PHILADELPHIA – Winter storms brought record snow accumulations to Philadelphia recently, but did little to dampen results at one of the city’s most popular furniture and decorative arts sales. The turnout at Kamelot Auctions on Feb. 20 was exceptionally strong and bidding remained intense throughout the afternoon as hundreds of 19th- and 20th-century furniture lots crossed the auction block. Bidders competed for many pairs of upholstered armchairs, large sets of dining chairs, settees and sofas, daybeds and bookshelves, and stayed late for collections of Wedgwood and French porcelain, masses of vintage crystal, sterling silver and trendy decorative items.
This popular sale like the one every September at Kamelot Auctions tends to be dominated by good quality antique and vintage French, English and Continental furnishings, which draw well-known interior designers and dealers from across the country.
Results surpassed high estimates by large margins throughout the day. Early in the sale a large Venetian Queen Anne-style mirror brought more than $4,000, although its presale estimates ranged from merely $500 to $1,000. Later, a French canopy bed circa 1920, ornately draped in silk with matching upholstered headboard and footboard, brought in roughly five times its presale estimates of $1,000-$1,500 when it sold for more than $6,000 to a professional buyer from New York. Another New York furniture dealer bought a coveted set of eight French Louis XVI- style balloon-back dining chairs upholstered in rich brown leather and having painted white frames. The set was offered with estimates of $2,000-$3,000 and hammered for $5,000. Many Continental-style lots achieved similar results, including an antique Beidermeier butler’s chest with bronze trim and ebonized block feet, which doubled its high estimate when it sold for $4,000. The mood grew particularly intense about halfway into the sale when Kamelot’s auctioneer, Charles Whitaker, presented a late 17th-century Italian burled commode with molded top, figural pilasters and overscale bronze figural pulls. The commode was estimated to bring $2,000-$3,000 and, topping all other lots, ultimately sold for more than $15,000.
Kamelot is known as a dependable source for furniture from Maison Jansen, and while the famed French furniture producer wasn’t the centerpiece of this sale, there was still enough not to disappoint those looking for more of these elegantly styled pieces. A rare palace-sized ebonized commode with shaped marble top and bronze mounted block front case housing nine drawers sold for nearly $5,000. Several good pairs of bergeres from the 1940s were in high demand, including a very nice set with painted frames, square backs and generous proportions, which sold for nearly $3,000 to a highly regarded New York decorator. Upholstered benches proved to be popular in the Jansen category also, as demonstrated by one from the 1950s with bronze mounts that sold for more than $2,000.
Lighting contributed to the success of the sale with some strong results too. A French Gilbert Poillerat style gilt and iron chandelier circa 1940 hammered for $2,200, and a pair of Maison Charles bronze and chrome campana-form table lamps, offered with a $600-$900 estimate, were pushed to hammer at $3,200.
Many lots in mid-century modern, industrial and Art Deco categories generated heavy competition. An oval dining table with sunburst veneered top and shaped base with bronze patinated feet sold for more than $6,000. An octagonal center table by Paul Evans with iron legs and slate top sold for more than $4,000, and a tall, stylized table lamp by Phill Powell sold for more than $3,000 to a high-profile Philadelphia interior design firm. Exemplary Art Deco lots included a good-looking Ruhlmann-style macassar desk realized a hammer price of $3,200, two ebonized deCoene Freres lots comprising four armchairs and a game table sold for more than $7,000 combined, and a large French Deco dining table with bronze mounted pedestal bases garnered $5,000. Industrial-style lots demonstrated continued appeal when a pair of Regency- style wood and steel shelving brought $6,300.
More than a few buyers expressed keen interest in the large sets of porcelain, decorative objects and silver flatware. An ornate antique bronze jardinière, for example, swiftly acquired a price tag of more than $4,000, and a set of Reed and Barton sterling silverware achieved more than $3,800. An enormous set of French porcelain comprising 463 individual pieces serving and dining pieces brought $4,500.
Prices quoted include 20 percent buyer’s premium unless otherwise noted.
To view past and future sales by Kamelot, visit kamelotauctions.com or call 215-438-6990 for more information.
ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE
