Christie's Fine Musical Instruments - Sale Results - Oct 12 Today's auction of Fine Musical Instruments at Christie's New York totaled $3,006,775 and was 86% sold by lot.
News-Antique.com - Oct 13,2007 - Today's auction of Fine Musical Instruments at Christie's New York totaled $3,006,775 and was 86% sold by lot. The sale set 10 world auction records, including a work by Antonio de Torres made in 1864 - regarded by many as the 'holy grail' of classical guitars - which realized $157,000.
Sold: $3,006,775 £6,103,753 €4,269,621
Lots Sold: 165 Lots Offered: 249 Sold by Lot: 66% Sold by $:86%
Exchange Rate: $ =£2.03 / € 1.42
252 A violin, Giuseppe Guarneri ‘del Gesu’, Cremona, Circa 1720 550,000-750,000 $ 937,000£ 461,576€ 659,859 Anonymous
44 A classical guitar, Antonio de Torres, Seville, 1864WORLD AUCTION RECORD FOR THE MAKER 100,000-150,000 $ 157,000£ 77,340€ 110,563 American Private
250 A violin, Carlo Antonio Testore, Milan, Circa 1763WORLD AUCTION RECORD FOR THE MAKER 40,000-60,000 $ 127,000£ 62,562€ 89,437 European Private
245 A violin, Andrea Guarneri, Cremona, Circa 1690 60,000-80,000 $ 121,000£ 59,606€ 85,211 European Trade
251 A violin, Enrico Ceriti, Cremona, Mid 19th CenturyWORLD AUCTION RECORD FOR THE MAKER 60,000 - 80,000 $ 109,000£ 53, 694€ 76,761 Anonymous
14 A solid-body electric guitar, Gibson Incorporated,Les Paul Custom, Kalamazoo, 1959 WORLD AUCTION RECORD FOR THE MAKER 60,000-80,000 $ 85,000£ 41,872€ 59,859 American Private
244 A composite violin, Ascribed To Giuseppe Guarneri ‘Del Gesu’, Italy 40,000-60,000 $ 79,000£ 38,916€ 55,633 American Trade
153 Avioloncello, Alfredo Contino, Naples, 1919WORLD AUCTION RECORD FOR THE MAKER 30,000-40,000 $ 67,000£ 33,005€ 47,183 American Trade
1 A solid-body electric guitar, Fender Electric Instrument Company, ‘Nocaster,’ Fulleton, 1951WORLD AUCTION RECORD FOR THE MAKER 30,000-50,000 $ 61,000£ 30,049€ 42,957 American Trade
143 A viola, Marino Capicchioni, Rimini, 1951WORLD AUCTION RECORD FOR THE MAKER 30,000-40,000 $ 55,000£ 27,093€ 38,732 European Private
Comment: Kerry Keane, International Head of Department: We are delighted with the results of today’s sale which set 10 world auction records, and we are excited to report that the buyer of the Testore violin will be lending it to a concert violinist. The sale offered an extraordinary opportunity to be able to offer a work by Torres, the undoubted master of classical guitar making, alongside a work by Guarneri ‘del Gesu,’ who along with Stradivarius, are the two masters in the Italian school of violin making.
Next Sale Date: The next Musical Instruments sale will be held on April 4, 2008.
