CLARS AUCTION GALLERY'S LARGEST JUNE SALE Oakland, CA – It would be prove to be a string of over-high-estimate sales that made Clars Auction Gallery’s June 3rd and 4th Summer Estate Auction the largest June sale in the firm’s 55+ year history
For comments on this Auction, please contact:
Redge Martin, President Clars Auction Gallery
(510) 428-0100, email: redge@clars.com
ALL THAT JAZZ (PLAYED ON A VERY RARE TRUMPET) AND MORE HIGHLIGHT CLARS JUNE AUCTION
Oakland, CA – It would be prove to be a string of over-high-estimate sales that made Clars Auction Gallery’s June 3rd and 4th Summer Estate Auction the largest June sale in the firm’s 55+ year history. Over 2,000 lots were offered to a record bidding crowd and gross sales topped over $600,000. A fairly impressive result in light of the fact that their Web site went down the day before the sale and, during the sale, continual technical difficulties plagued the online bidding. (Final sale prices reported include buyers premiums: Phone/Absentee/Floor: 17% up to $70,000, 10% over $70,000; Internet: 20% up to $70,000, 13% over $70,000). There were over 1,200 registered bidders for this sale with over 900 bidding from the floor. “It was a good sale,” was President Redge Martin’s comment after all was said and done. A bit of an understatement in light of the amazing prices realized on several lots. But then, anyone who knows Martin, appreciates his demeanor is a bit uncharacteristically reserved for an auctioneer. And, anyone who knows Martin knows that behind that reserved demeanor is pure elation hidden behind a subtle sparkle in his eyes.
Martin’s sparkle was at full throttle throughout most of Sunday as it seemed one lot after another hit the block then blew past it’s high estimate. It was early on in Sunday’s sale when the trend started. A Wedgwood ceramic service comissioned by the California Alumni Association for the Diamond Jubilee of the University of Californa 1869-1943, designed by G. Elmwood Hoover came up for bid with an estimate of $600 - $800. The estimate proved short when the hammer dropped at an exciting $4,388. It happened again just a few lots later when a Louis XVI style gilt brass mounted mahogany biblioteque sold for over twice it’s high estimate going off for $5,265.
A mere 20 lots later, art would take center stage when a signed and dated etching by John Marin (American 1870- 1953) entitled “Downtown N.Y.” would come to the block with an estimate of $2,000 - $4,000. Highly competitive bidding drove the final sale price on this work to $7,605. But wait, Martin’s sparkle would get even brighter when the hammer would drop on “Views of Mt. Fuji: Sinking Pleasure Boat” by Masami Teraoka (Japanese 1936-). Estimated to bring $800 - $1,200 by Clars Fine Art Specialist Kathy Wong, this work went over the top in frenzied bidding selling for an astounding $8,775 clinching the second highest auction price realized for this artist.
What would be next? How about an unsuspecting trumpet from the Alan Manufacturing Company. This lot was bumped from the Saturday session to the Sunday session as Clars needed a few interesting
