The highest price of the sale, $287,500, went to “Crucifixtion” attributed to the Florentine School, possibly Fourteenth or Fifteenth Century, tempera on gold ground panel, 56 by 28 inches framed, which had provenance to a New York religious institution ($3/5,000).

Review by Kiersten Busch

LARCHMONT, N.Y. — Clarke Auction Gallery kicked off the new year with its New Year Estate Auction, offering 686 lots for its first sale of 2025, which was conducted on January 12. Adopting “Make Brown Wood Great Again!” as their new slogan for the year, according to catalog notes, the sale featured a selection of antique and vintage breakfronts, desks, commodes and tables, as well as luxury jewelry, sterling silver and fine art. According to auction house owner Ronan Clarke, the sale totaled approximately $900,000.

Leading the sale was “Crucifixion,” a tempera on gold ground panel attributed to the Florentine School. Possibly from the Fourteenth or Fifteenth Century, the work contained an arched top and a carved gilt frame; an outer frame was noted to have been added later. It had provenance to a New York religious institution. Flying past its $3/5,000 estimate, the panel received nearly 30 bids before selling for $287,500.

Additional fine art that exceeded expectations included “Marsh Scene,” an oil on canvas attributed to George Inness. With provenance to a California estate, the signed painting had previously been relined and had indications of restoration and surface abrasion. Despite this, the scene far surpassed its $800-$1,200 estimate to achieve $8,750, the third-highest price of the sale.

This set of five lithographs printed in color on Arches paper by Pierre Alechinsky (Belgian, b 1927) made up his “Labyrinthe d’Apparat” series, 1972; each sheet measured 37 by 28½ inches framed and was numbered “46/100.” The series was pushed to $5,250 ($3/5,000).

A complete suite of five colored lithographs printed on Arches paper by Belgian artist Pierre Alechinsky earned $5,250, just exceeding their $3/5,000 estimate. The series, called “Labyrinthe d’Apparat,” had provenance to a Midtown Manhattan collection. The prints in the set included a “large circular form containing numerous concentric circles against a pink and mint green ground,” a “green, vine-like form containing yellow and cream color circular shapes,” a “large circular form entwined with white vines atop a blue ground,” a “snail-like form atop a green and yellow ground” and a “large circular maze with scribble-like graphics,” according to catalog notes. All five prints were signed and numbered “46/100.”

Leading sculpture was a gilt and patinated bronze sculpture of a woman — referred to as “a beauty” in the auction catalog — by Israeli artist Itzchak (Isaac) Tarkay. The signed and dated figure had provenance to a Queens, N.Y., estate and measured 19 inches high. It sat at $4,000.

Two pieces of furniture designed by Paul Evans garnered the attention of bidders, landing both of them in the top 10 best-selling lots of the sale. A sculpted metal wall-mounted cabinet described as “rare” in the auction catalog was signed “PE 69” and closed its doors for $11,250, the second-highest price of the day. Crossing the block one lot later, a sculpted bronze side table of “rare form” with provenance to a New Rochelle, N.Y., estate stood at $5,500, eclipsing its $1/1,500 estimate.

This sculpted metal wall-mounted cabinet by Paul Evans (American, 1931-1987), signed “PE 69,” was marked as “rare” in catalog notes and closed its doors for $11,250, the second-highest price of the sale ($10/15,000).

Other furniture of note included a pair of Chinese Meiguiyi carved wooden chairs. The pair, which had provenance to an estate in the Bronx, each had back splats that were heavily carved with horned dragons, bats and scrolls. Each chair’s gallery rails were also supported by six circular, coiled dragon-form medallions. They sold well above their $1/1,500 estimate, carving out a $4,000 finish.

The decorative arts were led by an Ooi Kojo black enameled cast iron ashtray designed in the late 1940s by Isamu Noguchi, which was snuffed out at $5,000. The ashtray was marked with Ooi Kojo cast incised marks and indicated that it was retailed in both Japan and Bonniers Department Store in New York City, circa 1950s. The auction catalog described it as an object “of amoeba form with a conforming flat rim above tapering sides enclosing an interior well with a convex base, reversing to a concave underside centering a rectangular impressed stamp framing cast incised marks of three ships above ‘BONNIERS / JAPAN.’” The pair had provenance to a Westchester County, N.Y., estate.

Two mirrors reflected top prices during the sale; the higher of the two was earned by a satellite mirror initially designed by Eileen Gray in 1924.

This example, with provenance to a Southampton, Long Island, N.Y., estate, was manufactured circa 1995 by Ecart International, a company that reissues Modern furniture and décor in order to honor designers from the movement who may go overlooked in the present day, according to its website. Made from nickel-plated brass, mirrored glass, frosted glass and plastic, the mirror also featured “an internal light and an armature that pivots with a circular 8-inch mirror.” It landed within its $3/5,000 estimate for $4,250.

This antique giltwood bullseye mirror, 37½ inches in diameter, had provenance to a Larchmont, N.Y., estate and made $3,750, far above its $600/900 estimate.

An antique giltwood bullseye mirror from a Larchmont, N.Y., estate made $3,750, more than four times the high end of its $600/900 estimate. According to catalog notes, it was a “good large size with nice patina” and measured 5 inches in diameter.

Gold jewelry was popular with bidders, and a majority of the pieces came from a New Milford, Conn., estate. This included a lot of 14 assorted Costa Rican Eterna 14K yellow gold, hollow-hinged slide bar bangles, which decorated their new owner’s wrist for $5,500. Weighing a total of 72.9 pennyweights, all of the bangles were stamped “EG 14kt. Costa Rica.” One lot later, another set of twelve 14K and 18K yellow gold bangles from Costa Rica crossed the block for $5,250.

Hailing from the same estate, an 18K yellow gold tapered wide-band ring flashed for $5,250, just passing the high end of its $3/5,000 estimate. The ring’s central stone was a prong-set 2.18 carat circular brilliant-cut diamond, which was flanked by four baguette-cut diamonds. Weighing 10.6 pennyweights and stamped “© 18k,” the piece of jewelry was accompanied by a GIA Natural Diamond Grading Report from January 3 of this year.

A set of five assorted articulated gold bracelets made $4,750. The lot included four 14K yellow gold bracelets of various lengths fitted with open box clasps and one 14K two-tone gold bracelet with an open box clasp; all five weighed 63 pennyweights total.

With 100 pieces, this Wallace Grand Baroque sterling silver flatware service came from a Milford, Conn., estate and weighed approximately 129.9 troy ounces; it set the table for $4,000 against a $1,5/2,500 estimate.

A 100-piece Wallace Grand Baroque sterling flatware service with provenance to the same New Milford estate led the silver offerings, setting the table for $4,000. Excluding items with stainless steel blades and prongs, the set weighed approximately 129.90 troy ounces. Interesting pieces included utensils like a 4-inch baby fork, a hollow-handle wide-blade pie server and a two-piece roast carving set.

A “magnificent pair” of finely carved alabaster hanging lights by Jean Karajian led lighting. Listed as “decorative, nice size and great quality” in the auction catalog, the pair hailed from a Park Avenue estate and each measured 18 inches in diameter. They lit up for $5,250, more than doubling their estimate of $1,5/2,500.

Prices quoted include buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. For information, www.clarkeny.com or 914-833-8336.