Leading the sale was this Midcentury Modern Brazilian rosewood partners desk designed in 1962 by Sergio Rodrigues and manufactured between 1962-65. The 79-inch-long desk will now be partnered with a Brazilian artist for $5,250 ($2/4,000).
Review by Kiersten Busch
BELLPORT, N.Y. — Cornell Auctions, Objects & Trade extended Valentine’s Day celebrations to February 15, with its Va Va Valentine’s auction, which offered more than 400 lots of glass, crystal, lighting, accoutrements and fine art, among others. “The sale did very well, in that it continues a trend of each auction doing significantly better than the last,” shared Roy Braeger, one of Cornell’s newest owners alongside business partner, Carlo Libaridian. “Continuing a trend, we did 30 percent more in sales than the previous auction!”
Bidding came from all around the world, including the US, China, Canada, the UK, The Netherlands, UAE, Germany, Taiwan, France, Hong Kong, Egypt, Brazil, Luxembourg and Australia. However, Brager shared, all bidders who were lucky enough to go home with something possessed a common trait: “I would say the buyers share a love of great craftsmanship, exquisite detail and an aversion to shiny, new products!”
Won by a Brazilian artist who was “really excited,” according to Brager, was a Midcentury Modern Brazilian rosewood partners desk by Sergio Rodrigues. Given the name the “Gordon” desk, this piece was designed in 1962 and manufactured by Rodrigues’ company OCA between 1962-65. The desk had exposed hardware and rosewood grain on its “floating” surface. It had provenance to a notable auction house, from which it was purchased for the personal collection of Brookhaven, N.Y., resident and photographer Douglas Friedman. Surpassing its $2/4,000 estimate, the table made $5,250, the highest price of the sale.
“The Martha Stewart provenance of these chairs sparked major interest,” said Roy Braeger of this pair of Italian Midcentury Modern silver clamshell grotto chairs which swam to $3,500 ($4/8,000).
Midcentury Modern furniture was well represented in the sale, with the second and third highest prices also coming from the category. Closing at $3,500 was a pair of Italian silver-gilt clamshell grotto chairs that had provenance to Martha Stewart. According to the catalog, the grotto-style chair drew its inspiration from natural forms such as shells and rocks; the open clamshell motif in particular was mainly used in the backrests of chairs, like the pair in the sale. The chairs also had provenance to Friedman, who purchased them directly from Stewart when she sold her estate in the Hamptons. An identical pair owned by Iris Apfel hammered for $8,820 at a recent Christie’s sale in February.
While not an actual flower, a different type of daffodil caught bidders’ attention. A Midcentury Modern Daffodil lounge chair designed by husband-and-wife duo Erwin and Estelle Laverne was made from clear acrylic or Lucite. The Lavernes “were pioneers in the use of acrylic in the furniture design during the mid Twentieth Century, and the Daffodil chair is one of their most iconic creations,” catalog notes clarified. The chair received its name from its curved back and seat which resemble the petals of the flower. It sprouted to a $3,250 finish. A Buttercup chair, also by the Lavernes, sold for $1,188, blooming far past its $400/600 estimate.
Another plant-inspired piece of Midcentury furniture was intriguing to bidders: a Brighton Pavilion-style bamboo and rattan console, which grew to two and a half times its high estimate, earning $1,125. The table’s glass top rested on the bamboo and rattan-constructed frame.
Signed “Kristiansen,” this abstract Modernist painting, 22 by 48¾ inches framed, focused on geometric shapes and was done in mostly greens and blues; it earned $1,188 ($50-$150).
Fine art was headed by an untitled abstract Modernist painting in blue and green, signed “Kristiansen,” which was a “super surprise,” according to Braeger. The distinct color blocks and shapes suggested that the painting was done in the Midcentury or color field style. Selling for 20 times its starting price, the work earned a colorful $1,188.
A set of 10 hand-tinted antique French military etchings shot down an $813 finish. Each individual engraving depicted a soldier or officer in an elaborate uniform, holding aloft either a regimental flag or standard. The careful attention paid to the details in each soldier’s clothing — things such as embroidery, lace and other embellishments — helped to showcase the intricacy of military fashion at the time, according to catalog notes. Each of the 10 etchings were also housed in a black regency frame and backed by gold leaf mats.
Flora continued to be the theme of the day, as bidders also raised Ugo Rodriguez Giachery’s painting of a blooming cactus, “Desert Bloom,” to $750, almost four times its high estimate. The oil on board depicted a cactus with bright red and pink flowers emerging from its head.
“This representative of an ancient Chinese pottery tradition is flying back to China,” said Roy Braeger of this Chinese Blanc de Chine seated porcelain figure, 7½ inches high, of Bodhidharma or Luhan, which made $2,375 ($150/350).
Chinese art was also popular with bidders, led by a Blanc de Chine seated figure of either Bodhidharma, the founder of Zen Buddhism, or Luhan, an enlightened disciple of Buddha. The catalog detailed that Blanc de Chine, meaning “white from China,” is pure white porcelain that originates from Dehua, a region in Fujian Province. This example was identified as such because of its white glaze and the intricate detailing of its carving, both of which are hallmarks of Blanc de Chine. The figure made $2,375, almost seven times the high end of its $150/350 estimate.
A pair of vintage Lalique crystal swans, one with its head down and the other with its head up, sold in two consecutive lots for $2,000 each. Purchased in France in the 1970s by the consignor, the pair were “a testament to the artistry and craftsmanship of the renowned French crystal house.”
Appropriately titled “Lucky Charms,” Cornell’s next auction will be conducted on March 15, St Patrick’s Day. Prices quoted include buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. For information, 631-289-9505 or www.cornellauctions.com.
