Toothpick holder, $2,700, Woody Auction
A rare 2-inch signed Daum Nancy toothpick holder, with a winter scene decoration and in excellent condition, sold for $2,700 at a multiestate sale held April 4 by Woody Auction, based in Douglass, Kan., at Earth City, Mo., near St. Louis. Also, a 16-inch signed Daum Nancy three-color cameo corset-shaped vase gaveled for $3,750; and a 27-inch Pairpoint reverse-painted table lamp with a 16-inch Seville shade and tropical foliage décor rose to $3,500. Prices are hammer, exclusive of an auctioneer’s commission.
Pair of Russian icons, $30,510, Philip Weiss
A pair of oil on wood Russian icons, each measuring 41inches by 15 inches and with raised copper riza, sold for $30,510 at a multiestate sale held April 24-25 by Philip Weiss Auctions in Oceanside, N.Y. Also, a bronze relief of Jules Bastien Le Page, done by Irish-born American artist Augustus Saint-Gaudens. achieved $23,730; a signed abstract oil painting by Russian-born American artist Abraham Manievich brought $13,560; and an oil painting by Ludwig Brucke Lajos commanded $9,605. Prices include a 13 percent buyer’s premium.
Sheraton dining set, $11,550, Hal Hunt
A monumental Sheraton-style dining room suite – around 20 years old and comprising a 10-foot Regency table, a set of 10 Maitland Smith dining tables and a massive breakfront – sold for $11,550 at a multiestate sale held May 3 by Hal Hunt Auctions in Northport, Ala. Also, a 1920s-era high-style French nine-piece dining room suite gaveled for $4,950; a spectacular 337-piece Chantilly sterling silver service in a handsome case brought $7,700; and a 19th-century Sevres porcelain urn with figures hit $3,850. Prices include a 10 percent buyer’s premium.
Richard Miller painting, $150,000, Charlton Hall
An original painting by Richard Edward Miller, titled Sunbath, failed to sell at an Americana auction held March 7-8 by Charlton Hall Galleries in Columbia, S.C., but it sold postsale to a private collector for $150,000. Lots that did sell at the auction included a painting by American painter George Inness, titled The Shower, Montclair, New Jersey,1891, for $48,000; a painting by Lebanese artist Saliba Douaihy for $30,000; and a Georgian sterling silver covered entree dish by Paul Storr of South Carolina for $3,200. Prices include a 15 percent buyer’s premium.
Chinese ceramic vase, $1.2 million, Brunk
A 12-inch Chinese famille rose vase with flowers on a pale yellow ground, believed to be a modern, 20th century copy of a Qianlong Dynasty (1736-1795) ceramic, sold for $1.24 million at an auction held May 9-10 by Brunk Auctions in Asheville, N.C. Also, a Chinese decorated jar with dragons and clouds, thought to be an 18th- or 19th-century copy of a Jianling period (1522-1566) ceramic, brought $69,000; and The Plasterers by New York City artist John Koch (1909-1978) reached $241,500. Prices include a 15 percent buyer’s premium.
Marshall J. Smith oil, $152,750, Neal Auction
A 16-by-30-inch oil on canvas painting by Marshall Joseph Smith, depicting the Louisiana Bayou, sold for $152,750 at a Spring Estates Auction held April 18-19 by Neal Auction in New Orleans. Also, a hand-colored engraving after John James Audubon (American, 1785-1851), titled Purple Heron, went for $86,950; a mid-19th-century American Rococo carved and laminated rosewood sofa attributed to John H. Belter brought $49,937; and a Belter carved rosewood center table hit $49,937. Prices include a 17.5 percent buyer’s premium.
Four-pedestal table, $10,500, Carlsen
An early 19th-century mahogany four-pedestal table sold for $10,500 at a multiestate auction held March 21-22 by Carlsen Gallery Inc., in Freehold, N.Y. Also, an oil on canvas of a landscape with deer by A.F. Tait (New York, 1888) hammered for $10,500; an 18th-century Rhode Island mahogany highboy earned $8,000; an oil on canvas Rocky Mountain landscape scene by Charles Adams realized $7,250; a Russian silver serving spoon made $6,250; and a mahogany English breakfront, circa 1850, soared to $5,750. Prices include a 15 percent buyer’s premium.
Tiffany Favrile lamp, $115,500, Jackson’s
A gorgeous Tiffany Favrile peony leaded glass table lamp sold for $115,500 at a Collector’s Choice Auction held March 10-11 by Jackson’s International in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Also, a 3 3/4-inch Mount Washington Lava glass stoppered scent bottle wowed the crowd for $6,375; a Nippon Coralene blown-out scenic porcelain vase, measuring 10 1/4 inches, went to a Japanese buyer for $3,068; and an original oil on canvas painting by Hungarian artist Istvan Pekary (1905-1981) changed hands for $4,248. Prices include an 18 percent buyer’s premium.
Breechloading carbine, $48,875, Greg Martin
A rare and fine deluxe engraved, stocked and cased Smith’s patent breechloading carbine, by Massachusetts Arms Co., with low serial No. 5, sold for $48,875 at an auction held March 29-30 by Greg Martin Auctions in Irvine, Calif. Also, a 28-gage Parker DHE double-barrel shotgun rang out at $47,150; a historic Henry rifle of A.C. Holmes, Co. G, 10th West Virginia Infantry, inscribed, realized $25,300; and a .450/.400 Alexander Henry Boxlock Ejector double-barrel rifle with ammunition rose to $21,850. Prices include a 15 percent buyer’s premium.
Imperial jade mountain, $195,200, I.M. Chait
An 18th-century imperial jade mountain, with sages in discussion and a poem inscribed above, sold for $195,200 at the third annual Asia Week Auction held March 20 in New York City by I.M. Chait Gallery, based in Beverly Hills, Calif. Also, a coral and underglaze blue 15th-century Ming Xuande porcelain bowl brought $97,600; a pair of intricately carved Zitan cabinets earned $48,800; a celadon carved jade dragon jar reached $39,650; and a Chinese ivory model of the Imperial Nine Dragon hit $45,750. Prices include a 22 percent buyer’s premium.
B. Calixto painting, $80,500, Eldred’s
A harbor scene painted in 1888 by Brazilian artist Benedito Calixto de Jesus, signed “B. Calixto 1888,” sold for $80,500 at an Americana & Paintings Sale held April 3-4 by Eldred’s Auctioneers & Appraisals in East Dennis, Mass., on Cape Cod. Also, a view of fishing boats at a dock in Gloucester Harbor by Cape Ann artist Frederick John Mulhaupt went for $29,900; a portrait of the sail and steam vessel Ethelred by Antonio Jacobsen brought $19,550; and a marine portrait by William Pierce Stubbs made $12,650. Prices include a 15 percent buyer’s premium.
Architectural folio, $61,770, Bloomsbury
An important first-edition architectural book titled I Quattro Libri dell’Architettura by Padlladio sold for $61,700 at a sale of photographs, travel, militaria, natural history, maps and atlases conducted March 25-26 by Bloomsbury Auctions in London (the sale price was converted from British pounds to U.S. dollars and includes a buyer’s premium). The folio was in four parts and was printed in Venice in 1570. Also, the private family photo album of the Romanovs, showing Tsar Nicholas II and his family on holiday in 1912, changed hands for $25,750.
New Haven Arms rifle, $103,500, Rock Island
A rare, factory-engraved New Haven Arms Co. Henry rifle sold for $103,500 at a Premiere Auction held April 25-27 by Rock Island Auction Co. in Moline, Ill. Also, a cased, engraved and gold banded pair of Henry Deringer percussion pistols with coin silver furniture went for $43,125; an Ainsworth inspected U.S. Colt Model 1873 Cavalry revolver with Kopec letter rang out at $40,250; a cased engraved Prurdey & Sons two-barrel set double-barrel shotgun and rifle with scope hit $40,250. Prices include a 15 percent buyer’s premium.
David Roberts set,$180,000, Swann
An elaborate six-volume set of books by David Roberts, titled The Holy Land, Syria, Idumea, Arabia, Egypt & Nubia (London, circa 1842-1849), sold for $180,000 at an annual Spring Auction held April 2 by Swann Galleries in New York. The work is the first edition in book form of the famed lithographs depicting the Near East, in the original bindings and with hand-colored proofs. Also, a rare copy of Seder Haggadot shel Pesah (Mantua, 1560), the first illustrated Haggadah printed in Italy, made $84,000. Prices include a 20 percent buyer’s premium.
1804 dollar coin, $2.3 million, Heritage
The Adams-Carter specimen of the legendary Class III 1804 United States dollar coin sold for $2.3 million at a Signature Auction held by Heritage Auction Galleries, based in Dallas. The sale was held in Cincinnati. The buyer was New Jersey coin dealer John Albanese. Also, a 1794 dollar, graded MS61, brought $503,125; an 1870-S dollar, graded XF40, realized the same amount of $503,125; and an 1876-CC 20-cent piece, graded MS66, went for $460,000. Overall, the sale totaled nearly $27.2 million. Prices include a 15 percent buyer’s premium.
Elvis Presley’s jumpsuit, $212,588, Gotta Have Rock
The blue and gold jumpsuit and cape worn by Elvis Presley at Madison Square Garden on June 10, 1972 sold for $212,588 at an Elvis Presley Auction held online March 16-25 by Gotta Have Rock and Roll. The jumpsuit was expected to sell for between $150,000 and $200,000. Also, two pieces of 14-karat gold and diamond jewelry owned and worn by Elvis, as well as a pavé bracelet and an owl ring, both went for more than $40,000. The auction included more than 500 lots, most from the 1950s to the 1970s. All prices quoted include a buyer’s premium.
White jade bowl, $184,000, Grogan
A carved white jade covered bowl with dragon mask ring handles on the body and elephant trunk handles on a domed cover sold for $184,000 at the sale of Chinese jades from the collection of the late Donald and Pauline MacDonald held April 19 by Grogan & Co. in Dedham, Mass. Also, two carved jade coupes earned $155,250; a pair of Chinese carved white jade birds soared to $43,215; a carved gray jade scribe’s box with moghul-style carving hit $48,875; and a carved spinach jade bowl reached $57,500. Prices include a 15 percent buyer’s premium.
Ken Hall is a former business writer now based in Atlanta, where he is with Star Printing & Publishing, parent company of Southeastern Antiquing & Collecting magazine. In 2002 Ken began syndicating three antiques and collecting-related columns: Ken’s Korner, The Celebrity Collector, and Gavels ‘n’ Paddles. His collecting interests include coins, records, autographs and art.