We are at Christie's auction house in Rockefeller Center for The Clark Family Treasures auction. I was able to view the items right before the sale on June 18, 2014. I have had a few posts on this story, and the last survivor of the Clark family, Huguette, HERE and HERE. It is an amazing story, one that makes me rather sad, to think of the life this very wealthy woman had until she died at 104. The whole story really makes me feel that money is not everything.
a young Huguette and her father, Senator William Andrews Clark
The detail on this set was really fabulous and kept going back to look at it a few times
A LOUIS XV PORCELAIN-MOUNTED, PATINATED AND POLYCHROME-DECORATED VERNIS MARTIN, BRONZE AND ORMOLU MANTEL CLOCK
THE FIGURES ATTRIBUTED TO MARTIN FRERES, THE MOVEMENT BY ETIENNE LE NOIR, CIRCA 1750
Estimate
$100,000 - $150,000
Price Realized
$137,000.00
A PAIR OF LOUIS XV PORCELAIN-MOUNTED, PATINATED AND POLYCHROME-DECORATED VERNIS MARTIN, BRONZE AND ORMOLU TWIN LIGHT CANDELABRA
THE FIGURES ATTRIBUTED TO MARTIN FRERES, CIRCA 1750
Estimate
$60,000 - $90,000
Price Realized $245,000.00
ERARD
A FORTY-SEVEN STRING DOUBLE ACTION CONCERT HARP, LOUIS XV STYLE, PARIS, CIRCA 1912-1915Engraved on the action plate Erard 4738 and on the reverse Erard 13, Rue du Mail Paris. The body, with a fluted column terminating in a Nautilus scroll, and the arm are covered in a green finish and decorated with gilding. The horizontal grained soundboard is decorated in a polychrome floral motif and fit with ebony bridge pins with pearl eyes
72¼ in. (183.5 cm) high at the column, with a soft felt cover
The estimate on this gorgeous harp was $3-5,000 dollars but it sold for $21,250.00
What amazing craftsmanship displayed here
A bust of Senator Clark sold for $10,625.00 quite a bit more than the estimate below
This amazing piece sold for $87,500.00, not quite double the estimate below
You can click on these to enlarge for reading
All of the items were in the most excellent condition, you wonder how often things were actually used by the Clark Family
A FRENCH ORMOLU-MOUNTED TULIPWOOD, BOIS SATINE, SYCAMORE AND FRUITWOOD MARQUETRY AND PARQUETRY DRESSING TABLE
BY PATRICK AVRILLA, FRANCE, DATED 1992 With three folding oval mirrors on foliate supports above a kidney-shaped top inlaid with a pastoral landscape, above three frieze drawers inlaid with further landscapes, on cabriole legs, with plaque inscribedD. 1992/Ebènisterie P. Avrilla/France
56½ in. (143.5 cm.) high, 49 in. (124.5 cm.) wide, 24 in. (61 cm.) deep
The Estimate on this one was $8-12,000 but it only sold for $7,500.00
Some items are sold with no reserve, while others need to meet the reserve or they are not purchased
These were on top of the dressing table above, just beautiful and in such perfect condition
AN AMERICAN SILVER AND ENAMEL DRESSING SET
TIFFANY & CO., NEW YORK, 1917-47 With enamel flowers in green, red and yellow, with yellow beaded surround, engraved AEC monogram, comprising:
A hand mirror
Three brushes, in sizes
Two glass bottles, with silver stoppers
A glass powder box and puff with silver covers
Two round boxes, in sizes
A shoe horn
A button hook
A nail file, each marked on body
23 oz. (715 gr.) weighable silver (12)
This estimate was $3-5,000 and it sold for $12,500.00
This desk was really beautiful and the gold work on it was amazing. The bottom right photo is actually the back of the desk!
A FRENCH ORMOLU-MOUNTED TULIPWOOD, SYCAMORE AND STAINED FRUITWOOD MARQUETRY AND PARQUETRY BUREAU A CYLINDRE
BY PATRICK AVRILLA, FRANCE, DATED 1992
Pre-Lot Text
In the early 1990s, Huguette Clark commissioned copies of her mother Anna's bedroom furniture to install in her own apartment. The originals were carefully copied by skilled contemporary French ébénistes, who were able to match the materials, mimic the marquetry and capture the craftsmanship of the pieces made over 100 years before.
Estimate $8,000 - $12,000 and it sold for $10,000 US Dollars
Gorgeous purses from the early to late 20th century. One of the folks working at Christie's said the paper was still inside some of them meaning they were never even used!
This one was my favorite
The book to the right and below, in fabulous condition, sold for $293,000 as the estimate was $80-$120,000.00
BAUDELAIRE, CHARLES (1821-67). LES FLEURS DU MAL. PARIS: POULET-MALASSIS ET DE BROISE, 1857.
Amazing to think this is from 1857 and it is in this kind of condition
This was part of the set below and I just loved the bright blue
A PAIR OF GEORGE III ALTERED SILVER COASTERS AND A CENTERPIECE
MARKED LONDON, 1814, POSSIBLY FOR WILLIAM ELLERBY
Estimate $1,500 - $2,000 Sold for $2,500.00
AN AMERICAN SILVER FIVE PIECE TEA SERVICE
MARK OF GORHAM, CIRCA 1899
Each marked 'Sterling', monogrammed WAC for William Andrews Clark and with wood handles comprising a hot water kettle on stand with burner, a teapot with hinged cover, a cream jug, a two handled sugar bowl and cover, and a waste bowl
Estimate was $3-5,000.00 and it sold for $4,750.00
It was a really gorgeous tea set, but I wouldn't want to have to polish it !
A Book of Hours dating to the first quarter of the 16th century (estimate: $40,000-60,000) is an exceptional example of an illuminated manuscript on vellum. Every page of this manuscript has a full-page border on a ground of liquid gold, and each of the numerous devotions opens with a miniature painted in a vibrant and dramatic style. It is a particularly full Book of Hours in both text and illumination, and constitutes a telling demonstration of the cross-currents and common interests of those involved in the production of printed and manuscript books in Paris in the first decades of the 16th century.
I hope you enjoyed just a little glimpse into the lives of those from the gilded age. Part 2 will showcase some of the beautiful paintings that were also sold in this auction. You can view the whole catalog on Christie's site, HERE, and it tells you the estimates and actual prices of each item. Great for those history buffs!!
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