OAKLAND, CA.- On February 20st and 21nd, 2016,
Clars Auction Gallery’s hosted their important Fine Art, Decorative, Jewelry and Asian Art sale which experienced intense bidding, particularly from the Internet, on the investment level property from several major estates and collections that was offered. Overall, the sale performed with strength in all categories achieving $2.1 million but it was the Asian category that generated great surprises driving several lots to astonishing prices.
Asian Art and Antiques
The Asian category is always offered in the final session of Clars Sunday sales and, in perhaps the spirit of saving the most exciting for last, online bidders queued up for a fight to the finish on three lots in particular that came up for sale.
Among the first lots that were offered in this session was a Chinese Longquan type ice-crackled brush washer estimated to sell for $800 - $1,200. The bidding opened at $900 and the exhaustive battle of Internet bidders began driving the final sale price to an amazing $89,250!
Just six lots later, it happened again. A Chinese celadon wall vase with an apocryphal Qianlong mark was expected to achieve $1,000 - $1,500. The bidding opened at $500 and this time, it was competitive bidding from the floor, phones and Internet that drove the final price on this piece to $77,350.
Flash forward 20 lots and a Chinese turquoise gauze Jifu dragon robe, late 19th/early 20th century, blows past its presale estimate of $3,000 - $5,000 selling for $45,750. (This Jifu robe and the celadon wall vase came to the sale from a private Oakland (CA) estate.)
The Fine Art
But all the excitement wasn’t reserved for the Asian category. The February sale offered a number of important works that experienced highly competitive bidding from the domestic and international markets.
Topping this category’s offerings was the oil on canvas titled, “Eglise de Chatou” by Maurice Utrillo (French, 1883-1955). A classic example of this artist’s work, it achieved an impressive $77,350.
Another highly anticipated offering was “Mallards on the River (1886),” by Jasper Francis Cropsey (American, 1823-1900), who was one of the most respected painters of the Hudson River School. Bidding on this work opened at $20,00 but quickly escalated to a final sale price of $44,625.
A watercolor by John Marin (American 1870-1953) titled “Boats in a Harbor, 1927,” more than doubled its high estimate by selling for $28,650. Also doubling its estimate was a striking bronze sculpture by Angel Botello (Puerto Rican, 1913-1986) titled “El Nino,” which earned $23,800 fueled by highly competitive bidding. Earning $23,800 as well was a rare woodcut by M.C. Escher (Dutch, 1898-1972) titled, "Day and Night (1938),” from the collection of Professor Kurt Servos (Menlo Park, CA). This “over estimate” trend continued with the oil on panel titled “View of a Lake,” by Albert Bierstadt (American, 1830-1902). Offered for $8,000 to $12,000, this work sold impressively for $21,420.
Also of significant note in this sale were four (4) works by Wolf Kahn (American/German, b. 1927) that cumulatively achieved $36,592; “Winter in Holland,” 1860, an oil on panel by Barend Cornelis Koekkoek (Dutch, 1803-1862) sold very well for $19,040 and by Armand Palliere (Brazilian/French), 1784-1862) was his oil on canvas of Dona Amelia-Empress Consort of Brazil, circa 1828, which likewise achieved $19,040.
From the American Folk Art School (19th century) were two works which both achieved double their estimates. The first, an oil on panel of the steamer “Jonas C. Heartt” and the second, “Portrait of Jonas Coe Heart,” sold cumulatively for $17,255.
Rounding out this highly successful sale was the bronze sculpture by Evgeny Aleksandrovich Lansere (Russian, 1848, 1886) titled “Wealthy Merchant,” 1886 which sold for $17,850 and turning back to America, by Will Sparks (1862-1937), his oil on canvas titled “Palace of Fine Arts (San Francisco, California),” went on to sell for $14,280.
The Decorative Arts & Furnishings
Solid prices and some unexpected surprises fueled the excitement of the Decorative Art and Furnishings session. Topping this category was a George III double fusee bracket clock by Ellicot, London. Executed in the Chinoiserie taste, this clock was offered for $4,000 to $6,000. Grabbing the attention of serious collectors, spirited bidding drove the bidding well past estimate finally chiming in at $35,700.
A number of highly desirable offerings came from the Birmingham Museum Art. Among these was a late 19th century Louis XV style Chinese porcelain presse papiers that was expected to achieve $400 - $600 but quickly soared well past to sell for $5,562. Also achieving well over estimate was an exquisite Continental cut crystal-hanging candelabra that realized $8,925. Rounding out the highlights from the Museum was a circa 1900 Mahal carpet, West Persia, that sold very well for $6,454.
The Modern furniture offerings attracted highly competitive bidding. Achieving almost twice its high estimate was a New Hope School low table by Phllip Lloyd Powell (1919-2008) which sold for $9,520. Also selling for over high estimate was a pair of easy lounge chair by Warren Platner (American, 1916-2006) for Knoll ‘1725’ which earned $7,735.
In sterling offerings, the highlight was the sale of a Russian .875 silver trompe l’oeil art basket by Ivan Khlebnikov, Moscow, 1885 which sold for nicely for $5,950.
Jewelry and Timepieces
And finally in jewelry and timepieces, sapphires and diamonds reigned supreme. Two rings took top spot in this category. The first was a sapphire, diamond and platinum ring sporting a center shield cut sapphire weighing 5.68 cts which sold for $9,520. The next was also a sapphire, diamond and platinum ring centering a cushion cut sapphire weighing 3.25 cts and surrounded by diamonds with total weight of 1.91cts. This stunning ring achieved $5,355.
