Chinese Export French-style automation clock, signed Cheon S’Nag Comton to the mechanism, $34,375

Art, objects of superior quality drew bidders to Moran’s Traditional Collector sale

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Chinese Export French-style automation clock, signed Cheon S’Nag Comton to the mechanism, $34,375

Chinese Export French-style automation clock, signed Cheon S’Nag Comton to the mechanism, $34,375

LOS ANGELES — John Moran Auctioneers presented its first Traditional Collector sale of the year as a two-day affair on April 25 and 26. It featured more than 500 lots of Continental furnishings, French, Italian, Art Deco, lighting, clocks, fine art, bronze sculptures, Gorham Martele and Tiffany & Co. silver, Christofle Cardeilhac flatware, and pianos by Bosendorfer and Steinway. Designer furnishings on offer included pieces by Linke, Riesener, Victor Paillard, Dasson, Barbedienne and Galle.

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John Nieto, ‘Poised Coyote,’ $63,000. Image courtesy of Hindman

Western & Contemporary Native American Art sale tops $2M at Hindman

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John Nieto, ‘Poised Coyote,’ $63,000. Image courtesy of Hindman

John Nieto, ‘Poised Coyote,’ $63,000. Image courtesy of Hindman

DENVER – Western artists ranging from historic painters such as Albert Bierstadt, William R. Leigh and Leon Shulman Gaspard to contemporary names such as Ed Mell, Jeremy Lipking and John Nieto achieved outstanding prices during Hindman’s May 4 Western & Contemporary Native American Art auction. Contemporary Native American artists were also among top performers, led once again by an iconic Fritz Scholder work, Indian at the Bar. Paintings by Native American artists such as Jaune Quick-to-See-Smith and Kay WalkingStick were also among the highlights. With a lively room of bidders and strong competition from the phones and online platforms, the auction ultimately realized more than $2 million, with 94 percent of lots sold.

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Gilt-bronze figure of Shakyamuni Buddha, £806,700. Image courtesy of Bonhams

Bonhams’ London Asia Week sales impress with $11.5M total

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Gilt-bronze figure of Shakyamuni Buddha, £806,700. Image courtesy of Bonhams

Gilt-bronze figure of Shakyamuni Buddha, £806,700. Image courtesy of Bonhams

LONDON – The combined total of Bonhams London Asia Week sales hit more than £9.3 million (more than $11.5 million) this May across Bonhams New Bond Street and Knightsbridge salerooms. The top lot from the Asia Week sales was a magnificent gilt-bronze figure of Shakyamuni Buddha, with a Yongle mark and of the period (1403-1424), which sold for £806,700 in the Fine Chinese Art sale on May 18 against an estimate of £300,000-£500,000. This was closely followed by an Imperial court painting of the Bannerman Te’er Deng Che, Qianlong, dated by inscription to 1788 and of the period, which sold for £781,500, nearly four times the estimate of £200,000-£300,000.

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Gilt-bronze Tibetan Buddha, $200,000

Tibetan Buddha trounces $200-$300 estimate to sell for $200K at Briggs

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Gilt-bronze Tibetan Buddha, $200,000

Gilt-bronze Tibetan Buddha, $200,000

GARNET VALLEY, Pa. – A gilt-bronze Tibetan Buddha blasted through its $200-$300 estimate to achieve the staggering sum of $200,000 in an online Fine Estates Auction held by Briggs Auction, Inc. The piece, pulled from a PhiladelphiaMain Line estate, generated the most ever paid for a single item offered at Briggs.

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Bertoia’s Spring Signature Sale of American and European antique toys tops $1.8M

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Ives (USA) Uncle Sam clockwork perambulator, believed to be one of only two known examples, the other being the example depicted in Blair Whitton’s 1981 reference book ‘American Clockwork Toys 1862-1900.’ Sold for $72,000 against an estimate of $20,000-$40,000

VINELAND, N.J. – Bertoia Auctions welcomed spring with a beautiful selection of rare American and European antique toys and banks at their March 24-25 Signature Sale, which exceeded $1.8 million. The 708-lot event was highlighted by fine mechanical banks and bell toys from the renowned Rudd Trowbridge collection, Phil and Joan Steel’s prize collection of French-made Martin windup toys, and additional high-quality consignments. Absentee and Internet live bidding was provided by LiveAuctioneers.

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Detail of Bedchamber Sword of Tipu Sultan, £14 million ($17.4 million). Image courtesy of Bonhams

Tipu Sultan’s bedchamber sword sells for record $17.4M at Bonhams

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Detail of Bedchamber Sword of Tipu Sultan, £14 million ($17.4 million). Image courtesy of Bonhams

Detail of Bedchamber Sword of Tipu Sultan, £14 million ($17.4 million). Image courtesy of Bonhams

LONDON – Tipu Sultan’s fabled bedchamber sword sold for £14 million ($17.4 million) at Bonhams Islamic and Indian Art sale in London on May 23. It had an estimate of £1,500,000-£2,000,000 ($1.2 million-$2.4 million). The result represents a new world auction record for both an Indian and Islamic object.

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David Hockney, ‘Paper Pools,’ $44,100. Image courtesy of Doyle and LiveAuctioneers

Rare books, autographs and maps sale crests $1M at Doyle

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David Hockney, ‘Paper Pools,’ $44,100. Image courtesy of Doyle and LiveAuctioneers

David Hockney, ‘Paper Pools,’ $44,100. Image courtesy of Doyle and LiveAuctioneers

NEW YORK – Doyle held a successful auction titled Rare Books, Autographs & Maps on May 11. Amid competitive bidding, the sale topped $1 million, with strong results throughout the auction.

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London dealer Michael Goedhuis’ Chinese art collection brings $2.5M at Bonhams

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Late Ming dynasty silver-inlaid bronze figure of Guanyin, £214,500. Image courtesy of Bonhams

Late Ming dynasty silver-inlaid bronze figure of Guanyin, £214,500. Image courtesy of Bonhams

LONDON – There were impressive results for Bonhams’ Michael Goedhuis: Brush & Bronze sale on May 17 at Bonhams New Bond Street. The curated sale, which offered a selection of Chinese ink paintings by more than 20 key artists of the last four decades and bronze sculptures and vessels, mostly focused on those produced from the Song dynasty (960-1279) to the Qing dynasty (1644-1911), made a total of £2,078,000 (about $2.5 million), with 99% sold by lot and 100% sold by value. The top lot was Landscape, 2010-2011, by Li Huayi (b. 1948-), which sold for £277,500.

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Circa-1760 Joseph Martineau gold and ruby-set key wind triple case pocket watch (front shown), £48,180. Image courtesy of Bonhams

Spectacular pocket watches enjoyed their time at Bonhams

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Circa-1760 Joseph Martineau gold and ruby-set key wind triple case pocket watch (front and back shown), £48,180. Image courtesy of Bonhams

Circa-1760 Joseph Martineau gold and ruby-set key wind triple case pocket watch, £48,180. Courtesy Bonhams

LONDON – Bonhams‘ May 11 Watches and Wristwatches sale saw exceptional results, with the significant single-owner collection of 17th- and 18th-century pocket watches from the T.P. Camerer Cuss collection taking the limelight. The top-selling lot was a circa-1760 Joseph Martineau gold and ruby-set key wind triple case pocket watch. Its shagreen outer case was graced with 441 individually set rubies that formed a radiating circle to the back and bezel of the middle case and had further decoration to the white enamel dial. The pocket watch surpassed its estimate to achieve £48,180. The 260-lot sale made a total of £894,227 with 87% sold by lot and 94% sold by value.

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Detail from Ernie Barnes’s ‘Quintet,’ $645,000. Image courtesy of Heritage Auctions, ha.com

Play on: Heritage’s 68-lot American Art sale streaks past $6M

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Ernie Barnes, ‘Quintet,’ $645,000. Image courtesy of Heritage Auctions, ha.com

Ernie Barnes, ‘Quintet,’ $645,000. Image courtesy of Heritage Auctions, ha.com

DALLAS — On May 12, Heritage Auctions showed real muscle and its own evolution in the American Art category with a finely curated event that brought a frenzy of bidders and broke auction records for a handful of beloved artists. The Diverse Visions: Important Works by American Masters Signature® Auction brought in $6,105,750. It took more than two hours to sell just 68 lots, with more than 500 bidders engaged. In addition, with the results of this auction, Heritage’s average lot value in its American Art Signature events is now just under $100,000. Works by familiar American greats, revisited stars, and increasingly desirable sleepers gave shape to an event that included Ernie Barnes, Arthur Wesley Dow, Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, Joseph Leyendecker and Charles White.

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