9/21/15 I’ve fallen “N” “U” can’t git it up !

9/21/15
We start the week with more more auction activity .
This time from the “Palais Dorotheum” in Vienna , Austria .
The sale just wound up and the outcome was certainly far from what they were hoping for.
Out of the 228 lots run across the podium only 89 found takers .
A sold percentage of a dismal 39 %.
Like the previous week's 2 ( Rippon – Nagel ) sales this inventory featured nothing to get the rug world buzzing so it ended up in the same unmemorable ballpark.
Of the things that did sell the action was with fancy “Persian city rugs” and carpets .
Unfortunately this sale did not fall in to the “house cleaning sale arena” so the can't fall back on that excuse .
In my earlier review of this group I did state I thought it was a more interesting inventory than Rippon and Nagel but I guess I was wrong about that !
Oh well , you can't call them all right .
Concerning the 2 pieces I featured in the earlier post both sold , one very well the other not so much.
Lot # 18 , Khotan carpet . Pre- sale est. €'4-6,000.00 sold for € 10,000.00 including comm. I thought this was the best carpet in the sale so the price it fetched was not a big surprise.
Lot # 151 Baluch prayer rug . Pre- sale est. € 16-2,000.00 . Sold for 1,250.00 including comm. I thought this piece would do better but the age may have held it back.
So it's back to the drawing board for the Dorotheum rug dept.
Better Luck next time !
9/22/15
Well we have had 3 “major” auctions in the books so far in this 2015 fall auction season and we are off to a modest start sales wise.
With a combine total of 740 lots offered only 309 found any takers , well under 50%.
Granted these are 3 of the weakest sales of the season and none of them featured any serious pieces of any type but the results are what they are !
There are 3 more upscale sales on the docket this weekend and hopefully the turnout will be more positive.
No , this is not doom and gloom because with the quality of merchandise offered in these 3 sales this type of result was to be expected .
The better auction inventories should garner better results as most everyone I come into contact with is looking to acquire more high end pieces !
Please keep in mind this is just one persons opinion !!!
9/23/15
Quiet !
3 weeks till the next East Coast sojourn !
One piece fringe rug news to report .
Sotheby's , NYC held a sale on Sept. 16 titled “Images of Enlightenment” ,
, Devotional Works of Art & Paintings and one lot preformed in a stellar manor for the consigner's estate.
Lot # 405 , Embroidered Thangka , 18th century . Pre-sale est. $ 80-120,000.00 ,
( 26.5 “x 36.5” ) ended up selling for $ 1,510.000.00 including comm.
Not a record but a very nice upside burst for the beneficiaries of the W.D.Cole estate .
This type of piece has been know to command serious attention lately !
9/24/15
Still silent !
No worries , 3 weeks till ART's !
9/25/15
Hot humid but no activity.
That will certainly change this week end ?
9/26/15
So here we go .
The first game in today's double header is in the books and the Austria Auction Co's . results are somewhat better than the outcomes of the previous 3 fall rug sales.
Out of the 169 items run across the podium in Vienna , 93 found takers which works out to a sold percentage of right at 55%.
Keep in mind this is “Liveauctioneers” unaudited numbers so they could certainly change.
The sale produced nothing in the way of any real upside surprises mostly just modest returns on modest merchandise , but pieces were sold which is a plus in itself.
Nothing to pat your self on the back about but still a much better turn of events for Udo and the crew at Austria Auction.
Considering the overall mediocre quality and age of the pieces offered not bad , not bad at all.

Minor road trip .

Second game in this doubleheader Sat. is now in the books and so far in this fall auction season Skinner's rug dept. has grabbed the lead in both number of lots offered and sold percentage.
That could change after the Oct. 1 Sotheby's , NYC sale !
Out of the 330 lots run under the hammer only 90 failed to garner interest which works out to a sold percentage of about 73% .
One thing to make note of is that Mr Kearney and Erika do tend to try to work the phones a bit after the sale to get the sold percentage up a bit , so these numbers could change.
Although slightly lower than the previous “Kearney era” sales sold percentages , still at the head of the class up to this point !
Granted most of these pieces were mid -range with nothing as far as a stand out item to make the sale memorable , but sold is sold and it was a substantial amount of merchandise.
One other thing worth mentioning .
Out of the 29 total lots of Kashmir shawl lots only 3 failed to attract any attention.
Any doubts about the strength of the shawl market are now put to rest !
Not a lot in the way of upside surprises but there were 2 worth a line or two .
Lot # 139 Sultanabad carpet , pre- sale est. $ 6-8,000.00 . Sold for $ 29,520.00 including comm. Oversize so the pop was expected.
Lot # Kashmir moon shawl , pre- sale est. $12-1,500.00 . Sold for $ 9,225.00 .
These items are in the midst of a very active period.
As for the pieces I featured in an earlier post 2 sold one did not .
Lot # 85 , Turkmen tentband , pre- sale est. $ 4-5,000.00 . Unsold.
Lot # 154 , Surahani Embroidery , pre-sale est. $ 8-1,000.00 . Sold for $ 1046.00 including com. In the range .
Lot 162 Shahsevan bagface , pre-sale est. $15-,1,800.00 . Sold for $4,305.00 including comm.
I figure the possibility that it was missing an outside main border only affected it to a certain extent , however what appeared to be a somewhat finer weave may have helped the price!
One last piece of rug auction Sat news .
The general antique sale at Southbay Auctions , Long Island , N.Y. is also history .
Not a big deal at all featuring only a hand full of rugs and carpets but the lot i mentioned and illustrated in the previous post sold and sold well at that .
Lot # 178 , catalogued as 2 small kelims and carrying a pre- sale estimate of $2-300.00 .
They were in reality a bug design Sumak bag grouped together with another decent allover design Sumak bag and they sold for $4,400.00 .
Even though it may have had a touch of aniline orange in it , it had decent age and quality so the price it fetched was warranted.
9/27/15
Quiet Sunday .
The Groganco General sale in Boston , Ma featuring 16 rugs and carpets just wrapped up and as far that portion of the auction goes it was a fairly successful outting for Mr Grogan and staff.
Out of the 16 pieces put up for sale only 4 failed to attract any action.
A sold percentage of 75 % .
I know it's a small group but still a nice effort.
As for the piece I featured in the previous post it was certainly the highlight of the rug portion of the sale.
Lot # 221 Sewan Kazak , pre- sale est. $1-1,500.00 . Sold for $6,000.00 + comm.
As as to be expected !
And the week ends !

Alcohol can lead to incomprehensible thoughts and ideas ! , Sheik Frederich , 2015.

Song o the week , The Agonist , My Witness Your Victim on Eye of Providence , 2015.

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9/14/15 When the world gets weird the weird go Shopping !

9/14/15
Back to business .
Netherhampton Salesrooms , Salisbury , U.K. is now live on the auction clock with their Sept. 30 offering.
This time around the group consist of 487 total lots of “as is their m.o.” all types of hand woven items from all weaving areas .
Once again the inventory runs along the same lines as their past sales with nothing included in the inventory that would be considered a serious collectors piece .
No top shelf decorator carpets in the offering either .
That's not to say there aren't a few things worth you taking a little time to check out in the catalog .
In the Turkmen section of the listing there is an interesting group of tent band fragments ( 7 ) and one complete tentband .
As usual the illustrations are far from the best so more information is in order before being able to tell how good or bad the pieces are .
Also , one other lot to consider if your into fragments , # 339 , Arabatchi juval fragment , maybe 20% of the full piece .
Maybe something maybe not.
This is the closest they get to anything that could be considered a true collectors item.
Other than these suggestions nothing else caught my as far as collectors items go but as usual it's a smorgasbord of pieces so if a treasure hunt is your “thing ” have at it.
Like their past sales another massive production from Ms Barrett and the Netherhampton rug dept.
“Good Luck” to them on this undertaking !
9/15/15
Rain in So Cal ?
9/16/15
M.G. and the gang at Groganco , Boston , Ma. are back on the job with a general antique auction scheduled on Sept. 27 that also features 16 oriental rugs and carpets .
Not a big deal by any means but a decent small group of what looks to be clean merchandise with very realistic pre- sale estimates.
The group does include one lot I felt was worth a brief mention .
Lot # 221 Sewan Kazak , pre- sale est. $ 1-1,500.00 . Lots of nice green !
If this piece is any good at all , which it looks like in the illustrations , it's a very fair starting point .
Mr Grogan is adamant about trying to keep the pre- sale estimate on the conservative side , which this selection shows.
9/17/15
Quite !
9/18/15
Christie's , South Kensington , U.K. scheduled an auction titled ” Arts & Textiles of the Islamic World” on Oct 9.
This sale does not include any rugs or carpets but does feature 5 susani's , 16 textile / Costume lots and 3 shawls .
Nothing in the group is top shelf but there are a few decent ,items .
If this is your area of interest it's worth your time to take a quick look .
Bonham's , London also has a slightly smaller “Islamic and Indian Art” sale scheduled on Oct. 6 .
Once again nothing in the way of oriental rugs in the group but it does include 13 various textile lots and 1 Susani .
Hardly important , but for the textile crowd worth a gander .
I did notice one textile lot in the sale I thought was worth a line.
Lot # 49 Ottoman Cintamani frag.16th century ? Pre-sale est. £ 4-6,000.00.
Classic design .
9/19/15
The Rippon – Boswell general rug auction is in the books today .
Well there is not much to really say about this offering .
By “liveauctioneers” count , out of the 260 items rug across the podium 133 found buyers . A sold percentage of right at 51%.
Not bad but nothing to write home about either.
It appears that most all the pieces that did garner any interest sold “very” reasonably .
However this is also worth keeping in mind , this is an unaudited count and Mr Maltzahn does work the phones after the sale to try and move the unsold lots.
That said a decent showing for what was certainly a house cleaning sale with nothing special included to garner any rug world excitement .
Two down , a multitude more to go !
Now on to the ” major ” fall sale ?
9/20/15
Morning road trip.
Something of interest turned up in an upcoming general antique auction on Sept. 26
at Southbay Auction in Long Island , N.Y.
Lot # 178 , catalogued as 2 small kelims , pre-sale est. $ 2-300.00 .
I guess they don't have much experience with Sumak bags , but we will see where this ends UP !
Plenty more auction activity next week.

When it's all said and done it's about “playin” the game and picking up the check when it's your turn ! , Sheik Frederich , 2015.

Song o the week , Motörhead , Sympathy For the Devil on Bad Magic , 2015 .

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9/7/15 Gilligan’s Island , home of true innovators !

9/7/15
Travel Day
Looks like it's gonna be much warmer and more humid at Brimfield on this trip !
Smooth in .
Slightly early .
Off to a decent start .
One more thing .

My friend John Taylor of the site “Rugtracker” has a massive new post titled
“Ushakistan” that you need to see ASAP !
You will be impressed .

9/8/15
Day 1
91 degrees so far today and as I figured quite humid.
Modest turnout so far .
Most of the usual suspects in attendance .
First featured field opens at 11 am.
Dealers Choice .
Small opening crowd and maybe 60 % of the exhibitors spaces full .
A plethora of 20-30's Persian city decorative rugs and carpets but nothing in the way of a notable collectors item up to this point .
One promising lead for Thursday .
That's all for the moment , one down , one to go.
Next up Brimfield Acres North at 1 pm.
So here we go.
Once again modest size opening crowd .
However this field was more like 75% full as far as exhibitors go.
And like the first field of the day a profusion of mid – range 20's – 30's decorative pieces and in this instance a sizable group of mediocre late 19th century Caucasian / Tribal items .
A much better pedestrian selection but still nothing in the way of a serious item of any type surfaced.
My conclusion after these first 2 fields is it looks like someone dropped a New England Auction bomb on them !
Back to auction action !
Nagel's fall sale went off today and for all intensive purposes it was far from a resounding victory for them .
Out of 252 items run across the podium only 90 attracted any interest.
That works out to a sold percent of a meager 36 %.
Not at all what they planned on , for that I am sure !
The ethnic object portion of the sale unfortunately faired much worse .
Nothing much in the way of upside fireworks on anything either .
One lot # 15 Silk Heriz prayer rug . Pre-sale est. € 8,000.00 . Sold for € 12,000.00 but that's about it as far as highlights go.
As for the 2 pieces I featured in an earlier post both sold .
Lot # 49 Baluch rug . Pre- sale est. € 1,000.00 . Sold for € 1,400.00 . I really thought this piece might do better but I did not see it in person so maybe it was not as good as it looked or someone got a good deal !
Lot # 61 Shahsevan Sumak bags . Pre- sale est. € 1,200.00 . Sold for 3,300.00 .
I figured this was one of the lots that could be better than the estimate reflected and it was .
A bright spot in an unremarkable sale.
Better luck , next time !
One down 12+ to go !
9/9/15
Day 2
6 am
New England Motel .
Pass this time around.
9 am .
Heart of the Mart.
Smallest opening crowd so far , no more than 60 % exhibitor occupied .
Nowhere near the amount of mid-range rugs on the field and far from the content of the previous day's fields .
Not even a rumor of a notable piece yet !
12 Noon ,
Hertan's field.
Well what can I say another bust out .
So far this excursion to the Brimfield shows has been a none event .
One more chance tomorrow at May's field which has been a trip saver in the past but this time around I am no so optimistic !
Late update .
A supposedly “good” Baluch rug turned up but unfortunately it's not going to be put up for sale , it is tragically headed for the dreaded auction instead !
9/10/15
9 am .
May's Field and the last opportunity !
Modest opening crowd .
Unfortunately as with the previous fields a large number of empty exhibitor spaces , perhaps 40 %.
After going through the field a few times there was no evidence of anything approaching an even moderately interesting collectors item .
One local rug “hustler” did acquire a fairly nice room size decorative carpet in pretty good condition so something of note did turn up which is certainly a positive conclusion to a rather lackluster Fall Brimfield affair.
The lead I was waiting for was something of a let down , Oh Well !
That's , that till next year !
9/11/15
Travel Day !
Smooth well not so smooth this time around .
On the way to the airport I got stuck crossing the G.W. Bridge and it took 2 + hours to go about 5 miles.
In the end it was much closer than usual but I still made the flight on time so alls well that ends well.
At least the flight left on time .
Homeward bound !
On the ground a little early but that's not the whole story.
This was easily the most trying flight I have been on in recent history.
In the row directly behind me a couple had 2 very small , very unhappy children and the screamed the entire flight , 5 hours and 50 minutes .
I have never been so happy to get off a flight in my life.
One for the records .
9/12/15
Back in the saddle at O.C.G.
More auction activity to ponder ?
As you all know by now Skinner's , Sept. 26 , “Major ” fall rug extravaganza is ” live on the line” your viewing pleasure.
This time out Mr Kearney and faithful sidekick Erika have put together an offering of
330 lots of rugs , carpets , textiles and a substantial selection of shawls .
To my eye after going over the inventory a few times I don't think there is a clear cut top shelf collectors item in the whole group .
That's not to say there aren't any interesting piece included in the sale , there certainly are just not a barn burner to get the rug world buzzing.
Keep in mind this is my personal appraisal of the selection and anyone interested in rugs and such should take the time and go through it .
It's for sure worth your time .
All that said a few of the lots that I felt were worth a line or two are listed below .
Lot # 85 Turkmen tentband . Pre-sale est. $ 4-5,000.00 . Complete and in what looks to be very good condition , but the way they illustrated the piece may not tell the whole story . It warrants an in person examination !

Lot # 154 Surahani embroidery . Pre-sale est. $ 8-1,000.00 . Again these things must be seen in person if it's your cup of tea. A very realistic starting point though .
Lot # 162 Shahsevan Sumak bag . Pre- sale est. $ 15-1,800.00. This piece has an slightly unusual color palette which may have something to do with the somewhat low starting point !
However the weave looks very fine .
One last comment on this sale.
It includes a minimum of 29 lots of “Kashmir shawl type items ” and I wonder if the shawl buying public can absorb this many pieces at one time and still fetch better prices for the consigner's ?
Yes , I am aware that part of the market has been active lately but I can't recall this many pieces in one sale in recent memory !
9/13/15
Rose bowl fair today.
And peace and Metal !

Are you sure you know the difference , these days it can be hard to tell ? , Sheik Frederich , 2015 .

Song o the week , Saxon , Battering Ram on Battering Ram , 2015.

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8/31/15 Simple & sexy with a head full of muscle ?

8/31/15
Rug action request granted !
To start this new week off we have the summer / fall “Rippon – Boswell” general rug sale scheduled on Sept. 19th in Wiesbaden , Germany ” , live on the line” at this very moment !
The offering consists of 260 total lots ( 2 lots withdrawn ) of all manner of city and tribal rugs ,carpets ,trappings and textiles.
Now the bad part.
Well , after going through the this offering a couple of times I don't quite know what to think.
It appears this is a summer/ fall “house cleaning” auction because unfortunately unless your a bargain hunter or beginner there is nothing even remotely close to a serious collectors item or high end decorator carpet in the whole inventory.
This is the first time I failed find at least one lot worth line or two !
One possibility !
Mr Maltzahn could possibly have something else up his sleeve for the end of the year ?
But then again there's always a first time and this just might be it.
As a parting shot , i did not think much of the Nagel auction either but this group makes that group look a little better !

7 days till Brimfield !!!

9/1/15
On April 25th Stair Gallery of Hudson , N.Y. held a general antique sale of the J.T. Butler coll. that featured a hand full of oriental rugs and carpets and one piece turned out to fairly interesting .
Lot # 802 , Chinese rug , 4'5″x 7'1″ , pre-sale est. $2-300.00 . Ended up selling for $ 6,000.00 plus the comm.
Certainly scarce and somewhat earlier than Stair Gallery staff figured it was , a very nice upside burst for the for the Butler Estate !
9/2/15
Well it looks like the fall auction is in full swing now.
The “Palais Dortheumn” in Vienna , Austria has their ” Major” fall rug and textile scheduled on Sept. 21 live ” on the line ” at this very moment .
What you have to contemplate is 228 lots of all manner of rugs ,textiles and trappings .
After spending a few minutes perusing the sale inventory to my eye this group is somewhat more interesting than the Rippon or Nagel offering's .
As you all are aware , taste differ's but the Dorotheumn group appears to have a better variety and a few more uncommon pieces .
Don't get me wrong this is still a pedestrian assortment and it also does not include anything that could remotely be considered a top shelf collectors piece or high end decorator carpet.
That said I did see 2 items that at least peaked my interest.
Lot # 18 Khotan carpet . Pre- sale est. € 4-6,000.00. Not in the best condition but a good rendition and a realistic starting point.
Lot # 151 Baluch prayer . Pre- sale est. € 16-2,000.00 . Not super old but a snappy design and it appears to be in reasonable condition , scarce too.
9/2/15
As of this date we have a minimum of 14 + featured oriental rug auctions between now and the Christmas holiday season .
Certainly multiple thousands of rugs , both good and bad will be run under the hammer for your bidding pleasure , hopefully ?
With all those sales plus the upcoming Oct. 15th Capri Festival all you rug enthusiast out there have your work cut out for you !
9/3/15
The midst of auction overload ?
Christie's , London's Oct. 6 , “Major” ? rug and textile auction is live “on the line ” now for your viewing pleasure.
This is a somewhat smaller selection than in the recent past , clocking in at just 123 total lots.
After going through the group a few times it left me a little underwhelmed .
Nothing in the way of a stand out collectors item or top shelf decorator carpet included in the sale.
The sale is however overloaded with good but not particularly exceptional fancy Persian city pieces .
In my opinion a very European selection perhaps aimed at Middle Eastern buyers ???
Ms Broadhurst and the Christie's rug dept. have assembled a decent but unmemorable sale , good luck to them anyway !
Only one lot did peak my interest .
Lot # 101 Silk Embroidered Caucasian prayer rug ? ( 17-18th century ? ). Pre- sale est. € 20-30,000.00 . Not something you see everyday !
9/4/15
Another day another auction !
We start this fine day with the next offering from Udo and the crew at Austria Auction Co , Gebirge , Austria.
This upcoming sale is scheduled on Sept. 26th and features 169 lots of rugs , carpets and flat weaves .
After going through the inventory a couple of times i noticed the group is vastly over weight in average run of the mill” Caucasians .
To my eye nothing in the way of a serious collectors item in the complete inventory .
If I didn't know better I would say this is another “house cleaning” sale as they have held this type of sale online before and this feels like more of the same.
If your a serious collector this sale is not for you but if your a dealer looking for a possible bargain or a beginner there maybe an opportunity to be had .
Not an item in the whole sale with a pre- sale starting point over € 3,000.00.
I suppose it is however worth a VERY quick look !
It's my feeling Udo has another more impressive production in the works for the end of the year !

Next up a sale everybody in the rug world has been waiting for.
Sotheby's , NYC next “Major ” sale ( Carpets and Textiles from Distinguished Collections ) scheduled on Oct. 1 is live ” on the line ” now.
So here we go .
M.J. and the Sotheby's NYC staff have lined up the most impressive inventory of items “so far ” , in this fall auction season.
At first glance and 3 passes through the listing I don't think this group is quite as dramatic as their last sale awhile back ( 1-31-14 ) , but with that said its still the best looking assortment up to this point .
The sale consist of 194 lots of rugs , carpets and textiles .
There are plenty of reasonably good collectors items in the offering but nothing as far as a true monster stand out item .
Something to get the rug world buzzing !!!!
That's not to say that there isn't anything that caught my eye .
A small hand full of pieces I felt were worth mentioning are listed below .
Please before you go crazy with my picks keep in mind this my personal taste nothing more ?
Lot # 23 Chi Chi prayer rug . Pre-sale est. $ 15-20,000.00 . Dated 1213-1795 . Not sure about that date but if true a reasonable starting point .
Lot # 55 Senna prayer kelim . Pre-sale est. $ 10-15,000.00 . In the zone if the condition is good.
Lot # 62 Kashan prayer rug . Pre- sale est. $15-2,000.00. Unless there are unseen condition problems this is the most conservative starting point in the whole group !
Lot # 79 Bakshaish prayer rug . Pre-sale est.. $ 6-8,000.00 . These things used to sell for big money so unless there are unseen condition issues this is again a very reasonable starting point !
Hope fully M.J. and staff have put together a selection that has something for everyone and the sale does well providing a well needed spark to the U.S. rug buying public !
9/5/15
Preparations for the fall Brimfield excursion in full swing !
9/6/15