On December 15, Sotheby’s series of Twentieth Century design auctions brought a total of $18,781,480, just above the presale high estimate of $18.66 million.
Among the highlights was the sale of the Dr Arthur and Evelyn Krosnick collection of masterworks by George Nakashima, which totaled $2.6 million, over the high estimate of $1.9 million. The legendary “Arlyn” table from that collection, one of the great masterworks of Nakashima’s career, sold for a record $822,400. The table, which had been estimated to sell for $300/500,000, was sought after by three bidders before selling to the Two Red Roses Foundation, where it will join an outstanding collection of Arts and Crafts furniture and decorative works of art.
The top lot of the afternoon American Renaissance sale was an important 11-piece dining suite from the Freeman A. Ford House, Pasadena, Calif., which was pursued by three determined bidders in the salesroom, finally selling for $2,144,000, a record for Greene & Greene at auction.
A complete review of this sale will appear in a future issue.
