Neal Auction Company's April Spring Estates Auction Achieves $2.6 million

PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE            PRESS CONTACT : BETTINE FIELD CARROLL
                                                         (504) 899-5329
                                                 estates@nealauction.com

Neal Auction Company’s
April Spring Estates Auction
Achieves $2.6 million
   ∞ Buck more than doubles its estimate and achieves $234K
   ∞ Clague more than doubles its estimate and exceeds $200K
   ∞ Record prices set for Malvina Hoffman, Hans Mangelsdorf,
     James Michalopoulos and John Kelly Fitzpatrick
   ∞ Fitzpatrick oil soars over 12 times its supporting presale
     estimate
   ∞ Reverend Criswell’s Collection realizes $314K
   ∞ Garden Ornaments rock Neal Co.’s spring sale

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA — Neal Auction Company’s April 14 and 15,
2007 Spring Estates Auction witnessed considerable success. With a presale
low estimate of $1.5 million and a high of $2.2 million, the 917 lots sold
realized $2.6 million.

Neal Auction Company’s April 14 and 15 Spring Estates Auction featured
many fine examples of paintings, furniture, porcelain, sculpture, garden
ornaments and other decorative works of art with many of the examples
offered coming from the Estate of Reverend W.A. Criswell of Dallas Texas.

FINE ART
Neal Auction Company’s Spring Estates Auction featured several examples of
fine art worth note. Highlights included a Richard Clague oil, a William Henry
Buck oil, several Walter Anderson and George Louis Viavant watercolors, a
Marc Chagall lithograph, a Rafael Coronel oil and a John Kelly Fitzpatrick oil.
Record prices were achieved for Mangelsdorf, Michalopoulos and Fitzpatrick.

Lot 447, a Richard Clague, Jr. (American/New Orleans, 1821-1873),
oil on canvas titled “Life on the Farm: St. Tammany Parish,” performed
exceptionally well. Against an estimate of $80,000 to $120,000, the painting
achieved a very handsome $201,750.00.

                                                    Lot 447

Also performing well, was lot 476, a William Henry Buck
(American/New Orleans, 1840-1888), oil titled “Along the Bayou,”
which, with a presale estimate of $100,000-150,000, achieved $234,750.00

                                                                     Lot 476

Two Walter Inglis Anderson (American/Mississippi, 1903-1965)
watercolors were offered and both did notably well. Lot 484, “Flock of
Ducks,” achieved $15,275.00 and lot 487, “The Country Road,” realized
$29,375.00

                     Lot 487

Neal Auction Company offered an exceptional 4 lot collection of Hans
Mangelsdorf (German/New Orleans, b. 1903) oil paintings. An
accomplished mural painter for the WPA, these four emblematic Mangelsdorf
paintings stirred considerable interest in the marketplace. With estimates
between $2,500 and $4,000, each painting soared well above expectation,
with the first, (lot 503, titled “Louisiana Bayou”), selling at $12,337.00— a
record price for a Mangelsdorf painting. The remaining three, lot 504, “Men
Planting,” lot 505, “Louisiana Fishing,” and lot 506, “Public Health and
Industry” achieved $8,225.00, $5,287.00 and $4,112.00 respectively.

                               Lot 503 RECORD PRICE

Lot 529, a Marc Chagall (Russian/French, 1887-1985), fine art
lithograph titled “Bay of Angels with a Bouquet of Roses,” achieved a
sizeable $19,975.00— a record price for this particular print. Lot 535,
James Michalopoulos’s (American/New Orleans, b. 1951), oil “Held by
Hope, Etrigny, France,” also performed respectably, achieving the record
price of $8,812.00, while lot 542, a Rafael Coronel (Mexican, b. 1932),
acrylic titled “Painter in White,” realized $11,943.00.

                   Lot 529 RECORD PRICE FOR “Bay of Angels with a Bouquet of Roses”

                    Lot 535 RECORD PRICE

                    Lot 542

European oil paintings which performed particularly well were lots 378 and
619. A small oil (9 ¾ by 13 inches) by Guillaume Seignac (French, 1870-
1924), titled “Summer Idyll,” performed exceptionally well, reaching a
record price of $12,862.00 for a Seignac painting of small size. Lot 619, a
19th Century French School painting depicting “The Marquis de
Lafayette and His Groom with an Arab Horse, Before a Stable Facade
within a Princely Park,” achieved an admirable $8,518.00 against a
presale estimate of $3000 to 5000.

                                Lot 378 (9 ¾ by 13 inches – a Record for a small Seignac)

                                Lot 619

Lot 892, a John Kelly Fitzpatrick (American/Alabama, 1888-1953), oil
on canvas titled “Loading Hay,” was one of the auction’s biggest surprises.
With a supporting estimate of $1,500 - $2,500, the painting achieved a
record price of $18,800.00— more than twelve times its presale low.

                                Lot 892 RECORD PRICE

FURNITURE
In terms of furniture, bidding was strong in all categories with English and
Continental examples predominating.

Lot 83, a 19th century Fine English Louis XVI-Style Ebony, Amboyna,
Sèvres and Bronze-Mounted Bonheur du Jour, from the Estate of
Reverend W. A. Criswell of Dallas Texas, performed commendably, selling
right between estimate at $10,800.00. Lot 94, with the same provenance,
also fared well. With an estimate of $5,000-$7,000, a late 19 th century/early
20th century Louis XV-Style Ormolu and Sèvres Mounted Amboyna
Table á Jeu reached $9,693.00.

                                         Lot 83 (Criswell Estate)

                                         Lot 94 (Criswell Estate)

Lot 175, an early to mid 19 th century Late Regency Carved, Gilded and
Ebony Inlaid Mahogany Pedestal Sideboard in the Egyptian Taste,
also performed well, selling within estimate at $9,987.00.

                                                              Lot 175

With an estimate of $8,000-12,000, lot 177, A Fine Antique English
Carved Mahogany Cabinet, in the style of Thomas Chippendale,
reached $11,162.00.

                                        Lot 177

Performing well above their presales estimates were lot 223, a late 19th
century Louis XV-Style Ormolu and Sèvres-Mounted Mahogany
Toilette Coffer on Stand, and lot 299, a late 19th/early 20th century Louis
XV-Style Bronze-Mounted Kingwood and Marquetry Poudreuse, with
the lock stamped “Vve. P. Sormani & Fils, Paris 10 Charlot.” Both from the
Criswell Estate, lots 223 and 299 sold for $7,050.00 and $7,637.00
respectively.

                              Lot 223 (Criswell Estate)

                                             Lot 299 (Criswell Estate)

Another lot which performed exceptionally well was lot 358, an 18th century
Rare French Provincial Painted and Brass-Mounted Cabinet-on-Stand,
with its doors and drawer fronts decorated with painted figures of Early
Christian Saints centering the Holy Trinity. It achieved a handsome
$12,925.00.

                                     Lot 358

Lot 394, an early 19th century Very Fine Regency Rosewood, Brass Cut
Work, Inlaid and Gilded Tilt Top Center Table, realized $13,512.00;
while lot 398, a circa 1840 Very Fine Louis Philippe Carved Maple and
Rosewood Lit de Repos reached $10,575.00.

                                          Lot 394

Lot 398

Another Criswell Estate item which performed exceptionally was lot 404, an
Antique Louis XVI-Style Mahogany and Bronze Doré Side Table, which
with an estimate of $3,000-$5,000 saw considerable interest and sold for
$9,693.00.

                           Lot 404

With a presale estimate of $2,000 to $3,000, lot 814, a late 18th century
George III Inlaid Mahogany Sideboard Table in the Hepplewhite
Taste, achieved $15,275.00.

                                              Lot 814

Lot 173, A circa 1825 Fine American Classical Mahogany Baltimore
Linen Press, reached $9,987.00; while lot 881, a 19th century American
Classical Carved Mahogany Pedestal Dining Table attributed to Anthony
Quervelle, Philadelphia, achieved $9,693.00.

                                   Lot 173

                                                            Lot 881

Also performing well was lot 169, a Fine Pair of American Twelve-Inch
Globes, 1854/1855, by Josiah Loring, Boston, which achieved
$7,050.00.

                                  Lot 169

PORCELAIN
Neal Auction Company’s offerings of porcelain were exceptional this sale,
with numerous items having good estate provenance and many coming from
the Estates of Walter S. McIntyre and Reverend W. A. Criswell.

A few of the Criswell highlights included:

Lot 76, a late 19th/early 20th century French Bisque Porcelain and Gilt
Bronze Figure on a Marble Base, which sold for $2,467.00; lot 236, a
Pair of Meissen Blue and White Porcelain Two Tier Dessert Stands in
the “Onion” Pattern, which realized $3,240.00; lot 267, a Pair of Meissen
Polychrome Porcelain Figures, which achieved $3,600.00; lot 278, a
French Blanc de Chine Potpourri Vase with Gilt Bronze Mounts and
Stand, which realized $2,640.00 and lot 354, a Sèvres Porcelain Tea
Service, decorated with scenes from Napoleon's battles, which saw
$4,993.00.

                    Lot 76 (Criswell Estate)

                                           Lot 236 (Criswell Estate)

Lot 267 (Criswell Estate)

Lot 278 (Criswell Estate)

                            Lot 354 (Criswell Estate)

Other porcelain objects offered also performed well with lot 435, a Fine
Paris Porcelain Cobalt and Gilt-Decorated and Biscuit Reticulated
Figural Corbeille, selling at $9,000.00 and lot 460, a Fine Set of Six
Limoges Porcelain Oyster Plates from the White House Service of
President Rutherford B. Hayes, achieving $8,518.00.

                               Lot 435

                                                         Lot 460

Lot 626, a Pair of Chinese Export Porcelain Covered Vases in the
Mandarin Palette, also performed admirably, selling for $7,200.00

                                 Lot 626

SCULPTURE
Sculpture performed exceptionally well this sale, with one lot exceeding all
expectation by selling for almost 4 times its presale estimate and another
achieving a record sale price. Lot 340, a Rare Pair of French Portrait-
Headed Bronze Sphinxes, mid-18th c., mounted by Cupids posed as
holding urns (elements now lacking), on boullework sarcophagus stands, as a
garniture de cheminée, sold for $31,200.00; while lot 522, a Malvina
Hoffman (American, 1885-1966), mahogany sculpture, titled “African
Slave,” achieved the record price of $7,750.00 for an example in wood.

                                                      Lot 340

                                 Lot 522 RECORD PRICE in wood

GARDEN ORNAMENTS & STATUARY
Garden ornaments and statuary performed very well this spring with four lots
worth special mention.

Against an estimate of $3,000-$4,000, lot 842, a Group of Eight
Continental Carved and Painted Pine Columns, reached $11,750.00;
estimated at $3,000-$5,000, lot 903, a 19th century American Cast Iron
Sugar Kettle of Massive Proportions (diameter: 87 inches) sold for
$21,150.00; lot 914, A mid-19th century Set of Fine Antique American
“Lamb and Willow” Cast-Iron Fencing, measuring approximately 90 feet,
also sold well at $19,975.00 and finally, lot 944, a Suite of Marble
Figures, of the “Four Seasons,” sold just above high estimate, at
$14,100.00.

                                                    Lot 842

                                                    Lot 903

Lot 914

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Prices Realized include Neal Auction Company’s standard Buyer’s Premium as
reflected in their Conditions of Sale.

NEAL AUCTION COMPANY · 4038 MAGAZINE STREET · NEW ORLEANS · LA · 70115
TEL 504.899.5329 · FAX 504.897.3808