Feeling blue? Tones of blue were in many of this week’s top auction lots. These include the blue shadows on the chemise of a resting woman by Henri Manguin that at $45,000 was anything but a sleeper at Andrew Jones Auctions to the light blue on a cloisonne vase, offered at Akiba Antiques, that made $18,750. Blue dragon-form handles on a Chinese famille-rose urn at Amero auctions that flew to $73,800 from an estimate of $800-1,200. And blue was present in multi-colored lots, such as a Noble Effort style marble that rolled to $2,310 at Block Marble Auction, to Hyman Bloom’s “Child in the Garden,” which blossomed to $53,125 at Roland’s. Search for more blue clues in this week’s Across The Block.

Bohlin Parade Saddles Head ‘Em Out for March in Montana

COEUR D’ALENE, IDAHO – March in Montana conducted a two-day auction March 19-20, which was led at $96,800 by a pair of Beverly model silver-mounted parade saddles with silver-mounted breast collars, bridles and bits, coronas and saddle racks. Dated to circa the 1950s, one was initialed WEC, the other MLS, the two were in fine condition deemed “ready to ride.” Consigned from a Jackson, Wyo., estate collection, the pair provided a rare opportunity to acquire a matching pair of parade saddles. For information, 208-664-2091 or www.marchinmontana.com.

Write That Sales Slip for $4,500 on a Stickley Mission Writing Table

WINDSOR, CONN. – It was contemporary, custom, Mission and decorative accessories crossing the podium at Nadeau’s Auction Gallery on March 26. Mission led the day with a Gustav Stickley Mission oak writing table jumping its $800-$1,200 estimate to find a buyer at $4,500. The two-drawer table marked with the red tool mark and stood at a height of 30 inches with 36-inch-wide top stretching to 65‚¾ inches. For information, www.nadeausauction.com or 860-246-2444.

Maneki Neko Cat Beckons Bidders at Material Culture

PHILADELPHIA – More than 600 lots, including the Jim and Kit Horne collection of fine, folk, Outsider art, Asian and ethnographic art were the main draw on March 27 as Material Culture hosted its no reserve auction. The cat’s meow in this sale was a Japanese Kutani Maneki Neko “Beckoning Cat” sculpture from the Meiji period. The winsome feline was estimated $1/1,500 but did much better, finishing at $7,680. An apocryphal tale of how the beckoning cat brought good fortune to a very poor Sixteenth Century temple priest with his cat is related in the lot’s catalog notes. For more information, 215-849-8030 or www.materialculture.com.

Noble Effort-style Marble Rolls to Lot Leader at Block Auction

TRUMBULL, CONN. – A contemporary handmade Noble Effort-style marble won them all on March 26 at Block Marble Auction. Featuring a multitude of murrini cane sections all packed under the surface of the marble, it was a great example of this type, said the firm’s Robert Block, and it drew a final bid of $2,310. Signed with a “Ro” cane and a “2” cane, the 2½-inch marble was made by Ro Purser in 2002. Purser is one of the earliest contemporary marble artists. He, along with his mentor, friend and fellow glass artist Richard Marquis, began making glass marbles in 1973, and then selling them at a Marin County Renaissance Faire. They later established Noble Effort Design on Whidbey Island, Wash. For more information, www.marbleauctions.com or 203-209-7076.

‘child in the Garden’ Oil Blooms at Roland NY Sale

GLEN COVE, N.Y. – Bidders converged here and online on March 25-26 for Roland NY’s two-day estate sale of fine art, collectibles, furniture, antiques, silver, decorative arts and jewelry that the firm assembled from East Coast estates and private collectors all over the Northeast. Top lot was Hyman Bloom’s (Latvian-American, 1913-2009) oil on canvas painting, “Child in the Garden,” featuring a heavy impasto laid down on Masonite. Selling for $53,125, the Expressionist composition from the artist’s early spiritual/mystic period depicted a child in ornate costume with intense eyes peering out directly at the viewer set against a dense colorful background with geometric and organic forms. No signature was found but the verso bore several gallery and museum exhibition labels. For information, 212-260-2000 or www.rolandantiques.com.

IT WAS ‘ASIA DAY’ IN SARASOTA, FLA.

SARASOTA, FLA. – While all things Asian raged for a week in New York City, down in Sarasota, Amero Auctions also saw hot action on March 27 when a large Chinese famille rose dragon-handled urn took off from its $800-$1,200 estimate to finish at $73,800. With celadon glaze ground, famille rose interior genre scenes, bamboo decoration and applied dragon handles, the 21-by-15-9-inch vessel was reputedly from the collection of Grand Duke Nicholas of Russia. It sold with evaluation from the Art Museum of Western Virginia. For information, www.ameroauctions.com or 941-330-1577.

Fauvist Portrait Leads for Andrew Jones

LOS ANGELES – A well-documented portrait of a sleeping woman by Henri Manguin (French, 1874-1949) sold for $45,000 and was the top lot in the March 27 Design for the Home & Garden auction at Andrew Jones Auctions. Measuring 11 by 18 inches in oil on canvas, “Petite dormeuse en chemise blanche,” combined rich colorful hues with a contrasting white nightgown on the central figure. Global interest in the 1918 work pushed it from its $15/25,000 estimate and it sold to a collector in the United Kingdom. For information, www.andrewjonesauctions.com or 213-748-8008.

French Art Deco Glass Sculpture Lights Up at Nest Egg

PLANTSVILLE, CONN. – Leading Nest Egg Auctions’ March 27 sale was a French Art Deco glass sculpture and metal base table lamp with a seated male nude that was signed “E. Pezard Art – Reunis” and “France.” According to Ryan Brechlin, the auction house could not find anything on the maker and had estimated it at $200/400. The strong demand for the form, period and style drove bidding and it sold to a collector in the United States for $3,198. For information, 203-630-1400 or www.nesteggauctions.com.

Chinese Vase Smashes Estimate at Akiba Antiques

DANIA BEACH, FLA. – Akiba Antiques’ Lucky Numbers sale on March 29 was an eclectic collection of decorative and fine arts, spanning many genres and origins. One of the auction’s top lots was a large Chinese cloisonne vase depicting a flora and fauna scene against a celeste blue sky, which vastly outperformed its $100/1,000 estimate. Beginning with an online bid of over ten times the starting price, the numbers steadily climbed until passing the five-figure mark, ultimately reaching $18,750. For more information, 305-632-5563 or www.akibaantiques.com.