By ERIC C. RODENBERG
AntiqueWeek Associate Editor

DALLAS, Texas — Although Texas is accustomed to cattle auctions, very few veteran auction observers had seen anything like the mid-October cow auction at the Dallas Auction Gallery.

Rather than the usual sawdust, smell of cow flop and bellowing bovines that normally accompany such affairs, the Dallas auction (and preview) was replete with 500 roses flown in from Africa, a string quartet playing Mozart, and – of course – fine wine and tasty hors d’oeuvre. For a cow auction, it was an uncommon event.
But, then again – Derrill Osborn – the man who once dressed President John F. Kennedy and sartorially presided over the hallowed halls of Neiman Marcus – is anything but a common man. And, Dallas Auction Gallery is hardly your run- of-the-mill auction company; magnificently rising to the occasion, showcasing Osborn’s lifetime collection of “art de la vache,” comprised of more than 500 cows whose origins spanned the globe and several centuries.

Represented among the “herd” were Staffordshire, majolica, flow blue, Black Forest carvings, 19th and 20th century bovine oil paintings as well as fashionable treasures Osborn had amassed over the years.

The 67-year-old Osborn began collecting cows as a young man after his grandfather, a cowboy, rancher and whittler gave him his first “carved bovine.” From there, he never stopped; travelling the world for Neiman Marcus, adding bovines from China, Germany, New Mexico and the Lone Star State to his collection.

But, finally the herd became unmanageable. “I had cows everywhere,” Osborn said. “In my house, I couldn’t move to my left, or to my right, without encountering a cow.” So, it became time to sell out the herd.”

Osborn, with his customary Old World charm, began shepherding his cows at the auction gallery, regaling potential bidders at the auction and pre-sale reviews with histories of his collection, and more. Tunes from Mozart, his favorite, were ever present in the background.

The auction captured worldwide interest, with bidders from more than 30 countries bidding for one of Osborn’s beloved cows, according to Lauren Laughry from Dallas Auction Gallery. There were more than 300 people on the auction floor, with more bids coming in over the Internet and telephones.

Among the more notable lots was a large (28 by 55in framed painting) entitled Chisholm Trail Cattle Drive. The painting was commissioned from a historic photograph taken in the 19th century, featuring as many as 5,000 steers. It sold for $10,775. An unsigned American folk oil painting on wood triptych, depicting a horse fair with cattle, also sold for the same price.

Osborn’s collection of more than 300 vintage toy cows, horses and other farm animals – made from metal, wood, plastic, celluloid and other materials – surpassed its $1,200-2,500 estimate, realizing $5,975.

A pair of Chinese cinnabar curio cabinets with top panels comprised of Greek key borders, and lower panels carved with a peony decoration, also greatly exceeded its $1,000-2,000 estimate, selling for $12,250.

In all, the sale grossed more than $500,000.