Dec. 22, 2006

NAPLES, Fla. – Auctions Neapolitan of Naples, Fla., held a series of wide-ranging sales in November and December that sparked international interest in quality jade and other Oriental items. Auctions Neapolitan’s owner, Kathleen Pica, was excited about the results from her recent three-day sales event, which saw bidders from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan competing with local bidders for items from the 1,200 lot inventory she assembled for this auction. LiveAuctioneers.com provided the real-time Internet bidding component for the sale.

Each of the three days of the sale had a significantly different tone. The first session, on Nov. 14, featured a number of lots from a significant collection of jade artifacts originally from China. Until recently, the collection was privately housed in Naples. The second day, Nov. 21, showcased a variety of antiques and silver from an estate in Port Charlotte, Fla., and the final day, Dec. 12, was “clean-up” day, according to Pica, picking up miscellaneous lots from a number of sources and providing bidders with lots of unique opportunities for holiday gifts. The chance to bid attracted 920 approved online bidders, who competed against 200 people bidding live in the gallery.

The top lot of the sale series crossed the block during the first session. A Ching Dynasty (1644-1912) jade scepter created quite a stir online and on the phones. An online bidder from Taiwan battled it out with phone bidders from China and California as well as other online bidders from China, Hong Kong and Japan. Pica noted, “Oriental buyers are especially favorable to the lighter-colored jade pieces. They like the whites and light greens.” The 15¾in scepter in light green jade certainly fit the bill, and included carvings depicting a man and his servant traveling. That was a good omen, because the scepter will soon make its way to Taiwan and the online bidder who paid $13,915, inclusive of buyer’s premium. The original presale estimate was $1,200-$1,400.

Other significant jade lots included a light green carved jade brush wash, 5in by 4in, with a raised center medallion. Estimated at $150-$200, the elegant bowl garnered a winning bid of $4,025, again from an Oriental buyer. A 4in Chinese carved jade pants coupe with fitted wooden stand, light green with brown traces, estimated at $300-$400, cleaned up at $3,795; and a Chinese carved white jade belt buckle sold for $3,047.

The second day of the sale held its own with a Japanese two-handled, signed bronze urn. The 19¾in urn was elaborately decorated with large flowers, leaves and branches, with details to the petals and stamen. The urn was mounted on a three-dolphin base resting on a plateau with bird perched on a branch as a finial. Estimated at $600-$800, it sold to an online bidder for $2,760. A seldom-seen Meissen porcelain harlequin figure, 9in tall, sold above estimate online at $873.

The final session saw a vintage Japanese small sword, 26in long, with a leather-wrapped handle and a stylized lotus leaf Tsuba, estimated at $300-$400, bring in a winning bid of $625.

Pica feels that the international contacts and quality of merchandise she is attracting in Naples allows Auctions Neapolitan to effectively offer auction services that compete favorably with the larger houses on the East Coast. Her next auction is scheduled for January. As always, the online catalog and live Internet bidding will be provided by LiveAuctioneers.com