The top lot of the auction was this Old Master drawing of a leg that sold to an online buyer for $57,600, far over estimate.
Review by Andrea Valluzzo
EAST DENNIS, MASS. — Realizing an excess of $282,000, Eldred’s auction of British and Continental Art on January 8 was led by a curated collection of fine art and interesting objects that attracted much interest online from buyers both near and far.
“Overall, I was very pleased with the results, with most categories performing well,” Eldred’s president and CEO Josh Eldred said. “A lot of trend forecasters are predicting that antiques will be making a big comeback this year. After decades of neutral and minimalist interiors, trends are now leaning toward character, texture and patina.”
“Rather than creating an entire period room, however, designers are layering in antique pieces with contemporary furniture to create a curated, collected look. A lot of the pieces in this auction had that ‘quiet luxury’ aesthetic that is so popular right now — things that look like maybe you picked it up at a Paris flea market or on Portobello Road.”
This oil on cradled panel painting of Madonna and Child with St John the Baptist, after Sandro Botticelli, doubled its high estimate to bring $7,104.
Evincing Eldred’s point was the top lot of the auction, which crossed the block about an hour into the auction with a seemingly unassuming Old Master ink drawing of a leg, conservatively estimated at $200/400. However, buyers thought highly of it, and kicked the auction into high gear when an overseas online bidder won the drawing for $57,600. Likely significant to bidders, the mat bore what was believed to be the 1892 family coat of arms of Alexander Ziloti, a Russian musician. A similar sketch in the collection of the Art Institute Chicago is attributed to a follower of Michelangelo. This one came from a longtime Connecticut client and was consigned through Eldred’s office in Mystic, Conn. All competition for the leg was online, between bidders on Eldred’s website, Invaluable and LiveAuctioneers.
Paintings also made an impression, comprising six of the auction’s top 10 lots. The second-highest price of the sale overall went to an oil on cradled panel painting of Madonna and Child with St John the Baptist, after Sandro Botticelli. The 35½-by-25¾-inch (sight) painting doubled its high estimate to bring $7,104. “The painting after Botticelli was a very high-quality reproduction, likely from the Nineteenth Century,” Eldred noted. “Its iconic imagery really appealed to collectors of the Renaissance style.”
This pair of Continental School decorative gilt panels depicting classical scenes outperformed its $1,200 high estimate, earning $5,440.
A pair of Continental School decorative gilt panels depicting classical scenes also exceeded expectations, earning $5,440 against an estimate of $800-$1,200. The oils on cradled board were framed and measured 28 by 29 inches. Another Continental School standout was a pastel on paper over canvas scene of a puppy watching two children playing a card game. The unsigned 30-by-25-inch framed picture bested its $1/2,000 estimate to realize $4,800. Eldred commented, “The two panels came from an old Martha’s Vineyard estate. I suspect they may have been part of a larger installation at some point. They were early and well executed, which added to their appeal.”
Rounding out the fine art category was a Eugenio Edouardo Zampighi oil on canvas of an interior scene with figures huddled around a storyteller. The signed painting measured 37 by 49 inches framed and sold comfortably within estimate at $5,440.
“This was a ‘live’ auction but without any in-person bidding. Bidding was most active on our website, but we also had strong activity on the phones and the other online platforms,” reported Eldred. “Four out of the top five lots were sold to overseas buyers, and four out of the five were sold online (the Zampighi was over the phone).”
This Eighteenth Century Dutch coin scale was complete with weights; it was bid to $5,440.
Auction highlights ran the gamut from fine art to unique objects such as a Dutch coin scale complete with weights, dating to the Eighteenth Century, which realized $5,440. Housed in an embossed sandalwood case, the lot included a balance scale, pan and 14 embossed weights. The engraved paper lining on the interior of the lid depicted a banker weighing coins for a skeleton.
Steamer trunks were once the height of fashion for travelers, likely favored by those who embarked on the Grand Tour. Hearkening back to those days of luxury travel was a Louis Vuitton steamer trunk, circa 1900, that went for $5,120. Equipped with rollers, side handles, wood slats and a brass lock and hardware, the trunk measured 19 by 32 by 18 inches and had a red ticking interior with a lift-out tray in matching linen.
Several lots went well over their estimates, including a pair of Eighteenth Century Delft faience duck tureens that had a hand painted mark with the initials “F.K.” The 9-inch-tall figures realized $4,800, more than triple their $1,200 high estimate. Eldred said these came from the trade via the Mystic office and sold online to a private collector in Texas. “Pairs of things are appealing and single examples similar to this are listed on retail sites for around $2,500, but this lot was a bit of a happy surprise,” he said.
Rounding out the auction were a set of four Continental porcelain cups and saucers, mostly Nineteenth Century ($3,584), and a mid Nineteenth Century Bohemian opaline overlay glass dresser box or jewelry casket, 4 inches tall, in a green to clambroth hue and with hand-enameled figural scenes and gilt flourishes ($2,816).
Prices quoted include the buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. For more information, www.eldreds.com or 508-385-3116.
