Lot 210: Jules Lion (French/American, 1806-1866)

Name: Jules Lion (French/American, 1806-1866)
Brand: Neal Auction Company
SKU: fdc4947ac0
Price: 360000 USD

Est: $550,000 USD - $750,000 USDPassed

Neal Auction CompanyNew Orleans, LA, USNovember 20, 2021

Item Overview

Description

Jules Lion (French/American, 1806-1866, active New Orleans, 1837-1866) , "Ashur Moses Nathan and Son", c. 1845, pastel on heavy paper board, signed "Lion" lower left, sight 35 in. x 28 in., glazed in a period cove-molded giltwood frame. **Please note that bidding on this lot is not accepted online. Contact Michelle Leckert at 504-899-5329 for bidding.** Provenance: Discovered in Mississippi and jointly owned by Francois Mignon (1899-1980) and Lyle Saxon (1891-1946), c. late 1930s; Francois Mignon, Natchitoches, LA, 1946; Ora Garland Williams (1910-1985), Natchitoches, LA, 1980; her daughter Ann Williams Brittain (1935-2003) and Jack Brittain Sr. (1928-2016), Natchitoches, LA, 1985; thence by descent to their children, 2010. Exh.: Selections of Nineteenth-Century Afro-American Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY, June 19 August 1, 1976 and illustrated on cover of accompanying catalogue; Currents of Change: Art and Life Along the Mississippi River, Minneapolis Institute of Arts, May 27 October 10, 2004 and illustrated in accompanying catalogue, p. 72; Portraits of a People: Picturing African Americans in the Nineteenth Century, Addison Gallery of American Art, Phillips Academy, Andover, MA, Jan. 14 March 26, 2006 and illustrated in accompanying catalogue p. 85; Portraits of a People: Picturing African Americans in the Nineteenth Century, Delaware Art Museum, Wilmington, DE, April 21 June 17, 2006; Portraits of a People: Picturing African Americans in the Nineteenth Century, Long Beach Museum of Art, Long Beach, CA, Aug. 25 November 26, 2006. Ill.: Wilson, Judith. Optical Illusions: Images of Miscegenation in Nineteenth- and Twentieth-Century American Art. American Art. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press on behalf of the Smithsonian American Art Museum 5.3 (Summer 1991): p. 92; African American Review. Saint Louis: Saint Louis University 41.1 (Spring 2007): cover illustration; Greenwald, Erin, ed., In Search of Julien Hudson: Free Artist of Color in Pre-Civil War New Orleans. New Orleans: The Historic New Orleans Collection, 2010, p. 84; Picard, Sara M., Racing Jules Lion. Louisiana History: The Journal of the Louisiana Historical Association. Lafayette: Louisiana Historical Association 58.1 (Winter 2017): p. 6; Gould, P., Seale, R., et al. Natchitoches and Louisianas Timeless Cane River Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 2002, p. 81; Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art. Next Generation: Southern Black Aesthetic Winston-Salem: Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art, 1990, p. 27. Neal Auction would like to thank Wendy Castenell, Ph.D. for writing the following note. Note: The portrait, which has become known as Ashur Moses Nathan and Son is familiar to all who are interested in Louisiana portraiture or the history and legacy of African American art. The elusive portrait has been tucked away in private collections in Natchitoches, Louisiana, since its discovery by Louisiana authors Lyle Saxon and François Mignon in the 1930s in the attic of a private home of an unidentified resident in Mississippi. According to an interview with Mignon in the July 23, 1976 issue of The New Orleans Times-Picayune, the pair were made aware of the paintings existence and location by a well-known New Orleans gallery owner who remained anonymous in the article. The portrait was jointly owned by Saxon and Mignon until Mignons death. In his will dated July 30, 1980, Mignon bequeathed the portrait to Mrs. Ora G. Williams, who in turn, left it to Jack and Ann Brittain in her will from April of 1985. The pastel portrait by Jules Lion from c. 1845 depicts a middle-aged white man locked in an embrace with a mixed race younger man. The two sitters dominate the picture plane, drawing viewers attention to the details of their features, expressions, fashionable dress, and most importantly, their intimate pose. The older white man at the right, wears an elegant black jacket, waistcoat, and cravat. He gazes directly at the viewer with a serious expression. However, there is warmth in his eyes and a slight uptick at the corners of his mouth that prevents him from appearing severe. His graying hair is thinning, and his face displays sagging and some wrinkles that make him appear to be at the middle of life. His skin is slightly flushed, with a ruddiness in his cheeks and across the bridge of his nose. The younger man stands to his left, with his body pressed against the older sitters right side. The young man wraps his left arm around his companions shoulder, resting his hand on the older gentlemans left shoulder. At the very bottom center of the composition, the two men clasp hands. The younger sitter is the taller of the two, and is also attired in a fashionable suit, with a black jacket and gray trousers. However, his garments are more impressive than the older mans, as they include a blue and brown patterned waistcoat, a silk tie of the same shade of blue with a gold tie pin, a gold watch chain visible beneath his jacket, and a large ruby ring on the ring finger of his right hand. Like the older sitter, he too faces forward and meets the viewers gaze directly. His dark hair is shiny and arranged into a fashionable style, parted on the left and curling forward over each of his ears. His eyes, nose and mouth slightly larger than his companions, but there is nevertheless a resemblance in the shape of their features. While the younger man is also depicted with a slight blush in his cheeks, his flesh is a little darker and more olive toned than the sitter to his left. An indistinct, but lush landscape is depicted in the background. There is a thick crop of shadowy trees directly behind the sitters heads, with the hazy blue tones of atmospheric perspective distancing the landscape from the sitters in the foreground, as it also serves to draw the viewers eye to the faces of the sitter. In the sky above, there are an abundance of pillowy white clouds with patches of pale blue sky peeking from behind in several places. The artists name is clearly signed in red along the bottom left side of the portrait. The large pastel is at 35 x 28 inches, and is in pristine condition, with only a few areas of visible restoration. Lion displays his virtuosity with the pastel medium, particularly with his differentiation of the different textures throughout the imagelifelike skin, the different textures of cloth in the sitters attire, the shiny jewelry, and the distant landscape background. This portrait stands out as the masterpiece of Lions oeuvre. The portrait was featured in the 1976 show at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Selections of Nineteenth-Century Afro-American Art, in which it appeared as the catalogue cover. Most recently, the portrait was in the 2006 travelling exhibition, Portraits of a People: Picturing African Americans in the Nineteenth Century, curated by the art historian Gwendolyn DuBois Shaw. The exhibition travelled to the Addison Gallery of American Art at Phillips Academy in Andover, MA, the Delaware Museum of Art in Wilmington, DE, and finally to the Long Beach Museum of Art in Long Beach, CA, and once again was included in the exhibition catalogue. Besides the portraits rare exhibition, it has received substantial scholarly attention since the 1970s. As art historians have tried to make the field of American art increasingly more inclusive by recovering works by Black artists and centering Black sitters, the Lion portrait has been repeatedly included. For example, a discussion of the portrait was included in the catalogue for David Driskells groundbreaking 1976 exhibition at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Two Centuries of Black American Art, despite the fact that the portrait itself was not included in the exhibition. Likewise, William Keyes Rudolph discussed the portrait in his exhibition catalogue for the 2010 show, In Search of Julien Hudson: Free Artists of Color in Pre-Civil War New Orleans at The Historic New Orleans Collection, even though the pastel was not in the show. Additionally, the portrait has been included in the publications of scholars such as Patricia Brady, Judith Wilson, and Sara M. Picard. The academic attention, combined with the portraits inclusion in a few major exhibitions and its otherwise inaccessibility, have elevated the work to legendary status. The legendary status of the Lion portrait is further augmented by the presumed racial identities of the sitters as well as their relationship to each other, what is believed to be known about Lions biography, and finally, the purported identities of the portraits subjects. Although the historical evidence about the race of each sitter, Lions race, and the identities of the sitters here are uncertain, the same narratives continue to be repeated by scholars as they cite one another without reexamining the archival records. The reason that scholars have been comfortable to repeat the mythologies about Lion and the portraits subjects is because if they are true, the stories make an extraordinary painting even more astonishing. In the iconic words from John Fords 1962 film, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence, when the legend becomes fact, print the legend. The reason the portrait has long fascinated so many scholars is because, as art historian Gwendolyn DuBois Shaw wrote in her 2006 exhibition catalogue Portraits of a People, it is an image which speak[s] to the complexities of family relationships and racial identification in Louisiana of the 1830s and 40s. Indeed, the intimate pose depicted by Lion, as the two men stand together with their hands clasped and arms around one another, along with their similar facial features, indicates a loving familial bond. Furthermore, Lions careful handling of the two sitters skin tones creates a presumption that the two men are in fact a white father and his mixed race son. While it is never safe to make assumptions about the racial identities of sitters in nineteenth-century Louisiana portraits, Lion went through great pains to deliberately give the young man a deeper skin tone. Considering Lions adept use of the pastel medium throughout the rest of the image, it is evident this was intentional. Therefore, if this does represent a father and his mixed race son, the remarkable portrait is the only known example that illustrates a white father openly acknowledging his mixed race son in nineteenth-century American art. Furthermore, the image challenges viewers ideas and assumptions about race in the antebellum South, especially in a place like Louisiana, where affiliations across racial and caste boundaries were particularly complex. The images popularity is due, in part, to the astonishing and open interracial relationship it highlightsone that was exceedingly uncommon in the United States in the 1840s and is not known to have been visualized elsewhere. Lions racial identity has also recently been challenged. Lion was born in Paris, where he was academically trained and exhibited in the Paris Salon before following the examples of his many colleagues by immigrating to New Orleans where there was a thriving market for patronizing French immigré portraitists. Once in the city, he worked as a prominent lithographer, painter, art teacher, and he was credited with introducing the daguerreotype (the first economical photographic method to be used commercially in the nineteenth century) to the city in 1843. In her essay, Racing Jules Lion, Sara M. Picard explains that Jules Lion appeared with the designation of f.m.c., or free man of color, in the New Orleans city directories from 1851 to 1856, but that all other documents of his life make no mention of his race, which indicates that he was believed to be white. Additionally, she argues that throughout his entire body of work, he only depicted two people of color, including the portrait here. The conclusion she reaches from her reexamination of the extant documents of Lions life and career suggest that he was a French immigrant to Louisiana of Jewish heritage. Although parts of Picards argument, like the fact that his predominantly white patrons indicates that he himself was white, have been challenged, her reassessment does make a significant point namely, the necessity for new scholarship and a reexamination of the archival records on important works of art such as this portrait. Positing that Lion was Jewish and not a free man of color, does not diminish the cultural value of this portrait, or its significance within the African American art canon. Rather, it gives more complexity and nuance to the history of race and race relations in the nineteenth-century, in the same way as the portraits composition. Finally, recent scholarship has questioned the sitters identities as well. Since the portraits appeared in the 1976 exhibition catalogue produced by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the portrait has been known as Ashur Moses Nathan and Son. In the catalogue, Regenia A. Perry firmly identifies the portraits sitters. Additionally, she weaves an intriguing story about the sitters and their relationship to Jules Lion himself. Ashur Moses Nathan was a Jewish man born in Amsterdam, who immigrated to Louisiana and became a successful dry goods merchant in New Orleans and Baton Rouge. His wife died in 1852, leaving no children from the union. Although Nathan had a nephew to whom he could have bequeathed his estate, instead he chose to petition the state of Louisiana to adopt the mixed race, Achille Leon (the records from the Louisiana state legislatures special act spell his name Achille Leon, not Achile Lion. Louisiana names frequently appeared without consistency throughout archival records, so it is possible that his name was also spelled Achile Lion in other documents). His request was granted on March 12, 1859 by a special act of the state legislature. Following the adoption, Nathan went on to draft a will in 1862 that left most of his estate to Achille Leon, as well as $8,000 to Anna Lion (presumably Achilles sister). The lengths Nathan went through to officially adopt Achille, and to ensure that he could safely pass his estate onto him and his sister after his death, is a strong indication that Achille and Anna were his biological, extramarital mixed race children. Moreover, Nathans actions in securing the succession of his property to those mixed race children rather than his white nephew, indicates a close paternal relationship. However, Regenia Perry further argues that Achille Lion is not only Nathans biological son, but also Jules Lions stepson, the issue of Jules Lions unidentified mixed race wife and Nathan prior to her marriage. Perrys evidence for this is an entry in the 1844 notarial archive that lists Jules Lion as having a son named Achile in his home. Perry writes, that there were two Achile Lions in New Orleans in the 1840s seems improbable. Yet, in a francophone city like New Orleans, neither the name Achile or Lion were uncommon. Despite the conjectures made by the author of the Mets Selections of Nineteenth-Century Afro-American Art exhibition catalogue, the truth is that the portrait itself visually corroborates the account of Nathan and his son Achile. Nathans concerted efforts to adopt the young man and to secure his inheritance are echoed in the loving embrace of the sitters in the Lions portrait. Furthermore, the story woven in the Mets catalogue is deeply compelling, underlining the convoluted mixtures and relationships across racial boundaries that happened throughout Louisianas history. In her essay, Optical Illusions: Images of Miscegenation in Nineteenth- and Twentieth-Century American Art, Judith Wilson neatly summarizes the effect this story has on the portraits interpretation when she writes, the image would have served not only as a stepfathers record of his stepsons true paternity, but also as a biracial artists symbolic reference to his own mixed ancestry as well as to a crucial aspect of his wifes past. In the end, however, there is no known archival evidence to substantiate the attribution that the sitters depicted in this portrait are Ashur Moses Nathan and Achille Leon. In fact, in her 1976 article, Alberta Collier, an art critic for The Times Picayune asked the anonymous art dealer if he knew the portrait to depict Nathan and his son, to which he replied that he had never had any information as to the sitters. Collier concludes her article by saying, This does not, in itself, mean that the sitters are not Achile and Nathan. It indicates, however, that much more research is needed before they can positively be identified as the principals involved in the Louisiana legislative act of March 12, 1859. This is the salient pointthis unique and intriguing portrait has captivated viewers for decades because of the essential questions it raises about race and interracial mixing in Louisiana history, but also in the nations history. The pastel is compelling because of the myriad ways it dismantles neat assumptions about the strict American racial binary, as well as the role inhabited by people of African descent in nineteenth-century America. Despite the fact that the artist was probably Jewish and not a free man of color, and that the sitters cannot be firmly identified as Ashur Moses Nathan and his son, Achille, the captivating visual record of interracial familial ties the portrait depicts will compel the next generation of researchers to return to the documentary evidence and continue to work at solving the mystery of this portrait, thereby further enhancing the complex story of African American art. Ref.: An Act to Authorize Ashur M. Nathan to Adopt Achille Leon, Laws for the Government for the District of Louisiana Passed by the Government and Judges of the Indiana Territory, Baton Rouge, LA, March 12, 1859; Brady, Patricia, A Mixed Palette: Free Artists of Color in Antebellum New Orleans, International Review of African American Art 12, no. 3 (1995): 5-57; Collier, Alberta, Mystery Surrounds Louisiana Painting in Met Exhibit, Times-Picayune (New Orleans, LA), July, 23, 1976; Driskell, David, Two Centuries of Black American Art, Los Angeles: Knopf, 1976; Greenwald, Erin, ed. In Search of Julien Hudson: Free Artist of Color in Pre-Civil War New Orleans, New Orleans: The Historic New Orleans Collection, 2010; Last Will and Testament of François Mignon, Natchitoches, LA, July 30, 1980; Last Will and Testament of Ora G. Williams, Natchitoches, LA, April 9, 1985; Perry, Regenia A., Selections of Nineteenth-Century Afro-American Art, New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1976; Picard, Sara M. Racing Jules Lion, Louisiana History: The Journal of the Louisiana Historical Association 58, no. 1 (2017): 5-37; Shaw, Gwendolyn DuBois, Portraits of a People: Picturing African Americans in the Nineteenth Century, Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2006; Wilson, Judith, Optical Illusions: Images of Miscegenation in Nineteenth- and Twentieth-Century American Art, American Art 5, no. 1 (1991): 88-107. Dr. Wendy Castenell is an Assistant Professor of African American Art in the Department of Art and Art History at The University of Alabama. Her research interests include representations of race and ethnicity in American visual culture, portraiture, photography, early cinema, and turn-of-the-century spectacles. Her first book, Creole Identity in the Art of the American South: Louisiana from the Colonial Era to Reconstruction, will be published in the spring of 2022 by Routledge/Taylor & Francis.

Artist or Maker

Jules Lion

Condition Report

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Auction Details

Louisiana Purchase Auction 2021 - Day 2

Neal Auction Company

November 20, 2021, 11:00 AM CST

4038 Magazine Street, New Orleans, LA, 70115, US

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Terms

Buyer's Premium

28.0%

Bidding Increments

From:	To:	Increment:
$0	$99	$10
$100	$499	$25
$500	$999	$50
$1,000	$2,999	$100
$3,000	$4,999	$250
$5,000	$9,999	$500
$10,000	$29,999	$1,000
$30,000	$49,999	$5,000
$50,000	$99,999	$10,000
$100,000+		$20,000

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Condition reports may be provided upon request, but condition reports may not mention all cracks, scratches,
chips, defects, hazards, tears, breaks, weaknesses, or other damages or wear. Neal Auction Company makes no
representations or warranties as to the accuracy or completeness of any information or description in a
condition report or elsewhere, whether oral, written, electronic, or online. Neal Auction Company reserves the
right to decline to provide a condition report for any specific lot, at its sole discretion.
8. Neither high nor low estimates in a catalogue, website, advertising, correspondence, literature, or
elsewhere should be relied on as a representation, prediction, appraisal, guarantee, or warranty that a
particular lot will sell for a particular price or that a particular lot has a particular value.
9. Neal Auction Company has absolute discretion to admit a bidder to the auction premises, to expel a
bidder from the auction premises, or to refuse a bidder from participating in the auction.
10. Neal Auction Company and its auctioneers shall not be liable, obligated, or responsible for failure to
recognize or execute any bids for any reason whatsoever, or for no reason. Bidders and buyers WAIVE and
RELEASE any rights to damages, and equitable, declaratory, and injunctive relief arising out of the failure or
rejection of any bid, or any errors or omissions relating to the bidding process.
11. Interfering with the auction in any way is prohibited.
12. Bid rigging is strictly prohibited. Any agreement, understanding, or arrangement not to bid against
another or otherwise to dampen the bidding is unlawful. The auctioneer reserves the right to bid on behalf of
the consignor for the protection of the consignor if this illegal activity by two or more bidders is detected,
disclosed, alleged, or suspected.
13. Canvassing or solicitating on the auction premises is prohibited.
14. The auctioneer has the sole discretion as to the increments of bidding, the recognition of any bid, the
acceptance of the final bid, and resolving any disputes among bidders.
15. Neal Auction Company represents the consignors only and is not acting as agent or representative of
bidders or buyers. The payment of the buyer's premium by the buyer does not indicate a dual agency
relationship. Neal Auction Company is to be paid a fee or commission by the consignor pursuant to a separate
written agreement between the consignor and Neal Auction Company. The consignor is the seller of the lot
sold. Neal Auction Company is the consignment agent or representative, not the seller.
16. The successful bidder is obligated to pay the purchase price in full unless Neal Auction Company has
consented in writing at the time of the bidder's registration that the bidder is acting as an agent on behalf of
an identified person and that said principal is obligated to pay the purchase price in full. Neal Auction
Company reserves the right to require an advance deposit for such bids.
17. Prior to placing any bid, all bidders must complete a standard Neal Auction Company Registration Form
in use at the time of the auction.
18. Dealers must provide Neal Auction Company with proper documentation prior to bidding.
19. First time bidders are required to produce a valid state-issued identification card or passport.
20. Bids are required to be made in U.S. dollars.
21. Neal Auction Company may require a bidder or buyer at any time to produce financial, banking, or trade
references and information.
22. All bidders are required to provide credit card information (such as but not limited to the type of card,
card number, name as it appears on the card, billing zip code, expiration date, and security code).
23. All bidders are required to select, and notify Neal Auction Company of, a method of payment (cash,
check, wire, or credit card) in writing at the time of registration.
24. Neal Auction Company reserves the right to describe or to make photographic, video, or audio recordings
of the auction, or any part thereof, and to publish such descriptions, photographs and/or recordings.
PLEASE VISIT NEALAUCTION.COM TO REQUEST AND VIEW CONDITION REPORTS, REGISTER TO BID LIVE ONLINE, AND SUBMIT ABSENTEE/TELEPHONE BIDS
25. Lots may be offered subject to a reserve, which is the confidential minimum hammer price below which
the lot will not be sold, for the protection of the consignor. Such reserve will not exceed the low estimate for
the lot. The auctioneer may open the bidding on any lot by placing a bid on behalf of the consignor,
auctioneer, or an absentee bidder that is below the reserve. The auctioneer may continue to bid on behalf of
the consignor, auctioneer, or absentee bidder up to the amount of the reserve, by placing consecutive bids or
by bidding in response to other bidders. Neal Auction Company may sell a lot at a hammer price below the
reserve at its discretion, subject to its agreement with the consignor.
ABSENTEE/TELEPHONE/ONLINE BIDS
1. All absentee bids and/or telephone bids must be received by Neal Auction Company by 5 p.m. Central
Time the Thursday prior to the auction.
2. All arrangements for bidding should be made as early as possible. Telephone bidding will be taken at
the discretion of Neal Auction Company. Each lot must have a minimum low estimate of $500 for telephone
bidding. Absentee bids are accepted for any lots regardless of estimate, at the discretion of Neal Auction
Company.
3. Neal Auction Company intends to endeavor to protect the confidentiality of absentee/telephone bids.
In the event that the identity of absentee/telephone bidders or buyers or of the amounts of absentee/
telephone bids is disclosed, Neal Auction Company shall not be liable, obligated, or responsible for such
disclosure, and each bidder and buyer WAIVES and RELEASES Neal Auction Company (and its owners, officers,
directors, representatives, insurers, agents, and employees) from any claims arising out of such disclosure.
4. Neal Auction Company reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to require that any advance bids be
accompanied by a security deposit.
5. Neal Auction Company shall not be liable, obligated, or responsible for any failure, design flaw, error,
act, omission, or negligence of third party sites or their agents. Bidders WAIVE and RELEASE any rights to
damages and equitable, declaratory, and injunctive relief and remedies arising therefrom.
6. Prior to placing any absentee, telephone, or online bid, all bidders are required to complete the
applicable Registration Form prior to such bidding.
7. In the event of ambiguity, uncertainty, or discrepancy, the lot number and not the lot description on any
bid will be deemed to be the lot on which the bid is made.
8. If more than one absentee bid on a particular lot is received with the same maximum bid amount, and
that bid amount is the highest and best bid for the lot, the lot will be sold to the bidder whose absentee bid
was accepted first by Neal Auction Company after receiving it. If a bid placed on a lot by a bidder who is
physically present at the auction is identical to an absentee bid for the lot and is the highest and best bid for
the lot, the lot will be sold to the person who is physically present at the auction. If a bid placed on a lot by a
bidder who is present at the auction (in person or by telephone) is identical to an absentee bid for the lot and
is the highest and best bid for the lot, the lot will be sold to the person who is present at the auction (in person
or by telephone).
9. Neal Auction Company reserves the right to record any telephone bidding or conversation relating to
said bidding, or any part thereof, and to publish said recordings. By participating in telephone bidding, the
bidder consents to such recording and publication, notwithstanding the laws or regulations of the state or
jurisdiction of the bidder.
PAYMENT
1. The successful bidder (except a successful online bidder) shall pay a buyer's premium in the amount of
25% of the hammer price on each lot up to and including $200,000, plus 15% of the hammer price greater
than $200,000. For payments made by cash, check, or wire transfer (except by online bidders) within 15
calendar days of the auction, the buyer's premium will be discounted to 22%.
2. The successful online bidder shall pay a buyer's premium in the amount of 28% of the hammer price
on each lot. A discount for payments made by cash, check, or wire transfer is not available for purchases made
by online bidders.
3. In the event of any dispute, the Neal Auction Company sale record is conclusive.
4. Unless exempt by law, the buyer will be required to pay Louisiana and local taxes, and, if applicable, any
federal luxury or other tax, on the total purchase price.
5. Documentation of tax exemption must be provided upon registration. Billing name and address of a
bidder must agree with that on the sales tax exemption certificate.
6. Payment in full of the purchase price must be made by the successful bidder in U.S. Dollars within 15
calendar days of the auction. Interest charges of one and one-half percent per month shall apply to invoices
paid after this period expires. Neal Auction Company reserves the right to require payment in full of the
purchase price immediately following declaration of the successful bidder.
7. Payment for all jewelry purchases must be made by cash, check or wire transfer.
8. VISA, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express are accepted for payment of invoices (except jewelry)
up to $25,000 per buyer.
9. Checks must be drawn on a U.S. bank. All lots shall be held by Neal Auction Company until the check
clears.
10. The buyer's signature on a registration form (or other writing with the buyer's credit card number) gives
Neal Auction Company permission to charge the buyer's credit card the full amount of the buyer's invoice if
full payment is not received within 15 calendar days of the auction or, in Neal Auction Company's discretion,
to charge the buyer's credit card later, with interest at the rate of one and one-half percent per month.
PACKING, MOVING, SHIPPING, AND DELIVERY
Neal Auction Company may furnish information on packers, movers, or shippers for bidders or buyers making
packing, moving, shipping, and delivery arrangements, but Neal Auction Company shall not be liable, obligated,
or responsible therefore, and buyers retain packers, movers, and shippers at their own risk and peril. Shipping,
moving, packing, and delivery arrangements and agreements are strictly between the buyer and the shipper,
mover, or packer. Neal Auction Company shall not be liable, obligated, or responsible for any damage to property,
including vehicles, or for any personal injuries of buyer or any third parties involved in packing, moving, shipping,
or delivery. Buyers WAIVE and RELEASE Neal Auction Company (and its owners, officers, directors, representatives,
insurers, agents, and employees) from any and all claims relating to packing, moving, shipping, and delivery of
purchased lots, and any damage or injuries to persons or property arising therefrom.
HANDLING AND STORAGE
Unless other arrangements are made and confirmed in writing by Neal Auction Company, all lots must be
removed within 15 calendar days of the auction. On the first business day following that time period, any lots
remaining in the Neal Auction Company gallery may be turned over to a storage facility, at Neal Auction
Company's discretion. The buyer will be responsible for all handling and storage charges. Handling charges
shall be a minimum of $50 per lot. Storage costs shall be a minimum charge of $50 per month per lot. Storage
charges accrue monthly and must be paid in full before any lots purchased by the buyer are released. At its
discretion, Neal Auction Company may charge the full amount of any storage and handling charges, on a
periodic basis, on the buyer's credit card, including interest at the rate of one and one-half percent per month.
All purchased lots will be handled and stored at the buyer's sole risk and peril. Neal Auction Company (and its
owners, officers, directors, representatives, insurers, agents, and employees) shall not be liable, obligated, or
responsible for handling or storage, or for any damage to or loss of, any lot after the sale. The buyer WAIVES
and RELEASES all such claims against Neal Auction Company (and its owners, officers, directors, representatives,
insurers, agents, and employees).
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS
Neal Auction Company retains the copyright and other intellectual property rights to all photographs, video,
illustrations, text, and other works in its catalogue, website, advertising, correspondence, literature, and
elsewhere. Such photographs, video, illustrations, text, and other works may not be used, copied, published,
exhibited, revised, or displayed without the prior written permission of Neal Auction Company.
Neal Auction Company and the consignor make no representation or warranty that the buyer of a lot will
acquire any copyright or other intellectual property right or interest in the lot.
IMPORT/EXPORT
Lots made of or incorporating endangered or protected wildlife materials, irrespective of age or amount of
material, may require a license or certificate authorizing export from the United States as well as relevant
authorizations from the country of import. It is the responsibility of the bidder or buyer to determine and be
satisfied that the requirements of any applicable laws and regulations applying to the transportation, whether
international or interstate, can be met before bidding. The inability of a buyer to transport lots containing
endangered or protected wildlife material is not a basis for cancellation or rescission of the sale or discount of
the purchase price. Although licenses may be obtainable to export certain types of endangered species, some
types may not be exported at all, and other types may not be resold in certain states in the United States. Neal
Auction Company cannot assist the bidder or buyer in attempting to obtain the appropriate licenses and/or
certificates, and bidders and buyers can be given no assurance that an export license or certificate can be
obtained. Each bidder should verify with an attorney or qualified shipping company if uncertain as to whether
a lot is subject to export/import license and certificate requirements and any other restrictions or prohibitions
on the interstate transportation or exportation from the United States. Neal Auction Company (and its owners,
officers, directors, representatives, insurers, agents, and employees) shall not be liable, obligated, or
responsible for any oral, written, or electronic advice given or representations made by it or by any shipping
company, legal counsel, or other person. Buyers WAIVE and RELEASE any and all claims against Neal Auction
Company (and its owners, officers, directors, representatives, insurers, agents, and employees) relating to such
advice and representations.
MANDATORY AND EXCLUSIVE FORUM SELECTION; CHOICE OF LAW
Any action of any nature brought by a bidder or buyer against Neal Auction Company (and/or its owners,
directors, officers, representatives, insurers, and/or employees) and/or the consignor of any lot in any court,
whether federal or state, shall be brought exclusively in Orleans Parish, Louisiana. Every bidder and buyer
agrees to submit to jurisdiction and venue in federal or state court in Orleans Parish, Louisiana, waives all
objections or challenges to such jurisdiction or venue, and waives any rights to jurisdiction or venue in any
other forum. Any dispute between the bidder or buyer and Neal Auction Company (and/or its owners, directors,
officers, representatives, insurers, and/or employees) and/or the consignor of any lot shall be governed by the
law of the State of Louisiana, notwithstanding any conflicts of laws principles.
MISCELLANEOUS LEGAL PROVISIONS
If any part of these Conditions of Sale is held to be invalid, null, or unenforceable, that part shall be reformed
so as to implement the intent of the parties as expressed herein, and any such holding shall not affect the
remaining provisions of these Conditions of Sale, which shall remain in full force and effect, subject to
reformation to implement the intent of the parties as expressed herein.
The paragraph headings contained herein are for convenience of reference only and shall not affect the
meaning or interpretation of these Conditions of Sale.
All prior and contemporaneous representations, communications, and agreements, if any, between the bidder
or buyer and Neal Auction Company (and any of its owners, officers, directors, representatives, insurers, agents,
and employees) relating to any of the lots offered for sale or to the auction or sale are hereby superseded and
merged into these Conditions of Sale, which are the entire and only contract between the bidder or buyer and
Neal Auction Company relating to the subject matter herein.
Any modifications, amendments, or waivers of these Conditions of Sale must be made in a writing signed by
both Neal Auction Company and the bidder or buyer.
In the event of any disputes arising out of the auction or sale of lots or these Conditions of Sale, Neal Auction
Company (and its owners, officers, directors, representatives, insurers, agents, and employees) shall not be
liable, obligated or responsible for any general, special, exemplary, incidental, or consequential damages
(including but not limited to lost profits and attorneys' fees). Every bidder and buyer WAIVES and RELEASES
any rights to such damages. This LIMITATION OF LIABILITY does not, and is not intended to, enlarge or expand
any rights or interests of a bidder or buyer that are restricted or limited elsewhere in these Conditions of Sale
(including but not limited to the WARRANTY WAIVERS and LIABILITY LIMITATIONS set forth herein).
These Conditions of Sale constitute a binding legal contract between Neal Auction Company and each
bidder or buyer. Each bidder and buyer acknowledges having read and understood these Conditions
of Sale, WAIVERS OF WARRANTY, and LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY. All bidders and buyers further
acknowledge that they enter into these Conditions of Sale of their own free will, with full authority,
and under no duress or coercion.

Payment

The successful bidder agrees to pay a buyer's premium in the amount of 28% of the hammer price on each lot. No cash discount. WE DO NOT ACCEPT PAYPAL.
Payment in full must be made by the successful bidder within 5 days of the auction date. Interest charges will apply to invoices not paid after this period expires. We reserve the right to require payment in full of the sales price at the moment of the successful bid.
Payments for all jewelry purchases must be made by cash, check or wire transfer.
VISA, MasterCard, Discover and American Express are accepted for invoices (except jewelry) up to $25,000 per customer. If a client does not pay within 10 days of the auction, the credit card number provided to establish your bidding account will be charged in full for the invoice amount due until paid in full.
For payments made by check, merchandise will not be released until 10 days after payment is received when the check clears.

Buyers Premium

The successful bidder agrees to pay a buyer's premium in the amount of 28% of the hammer price on each lot. No exceptions. A cash payment discount is not available for online purchases.

Shipping

Taxes

Unless exempt by law, the purchaser will be required to pay Louisiana and local taxes, and, if applicable, any federal luxury or other tax, on the total purchase price.
Documentation of tax exemption must be provided upon registration. Taxes will not be removed without proper documentation. Sales Tax Resale certificate is required and must match the registration name and address.

Condition Reports

It is the responsibility of the prospective buyer to inquire as to the condition of a specific lot PRIOR to bidding. Condition WILL NOT be given over the phone under any circumstances. All potential buyers should be sure they have read and agree to the Conditions of Sale. All items sold AS IS. NO RETURNS ARE ACCEPTED ON THE BASIS OF CONDITION. ALL SALES ARE FINAL SALES. Bid Accordingly

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