Qing Dynasty jars and jadeite jewelry brought breathtaking sums at an auction of Asian Works of Art that concluded here October 27, 2015. The 311 lot sale, which realized a total of $2,217,619 including buyer’s premium, was handled by Lark Mason Associates on the iGavel Auctions platform, affirming that smaller independent auction companies and platforms like iGavelAuctions.com (http://igavelauctions.com) offer a strong competitive advantage to much larger international auction platform services. 

Says Lark Mason, the founder of iGavel and owner of the eponymous firm, “The key to our success rests in the quality of material being offered in these two sales: Asian Works of Art and Fine & Decorative Works of Art. That, coupled with our relentless emphasis on transparency and our commitment to providing thorough information for potential bidders gives us the ability to out-perform other auction houses in the online marketplace.” 

The highlight of the sale was a rare pair of Chinese “Fahua-style” Lotus Jars and Covers from the Qing Dynasty that realized $950,000, far above a pre-sale estimate of $50,000 to $80,000. Jewelry featured in the sale as well, with a set of three jadeite necklaces (originally formed from a single necklace) that realized $325,000.  

Despite the recent downturn in the Chinese economy and lackluster sales of gilt-bronze figures in China and Hong Kong, Lark Mason Associates’ sale was robust. Their selection of 17th- to 19th-century figures realized a cumulative total of $186,372.  Of equal strength was a collection of Chinese silk court robes, consigned by a Texas owner, which brought $34,496 against a pre-sale estimate of $13,400 to $22,600.  

The accompanying sale of Asian, Ancient & Ethnographic Works of Art Auction realized a total of $350,623 with buyer’s premium. The success of these Asian Works of Art auctions highlighted the continuing success of the iGavel platform to consistently deliver strong results online.

In the same week, Lark Mason Associates also held a Fine & Decorative Works of Art. The top lot, an Italian Empire Surtout de Table dating from the early 19th century, smashed existing records for similar objects at Sotheby’s and Christies, realizing $193,750. This was followed by an astounding result for many other hotly contested objects, including a 19th century Empire gilt bronze urn that realized $73,125 with a pre-sale estimate of $1,500/2,500. The sale of 321 objects exceeded expectations, bringing a very strong total of $807,206 including buyer’s premium.  

“The auctions were put before completely different audiences yet achieved remarkably similar high results, showing continued strength at the high end of the market,” says Mason. “They also showed the importance of solid scholarship and of targeting appropriate markets.There are numerous choices available for auctioneers today for online platforms, but iGavel has consistently dominated the high end of the online market through a focused approach on customer service and by supplying bidders with plenty of information about the items offered.”

About Lark Mason and iGavel

In 2003, long before the recent proliferation of online auction sites, Lark Mason had already established iGavel Inc., the online international network of independently owned regional auction salesrooms, specializing in the sale of fine and decorative arts. With his stellar reputation as a leading expert, appraiser, and television personality on the PBS series "The Antiques Roadshow," Mason’s innovative approach for online sales—with uniform buyer’s premium rates, vetted sellers, published condition reports, and a guarantee for items sold in the two-week auction process—set a new standard and remains unique among Web-based auction companies.

A native New Yorker and a former director of Sothebys.com, Mason is the owner of his eponymous auction house which specializes in Asian art and recently sold a painting for $4.183 million, a record-breaking price for Lark Mason Associates and one of the highest amounts of any work of art sold online. That result was not an anomaly.  In 2014, five other members of the iGavel consortium also had record-breaking results: Elders sold a Chinese scroll for $1.1 million; Everard, an oil by Gabriele Münter for more than $250,000; and Witherell’s, a horn-veneered center table for $90,000. 

iGavel associates are independent auctioneers, appraisers, and dealers. They include Abington Auctions (Ft. Lauderdale), Daniel Cooney Fine Art (New York), Elder's Fine Art and Antiques (Nokomis FL), Everard & Company (Savannah GA), KC Auction Company (Kansas City), Lark Mason Associates (New Braunfels TX), Bill Lowrie Antiques (Minneapolis MN), South Bay Auctions (East Moriches NY), and Witherell’s (Sacramento CA).

For more information, visit www.igavelauctions.com or www.larkmasonassociates.com