NATIVE AMERICAN HELD CENTER STAGE AT JOHN MORAN’S MARCH ANTIQUE AUCTION Pasadena, CA – John Moran’s March 21st auction was the perfect sale to launch online bidding for their antique and estate auctions giving both national and international collectors the opportunity to
Jayne Skeff
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John Moran Antique and Fine Art Auctioneers
(626) 296-6642
email: skeff@sbcglobal.net
For comments on this Auction, please contact:
Kyle Admundsen, John Moran Antique and Fine Art Auctioneers
(626) 793-1833, email: paul@johnmoran.com
NATIVE AMERICAN HELD CENTER STAGE AT JOHN MORAN’S MARCH ANTIQUE AUCTION
Pasadena, CA – John Moran’s March 21st auction was the perfect sale to launch online bidding for their antique and estate auctions giving both national and international collectors the opportunity to bid on and buy an important selection of Native American lots which were the highlight of the sale. (Prices listed below include the buyers premiums of 15% for floor, phone and absentee bidders and 20% for Internet bidders). Moran’s Fine Art auctions have been carried live online but this was the first of their antique sales to go on the Internet and it had a significant impact. There were 270 registered floor bidders and over 750 registered online bidders from 46 states and 18 foreign countries. The competitive bidding between the floor and Internet drove the total gross sales figure to $370,800+ on the 250 lots which sold.
Drawing great national attention from collectors of Native American history and textiles was a stunning late 19th century Chilkat Dance blanket and a circa 1870 Navajo 2nd Phase Chief’s blanket. The Chilkat Dance blanket came to the block with a presale estimate of $30,000 to $40,000. Owner/auctioneer John Moran opened the bidding at $15,000 and off it went in heated bidding to a final hammer of $56,675 selling to a phone bidder. Just a few lots later, the Navajo 2nd Phase Chief’s blanket also opened at $15,000 (presale estimate $30,000 - $40,000). It didn’t take long for a bidding war to ensue clinching a final sale price of $50,850. Of surprise in the Native American session was a beautiful Apache basket woven in an intricate geometric design. The bidding opened on this lot at $900 (estimate $1000/2000) and very quickly soared to hammer at $3,390 to a phone bidder.
While the Native American session of the March 21st sale was indeed a highlight, the selection of very fine antique furniture and decorative arts drew strong bidding and solid sale numbers. The Internet played a particularly important role in realizing strong prices on the selection of fine pottery. Two pieces from Newcomb College soared well past estimate. The first, a signed blue and green glazed pottery bowl had a presale estimate of $700-$900. The bidding opened at $500 and this piece soared past high estimate to sell for $1,495. The next lot, a Newcomb College blue glazed creamer opened at $300 and very quickly hammered at $1,140 selling to an Internet bidder. An Arts and Crafts style copper-glazed vase signed Clewell Canton, OH, No. 813 has a presale estimate of $400 - $600. This lot opened at $800 and landed on a final selling price of $1,495 to an absentee bidder.
In a time when the trend in antique furniture is said to
