Two bottles

[wgeoff]

These two bottles went at auction (Eclectic) recently for US$10,000. Is it realistic?



The auction detail was

Realized Price: $10,000
Estimated Price: $500 - $700
Description: Two Chinese painted snuff bottles comprising a rock crystal interior painted bottle and an incised and painted porcelain bottle, both signed. 2 1/2" high, 2" wide to 2 7/8" high, 1 3/4" wide. Condition: rock crystal with chips to top, other with glue residue to lid, stand affixed to base.

I was interested but not at that price.
Geoff

[Pat - 查尚杰]

Geoff

The right side bottle looks like a genuine Zhou Le Yuan to me just based on the pics provided but for an unknown auction house the realized prices seem very high...

[wgeoff]

Thanks Pat.

I guessed the right hand bottle may be genuine (but no provenance and clearly from the estimated prices the Auction House either didn't have much idea or didn't believe it was genuine).
But what about the left-hand bottle? It looks good - is it a well-known artist?



Geoff

[Pat - 查尚杰]

I can't decipher the other script
 Sorry !

[Joey Silver / Si Zhouyi 義周司]

Dear Geoff,

      I have it on great authority that the Zhou Leyuan is genuine and superb, and if it had been offered to me by a serious dealer,  I'd have had no qualms about paying US$15,000 or even more. The other one is cute and would make a nice gift to someone who likes horses.

Best,
Joey

[Wattana]

Dear Geoff,

I've never come across Eclectic(?) Auction House before. The lot details and price realized tell me three things:
   1. the auction house clearly had no clue what they were selling
   2. there are a lot of serious collectors browsing the internet for even the most obscure sales
   3. the seller had the gods looking over him/her - the lot could so easily have sold for its original estimate, and the seller would have lost out big time

Tom
PS: I wonder how the auctioneer explained the price differential to the seller...     

[Joey Silver / Si Zhouyi 義周司]

Dear Tom,

      In my experience, people rarely complain when they get MORE than they thought they'd get. 
Best,
Joey

Dear Geoff,

I've never come across Eclectic(?) Auction House before. The lot details and price realized tell me three things:
   1. the auction house clearly had no clue what they were selling
   2. there are a lot of serious collectors browsing the internet for even the most obscure sales
   3. the seller had the gods looking over him/her - the lot could so easily have sold for its original estimate, and the seller would have lost out big time

Tom
PS: I wonder how the auctioneer explained the price differential to the seller...     

[George]

It is indeed a beautiful bottle, but sorry guys... No way at that price ..

[wgeoff]

Here is the Auction and the Lot Number is 259.

http://www.invaluable.com/catalog/searchLots.cfm?scp=c&catalogRef=6P3SZESFUZ&row=251

It kind of stands out for the amount realised.

Geoff

[Tom B.]

Dear Geoff

The auction was held by Woodbury CT auction that has been holding brick & mortar auctions for decades.  I think they are fairly recent to online.  I was at an auction there around 25 years ago where a Japanese outdoor aluminum sculpture was offered for $300-500.00 but sold for $25,000 plus buyer's premium after a bidding war between a local retired lawyer and a California dealer on the phone.  That auction has been advertising in several antique newspapers like the Arts & Antiques Weekly.  By the way the lawyer later sold it through Sotheby's and it brought $90,000 just a few months later.

Small auctions like to create interest in their goods by putting the lowest estimate the seller will allow and lately some of the major auction houses are doing likewise.