The top lot of the auction was this ten-panel Mexican School biombo (folding screen) that brought $140,000.

A ten-panel Mexican School biombo (folding screen) from a prominent Washington, D.C. estate was the highlight of Sloans & Kenyon’s recent $1.76 million estate catalog auction.

Telephone bidders from the United States and Spain battled against Internet bidders from Spain, Mexico, and the United Kingdom for a Nineteenth Century Mexican School ten-panel biombo from the eclectic Washington, D.C. estate of David Alvey Reed.

Bidding opened at $22,000 and quickly escalated in $5,000 increments until it stopped at $120,000. A Madrid collector – bidding by telephone – was ultimately successful in purchasing the screen for $140,000. Of the screen’s sale, Sloans & Kenyon president Stephanie Kenyon said, “We’re always thrilled to see six-figure results in our salesroom, especially when it’s property from prominent Washington, D.C. area estates.”

The three-day auction began with 680 lots of Asian ceramics, works of art and furniture, which yielded more than $600,000. It was Sloans & Kenyon’s most successful Asian session since the Friday specialty auctions were inaugurated in November 2005.

A rare rhinoceros horn raft-form pouring vessel, Eighteenth/Nineteenth Century, signed Tian Chang, was the highlight of the Friday session and sold for $91,960. Inscribed with a verse from Chinese poet T’ao Ch’ien’s Fifth Century Kuei-ch’u-lai-ts’ (Homeward Bound), the rhinoceros horn attracted floor bidders who traveled to metropolitan Washington, D.C. from Hong Kong and battled against Internet bidders and telephone bidders from the United States, Ireland and China until an Internet bidder was the victor at $91,960.

A set of four American Federal side chairs attributed to Annapolis cabinetmaker John Shaw fetched $15,930.

After the session, Asian department director Alexandra Grais said, “This is just the beginning of developing important relationships with the Chinese buyers who reflect the growing demand for Chinese ceramics, bronze and jade. Our participation in the Asia International Arts and Antiques Fair in Hong Kong in May has certainly yielded immediate results. The rhinoceros horn vessel was acquired by a gentleman we met in Hong Kong while exhibiting at the fair.”

Sloans & Kenyon’s June estate catalog auction included property from historic Maryland collections and estates including Auburn Farm, Thurmont Md., a private Baltimore art collection, and the estate of General Roland H. delMar, “Oakland,” Petersville, Md., in addition to the estate of David Alvey Reed. A set of four American Federal side chairs attributed to Annapolis cabinetmaker John Shaw and an American Chippendale easy chair were among property in the June auction from historic Auburn Farm. The set of chairs and the easy chair sold for $15,930 and $18,880 respectively, purchased by the same telephone bidder.

Other highlights from the Reed estate included “Assembly of the Gods” (attributed to Johann Heiss), which sold for $42,480, and an English William and Mary japanned chest-on-chest, which sold for $18,290. Proceeds from the sale of property from his will be donated to the Historical Society of Frederick County, Frederick, Md.

Other standouts included a Gandharan grey schist bust of Bodhisattva, Third/Fourth Century, realized $29,500; Franz Dvorak’s “At the Races,” signed and dated, for $23,600; Luis Alvarez Catalá’s “The Garden Party” for $17,110; and a Georgian black lacquered and Japanned tall case clock, Eighteenth Century, movement signed Joseph Beale, Twickenham, that fetched $10,620.

All prices reported include an 18 percent buyer’s premium on the first $100,000 and 12 percent thereafter, and 21 percent on the first $100,00 for eBay buyers and 15 percent thereafter.

Sloans & Kenyon’s next estate catalog auction will be held September 15-17. A six-day exhibition will be held September 9-14 at Sloans & Kenyon’s gallery at 7034 Wisconsin Avenue. Sloans & Kenyon is accepting consignments for the September estate catalog auction until early August. A Collectors’ Cornerstone Auction will be held on July 14-15. For more information, www.sloansandkenyon.com.