December 17th was a great day for Louisiana at Sotheby’s. An Art Nouveau chair and desk found in Carencro and identified by New Orleans appraiser David J. Goldberg went off at more than $1 M.

The 1903 Art Nouveau Water Lilies desk and chair designed by Louis Majorelle was passed down through a New Orleans and Carencro family. Ironically, it had been considered just another piece of stuff, good enough for a garage or estate sale, before David J. Goldberg spotted it on a routine estate appraisal. 

The magnificent set was unpretentiously positioned in the bedroom of the late Merwin Hale (Bill) Wilkinson, Jr, a former Green Beret and avid a bow-hunter with African Safari trophies. “It just shouted ‘museum quality,’” Mr. Goldberg said. 

Mr. Wilkinson never told his heirs much about the suite so they were surprised when Mr. Goldberg said the desk might bring as much as $250,000 at the right auction house. He contacted Sotheby’s and they expressed interest. But there were issues to sort out first. The chair was in need of repairs that would cost $500. The family finally agreed to having the work done and in October the movers packed the set and drove it to New York.

The highly stylized Water Lilies suite was originally bought in Paris and shipped back to New Orleans. Its designer, Louis Majorelle, was one of the co-founders of Ecole d’Nancy, the French breakout movement that helped put Art Nouveau on the map. Majorelle’s gilt decorations on this desk and chair suggest stems and blossoms of water lilies. 

On arrival at Sotheby’s, the chair, a glorious concoction of lines, leather, nail heads and ormolu was catalogued with a modest $30,000-$50,000 pre-sale estimate. The desk, which experts felt was where the real value lay, was catalogued at $150,000 - $250,000. 

Early in auction of Important 20th Century design, the chair came to the podium before the desk. Unexpectedly, dynamic bidding ensued. The hammer finally fell at $653,000, including buyer’s premium. The magnificent desk commanded $365,000, with buyers premium. 

Mr. Goldberg, who is known sometimes as "The Treasure Finder" due to his record for spotting treasures others have overlooked, stated he was just glad the family had sought out the advice of a professional appraiser. “The financial loss could have been significant and, worse, the Water Lilies furniture could have lost to the world forever if they had not taken the advice of a professional appraiser.”

Among the items he has identified and shepherded through the selling process for the benefit of clients is a 19th century William H. Buck Louisiana landscape that had a $75 garage sale tag on it the first time Mr. Goldberg saw it. The family realized $300,000 on it. Another find was an Alfred Bierstadt painting originally appraised incorrectly at $2,000. In Mr. Goldberg’s hands it brought the family more than $100,000. Another recent find, a Newcomb Pottery Arts and Crafts style ceramic tile series, realized more than $81,000 at Rago Auction in New Jersey. 

Most of Mr. Goldberg’s “finds” have come from Louisiana and Texas, although he will travel anywhere for an appraisal. Many items, like the Water Lilies suite, were heirloom pieces whose importance faded with each generation until their story was eventually lost. 

Asked what he will do with his commission, Mr. Goldberg stated it is earmarked for his new granddaughter’s college education. The Wilkinsons’ did not have a comment about their plans for the monetary gift they can now attribute to their great-great grandmother's sense of style. It is safe to say their Christmas this year will be more joyous than usual.