Games were a recurring theme at auctions this week, from a Super Nintendo console and games that realized $2,875 at JMW Auction Service, to $96,875 for a booster box copy of Pokémon Skyridge that led Heritage Auctions to $22.6 million. Portraits — from Mughel to Bo Bartlett — were also big winners, but read on for a new world auction record set in Paris.
Qing Era Bowls Serve Up Hot Result At Clars
OAKLAND, CALIF. — These ten Chinese famille rose porcelain bowls rose far beyond their $1,5/2,500 estimate to achieve $39,300, the highest price in Clars Auctions’ California & American Art, Jewelry, & Asian sale on June 20, which Clars identified as “a standout +result showcasing the enduring appeal and historical significance of Qing-era porcelain.” The bowls featured bird and floral designs and were marked underneath with a blue Guangxu six-character mark. For information, www.clars.com or 510-428-0100.
Sterling Silver Shines At SJ Auctioneers
BROOKLYN, N.Y. — SJ Auctioneers conducted a 257-lot auction of Black Americana, decorations, silver, jewelry, collectible toys and more on June 18. Polishing up for the sale-high price of $4,800 was a 59-picee sterling silver flatware set by Durgin/Gorham in the Dauphin pattern. Cataloged as “very rare,” this set and its wooden storage chest sold to a private collector. For information, www.sjauctioneers.com.
Super Nintendo Earns High Score For JMW
KINGSTON, N.Y. — Featuring more than 435 lots, JMW Auction Service’s June 20 Large Ephemera Auction From Estate Collection comprised items from “an old time dealer-collector’s estate” whose “house was jam-packed from room to room” with ephemera, collectibles, books and more. Estimated just $500/700 but earning the top spot on the leaderboard for $2,875 and selling to a North Carolina collector was a Super Nintendo console and more than 20 Super Nintendo SNES cartridges, including Final Fantasy II, Lufia & The Fortress of Doom, Super Mario All-Stars and The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past. For information, www.jmwauction.com or 845-389-1933.
Bartlett Self-Portrait Achieves Stately Price At A&O
ATLANTA — More than 340 lots were sold by Ahlers & Ogletree Auction Gallery in the firm’s June 26 auction of The Collection of Alton Arnall Thomasson. According to the catalog, Thomasson (Newnan, Ga.) “is a lifelong collector and world traveler whose refined eye and intellectual curiosity have shaped a remarkable private collection.” Drawing up the best result was “The Statesman,” a 2012 self-portrait in oil on board by Bo (James William) Bartlett III (American, b 1955). “The Statesman” had been exhibited at Forum Gallery, New York City, in 2012 and sold for $33,275, far exceeding its $6/8,000 estimate. For information, www.aandoauctions.com or 404-869-2478.
Portrait Poses For Winning Price At Kaminski
BEVERLY, MASS. — Kaminski Auctions’ Late Summer Estates Auction was conducted on June 29 and showcased the contents of a waterfront estate in Gloucester, Mass., as well as select items from estates in Palm Beach, Fla., and Walpole, Mass. The 534-lot sale was led by a portrait of a European woman done by an unknown artist from the Mughel School in Northern India. Dated to the late Eighteenth Century, the 13-by-19-inch work was inscribed “Firangi” in Urdu, meaning “foreigner.” With provenance to a Topsfield, Mass., estate, the portrait made 25 times the high end of its $400/600 estimate, topping the sale at $15,000. For information, 978-927-2223 or www.kaminskiauctions.com.
Cabinet Advertises Satisfying Result For Main Street
WOODBURY, CONN. — On June 29, Main Street Auctions conducted the 269-lot sale of the Robert and Jane Cottingham collection from Newtown, Conn., as well as items from other estates. Spanning 60 years, the Cottingham collection included advertising, silver, Americana and more. One of the highlights from their collection was a Nineteenth Century step-back cupboard advertising The National Stores of Ventnor on the Isle of Wight, England. Standing 76 inches high by 31 inches wide by 22¼ inches deep, the cupboard sold to a private collector in New Jersey for $9,063. For information, 203-233-1736.
Pokémon Booster Box Boosts Bids At Heritage
DALLAS — A Pokémon Skyridge sealed booster box (Wizards of the Coast, 2003) sold for $96,875 to lead Heritage’s June 27-28 Trading Card Games Signature Auction to a $22.6 million finish. Skyridge is among the most popular and sought-after sealed booster boxes for the game. It not only was the final Pokémon set printed by Wizards of the Coast but also is one of the rarest, claiming a spot on many collectors’ must-have lists. For information, www.ha.com or 214-528-3500.
Mumford Port Scene An Eldred Fan Favorite
EAST DENNIS, MASS. — One of the top lots in Eldred’s Summer Living auction on July 10 was Elizabeth Mumford’s “Bustling Port Scene,” an 1986 oil on canvas composition that measured 19 by 25 inches in a faux bois and stenciled frame. Estimated at $700/1,000, it inspired competition from phone and online bidders before closing at $5,760. Cheryl Stewart noted, “We’ve seen really strong results for Mumfords recently, even for prints.” For information, 508-385-3116 or www.eldreds.com
Original Birkin Bag Brings $10 Million
PARIS — The bespoke original black leather handbag, made in 1985 by Hermès for the actress and singer Jane Birkin, sold for $10 million, in Sotheby’s Fashion Icons sale on July 10. According to Artnet, the result followed a 10-minute bidding war online, on the phone and in the room; a private collector from Japan had the winning bid, which set a new world auction record for a handbag. For information, www.sothebys.com.
