Around the Auction World: September 2022

Liz Catalano
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What were the top stories in the auction industry this month?

Illustrations for Moby-Dick. Image courtesy of Christie’s.
Illustrations for Moby-Dick. Image courtesy of Christie’s.

Auction Highlights

Book lovers flocked to Christie’s for a timed auction of all things Herman Melville this month. The auction house presented a timed sale of the Herman Melville Collection of William S. Reese. Totaling USD 2,783,214, the event featured the author’s annotated copy of Dante’s Divine Comedy, as well as early editions of Moby-Dick; or, The Whale. Illustrations by Rockwell Kent for Melville’s famous story also attracted high prices. 

Elsewhere in the industry, an aluminum license plate from 1904 believed to be the first-ever plate issued by the City of Chicago sold for $34,000 at Donley Auctions. The final price of this Chicago license plate was 17 times its high estimate. Those seeking rare collectibles from the past also browsed the offerings from Julien’s Auctions during the company’s recent Gangsters, Cowboys, Politicians, and Astronauts auction. A handwritten letter from Al Capone was among the top lots. Auctions at Showplace presented a broad selection of Neoclassical, Modern, and Brutalist furniture in its recent New York City Estate Auction, including items from Duncan Phyfe and Paul Evans.

Auction Daily recently reported on two notable sales from around the auction world that occurred in August of 2022. One was Swann Auction Galleries’ fourth annual LGBTQ+ Art, Material Culture & History sale. While the top lots primarily included fine art from Tom of Finland, Peter Hujar, Robert Mapplethorpe, and others, relics of LGBTQ+ history also performed well. And at Bonhams Skinner, an original journal from America’s first luxury yacht sold for an astounding $100,000.

Cartier Paris 18-karat gold and enamel vanity case. Image courtesy of WinBids Auctions.
Cartier Paris 18-karat gold and enamel vanity case. Image courtesy of WinBids Auctions.

What’s Coming Up

Next month, collectors can expect the auction market to enter the fall season in full swing. The largest auction houses have blockbuster sales planned, including the Paul G. Allen Collection at Christie’s. Companies are also expanding their services to take advantage of new markets. This includes continued exploration of NFTs and direct consignments from contemporary artists. 

Elsewhere, collectors can consider a curated sale of fine jewelry and wristwatches from WinBids Auctions. The live sale will begin on October 11, 2022. Auction Daily explored some of the top lots from the event, including a selection of vintage vanity cases.

Taegeukgi, the Korean national flag which is believed to have been used by the Joseon royal family, underperformed at auction. Image ⓒ Seoul Auction.
Taegeukgi, the Korean national flag which is believed to have been used by the Joseon royal family, underperformed at auction. Image ⓒ Seoul Auction.

Market Trends

South Korea continued to draw attention as an emerging global art hub this September. Excitement swirled around Frieze Seoul and other art fairs, and it appears that auction houses are increasingly investing in their Korea outposts. Competition in the Korean art market is heating up, with Sotheby’s reopening a Seoul office in October of 2022 and both Phillips and Christie’s hosting special exhibitions in the city.

While this competition may be adding new energy to the market, some are concerned that flashier sales are distracting collectors from genuine pieces of Korean heritage. This came to light when a Taegeukgi (Korean national flag) believed to have been used by the Joseon royal family came to auction last month. Expected to be a star of the sale at Seoul Auction, the piece flopped.

P. Plantard, Abbeville, mid-16th century, gilded copper table clock shaped like a hexagonal tower with the arms of Guillaume Bailly, Comte de La Ferté Aleps (1519-1582), engraved with Diana the Huntress, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn, 18 x 9.1 x 8 cm/7.08 x 3.58 x 3.14 in. Image courtesy of La Gazette Drouot.
P. Plantard, Abbeville, mid-16th century, gilded copper table clock shaped like a hexagonal tower with the arms of Guillaume Bailly, Comte de La Ferté Aleps (1519-1582), engraved with Diana the Huntress, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn, 18 x 9.1 x 8 cm/7.08 x 3.58 x 3.14 in. Image courtesy of La Gazette Drouot.

More Headlines From September

The Coigny Château: From the Franquetots to the Talleyrands

Paris: Parcours des Mondes, An Art Fair Built Around Stories

A Modernist Collection Starring a Bookcase by Charlotte Perriand

Belgian Collector Maurice Verbaet in Dunkirk

Five Hundred Years of Clocks and Watches in One Collection

I Is for Iznik

Elizabeth II and the Opening of the Royal Collections

Jordaens: Northern Theatricality

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Liz Catalano
Liz Catalano
Senior Writer and Editor

Liz Catalano is a writer and editor for Auction Daily. She covers fine art sales, market analysis, and social issues within the auction industry. Based in Chicago, she regularly collaborates with auction houses and other clients.

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