Stair Galleries: Build It, And They Will Come

HUDSON, N.Y.

:Stair Galleries opened its new 549 Warren Street headquarters to the public on September 14 for the preview of its English and Continental furniture and art auction. On Friday night, the firm celebrated with wine and hors d'oeuvres and 300 well-wishers; the first and second floors of the gallery were packed. Guests were suitably impressed by what the company had accomplished in just four months of construction. Nigel Thomas, manager of Stair Restorations, and his Restoration crew raced to complete the project on time. The gallery was still a construction site just days before the opening and anyone passing by could see company president Colin Stair wielding a paintbrush with the rest of the crew.

A noticeable buzz was still in the air Saturday morning when the first sale in the new space began at 11 am. A Savonnerie carpet from the collection of Saul Steinberg sailed past its presale estimate of $700/1,000 to sell at $4,600. A pair of neoclassical porphyry urns ($2,5/3,500) attracted interest from around the world and sold at $41,400. Likewise, a pair of silver gilt and rock crystal candlesticks made more than ten times their high estimate, selling at $4,888.

Among furniture offered was a George III carved mahogany games table, circa 1770, with a Tommy Devenish provenance that doubled its high estimate and sold for $16,100. A George III mahogany cabinet ($1,5/2,500) made a very respectable $19,550.

Paintings were the hottest items in the sale. A tiny (2 by 3 inches) European market scene, signed indistinctly, made $1,725. "From Nature - Lynmouth," painted by William Muller, had a Mellon collection provenance and at $6,900 headed back to England. A Sixteenth Century Venetian School depiction of the Resurrection fetched $77,625 against a $300/500 estimate.

A picture of Diana and a satyr was the top lot of the sale. Cataloged as European School, it is believed to have been painted by Michel Dorigny (1617-1665), student and son-in-law of Simon Vouet. The bidding opened at $2,500 and with intense competition among the 12 telephone bidders participating from the East and West Coast of the United States, the United Kingdom, Monaco, Italy and France, the bidding rapidly sailed into five figures. There was avid participation in the salesroom as well. The painting was finally knocked down to a patient gentleman in the room who raised his hand just once, taking ownership at $86,250.

Colin Stair was delighted with the sales results. "We spent over a $1 million to create this space and this was our first auction to go over the $1 million mark. Our hard work and vision have really paid off and we hope to maintain this level of excitement on Warren Street."

Sale prices above include a 15 percent buyer's premium.

Stair Galleries' next cataloged sale featuring American furniture, art, decoration and folk art is October 22.

For information, www.stairgalleries.com or 518-751-1000.