Auction Results: The Collection of Ann and Gordon Getty at Stair 

Ann and Gordon Getty (American, 1941 – 2020 and American, 1933 -) were the essential power couple of the postwar era. They met at a bar, decided to elope, and were married in 1964. Gordon, a businessman and composer, is the fourth child of oil magnate J. Paul Getty. Ann, a paleoanthropologist by training, is best remembered as a supporter of political, artistic, and scientific causes– as well as for her great eye for antiques, century-spanning decorative items, and interior design. Stair, of Hudson, NY, presented The Collection of Ann and Gordon Getty auction on January 23, 24, and 25, 2024. Over 700 lots from this extraordinarily curated private collection were on offer, with proceeds from the sales donated to charity. Here are a few highlights from this event that caught the eye of the Auction Daily team. All prices noted include Stair’s buyer’s premiums.

Breathtaking examples of Asian decorative arts were well represented in this auction. The top lot over the entire event was lot #309, a Chinese export black lacquer and parcel-gilt six panel screen. Estimated at USD 2,500 to $5,000, it traded hands at $32,000 on day two. This museum-quality divider was decorated overall with an integrated community scene including people, animals, buildings, trees, and plants and was housed within an elaborately carved and painted red and gold gilt frame. It was at one time the property of Viscount Leverhulme (British, 1851 – 1925) and was sold previously as lot #185 at Christie’s London on June 26, 1986.

The story behind the screen’s previous owner, Viscount Leverhulme, is both intriguing and unexpected. Born into a large, religious family as William Hesketh Lever, his legacy would include roles as a businessman, as a philanthropist, and as a member of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1906 through 1909. He began a soap manufacturing enterprise as a young man. In 1886, together with his brother, he started the company Lever Brothers, based on his entrepreneurial successes. His company was among the first to make soap from vegetable oils. The company today is an important arm of the multinational firm Unilever.  

Important rugs from the Collection of Ann and Gordon Getty also made headlines at this event. On day one of the sale, lot #164, an Irish Donegal carpet, was estimated at $1,500 to $3,000 and sold for $25,600. This green, mustard, red, and yellow spread had a distinctly asymmetrical floral and early-20th-century theme to it. Its matching border was decorated with yellow blossoms and vines.

Donegal rugs have been produced in County Donegal, Ireland since the middle of the 1800s. They are recognized for their quality, amazing designs, and often eye-popping color combinations. The company gained international visibility with the help of Gustav Stickley, who owned many Donegal rugs, at the turn of last century. In general, 19th-century Donegal rugs reflect an Arts and Crafts aesthetic, while those made in the early 20th century onward tend to reflect an Art Nouveau look and feel.

Premier paintings from the Collection of Ann and Gordon Getty caught the attention of bidders worldwide. Lot #316, Ernest Lawson’s (Canadian/American, 1873 – 1939) Moret-sur-Loing was estimated at $15,000 to $20,000. It sold on day two of the sale for $23,040. This oil on canvas work was dated 1894, signed ‘E. Lawson’ on its lower left, and pictured two boats peacefully navigating a narrow waterway on a winter’s day. The title refers to the location of the painting; Moret-sur-Loing is a former municipality in north-central France located along the Loing river. This eye-catcher previously sold at Sotheby’s New York as lot #45 at the company’s November 29, 1990 sale.

Ernest Lawson was most noted for his Impressionistic landscape paintings, like the one offered though this sale. He also had a legacy of painting realistically rendered urban scenes. He was a quiet, soft-spoken member of “The Eight,” a group of artists that launched the Ashcan School of American art. This late-19th to early-20th-century movement produced works depicting the everyday existence of underrepresented people in New York’s City’s poorest neighborhoods.

This auction also included a number of novelties with a distinctly playful air to them. These items might have been used as decorative pieces or focal points across the Getty households. A surprising highlight in this category was lot #813, a Tipp & Co. lithographed tin wind-up Christmas car. It was estimated at $2,000 to $3,000 and crossed the finish line at $14,080. This antique plaything was in the form of Santa Claus driving a car decorated with images of popular toys of the roaring ’20s. It was previously sold as lot #510 at Sotheby’s New York on December 12, 1998.  

This particular toy, produced around 1928, is amongst the most desirable clockwork toys of the pre-war era. It was made by Tipp & Co., a German firm that began in 1912. Its military-themed cars, vans, trucks, and tanks today are considered to be among the most collectible early to mid-20th-century tin wind-up playthings. This “Santa-mobile” pattern featured a feather tree situated in the trunk of the vehicle; the tree would rotate in circles as the vehicle was pulled along. At Bertoia Auctions’ November 17, 2022 sale, a similar example of this Santa Christmas convertible realized at $62,500.

This Getty auction rounded out with 18th to 20th-century furnishings, architectural elements, textiles, and lighting fixtures. Lot #478, a Black Forest painted wood mermaid single-light chandelier, was estimated at $700 to $900 and realized $16,250– nearly 24 times its low estimate. It was in the form of a bare-breasted maiden with oversized antler wings. She wore a prominent beaded necklace, carried a metal staff, and was decorated with an elaborate headpiece and aquatic-inspired tail. This rarity was previously sold through Gaylord Antiques in San Francisco, CA, in 1995.

For more information on Stair’s The Collection of Ann and Gordon Getty sale, visit Stair’s website. 

Looking for more celebrity auction results? Auction Daily covered the stunning results of Stair’s The World of Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman Auction last year.