BOSTON, MA: On Sunday, March 22nd, dealers and collectors from near and far crowded into Grogan & Company’s Beacon Hill gallery with their sights set on going home with an item or two from the selection of paintings, sculpture, jewelry, silver, and decorative arts offered. The sale featured items from various collections and estates throughout New England, and strong prices were achieved across all collecting categories.

President & Chief Auctioneer, Michael B. Grogan, remarked, “Relocating to the historic, urban neighborhood of Beacon Hill has generated dramatically more private collector participation in our auctions. Many of the top lots were bought by private individuals, the majority of them local. While we anticipated growth in this area, we are delighted by how quickly and positively we have been received by our neighbors.”

The top lot of the sale was an Art Deco Platinum, Jadeite, and Diamond Necklace from a Rhode Island Estate. The necklace, accompanied by at GIA Certificate stating that the jadeite breads are natural and untreated, brought significant interest on the phone, in the room, and over the internet, finally selling on the phones to a collector in Hong Kong for $120,000, significantly overshooting its conservative pre-sale estimate of $4,000-6,000. Additional jewelry highlights included a Platinum, Sapphire, and Diamond Ring, estimated at $2,000-4,000 and a Platinum, Fancy Brown-Yellow Diamond, and Diamond Ring, estimated at $30,000-50,000. Despite their vastly different pre-sale estimates, each ring sold for $42,000.

Chinese items also saw strong bidding and interest. Two Chinese Ink Wash Paintings, one featuring a landscape scene and the other depicting a horse, each drew spirited bidding. The landscape painting was estimated to bring $5,000-10,000 and sold to a bidder over the internet for $57,000, while the horse painting was estimated at $3,000-5,000 and sold to the same buyer for $54,000. A Chinese Blanc de Chine Figure of a Seated Deity, conservatively estimated at $800-1,200, sold for $54,000.

The 20th century American paintings in the sale achieved top of the market prices. John Whorf’s impressive watercolor titled Winter Waterfront, New York, sold to a local private collector for $16,800. The other John Whorf featured in the sale, Salmon Fishing, sold to the trade for $14,400. Both watercolors exceeded their pre-sale estimate ranges of $10,000-15,000 and $7,000-10,000 respectively. An impressive Emile Gruppe scene of Rockport harbor, titled Motif #1, sold to a local private collector for $15,600 against a $10,000-15,000 pre-sale estimate. A John Marin watercolor, originally from the collection of John Nicholas Brown II, titled Lower New York sold for $15,000, exceeding its pre-sale estimate of $5,000-10,000. Walter Farndon’s Harbor View with Sloop also exceeded its estimate of $5,000-10,000, selling to the trade for $14,400.

Other highlights from the sale included the 15th century Madonna and Child by the Italian Renaissance artist knowns as Francia. Accompanied by a letter of authenticity from Bernard Berenson, the painting sold to a local private collector for $30,000, within its estimate of $25,000-50,000. The 20th century Hungarian artist Tibor Csernus’ full size panting titled Nature Morte, Fruite dans Panier exceeded its estimate range of $8,000-12,000, selling to a collector in Paris for $21,600. A very nice American Double Portrait Miniature, featuring a gentleman and lady, far exceeded its pre-sale estimate of $400-600, selling to the trade for $19,200. Finally, A Carved Jade and Silver Mounted Desk Clock and Inkwell, retailed by Edward I. Farmer, brought considerable interest as it sold for $15,600 against a $2,000-4,000 pre-sale estimate.

All prices stated above include buyer’s premium. For an illustrated online catalogued with results, please visit www.groganco.com.