Bibliophiles appreciated a three-volume first edition, first impression set of JRR Tolkein’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy, which sold at Heritage and led auctions worldwide at $250,000. At a much more conservative price, a first edition signed copy of Buzz Aldrin’s Look to the Stars flipped to $350 with Connecticut River Book Auctions. Landscapes also captivated bidders, with “When Christmas Bells are swinging…” by Elizabeth Mumford making $7,040 at Eldred’s, while “Morning in the Mountains” by Zulma Steele climbed to $4,375 with James Cox Gallery. For these highlights and others, keep reading.

Steuben Partridge In A Pear Tree A Litchfield Gift

LITCHFIELD, CONN. — A cut-crystal pear inset with a 18K yellow gold tree, designed by Lloyd Atkins for Steuben and titled “Partridge in a Pear Tree,” was the most highest selling of more than 175 lots in Litchfield Auctions’ Luxury Gifts & Accessories sale on December 10. Coming to auction from the estate of Mary Bundy, the 6-inch-tall piece, swaddled in its original red silk box, was bid to $5,200 from a LiveAuctioneers bidder, a significant improvement over its $1/2,000 estimate. For information, www.litchfieldcountyauctions.com or 860-567-4661.

Burchard Sends Chinese Dragon Robe Flying

ST PETERSBURG, FLA. — A Nineteenth Century Chinese silk embroidered four-toed dragon robe from the Qing dynasty was one of the highest selling lots in Burchard Galleries’ December 14 Estates auction. The 56-inch-long robe featured stylized clouds, flames, literati, scholarly and auspicious symbols, some of which were made using the Forbidden Stitch. Estimated at $1,5/2,500, it brought $6,458 from an online international buyer. For information, 727-821-1167 or www.burchardgalleries.com.

Ladderback Chair Reaches Good Heights For DL Straight

STURBRIDGE, MASS. — An early American Pilgrim Century ladderback maple armchair with an old surface and flat arms that was cataloged as probably from Boston or Charlestown, Mass., was the highest-selling lot of 659 offered on December 6 in DL Straight’s Holiday Season Americana. It sold for $2,816, nearly tripling its $500-$1,000 estimate. An online buyer had the winning bid. For information, www.dlstraightauctioneers.com or 508-769-5404.

Seasonal Mumford Snowscape Hits Sweet Note At Eldred’s

EAST DENNIS, MASS. — Eldred’s annual Holiday Sale on December 4 was billed as a “curated selection of couture, antiques and objets d’art” perfect for “unique gifts.” One of the highest prices of the day at $7,040 was Elizabeth Mumford’s “When Christmas Bells are swinging, above the fields of snow, We hear sweet voices singing from lands of long ago,” a 9-by-12-inch oil on panel painting. According to Cheryl Stewart, the painting came from a Massachusetts collection and sold to a local buyer. For information, 508-385-3116 or www.eldreds.com.

Steele Landscape Steals Show At James Cox Gallery

WILLOW, N.Y. — Nearly 200 pieces of fine art in a variety of media were presented in James Cox Gallery’s Collectors Exchange Fine Art Auction on December 14. Exceeding expectations with a $4,375 result was “Morning in the Mountains” by Zulma Steele (American, 1881-1979), which dated to circa 1940 and was once exhibited at the National Association of Women Painters and Sculptors in New York City. For information, 845-679-7608 or www.jamescoxgallery.com.

Hayloft Makes Green With Verdures Dinner Service

BRONX, N.Y. — Exactly 400 lots were presented by Hayloft Auctions on December 15, in the firm’s monthly fine and decorative art auction. A 97-piece porcelain dinner service by Raynaud, in the Verdures pattern, set the apex of the sale, going from a $300/500 estimate to $5,938 and a new table to sit on. For information, www.hayloftauctions.com or 929-303-3266.

Tolkien Trilogy Makes Epic Price At Heritage

DALLAS — Described as “a superlative set in very fine unrestored condition,” a three-volume first edition, first impressions set of JRR Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy — The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King — earned $250,000 in Heritage Auctions’ Rare Books Signature Auction on December 15. Published in London by George Allen & Unwin Ltd, between 1954-55, the set was housed in a custom quarter morocco slipcase with gilt decoration and came from the library of a Minnesota collector. It helped push the 608-lot sale to $2.1 million. For information, www.ha.com or 214-528-3500.

Feinstein’s Estate Anchored By German Chest

OAKLAND, CALIF. — Clars Auctions sold 280 lots from the Estate of Senator Dianne Feinstein on December 18 in a sale that was nearly 98 percent sold by lot and totaled $166,000, exceeding expectations. At the top of the sale was a mid Eighteenth Century German carved chest that had been estimated at $800-$1,200 but sold for $7,205 to a private collector from the Midwest bidding online. For information, 888-339-7600 or www.clars.com.

Buzz Aldrin Children’s Book Is Best Present At CT River Book

GLASTONBURY, CONN. — Connecticut River Book Auction conducted a sale on December 5. Owner Tom Gullotta shared that the sale “offered well over a dozen lots of children’s books in keeping with the holiday season.” Earning top-lot status at $305 was a first edition signed copy of Look to the Stars by astronaut Buzz Aldrin, also signed by the illustrator. Gullotta shared that “the successful out-of-state absentee bidder specifically mentioned that she saw this first edition copy in The Bee.” For information, 860-908-8067 or www.ctriverbookauction.com.