Nagel Auktionen Sees Competition For Collectors' Carpets And Ethnologica

STUTTGART, GERMANY

:The 46th special auction of collectors' carpets and ethnologica at Nagel ended with gratifying knockdowns and a total result of $1.2 million. The range of collectors' carpets, decorative pieces for upscale furnishings, tapestries and textiles on offer met with an international clientele of dealers, collectors and private customers who were all eager to buy and who divided up the most important pieces among themselves, mainly by telephone.

The first nine items fell in the collectors' carpets category. They came from a private collection once belonging to the furnishings of Neckarhausen Castle. Ever since the building was transferred to public ownership, the carpets have been passed down within the family of the Counts of Oberndorf. Therefore, the items were market-fresh and, accordingly, attracted the interest of bidders. A Bordjalou Kazak from the early Nineteenth Century, for instance, realized $20,500.

The high point of the entire auction consisted of one of the earliest Anatolian carpets. This specimen, woven around 1500, was in its time considered to be a genuine luxury article - both in Anatolia as well as in Europe. Now a collector conceded $78,700 for the well-preserved piece of work.

The rather more decorative, classic carpets also consistently sold very well. Typical of this were two large-scale Twentieth Century Tabiz carpets from northwest Persia, which were knocked down for $6,800 and $11,100, respectively. A Ziegler Mahal from west Persia from around 1890 came to $18,830, and a central Persian Kashan suuf silk rug from around 1930 brought $17,100. Chinese, East Indian and Mongolian knotted rugs likewise found takers.

A French Aubusson "Tapis de Pied" from around 1800 advanced to $9,600. Tapestries from Paris and Flanders were likewise snapped up. Thus, the fringe areas of the auction were also able to hold their own quite well, including an Indian Mughal carpet fragment for $2,700. In the small ethnologica section, covering Oriental art, tribal art and antiques, the most expensive object was the golden lid of an important East Gothic reliquary box, which sold for $18,800.

The carpet section, which has been working with a new staff since the autumn of 2005 and debuted with a result of $222,500 for a west Anatolian Ushak, once again proved its performance capability in a market sector that at present is quite difficult.

All prices reported are converted from euros to US dollars and include the 33 percent buyer's premium. For information, 11 649 69 0 or www.auction.de.