On July 24 and 25, Garth's hosted a two-day auction of Asian art, fine and vintage jewelry, iconic 20th-century design, and European furniture and decorative arts. Over 1,000 lots crossed the block inside Garth's historic barn located in Delaware, Ohio. Amelia Jeffers, president of Garth's Auctions, commented on the flurry of Internet activity, "There was tremendous Internet activity on the entire auction. Conservative estimates (using analytics that track our website and catalogs on just two of the five websites on which we post our auctions) put online lot views in the neighborhood of 400,000. Online bidders represented over $430,000 in bidding power. We work hard on the social media and digital catalog side of the business. We have tried to develop the same kind of cultish following there as Garth's has always enjoyed from our "person-to-person" clients. It is paying off. The average visitor to our website views 18 pages and stays on the site for almost 10 minutes, exceedingly long when marketers talk about 60 second attention spans."
The shining star of the sale was an engraved Steuben vase by Fernand Legar, which sold after competitive bidding to a phone bidder for $78,000. The vase came to Garth's from a private collector in Upper Arlington, Ohio, and was originally purchased in 1940 directly from Steuben on Fifth Avenue. The vase descended through the family until this sale. "Garth's works aggressively to engage technology to our advantage when marketing the auctions, there is still nothing like a good old fashioned phone call. It's that personal touch, which Garth's is known for, that has a lot to do with the big price on the Steuben vase. Garth's has always been known as a warm, friendly, and helpful place, and nothing about that is going to change. It is who we are," said Jeff Jeffers, CEO of Garth's.
Silver glittered over the course of the two-day sale as well. An early 20th-century three-piece silver tea set brought $3,240 against a presale estimate of $200-$400. Thirty silver items, including a teapot, a pair of tazzas, and additional accessories sold for $4,500. Other notable lots from the Asian art session included a jade belt hook from the first half of the 19th century, which sold for $5,400. The piece was made of white and green jade with a delicately carved dragon and hydra and mounted on inlaid satinwood. An archer's ring, also in white jade, tripled it's high estimate and sold for $2,520. A pale green and white two-piece jade buckle also sparked bidder's interest and sold for $1,320.
Green continued to be in favor as the auctioneer moved into the fine and vintage jewelry session later the same day. An American, 20th-century square emerald cut ring sold for $12,000. An emerald and diamond ring weighing one carat and surrounded by 22 round brilliant-cut diamonds, sold for $1,440. One lucky lady is sure to soon be the new owner of a diamond engagement ring. The vintage-style ring had a beaded border design and was set with one round brilliant-cut diamond measuring 2.61 carats. It sold for $10,800.
The iconic 20th-century design session brought rave reviews. Along with the Steuben vase, additional highlights included a lounge chair by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller, which sold for $2,880. Chairs continued to stay in high demand throughout the session and after some aggressive bidding, a pair of Elizabeth lounge chairs by I.B. Kofod-Larsen for Christensen & Larsen sold for $17,400 to a phone bidder. A pair of blue vinyl swan chairs by Arne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansen sold for $3,120. A pair of womb chairs by Eero Saarinen for Knoll brought $3,360.
The final session held the bidders’ attention with a balanced collection of European furniture and decorative arts. A scenic painted KPM plaque from the late 19th century featuring children in a hay cart sold for $6,300. Seven volumes of Aristotle's works brought $2,640, doubling it's high estimate. Silver continued to shine throughout this session. A pair of George III candlesticks marked for London, 1762-3, sold for $4,200. A pair of Regency candlesticks, marked for Sheffield, 1822-3, and John Green and Company crossed the block for $1,560, while a silver tea and coffee service from Tuttle Silversmiths, Boston, Mass., in the Paul Revere pattern, brought $2,520.
For the full prices realized, visit www.garths.com.
For further information, call 740-362-4771.