$14,080 was the highest price of the day, awarded to this Charles-Nicolas Odiot sterling silver tea and coffee service, French, circa 1840 ($7/10,000).
Review by Kiersten Busch
BOSTON — Live from The Vendrome, Doyle’s new Boston location, the firm’s 281-lot Property from a Commonwealth Avenue Mansion: The Estate of Anthony J. Sinskey sale was conducted on December 12 — the first single-owner sale presented at The Vendrome since its opening in early September. Sinskey was a “renowned MIT professor and pioneering figure in metabolic engineering, biotechnology and biomanufacturing.” The firm’s post-sale press release deemed the auction a success and noted that the “sale of artwork, furniture, Asian art, silver, porcelain and jewelry surpassed expectation.”
“The reception was great for the Sinskey collection — more in person previewers than we’ve ever had, and a great amount of local interest, bidding and buying,” shared vice president Chris Barber. He continued, “The sale was 93 percent sold by lot, and brought at the high end of our expectations. It totaled just under $248,000. We were very satisfied!” While Barber was unable to offer specifics on the bidding pool, he did note, “we loved the local Boston interest, which we’ve seen growing since our opening!”
The top price of the sale — $14,080 — went to a sterling silver tea and coffee service by Charles-Nicolas Odiot. Manufactured in Paris circa 1840, the set comprised a kettle on stand, coffee pot, teapot, sugar and cream jug and had previously been sold at an October 19, 2001, auction at Christie’s, New York. The silver category also snagged the second-highest price of the day, thanks to a set of 12 Tiffany & Company lunch plates, which had scrolled borders and rims engraved with monograms and a stylized eight-pointed star. Surpassing their $6,000 high estimate, the plates brought $10,240.
This Whiting Manufacturing Company sterling silver flatware service in the Lily pattern, circa 1902, approximately 75 ounces, set the table for $4,800 ($1,5/2,500).
Also exceeding expectations in the silver category were a circa 1902 flatware service by Whiting Manufacturing Company in the Lily pattern ($4,800); a group of American and English table articles from manufacturers such as Manchester Silver Company, Wilcox & Wagner, Birmingham and Poole Silver Company ($1,920); and two circa 1900 serving pieces — one fish server and one spoon — by Reed & Barton in the Les Six Fleurs pattern ($1,792).
Around 10 rugs were offered, led by a Fereghan Sarouk carpet made in North Persia during the late Nineteenth Century. Unrolling for $5,440, the carpet measured approximately 15 feet 10 inches by 11 feet 4 inches. The other examples ranged in price from $512 for a Northwest Persian Hamadan runner from the first quarter of the Twentieth Century, to $2,432 for a contemporary Tabriz-style carpet from Afghanistan.
Two additional textiles, both tapestries, also earned top prices in the furniture and decorative arts category. An Aubusson Verdure tapestry from Eighteenth or Nineteenth Century France took the lead at $3,840; it depicted a landscape with a castle in the distance, surrounded by a floral border. Following close behind at $2,880 was a Flemish tapestry panel depicting figures in an architectural and wooded landscape, with a border of flowers, masks and figures.
“Scene In The Alps Mts.” by William Lester Stevens (American, 1888-1969), oil on canvas, 47 by 53¼ inches framed, landed within estimate to lead fine art selections at $5,120 ($5/8,000).
“Scene In The Alps Mts” by William Lester Stevens led a selection of nearly 60 lots of fine art. The American artist’s oil on canvas contained a label on the reverse that read “Sciene [sic] In The Alps Mts. By – W. Lester Stevens.” Landing within its $5/8,000 estimate, the painting made $5,120. Several other landscapes performed well, including “Napoli” by Consalvo Carelli (Italian, 1818-1910) ($3,200), “Cows Watering” by Willem Roelofs (Dutch, 1822-1897) ($2,880) and “Autumn Fishing” by John Terelak (American, b 1942) ($2,304).
The highest price in the jewelry category — $5,120 — was awarded to a pair of gold, ruby and sapphire bead necklaces, one 25 inches long and the other 34 inches long, which sold together for more than double the high end of their $1,5/2,000 estimate. Necklaces continued to attract bidder attention, with an Indian gold, enamel, white sapphire, emerald bead and seed pearl fringe example achieving $4,160, more than five times its $500/700 estimate.
A Russian-style seal made with 14K yellow gold, green guilloche enamel and white enamel was decorated with applied gold ribbons centered with rubies and was topped with a silver elephant. More than doubling its high estimate, the seal stamped down for $4,160.
Ranging in height from 11¼ to 18 inches, this group of five Thai Ban Chiang bichrome pottery vessels with geometric designs filled up for $4,800, far ahead of their $400/600 estimate.
Asian works of art were dominated by Ban Chiang bichrome pottery vessels in groups of five; they took up seven of the 10 top lots in the category. The highest earning of the seven lots, at $4,800, was a group with geometric designs incorporating spirals and scrolls, ranging from 11¼ to 18 inches tall. The remaining six lots of Ban Chiang pottery followed in quick succession, totaling $3,520, $3,200 (two), $2,880 and $2,560 (two).
To conclude, Barber shared, of many of the top lots, that “they show the variety of interest, taste and knowledge of the collectors overall. We were especially happy with the performance of the group of jewelry, a collection of pens and the Ban Chiang pottery. Of course, there were plenty of individual successes as well!”
Doyle Boston’s next sale will take place on February 6 and is titled Boston Collects. It will feature jewelry, silver, American and European paintings and a variety of furniture, from antique to modern.
Prices quoted include buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. For information, 212-427-2730 or www.doyle.com.
