With a great and diverse crowd arriving from across the United States, Garth’s Auctioneers and Appraisers hosted the first auction of its 2010 schedule with a wide selection of Fine and Contemporary Art, Oriental Rugs, and Asian, Continental and American Furniture and Decorative Arts on January 29-30. Garth’s Vice-President Andrew Richmond noted before the sale even started that “There is something very exhilarating about standing in our saleroom – a circa 1820 barn in central Ohio – and have the chance to hear the buzz of numerous languages such as Spanish, Mandarin, Arabic, German, French, and English in at least two British dialects”.
The diversity of the crowd reflected the range of lots offered as the first lot of the Saturday session was a life-size, carved wooden figure of a knight on horseback. Attributed to Florence, Italy during the late 15th century, the figure of the man wore Gothic armor and the horse was 16 hands high. Purchased from French & Co. of New York in 1960, the majestic piece estimated at $2/4,000, had one Pennsylvania dealer charging to a final bid of $8,225.
Knowing that the second lot of the Saturday session had in excess of a dozen phone lines reserved for it boosted the staff moral as they prepped for a busy day.
Lot 202, the monumental 42” x 46” oil on canvas landscape by Pennsylvania artist Arthur Meltzer titled “The Robe of Winter”, opened up at $20,000 – a bit higher than the conservative estimate listed in the catalog – and did not stop until it was knocked down for a record breaking $156,875 to Boyertown, Pennsylvania dealers, Valerie and Kurt Malmberg of Greshville Antiques and Fine Art. Deaccessioned from the Columbus Museum of Art and retaining labels from six major, early 20th century exhibits and the evidence of three other missing labels, the landscape was displayed in its original frame as well. All these features prompted the Malmbergs to cancel their previously arranged phone bids and make the trip to Ohio to bid and eventually win the lot in person. Post –auction Valerie Malmberg was undeniably passionate in her assessment of the canvas stating, “It is an honor to have purchased such a beautiful painting and it is exciting that it is one that represents the rare ‘total package’ – excellent condition, original frame, award winning history and a strong provenance. It is a gem!” As it was purchased for stock, the Malmbergs plan to unveil the painting at an upcoming show or gallery event after very light restoration.
Other paintings of interest included an oil on canvas, titled verso, “Coming Winter Squall”, by New York/California artist Bolton Brown. Retaining a marked Newcomb Macklin frame, the tranquil landscape sold for $2,938. One of two paintings by Polish artist Victor Chiemielinski was an oil on canvas scene of troikas passing through a village. It sold for double its mean estimate for $1,567, while the other work by the artist sold for $1,687. Another painting sold to benefit the Columbus Museum of Art was an autumnal landscape by Connecticut artist Leonard Ochtman. Estimated at $2/3,000, the scene of wooded hills brought $9,870.
The selection of Asian items prompted some of the greatest turn out of new bidders. From the familiar porcelains such as the Rose Medallion punch bowl measuring just 16” in diameter( $1,763 ) to the more unusual ceremonial dishes from Nepal which were made of skull caps with ornately enameled silver plated copper inserts and lids inset with turquoise( $1,446 ), prices were very strong. A 42 ¼” x 62 ¾” Chinese painted landscape on silk, similar to the Woven K’o-ssu-type, was adorned with a tree, crane and rock formations in softly faded colors of green, red and brown and earned a top price of $3,013. Prices for sought after jade and porcelain lots soared from those levels to the high 4-figures and the low 5-figures. Lot 227, comprised of five carvings representing a cup with pierced floral handles, a wine vessel, an octagonal vase, a small figure of mountains, and a fish, each were no longer or larger than 5” – 7”, but demanded a big price of $14,460. A single 8” diameter shallow bowl also soared well past its estimate. Selling for $12,925, the Chinese porcelain was hand decorated with flowers and the eight Taoist symbols on the interior and the Guangxu blue reign mark on the underside. A lot with a pair of Famille Verte style teapots and a pair of paneled porcelain vases with flowers sold for a surprising $7,050. Three groups of jade carvings in shades of mutton fat, pale green and apple green sold in consecutive lots late in the day. A group of brooches, a pair of earrings and two butterfly pins sold for $3,819, while a group of small tokens – hands, pendants, flowers, and rings, as well as, a belt buckle and bat rings sold for $12,925. The third group comprised of belt hooks, plaques, fish and a pendant made $7,638. The response to the carved ivory in the auction proved equally as robust. A polychromed ivory figure of a farmer feeding grain out of a basket to three hens sold for $3,916 against an estimate of $200-400, while a carved figure of a woman, Quan Yin, holding a flowering branch garnered $4,820.
If one needed a place to display all the newly acquired jade and ivory carvings, the French curio cabinet may have been a good choice. The seemingly straightforward, 20th century cabinet was festooned with elaborate ormolu mounts and hand painted romantic scenes on the lower case. It was later discovered that the piece, more usually called a vitrine, was by François Linke, an important Parisian cabinetmaker. As such, it was not a surprise when the bidding went above 5-figures before stopping at $27,025. Other decorative pieces created bidding frenzies as well with a Lemerle-Charpentier, Paris mantle clock selling well at $3,525 due to the figures of a dismounted soldier and rearing horse surmounting a dial inset with malachite and a base of stylized foliage and scrolls. A pair of bronzes, after Guillaume Coustou( French, 1677-1746), of facing 23” high statues of rearing Marly horses and grooms, raised the paddles of bidders until they sold for $2,585. A bold, rococo clock and candelabra set with brass clock works marked “E.J. Dupont, Paris” and the mark of “Boyer Fres. a Paris” on the candelabra were an easy sale at $2,115.
More 20th century items were available proving Garth’s has something for everyone. An assortment of Arts & Crafts furniture earned fair prices for the beauty, uniqueness and a high degree of artistic craftsmanship which is as important to buyers now as it was to the original followers of the Arts & Crafts Movement. A simple Roycroft chair with its original leather upholstery and finish sold for $1,058(Estimate $300-500). The Roycroft oak bookcase of tapering form with carved oak leaves on the sides may have had slight imperfections, but others may have seen that as an attraction driving the price to $4,406. The best of the Arts & Crafts items was the Roycroft blanket chest with mortised construction and a lift-lid with hammered iron hardware which sold for $8,435.
If your collection tends toward the more moderne, then the pair of chairs designed by Hans Wegner, ca.1965, commanded attention. A sleek oak design with cord seats, the chairs came with the original shipping invoice dated 1967 as well as the letter detailing ordering information and the brochure showing the chair. This trifecta of provenance information certainly aided the selling price of $1,880. For the true pop of color mid-century collectors often seek, bidders were drawn to the “Womb” chair and ottoman. From Knoll Associates of New York and designed by Eero Saarinen, the circa 1960-1970 chairs were constructed of bent steel, covered in a tomato red upholstery, and sold for a reasonable $1,821.
For more information about other outstanding prices achieved during the January 29-30 sale, please visit www.garths.com. The next Garth’s auctions will take place with an Americana sale featuring historic firearms on March 26 and 27, 2010 and an Eclectic sale on April 2nd. All catalogs are available