Tuesday, 18 December 2001
Morning Session
10.00 a.m.
(Lots 1-247)
PROPERTY FORMERLY FROM THE ESTATE OF ROBERT L.B. TOBIN, SOLD TO BENEFIT THE TOBIN ENDOWMENT
(Lots 1-38)
Robert L. B. Tobin
1934 - 2000
A lifelong philanthropist and patron of the arts, Robert L.B. Tobin was a dedicated and passionate collector of all things connected to the world of theatre. He inherited his love of art from his mother, Margaret Batts Tobin, who was a strong supporter of the McNay from its inception in 1954. Mr. Tobin began collecting art as a young man, with his enthusiasm for theatre dictating his wide-ranging acquisitions. In addition to his collecting, he supported the arts in New York, Santa Fe, and San Antonio by providing funding for operas and symphony premiers. He served on the boards of the Museum of Modern Art, New York and the Metropolitan Opera and Santa Fe Opera. He also served as chairman of the Board of Trustees at the McNay for 10 years.
In 1984, for Mr. Tobin's 50th birthday, his mother donated funds to build the Tobin Wing at the McNay to house his vast library and theatre arts collection. Designed by Milton Babbitt, the structure is modeled after Mr. Tobin's library in his San Antonio estate at Oakwell. The Tobin Collection of Theatre Arts is widely recognized as one of the most comprehensive collections in America, containing texts, paintings, drawings, prints, costumes, and models - all related to theatre history and design. The material focuses on ballet and musical theatre, with an emphasis on opera, which was Mr. Tobin's true passion. The scope of the collection includes a wide range of artists, with particular strength in Russian and American theatre designers such as Alexandre Benois, Leon Bakst, Eugene Berman, and the English designer Edward Gordon Craig.
(Lots 1-38)
Silver, Lots 1-22A
European Furniture and Decorative Arts, Lots 23-38
AN ITALIAN SILVER GOBLET
MARKED BUCCELLATI, ITALY
Details
AN ITALIAN SILVER GOBLET
Marked Buccellati, Italy
On spreading circular foot rising to globular body, the stem chased with wheat sheafs and flowers tied with a rope, the body with lightly hammered finish overall.
8½in. (21.5cm.) high; 21oz.
Marked Buccellati, Italy
On spreading circular foot rising to globular body, the stem chased with wheat sheafs and flowers tied with a rope, the body with lightly hammered finish overall.
8½in. (21.5cm.) high; 21oz.