A gorgeous pair of Chippendale mahogany side chairs, crafted in Philadelphia in the 1700s, sold for $33,210 in an online-only Fine Estates Collection auction held April 10th by Neue Auctions, based in Beachwood, an upscale suburb located outside Cleveland. The sale featured 432 lots of fine merchandise from the homes of celebrated interior designers.
“It was an awesome sale from start to finish,” said Cynthia Maciejewski of Neue Auctions. “We offered personal collections of traditional furnishings and European antiques, and bidders took note. Sixty percent of participating bidders were first timers with us, and 90 percent of the items sold. A few lots did extremely well and it seems like furniture is finally making a comeback.”
The Chippendale side chairs were the top lot of the auction. They were centered by a carved foliate form, over a scrolled and pierced backsplat, with reeded side rails, an upholstered slip seat, cabriole legs carved at the knees with foliate forms and claw and ball feet.
Following are additional highlights from the auction. Online bidding was facilitated by the popular platforms Liveauctioneers.com, Invaluable.com and Bidsquare.com. Telephone and absentee bids were also accepted. All prices quoted here include a 23 percent buyer’s premium.
Two gorgeous oval paintings, both nicely framed, were expected to attract keen bidder interest and they did not disappoint. One was an 18th century French School oil on canvas portrait of a gentleman, with a canvas size of 28 ½ inches by 23 inches ($4,305). The other was a 19th century Hudson River School oil painting of a mountainous river landscape with a river, fishermen and a sailboat, in very good condition with some craquelure, 21 inches by 26 inches (canvas) ($7,380).
A realistically modeled, life-size wood tack shop horse figure made in the early 20th century of wood and gesso, 82 inches tall, painted white, with natural horsehair tail, leather ears, glass eyes and a moveable mouth, knocked down for $5,842; while another equestrian-themed item, a late 19th century plaster sculpture Lady of the Belle Epoque on a Dappled Gray Horse by Henri (Comte) Geoffrey de Ruille (French, 1842-1922), 21 inches tall, found a new owner for $3,321.
Good things came in twos with a pair of American gray painted pine columnar capitals carved in the Corinthian style, originally made around 1900 for a building in the state of Maine, but never used, 21 inches tall each ($3,075); and a pair of matted and framed engravings by Giovanni Battista Piranesi (Italian, 1720-1778), both of Hadrian’s Villa, one of them signed in the plate lower left “Cavalier Piranesi F” and both housed in 31 ¼ inch by 38 ½ inch frames ($4,920).
Several pieces of beautiful 18th century American Queen Anne furniture came up for bid, so-named because they were made in the style of decorative arts and architecture dominant during the reign of England’s Queen Anne (1702-1718), characterized by spare, limited and restrained decoration. Three of the top six lots in the auction were Queen Anne furniture pieces. They were:
– A maple flat-top highboy, 62 ¾ inches tall, circa 1740, Massachusetts. In two parts, the rectangular top over three graduated long drawers, the lower part with three short drawers over an a-shaped apron with two pendant drops ($7,995).
– A gateleg table, Massachusetts, circa 1760. Circular top with two drop leaves, raised on cabriole legs ending in pad feet, 25 inches tall, 30 inches wide ($6,765).
– A pair of walnut side chairs made in the 1700s, the crest rail centered by a carved scallop shell over a vasiform backsplat and shaped upholstered slip seat, raised on cabriole legs joined by turned stretchers ending in upturned pad feet. ($6,150).
English Wedgwood is hugely popular with collectors. A circa 1978 Wedgwood black basalt canopic jar and cover, in black jasper with applied terra cotta hieroglyphics and symbols of the zodiac, the cover in the form of an Egyptian head, 10 inches tall, went for $1,353; and a 19th century Wedgwood engine turned and caneware group consisting of a 9 ½ inch tall caneware crater urn and cover and a pair of 7 ¼ inch tall engine turned candlesticks commanded $1,845.
From Asia, a circa 1800 Chinese wallpaper five-panel screen, hand-decorated with a flower and bamboo garden with birds and insects on a pale blue ground, each panel 87 ½ inches tall by 18 inches wide, brought $6,150; while an early 20th century Chinese polychrome glaze porcelain bowl with gilt metal mounts by E. F. Caldwell & Co. (N.Y.), transforming it into an ash receiver, with hand-painted flowers and the six-character seal mark for Daoguang (1821-1850) hit $3,690.
Neue Auctions has an exciting Modernism sale planned for Saturday, May 15th, at 10 am Eastern time. The online-only auction will feature items gathered from regional estates and longtime collectors, including selections from the late Cleveland concert promoter Mike Belkin and his wife, Annie. The merchandise mix will cover a wide range of mediums and categories, including paintings, sculpture, works on paper, furniture, art glass, ceramics, enamel work and jewelry.
To learn more about Neue Auctions, visit www.neueauctions.com. Updates are posted frequently.
About Neue Auctions:
Neue Auctions provides a bespoke experience for sellers and buyers, with items presented fully guaranteed and vetted, and combines regular online auctions with selected art exhibitions and educational opportunities. Offering consignment services for single items, estates and corporate collections, the firm assists clients in the complicated process of settling estates and general downsizing, working with private individuals, trusts, estates, museums, banks and attorneys. Neue Auctions continues the long-standing history and tradition of art collecting in Cleveland by bringing fine works of art to the market for sale, encouraging the current and next generation of collectors. Neue Auctions is accepting consignments for future sales. For purchases or inquiries about consigning, please call 216-245-6707; or send an email to cynthia@neueauctions.com. Neue Auctions invites everyone to be added to its email list to receive notifications and information regarding all current and future sales. For info, visit www.neueauctions.com.