The Animal Kingdom was referenced both visually and topically in this week’s Across The Block, where in the former category, a $530 porcelain King Charles Spaniel led the pack in Thomaston Place Auctions’ ‘Animals on Parade’ sale, to a post-apocalyptic taxidermy group fetched a surreal $5,750 at Public Sale. Thinking more tangentially, Blanchard’s bidders cast nets wide for a rare Mills bi-metal trout reel that was landed at $11,400, and a pair of Chinese horseshoe back armchairs brought luck to the tune of $200,000 at Clars. These and more were some of the highlights of recent auctions; we invite you to read on…
Fur and Feathers Fly At Thomaston
THOMASTON, MAINE – On April 15, Thomaston Place Auctions conducted its “Animals on Parade” live sale, offering every genre of figural animal art at affordable prices. Staffordshire lots received much attention, as did Herend figurines. The star of this sale was a porcelain King Charles Spaniel, who was adopted at $530 against his bid of $200/300. For additional information, 207-354-8141 or www.thomastonauction.com.
Leibovitz’s ‘Keith Haring’ Snaps Up More Than $40,000 At Benefit Shop Foundation
MOUNT KISCO, N.Y. – The Benefit Shop Foundation conducted an online, live Red Carpet auction on April 20, featuring more than 700 lots from local estates. From Chanel handbags to vintage copper kettles, the price range was as broad as the selection. The top lot was a photograph of Keith Haring (1958-1990), signed and numbered by Annie Leibovitz (b 1949), which more than doubled its $5/15,000 estimate to capture $41,300. The second highest lot, a vintage wooden carved “Moorish” screen, was more in line with the sale’s general pricing. This was still a surprise top lot, estimated at $200/400 and folding in at $3,000. For more information, 914-864-0707 or www.thebenefitshop.org.
All That Glitters Exceeds Estimates At Sloans & Kenyon
CHEVY CHASE, MD. – Sloans & Kenyon conducted an estate sale-style live auction on April 20 with more than a few surprises in the listings. An 18K yellow gold Cartier mantel clock fashioned with semiprecious stones quadrupled its highest estimate, chiming in at just over $53,000 and selling to an online bidder. An imperial Chinese silk robe embroidered with dragons chasing flaming pearls also far exceeded its $1/1,500 estimate, seizing just under $14,000. For more information, 410-980-8839 or www.sloansandkenyon.com.
Sevres Cobalt & Gilt Porcelain Set Is Bidder’s Cup Of Tea
DANIA BEACH, FLA. – A rare Sevres porcelain 16-piece tea service brought $8,190, selling to an online bidder at Kodner Galleries’ April 20 sale of estate jewelry, art and collectibles. The price bested the set’s $200/800 estimate. Included in the assembled cobalt and gilt porcelain set were the teapot, six cups, six saucers, sugar with underplate and a round tray. Teapot, cups and saucers were matching and signed and dated on the bottom side. For information, www.kodner.com or 954-925-2550.
Chiparus Figures Charm Roland Buyers
GLEN COVE, N.Y. – Roland Auctions’ April 23 estates sale offered a total of seven works by Romanian sculptor, Demetre Chiparus (1886-1947), with one of them, “Starfish,” finding the highest favor among bidders. Standing 18 inches high and rendered in patinated, gilt and cold-painted bronze on a marble base, circa 1925, the figure had previously crossed the block at Christie’s and was estimated at $10/15,000. An online bidder, who also acquired a few of the other Chiparus works in the sale, paid $11,875 for it. For information, www.rolandantiques.com or 212-260-2000.
Rare Trout Reel Lands Top Bids For Blanchards
POTSDAM, N.Y. – The top lot in Blanchard’s Auction Service’s April 22 Fishing Tackle & Sporting Collectibles sale was a Mills bi-metal Planetary Gear trout reel, which was in excellent condition, spun to $11,400 from an estimate of $1/1,500. Patented in 1882, the 2-5/8 diameter spool was stamped “Wm Mills & Son” and was one of more than 125 reels in the 324-lot sale. For information, 315-265-5070 or www.blanchardauctionservice.com.
Post Apocalyptic Taxidermy Group Leads For Public Sale
HUDSON, N.Y. – An unusual taxidermy group and the first piece in the Unnatural Selections series, “Destination Unknown,” immortalized the journey of three unlikely compatriots: an African Savannah cat, grey hornbill and marmoset monkey. Made by a taxidermy artist working under the pseudonym “Anna Mills,” the group fetched the surreal price of $5,750 in Public Sale’s April 23 Inside Out Auction. For information, 518-966-7253 or www.publicsale.com.
McKinley Harper Safe Tops BP Auctions’ Bank Sale
NEW BERLIN, WISC. – A scarce McKinley Harper cast iron safe bank, one of less than ten known to exist in collections, led BP Auctions’ April 23 Still & Mechanical Banks auction when it surpassed its $5/7,000 estimate to finish at $10,800. Noted to be in very good-plus condition, the bank had a replaced handle, but the figure was in mint condition. It was the top lot in a 550-lot sale. For information, 262-797-7933.
Chinese Horseshoe-Back Chairs Are Lucky For Clars
OAKLAND, CALIF. – An international private buyer paid $200,000 for a pair of Chinese huanghuali horseshoe-back armchairs in Clars Auction Gallery’s April 24 auction of jewelry, art, furniture and Asian art. The chairs came from a San Francisco collection formed over five decades and carried an estimate of $30/50,000. It was the top lot in a two-day event that saw a total of 1,660 lots traverse the block. For information, 510-428-0100 or www.clars.com.
