By artist and stained glass and jewelry designer Louis C. Tiffany, “Boat at Sea Bright” was the highest-selling painting at $108,900.
Images Courtesy of Ahlers & Ogletree
ATLANTA, GA. — A lovely oil on canvas painting by the renowned artist and stained glass and jewelry designer Louis C. Tiffany (1848-1933) sold for $108,900 in Ahlers & Ogletree’s two-day Fine Estates & Collections auction on August 25 and 26, conducted online and live in the Atlanta gallery. The painting easily bested its estimate of $50/75,000 and ended up being the auction’s top achiever. The oil on canvas, titled “Boat at Sea Bright” (1888), depicted four men carrying a boat in the sand with buildings in the background. The work was signed and dated lower left and measured 24¼ by 36¼ inches. It had an Art Institute of Chicago First Annual Exhibition 1888 label verso and an Ohio Society of New York label verso (both partial).
The auction featured 484 lots of Modernist art, weapons, collectible books, jewelry and Asian art on August 25 and 474 lots of antiques and fine art, scrimshaw, silver and rugs on August 26. Live gallery bidding took place in Ahlers & Ogletree’s new gallery location on Atlanta’s Upper West Side. Around 50 eager bidders attended the auction live and in person. Internet bidding was via Ahlers & Ogletree’s online bidding platform, bid.aandoAuctions.com, as well as LiveAuctioneers.com and Invaluable.com. The following are additional highlights from the auction, which overall grossed around $1.3 million.
This Chinese double-edged sword with a shagreen covered scabbard showing pierced gilt brass mounts was bid to $66,550.
Following the Tiffany painting in price was a Nineteenth Century Chinese double-edged sword with a blade built in the style of a tai-chi blade, with a shagreen covered scabbard, having pierced gilt brass mounts, one topped by a chilong dragon the other decorated with writhing dragons and tendrils, changed hands for $66,550. The blade alone was 25½ inches and the sword overall was 34¾ inches. The sword and scabbard were 37½ inches. Next was a Chinese Eighteenth Century-style bronze and parcel gilt ceremonial “Phoenix Bearing Zun” wine vessel on wheels, the tall Gu form vessel with trumpet form rim resting in a hole at the center of the bird’s back, the bird’s feet resting on an axle between two six-spoked wheels, while the bird’s tail curved down and around, standing 16 by 9½ inches, that changed hands for $51,425.
This unusual Chinese bronze and parcel “Phoenix Bearing Zun” wine vessel on wheels, the tall Gu form vessel with trumpet form rim resting in a hole at the center of the bird’s back sold for $51,425.
In watches, a stunning Audemars Piguet 18K rose gold and custom diamond set Royal Oak Offshore model watch, featuring a Swiss made perpetual (self-winding) jeweled movement, custom (non Audemars Piguet) diamond chrono dial, and a custom (non AP) diamond encrusted bezel, case and bracelet, approximately 15-carat total of SI-1 clarity and H-I color diamonds, fetched $42,350.
The second highest-selling oil on canvas painting was by Henri Hecht Maik (French, 1922-1993), titled “A Yellow Lion” (1972), depicted a jungle landscape and other animals around a large lion, signed and dated lower right and signed and titled verso and measuring an impressive 51¼ by 38¼ inches. The painting bested its $8/16,000 estimate by hammering for $20,570.
Second in paintings was by Henri Hecht Maik, titled “A Yellow Lion” (1972), hunted down $20,570.
Prices quoted with buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. Ahlers & Ogletree’s Modern Paintings, Prints & Sculpture Auction will be on October 13. For information, www.aandoauctions.com or 404-869-2478.
