Tradewinds All-Cane Sale Achieves Firm's Second Highest Gross Ever

SALEM, MASS.

:On April 30, Tradewinds Antiques conducted its semiannual, all-cane live auction at the Hawthorne Hotel, the 26th such event for the auction house.

The sale was preceded by a private preview the night before with an illustrated lecture by Daniel Finamore, Russel W. Knight Curator of Maritime Art and History at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem. Finamore's topic was "America's First Maritime Collection, the Origins of the Peabody Essex Museum."

The sale produced many highlights. The top lot was a carved ivory depiction of Mazeppa, which fetched $12,320.

A scarce Tiffany silver polar bear brought $11,760, while a whale ivory eagle on snake carved whalebone made $11,200. A California gold quartz with ivory and gold achieved $8,960, as did a Remington dog head percussion gun curio.

A whale ivory knob on worked baleen hammered down at $8,400, while a Remington small dog head fetched $7,840. A rock crystal with a gold snake and jewels also achieved $7,840. A solid gold Masonic folding ball made $6,720 as did a large Seventeenth Century ivory pique. A boxwood flute with dagger fetched $6,608, while a German porcelain dog brought $5,880.

A German violin cane made $5,600, as did a carved ivory cane of Garibaldi with a Stanhope. A Millard Fillmore gold presentation cane brought $5,040.

Many examples sold in the $4,000, $3,000 and $2,000 range and items were offered at all price levels. The sale grossed $408,380, the second highest gross ever achieved by Tradewinds.

All prices quoted include a 12 percent buyer's premium. Tradewinds will conduct a Summer Online Auction beginning on August 10, an Autumn Live Auction at the Hawthorne Hotel on November 5 and its annual Holiday Online Auction beginning on December 13.