REPAUPO, N.J. — A pair of Émile Picault bronzes and their pedestals found the top of the block at S&S Auction’s November 19 sale. The 37-inch high bronzes, featuring a male and female Egyptian figure, landed squarely within estimate, selling for $40,000 including the premium. The pair of Victorian gold-trimmed pedestals that the bronzes sat on, with hand painted porcelain plaques and inlaid and ebonized wood, brought $27,500 including the premium.
“They came out of a Montclair, N.J., estate,” said Philip Amaradio, auctioneer. “30 years ago, the consignor promised to sell them to me or let me sell them. And if you’re familiar with this business, that usually doesn’t mean anything. But a few months ago, the consignor’s kids showed up at our door with the bronzes. They were ecstatic with the price results.”
The firm also sold the contents of the executive suites of the Trump Plaza Hotel. Golden glam was to be expected in the offering, with the highest earners coming in the form of various Trump-branded curio cabinets. All in a bronze or brass finish, each glass-front cabinet rose upward toward a pediment with a central uppercase ‘T’ at center, and sold anywhere from $3,750 to $6,250.
A full review will appear in an upcoming issue.
