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These volumes of Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey and Persuasion found greatest favor with an international buyer, earning $7,813 despite some minor condition issues ($4/6,000).
Review by Madelia Hickman Ring
NEW YORK CITY & NEW BRAUNFELS, TEXAS — “The June group of three successful Lark Mason Associates sales on the iGavel Auctions website included two single-owner sales and a general sale with a wide range of categories, including silver, books, Native American jewelry, decorative arts and handbags. Bidding was strong as most of the lots had multiple bids and bidders, and the bidders came from a wide variety of locations, including across the states, Europe and Asia. The sales showed that even as we head into the warmer months, people are still actively engaging in online sales.” Lark Mason gave Antiques and The Arts Weekly this enthusiastic feedback following the sale of nearly 450 lots over three sales.
The Consummate New Yorker: Books and Other Collections from Robert Gottlieb, Publisher and Editor was the title of the 123-lot sale that closed on June 26. For those who don’t know, Gottlieb was head of Alfred A. Knopf, the editor in chief of Simon and Schuster, and the editor of The New Yorker. Some of the authors he worked with included Toni Morrison, John Le Carré, Bruno Bettelheim, Katharine Graham, Doris Lessing, Bill Clinton, Nora Ephron, Bill Gates, Joseph Heller and Robert Caro.
A two-volume lot of Jane Austen’s last and posthumously published works — Northanger Abbey and Persuasion — set a high bar for the day with a $7,813 result. Published in London in 1818 by John Murray, both tomes had contemporary black leather and marbled boards, gilt titles, speckled edges and each were inscribed in pencil “M.C. Guice” on the front. An international buyer had the highest bid.
Robert Caro and Robert Gottlieb were longtime friends and collaborators on a documentary about Caro. This first edition copy of Caro’s The Path to Power had a presentation inscription from the author and achieved $5,500, from an American buyer ($50/100).
Robert Caro’s first edition of The Path to Power (Knopf, 1982) that was inscribed “For Bob – I remember. Bob” followed with a $5,500 result, exponentially multiplying its $50/100 estimate.
The Awakening by Kate Chopin (Chicago and New York, 1899), also a first edition, was in its original pale green cloth boards with green and red and gilt top edge. Bidders were willing to overlook some inscriptions in pen and pencil, water-stained pages and the lack of a dust jacket and it rose to $3,500 from an estimate of $800-$1,200.
A 255-lot sale titled Exquisite Boxes, Furniture and Works of Art closed on June 27. The best in sale price of $5,375 was dished out by a pair of Twentieth Century Chinese porcelain rectangular shallow stands that had floral enamel decoration on the exterior. A Nineteenth Century Chinese export porcelain figure of a dog that had provenance to a Sotheby’s New York auction in October 1989 nearly quadrupled its high estimate when it fetched $3,908 from an American buyer.
English and Continental works in the sale also brought comparatively high prices. Realizing $2,500 was a pair of Eighteenth Century oil on canvas hunt scenes by George Morland (British, 1763-1804) that had also seen prior auction action when the pair was sold in a sporting art sale at Christie’s New York in 2000.
Cloisonné details on the handles and feet were among the attractive and compelling features of this Meiji period Japanese enameled silver Koro with cover. An American buyer won it for $4,000, the highest price in the 62-lot single-owner sale that ended on July 2 ($300/500).
And, closing on July 2, was Jewelry, Silver and Works of Art from a Prominent Collector, a 62-lot sale. Contemporary Native American jewelry and accessories saw strong competition, but it was a Meiji period Japanese enameled silver Koro or censor and cover that measured just 6¼ inches tall and burned its $300/500 estimate to sell for $4,000, to an American buyer.
A 14K gold, turquoise and claw Native American necklace, marked “DJ” and possibly made by Don Johnson, clawed out a second-place finish in the sale with a result of $3,189, from a US buyer. In the same category, a Native American sterling silver and turquoise concho belt made by Kenny Bracken clinched a fourth-place finish and a new home with an American buyer for $1,759.
An international bidder prevailed over competitors to acquire for $1,875 an Irish sterling silver teapot and warming stand, made in 1910 by Charles Lambe of Dublin.
Prices quoted include the buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. Dates of future auctions have not yet been announced. For information, www.larkmasonassociates.com or 212-289-5524.
