4/15/19 , The wrong memories can be life threatening !
4/15/19
Looks like it’s gonna be a slow holiday week !
4/16/19
4/17/19
Simply senseless !
I thought we were past this type of behavior !
4/18/19
4/19/19
Happy Passover !
Good thoughts on “Good Friday” , please !
4/20/19
4/21/19
Celebrate a Great Easter Holiday !
God speed , Sri Lanka !
4/22/20
Earth day ! Go Figure ?
4/23/19
4/24/19
Friday Fun ?
4/25/19
National Pretzel Day , partake !
God speed , Poway , Ca.
4/26/19
4/27/19
A.A.C. Is back at it with their 3rd rug auction of 2019 , Fine Antique Oriental Rugs XV , scheduled on May 18th at their Vienna , Austria auction gallery . This production includes 215 total lots of all types of rugs , carpets , textiles and flat weaves .
So here we go !
After multiple passes through the sale inventory my initial impression is the group is somewhat superior to the previous 2 sales . Not as much in the way of commercial decorative filler items included in the group and thankfully a modestly interesting selection of reasonably priced bona fide collectors pieces .
There are however a few other things to consider .
First off Mr Langhauer has keep up with his recent trend and kept the starting points on the very consevative side to fan the bidding flames . Which is of course good .
Next , unfortunately once again there are no clear cut , topshelf collectors items to get the international rug collectors excited . The most interesting pieces in the sale inventory are for the most part fragmentary . Some pretty good ones but still fragments .
Overall and in my opinion only this is a far more compelling selection than the two earlier sales which to me is a step back in the right direction for A.A.C. . Now lets see if it pays off as well considering how successful the first two sales of the year were for them ?
A couple lots i did go back to multiple times are featured below .
Lot # 182 , Ningxia Frag. Pre-sale starting point , € 200.00 . Rough but scarce.
Lot # 187 , Konya Frag. Pre-sale starting point , € 200.00 . Again distressed , but these used to be very popular !
4/28/19
Skinner’s “major” rug and carpet sale is under way and at the half way point the sale is doing fairly well . Not quite at the level of the previous 2 auctions that featured the “Newman coll.” pieces but good none the less .
That’s a wrap and the final outcome is very positive for Mr Kearney and the Skinner’s rug dept . At the finish not wholly as successful as the “Newman coll. complete sales totals but certainly a very good turn of events for them .
Out of the 382 + lots run across the podium only approxamately 68 failed to find new homes . A sold percentage of right at 82 %. Very respectable for an offering of this size in a somewhat stagnate rug market .
A couple of other things to consider !
First up , there were plenty of aggressive upside pops to lend excitement to the sale , note lot #’s ,15 , 19, 22, 28, 67,117,124 and 214 to name a few .
Next up , the Turkmens in the sale were weak as far as quality goes in general so that lead to modest sales overall and weak prices on those that did end up selling .
All that said this sale should be considered a very successful production for L.K. and crew which is certainly good for the overall rug market so , keep up the good work and KUDOs to you !
Concerning the 3 lots i featured in the earlier post all sold and well over their high estimates but still quite affordable !
Lot # 22 , Caucasian prayer kelim . Pre- est. $ 1-1,500.00 . Sold for a very reasonable $ 6765.00 . Nice for the new owner .
Lot # 113 , Holbein cpt. frag . Pre-sale est. $4-5,000.00. Sold for $5,535.00 . Condition issues or some one got a deal ?
Lot # 266 , Kurdish / Varamin salt bag . Pre- sale est. $ 1-1,200.00 . Sold for $3321.00 . Very realistic .
That , as they say is in fact that. Next in line , “on the line” is Christie’s and Sotheby’s . What more could you want !
Dog o the week
Caught and jailed !
Some people have no shame or morals !
If elected as president of Fresh , Clear , Wild Party my first act would be to add a stripper pole to the oval office so A. O. C. could make some extra $$$$$ , boo yah ! , Sheik Frederich , 2019
Shitty movie o the week , 4/20 Massacre , 2018 . 5 out of 5 poopsickles . Seriously unwatchable !
Movie o the week , Alpha , 2018 . A real winner !
Song o the week , Autograph , I Lost My Mind in America on Get Off Your Ass , 2017.
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4/8/19 Only a fool falls for a blatant and jaded opinion !
4/8/19
Solitude for the moment !
4/9/19
Today’s sale of the “Bauer Coll.” at the “Dorotheum” in Vienna , Austria just finished up and unfortunately for MR Matschek and the Bauer estate it did not turnout very well for them at all . Looking over the Dorotheum posted results , out of the 138 total lots passed over the podium only 44 ended up attracting any bidder interest . A sold percentage pf right at 32% .
As i stated in the previous post sale review this was a step in a different direction for the “Dorotheum” rug dept. who generally focus on for the most part late commercial good condition European style items .So even with the international collectors internet bidding action the collection just did not spark much in the way of real excitement .
For starters , one possible reason for the poor sale showing was on many of the pieces the pre- sale starting numbers were in the aggressive arena and considering the bulk of the coll. was a little on the late side for the fickle Turkmen collectors market these days this might must have put potential bidders off a bit .
Perhaps if the Bauer people would have been more realistic with their reserves things would have turned out better for them but with the majority of the collection being on the “Fresh” side , maybe not !
One other thing to consider.
It appears Mr Bauer never considered selling a piece now and then and upgrading to more advanced items which is a problem i have seen before with many other collectors ( i. e. Munkacsi ) who ignore prudent advice so the collection was full of items that were popular in years past but are considered unimportant these days and also because they are out of fashion and to “fresh” by todays finicky collector standards !
Oh well , live and learn !
Granted a few of the better pieces did sell ( even 2 aggressively estimated main carpets ) but there were “no” serious upside surprises.
In the end it was a tough day and a lot of work for Mr Matschek and the “Dorotheum” rug dept. with only very limited returns to show for it .
Better luck next time , if there is one !
As for the 3 lots i featured in the sale review , all sold .
Lot # 78 , Igdyr tentband frag. Pre-sale est. € 6-700.00 . Sold for € 563.00 . Someone got a bargain on this one !
Lot # 90 , Tekke Torba . Pre-sale est. € 3,6-4,000.00 . Sold for € 4,250.00 . Nice and in the realistic zone .
Lot # 133 , Tekke chuval ? . Pre-sale est. € 1,6- 2,000.00 . Sold for € 2,250.00 . Again a very good purchase for the new owner on my favorite piece in the sale !
4/10/19
Now for something far more promising !
Grogan & Co. , Boston, Ma is staging a general antique sale scheduled on May 5th that features 95 oerintal rugs and carpets from most all the major weaving areas .
So here we go .
My first thoughts about this sale inventory is it’s a fairly diverse selection for a modest size group with plenty of interesting items to consider and as is M.G.’s M.O. the pre-sale estimates are for the most part on the low / very realistic side . On the flip side there are no real clear cut , top shelf collectors items included to make the internet trolls go crazy , just a varied group of eclectic pieces .
That said for a relatively small assortment it’s far more compelling than many of the recent sales with far more lots . Just an opinion so be sure to check it out yourself and form your own opinion .
One other thing worth mentioning . There are 9 room size carpets and a couple of those look very good , in particular lot #’s 287 , especially 289 and maybe 294 .
A few of the lots i kept going back to are featured below .
Lot # 289 , Serapi carpet . Pre-sale estimate a very fair $ 20-30,000. Yes , a room size carpet but a particularly good looking one and if the condition as good as M.G. states a real winner if your in the market for a decorative item.
Lot # 297 , Possibly Senna prayer rug . Pre-sale estimate $ 10-15,000.00 . Closest thing to a top shelf barn burner item in the group. To me it’s very beautiful and my favorite piece in the sale , if it matters !
Lot # 314 , Konya village rug . Pre-sale estimate $ 4-6,000.00 . This should do very well !
Parting shot , although this is selection is limited in size i noticed 11 items worthy of a second or third look !
4/11/19
Next up in the batters box !
Skinner’s , Boston , Ma’s spring rug and carpet extravaganza scheduled on Apr. 28 is live “on the line” now to confuse your buying strategy even more.
On this occasion Mr Kearney & staff have assembled a collection of approximately 382 lots of all manner of rugs , carpets and textiles to tempt your mind ( if you have one ! ) and of course wallet !
First up i have to say this group also does not include a clear cut , tip top item to fire up the “Rug Mob” internet circle . What it does have going for it is a substancial selection of interesting pieces with very realistic pre-sale estimates which leads to the possibility of getting a decent buy on a pretty good piece .
After multiple passes through the auction inventory i will stand with my first impression that there is no single lot to make the collector circle stand up and bark but there are plenty of absorbing for you to consider.
I did however notice 3 lots lots i went back to more than once and they are featured below .
Lot # 22 , Caucasian prayer kelim . Pre- sale estimate $ 1,2-1,500.00 . Not particularly early but a very scarce item.
Lot # 113 , Holbein cpt. frag. Pre- sale estimate $ 4-5,000.00 . Maybe not as early as stated but still very good .
Lot # 266 , Kurdish salt bag , possibly Varamin ? Pre- sale estimate $1-1,200.00. Very snappy looking !
However after all that said and considering the number of pieces run across the podiums of all the auction houses so far this spring auction season other than a few early Chinese pieces nothing of any real serious collector consequence has been turning up in any of the auctions so far !
Which backs up the fact that locating fresh important , noteworthy pieces is becoming an increasing difficult task. This is of course just my opinion !
4/12/19
Great Friday !
4/13/19
4/14/19
Silent Palm Sunday !
Dog o the week .
Oh , No , not Pelosi again !
Pelosi net worth = 120,000,000.00
After all the commotion and people telling me i should do it i have given in and decided to run for President of the “U S of A” in 2020 under the banner of Fresh , Clear , Wild Party so when your making up your mind keep it in MIND ! , Sheik Frederich , 2019.
Shitty movie o the week , Danger One , 2018. 4.5 poopsickles out of 5 . I don’t know what to say about this i should have just turned it off !
Movie o the week , The Grifter’s ,1991.
Song o the week , Trust Fund Baby , Sammy Hagar and the Circle on Space Between , 2019.
Read More4/1/19 Being superficial is a high “ART” form !
4/1/19
We are gonna start the fresh week with the “Liveauctioneer’s” posted results of the March 23rd , 2nd installment of the Rippon- Boswell , “Poppmeier” collection sale .
To start with if the “Liveauctioneer’s” posted results are accurate out of the 91 total lots offered only 16 failed to attract bidder interest which works out to a sold percentage of right at 82%. Very respectable considering how diverse and eclectic this group was. I am fairly sure some of the unsold lots will find new homes in the after sale as is the Rippon , M.O.
One thing worth noting on the outcome .
There was a substantial number of significant upside pops to lend excitement to the offering . Check out lot numbers 14, 28, 31, 32, 35, 44, 50, 64, 66, 71, and ( 84 ? ) which to a certain extent made up for the unsold lots.
As for the items i featured in an earlier post all sold . Two did very well , one not so much .
Lot # 32 , Aksaray kilim . Pre- sale estimate € 5-7,000.00 . Sold for € 44,280.00 including comm. One of the high water points of the sale and a real winner for the new owner !
Lot # 44 , Konya rug . Pre- sale estimate € 6- 8,000.00 . Sold for € 22,140.00 including comm. To my eye a very reasonable purchase for the new owner !
Lot # 56 , Karapinar kilim . Pre- sale estimate € 8-10,000.00 . Sold for € 7,995.00 including comm. looks like someone may have got a deal on this one !
In the end considering how eccentric this collection was its a pretty good job , well done by Mr Maltzahn and the Rippon – Boswell staff .
Kudo’s to them !
4/9/19 , 12 noon .
Late update !
With all the after sale action only 4 lots ended going unsold which raises the sold percentage to right at 95 %. So it appears Mr Maltzahn pitched a real winner for the “Poppmeier” estate !
Good for them and great for the rug and kilim collectors market in general !
4/2/19
4/3/19
Next up , here comes Sotheby’s , London with an Islamic Art sale titled “Arts of the Islamic World “ including oriental rugs and carpets on May 1st at their Bond st. gallery .
The sale inventory consist of approximately 16 assorted textile lots and 36 rugs and carpets . Unfortunately this just not a very interesting group as far as the rugs and carpets go. No bona fide stars included , what so ever . Nothing much in the way of Turkmen, which is very hot right now , early Chinese which is also very hot right now , Baluch which is on the come back trail or South Persian of any consequence .
To my eye just fairly decent but uninspiring selection . I expected better but you settle for what you get ?
After all that a couple of lots did peak my limited interest !
Lot # 157 Safavid silk panel , circa 1800 or earlier . Pre-sale estimate , £ 20-30,000.00 . My favorite lot in the sale selection .
Lot # 285 , Kuba prayer rug . Pre- sale estimate , £ 5-7,000.00 . Kinda “cool” item in a less than inspiring selection, in my opinion !
4/4/19
March 4th , “National Burrito Day” , celebrate !
4/5/19
Christie’s , London is up to bat next with an Islamic art sale titled “ Art of the Islamic and Indian Worlds “ featuring oriental rugs and textiles scheduled on May 2nd at their London gallery .
Initial thoughts !
What Ms Broadhurst and crew have assembled this time out is a group consisting of 7 early velvets , which have been very popular lately , 5 textiles and susani’s and 78 various oriental rugs and carpets .
My first impression of this selection is it’s heavily over weighted with room size decorative carpets which it a bit of a disappointment for myself and i am sure for the members of the collectors market out there . Yes , there are some moderately interesting “collectable” style items in the group but the decorative pieces far out number them .
Like the Sotheby’s auction the day before this group is also void of any Turkmen , early Chinese , Baluch or other collectible tribal type pieces !
Also in my humble opinion in the limited number of items aimed at the serious international collectors market other than the Turkish items there is nothing that could be considered an exciting , important or scarce item to get them buzzing .
One caveat , there are 2 earlier Mughal pieces that could maybe create a bit of a stir !
Don’t get me wrong on this opinion , it’s not a slam .
There are plenty of good and moderately interesting lots in this very limited assortment and i am reasonably sure the sale should do well , but without a clear cut barn burner to create excitement who knows ?
That said i did keep going back to one lot .
Lot # 225 , Mughal Pashmina Carpet Frag. Circa 1640 . Pre-sale estimate £ 15-20,000.00 . To me by far the very best and most interesting thing in the entire sale .
4/6/19
4/7/19
Celebrate , “National Beer Day” , Boo Yah !
Next up the Dorotheum , Turkmen sale on April 9th !
A colorful Sunday ?
Dogs o the week !
If you didn’t know before , you surely don’t know now , take a step back survey the situation and please get an F-N clue ! ,
Sheik Frederich , 2019.
Shitty movie o the week , The Spy Who Dumped Me , 2018 . 5 poopsickles out of 5 . Another movie made just for a pay day !
Movie o the week , The Inventor , Out for Blood in Silicon Valley , 2019. A grim story everyone should see !
Song o the week , Train, Train , Blackfoot on Strikes , 1979.
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