Auction Highlights
An extremely rare F.C. Woods musky minnow lure, one of only two known examples with a green back, red sides, silver belly and long, thin perch stripes, was a good catch in Lang’s Nov. 4-5 fishing collectibles sale. It sold to a LiveAuctioneers bidder for $16,815 against a $5,000-7,000 estimate.
David Rago Auctions held its 6th Annual Lalique sale on Nov. 12, with 82 pieces of the coveted French glass selling via LiveAuctioneers. A beautiful 4-3/8in Forest “Ming Toy” Baccarat perfume bottle was among them. Made of clear crystal with gilded, enameled detail, the signed, circa 1924 figural bottle fashioned as a geisha holding a fan, exceeded its estimate to sell for $10,200.
As the ZZ Top song lyric goes, “Every girl’s crazy ’bout a sharp-dressed man,” and whoever wore this 1861-1862 uniform of the 5th New York Duryee’s Zouaves Regiment was among the sharpest. The colorful outfit designed in authentic French Zouave style, with red balloon trousers, blue wool collarless jacket, scarlet sash and tasseled red fez, was a highlighted lot in Cowan’s Historic Americana sale held on Nov. 16. The very rare 13-piece ensemble was offered together with 11 Civil War-era letters belonging to the 19-year-old Connecticut soldier who originally wore the uniform, and was entered in the auction with an estimate of $15,000-20,000. The unique assemblage was purchased for $60,000 by an online bidder using LiveAuctioneers.
This handsome 83in tall two-piece Pennsylvania Chippendale secretary, crafted of walnut with secondary maple wood, sold near the top of its estimate range in Garth's Nov. 25-26 auction of Early American Antiques & Decorative Arts. A LiveAuctioneers bidder prevailed on the lot at $28,800.
In Kaminski's Nov. 26-27 Annual Thanksgiving Weekend auction, this 18th century inlaid mahogany tall-case clock that could be traced back to its original owner, Amos Frye (1775-1824), was purchased by a LiveAuctioneers bidder for $16,800. Standing an impressive 89in tall, it was offered with its correct weights, pendulum and keys.
On Dec. 3 and 4, Neal Auction of New Orleans held its always-popular Louisiana Purchase ä sale, highlighted by choice Southern antiques and art. A signed and period-framed 4¼ by 10½in Arthur Vidal Diehl (American, 1870-1929) oil on board titled The Cabin, St. Augustine, Florida, drew 71 bids before selling online through LiveAuctioneers for $16,537.50 against a $1,000-1,500 estimate.
A LiveAuctioneers bidder taking part in Treadway’s Dec. 4 sale of 20th Century Art & Design paid $22,050 for this rare and important Paul Revere 10in vase of tapered shape with finely incised and painted daffodil motif. Decorated Paul Revere pieces are hard to find, and this example had particularly good “I.D.”, with an impressed mark and partial paper label.
