ORIENTAL SURPRISE AND FLORIDA ART PACE SALE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 1, 2006

AUCTION GALLERY OF THE PALM BEACHES
Sale October 9, 2006
West Palm Beach, FL

WEST PALM BEACH, FL - Auction Gallery of the Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach, FL continued its string of hugely successful sales with another blockbuster event on October 9. For the third sale in a row auction owner Brian Kogan produced a real surprise from the Orient to keep the audience on their toes as well as some local Florida art treasures that were very well received.

Kogan said, "We are fortunate to have a number of retired executives in this area who have collected Orientalia for a very long time. Now some of them are thinning out their collections and we see some very fine examples." The star of the show this time came very early in the 500 lot sale. It was a pair of Chinese ivory inset polychrome double gourd shaped wall plaques. Each featured a scene of elephants with associated Chinese figures and had carved wooden bats on each side at the pinched waist of the gourds. Measuring 24in high by 14½in wide, the plaques were missing some ivory insets and applications but they were in overall good condition. The presale estimate for the pair of late 19th century plaques was a modest $800 - $1,000. Online bidders through Liveauctioneers.com quickly dominated the bidding sending it above estimate before the auction opened. The winner was an online bidder in Taiwan, posting a sale high winning bid of $26,400 including the twenty percent online buyer’s premium. Kogan commented that many Oriental lots are being acquired by bidders from the Far East and the articles are being returned to their home site.

That was the case also for some important works of Florida art. Two early works by Albert E. "Beanie" Backus, the mentor of the famed Florida Highwaymen of the 1950s, crossed the block in the fourth hour of the sale and bidders were ready. An oil on board "Shoreline with Pier and Boats, Near Vero Beach" inscribed verso by the artist "For Harry, Albert E. Backus 1940", 16 X 19in, sold on the floor to a Florida collector for $13,800. A larger 25 X 30in oil on canvas, signed lower right and verso signed and titled "Indian River" by the artist also sold within estimate to the same bidder for $24,150.

Furniture sold surprisingly well. A three piece English inlaid maple and cherry locking display cabinet with eight glass doors and four drawers, 80in high X 93in wide, sold online for $6,000, above the $2,500 - $3,500 estimate. A set of eight Restoration antique carved walnut dining chairs, two arms and six sides, also sold above estimate on the floor at $2,300. An oak Art Deco dining table and a set of eight matching oak chairs, all by German designer Thomas Pein did not sell during the auction but a private sale ensued later for $8,500 for the set.

Several outstanding lots brought outstanding prices. A 29in tall bronze figure of a crouching contemplative lady dated 1958, monogrammed "TM" sold above estimate for $4,025. A Meissen antique hand painted porcelain plaque of a penitent Magdalene brought $4,600 against the estimate of $1,500 - $1,800 and a silver Judaica double handled spice cup with inset paste and semi precious stones, bearing the Ten Commandments in Hebrew and an unknown language, 12¼in high, quadrupled the estimate, selling online for $2,040.

The December 4 sale at Auction Gallery of the Palm Beaches will feature items from the Rochelle Thomas estate, a Palm Beach art gallery and a good selection of decorative arts. For more information call (561) 805-7115 or visit the website at http://www.agopb.com/.

written by:

Fred & Gail Taylor

http://www.furnituredetective.com/

800-387-6377

PHOTO CAPTIONS FOR AUCITON GALLERY OF THE PALM BEACHES Sale October 9th

This pair of Chinese gourd shaped wall plaques with ivory insets was top lot of the sale. An online bidder paid $26,400 for the late 19th century pair, estimated at $800- $1,000.

These two sterling covered cups in Pattern 43 marked by Georg Jensen, 6in high by 4 7/8in wide, more than doubled the estimate, selling for $3738.

The 29in high contemplative lady bronze figure, 1958, sold for $4,025.

A set of twelve English porcelain hand painted dessert plates, finely decorated with floral themes, was an eye opener, selling for $2,760 against the estimate of $250-$400.

This scene of the Indian River, oil on canvas, by Albert E. "Beanie" Backus sold to a Florida collector for $24,150.