From our African Collection: Fante Akuaba Doll, circa 1960. Akua'ba (sometimes spelled Akwaba or Akuba) are wooden ritual fertility dolls from Southern Ghana and nearby areas. The best known akua'ba are those of the Fanti people, “Fanti Dolls” whose akua'ba have large, disc-like heads. Other tribes in the West Africa region (f.ex...

Watercolor on heavy paper, 19" by 15 1/4" (28" by 24" as framed), the subject a California quail perched on a bleached snag in a vaguely defined, arid looking mountain landscape. The work is signed at lower right "MUGGS VAN SANT", and is not dated...

Mid 20th century painting of a vessel containing a plant with interesting leaves and orange tightly closed flowers, executed in an impressionist style with a modernist feel, on a 16" by 20" canvasboard, unframed, signed in black capital letters at lower left "Chatterton". Neither the signature nor subject matter resemble those of noted artist Clarence Chatterton, who was a student of Edward Hopper. I am offering it simply as an interesting still life painting...

From our African Collection: African Dan Figure with Beads & Child, circa 1950 The Dan world view holds that everything can be divided into two separate and clear categories. The primary dichotomy is between village and bush, in other words, things that have been controlled by man and things that have not. Crossing over the dividing line is dangerous business, and whenever it is done, whether to clear new fields or simply crossing the forest, the bush spirits must be appeased...

Born in Washburn, Missouri, Edgar Payne became one of the foremost plein-air landscape painters of California in the early 20th century. He is best known for his majestic Sierra Nevada Mountain scenes, and depicted so many Indians on horseback riding through the Sierra Nevada Mountains that a mountain lake, Lake Payne, was named for him. He painted many works "en plein air" and also did numerous sketches from which he later did studio paintings...

Watercolor on paper, 15" by 22", signed at lower right in pencil "Denny Winters" and dated 1943, showing a shoreline with exposed rocks at low tide, perhaps on an estuary. The artist DENNY WINTERS (1905-1985) was born in Michigan and died in Maine, but spent time in the Midwest and California in her lifetime. She worked at Woodstock in a WPA style, but later works became abstract, and her full oeuvre includes printmaking...

An original gouache (or casein, tempera, etc.) on paper of a Native American male warrior, signed at lower right by the noted artist WOODROW WILSON BIG BOW (1914-1988) and dated there '50. This is an earlier work by the artist, who was born in Carnegie, Oklahoma, the grandson of Chief Big Bow. The artist studied at the University of Oklahoma in 1939...

A beautiful countryside landscape of northern Italy done circa 1950. Oil on canvas, period frame

A gouache on paper painting of Valletta, the historic, ancient capital of the Mediterranean island of Malta, 4 3/4" by 6 1/2" (9" by 10 1/2" framed), signed at lower left by the noted artist of Malta, VINCENZO d'ESPOSITO (1886-1946). The city is spread around the bell tower at right center, as a sailing craft plies the middle distance and what appears as a lobster trap is in the foreground...

Martha Walter watercolor Middle Eastern Scene, Moroccan , 10”x12, Frame size 21”x22” Bio: Martha Walter (1875-1976), the American impressionist artist, was a student of William Merritt Chase. Martha was born in 1875 in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She attended High School in her hometown, later continued her education at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts under William Merritt Chase...

A Fine Silkscreen Print by the Listed Artist, Herbert W. Pratt. This print, titled "Low Tide" was in the Museum of Modern Art, New York Exhibition of Color Prints Under $10 by American Artists in 1940. Signed and titled twice, in the print and in blue pencil at bottom. Print is hinged at top of matt. Matt opening measures about 20 1/2" by 14 1/2", overall matt about 28 1/2" by 22 1/2".

Dynamic and complex, this is a colorful oil on canvas abstract, 40" by 18" (vertical format), 45" by 23" in the wood frame, titled on the stretcher "Figure in Movement" and signed nearby on the reverse canvas (a little hard to see in the photos). but, it has a significant, jagged unrepaired rip in it. I imagine the painting dates from the late 40's or the 1950's...

This is a gouache and watercolor and ink on paper work, 21" by 29" (28 1/2" by 36" as framed), laid on board, by the California artist, socialite, and model, LUCILE BROKAW (1915-1984). The artist appears to be not well known today, although a student of George Grosz, but she was obviously talented and appears to have led a fascinating and glamorous life...

An important Canadian Group of 7 oil on panel by Francis Hans - Franz or Frank - Johnston OSA, ARCA (Canadian, 1888-1949) titled "Pools of Spring". Born in Toronto, he was a founding member of the renowned Toronto painters known as the Group of Seven, which he left by 1926. He became a principal of the Winnipeg School of Art and later the Ontario College of Art. He changed his signature to "Franz" in 1927 on the advice of a friend...

Original oil painting on panel by Max Heimann (Germany, USA, born 1909). Circa 1940s. Probably painted in Shanghai where Heimann and his family were exiled during WWII. This painting is 17" square and is in excellent condition.

A fine watercolor painting of coastal waves and rocks, 9 1/2" by 13 1/4" (15" by 19" framed), signed at lower right by listed California artist GLADYS DAY and titled in old ink on the backing "Rocks at La Jolla Calif./by Gladys Day/Del Mar Ave/Chula Vista". Written again on the backing by a previous owner: "For Peggy S...

Oil on canvas painting of flowers in a vase in an interior space, 23 1/2" by 25 3/4", signed at lower right by German artist ROLF REGELE (1899-1987). Regele was a student of Rudolf Stolz, and he studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich. He painted generally landscapes of the Tirol region of Austria and Italy, as well as still life. During the 1930's his paintings were often reproduced full size and on post cards. The artist settled in Bolzano in the Tyrolean Alps, in the border area of ...

Watercolor on paper painting of redwood, sequoia or pine tree trunk in a forest, unframed, 9 1/4" by 7 3/4", signed at lower left "Mary Inez Tidwell". The work is possibly a fragment, as the top edge and right edge in particular seem to indicate that there might have been more painting at one time; however, there are pin holes in the upper corners and indications of round tacks having been there, so possibly the painting is as originally created. There is a listing for an artist by the name In...