Over 700 lots of fine art, estate jewelry, fine wine, and antiques garnered strong and steady bidding at LLAES, Ltd’s Spring Catalogue Auction.  This auction was held at LLAES, Ltd’s gallery in Hillsborough, N.C.

The Two Day Spring Catalogue Auction has provided a strong start to the year for LLAES, Ltd.  Over 1700 bidders registered for this auction, 200 plus of which were on the auction floor, leaving standing room only.  The remainder of bidders were telephone, absentee, and live online bidders, which was facilitated through LiveAuctioneers.com.  Leland Little of LLAES, Ltd. remarked, “For the first time in a while we saw consistent strength across the sale, with the majority of lots falling within or above their pre-sale estimate.”  He then added, “The quality of lots offered at our recent Fine & Decorative Arts Auction is a reflection of the trust our consignors place in our ability to offer their estates and collections at market.” 

The Fine & Decorative Arts session, which was held Saturday March 19th at 9AM was a lively and exciting auction with strong bidding across the floor, telephones, and the Internet.  Lots of note (not including the 15% buyer’s premium) include a Berlin (KPM) Painting on Porcelain Plaque which generated much interest and brought $7,250; a Philip & Kelvin LaVerne “Chan” Cocktail Table, which sold for $6,000; a Dutch Delft Figural Bobbejak, although unsigned, brought about much excitement and sold for $4,400; and an oil on canvas by Edouard Cortes, entitled “The Pantheon,” hammered for $25,000.

Estate jewelry, a growing department for the firm, was led by a Large Natural Fancy Color Diamond Ring Pendant, which sold for $9,750; a Diamond and Sapphire Ring, which brought $4,400, and a rare Mexican Sterling and Amethyst Necklace by Fred Davis sold for $3,600.  Other lots of note include a Wide Diamond Band, Cartier, which brought $2,300 and a Gentleman’s Tank Wristwatch, Le Must de Cartier, which brought just under $1000. 

Fine Art was steady and strong, led by the sale of the Cortes painting.  Other strong and distinguished lots include two Elliott Daingerfield oil on canvases, “Allegory” and “Blowing Rock,” which sold for $11,000 and $12,000 respectively; Eugene Thomason’s, “Still Fishing,” which brought $4,200; and Elizabeth Verner’s pastel on silk portrait, entitled, “Flower Vendor,” which hammered for $4,500.

Asian art generated much interest and active bidding with top lots including a Chinese Flambe Glazed Meiping Vase, which hammered for $4,600; a Chinese Rose Mandarin Large Punch Bowl, rising to $4,000; Two Similar Chinese Porcelain Floor Vases, Gangxu period, which brought $3,200; and Two Chinese Silver Overlay Miniatures, which sold for $2,000.

Top silver lots include a George III Irish Sterling Silver Jug, Dublin, selling for $1,800; an Art Deco Silver Cocktail Shaker, Russian, which brought $2,500; and a set of twelve American Sterling Silver Julep Cups by Manchester Silver Co., which hammered for $2,800. 

American furniture lots were highlighted by a North Carolina Federal Semi-Tall Chest of Drawers, which brought $4,400 and an important North Carolina Inlaid Corner Cupboard, which sold for $14,000.

North Carolina Silhouettes performed strongly with two lots of note, one a Silhouette of a Lady, NC, which sold for $1,700, and the other, A Pair of North Carolina Silhouettes, cut by Isaac Todd, sold for $2,000.

A highlight of note includes the highly animated bidding of a grouping of four family items.  These items included three oil on canvas portraits (mother, father, and daughter) and the gold-filled and enamel locket that was depicted in the portrait of the young girl.  All items went to a single collector.

The Fine Wine session, which was held Friday March 18th at 6PM, was the highest grossing wine auction for LLAES, Ltd. to date.  The Friday evening session brought triple to number of pre-registered absentee, telephone, and live online bidders than previous sales.  Top achievers at the fine wine auction include: eleven bottles of 1969 Richebourg, which sold for $8,500; two bottles of Chateau Lafite Rothschild, which sold for $3,000; and twelve bottles of Chateau Mouton Rothschild, which sold for $2,700.  The Fine Wine department at LLAES, Ltd. continues to grow and garner a national and international following.  The firm has several more Fine Wine Auctions scheduled for the year.  To discuss buying or selling fine wines contact Mark Solomon, Fine Wine Director, at mark@llauctions.com.

Leland Little Auction & Estate Sales, Ltd.’s Two Day Summer Catalogue Auction will be held on June 17th and 18th, 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.