Garth's Bidders Distinguish the Best from the Rest ( & Bid Accordingly )! A duo of summer sales at Garth's of Delaware, Ohio on July 23-24 & September 3-4 prompted bidders to distinguish the "best from the rest" & bid accordingly from Ohio to as far away as Hong Kong
News-Antique.com - Sep 28,2010 - A duo of summer sales held July 23-24 and September 3-4 displayed the range of the staff and clientele at Garth’s Auctions in Delaware, Ohio. While the July auction featured an array of Asian, Continental and American Fine Art, Furniture and Decorative Accessories, the annual Labor Day Weekend extravaganza in September celebrated Americana in all its glory. Garth’s president Amelia Jeffers was encouraged by the audience noting “Both sales drew strong numbers of bidders, in person and online, with approximately 10% of participants being new clients – a terrific result for this time of year! All factors proving if you market your sales well, you will find the buyers, be they in Delaware, Ohio, Hong Kong, London, or wherever.”
Given the pre-sale buzz, it was no surprise when the top lots of the July auction were Asian porcelains and pottery. Removed from a local Ohio storage unit, lots 723 and 724 of the sale were group lots of mid to late 19th century blue and white Chinese porcelains, many with dragon decoration and either Tongzhi or Guangxu marks. They sold for $32,535 and $45,188, respectively, to the same online bidder from Hong Kong. According to discussions during the preview, the excitement around the tableware’s rarity and potential value was because the dragons were five-toed, which served as the symbol of the Emperor of China in various dynasties. Lot 637, was a lone, Chinese pottery vase estimated at $3,000-6,000, which attracted strong interest as well. Appraiser and auctioneer Andrew Richmond commented “The good purple-blue glaze and the Daoguang mark on the vase likely set it apart. It simply shows how educated today’s Asian buyers are…lots of glazed Chinese earthenware is out at auction on the internet, but the buyers, based on photos, were able to distinguish the best example and go after it hard.” The vase sold for $21,690 to an online bidder from China.
Sales of Asian carved ivory figures were also robust and there were over 40 lots from which to choose. An early 20th century Japanese skeleton was among the favorites in the category. The 9” high figure was a wonderful rendition of a walking skeleton wearing a water lily hat and carrying a selection of masks and skulls on a branch over his shoulder. It sold within estimate at $2,290. Ivory prices truly fell all across the spectrum – although anything with a dragon seemingly remained a hot commodity such as the early 20th century figure of a coiled, flame-breathing dragon carved from a single tusk. At 19 3/4"long, it sold for $1,567 against an estimate of $800-1,200. A 3 ¼” diameter Chinese puzzle ball, late 19th-early 20th century, with carved dragons and several interior balls sold for $636(estimate $400-700), while an 11 ½” high Chinese vase sold for $1,528(estimate $400-600).
The art scattered throughout the two-day event was of various ages and styles with a striking Italian micromosaic fetching the highest price. Estimated at $800-1,600 and 8 1/2” diameter, it was a vibrant and finely detailed
