Gouache and pencil on paper, 16 3/4" by 12 1/2" (slightly larger as simply framed), signed at lower left by listed American artist JOHN EDWIN JACKSON (1876-1950). The scene is a genteel one, with a proper southern gentleman and belle, in a grand architectural setting. The artist was very prolific, illustrating many books and magazines in the first half of the twentieth century, yet, little seems to be known about him. A few pieces have been sold at illustration art auctions...

Watercolor and ink on paper painting of a large mature tree in a landscape, 14" by 18" inside the mat, 22" by 25" overall in contemporary pleasant gold framing, titled at lower right "HORTUS LEIDEN GLINGKO TREE/RAPHAEL". The work is by the hand of the important impressionist painter JOSEPH MORRIS RAPHAEL (1869-1950). Raphael was born in Jackson, California, in the so-called Gold Country, but spent a lot of his time in the Low Countries of Europe, so both artistic communities "claim" him...

In the style of an artist like Stark Davis is this 15 1/2" by 19 1/2" gouache painting, gold paint used for the background to the parrot and vegetation, possibly oleander, the work signed at lower left "O. Schroeter". This is a work dating to about the late 1930's to about 1950, by listed artist OTTO FELIX SCHROETER (born circa 1880 in Germany, died circa 1965 in California)...

By the important Australian aboriginal artist MICK KUBARKKU, 1922-2008 (often misspelled in various ways as "Gubargu", "Gobargu", etc.) is this circa late 1960's/early 1970's natural earth pigment on eucalyptus bark painting of a barramundi fish in typical stylized form, measuring 11" by 20". On the reverse is an original old typed label which says: "Artist--Gubargu; Tribe: Gunwinggu from the Upper Liverpool River...

A beautiful antique Old Master drawing with great patina, the subject a bridge over a Venice canal, with figures and fascinating detail, unsigned, in the style of Guardi. Francesco Guardi (1712-1793) is the most famous practitioner in the style, but Giacomo (1764-1835) accounts for his share of the production of such works, the so-called "Vedute" popular with tourists of the time...

An ink and wash with watercolor painting of a young Japanese geisha seen in profile in her kimono, her hair perfectly coiffed, 10 3/4" by 7 1/4", 15 3/4" by 12" in simple framing, signed lower left "Strasser/Kyoto" and nearby once again "Roland Strasser Kyoto" at center left. This is a fine work by a well-known Vienna-born artist of Basque descent, ROLAND STRASSER (1895-1974). The artist has been called online "the last of the orientalist romantics"...

Japanese contemporary sculpture of a large Beetle, intricately detailed in leather and metal.

Dates Modern Contemporary
Size H 2 3/4" x W 10 1/2" x D 8"

To be sold together as a PAIR, here are two ink and gouache drawings of clipper style ships known as barques, each measuring 12 1/2" by 17 3/8" (21 1/2" by 26 3/4" as framed). One is signed "John M. Gorrie" and the other is also signed by the artist and dated 1956. Surprisingly, I do not see a listing for this talented artist...

Black ink, red watercolor and white gouache drawing, unsigned, 22 1/2" by 15", unsigned, the figure playing a mandolin or lute, wearing poofy medieval-style pantaloons, and sporting a Dali-esque moustache. The drawing definitely has some age, maybe circa mid century. The camera somewhat overstates the color difference between top (more brownish) and bottom (less browned) half; I can't explain the variation...

When I first saw this abstracted figure drawing I was half expecting to see the "Moore" signature, thinking this a dead ringer for the work of famous English modern artist Henry Moore (1898-1986). Measuring 8" by 6", 13 1/4" by 10 1/4" including the gray mat and silver metal frame, the piece is signed "Saibra" at lower right, or, possibly (less likely), "Sailera"...

Larger size Australian aboriginal bark painting 38" by 23", the complex image featuring a number of native turtles and lizards, painted in natural earth pigments by the northern Australian aboriginal artist who is sometimes know as "Left Hand George", because he throws a spear with his left hand. He is better known as GEORGE JUNGAWANGA or JUNGAWUNGA or DJUNGGUNWANGA (born circa 1938)...

A fine mixed media study drawing in charcoal and white gouache of a soldier seemingly leaning against a wagon wheel, 10 1/4" by 7 5/8" inside the present mat (the sheet only very slightly larger), and 22 1/2" by 18 1/2" in gold frame with hand drawn lines), titled "Bataille de l'Alma"on the mat, signed with an impressed/embossed signature "I PILS" at lower right. The drawing features a scene from the Crimean War (1854)...

Australian aboriginal art eucalyptus bark painting (the art itself 28 1/2" by 20 1/2", the mounting panel 35" by 20"), by listed artist GEORGE ANARAGAYURA (1934-), the powerful image consisting of two parallel crocodiles, surrounded by small fish, some tiny humans, and, I think, several other creatures less easily identified...

This is a work so finely executed that it is difficult to believe that it is a drawing and not a print, but I absolutely guarantee it to be an original drawing. The subject is a priest or monk in an interior nook flooded with sunlight. He is holding a large pair of scissors and appears to be concentrating on a domestic task that is not quite clear to the viewer. At bottom in very poorly spelled German is the phrase "UEBERALL--LOCHER--IM--KIRCHEN--GUT--DA--TUHT--KAIN--FLICKEN--MAHR"...

Gouache and watercolor on paper painting of a tall ship on the ocean, two other vessels visible, 12 1/2" by 17 3/4" inside the mat, 18 1/2" by 23 1/2" framed, signed at lower right "F. P. Tyars/5-9-03/The Brig". A handwritten note of later 20th century date says "ON THE BACK/FROM E.R. HUGHES OR E.V. FLOYD/TO C.H. SULLIVANT ??/ON HIS APPROACHING MARRIAGE". There are some references to Tyars' work online, but little biographical information is available. I saw online a possible birth/death date...

Monotype on paper (where the artist "draws" the image on a sheet of glass, after which the glass plate is very carefully pressed against paper in order to produce an image), 5 3/8" by 7 7/8" (the image), the unframed sheet 7 3/4" by 9 1/2", signed in pencil at lower right margin by listed American artist MARION GRAY TRAVER (1892-1964). This a landscape in perhaps early spring or late fall, with muted pastel colors making for a harmonious and pleasing image. Traver was born in Elmhurst, New Yor...

This is an original drawing in charcoal and watercolor, by the well listed French artist LUCIEN PHILIPPE MORETTI (1922-2000), the subject a young boy, 25 1/2" by 19 1/2", unframed. It is signed by the artist at lower right, dated 54, and the place where it was drawn is also present (the "Place du Tertre", in the heart of Montmartre's artist district). Moretti was schooled in art in the late 1940's and by the 1950's was haunting Montmartre, a keen observer of all the humanity flooding the area ...

When I first saw this I thought it might be an image of Obama, in the style of Shepard Fairey, who created the now-famous "Hope" image. Upon closer examination I saw that it was obviously older, circa 1960's, judging from the label on the frame, which gives the artist as a Jim Moran of Visalia, California. The subject remains to me a mystery, but I wonder if it might be a famous 1960's African-American activist---or then again it might not be a black subject at all. There's an "Op-Art" elemen...