Exceptional everyday items made their mark across auction blocks this week. From furnishings to footwear to entertainment, bidders raised paddles to add a bit of beauty to their daily lives. A Midcentury Modern sofa found a new home for $6,325, pens made from 18K gold sold for $3,328, a pair of Air Jordan sneakers went out at $101,240 and travel journals by Gabriel Bonvalot brought $938. For these stories and more, continue reading.
Late Nineteenth Century Sideboard Stows Away Competition At Tom Hall
SCHNECKSVILLE, PENN. — Of the 221 lots of various furniture and rugs offered by Tom Hall Auctions in its May 21 Great Furniture and Rug auction, it was a Frank E. Rosen & Co. ornate carved oak sideboard that brought the most. Its central motif featured intricately carved grapes flanked by majestic lion heads and was supported by finely detailed paw feet. It measured 62½ inches tall and had a Frank E. Rosen & Co. label and model number “#233” on the back. It had provenance from the estate of Elizabeth Gutjahr, the owner of Old China Shop (1943-1976), which was located on Main Street in Clifton, N.J. The sideboard achieved $2,012. For information, 610-799-0808 or www.tomhallauctions.com.
18K Gold Romeo & Juliet Pens Take Starring Role At Eldred’s
HANOVER, MASS. — Two Montegrappa Romeo & Juliet limited edition gold fountain pens led Eldred’s Auction Galleries’ May 23 Collectibles Auction, which realized $78,700, with a sell-through rate of 90 percent. The pens, measuring approximately 4-7/8 inches long each, were 18K gold octagonal and cylindrical cases, with 18K two-tone gold nibs. The pen clips depicted Romeo and Juliet and were each marked “925” on their inner workings. The gold edition of the pens was rare, with only 150 made, as opposed to its silver counterparts, of which there are 3,500 in existence. This specific pair was 90 of 150. The only other auction record known of the gold edition was in 2013, where a pair crossed the block for $3,125 at Bonham’s. This pair went to a West Coast buyer, new to Eldred’s, for $3,328. For information, 508-385-3116 or www.eldreds.com.
New York City Flag Scene Is Raised To Top At Eldred’s
EAST DENNIS, MASS. — On May 24, Eldred’s Auction Galleries conducted its Spring Paintings sale. An American School New York City street scene with flags led the auction, trading hands for more than four times its high estimate. The contemporary oil on canvas was signed “Moran” lower left and measured 34 by 30 inches framed. A private collector won the day, taking the painting home for $7,040. For information, 508-385-3116 or www.eldreds.com.
Paddles Raise For Convertible Daybed At Public!Sale
HUDSON, N.Y. — On May 18, Public!Sale conducted its IBModern auction, which they described as “A nod to modern industrial design and the postmodern influence on our workspaces.” Ninety-five percent of the auction’s 490 lots sold successfully for a total realized of $209,000. All but one of the top six lots were sofas, with a grey Living Platform Sofa daybed designed by EOOS for Walter Knoll achieving the sale’s highest price of $6,325 ($800-$1,200). The sofa’s upholstered grey tweed fabric cushions on a convertible metal frame allow for varied seating and laying positions. For information, www.publicsale.com or 518-966-7253.
Thomaston Place Bidders Choose Adventure
THOMASTON, MAINE — Leading Thomaston Place Auction Galleries’ 248-lot Memories On Paper auction, conducted on May 22, was a scarce two-volume traveler’s journal. The books, titled Across Thibet; being a translation of De Paris au Tonkin a Travers le Tibet Inconnu by Gabriel Bonvalot, were translated by C.B. Pitman and published by Cassell & Company, London in 1891. Bound in oxblood cloth with black and gold titles, the two volumes included some penciled notation on the title pages and were in near fine condition otherwise. Together they sold above their $200/300 estimate to achieve $938. For information, www.thomastonauction.com or 207-354-8141.
Rare Glass Brings Big Bids For Blackstone
SUTTON, MASS. — Blackstone Valley Auctions & Estates conducted its Spring Antiques and Collectibles Auction on Saturday, May 18. The sale’s top lot was an amethyst pattern-molded glass flask attributed to Stiegel Glassworks. With an “extremely rare” repeating daisy hex pattern, the bottle stood 5 inches high and was 4 inches wide. Blackstone Valley owner Keith Downer described the piece, saying it was “a rare, smaller-form American mid-Eighteenth Century flask. Being in exceptionally nice condition, it is now in the home of a long-time collector with many other important American glassware bottles.” The collector snatched it up for $7,503 against an estimate of $2,5/5,000. For information, www.bvauctionandestate.com or 508-434-7223.
Air Jordan Sneakers Jump High In Heritage’s Hip-Hop Auction
DALLAS — A pair of metallic green Nike Air Jordan 1 High Original sneakers, size 9 and in pre-owned condition with signs of wear and regular use, jumped to the top of Heritage Auctions’ Hip-Hop Showcase Auction on May 26. The iconic shoe, which revolutionized the sneaker industry, was produced with six metallic colorways: blue, red, orange, black, purple and green. Receiving more than 450 page views and attracting 40 bids, the sneakers rose to $8,750, the highest price in the 206-lot auction that realized a total of $101,240. For information, www.ha.com or 214-409-1425.
Intaglio Collection Tags Top Spot For Brunk
ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Nearly 325 lots were auctioned in Brunk Auctions’ May 23 Emporium Auction, where a collection of nearly 250 Nineteenth Century Continental plaster medallions with Classical scenes, figures and busts realized the top price of $12,160. Consigned to sale from a private collection in Virginia, the group was housed in a seven-drawer table-top case and had carried an estimate of $300/500. According to a representative for the house, the group attracted spirited bidding from phone and online bidders on multiple platforms, ultimately selling to an overseas private collector bidding online. For information, 828-254-6846 or www.brunkauctions.com.
JQA Ward Bronze Scores Highest Price In Palm Beach
WEST PALM BEACH, FLA. — John Quincy Adams Ward’s (American, 1830-1910) “Indian Hunter” bronze, signed and dated 1860 and cast in 1894 at the Henry Bonnard Bronze Co in New York City, was at $43,750 the top-selling lot at Auction Galleries of the Palm Beaches’ May 25 Discovery Sale. The 16-inch-tall bronze descended in the family that had acquired it directly from the artist; it is one of fewer than 20 castings made and had been exhibited at the 1928 Amsterdam Summer Olympics exhibition. For information, 561-805-7115 or www.agopb.com.
