STAIR GALLERIES' 4TH AUCTION TOPS HALF A MILLION DOLLARS
In
less than a year Stair Galleries has established a reputation for its
ability to find and offer fine, fresh estate merchandise. Their May
25th sale in Hudson, NY was no exception with property from the Estate
of Senator and Mrs. Terry Carpenter of Scottsbluff, Nebraska; a Midwestern
Americana collector; the Estate of Walter Rotan, a listed New York City
sculptor and teacher; Ingrao, Inc., a prestigious architecture, design
and decoration firm based in New York City; a Southampton estate, 2
Columbia County residences and other private homes in Manhattan and
Massachusetts.
Because of the holiday weekend, there were an unusually large number
of absentee and phone bids. The sale kicked into high gear with Lot
20, the watercolor attributed to Paul Seifert that came from a Southampton
estate. Five phone bidders quickly vanquished the absentee bids and
Rupert Fennell, of Stair Galleries, executing a bid on behalf of a well-known
Manhattan dealer quickly got the price up to $35,000 in the room. At
that point the phone bidders took over, with Westborough, Massachusetts
dealer David Wheatcroft beating out the competition at $58,000. When
he picked up his purchase in Claverack the week after the sale he said
he was delighted to own the Seifert because it is one of the best he
has ever seen.
Two 19th c. portrait paintings did well; the first was a full-length
portrait of a young girl in a blue dress and pantaloons holding a cat;
the second depicted a handsome man identified as "Tyler Briggs,
M.D." Each sold for $5,750. Among the American furniture highlights
were a New York mahogany chest on chest ($11,000), an 18th c. walnut
highboy ($7,000), a pair of Federal carved giltwood mirrors ($16,000),
a 19th c. Newport chest on chest ($6,500) and a Pennsylvania walnut
side chair ($6,750). A Steinway grand piano in a mahogany Queen Anne-style
case sold at $14,000 and is being shipped to Japan. An elegant Edwardian
satinwood and marquetry cabinet on stand brought $4,750 and is on its
way back to England. A wonderful set of George III-style mahogany side
chairs with stepped top rails and drapery swags sold for $8,000 and
a Regency mahogany bow-front sideboard with lion's head ring drop handles
fetched $5,000. A Regence-style walnut suite comprising a settee and
four fauteuils a la reine, all in original needlework brought $10,000.
Notable among the many fine "smalls" sold at the auction were
a Charles II stumpwork picture ($8,500), a pair of Swedish neoclassical
crescent-topped candelabra ($5,500) and an unusual powder horn inscribed
"Daniel Read's Powder Horn Made in Lisbon and State of Connecticut
March ye 3rd 1802" decorated with ships, fish, a flowering tree,
a manor house, slaves in chains and the words "As Cold," "Presumption"
and "Cruelty," depicting an abolitionist's view of an evil
institution. It sold for $14,000.
Of the 339 lots offered only 22 failed to sell. The auction total (including
buyer's premium) was $507,368.74. (Prices quoted above for individual
lots do not include the 15% buyer's premium.)
Stair Galleries' next auction is scheduled for July 27. The catalogue
for the sale will be on their website (stairgalleries.com) 2 weeks prior
to the sale.
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