Power Of Technology Fuels Ripley's Antique Helper Auction

INDIANAPOLIS, IND.

:A quick view of the crowd in attendance at Dan Ripley's Antique Helper's auction on Saturday, September 10, would have been misleading. While not great in number, its force was strengthened by a strong representation of telephone, absentee and eBay bidders. In fact, this auction demonstrated the power of modern technology as eBay bidders flexed their muscles, often ending lots well above high estimates. From sterling and art glass, to china and fine art, there was plenty to hold bidders' attention. As with all Antique Helper auctions, all prices listed include a 10 percent buyer's premium for floor bidders and a 15 percent buyer's premium for absentee, telephone and eBay bidders.

The auction began with more than 20 lots of Nineteenth Century Chinese Export famille Rose Medallion pieces. From large serving bowls and basins to teapots, plates and cups, prices ran the gamut, with a few pieces walking away shy of estimate, but most holding ground and serving up prices well within, and often above, high estimates. An 11-inch serving bowl, equipped with a high estimate of $200 closed neatly above that at $373; and a punch bowl or wash basin also exceeded its high estimate of $400, closing at $546. A large, 15-inch punch bowl more than doubled its high estimate of $400, realizing $1,006. All three sold to eBay bidders.

Among the items representing the Victorian era were two rare pietra dura inlaid stone pieces with flora decoration. The first, a small frame with an offset opening ($100/200), closed at $546 and the second, going to the same bidder for the same price, was a profusely decorated lily of the valley and floral pietra dura thermometer stand.

Among the antique lighting was an H.J. Peters Co., Chicago, slag glass and scenic overlay table lamp, selling within estimate at $1,006; a Tiffany-style lamp base with tulip motif leaded glass that more than doubled its high estimate of $1,200, selling for $2,990; and a rare Steuben Oriental jade lamp base brought $776. All three were sold to eBay bidders.

But the lot that left people talking was yet to come: A Daum Nancy French cameo glass plafonnier (hanging) art glass lamp managed to exceed all expectations. Crafted with a center dome etched with red and yellow florals with three satellite pendant shades, each signed in the cameo, the fixture included the original wrought hardware. With an estimate of $5/8,000, silence fell over the showroom as the bidding ascended past the high estimate and continued to escalate until, greeted by a rousing round of applause, the gavel finally fell at $23,575 to an eBay bidder.

Among the catalog's highlights, and drawing national attention, was a large collection of art glass, including Galle, Durand, Loetz, Lalique, Cambridge and Steuben. Some of the best selling lots in the glass category, however, were paperweights. A lot of three early antique, possibly French, paperweights, circa 1850 ($10/100) sold for $833 and an Emil Larson attributed, pedestal rose art glass paperweight, circa 1930, offered in excellent, original condition, met its high estimate of $2,300 to a telephone bidder.

Bringing another surprise was Cambridge ruby glass compote with a clear nude caryatid stem. Given a high estimate of $200, this pretty piece raised the roof on expectations, closing at $1,121 to a floor bidder from Northern Indiana. An absentee bidder also won an Argy Rousseau pate de verre art glass floral pendant necklace, which sold within estimate at $1,207. A local absentee bidder took home a French Tantalus liqueur set marked Brevete with Baccarat glasses and decanters ($1,5/2,500) for $3,220. Erte's "Sea Maidens," a Baccarat hand blown, hand cut and hand polished crystal vase insert with gilt bronze twin mermaid handles, engraved "Erte," copyright 1985, numbered 136/199, sold within estimate for $4,312.

Metalwork, including brass and silver, shone brightly as well with lots typically selling above high estimate. A Victorian pietra dura compote with a brass wire work border and lion head mounts exceeded high estimate of $500, selling for $833 to an eBay bidder, and a silver Colonial style tureen with pomegranate lid pull finial more than quadrupled its high estimate of $1,000 when it closed at $4,887, also to an eBay bidder.

A local bidder took home two lots of sterling flatware: 60 pieces of Towle King Richard sterling flatware which exceeded its high estimate of $600, selling for $880, and, 84 pieces of King Richard with an estimate of $700 for $1,375. On a more diminutive side a George III sterling nutmeg grater with London hallmarks by Joseph Hardy, circa 1804-1805, closed above its high estimate of $450, selling to the internet for $718.

Fine art offerings included four lots by Paul Muller (Russian/American, 1895-1970), a refugee from Estonia who settled in New York City, living there until his death. While he made his living as an illustrator for Encyclopedia Britannica, his later works show the influence of the Social Realists prevalent in the 1920s and 1930s. His most widely known work is the Art Deco style eagle seen on all metered US postage. Of the Muller works, one, a diptych, stood out against the other, more grimly realistic pieces. A pair of phantasmagoric figural paintings, signed and dated 1961, this grotesquely comic diptych sold within estimate at $1,150 to an absentee bidder.

Other notable works of art included an oil landscape by William Henry Mander (British, 1850-1922), selling for $3,737, within estimate, to an absentee bidder from the United Kingdom, while a large turbulent seascape by E. Monjau exceeded high estimates, closing at $603 to an eBay bidder. "Indiana Landscape" by Arno Bretsnyder also sold within its estimate, closing at $495 to a floor bidder, while an Indiana autumn landscape by Ralph Poore, 1950, sold for $316. There were two large landscapes by Indiana artist William McKendree Snyder (American, 1849-1930), which sold for $1,925 and $1,980, both to floor bidders.

For more information visit www.antiquehelper.com or call 317-251-5635.