REVEREND GOMES ESTATE ATTRACTS LARGE CROWD Grogan and Company's March 24th and 25th auction realizes over 1.2 million dollars and attracts a standing room only crowd for the Estate of Reverend Gomes and a bevy of International bidders.
lots of Fine Art, Furniture and Decorations, Silver, Jewelry and Rugs, achieved over eight hundred thousand dollars, more than 70% of the weekends total.
The most exciting moment of the sale occurred when two pairs of Imperial Russian Porcelain Plates from the period of Nicholas I soared well beyond their $5,000-7,000 pre-sale estimates. Fifteen phone lines competed with bidders in the room, when the Pair of Gold bordered plates from the Imperial Porcelain Manufactory of St. Petersburg, came up. The bidding opened up at $4,000, however quickly soared to $25,000 when a New York dealer jumped the bid. The fierce bidding continued between Moscow, New York, London, Germany and Florida before finally acheiving for $79,650. The next pair, with Green border, from the same manufactory, sold to the same phone bidder from Moscow for $76,700.
The top fine art lot was 19th century French artist, Emile Munier’s Girl with Kitten, an oil on canvas circa 1878, which sold over the phone to a dealer for $70,800, against a pre-sale estimate of $20,000-40,000. Other highlights included contemporary Greek artist Spyros Vassiliou’s Figures with Ship Masts, a large oil on masonite, which brought $15,340 and Spanish artist, Emilio Sanchez Perrier’s Figures in a Rowboat, a small oil on canvas, which sold for $14,160.
A set of three Rhode Island Revolutionary War period documents pertaining to military appointments for William Jones, former Governor of Rhode Island attracted significant presale interest, which resulted in several phone lines competing against each other before it finally sold to a Rhode Island collector for $11,800 (presale estimate $3,000-5,000). Other highlights included a 19th century French Silver Coffee Service by Alexandre-Auguste Turquet, which sold for $11,800, against a $10,000-15,000 pre sale estimate; and a Second Phase Native American Chief’s Blanket, from the Navajo tribe, circa 1870, once in the collection of Irene Jewett Lunt, former restorer of Navajo Rugs for the Denver Art Museum sold for $8,850 (presale estimate $6,000-9,000). Internet bidding was brisk, with a Pair of Continental Neoclassical Demilune Console Tables selling for $10,030 and a Steinway Piano brought $9,440 to bidders using Artfact Live.
A complete list of auction results can be found at www.groganco.com. For more information regarding upcoming auctions, consigning or appraisal services, please call the gallery at 781-461-9500. Prices include buyer’s premium.
