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Sep. 10th, 2005 - Estimates Surpassed, Daum Illuminates Successful Sale

(Indianapolis, Indiana). A quick view of the crowd in attendance at Dan Ripley’s Antique Helper’s Saturday, September 10 auction could have been misleading. While not great in numbers, their force was strengthened by a strong representation of telephone, absentee and eBay bidders, all eager to have the opportunity to bid on the countless important antiques, fine art and collectibles offered in this prestigious Art and Antiques auction. In fact, this auction demonstrated the power of modern technology as eBay bidders showed their muscle, typically ending lots well above high estimate. From sterling and art glass, to china and fine art, there was plenty to hold bidders’ attention. As with all Antique Helper auctions, all prices listed include a 10% buyer’s premium for floor bidders and a 15% buyer’s premium for absentee, telephone and eBay bidders.

The auction began on a colorful note, with the sale of more than 20 lots of 19th century Chinese Export Famille Rose Medallion pieces. From large serving bowls and basins to teapots, plates and cups, there was more than enough of this sought after china to go around. Prices ran the gamut, with a few pieces walking away shy of estimate. But most of the Rose Medallion held its ground, serving up prices well within, and often above, high estimate. An 11” diameter serving bowl, equipped with a high estimate of $200 closed neatly above at $373.75, to an eBay bidder, and a punch bowl or wash basin also exceeded its high estimate of $400, closing at $546.25, going to an eBay bidder as well. But, most impressively, a large, 15” punch bowl more than doubled high estimate of $400, realizing $1,006.25, from an eBay bidder.

Among the quantity of fine pieces representing the Victorian era were two rare Pietra Dura inlaid stone pieces with flora decoration. The first, a small frame with an offset opening (est. $100-$200) more than doubled high estimate, closing at $546.25, to an eBay bidder and, going to the same bidder for the same price was a profusely decorated Lily of the Valley and floral Pietra Dura thermometer stand.

Among the rare and wonderful antique lighting offered in this sale was an H.J. Peters Co., Chicago slag glass and scenic overlay table lamp, selling within estimate at $1,006.25, to an eBay bidder. Meanwhile, another nice vintage lamp, a Tiffany style lamp base with tulip motif leaded glass, more than doubled high estimate of $1,200, selling for $2,990, also to an eBay bidder, and a rare Steuben Oriental Jade lamp base brought $776.25 from an eBay bidder.

But, the lot that left people talking was yet to come: A Daum Nancy French cameo glass plafonnier hanging art glass lamp managed to exceed all expectations. Crafted with a center dome etched with red and yellow florals with three satellite pendant shades, each signed in the cameo, the fixture included the original wrought hardware. Described with an estimate of $5,000-$8,000, a bated silence fell over the showroom as the bidding ascended past high estimate and continued to escalate until, greeted by a rousing round of applause, the gavel finally fell at $23,575, the piece going to an eBay bidder

Among the catalog’s strongest points and drawing national attention was a large collection of art glass, including Galle, Durand, Loetz, Lalique, Cambridge and Steuben. But some of the best selling lots in the glass category were paperweights: a lot of three early antique, possibly French, paperweights, ca.1850 (est. $10-$100) exceeded high estimate, selling for $833.75 to an eBay bidder, while, an Emil Larson, attributed, pedestal rose art glass paperweight, probably ca. 1930s, offered in excellent, original condition met high estimate of $2,300, going to a telephone bidder. Bringing another surprise was Cambridge ruby glass compote with a clear nude caryatid stem. Given a high estimate of $200, this pretty piece raised the roof on expectations, closing at $1,121.25 to a floor bidder from Northern Indiana. An absentee bidder also won an Argy Rousseau Pate-de-Verre art glass floral pendant necklace, which sold within estimate at $1,207.50, and a local absentee bidder took home a French Tantalus liqueur set marked Brevete with Baccarat glasses and decanters (est. $1,500-2,500) for $3,220. Erte’s “Sea Maidens,” a Baccarat Hand-blown, hand cut and hand-polished crystal vase insert with gilt bronze twin mermaid handles, engraved “Erte” with copyright 1985 and numbered 136/199, sold within estimate $4,312.50, to an eBay bidder. Another Erte vase, “Visage de Femme,” silvered and gilt bronze with a crystal trumpet vase insert marked with “Cristal Sevres France” acid stamp, sold for $1,437.50, to an eBay bidder.

Metalwork including brass and silver shone brightly as well, with lots typically selling above high estimate. A Victorian Pietra Dura compote with a brass wire work border and lion head mounts exceeded high estimate of $500, selling for $833.75 to an eBay bidder, and a silver Colonial style tureen with pomegranate lid pull finial more than quadrupled its high estimate of $1,000 when it closed at $4,887.50, to an eBay bidder. A lot of 60 pieces of Towle “King Richard” sterling flatware also exceeded high estimate of $600, selling to a local bidder for $880, and, going to the same bidder, a lot of 84 pieces of “King Richard” with an estimate of $700 also exceeded expectations, closing at $1,375. On the smaller side, a George III sterling nutmeg grater with London hallmarks by Joseph Hardy, ca. 1804-1805, closed above high estimate of $450, for $718.75, to an eBay bidder.

Fine art offerings included 4 lots by Paul Muller (Russian/American, 1895-1970), a refugee from Estonia who settled in New York City, living there until his death. While he made his living as an illustrator for Encyclopedia Britannica, his later works show the influence of the American scene Painters movement of Social Realism prevalent in the 1920s and 1930s. His most widely known work is the Art Deco style eagle seen all metered U.S. postage. Of the Muller works offered in this sale, one, a diptych, stood out against the other, more grimly realistic pieces. A pair of Phantasmagoric figural paintings, signed and dated 1961, this grotesquely comic diptych sold within estimate at $1,150 to an absentee bidder.

Other notable works offered included an oil landscape by William Henry Mander (British, 1850-1922), selling within estimate at $3,737.50 to an absentee bidder from the United Kingdom, while a large turbulent seascape by E. Monjau exceeded high estimate, closing at 603.75 to an eBay bidder. “Indiana Landscape” by Arno Bretsnyder (B. 1885) also sold within estimate, closing at $495 to a floor bidder, while an Indiana autumn landscape by Ralph Poore, 1950, sold for $316.25 to a local absentee bidder. More Indiana art included a beautiful watercolor portrait, believed to be by Hoosier artist Olive Rush, from the portfolio of Zeno Hodge, which surpassed high estimate of $200, selling 431.25 to an absentee bidder. There were two large landscapes by Indiana artist William McKendree Snyder (American, 1849-1930), selling for $1,925 and $1,980, both going to floor bidders.

This auction set the tone for a busy fall season which will include the George S. Hipp Baseball Autograph Collection on Sunday, October 8, followed by the Fall Mission to Modern Auction on Sunday, October 16th, and an Arts and Antiques auction on Sunday, October 30th. For more information about these auctions, please visit our website at www.antiquehelper.com or call 317-251-5635.