RAGO GREAT ESTATES AND UNRESERVED AUCTIONS TOTAL OVER $1.6 MILLION, SEPTEMBER 20-22, 2013.

Lambertville, NJ: Rago Arts and Auction Center's three-day auction on September 20, 21 and 22 resulted in total sales of $1,625,484. The top lot in Sunday's Great Estates sale was a life sized bronze sculpture of a horse by Victor Delfin, which sold for $32,500.

“Each Great Estates auction is a new cabinet of curiosities. This auction's cabinet had a lot to recommend it, from arms and armor to Asian artifacts, fine art to Royal Worcester, Elizabethan furniture to books and ephemera. We had robust bidding on all but a few lots and hammered far above the low estimate," said Tom Martin, who directs the Great Estates auctions. "Rago is the most successful auction house in New Jersey and a leading U.S. auction house - and not just for its great sales of 20th/21st design.”  

GREAT ESTATES HIGHLIGHTS

A collection of arms and armor from Claude Offrey Jr., kicked off the sale, exceeding the projected high estimate by 30 percent. The George Gallup Collection of Elizabethan furnishings, portraits and other notable property beat its mean estimate by 23 percent. There was much interest in books, including several first editions, and a 19th century hand illuminated Koran, which brought $10,000. Overall, books surpassed their high estimate by a whopping 28 percent. Coins and currency also did well, exceeding the high estimate by 11 percent. Some of the strongest results in the auction were achieved by the lots of fine art: a Flemish school painting sold for $23,750; a Susan Catherine Moore Waters, oil on canvas of a cat watching squirrels fetched $16,250; and a Jean Jacques Feuchere bronze sculpture of a Satanic figure brought $21,250. An exceptional Harry Davis for Royal Worcester two handled, lidded vase sold for $15,000 against an estimate of $3,000-5,000. A Chinese altar table, saw spirited bidding, much of it by a Chinese clientele, finally bringing $22,500 against its $500-700 estimate. The D. W. Griffith "Birth of a Nation" statuette brought $8,750, with phone bidding from antique shop owners, filmmakers and private collectors.

- Hammer: $ 760,755

- Hammer + b.p. $ 950,944

- Number of lots: 650% sold: 87% 

- Bidders in-house: 103

- Absentee bidders: 81

- Phone Bidders:  157

- Bidders online: 958 (online bidders from: U.S., Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela, Columbia, Egypt, South Africa, Lebanon, Kuwait, Israel, United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, China, Thailand, Philippines, Russia, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Turkey, Bulgaria, Spain, France, Italy, United Kingdom, Ireland, Hungary, Germany, Austria, Poland, Denmark, Norway and Finland)

Highlighted Top Lots:

- 2284  Victor Delfin, Life Sized Bronze Sculpture of a Horse    $ 32,500

- 2298  Flemish School Painting    $ 23,750

- 2461  Chinese Altar Table    $ 22,500

- 2279  Jean Jacques Feuchere, Bronze Sculpture, "Satan"    $ 21,250

- 2169  Tiffany & Co. Billiard Clock    $ 18,750

- 2178  Susan Catherine Moore Waters, Oil on Canvas of a Cat Watching Squirrels    $ 16,250

- 2153  Harry Davis / Royal Worcester, Two Handled Lidded Vase    $ 15,000

- 2000  English Plate Mail Armor, 17th/18th C.    $ 13,750

- 2120  Elizabethan Four Poster Bed    $ 10,000

- 2278  Vienna Bronze Orientalist Lamp    $ 9,375

FRIDAY UNRESERVED HIGHLIGHTS

- Hammer: $ $191,625

- Hammer + b.p. $ 239,531

- Number of lots: 622

- Bidders online: 617

Highlighted Top Lots:

- 582       Asian Decorative Group     $ 6,875

- 19         Gustav Stickley Dresser     $ 4,688

- 412a     Aesthetic Movement Chandelier     $ 3,250

- 2          George Ohr Teacup and Vase     $ 3,125

- 428       RCA Victrola     $ 2,125

- 1          George Ohr Small Bowl with In-Body Twist     $ 1,875

- 493       Louis XVI Style King-Size Bed     $ 1,875

- 22         L. & J. G. Stickley Rocking Chair     $ 1,750   

- 85         Arts and Crafts Paneled Center Table     $ 1,750  

- 204       Weller, Etc., Three Vases   $ 1,625

SATURDAY UNRESERVED HIGHLIGHTS

- Hammer: $ 348,007

- Hammer + b.p. $ 435,009

- Number of lots: 732

- Bidders online: 666

Highlighted Top Lots:

- 733       Mon Levinson, "Three Stacked Circles"     $ 8,125

- 826       Paul Evans, Directional, Cityscape cabinet     $ 6,875

- 1213a   Kurt Weiser, Ceramic Charger       $ 2,125

- 1346     Finn Juhl, Niels Vodder, Judas Dining Table    $ 6,875

- 820       George Nakashima, Mira Chair     $ 4,375

- 1035     Mastercraft, Pair of Illuminated Vitrines     $ 3,500

- 806a     Adrian Pearsall, Credenza     $ 3,375

- 1054     Leonora Carrington (attr.), "Cocodrilos Sueños I" / "Crocodile Dreams I"     $ 3,250

- 1295     Style of Jean Michel Frank, Side Chair    $ 3,250

- 1386     Bjorn Wiinblad, Rosenthal, Partial "Magic Flute" Porcelain Dinner Service   $ 2,875

Rago Auctions will hold the next Great Estates Auction on December 7, 2013 and Discovery Auction on January 17/18, 2014. Consignments are now being accepted for all auctions: 609.397.9374 or info@ragoarts.com. 

TO THE EDITOR

High resolution images available on request.

About Rago Arts and Auction Center

Rago is a leading U.S. auction house with $30 million in annual sales. We serve thousands of sellers and buyers internationally with a singular blend of global reach and personal service. Rago holds auctions of 20th/21st c. design, fine art, decorative arts, furnishings, jewelry, militaria, coins and currency, Asian, historic ephemera, and ethnographic property.  A world-class venue through which to buy and sell, it offers valuations for personal property (from a single piece to collections and estates), appraisals, estate services, exhibitions and lectures in house and online. Rago is based in New Jersey, midway between Philadelphia and New York City.

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