A figural bronze statue of a warrior on his steed by the German artist Franz Von Stuck (1863-1928) sold for $20,880 in an online auction held Feb. 3-17 by Litchfield County Auctions, Inc. The bronze, titled Amazon, was the top achiever in a sale that saw over 1,000 lots change hands and grossed nearly $1 million. Internet bidding was facilitated by iGavelAuctions.com.
The Von Stuck bronze went to a determined bidder from Germany, and that set the tone for the auction overall, as bidders from around the world logged on. The second top lot went to an American, however, as a set of 12 early 20th century walnut high-back leather dining chairs in the 17th century style hit $20,400. Also, a mid-17th century North European Baroque walnut trestle table made $10,620.
“This was our annual Winter Antiques Auction and it was the single largest sale in our 16-year history,” said Nicholas Thorn of Litchfield County Auctions, Inc. “We enjoyed a sell-through rate of over 90 percent, and the total gross of more than $966,000 included the $50,000 tag sale. The pre-sale estimate of items sold was $550,000-$850,000, so the grand total was above even the high estimate.”
Litchfield County Auctions is Connecticut’s premier estate auction house, featuring paintings, prints, sculptures, antique furniture, silver, rugs, jewelry, pottery, porcelain, glass and more. The firm’s spacious, 10,000-square-foot gallery is located about a mile south of The Green in Litchfield. Major sales are held six times a year and feature fresh-to-the-market property from prominent local estates.
Litchfield County Auctions is always accepting quality consignments for future sales. To consign a single item, an estate or a collection, you may call them at (860) 567-4661; or, you can e-mail them at [email protected]. The street address is 425 Bantam Rd. (Route 202), Litchfield, CT 06759.
For more information on the firm, you may log on to
www.litchfieldcountyauctions.com
By the time it was all over, a total of 4,745 bids had been submitted, with 387 winning bidders representing eleven foreign countries (Canada, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Hong Kong, England, Switzerland, Italy, Australia and Bermuda) and 31 different U.S. states. Following are additional highlights from the auction. All prices quoted include the 20 percent buyer’s premium.