More first-of-the year auction results roll in… Jewelry proves a popular category to kick off the year with earrings and rings dominating sales at Heritage and Abell. Fine art also lived up to its name at Ahlers & Ogletree, World Auction Gallery and Central Mass Auctions while silver and porcelain were tops for Winter Associates and Doyle, respectively. Flying Pig bidders chased a leaping stag weathervane while Witman bidders found the greatest favor in a Gibson Les Paul Jr guitar. Details of each highlight follow…
Stag Weathervane Leaps To The Top Of Flying Pig 2024 Opener
WESTMORELAND, N.H. — On January 8, Flying Pig conducted its 2024 Americana & Antiques Auction Opener. Performing well among the 380 lots of Americana, antique furniture, fine art and accessories were copper weathervanes, oil portraits and wooden furniture. Flying Pig’s Roxanne Reuling commented that it was a “great sale — lots of interest and great percentage sold!” With more than 650 registered bidders, the sell-through rate was 93 percent. The top lot of the sale, a 30-by-19-inch weathervane, earned $7,800. This antique copper piece depicted a leaping stag and had cast antlers. Despite being unmarked and unattributed, it caught the eye of nearly 80 online bidders and several phone bidders. It was ultimately sold to a private collector. For information, www.flyingpigantiquesnh.com or 603-543-7490.
Teatime Shines With Top Lot At Winter Associates Sale
PLAINVILLE, CONN. – It was a sterling result at Winter Associates on January 8 as a mid-Twentieth Century Mexican Codan tea service led the sale at $3,900, just short of its high estimate. The six-piece service was in the CM22 pattern with vessels raised on rounded bases with banded and reticulated grape-bunch-and-scroll decoration, in the style of Georg Jensen. The lot consisted of two teapots, each with wooden handles, creamer, lidded sugar, waste bowl and solid sterling tray with wooden handles, each monogrammed “BHB,” marked at base with Codan and 925 hallmarks. For information, 860-793-0288 or www.auctionsappraisers.com.
Convertible Bling Kicks Off Heritage Auctions’ New Year
DALLAS — On January 4, its first sale of 2024, Heritage Auctions presented it Luxe Jewels Showcase Auction. The boutique sale — just 65 lots — nevertheless raked in a cool $183,905 total. The top price of the day was $15,000, which was realized for a pair of South Sea cultured pearl, diamond, platinum and gold convertible earrings that had a total weight of 26.20 grams. Heritage’s catalog described the earrings as “perfect for elegant events, these earrings can be transformed from fabulous to even more fabulous, making them an absolutely essential addition to any fine jewelry collection.” For information, 214-528-3500 or www.ha.com.
Etchings By Rembrandt, Munch & Millet Catch Bidders’ Eye
EAST MEADOW, N.Y. — Offering nearly 700 lots of art, antiques, porcelain and fine silver, World Auction Gallery’s January 7 New Year First Major Auction saw some surprising results. One such standout performer in the sale was a lot of three signed etchings. All unframed, one, signed “E. Munch”, was reported in very bad condition with significant water damage. The other two, signed “Rembrandt 1636” and “J.F. Millet” were in generally good condition. The set of etchings from a Long Island, N.Y., home was estimated at $100/150 but stretched to achieve $6,250. According to a representative for the auction house, “This lot was purchased by a private buyer in Europe and will be headed to Germany to be in the buyer’s personal art collection.” For information, www.worldauctiongallery.com or 516-307-8180.
Painting Of Nine Pears By William Scott Returning To The UK
WORCESTER, MASS. — The January 10 Fine Art, Jewelry, Sterling, Historical Items sale by Central Mass Auctions featured just shy of 675 lots included art by Pablo Picasso, Barbara Hepworth, Craigie Aitchison and Bessie Potter Vonnoh; gold, platinum and gemstone jewelry; sterling and coin silver; period furniture; memorabilia; collectibles and accessories. Central Mass Auctions’ Wayne Tuiskula shared that the sale brought nearly $549,500 in total. Leading the sale, “Pears on a Plate” by William Scott (British, 1913-1989), earned $141,000 ($30/150,000). The circa 1956-60 still life oil painting, which was once exhibited in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, was purchased by a buyer in the United Kingdom who will welcome the painting back to its homeland. For information, 508-612-6111 or www.centralmassauctions.com.
Bling’s The Thing At Abell Antiques Auction
LOS ANGELES — Abell Auction presented its holiday jewelry and design auction Part II on December 7, which was led by a platinum and diamond ring at $62,500. The platinum ring center was a six-prong set with one marquise brilliant cut diamond [H/I-2], 10.01 carats, accented with two triangle shape modified-brilliant cut diamonds [J/SI], approximate total weight 2.71 carats, 11.8 grams, size 5¾. For information, www.abell.com or 323-724-8102.
Entry-Level Gibson Les Paul Jr Makes Its Entrance At Witman Auctioneers
MANHEIM, PENN. – A 1950s Gibson Les Paul Junior guitar sold for $8,511 at Witman Auctioneers on January 9. The event, an online-only auction, was full of Gibson musical instruments, sporting decoys, fishing rods and lures, cameras, clocks and carvings, as well as stoneware and woodworking tools. The Les Paul Junior was originally introduced in 1954 as a single-cutaway model, with its double-cutaway counterpart arriving to the market in early 1958. Color schemes most commonly placed on Juniors were vintage sunburst, cherry red and TV yellow. This double cutaway model was cherry to the max. For information, 717-665-5735 or www.witmanauctioneers.com.
Chinese Vases Lead Doyle’s At Home Sale
NEW YORK CITY — Doyle’s At Home auction on January 10 featured more than 450 lots of fine and decorative arts from collections, including the collection of fashion designer Mary McFadden. Leading the sale with a result more than 10 times its high estimate was a pair of Chinese blue, white and copper red porcelain vases, Twentieth Century, that had landscape decoration and stood 13 inches tall. Estimated at $800-$1,200, the lot sold for $12,800. For information, 212-427-2730 or www.doyle.com.
Dutch Landscape Tempts Ahlers & Ogletree Bidders
ATLANTA, GA. — The top lot of Ahler’s & Ogletree’s European fine art, antiques and decorative arts sale on January 12 was a river landscape by Aert Van Der Neer (Dutch, 1603-1677), which sold for $17,500, solidly within its $10/20,000 estimate. Titled “River Landscape by Moonlight” and dated to the mid-Seventeenth Century, the oil on panel was signed with the artist’s AVN monogram. Bearing labels to both American Art Association Anderson Galleries and Christie’s, the 18-3/8-by-29¼-inch painting came to auction from the private Atlanta collection of Tania Armour Becker. It was the highest price in the 269-lot sale, which took place a day after the house sold American and English antiques, arts and silver. For information, 404-869-2478 or www.aandoauctions.com.
