MONROVIA, Calif. — A 1956 oil on canvas by Ludwig Blum hammered at more than twice its top estimate in a surprise performance at The Traditional Collector sale held at John Moran Auctioneers on September 26. Complete sale results are now available at LiveAuctioneers.

Known as the “painter of Jerusalem,” Blum (1891-1975) emigrated to Palestine in the 1920s as part of the Third Aliyah. As an ardent Zionist, he established himself as a painter of the Jewish experience, creating scenes of the landscape, religious sites, and more. City of Jerusalem was estimated at $4,000-$6,000, but hammered at $14,000 ($18,480 with buyer’s premium).

A pair of Chinese enameled porcelain jars estimated by Moran to date to the “18th/19th century or later” also exceeded expectations. Estimated at $2,000-$3,000, the jars earned $6,500 ($8,450 with buyer’s premium).

The sale’s top lot was the Georg Kolbe (1877-1947) model for the Beethoven Monument that was ultimately installed in 1951 after Kolbe’s death. It achieved $22,500 ($29,700 with buyer’s premium), under its $30,000-$50,000 estimate.

Before recorded music took the culture by storm in the 1920s, automatic machines brought the magic of music into homes. A Regina Corona music box with self-changing technology hit its top estimate at $6,000 ($7,920 with buyer’s premium). It plays 27in metal discs marked with small cuts to trigger musical note playback. They are akin to the paper rolls used in vintage player pianos, but are much sturdier and longer-lived due to their metallic construction.

Alfred Robert Hayward (1875-1971) was an English painter who was most active in the early 20th century. This oil on canvas, On the Balcony, dates to 1909 and was noted to have large areas of retouching. Bidders were not deterred, sending the artwork well above its top estimate at $5,000 ($6,500 with buyer’s premium).