Released on: March 6, 2008, 7:02 am

Press Release Author: Fred & Gail Taylor

Industry: Internet & Online

Press Release Summary: Part of the collection of Lillian Watson, previously
exhibited at the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art in New York, will be sold at
Matheson's AA Auction in Melbourne, FL.



Press Release Body: MELBOURNE, FL - For the first time in its history Matheson's AA
Auction of Melbourne, FL will conduct an auction event live online through
LiveAuctioneers.com. Auction owner Lloyd Matheson said, "We owe it to our consignors
to open up this sale to the world."

And what is so special about this sale? The 800 lot sale on March 29-30 will begin
with thirty-five pieces of Asian art and antiques from the collection of Lillian
Watson, noted collector and world traveler. Twenty of the thirty-five pieces were
exhibited at the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art at Cornell University in Ithaca,
NY and were insured for over $5,000,000 in 1997. Matheson's will offer the
thirty-five pieces sequentially as the opening lots of the sale.

Mrs. Watson normally traveled with art and antiques specialists to advise her on her
purchases. Among those advisors were Dr. Marty Young, curator of the Johnson Museum,
Dr. Mary Linda, curator of the Rockefeller collection, Dr. Richard Howard of the
Birmingham Museum and Dr. Richard Gramley. The descriptions of the individual lots
in this sale from the Watson collection were provided by the committee of experts
that vetted the display for the Museum. Mrs. Watson also purchased items from C. T.
Loo in Paris and New York and the Aladdin Gallery.

Lot 01 of the sale will be a 14in high underglazed copper red and white pear shaped
bottle, 14th century, from the early Ming Dynasty, Hongwu Reign. When this bottle
was first exhibited in the Museum in 1997, on loan from Mrs. Watson, it was insured
for $2,000,000. A bottle with the same design, underglaze and similar provenance,
one inch shorter, sold at Christy's Hong Kong in 1997 for $2,800,000. Matheson will
open the auction with this lot at $100,000 with no reserve!

Among other items from the collection are a 10½in Imperial Chinese yellow enamel
saucer dish, underglaze blue and overglaze yellow, with a floral decoration from the
Ming Dynasty bearing the Emperor Chenghua mark (1465-1487), a 19½in tall Chinese
Famille Noire glazed vase with court scenes from the Qing Dynasty with Kangxi mark
(1661-1722) and a life size Khmer Baphuon sculpture of a male, Baphuon period, 10th
century, 49in tall with base.

Following the initial group of Watson lots will be what Matheson is calling a
"Discovery Asian Art" session featuring another thirty to forty Asian artifacts from
other collections. This may be the opportunity, according to Matheson, for someone
to find an undiscovered treasure. This section will include items like an 18th-19th
century Qing Dynasty flambe' glazed vase, 9½in tall, an eight panel Ming Dynasty
blue and white table screen and six important early Japanese tiles framed together,
each one signed.

In addition to Oriental art the sale will feature some significant American and
European art as well as estate jewelry and select furniture items. One piece of
artwork that is of special interest in this sale was previously sold by Matheson's a
little over two years ago. It is a work by American painter Ernest Lawson
(1873-1939). Lawson was one of The Eight, a group of Impressionist painters working
in New York after the turn of the century. The painting at hand is an Impressionist
work of a young girl in a forest.

When originally offered at Matheson's the unusually large painting by Lawson seemed
to be covered by a white film. The consensus in the room was the painting had been
"skinned" by over zealous cleaning. The painting sold for $40,000 plus buyer'
premium and the buyer sent it to a restorer where the film was determined to be a
discoloration of over varnish. The original buyer has now consigned the fully
restored colorful painting to Matheson's to be sold without reserve.

The sale will begin at 9:30AM Saturday March 29 and will continue at 11:00 AM Sunday
March 30. Preview will be Friday March 28 from 11:00AM to 6:00PM, Saturday 8:30 -
9:30AM and Sunday 9:00 - 11:00AM. Matheson's AA Auction is located at 600 E. New
Haven Avenue in Melbourne, FL 32901. Seating for 180 can be reserved by phone, (321)
768-6668 or by email at aaauctions@earthlink.net. Selected portions of the catalog
are available for viewing on the Matheson's AA Auction website at
www.mathesonsaaauction.com and at www.LiveAuctioneers.com. The auction will be
called by 33 year veteran auctioneer and auction co-owner Lloyd J. Matheson, Jr.
Phone and absentee bids are welcomed. For more information call auction owners Lloyd
or Jan Matheson or Auction Manager Carey Lucas (321) 768-6668.


Web Site: http://mathesonsaaauction.com

Contact Details: 600 E. New Haven Ave.
Melbourne, FL 32901
321-768-6668
aaauctions@earthlink.net