Image courtesy of Auction Gallery of the Palm Beaches.
The auction featured several local estates including the estate of Robert H. Murphy, a Palm Beach resident who had some notable and desirable lots. In particular, the Russian bronzes, ivory pieces, Chinese items and fine art were raising the temperatures of the bidders in and out of the saleroom.
Two desirable Russian bronzes commanded interest from the floor, phones and Internet. Lot 128 a work by Evgeni Alexandrovich Lanceray (1848-1886) of Prince Vyazemskii on Horseback with an estimate of $6,000-$8,000 sold for $37,000 to a persistent floor bidder. Brian Kogan, gallery president, remarked, “these pieces from the estate of Robert H. Murphy were expected to draw significant interest and sell well because the pieces were of excellent quality and the estimates were relatively low.” A smaller bronze by Lanceray of an officer on horseback, Lot 106, stormed to $14,400.
Quality Chinese items were aggressively bid on by the phones and Internet. In particular, Lot 291, a rare and unusual bronze ring handle vase with over 500 jeweled diamond, emerald, ruby and sapphire paste stones, that was cataloged as a copy of an imperial Chien Lung vase, made in the late 1930s to ’40s, with Shou symbols had an estimate of $15,000-$20,000 and stormed to $52,400 by an internet bidder on LiveAuctioneers.com.
Demand for European antiques made for the Chinese market is strong and lot 292 a three-piece gilt bronze and cloisonné clock set, attributed to Lievre, and mounted with an ivory lohan, went for $24,000 to a bidder from California. Additionally, lot 290, a Chinese bronze of a Liao Guanyin, 10th century, sold to the phone bidder from England for $14,400, and Lot 215, an exceptional detailed cloisonné enamel snuff bottle with a Chien Lung mark, which blew past the estimate of $3,000-$4,000 and sold for $8,400.
Ivory pieces from the Murphy estate did exceptionally well. Lot 268, a half tusk heavily carved with the immortals battling dragons, 13 inches long, sold for $15,990 to an Internet bidder, and Lot 267, a heavily carved lidded dragon urn along with Lot 269, a pair of 29 1/2-inch-tall Quan-yin goddesses, were fiercely contested and ended up selling for $5,500 and $7,995 respectively to the Internet.
The most surprising lot of the evening was lot 58, a painting by Italian artist Angelo Dall’Oca Bianca (1858-1942) of a mother and children on a shore with fishing boats, which sold for $42,000 to a collector from Verona, Italy, where the artist established a home for the destitute in 1939. Bianca had a celebrated career as an artist exhibiting at the major expositions and as the painter for Queen Margherita (1851-1926). Bianca won the gold medal at the Universale Exposition in Paris in 1900. The painting was consigned by a local man who was trying to sell the work in a consignment shop for considerably less for about a year. After going unsold he decided to restore the painting and was referred to the gallery to sell it at auction. After the auction, the consignor was stunned by the results.
Fine art continues to rebound; in particular, the European paintings in the auction all brought competitive bidding from all the bidding platforms. The phones were all booked for lot 78, a port scene painting by Spanish artist Jose Amat Pages (1901-1991) that climbed to $6,600, and lot 273, a small Jean Dufy (1888-1964) oil on paper from his Circus series, which went to a Beverly Hills phone bidder for $9,600. Lot 273, a Georges Croegaert (1848-1923) intimate cardinal painting, went for $5,250 to an Internet bidder. Additionally, a David Burliuk (1882-1967) interior peasant table scene sold for $7,300 and lot 170, a Chaim Gross (1904-1991) lyrical bronze of three ballet dancers, sold for $3,900.
While furniture and decorations are not faring very well in the market, a few of the lots from the Murphy estate brought solid results. Lot 142, an attractive pair of Louis XVI-style marquis chairs lushly upholstered in royal blue velvet, sold at $4,500; Lot 185, a pair of 18th/19th century French trumeaus missing their tops, sold locally for $3,600; and lot 100, a LaVerne bronze table in the Ming pattern, ended at $3,300. Lot 107, a French 19th century gilded bronze mantel clock, was won by an Internet bidder for $2,700.
Auction Gallery of the Palm Beaches Inc. celebrated their 10th year in June at their 7,000-square-foot gallery in West Palm Beach and over the past decade has developed a reputation for selling quality fine art, antiques and heirloom consignments from South Florida and both coasts in Florida. The gallery holds nine to 10 auctions a year and last year in June was honored to sell the 1991 Kentucky Derby 18K gold trophy for $137,000.
All prices reported include a 20 percent buyer’s premium.
For additional information or consignments contact Brian Kogan or Leslie Baker at 561-805-7115.
Click here to view the fully illustrated catalog for this sale, complete with prices realized.
ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE
Image courtesy of Auction Gallery of the Palm Beaches. Image courtesy of Auction Gallery of the Palm Beaches. Image courtesy of Auction Gallery of the Palm Beaches. Image courtesy of Auction Gallery of the Palm Beaches. Image courtesy of Auction Gallery of the Palm Beaches. Image courtesy of Auction Gallery of the Palm Beaches. Image courtesy of Auction Gallery of the Palm Beaches. Image courtesy of Auction Gallery of the Palm Beaches.
