate, reaching $12,500; and a Henk Box (Dutch, 1901-), "Bottles," a

signed oil on canvas measuring 31 by 35 inches, framed, went out at $5,000.

A Charles Eames side chair, with molded birch plywood seat and backrest raised

on tapered legs, circa 1946, 27 inches high, sold at $1,200 for the tan lot; a

sterling silver Nineteenth Century English epergne, dated 1820, made $10,500;

a 1976 Rolls Royce Silver Shadow automobile realized $13,500; a Babe Ruth

autograph, his signature on a piece of paper, was purchased at $650; and a Lou

Gehrig and Babe Ruth autographed sheet together with accompanying photo

reached $1,000.

A pair of Steuben signed aurene vases standing 13 inches high, circa 1925,

globular in shape, achieved $3,500; an antique George III style silverplated

coffee urn, 22 inches high, was purchased at $3,500; a platinum and 10« carat

diamond bracelet fetched $12,500; a self portrait pencil drawing by Tamara de

Lempicka, eight by 15 inches, made $4,000; and an American Federal mahogany

secretary/bookcase, which was unusually high, 94 by 39 inches wide and 19

inches deep, in three sections, went out at $6,500.

Prices quoted above reflect a required 10 percent buyer's premium.