Sitting at the top of the auction was “Chat Assis (Seated Cat),” a bronze by Édouard-Marcel Sandoz’s (Swiss, 1881-1971), 16-5/8 inches; it sold for $51,000 ($20/40,000).
Review by Carly Timpson
FREEHOLD, N.Y. — Dubbed “March Madness Antiques at Auction,” Carlsen Gallery’s March 16 sale presented 350 lots of art, furniture, decorations, coins, trade signs, silver and other antiques. Russ Carlsen, principal auctioneer reported, “I thought it was a strong sale with very good interest and participation. We had over 1,000 bidders on the two online platforms as well as in the room, phones and left bids. There was probably a crowd of about 90 in the room and they were quite active bidders. We were very pleased. It was a nice day, and we got through it in fine style, with only four of the 350 lots passing, so it had a sell-through rate of about 99 percent.”
Claiming its spot as the highest-achieving lot was Édouard-Marcel Sandoz’s “Chat Assis (Seated Cat).” The bronze figure, which measured 16-5/8 inches high in its seated position, was signed and bore a foundry mark for Susse Frères, Paris, on its base. Stretching beyond its $20/40,000 estimate, the feline ultimately rested with a phone bidder for $51,000.
However, “there were some surprises and pleasant moments,” Carlsen said. Some of these he mentioned included a Nineteenth Century sculpture of the philosopher Dante, a bust of George Washington and a Revolutionary War powder horn. With a high estimate of just $2,000, the bronze sculpture identified by the catalog as depicting Dante multiplied that to finish at $28,125, selling to an online bidder. The philosopher was cast by Anne Whitney in 1869 and was impressed with a Roman foundry mark as well as the date and artist’s signature. Additionally, at the base in front of the seated figure’s feet was the inscription “Roma / MVCCCLXIX.”
Signed “Giuseppe Spedolo,” this 21½-inch-high carved bust of General George Washington was possibly inspired by Ceracchi or Canova; it is heading home with an international buyer for $8,125 ($1/2,000).
Selling to an international client for $8,125, the bust of George Washington depicted the first president in formal dress as a general in the Revolutionary War. Marked “Gen Washington” to the base and signed “Giuseppe Spedolo” to the back of the neck, the bust was possibly inspired by Guiseppe Ceracchi or Antonio Canova.
Carved with the English Royal Arms lion and unicorn as well as a map detailing various New York area forts, a Revolutionary War powder horn, in the canteener’s size, was another pleasant result, according to Carlsen. The 27-inch-long horn had metal plaques on its surface, including one that was engraved “HH / 1780.” The map included significant locations such as “Albany,” “North River,” “Saratoga,” “Ft Henry” and “Ft Hunter.” More than doubling its high estimate, the horn sold over the phone to a private New York collector for $10,200.
Another geographic lot that had a lot of pre-sale interest and bested estimates was a 1673 America atlas published in Amsterdam by Jacob von Meurs. Complete with “17 double-page or folded maps, 32 double or fold-out page engraved views and six full-page engraved portraits,” the catalog noted that none of the pages appeared to be cut or partial and that the red and black title page was present. The book charted a $9,000 result, more than doubling its $4,000 high estimate.
Carlsen noted, “A lot of the artwork came from a Brooklyn collection and part two of that which we were selling. We sold most of the oils last time and here we sold the watercolors, including some by Jane Peterson, which did well.” For $5,931 — well above its $600 high estimate — a private collector of Peterson’s work went home with a watercolor self portrait of the artist. The work was signed twice to the lower right and hung in a modest wooden frame.
Though its estimate was only $300/600, this 19¼-by-14½-inch watercolor self portrait of Jane Peterson was signed twice and soared to $5,937, going home with a private Peterson collector.
Notable results in the furniture category included a pair of English serpentine front mahogany cabinets which exceeded their $2,500 high estimate to achieve $10,625 and an Eighteenth Century Philadelphia pierced splat chair with shell carvings, trifid feet and a balloon seat, which made $7,200 against a modest $900 high estimate. A pair of English giltwood two-light girandole mirrors with provenance to Sotheby’s 2002 auction of the estate of Katharine Graham brought $5,937.
“It was a lovely group of material and we were very happy to have been consigned such nice things and we hope our consignors will be as happy as we are,” concluded Carlsen.
Prices quoted include the buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. For information, www.carlsengallery.com or 518-634-2465.
