Kamelot Auctions further solidified its standing as a prominent source to sell garden antiques at auction in its April 14 garden and architectural antiques sale.
The top lot of the day was a monumental and elaborate pair of Japanese Edo period (1600‱868) bronze temple lanterns, which performed well at $34,500.
The lanterns were featured in the Japanese government’s exhibit at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893 and were fresh to the market, having just been removed from a grand Allentown, Penn., estate.
Other garden highlights included an antique zinc dog by Fiske, which brought $12,000; a rare American Victorian cast iron urn, circa 1890, probably Fiske, which sailed past the preauction estimate and hammered at $6,040; two pairs of antique terra cotta lion urns that fetched $5,060; a bronze Pan fountain in the manner of Frederick MacMonnies at $4,140; and a cast stone bench with figural supports and a back having leaf and berry details that reached $4,600.
Kamelot recently hired an expert in the garden antiques field, Jeffrey Henkel, to lead its garden sale. Kamelot CEO Jeff Kamal spoke glowingly when asked of Henkel’s contribution to the sale. “Jeffrey did a heck of a job putting together this sale in a short period of time. He brings a lot of valuable contacts with him, so quite naturally, we are excited to watch the growth of our annual garden auction.”
The stained glass window category shined with a lot of six leaded and stained glass windows recently removed from a Frank Furness-designed train station selling for $5,060, a landing window with a robed woman standing in the garden holding a small mirror that brought $4,370, and a painted and leaded glass scenic window depicting a castle in the countryside that reached $4,830.
Other items of note included a monumental pair of carved Gothic architectural surrounds, which reached $5,750; an American Victorian five-arm gas light, a bargain at $5,750; a group of 780 floor tiles with a rare pattern of leaves and lattice that exceeded the presale estimate of $1,5/2,000 and fetched $6,900.
A late Nineteenth Century Italian antique marble bath tub in the neoclassical taste sold to an online bidder for $8,100.
Kamelot is already collecting garden items for next spring’s auction, which will be in April. The auction house is at 4700 Wissahickon Avenue. For information, www.kamelotauctions.com or 215-438-6990.
