3/11/19 Cautious restraint is your best option!
3/11/19
A start to the new week in a very puzzling manner !
Austria Auction Co’s major 2019 “ Fine Antique Oriental Rugs XIV” scheduled on March 30th at their Vienna , Austria gallery is live or dead “on the line “ now and i frankly don’t known what to make of it !
To begin with the sale consist of 195 lots of what can only be considered for the most part “fresh” items that are barely over 100 years old if that . Nothing at all in the way of serious collectors items in the complete sale inventory .
This to me is a real surprise considering they just held a low end house cleaning auction on March 9th which did very well for them and i expected more of an upscale collectors sale considering what is billed as a “Fine Rug Sale” , but this is just a half step above the March 9th sale group with nothing of any importance included in the entire sale stock .
On a positive note , as with the previous March sale the pre- sale estimates are very realistic and they once again kept the starting points very conservative as well , but its the only good thing about this sale , in my opinion !
Don’t get me wrong on this , there are plenty of late good condition late European retail type pieces included in the auction , but again nothing to get the international “Rugmob” buzzing .
Again i don’t know what to think of UDO staging 2 sales of this nature back to back but it’s his business and maybe he’s changed direction into a decorative / retail auction house to pump up sales and profits when good , fresh interesting collectors items are hard to come by these days ?
Anyway good luck to him and the A.A.C. staff on this unimportant endeavor!
3/12/19
3/13/19
Christie’s , NYC has a very good Asian Art’s auction scheduled on March 21st ( The Irving Coll. Day Sale ) that includes 18 various collectable and decorative oriental rugs and carpets some of which are worth a line or two and are posted below ..
Lot # 1308 , Early Chinese carpet , circa 1700 . Pre-sale estimate a very conservative $2-3,000.00 . Modest condition but it should still do well.
Lot # 1377 , 3 Chinese saddle covers . Pre-sale estimate a very fair $ 8-1,200.00 . Maybe ?
3/14/19
More Christie’s , NYC news !
Another Asian Art’s sale scheduled on March 22nd titled “Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art” does not include any rugs but it does feature 9 Chinese textiles one of which is quite extraordinary !
Lot # 1655 , 18th century Chinese “Qiu Xiangse” silk Dragon robe . Pre- sale estimate $ 3-500,000.00 . Not sure where this is gonna end up but it’s pretty cool !
3/15/19
3/16/19
Sad news to report today.
I just found out legendary and enigmatic Swedish rug connoisseur and dealer J.P.Willborg passed away on Jan. 21st of this year . I did not know him personally but from the people i know who did i was told if i ever make it to the continent again he was someone i should certainly meet. The rug community will miss him for sure !
3/17/19
Dog o the week ,
Leftie’s “swimmin” through a mammoth , magnificent sea of Red ! , Sheik Frederich , 2019.
Shitty movie o the week, Skyscraper , 2018 . 4 out of 5 poopsickles . Although a supposed “action flick” it was boring and unwatchable .
Movie o the week , We Were Soldiers , 2002.
Song o the week , Budgie , Crash Course in Brain Surgery , single , 1971.
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2/25/19 , For those on the Left who have lost their way !
2/25/19
Moderately interesting “Textile World News” to start the week !
Kerry Taylor Auctions , London , U.K. held their first “Antique and Vintage Fashion and Textile” auction of 2019 today and from “Liveauctioneer’s” posted results it appears it was a very successful outing for them from a total lots sold stand point . Out of the total 445 lots offered only a hand full appears to have been passed.
The reason i mention this particular sale is because out of the 445 items auctioned approximately 107 included in the sale inventory were a diverse group of all kinds of ethnic textiles and garments and two of which are certainly worth a few lines .
Lot # 377 , Ottoman embroidered quilt facing , circa 1600. Ex Rod Taylor coll. Pre-sale estimate £ 2-3,000.00 . Sold for £ 15,000.00 + comm. A nice pop up for the consigner !
Lot # 409 Caucasian embroidery . Late 18th century . Ex Rod Taylor coll. Pre- sale estimate , £ 1-1,500.00 . Sold for £ 10,000.00 + comm. Again nice for the consigner .
A few more of the other Islamic textiles. in the sale also did very well which you can check out “ on the line “ .
2/26/19
2/27/19
The audited results from today’s “Netherhampton Salesrooms” first rug and carpet sale of 2019 are live “ on the line” for you to ponder now.
So for the most part it was a standard Netherhampton turn of events. Out of the approximately 362 total lots offered 198 ended up attracting bidding action . A sold percentage of right at 54% . Pretty much in line with previous Netherhampton sales .
One minor thing worth noting this time around .
Only 5 lots popped over the £ 1,000.00 threshold , however one lot was a substantial upside surprise if the posted out come is accurate.
Lot # 314 , Yomut juval . Pre- sale estimate £ 1-150.00 . Sold for £ 4,200.00 . You can check it out on their site but the illustration is of poor quality and does not reveal much . If this is accurate its something that very rarely happens at Netherhampton , so good for them and a “tip of the hat” to Ms Barrett and staff !
2/28/19
3/1/19
3/2/19
Out of state visitors and modest commerce !
3/3/19
3/4/19
3/5/19
3/6/19
3/7/19
3/8/19
3/9/19
Well we are off to the races at todays Austria Auction Co’s first endevor of 2019 and it appears from “Liveauctioneer’s” posted results Udo and the A.A.C. staff have a winner on their hands .
According to “Liveactioneer’s” online results out of the 230 items offered only 2 lots were passed which is pretty close to a sellout if the figures hold up. Granted this was a no reserve sale and the starting points in most cases were very reasonable , it is still however an excellent outcome A.A.C. .
Nothing much in the way of fire works worth mentioning in the sale inventory , however a few kelims did pop a bit , lot #’s 42 , 50, and 56 but thats about as far as highlights go .
Still a large amount of merchandise moved and that calls for kudos to “Udo and staff” for a job well done !
Next up for A.A.C. their first major sale of 2019 scheduled on March 30th . A small preview is on line now .
3/10/19
Dog o the week !
No excuses for the evil some men do in this case !
How is it that Robert Mueller has not even filed his report yet and “Adam Schiff and the Dimi’s” are already rejecting it when they fought so hard to protect it and wanted it so bad ? , Sheik Frederich , 2019.
Shitty movie o the week , Machete , 2010. 5 out of 5 poopsickles . Worst movie Robert Rodriguez has ever made , by a long shot .
Movie o the week , Jeff Beck , Still on the Run , 2018 . The icon .
Song o the week , Backyard Babies , 44 Undead on Silver and Gold , 2019.
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2/18/19 , Celebrate your Red Wings ?
2/18/19
In the midst of a cold snap in Cali things are starting to heat up in the international auction market .
2/19/19
Rippon Boswell’s 2nd installment of the “Poppmeier Coll.” scheduled on March 23rd at their Wiesbaden gallery is live “on the line” at this very moment !
Where to start with this ?
Well , i was told early on this was most likely not a group i would find particularly interesting considering the type of items i usually gravitate towards and for the most part this rings true on this collection . The sale inventory consists of 91 total lots of kelims , textiles a few pile carpets and other various ethnic textiles .
For starters this is a very eclectic assortment geared toward serious collectors , not for beginners or journeymen enthusiast at all . Items geared toward the educated and selective textile and kelim crowd .
That said , to my humble eye is a very impressive group with a lot of somewhat important and attractive although eccentric items you might be draw to if this your “cup of tea” . My opinion is Mr Poppmeier had a pretty good eye for color and design even if the piece had condition issues and many of his items are certainly in a fragmented state .
One other thing i might add . In my opinion Pt.1 of the Poppmeier Coll.is to my eye more interesting than the current selections in pt.2 but that is still just my opinion .
All said i did find a few of lots that caught my eye for more than a passing glance and it will be interesting to see how they do.
Lot # 32 , Aksaray Kelim . Pre- sale estimate , € 5-7,000.00 . Brilliant color and design.
Lot # 44 , Konya rug . Pre- sale estimate , € 6-8,000.00 . Striking appearance . My favorite piece in the sale .
Lot # 56 , Karapinar kelim . Pre- sale estimate , € 8- 10,000.00 Bold and vibrant , nuff said !
2/20/19
The first rug and carpet sale of the year at the “Dorotheum” , Vienna , Austria just finished up and it turned out to be only a moderately successful venture for them . Out of the 236 total lots run over the podium approximately 126 found new homes . A sold percentage of right at 56% . Not to be considered a flop but far from a raging success either, mediocre at best . As i stated in the previous post there was nothing included in the sale inventory to get the rug world buzzing so the turnout was to be expected .
There was also not much in the way of upside surprises either . A few lots ,2 , 69 and 142 popped up a bit but nothing really notable. As for the 5 lots i thought were sporting aggressive pre- sale starting points one # 7 , the least expensive sold , the others did not .
So there you have it a modest start to 2019 rug auction season !
2/21/19
Who will be the next in line !
Austria Auction Co. Vienna , Austria has a “ No Reserve “ rug , carpet and textile auction scheduled on March 9th at their Vienna gallery . The sale consist of 230 lots from most all the major weaving areas .
After multiple passes through the sale inventory my unbiased opinion is this .
If you are a serious rug or textile collector this group of pieces is not for you!
Once again it appears to be a Spring house cleaning sale of for the most part mid to low end pieces for the beginner , someone on a budget , a dealer looking for shop stock or someone just looking for an inexpensive “ deal “.
One other thing worth mentioning on a positive note .
Lack of reserves aside the pre- sale starting points on most all the items included in the group are very reasonable , if not cheap so like Udo’s last venture of this type this sale should do very well for him from a total items sold point !
Good Luck , Guys !
2/22/19
2/23/19
2/24/19
The “Abells Auction Gallery” quarterly sale is underway now and we should know how lot # 300 Navaho 3rd Phase chiefs blanket featured in the previous blog post , pre- sale. estimate $ 6-8,000.00 faired, shortly.
So here we go , the piece sold for $ 16,000.00 + comm . I thought it would do somewhat better but it did need perhaps $ 3-4,000.00 worth of restoration .
Sunday Sunshine , for a change !
Dog o the week .
In this day and age forming preconceived notions about someone because of their outward appearance is patently un-American and does not follow what was written in the U.S. Constitution , Bill of Rights or even worse the 10 Commandments , Dimi’s ! . Sheik Frederich , 2019.
Shitty movie o the week , Bruno , 2009 . 5 poopsickles out of 5. With all the Left Wing political correctness in the air these days how come no one ever complained about this unwatchable piece of C**P ?
Movie o the week , The Commuter , 2018.
Song o the week , Overkill , Welcome to the Garden State on The Wings of War , 2019.
Tweet Read More1/28/19 Lite’em up and let’em go !
1/28/19
Happy Metal Monday !
1/29/18
Slim-pickens dominate the rug scene for the foreseeable future !
1/30/19
1/31/19
2/1/19
2/2/19
2/3/19
2/4/19
So here we go !
The Dorotheum , Vienna , Austria is out the gate and off to the races with their first rug , carpet and textile auction of the new year scheduled on Feb. 20th at their Vienna auction house .
This time around the sale inventory features 236 total lots of all manner of oriental weavings .
After multiple passes through the group i am feeling like this is a standard European style retail offering with a large assortment of late city rugs in what appears to be good condition and a modest selection of “ mid- range collectors items none of which seem overly exciting as to get the Rug- Mob buzzing . No top shelf items of any type in this sale .
As usual with previous Dorotheum sales the pre- sale estimates are all over the place with most being fairly realistic but as is there M.O. a few being somewhat aggressive . Lot numbers 7 , 8, 14, 38 and 70 to name a few , but this just my opinion .
That said one lot that i did find to be the most interesting in the sale , # 26 is posted below . Not a truly great example but still a standout in this offering with a reasonable starting point ? Pre-sale opening price € 8,000.00.
2/5/19
2/6/19
2/7/19
Via con dios ! , Albert Finney Jr. one of the all time great stage and screen Thespians . Your body of work will keep your memory alive throughout the sands of time !
2/8/19
2/9/19
Netherhampton Salesrooms , Salisbury , U.K. is back at it with their first sale of 2019 season scheduled on Feb. 27th . This time around Ms Barrett and staff have assembled approximately 362 lots of standard Netherhampton fair . A little of this a little of that but as usual not a standout example of any type in the whole sale inventory .
All in , if you are a low end dealer or bargain hunter this may well be the opportunity you are looking for .
2/10/19
2/11/19
More fresh rug world babble !
Abell’s Auction co. , Los Angeles , Ca has one of their quarterly general antique extravaganza’s scheduled on Feb. 24th that features 14 mid – range decorative rugs and 4 tapestries none of which are of any interest to collectors .
That said there is however one item in the Native American Indian category that could turn out to be very interesting .
Lot # 300 Navaho 3rd phase Chief’s blanket . Pre- sale estimate $ 6-8,000.00 . Great cross design and if the red materials are vintage this might just turn out to be a real winner in a slow market !
2/12/19
2/13/19
2/14/19
2/15/19
2/16/19
First day the public can get in the Marin American Indian Show and preliminary reports are there is a decent public crowd and pretty good sales which is far better than the Mesa, AZ. show a couple of weeks ago which reported little or no retail activity !
2/17/19
Sunday Fun , Cali style !
Dog o the week ,
Left bound and drown , and you will never know any better ! , Sheik Frederich , 2019.
Shitty movie o the week , La La Land . 5 poopsickles out of 5. An insult to the people of So Cal and unwatchable in my opinion.
Movie o the week , Big Fish , 2004, with the great Albert Finney .
Song o the week , Arch Enemy , Reason to Believe on Will to Power , 2017.
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1/1/19 Rage to Insanity rule the Day , DNC !
1/1/19
Deep in the depths of the winter doldrums even though it’s New Years Day !
1/2/19
Been awhile but back on board even in the slow period .
Little or nothing to mention , up to this point !
1/3/19
1/4/19
1/5/19
1/6/19
1/7/19
1/8/19
1/9/19
1/10/19
1/11/19
1/12/19
Sunday cheer !
1/13/19
1/14/19
1/15/19
1/16/19
1/17/19
1/18/19
1/19/19
1/20/19
By now i am sure you have all seen the online presentation of the Dr. T. McCormack Collection of Turkmen carpets on R.R.
The coll. consist of approximately 51 items from most all the Turkmen weaving areas except Salor / S Group .
So here we go .
After multiple passes through the coll. inventory i find it a little on the static side . Certainly an impressive group in size but in my opinion nothing included in the group to get the Turkmen world buzzing . Just a sizable amount of slightly better pieces most of which are not truely early but in pretty good condition .
So if your just a novice getting into collecting Turkmen items this is a good opportunity to see a large group of them and they are for-sale too , with for the most part posted prices . As you would assume on a sale like this the prices are all over the place , some fairly aggressive , some in line with the current market !
One more thing , a few have already sold and a couple of them do “Not” have posted prices ?
With that end , Good Luck to the Doctor in his liquidation endevor at the slowest time of the year for rug activity !
A couple of pieces that did catch my eye are posted below .
Number 19416 , $ 5,800.00 not inexpensive !
Number 19554 . No posted price on this piece ?
1/21/19
1/22/19
First day of LARTA , London , 2019.
Well although i am not there in person i did go through Larta online , yes all 280 posted lots numerous times and although there were plenty of good to better pieces i noticed nothing that could be considered a clear cut barn burning winner . From where i sit the strength of the show was with the Susani’s and ikats .
One thing worth noting . There were most likely more items that were not posted on LARTA online so something great could have been lurking in the shadows . Open till 1-27-19 .
Anyway good luck to the exhibitors !
1/23/19
1/24/19
1/25/19
1/26/19
Brunk Auctions , Asheville , N.C. staged a general antique auction today that featured approximately 21 various oriental rugs and carpets one of which was worth a brief mention .
Lot # 855 . Cataloged as a Caucasian carpet with a pre- sale estimate of $ 6-1,200.00 was actually a mid century Turkish village rug that ended up selling for a well deserved $5,400.00 including comm. Reasonable for the new owner too.
One last thing .
Today is the opening of the Mesa , Az. Western antiques and American Indian artifact show which is a good indicator of how collector shows are gonna go in the USA this year . No opening day report backs yet . Here’s hope-in !
Unfortunate news today !
Go With God , Michel Legrand . The maestro exceptional for years .Your body of work will keep your memory alive forever !
1/27/19
Celebrate Sunday !
Dog o the week , Boo , you are already missed !
In tough times , stand tall , keep your word at all costs and things will surely work out ! , Sheik Frederich , 2019
Shitty movie o the week , Superfly , 2081. 5 poopsickles out of 5 . A true insult to the original 1972 Superfly . Unwatchable !
Movie o the week , Molly’s Game , 2018 . An F-N great flick !
Song o the week , The Blasters , Marie , Marie on American Music , 1980 .
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12/10/18 , Only lame a**ed people still HATE !
12/10/18
Left over’s from the last post !
Netherhampton Salesrooms , Salisbury U.K. held their year end rug sale today and it turned out right in line with their previous auctions this year . Out of the 380 total lots run across the podium approximately 238 garnered any bidder attention . A sold percentage of right at 62% . Not great but not bad either . The problem i see with sale itself is that so many of the items that sold , sold for under £ 200.00 which makes me wonder if with all the work involved in the sale production its worth the time for Ms Barrett and staff ?
As far as sale highlights go there was little or nothing with only 2 lots breaching the £ 1,000.00 level .
All that said and done you still have to give Ms Barrett and staff credit for continuing to stay in the game !
12/11/18
12/12/18
12/13/18
12/14/18
12/15/18
Today’s A.A.C. is in the books and if the posted results are accurate Udo and his crew did far better than their usual sales do with pretty much everything finding a new home . Out of the 192 total lots offered for sale perhaps only 3 lots went unsold. That is how ever via the “liveauctioneer’s” unaudited post which may or may not be accurate . Granted the pre- sale estimates were fairly conservative and many of the lots sold right at there low estimates but as i always say sold is still sold and considering there were no top shelf items included in the auction inventory to create excitement and at this time of the year this is a very good turn of events for A.A.C.
One thing worth mentioning about the sale outcome itself . There were a number of decent upside pops , #’s 1 , 21, 22, 61, 70, 110, and 123 .
And the biggest surprise of all in my opinion # 68 , Tuduc Dragon copy . Pre- sale est. € 2-3,000.00. Sold for € 6,400.00 . I guess the market for Tuduc copies is strong in Austria ?
In the end a good job by UDO and crew so a “ Tip of the Holiday Hat “ to them !
12/16/18
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12/18/18
12/19/18
12/20/18
12/21/18
Winter Solstice , 2018 !
12/22/18
12/23/18
Get well soon , Matt Millen , Oakland Raider great and 4 time super bowl winner . God Speed !
12/24/18
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12/27/18
12/28/18
12/29/18
12/30/18
12/31/18
Dog o the week !
With all the Dimi’s “Hate” floating around out there unfortunately the world could be sinking into the left and drowning !, Sheik Frederich , 2018.
Shitty movie o the week ,The Mummy , 2017. 4.5 poopsickles out of 5 . Another Tom Cruise bomb !
Movie o the week , Always at the Carlyle ,2018.
Song o the week , Children of Bodom , Under Grass and Clover on Hexed , 2018.
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11/26/18 , Life in a “Dimi” Fugazi ?
11/26/18
Nothing fresh so far this week but plenty of action next week !
11/27/18
11/28/18
11/29/18
11/30/18
12/1/18
Udo and the gang at A.A.C. are holding what appears to be an end of the year house cleaning sale at their gallery on Dec. 15th in Vienna , Austria. The sale consist of 192 total of all types of rugs , carpets and textile/ flatweave items . Unfortunately unless you’r on a budget , a beginner or dealer looking for shop stock this sale is just not for you . Nothing at all in the way of a serious collectors item or top shelf decorative carpet . Just a varied selection of mid to low end merchandise . A lot of work for the A.A.C. rug dept. but with no meat to attract the ever hungry rug carnivore’s. Look if your’e bored and must see everything .
Sunday shines , so drink your Milk !
12/2/18
Greatest day in the history of mankind !!!
12/3/18
12/4/18
12/5/18
Costa Mesa today !
Stockholms Auktionsverks , Stockholm , Sweden held a general antique sale today that featured 19 rugs , carpets and textile/tapestry lots , most of which were for the most part were unimportant but there was one lot that was worth mentioning.
Lot # 108 , Salor trapping. Pre- sale estimate € 10,250.00 – 15,400.00 . The piece was estimated very conservative and ended up selling for approximately € 82,423.00 depending on the conversion rate from SEK . Most likely slightly older than their date , a reasonable purchase for the new owner , in my opinion.
12/6/18
12/7/18
12/8/18
The “ROCK” still rolls on !
12/9/18
Well the day you been “wait-in” for is here and the “Skinner’s” winter rug and textile spectacular is underway .
Up to this point it’s going pretty well for L.K.and the Skinner’s rug dept. but lets just see where we end up.
Past the half way point and this looks to be a very successful endeavor for Skinner’s and the Newman estate !
Fini ,
As i figured this is a bonified end of the season winner for L.K. and staff .
Out of the 309 total lots offered up for your bidding pleasure only approximately 34 did not find new homes .As far as the R.N. lots in the sale go , about 6 did not sell which is a little more than Pt 1 but the pieces that did not sell were fairly insignificant . A sold percentage of right at 89% , right in line with all other L. K. offerings since he’s been at Skinner’s . As for the sale itself Caucasian pieces still seem to be on the soft side as far items sold and prices fetched but there were no standout pieces to excite Caucasian rug collectors.
Concerning the Newman part of the sale as i stated in the previous post there would not be, in my opinion quite the fireworks this time out in comparison to P.T. 1 . Like i also figured most of the upside surprises were in the Chinese items , as expected . The Turkmen lots in the sale inventory were not quite up to the quality and desirability as the first group so they did not garner the excitement .
There were still a number of very nice upside pops to make the sale interesting , lot #’s 53, 58, 66, 71, 145, 147, ,151, 155, 219, and 279 did very well .
All in all a good job done by the Skinner’s staff so a “tip of the hat” to them .
As for the lots i featured in the sale review all sold 4 very well , one just pretty good .
Lot # 66 , Ottoman prayer kelim . Pre- sale est. $2-3,000.00 . Sold for $ 10,455.00
Lot # 71 , Anatolian rug frag . Pre- sale est. $ 5-6,000.00 . Sold for a well deserved $ 17,220.00 . Somewhat better than i thought it would do but good for them .
Lot # 145 , Dragon saddle cover . Pre- sale est. $1,5-1,800.00 . Sold for $ 19,680.00 as expected . As i stated earlier my favorite Chinese piece in the sale .
Lot # 147 , Kangxi mat . Pre- sale est. $1,2-1,500.00 . Sold for a very well deserved $ $ 22,140.00 .
Lot # 149 , Chinese saddle rug .Pre- sale est. $ 8-1,200.00 . Sold for $1,722.00 . Condition may have held this piece down.
Not much to look forward to in the near future accept for the A.A.C sale on Dec. 15th till the spring !
Winter doldrums are upon us !
Nothing else to do but enjoy the holidays !
Dog o the week !
When you can no longer say anything to anyone for fear someone will be offended perhaps political correctness should be taken out to the pasture and put to sleep !! , Sheik Frederich , 2018
Shitty movie o the week . Chips , 2017 . 5 poopsickles out of 5 . The series stunk but this movie is so bad it makes the series look good !
Movie o the week , Slim “pickens”
Song o the week , Death Angel , Into the Arms of Righteous Anger on Relentless Retribution , 2010 .
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11/18/18 , Days of rage in the Electric Inferno !
11/19/18
Plenty of rug world news to consider this week !
11/20/18
First up “Netherhampton Salesrooms” winter classic scheduled on Dec. 5th in Salisbury , U.K.
So this time around Ms. Barrett and the N.S. crew put together a selection of approximately 380 total lots of the standard mish-moss of every type of mid to low end merchandise they usually feature . Unfortunately nothing at all in the way of a notable collectors item or top shelf decorative carpet.
Don’t get me wrong on this, there are plenty of decent usable pieces in what appears to good condition if your on a budget or a dealer looking for inexpensive shop stock but if your a serious rug enthusiast this may not be the sale for you.
Again a far from notable presentation but as you may or may not realize putting together a production of this magnitude , important lots included or not is lot of work so “hats off “ to Ms. Barrett and staff for staying in the game in an oversaturated mid- range retail market .
11/21/18
Next in line , another extravaganza at Henry’s. Auktionhaus scheduled on Dec. 8th in Mutterstadt , Germany .
Their previous sale on 6-9-18 was a bit of a surprise to me as i stated in an earlier post because it was far more successful than i figured it would be and it had a handful of interesting lots and even a few nice upside pops for the consigners !
This time i have to say considering the sale includes 320 total lots i saw little or nothing that will get the Rug- Mob buzzing .
The group is totally over loaded with good condition Persian city pieces aimed at the European retail market but little or actually nothing that will appeal to the international collectors market . For the most part the whole sale inventory was on the late side with just a few earlier items but they were nothing of any great significance .
That said i did go back to 2 pieces for a second look but they remain of little consequence . If it matters, lot # 181 , Gabbeh and lot # 311 Bakshaish room size carpet look pretty good but that’s it.
Cruise the inventory if you are bored !
11/22/18
Happy Holiday ! Nailed it !
11/23/18
So here we go with what everybody’s been wondering about / and waiting for !
Skinner’s , Boston, Ma’s Dec. 9th sale featuring Pt.2 of the “Ronnie Newman Coll”.
Well my first thoughts on Pt. 2 is it’s not quite as dramatic as Pt. 1 but there are still plenty of good noteworthy pieces in the offering.
The none R.N.coll. items are standard Skinner’s type stuff , some good some not so much .
The way i see it the R.N. Coll. items are once again gonna be the stars of the sale but but i am not so sure there are going to be the large amount of big upside surprises like in the first group because this portion does not have the clear cut super stars like the first sale . Yes , there are some very good pieces and as before L.K. has kept the pre- sale estimates on the conservative side but my feeling is the first group was just superior in particular the Turkmens .
Keep in mind this is just my opinion and others out there could certainly feel differently about it.
I feel the strength of the current selection is the Chinese pieces. Again just an opinion .
Fear not , more than a few pieces caught my eye and a few are featured below !
Lot # 66 , Ottoman prayer kelim . Pre- sale estimate $ 2-3,000.00 . This piece should take off .
Lot # 71 , Anatolian rug fragment . Pre- sale estimate $ 5-6,000.00 . This is my favorite item in the sale but the estimate is a bit puzzling ? I could certainly be wrong on this !
Lot # 145 , Dragon saddle cover . Pre- sale estimate $ 1,5 – 1,800.00 . My favorite Chinese piece in the sale . Should fly !
Lot # 147 , Kangxi mat . Pre- sale estimate $ 1,2- 1,500.00 . Another serious winner .
Lot # 149 ,Chinese saddle rug . Pre- sale estimate $ 8-1,200.00 . A very reasonable starting point on this one , in my opinion !
11/24/18
Back to slow times for the moment , enjoy the holiday !
11/25/18
Dog o the week ,
Are millennials really as empty headed about history as the seem to be ? a question for the ages ! , Sheik Frederich , 2018.
Shitty movie o the week , still no sh*t !
Movie o the week , Stand Up Guys , 2013.
Song o the week , Cirith Ungol , Witch’s Game , single , 2018
Read More10/29/18 , Joe Hunt , charter member of the D N C !
10/29/18
Quiet for the moment but that will change shortly !
10/30/18
10/31/18
Go with the grace of God , Willie McCovey . Hall of Fame’r and San Francisco Giants great . Gone now , but never forgotten !
11/1/18
11/2/18
11/3/18
“Sunday Fun” , somethings just can’t be explained !!!
11/4/18
11/5/18
11/6/18
Today was the highly anticipated Sotheby’s , London’s fall major “Rug and Carpet” sale and from an overall stand point i think it was something of a mixed / mediocre outcome . Out of the 164 total lots offered for sale only approximately 86 found new homes . A sold percentage of right at 53% . Passable but hardly anything to “pat yourself on the back” about !
For starters my first impression is that commercial type Caucasian items and run of the mill decorative pieces in general were on the weak side . The better Chinese lots and for the most part all of the early lots , fragmented or not in the sale inventory were the strength of the of this current endeavor.
That said there were more than a handful of items that sold for substantial prices with at least 9 lots { #’s 3,5,28,29,30,31,34,45,47 } that could be considered serious upside surprises for the consigners .
So you would have to conclude all though total lots sold was on the modest side prices fetched on many of the pieces that found new homes was commendable .
All in , “kudos” to Ms Coulter and the Sotheby’s rug dept. on a job reasonably well done !
As for the lots i featured it was a dismal failure on all counts .
Lot # 6 , Oushak Cloudband fragment . Pre-sale estimate £ 20-30,000.00 . Withdrawn with no explanation .
Lot # 78 , Karabaugh embroidery . Pre- sale estimate £ 8-12,000.00 . Unsold .
Lot # 107 , Kazak rug . Pre-sale estimate £ 20-30,000.00 . Unsold . High expectations or been around the track once too often ?
11/7/18
11/8/18
11/9/18
11/10/18
11/11/18
Groganco , Boston , Ma. held a general antique auction today that included 12 oriental rugs and one American Indian textile .
For the most part the rugs were of no consequence except for one bag face and in my opinion the Navaho blanket was the most interesting item in the group.
Not much really but better than nothing on a slow Sunday afternoon .
That being said 2 items did pop a bit and are featured below .
Lot # 468 , Navaho rug . Pre-sale estimate $ 8-1,200.00 . Sold for $ 3,750.00 + comm. Minor color run and damage but great eye appeal.
Lot # 473 , Kurd bag face . Pre- sale estimate $ 2-300.00 . Sold for 1,700.00 + comm. . Again modest damage but a popular design. Hopefully the colors are all good .
11/12/18
R I P , Stan Lee , Marvel comics legend . Your body of work will keep your memory alive for ever !
11/13/18
11/14/18
11/15/28
11/16/18
11/17/18
That’ s a wrap for todays “Rippon – Boswell” fall rug and carpet classic and it ends with an only “fair to middling” result with just 147 items selling out of a total offering of 273 lots . A sold percentage of approximately 53% , decent at best . Keep in mind these are “Liveauctioneer’s” figures and they could change in either direction , but still nothing to get excited about .
As for the sale itself there were no real fireworks to make this a notable outcome , only 3 lots could be considered to have made serious upside pops , lot #’s 49, 104 and 162 .
One small thing worth mentioning . The Chinese lots in the inventory were on the weak side which is a bit unusual lately but then they were not up to the level of the items in some of the previous fall seasons sales . Quality is everything at this moment !
All said and done another decent R.B. sale is in the books and we look forward to better days a head next year and a more interesting assortment !
Still a good production by D. M. and the Rippon rug dept. !
As for the two lots i featured in a previous both sold , one well , one not so much .
Lot # 49 , Ersari ensi pre- sale est. a modest € 2-400.00 . Sold for a well deserved € 4,200.00 . I figured it would sell well but this was certainly nice surprise for the consigner !
Lot # 226 , Karachov Kazak . Pre- sale est. € 13-1,500.00 . Sold in the zone at € 1,300.00 . It was in distressed condition but with good color and layout !
The week ends on a high note !
11/18/18
Dog o the week !
The election is over but the “Torture Never Stops” . Time to shut the f-up ! , Sheik Frederich , 2018.
Shitty movie o the week , Thankfully no Sh*t this week !
Movie o the week , Unlocked , 2017.
Song o the week , Little Steven , Los Desaparecidos , ( The Disappeared Ones ) on Voice of America , 1983 .
Read More10/22/18 , Catherine Tramell and the Sins of our Nation !
10/22/18
10/23/18
After a brief delay the English version of the upcoming “Rippon Boswell” fall major rug auction scheduled on Nov. 17th is up “on the line” for you to peruse and digest . This time out Mr Maltzahn has assembled a fairly eclectic selection of 273 lots with items from almost all of the popular weaving areas being well represented. The group is a little heavy on Turkish items with the Bohmer coll. group and another large selection of Turkish pieces from another collection. Turkmen , Caucasian , textiles and for a change Baluch items are also out in full force but the Chinese / East Turkestan group seems to be a little on the weak side considering the strong selection in some of the other recent earlier sales .
So after multiple passes through the sale inventory i am left feeling this is a good but not necessarily great assortment . As usual there is a smattering of high end pieces ( susani’s and South Persian) , plenty of better mid- range and of course some filler items but no real top shelf , barn burner item to light up the the Rug- Mob network !
Still an admirable job done by the R.B.rug dept. at a time when great pieces are hard to come by . It should turnout pretty well for them ,
Good Luck!
With that said a couple of lots that caught my eye are posted below .
Lot # 49 , Ersari ensi . Pre- sale estimate € 2-400.00 . My favorite piece in the sale . It should do well .
Lot # 226 Karachov Kazak . pre-sale estimate € 13-1,800.00 . A very good example , again in poor condition but listed accordingly .
10/24/18
Next up , Sotheby’s , London just concluded their “Arts of the Islamic World” today and as far as i can see it turned out to be a fairly successful venture for them with more than a handful of lots breaching the £ 100,000.00 level and one really taking off .
Lot # 134 , Blue and White “Iznik” Charger , circa 1480 . Pre- sale estimate £3-500,000.00 . Sold for a magnificent £ 5,359,950.00.
The lot i featured in the 10 / 8 post lot # 133 , “Ottoman” velvet “Cintamani” pattern fragment pre-sale est. £ 20-30,000.00. sold for an impressive £ 68,750.00 . I thought the condition might hold this piece back a bit , but i guess not .
All in , a nice production posted by the Sotheby’s Islamic Dept. !
10/25/18
Christie’s , London’s Arts of the Islamic and Indian Worlds including carpets just wrapped up and from a rug and carpet standpoint it turned out to be reasonably prosperous for them .
Concerning the overall sale , they also had a few lots pop over £ 100,000.00 mark but not quite up to the turn of events at yesterdays sale at Sotheby’s .
First let me say the textile selection was very weak with only approximately 10 out of 29 offered selling . None of the susani’s were particularly interesting but they all sold .
As for the rug and carpet selection if faired much better , however one thing worth noting .
None of the 3 “Lotto” carpets found new homes. Around the track once to often , perhaps ?
Out of the 104 total lots of rugs and carpets offered approximately 66 traded hands for a sold percentage of right at 63% .
Not great , but not bad either .
As you would expect the Konig coll. items had a pretty good showing with only perhaps 2 not selling .
Nothing else in the rest of sale inventory seemed strong and there were no notable upside pops . Seems to me maybe the Caucasian items in the group were a little on the weak side but then they were also a little of the ordinary variety !
That said we have to give props to Ms Broadhurst and staff for a passable job at the tail end of the fall season !
The lots i featured in the previous review all sold but with mixed results.
Lot # 217 , Iznik “Cintamani” pattern tile . Pre- sale est. £ 30-50,000.00 . Sold for an outstanding and well deserved , £ 218,750.00 , As i stated in my previous post my favorite piece in the whole sale !
Lot # 230 , Ottoman embroidered panel . Pre- sale est. £ 10-15,000.00 . Sold for slightly over the high estimate at £ 21,250.00 . A decent pop but nothing to get excited about .
Lot # 286 , Khotan frag. Pre- sale est. £ 3-5,000.00 . Sold for £ 3,500.00 .
Lot # 324 , Silk Farahan prayer rug . Pre-sale est. £ 4-6,000.00 . Sold for £ 5,250.00 . In the zone no surprise here !
10/26/18
And Friday !
10/27/18
10/28/18
Parting shot to end the week !
Henry’s .de , Mutterstadt, Germany has another rug auction scheduled on Dec. 8th . No details yet but their last sale did far better than i expected .
Riley Rules !
Dog o the week ,
Out of the darkness and into the “write” the world today will survive and prosper ! , Sheik Frederich , 2018.
Shitty movie o the week , Murder on the Orient Expresss , 2017 . 3.5 poopsickles out of 5 . Not really bad but considering the cast a something of a let down that drags a bit in comparison to the original version .
Movie o the week ,
Song o the week , Burning Witches , Executed on Hexenhammer , 2018.
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