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Jan. 3rd, 2004 - Arts & Antiques Auction Wrap Up
The auction on Saturday, January 3rd at Dan Ripley's Antique Helper in Indianapolis, Indiana may not have been as jam packed with fabulous finds as previous auctions, but the goods to be had were rare and wonderful, proving that it is more often the quality of the items offered than the quantity that makes for a memorable sale. As with every auction at Dan Ripley's Antique Helper, the final price of an item does not include the buyer's premium,10% for floor bidders and 15% for internet, added to all lots.From rough antique farming implements to elegant silver tea sets, there was something to whet the appetite of every collector. A collection of vintage cookie jars by McCoy and Shawnee added a whimsical note alongside more high end art glass pieces by Tiffany and Galle. Proving that there's fun in whimsy, the cookie jars, most from the 1940s and 50s brought between $80 and $400, the art glass tipped the scales with a Galle' cameo art glass vase closing right on the estimated mark at $4,100 to a telephone bidder and a Tiffany Favrile iridescent glass vase closing at $425, just above its low estimate of $400.
As with every sale at Dan Ripley's Antique Helper, there was plenty of art to go around. From a fine selection of 19th century bronze busts and figures to more than 70 prints and paintings, art enthusiasts had an exciting opportunity to bid on works that included four paintings by W.A. Eyden, selling between $250-$325; one work by Clifton Wheeler, bringing $475; a piece by John Zwara ending at $500; and African American artist J.W. Hardwick whose work brought between $2,000-$3,000. Among these two dimensional works was an 1860 signed Whistler etching, selling below the estimated $3,000-$4,000 at $1,150 to an eBay bidder. But, perhaps most intriguing was a pen and ink drawing by Pablo Picasso. Coming from the estate of a wealthy global traveler whose family had a relationship with the artist. This drawing was discovered in a box of antique picture frames, purchased at an estate sale in 1984. Hidden between a cardboard tray, face down in the bottom of the box, this is a treasure that could have been lost forever. Finding its way to Dan Ripley's Antique Helper, the 4 3/8" x 3 3/8" pen and ink drawing sold just above its low estimate at $3,500, plus 15% buyer's premium to an eBay bidder. This item was sold with an extended return policy, allowing the purchaser time to have the piece authenticated.
The sale was filled with plenty of other exciting moments, including the sale of a Tiffany gold Dore harp style table lamp base stamped "Tiffany Studios 613." Slightly out of shape, missing its screw cap at top and rewired, the lamp, guaranteed to authenticity and sold condition as-is and expected to bring between $300 and $600, surprised everyone when the bidding closed at $1,150 to an eBay bidder.
But the applause provoking moment of the day came with the sale of an Oscar Bach signed deco bronze table lamp, with mica shade, circa 1925. With some wear and roughness to the original patina, this fine example of Art Deco craftsmanship and design sparked the interest of bidders nationally, finally closing at $7,750, plus 15% buyer's premium, far exceeding the expected $1,500-$3,000.
Certainly a sale worth talking about, virtually no one went home empty handed,
many bidders even scooping up some less conspicuous uncatalogued items that
included a fine depression era pen and ink drawing of a pair of Scottie dogs
selling for $45, an Old Hickory side chair selling for $225 and an assortment
of pottery and glass.
