Los Angeles, CA— John Moran Auctioneers presented their first Traditional Collector sale of the year as a two-day affair. Tuesday and Wednesday, April 25th & 26th at 10am PDT, Moran’s featured over 500 lots including Continental furnishings, French, Italian, Art Deco, lighting, clocks, fine art, bronze sculptures, Gorham Martele and Tiffany & Co. silver, Christofle Cardeilhac flatware, and pianos by Bösendorfer & Steinway. Designer furnishings offered were pieces by Linke, Riesener, Victor Paillard, Dasson, Barbedienne, and Galle.
Lot 1007: An International 14k Gold Vanity Set $31,250
Leading the category of fine at (as well as the entire sale) was lot 1046, Francois Boucher’s, The Vegetabel Vendor: A Sheet Of Studies, 1738. This red and white chalk drawing started with an estimate of $8,000-10,000. The work garnered major interest, which was evident through multiple online and phone bids, and ultimately left the block for a staggering $81,250 (including buyer’s premium)! Lots 1056 and 1097, works by Ziem and Delacroix, also achieved impressive results. Venice, by Felix Ziem, was estimated $5,000-7,000 and brought in $18,750 (including buyer’s premium), and Une Jeune Juive De Marrak, circa 1830, attributed to Eugene Delacroix, sold for $18,200 (including buyer’s premium), more than doubling its original $6,000-8,000 estimate. Of the sculptures offered, lot 1307 by Sally James Farnham highlighted the selection. Having a $5,000-7,000 estimate, New York City Mounted Policeman In the Rain hammered in $16,250.
For decorative art, a Chinese export French-style automation clock by Cheon S’Nag Comton performed exceptionally well. Lot 1073, designed with Roman numeral hour markers and a pineapple finial, had an estimate of $20,000-30,000 and left the block for $34,375 (including buyer’s premium).
Lot 1388: A Set of Russian Imperial Porcelain Plates $20,000
Vintage collectors showed up for lot 1007, a 1930’s 14k gold vanity set. The lot included a hand mirror, three brushes, a comb, three covered glass jars, nail file, a button hook, a shoehorn, a cuticle knife, and a nail buff, totaling 13 pieces. The exquisite set, estimated $6,000-8,000 and reminiscent to what 1930s Hollywood starlets like Marlene Dietrich or Greta Garbo would have had, sold for a whopping $31,250 (including buyer’s premium)!
This sale also offered a nice collection of French furniture, especially lot 1125, a gilt-bronze mounted armoire by François Linke. This piece featured three glazed doors revealing fitted interiors with shelves, a center cabinet with two lower drawers, and finished with gilt-bronze mounts that converted to a vitrine. With a $3,000-5,000 estimate, the armoire brought in an impressive $11,250 (including buyer’s premium).
Lots 1388 and 1389 took place during day two of the auction, presented Russian Imperial porcelain dishware from the Period of Nicholas I, circa 1825-1855. The twelve-piece plate set, having a scalloped rim, gilt highlights, and polychrome interlacing surrounding the Russian Imperial eagle, was estimated $2,000-3,000 but sold for ten times as much with a final bid of $20,000 (including buyer’s premium). The matching bowl set, having the same estimate, sold for $18,750 (including buyer’s premium).
—Brenda Smith, John Moran Auctioneers
Lot 1046: Francois Boucher (1703-1770), The Vegetable Vendor: A Sheet Of Studies $81,250
“Leading the category of fine at (as well as the entire sale) was lot 1046, Francois Boucher’s, The Vegetabel Vendor: A Sheet Of Studies, 1738. The work garnered major interest, which was evident through multiple online and phone bids, and ultimately left the block for a staggering $81,250 (including buyer’s premium)!”
Upcoming Auctions
John Moran Auctioneers will continue their 2023 lineup with the Costume & Couture auction, Tuesday, May 23rd, followed by the Fine Jewelry & Timepieces sale, Tuesday, May 24th. Be sure to mark your calendars for these upcoming auctions so you don’t miss out on the action, and the treasures!
Costume & Couture: Tuesday, May 23rd | 10:00 am PDT
Fine Jewelry & Timepieces: Wednesday, May 24th | 10:00 am PDT
Art of the American West: Tuesday, June 6th | 12:00 pm PDT
Modern & Contemporary Fine Art: Tuesday, June 13th | 10:00am PDT
ReDesigned: Tuesday, July 11th | 12:00pm PDT
For upcoming highlights, online catalogues, and more information on these sales, visit Moran’s website: www.johnmoran.com and follow us on social media: @johnmoranauctioneers. Along with our website, bidding is now available online via Moran’s new mobile app, Moran Mobile, available on both iOS and Android operating systems. You may also choose to bid by phone or absentee.
Consignments are always welcome:
Email us at [email protected] today!
