An oil on wood by American artist George B. Luks was the top prize at a recent Midwest Auction Gallery event. The framed signed piece, depicting a young girl feeding chickens, saw a final bid of $17,000 – the top lot of the evening.

Among the items featured at the new Midwest venue ranged from 10th and 18th century American and European furniture, as well as jewelry, Native American pieces, fine porcelain items, and a wide range of other quality items including toys, quilts, and antique firearms.

John Mogford, a British artist, was the painter of the oil on canvas that depicted a young girl in a red cloak with her hands in a muff. This painting was in a gilt French-style frame and crossed the block for $2,600. A signed oil on canvas by another British artist, George Lance, was of a window interior scene with woman standing by a bowl of cherries with a monkey stealing a cherry. This artwork sold for $3,750.

Sabastian Habenschaden was the painter of the oil on board that depicted a mountain scene with domestic animals and figures that saw a final bid of $3,000.

From the late 19th century there was a handmade ship diorama. A two-mast schooner is shown approaching the harbor at Marblehead, Ohio. Shown in the background is the Marblehead Lighthouse which is the oldest continuous operating lighthouse on the Great Lakes and is still in operation today. This piece crossed the block for $2,000.

An unsigned oil on canvas, possibly by Percy Gray, depicting a Western landscape with meadows and trees and in a gilt wood frame saw a final bid of $4,000; and a signed oil on canvas still life with fruit by Robert Backman from New York saw a final bid of $1,600.

An unsigned oil on board saw $1,000 and depicted a harbor scene at night, in the manner of Sanford Robinson; an oil on canvas still life with fruit signed Robert Backman and an oil on canvas by De Scott Evans, signed and dated 1892 with a notation To My Friend Prof. Edwin Meyer Hofer, each sold for $1,600.

The artist of an oil on canvas large portrait of a man and woman courting in a continental scene was unknown but very attractive and drew a winning bid of $800. An ornate floral and shell carved gilt wood frame held the oil on board by Louis van der Pol which depicted a European street scene with two women walking near a river and a man with his horse and wagon nearby, saw a final bid of $1,400; and an ornate gilt wood frame with floral and leaf detailing contained an oil on canvas by L. M. Lords that showed a country landscape with rolling hills and trees and earned a final bid of $1,900.

From the 1850s there was an English Regency roll-front desk.

This piece had an excellent early French polished lacquer finish, a bank of six upper drawers, and a unique sliding and tipping desk opening that, when opened, revealed the original leather surface. The final bid for this piece was $500. From the early 20th century there was an English Regency-style lady’s writing desk. This piece was covered in elm burl, had a bank of eight small upper drawers, and the top drawer of the lower section opened to reveal the writing surface. This desk sold for $325.

Among the other pieces for the home there was a hand-carved Louis XVI dressing screen with woven silk brocade inset panels selling for $300; and a circa 1860 cherry Rococo Revival tilt-top dining table with scroll patterned legs and two leaves that earned $500.

A full-bodied copped grasshopper weathervane from the mid-20th century with applied antenna, wings and legs and inset glass eyes found its way into someone’s collection for $2,000. Two running horse weathervanes, one made of gilt copper and zinc with a flowing mane and tail and the other a gilt copper one, also with a flowing mane and tail crossed the block for $450 and $900 respectively. Both were from the late 19th century.

One of the more interesting items was a pair of copper lights from a Queen Mary lifeboat, one marked AP-16199 Starboard and the other marked AP-16198 Port, that found a selling price of $500.

A pair of hand-painted Sevres vases with floral designs and having a scene of a man and woman courting which was dated 1846 on the bottom, marked DKS Tuilleries, and indistinctly signed A V Vigny or Vigney crossed the block for $800.

A bronze Indian maiden with her headdress and wearing flapper apparel was signed D. H. Chiparus on the left side. This item, which was mounted on a rock, drew spirited bidding with the final bid being $800.

Tiffany lamps are prized by collectors. The one at this auction was a Tiffany-style leaded and stained glass lamp with an unusual form selling for $800. There was also an Art Nouveau-style leaded stained glass table lamp with a tree trunk base, supporting a bronzed spelter nude figure. It was signed E. Thomasson on the base and earned a final bid of $275.

A pair of hand-painted terra cotta figures, one a fisherman with a hat and carrying a basket and the other a woman carrying a basket on her head drew admiring glances and a final bid of $550.

A 19th century carved wood heron on top of a ram’s head with great detailing crossed the block for $225; and a hand-carved folk art figure of a crow with incised feather work and glass eyes, circa 1930, proved to have many interested bidders and sold for $750.

An oval Nantucket basket/purse from the mid-20th century with a hand-carved ivory whale decoration on the lid saw a final bid of $325.

A Mt. Washington-style enameled vase with a berry and leaf design that commanded a final bid of $250 would look nice in most anyone’s home.

A total of 38 round full-cut diamonds were to be found in the 4.75 total carat weight diamond and platinum bracelet that would grace someone’s wrist for $3,000. A 14k gold bracelet set with diamonds and sapphires saw a final bid of $800; and a diamond and ruby bracelet earned $275.

Examples of some of the guns that crossed the block were: a Kodiak Express double rifle that earned $425; a Golden Spike commemorative lever-action 30-30 rifle sold for $375; and a World War II C.A.I. M1 rifle with military stampings on the stock crossed the block for $500.

A miniature painted Wells Fargo & Co. stagecoach, manufactured by Franklin Mint sold for $225; and a miniature Empire steam engine with three spring-driven accessory tools including a table saw, a mixer and a screened shaker earned $275.

A Tessina automatic 35mm subminiature camera saw a final bid of $600.

From circa 1880, a salesman sample fanning mill stenciled The Standard Model from the Standard Fanning Mill Company, in Minneapolis, Minn., with original paint and in working conditionsold for $3,750.

The auctioneers presiding on the block were Doug Dalton and Brian K. Rowley.

Reported selling prices do not include the buyer’s premium.

For additional information about upcoming auctions, or if you have an item or collection that you are interested in selling, Jim or Steve would welcome the opportunity to talk with you.

If you are unable to attend an auction and there is an item in which you are interested, contact the auction company to inquire about absentee bidding, telephone bidding and Internet bidding.

You can contact them at (248) 236-8100 or (810) 656-8038. Also, check out their website at www.midwestauctioninc.com and watch for their ads in the Auction Exchange and Collectors News.