The highest price of the sale — $24,890 — was awarded to this Herter Brothers marquetry drop-center dresser, 6 feet 9½ inches by 6 feet ½ inch by 25 inches, which was made with rosewood with various secondary woods ($6/8,000).

Review by Kiersten Busch

HUDSON, N.Y. — Design: 1860-1910, Stair Galleries’ October 9 auction, showcased “the dramatic redefinition of the nature of art and culture during this rich chapter in the history of decorative arts design,” according to the sale’s description on the firm’s website. It featured just shy of 300 lots of fine art, decorative arts, furniture, Asian works of art and watches and clocks, and totaled $478,130 with a 96 percent sell-through rate, eclipsing its $388,900 high estimate.

Director of marketing Holly Stair commented, “We were very pleased with the results of Design: 1860-1910. This is a category we are proud to support, and one that continues to resonate with collectors across generations. The response to the sale was enthusiastic across the board, and we were especially glad to welcome a number of new bidders into the fold.”

Stair also touched upon the bidding pool’s demographics, explaining, “Bidders in [the sale] were predominantly US-based, with participation from Canada, France and the UK. The majority of the bidding was conducted through Stair via phone, absentee and online bidding at stairgalleries.com. Of the 140 successful buyers, 60 percent of them were private collectors. The sale also saw support from the trade and institutional buyers.”

The day was topped by a rosewood marquetry drop-center dresser made by Herter Brothers, which more than tripled its $6/8,000 estimate, totaling $24,890. Using various secondary woods, the dresser had intricate flower designs throughout.

$14,410 was the winning price for this ebonized, carved and painted Aesthetic Movement marquetry and parcel-gilt parlor cabinet, 7 feet 4 inches by 5 feet 1½ inches by 16½ inches, which was possibly made by Herter Brothers ($3/5,000).

Just fewer than 10 lots of furniture by and attributed to Herter Brothers crossed the block, including a few additional pieces which earned notable prices, like an ebonized, carved and painted Aesthetic Movement marquetry and parcel-gilt parlor cabinet made with various types of wood which closed at $14,410. While cataloged as “possibly Herter Brothers,” it was also noted that “The marquetry border matches a documented Herter Brothers design in Herter Brothers: Furniture and Interiors for a Gilded Age” (1994).

More than 40 tables were offered, ranging in price from $393 for an English Eastlake walnut side table, to $23,120 for a Pottier & Stymus rosewood and parcel-gilt marble top center table. Of the latter, Stair commented, “[There was] spirited bidding between the online and phone bidders. The successful bidder was a private collector who bid online at stairgalleries.com.”

A parcel-gilt Camino wood, ebony and simulated tortoiseshell two-door cabinet by Cottier and Company led just under 20 cabinets offered in the sale, more than doubling its $8,000 high estimate at $17,030. The cabinet, which had a giltwood interior, also had a pewter string inlay and was in good overall condition.

A popular lot in the decorative arts category — which received just shy of 30 bids before it was sold — was a brass and cast-iron claw-footed floor lamp attributed to Bradley and Hubbard. Standing at 44 inches high, the lamp’s four-clawed foot resembled that of a bird; it was not accompanied by a shade. It defied expectations, soaring above its $800-$1,200 estimate, flocking to $7,844. It led a selection of more than 30 lots of lamps, lighting and candlesticks, the remainder of which earned prices ranging from $98 for a Satsuma brass-mounted carcel lamp, to $3,406 for a group of four giltwood fern-form wall lights that were most likely English-made.

Attributed to Bradley and Hubbard, this brass and cast-iron claw foot floor lamp measured 44 inches high and illuminated for $7,844 ($800-$1,200).

A small selection of lots by British designer and design theorist Christopher Dresser (1834-1904) also attracted bidder attention. Stair highlighted an Aesthetic Movement bronze and ebony bell, possibly by Dresser, saying, “A favorite of many of the visitors to the gallery, this soared past the estimate of $200/400 and achieved a price realized of $4,585. The competitive bidders likely agreed that it was possibly designed by Christopher Dresser.”

Stair concluded, “With many private collectors among the successful bidders, it’s clear that this material continues to resonate today. These are objects that carry a rich history and can also feel right at home in modern interiors. We are looking forward to building on the momentum of this sale and continuing to support this collecting category.”

November at Stair, featuring selections from The Museum of Modern Art, will take place November 19, followed by Modern & Contemporary Fine Art & Design on November 20. Prices quoted include buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. For information, 518-751-1000 or www.stairgalleries.com.