Consigned from the library of Charles J. Carlotti, this leatherbound copy of The Bhăgvăt‑Gēētā, or Dialogues of Kreeshna and Arjoon; in Eighteen Lectures with Notes, translated by Charles Wilkins (London: 1785) earned top-lot status at $9,375 ($800-$1,200).
Review by Kiersten Busch
KINGSTON, N.Y. — JMW Auction Service conducted a multi estates auction on April 10, offering 570 lots from various estates, including a selection from the Hudson Valley, N.Y., estate of businessman, inventor and collector Charles J. Carlotti, as well as paintings and decorative accessories from a Scarsdale, N.Y., estate. With only two lots going unsold, the auction closed with a 99 percent sell-through rate.
The highest-selling lot came from the Carlotti estate: a 1785 copy of The Bhăgvăt‑Gēētā, or Dialogues of Kreeshna and Arjoon; in Eighteen Lectures with Notes by Charles Wilkins. Published in London and leatherbound, the book sold far above its $800-$1,200 estimate at $9,375, despite the front cover being separated from the rest of the text.
Several other books from the library of the Carlotti estate sold well, including Vitruvius’ I Dieci Libri Dell’Architettura, an Italian architecture reference from 1567 ($1,500); two bound, thin books with catalog photographs of the works of Wiener Werkstätte co-founders Josef Hoffman and Koloman Moser, published in 1905-06 ($1,375); and a lot of numerous early theosophical pamphlets and related subject booklets from the Theosophy Company ($1,125).
Despite a conservative estimate of $600-$1,200, this album of 35 watercolors of Italian landscapes and village scenes, possibly by a “D G Brown” in 1846, sketched out a $4,688 finish.
Art selections were led by an album of 35 watercolors of Italian landscapes and village scenes, also consigned from the Carlotti estate, which made more than four times its $1,200 high estimate at $4,688. Many of the settings were identified, and most depicted Pompeii. While not entirely clear, an illegible name, possibly “D G Brown,” and perhaps the year 1846, were scratched into the front cover.
A little more than 50 lots of sterling silver attracted bidders, led at $7,500 by a 103-piece flatware set by Wallace & Sons in the Romance of the Sea pattern. Not monogrammed and sold with a box, the set weighed 133.22 troy ounces and was consigned from a Poughkeepsie, N.Y., estate. Another Wallace & Sons service, this example 109 pieces, came from a Hudson Valley family, was monogrammed with the letter “B” and earned $6,250.
Other sterling silver offerings included a Gorham five-pint water pitcher that poured out for $1,750; a lot of three bowls, two Gorham and one International, in fine estate condition which changed hands for $1,625; and a Wallace & Sons fruit bowl that measured 12¾ inches in diameter and realized $1,375.
Setting the table for $7,500 was this 103-piece sterling silver flatware set by Wallace & Sons in the Romance of the Sea pattern ($9/11,000).
It was also no surprise that a handful of gold coins did well, as the price of gold continues to remain high. A one-ounce gold Krugerrand dated “1975” was the highest selling of the group, surpassing its $3,5/4,500 estimate to make $5,313. Three additional 1975 Krugerrands crossed the block, with each one selling for $5,000.
Another to make $5,313 was a 1992 one-ounce $50 proof gold coin made at the West Point Mint, which came in a plastic presentation case and was accompanied by its original papers. Several other West Point Mint coins, dated from the years 1986-91, all sold separately for $5,000 each.
Jewelry and watch selections were numerous, and included a 1980s Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust wristwatch, which ticked past its $5/5,500 estimate at $6,563. Catalog notes explained that the watch was “stored away in a dresser drawer in-box from a fine estate in Hudson Valley, [the consignor] worked at IBM and received this for the Quarter Century in 1984.” It was accompanied by its original tags and booklets and was lightly engraved with the previous owner’s name on its reverse.
Prices quoted include buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. For information, www.jmwauction.com or 845-339-4133.
