Fine art is the fastest growing auction division at Rago’s. We are committed to significant art at any price point and all forms of visual expression: painting and sculpture, drawings, prints and illustrated books, installations, photography and video. It’s a point-of-view that has attracted much exceptional and interesting art, from the department’s first record-breaking sale to single-owner collections. Rago’s is known for an emphasis on the 20th century and the work of emerging and mid-career artists. Top prices achieved for the sale of work by artists from Celmins to Cropsey, Warhol to Redfield.

Leslie Hindman is currently seeking consignments for their September 11th Modern and Contemporary Art and American and European Art Auctions. Consignment deadline is Friday, July 22nd

Chinese Painting auction in Hong Kong, results online now.

LLAES, Ltd. conducts first million dollar sale with their June 18th Summer Catalogue Auction.  Gross sales hit 1.15 million dollars.

North Carolina Paint Decorated Blanket Chest, 1840s ($80,500)

Held at LLAES, Ltd.’s new auction gallery in Hillsborough, North Carolina, this record sale garnered an international audience and a packed house.  Over 1000 bidders registered through Live Auctioneers, with a sell through rate of 24% for online bidders.  1350 bidders were pre-registered as telephone or absentee bidders.   More than 200 bidders energized the house with traditional floor bidding.

This milestone auction was led by a North Carolina Paint Decorated Blanket Chest which sold for $80,500 (prices include the 15% buyers premium).  This regional treasure will find its new home in public collection.  Another top lot was a three piece Cloisonne Scholars Set, which blew past its estimate with fervent bidding between phone bidders and brought $57,500.  This 19th century beauty will return to China.

Oil on Canvas by Carlo Grubacs (It., 1802-1878), “View of Venice” ($23,000)

The remainder of the 700 lot Catalogue Auction saw strength from beginning to end, from category to category.  The quality of the Fine Art offerings, both American and Continental, were reflected in the bidding activity on sale day.  “The Red Bridge,” by Grandma Moses achieved $24,150.  Other top lots include Edouard Cortes’, “Porte St. Denis,” which sold for $23,000; Carlo Grubacs’, “View of Venice,” which achieved $23,000; and a pair of portraits attributed to Sheldon Peck, which sold for $12,650.

This sale offered an impressive array of Silver offerings.  Top lots include a Whiting Sterling Silver Tea & Coffee Service, which hammered for $10,637; a set of twelve Sterling Dinner Plates by Baldwin & Miller, which sold for $7,475; an S. Kirk & Son “Repousse” Sterling Silver Service, which sold for $7,187; and a set of eight Tiffany & Co. Sterling Master Salts, which brought $4,370.

Asian Lots elicited much excitement in the sale with many lots sailing past their pre-auction estimates.  Strong sellers include a Chinese Famille Rose Porcelain Peach Charger, which soared to $7,187; a pair of Chinese Throne Chairs, which sold for $6,900; a Chinese Porcelain “Chicken” Bowl, which hammered for $4,830; and a watercolor on paper by Bunsai Loki, which brought $11,500.  Also strong were Chinese Yixing Teapots, all exceeding their pre-sale estimates.

American Furniture offerings brought strong bidding throughout the sale.  Top sellers include an Important Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Armchair which achieved $20,700; a North Carolina Inlaid Sugar Chest on Stand, which brought $8,625; and a North Carolina Child’s Chest of Drawers which rose to $4,140.

Art Deco Platinum Diamond Clip ($3,220)

Estate Jewelry was led by a Natural Blue Sapphire Pendant, which sailed to $19,550; a Platinum and Royal Asscher Cut Diamond Ring which sold for $6,612; a French Art Deco 14KT Gold and Sapphire Compact, which brought $3,220; and a Diamond and Gold Link Necklace, which achieved $8,337.

The quality of the Modern offerings at this sale confirmed the impressive growth of the department.  A new to market George Nakashima Minguren I Table rose to $16,100.  Other exciting lots include the Five-Piece Seaforms Set by Dale Chihuly, which brought $12,075, and a Howard Thomas oil on Masonite entitled, “Festival 41,” which sold for $5,290.

The Decorative Category was led by a bronze figural by Adrien-Etienne Gaudez which sailed to $10,062.  Other strong lots include a Tiffany Favrile Fabrique Glass Table Lamp which achieved $11,500; a Steinway “M” Grand Piano, which brought $4,600; a Chelsea “Hans Sloane” Botanical Platter which sold

Dale Chihuly (b. 1941) Five-Piece Seaforms Set ($12,075)

for $6,612; and a 17th – 18th century Continental Two Light Brass Candelabrum, possibly German, which hammered for $3,220.

Leland Little Auction & Estate Sales, Ltd.’s Two Day Fall Catalogue Auction will be held on September 16th and 17th, 2011.  LLAES, Ltd. is always seeking quality consignments, whether it be an entire estate or a significant item. If you would like to discuss selling please call at 919-644-1243 or email at info@LLAuctions.com.  To learn more about Leland Little Auction & Estate Sales, Ltd. please visit their new website at www.LLAUCTIONS.com.

The Evil/Frost Collection, results online now.

We tasted just under 300 wines and have selected 80 that we believe represent the best of this vintage and are of outstanding quality (in other words, the wines we liked the most), from the First Growths to more modestly priced wines.

The Contemporary Art Evening Auction on 29 June in London will present a selection of works of major significance, including 34 lots from The Duerckheim Collection, the most important private collection of post-war German Art ever to be offered for public sale. The Duerckheim Collection includes early and formative masterpieces by Georg Baselitz, Gerhard Richter, Sigmar Polke, Blinky Palermo and several others, which document their exhilarating advancements of the 1960s. The appearance of paintings of this quality, art historical significance and freshness to market is exceptionally rare and represents a very special auction moment.

Military firearms are highly collectible antiques that peak a lot of buyers interests. One rare antique that fits this category is the matchlock weapon. The matchlock first came into existence in the 14th century. The significance of the matchlock was that it had a mechanism or “lock” invented to facilitate the firing of a hand-held firearm. Its design removed the need to lower by hand a lit match into the weapon’s flash pan. The matchlock also made it possible to have both hands free to keep a firm grip on the weapon at the moment of firing, and, more importantly, to keep both eyes on the target.

The classic European matchlock gun held a burning match in a gun that was known as the serpentine. A variety of matchlock was also developed called the snapping matchlock, in which the serpentine was spring-loaded and released by pressing a button, pulling a trigger, or pulling a short string passing into the mechanism. This type fell out of favor with soldiers, but was often used in fine target weapons. One weakness of the matchlock was the necessity of keeping the match lit. The sole source of ignition for the powder was the match. If the match was not lit, then the mechanism was useless and the gun became little more than an expensive club. This was mainly a problem in wet weather for the matchlock gun. It became an issue when the damp match cord was difficult to light and to keep burning. Another drawback was the burning match itself. At night, the match would glow in the dark, possibly revealing the carrier’s position. The distinctive smell of a burning match-cord was also a dead giveaway of a musketeer’s position. This was one reason why soldiers in charge of transporting and guarding ammunition were amongst the first to be issued self-igniting guns like the wheel lock and snaphance. The matchlock was also uneconomical to keep ready for long periods of time. The matchlock first appeared in Europe in the middle of the 15th century. By the 16th century, the matchlock was universally sold everywhere. The Janissary corps of the Ottoman army adopted matchlock arms from Hungary gradually from the 1440s onwards. Improved versions of the musket were transported to India by Babur in 1526 and then to Japan by the Chinese. The Japanese were technically able to produce tempered steel such as swords and blades. However, they preferred to use work-hardened brass springs in their matchlocks. The low cost of production, simplicity, and high availability of the matchlock kept it in use in European armies until about 1720. Both the Qing Dynasty and the Joseon Dynasty used matchlock arms as late as the 1850s and 1870s. They used these during the Second Opium War and the United States expedition to Korea. Improvised matchlock guns were last used by pro-Indonesia Timor Leste militias in the 1999 conflict.

Russian Art – Auction Results, London