Growing up in McGregor, Iowa, Clemens was stricken with encephalitis when he was five and he lost his hearing. His speech also began to suffer due to his deafness and his parents, wanting their son to live as normal a life as possible, enrolled Clemens in the Iowa Institute for the Education of the Deaf and Dumb at Council Bluffs. It was during his time there that Clemens began working with colored sand. Not just any sand, but the colored variations found at the Pictured Rocks; a favorite Clemens family vacation site.

Grinding the collected sand to a fine grain and using just a few, simple hand-made tools, Clemens would place the colored sand in old apothecary jars in such a way as to form elaborate pictures and geometric shapes. The design was held in place by the tight packing of sand around the image. It is the general consensus Clemens was a singular talent. No one who delved into the genre of sand art has ever come close to this man’s unbelievable talent.

Clemens sold these bottled works of art for just a few dollars each, wanting to be useful in his daily life, more than wealthy. If he were alive today, Clemens would be amazed at how his sand art is now valued.

The only known pair of mated Sweetheart bottles created by Clemens was offered at the Yoder auction. Each bottle had a floral panel design which included a person’s name. One bottle was made for “Helen Wimmler, Milwaukee.” The other bottle wore the name “Henry Reinken of Manitowoc, Wis.” According to Yoder, Helen and Henry eventually married. Each bottle measured 8½in high and they sold together for $22,000. Prices do not include 10 percent buyer’s premium. The reverse of each bottle depicted an eagle in flight with an American flag waving in the background. The back of the bottle made for Helen also wore “From H.R.” The overall sand design consisted of layered, geometric and swirling colored sand. One of the bottles also retained an original paper label on its bottom complete with the words “A. Clemens.”

The only known Andrew Clemens sand bottle with “A. Clemens Artist McGregor, IA” done in the sand design also sold at the auction. It was thought to be the finest example of a Clemens bottle in public hands. With a paddleboat image in shades of gray, black and white as its main design and a colorful calling card featuring pansies, forget-me-nots, lily of the valley and a single rose as well as “G. T. Seal” on the reverse, it brought $20,000.

The Clemens eagle and flag motif appeared again on a third sand bottle. This example’s reverse design was of an urn filled to overflowing with flowers, and the bottle also wore an “A. Clemens” paper label. A bid of $16,000 was needed to take this beauty home.

One other Andrew Clemens sand bottle was offered up this day. Having the words “M. W. Cole” on the front, this bottle again had the eagle/flag design but one with cleaner, sharper lines. The reverse showed an urn filled with flowers, but this urn was smaller in stature and the flowers even more abundant. This final Clemens sand bottle, which stood 9¾in tall, brought $12,500.

Those interested in learning more about Andrew Clemens and his sand bottle creations should visit the Andrew Clemens exhibit on display at the State Historical Society of Iowa, of Des Moines, Iowa.

While the Clemens sand bottles were definitely the highlights, another lot was also of great interest. An 1880 Anna Pottery pig railroad flask came in at $9,000. Measuring 7½in long, this pig flask, made at the Anna Pottery, Ill., was anatomically correct and had a hole at the rear, incised hooves and facial details incised in the clay. The flask was also incised on one side St. Louis the future capital/ Latest and Only Reliable Railroad and River Guide/ By Anna Pottery/ 1880.

Decorated stoneware sold with an 8in tall Whitewater (Wisconsin) decorated jar (1845-1867) making $950 even with minor glaze wear on the back of the top rim. A 2-gallon, one-handle John B. Maxfield (Milwaukee) decorated jug having a blue heart-shaped leaf design sold for $600.

Decorative items selling well included a 12½in tall, two-handle Roseville Morning Glory vase, $325; an 1800s, 14½in tall framed silhouette of a man in formal wear holding a cane, $400 and a set of Dionne Quintuplet dolls complete with a wooden cradle, all dolls being in good condition, sold for $210.

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