John Moran Auctioneers’ First Auction of 2011 Shows Continuing Strength in Market For Quality Antiqu Pasadena, CA-- After achieving steadily climbing sales throughout 2010, and concluding the year with a stellar Jewelry and Antiques Sale, John Moran Auctioneers continued the momentum with their first
News-Antique.com - Jan 19,2011 - -- Sell-through rate of 90% with 390 lots offered
--Excellent prices achieved for wide range of estate items including silver, Asian & Russian works of art, British & American technological artifacts
Pasadena, CA-- After achieving steadily climbing sales throughout 2010, and concluding the year with a stellar Jewelry and Antiques Sale, John Moran Auctioneers continued the momentum with their first sale of 2011. Their two-session January 11th Antiques & Decorative Arts Auction attracted bidders from 18 countries who drove prices on a wide range of items well upwards of pre-sale estimates and spurred on the sell-through rate for the 390-lot sale to 90%.
The key to the strong results continues, as before, to be the high quality of the items and their newness to the market. The evening session featured several collections of property that had been long-held in private hands and most of these sold at a rate of 100%. They included a fascinating assemblage of eclectic British and American items encompassing furniture and technological artifacts such as guns, barometers, telescopes and machine models, consigned from an important Beverly Hills, CA estate, and a group of Arts and Crafts furniture gathered by a Southern California aficionado. A broad range of silver by makers from Britain, America, and Continental Europe spanning the 18th through the 20th Centuries that came from a large San Marino, CA collection and other local collections and estates also sold at a rate of 100%, as did smaller single-owner collections of superior quality Russian and Asian works of art.
Items from the Beverly Hills collection attracted a great deal of competitive bidding from the East Coast. Some of the standouts were a George III brass, iron and mahogany flintlock tinder lighter pistol, signed G. Jones, that sold at $2400 (estimate: $500 – 700); an antique brass, walnut and steel model of a sickle bar mower (estimate: $700 – 1000) that went to a floor bidder for $4800; and a Victorian eight-day marine chronometer signed James McCabe (London, Second half 19th century) (estimate: $1200 – 1800) that realized $6600.
The excellent taste and craftsmanship displayed in the San Marino silver collection was very much appreciated by buyers and achieved prices well beyond estimates. Among these pieces were a whimsical group of nine musician figures by German maker Ludwig Neresheimer that sold for $5700 (estimate: $1500 – 2500); a set of eight Tiffany & Co. footed salt cellars and spoons in the ‘Daisy” pattern that realized $1320 (estimate: $300 – 500); and a Buccellati 'Grand Imperiale' sterling silver flatware service for eight that sold at $8400 (estimate: $2500 – 3500).
Also offered from the same collection was a five-lot collection of St. Louis 'Thistle Gold' gilt glass stemware comprising 46 pieces that realized an aggregate total of $14,216.25, or $309 per piece.
Asian items were highlighted by an exquisite, signed Meiji-period Japanese silver koro (incense burner) modeled as a quail with gold and copper eyes that realized $7800 (estimate: $800 – 1200); a Chinese gold and silk thread-embroidered
