Auction Industry

Summer Fine Estates Auction Results

Ahlers & Ogletree Auction Gallery held a 2-day auction at the end of June, auctioning off more than 1,200 lots of fine art, silver, china, jewelry and much more.

There were many surprises, with prices sky-rocketing past their estimates.  A signed Paavo Tynell chandelier called “Snowflake” brought in a flurry of bids, selling at $42,500, well above the $30,000 estimate. Paavo Tynell is called the “man who illuminated Finland” and his stunning midcentury designs are clearly still sought after.

A marble statue of Lucy Krohg by Cecil Howard doubled its high estimate, hitting $24,000.  A 1902 Cochran, GA $10 bill sold for 1,400 times its face value. One of only 1,240 printed from 1902-1908, its estimate was a more than two thirds less than the final selling price of $14,000.

A beautiful 1983 piece of Chihuly’s glass art resembling a blue flower sold for $4,000, while a rare sculpture by furniture designer Harry Bertoia called “Sonambient Tonal” sold for $20,000.  A pair of blue and white ginger jars from the Cawley estate

also far exceeded expectations of $1,500, selling for $4,000.

Day 2 was just as exciting as Day 1.  A glass-encased model of the “Sir Lancelot” ship had an estimate of

$800-$1,200 and sold for $16,000.

A 75 carat aquamarine gem set in 18k white gold sold for $7,500, while a charming portrait of the notorious Countess of Shrewsbury, attributed to the School of Sir Peter Lely, went for $5,000.  A Robert Mendoze oil painting entitled “Vignes aux grand arbres” sold for almost four times its high estimate at $4,500.

There were a number of Russian lacquered boxes up for auction, with the most noteworthy one being a small, round colorful Palekh box depicting cosmonauts signed by the artist Valentin Mikhaylovich Khodov.

Russian Cosmonaut Lacquer Box

The box soared past its high estimate of $500 to sell for $3,500.  Other surprises include a 1970s scrimshaw by A. Douglas Jacobs which sold for $2,750 and a turn of the century Russian icon that sold for $2,250.

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