Leighton Galleries’ January 24 sale, with more than 200 registered bidders, was its most successful to date, totaling nearly $600,000. The sale had no reserves and was 100 percent sold with many lots exceeding high estimate. A Keith Haring Sumi ink painting of three figures highlighted the successful sale; with fiercely competitive bidding from the floor as well as multiple phone bidders, the piece finally hammered down at $143,750 against an estimate of $15/25,000.
The Haring was part of a collection of Pop art from a Hoboken estate. Other pieces from this collection included an Andy Warhol color screenprint “Lifesavers,” which soared over its $15/25,000 presale estimate to sell for $49,450; a Roy Lichtenstein print “Reflections on Minerva” sold for $32,200 outdoing its estimate of $12/15,000; and another Haring, a screenprint, sold well above presale estimates at $9,200. A Christopher Winter Pugliese painting titled “Zero Sum Game” was hammered down at $11,500 and four screenprints by Jean-Michel Basquiat garnered $6,900 each.
Bidding continued to be strong in all categories. American antique furniture, mostly from a historical Hillsdale, N.J., home, included a few surprises: a bird’s-eye maple corner cabinet was estimated at $600/800 but flew to $20,700. The consensus of why the piece did so well was that the figured maple was outstanding, and its pristine condition made it extremely desirable. Then a grain-painted corner cupboard left its high estimate of $1,500 far behind when it sold for $18,400. The highlight of the antique furniture, however, was a Queen Anne Delaware Valley lowboy that realized $27,600.
A Hepplewhite games table reached $4,370, an Adam and Eve automation tall case clock fetched $3,105, and a Sheraton cherry stand with great inlaid fans sold at $1,955.
Portrait paintings from the Hillsdale house also stirred up some competitive bidding. An American watercolor mourning picture brought $3,335, a pair of French pastel portraits sold for $1,840, and a lovely full-length portrait of a girl wearing a coral necklace and centering a room containing a classical sofa and side chair reached $1,035 against a $400/600 estimate.
Other highlights included an American carved and painted eagle that realized $4,140, a miniature red-painted step back cupboard that garnered $1,035 and a large Chinese carved ivory figure of Shou-Xing that went to $4,140.
Heading up the silver lots was an extensive 240-piece Kirk Stieff flatware set in the Royal Dynasty pattern that realized $5,750, A Reed & Barton coffee and tea service in the Georgian Rose pattern reached $1,610, and a nice lot of 18 assorted Christmas ornaments by Gorham realized $862.
In formal furnishings and decorative arts categories, signed furniture sales were especially strong, with two Henkel-Harris high chests coming in at $3,565; another Henkel-Harris piece offered was a slant lid desk that sold for $1,380 against a $500/700 estimate.
An extensive set of Lenox china in the Holiday pattern sold for $2,530, more than tripling its high estimate of $700. A 78-piece Lenox china set in the Eclipse pattern garnered $862, an Art Deco chandelier with frosted topaz globes far surpassed its estimate of $200/300, selling for $1,610, and eight lots of Waterford stemware in Comeragh pattern totaled $3,593.
Prices given include a 15 percent buyer’s premium. For information, 201-444-3424 or www.leightongalleries.com .
