Auction News Network

King’s Gift To Emperor: A ‘Fan Watch’

The Chinese aristocracy was crazy for extravagant watches so King George III had one crafted in the agate handle of a truly extravagant gold, silver, diamond, ruby, and emerald adorned fan for the 80^th birthday of Emperor Qianlong in 1792. Antiquorum is selling that “Fan Watch” at its Timepieces auction in Hong Kong, October 22.  The estimate is in the $200,000 range.

Noted Thoroughbred Breeder’s Collection

The late Edward P. (Ned) Evans was a racehorse breeder of some renown. His 3,000 acre Spring Hill Farm is the largest breeding farm in Virginia, and it was also home to his collection of 19^th and 20^th century paintings as well as English and American furniture, silver, ceramics and decorative works of art. Sotheby’s will sell that collection on September 29^th in New York, where the highlight is expected to be a rare mahogany Chippendale games table circa 1770, estimated at $60,000-90,000.

Ryanair Founder’s Collection At Christie’s

Ryanair co-founder Dr. Tony Ryan bought Lyons Demesne, once one of Ireland’s finest houses, in 1996, after which the late billionaire restored the mansion and filled it with a vast amount of antique furniture and art. Of the 400-lots that Christie’s will offer on July 14^th in London, the most valuable item is likely to be an 18^th century portrait by Hugh Douglas Hamilton. Ryan paid over $600,000 for the pastel at Christie’s in 2000. On Thursday, it’s expected to fetch considerably less: $319,000-$478,00.

Update: The Hugh Douglas Hamilton portrait exceeded estimates at $537,239. In all, the sale brought in $4.7m, well above expectations.

Glasses Bought For $1.91 Bring $25,472

Three 18^th century Beilby wine glasses bought for $1.91 at an English “car boot” sale sold at auction this past weekend for $25,472. After picking them up at the swap meet, the anonymous seller brought them to Stride & Son in Chichester for evaluation. Auctioneer Mark Hewitt, sensing their value, immediately placed them in a locked cabinet.

$1.4m Snuff Box Blows Past Estimates

As much as $240,000 had been expected for an 18^th century porcelain snuff box made for Poland’s king, August III. After a telephone bidding war, however, the box adorned with a Dresden landscape finally sold for $1.4m, which was more than five times its high estimate. The price was a new world record for a porcelain snuff box.

Museum Quality Snuff Box Collection At Bonhams

In 18^th century European court culture,snuff  boxes were all the rage. Bonhams is calling the collection of 80 European porcelain examples that it’s selling on July 5^th in London the most important ever to be assembled. The standout lot is a box with a detailed Dresden landscape on its inside lid, estimated at $160,000-$240,000.

The Late Colin Tennant’s Estate

Colin Tennant, more lately the 3^rd Lord Glenconner, was “born into great privilege,” he once said, and used some of its trappings to acquire and transform the Carribbean island of Mustique. He shaped it into one of the  storied playgrounds of the 1960s and ‘70s, a jet set haven for rock stars and royalty. Then he moved on, with his pet elephant, to a fabulous villa in St. Lucia. Bonhams will sell its highly unusual contents this September in London.

Sotheby’s Most Successful Hong Kong Series Ever

When the final hammer came down today, closing out Sotheby’s most successful series of auctions in Hong Kong to date, more than $447m had changed hands, well above the $340m anticipated. Over eight days, Sotheby’s offered more than 3,600 lots across eight categories, as record highs were recorded for wine, watches, and various categories of Asian art.

“Dress” That Won Prince’s Heart?

The See-thru dress said to have landed an English prince sold for $125,000 at a charity fashion show and  auction in London Friday.  The so-called dress went to an anonymous buyer in the room. There were several bidders. Early estimates were around $25,000. It cost $50 to make.

A Slave-Carved Ballast Stone

A carved ballast stone recovered from a 16^th century slaveship highlights Swann Galleries’ March 10^th auction of African American relics, printed matter, and manuscripts. The stone, used to shift the center of gravity in sailing vessels, is carved with an elephant’s face, probably the work of a slave during a long passage. Recovered from a wreck on the Little Bahama Banks, it’s estimated at $8,000-$12,000.

Lena Horne’s Estate Doubles Estimate

In a gallery packed with bidders and fans, Lena Horne’s estate sold at Doyle New York for $318,000, more than twice the high estimate. There were 200 lots of art, jewelry, furniture, clothing and memorabilia owned by the late Hollywood star, and buyers at the three-hour auction snapped up every one of them.

Bonhams To Sell Jennifer Jones Estate

Jennifer Jones died in 2009, after an Academy Award-winning career as an actress, and marriages to three celebrated men: actor Robert Walker, producer David O. Selznick, and industrialist Norton Simon. Much of her estate has been dispersed; the art collection she shared with Simon is the Pasadena museum that bears his name. On January 16 in Los Angeles, Bonhams will sell a variety of items that remain.

Christie’s To Offer Dennis Hopper Collection

Alongside his career as a celebrated actor and director, the late Dennis Hopper pursued a parallel course as a photographer and collector.  Back in November, as part of its 2010 Post-War and Contemporary Art auctions, Christie’s offered more than 30 works from the actor’s collection, realizing $12.8 million. On January 11-12, Christie’s will offer a second installment of nearly 300 more items owned by Hopper. Update:

A Warhol screenprint portrait of Mao with two bullet holes, estimated at $20-$30,000, sold for $302,500, more than 10 times its estimate.

Vintage Radios At Bonhams

Once, table radios sat in virtually every American home, a showcase for the best in American design. Between 1933 and 1945 they were often composed of Catalin, a vividly colored substance like Bakelite. Earlier today in New York, Bonhams offered over 90 of these radios. Top seller was a brilliant red 1933 Air King 52 with a map of the world dial, which sold for $42,700.

Tsarist Table Sells For $1.4 Million

A table that once stood in the Russian Imperial Family’s St. Petersburg Winter Palace sold yesterday at Bonhams’ Russian auction in London for $1.4 million. The intricately designed circular table composed of coral, onyx and turquoise fetched more than four times its estimate. Why? Its assured provenance, and “historical importance,” suggested Yelena Harick of Bonhams.