Earning the sale’s highest price at $153,600 was this pre-1908 Russian Fabergé Imperial guilloche desk clock, silver, gilt and enamel, 5½ inches high (not including its feet) by 5 inches wide at its base ($40/60,000).

Review by Carly Timpson

SARASOTA, FLA. — On June 7-8, nearly 2,000 lots of Modern art, pottery, jewelry, silver, antiques and fine art were auctioned by Sarasota Estate Auction. Featuring a lifetime collection of pottery, movie ephemera, art glass sculptures, modern furniture, and Park West Gallery artworks on the first day, and Oriental rugs, sterling silver, rare books, old master paintings and Asian antiquities on the second day, the auction realized more than $700,000 and posted an 85 percent sell-through rate.

With more than 10,000 registered bidders, Sarasota Estate Auction’s auction and marketing manager, Mia McDermott, shared, “We were on three different online platforms and had phone/absentee bidders, as well as a good in-person crowd.” She continued, “Overall, we were pleased with the results of our two-day sale. We always have eclectic auctions with a wide variety of lots to appeal to every bidder. We had bidders from roughly 65 countries and successfully sold to over 30 of them! We had quite a good amount of bidding activity prior to auction weekend and a great in-house crowd over the two days.”

Leading the two-day auction was a pre-1908 Imperial Russian Fabergé guilloché desk clock. Made in Moscow, the triangular clock bore the marks of the Imperial double-headed eagle, “K. Faberge” in Cyrillic script and the kokoshnik mark. The rare clock had a translucent oyster-white enamel face with a wavy guilloché ground, was set with seed pearls around the border of the dial, was accented by a Louis XIV-style gilt swag above the date and, as stated in the auction catalog, had “all the gold and silver hallmarks needed to make this a special Fabergé clock.” It gained substantial interest before the auction began, and McDermott shared, “Come auction day, we had three phone bidders and multiple bidders online. It ended up selling for a total of $153,600 to one of our phone bidders. We were very happy with the results!”

Leading the jewelry selection, this 18K yellow, white and rose gold Cartier Trinity bangle slipped on its new owner’s wrist for $9,280 ($9/12,000).

According to the auction catalog, “A friend of the consignor’s great aunt bought the clock at a Fabergé store in Russia over 100 years ago, later it was given to the consignor’s father, and it’s been in the family ever since.” Only two other Fabergé clocks with calendar dates are known, according to Sarasota Estate Auction — a lilac example much like this one, made for Empress Maria Feodorovna (wife of Emperor Alexander and mother of Tsar Nicholas II), is at the Fabergé Museum in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and there is a known white rectangular example.

While the clock was primarily silver with gold or gilded accents, gold jewelry led on day one. Achieving $9,280 — the second-highest price on either day — was a Cartier Trinity bangle bracelet. Featuring three interconnected bangles of 18K yellow, white and rose gold, the bracelet was stamped “Cartier” and featured the “750” mark for 18K gold. A classic chain bracelet in 14K gold, marked on its clasp, weighed just under 78 grams and brought $6,400. Finishing in the third-highest position for the category was a 14K yellow gold charm bracelet. The piece was complete with several 14K gold charms, 10K gold charms and one 18K gold lion’s head charm marked for Cartier. Finishing within its estimate range, the charm bracelet realized $4,160.

A robust selection of fine art of all mediums was up for offer, and it was an Impressionist cottage garden scene that topped the category. Selling early on the second day, Ada Walter Shulz’ flowering garden landscape was vibrantly done in oil on canvas, signed to the lower right and housed in a giltwood frame. The piece exceeded its high estimate and sold to an online bidder for $8,000. Other noteworthy framed pieces included an acrylic on canvas of two seated women by Israeli artist Itzchak Tarkay. Titled “Sophia and Alexis” on a certificate of authenticity, the painting was signed at the bottom right and bore a label from Detroit’s Park West Gallery. The ladies rested for $5,120.

“Sophia and Alexis” by Itzchak Tarkay (Israeli, 1935-2012), acrylic on canvas, 50¼ by 50¼ inches, sat for $5,120 ($5/10,000).

Malcolm Furlow, who had Native American heritage, painted a neo-expressionist bison with a bird resting on its back. The work was signed to the lower left and additionally signed with a copyright symbol on its reverse, where it was titled “Northern New Mexico Bison.” Sold with a certificate of authenticity, this colorful piece went out for $4,800.

Exceeding its estimates and achieving $4,480 was a drypoint etching by American artist Milton Avery. Depicting a city park, the work was signed in the plate to the lower left and signed to the lower right of its matte, where it was also dated “1939.”

French artist Antoine Blanchard’s Impressionist view of a Parisian street scene, titled “Notre Dame, Paris,” earned $4,160. While the titular cathedral can be seen in the background of this work, the scene was focused on the bustling street outside. Signed to the lower left, the work bore a label from the Frank J. Oehlschlaeger Gallery, Sarasota, Fla.

There were several paintings that achieved a realized price of $3,840. These included two by American abstract painter Syd Solomon — an acrylic on mounted stock titled “Coastal Swirl” and an untitled oil on Masonite — an untitled abstract watercolor signed by Paul Jenkins and “Sea of Grass,” a 1982 oil on paper by Jimmy Ernst (American, 1920-1984).

“Coastal Swirl” by Syd Solomon (American, 1917-2004), 1972, acrylic on mounted stock, swirled to $3,840 ($2/3,000).

Also earning $3,840 was a diamond and stainless steel wristwatch by Armand Nicolet. The diamond-encrusted watch, which was sold with its original box and papers, had three subdials and was on a genuine alligator leather bracelet.

Nineteen bronze animal sculptures by Dutch artist Loet Vanderveen were offered in the sale and they sold in a range of prices from $448 for an 11¼-inch-high koala and baby on a tree branch with gold-accented ears and mouths to $6,080 for a herd of 18 elephants, both adults and babies, on the move. The herd was signed “Loet” and numbered “55/570.” According to the auction catalog, “Born in Rotterdam, Holland in 1921, Loet Vanderveen’s childhood home was near the zoo where he spent most of his time,” which explains his fondness for animal subjects. Other examples from this auction include a bull, a group of penguins, ostriches, a rhinoceros, a gazelle, panthers, a baboon and a conglomerate of species on Noah’s Ark.

Other three-dimensional works included Bill Mack’s mixed media “Whitepearl Essence Torso SS #E4.” The female torso in this work was formed, protruding from a framed relief, with hundreds of pearls, which were also used to accent the frame. While Mack’s most recognizable works depict legendary athletes such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Arthur Ashe, this unidentified woman still impressed bidders, who took her to $5,120.

Prices quoted include the buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. Sarasota Estate Auction’s next sale will be August 16-17. For information, www.sarasotaestateauction.com or 941-359-8700.