MT. CRAWFORD, VA.- The Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates October 16-17 Fine & Decorative Arts Auction was a highly anticipated event and produced robust prices in multiple categories. The two-day format consisted of 1,279 lots of high-quality material and generated very strong levels of participation for the firm, a solid indication of vigor in this diverse segment of the marketplace. Competition was intense throughout each day with nearly 5,000 registered bidders from over 40 countries participating online, by phone, in house, and through absentee.
Session I on Friday started the weekend off smoothly with most lots meeting or exceeding expectations. The day’s offerings consisted of a wide selection of American and European art glass; over 100 miniature and fairy lamps; a fine collection of scent bottles; antique and modern paperweights; studio glass; Italian glass; a large assortment of antique silver; and a broad selection of ceramics, from American to European. The select grouping offered in this session sparked significant presale interest and produced strong results overall. Top lot of the day, from the collection of Curtis Sampson, was a Japanese Export Meiji Period seven-piece silver tea and coffee service, marked for Sanju Saku of Yokohama, which garnered $8,190 (Lot 387 – all prices include the 17% buyer’s premium). Other noteworthy results from the Friday session include a Consolidated Lamp & Glass Co. artichoke miniature lamp in a cased lavender color at $3,802 (Lot 3); a Schneider Poissons cameo art glass cylinder vase at $3,159 (Lot 98); and an English Minton’s celadon porcelain figural group at $2,925 (Lot 471).
Session II on Saturday featured the firm’s usual diverse selection of fine and decorative arts and produced strong results and a few surprises with numerous categories demonstrating signs of continued vigor. Consisting of a broad range of jewelry, fine art, furniture, clocks and watches, Oriental rugs, Asian material of all types, African tribal art, rare music boxes, and art pottery, Saturday’s 682-lot session produced consistently strong prices across a number of collecting categories. One of Saturday’s top lots, from the estate of Dr. Maury L. Hanson, was a Lawrence MacDonald (British, 1799-1878) carved marble bust of Psyche or Diana at $22,230 (Lot 1388), which captured the attention of two determined phone bidders. Other noteworthy results from the Saturday session include a fine presentation copy of the Imperial Edition Bible in Chinese at $22,230 (Lot 1235); a large Joseph Boksay (Ukrainian, 1891-1975) Carpathian mountain landscape at $18,720 (Lot 1390); a Harriet Whitney Frishmuth (American, 1880-1980) bronze figure of a dancer, titled “The Vine”, from a Richmond, Virginia estate collection, at $10,530 (Lot 1376); and an outstanding African Congo, probably Teke, carved wooden fetish or magic figure with shirt buttons for eyes, which settled at $9,945 (Lot 1195) after a heated battle between two online bidders.
After the auction, company president and auctioneer Jeffrey S. Evans commented, “This sale, our strongest of its type to date, generated robust interest across the board, from bidders near and far. Levels of online participation in our auctions continue to expand dramatically for us – a real indication that there is increased market demand for a diverse range of art and antiques. The overall excitement and strong sales results reflect the freshness and high quality of the merchandise offered.” Evans added, “Looking forward, we have a number of fine collections in house that we will be featuring in the coming months and over the course of the next year, so we are excited about the future at JSEA.”
The firm is currently accepting consignments for their next Fine & Decorative Arts Auction to be held in April 2021.
