87% Increase in Unique Visitors Reported for Fourth-Quarter by LiveAuctioneers.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                      

January 18, 2011

Julian Ellison, CEO of the online live bidding platform, LiveAuctioneers.com  said the company benefited from referrals from search engines and an expanding customer base. 

NEW YORK (LAPRS)– LiveAuctioneers.com, the Manhattan-based Internet company that provides an online live-bidding platform and related support services to more than 1,000 auction houses worldwide, has released fourth-quarter 2010 statistics revealing a marked
increase in site visits, new-user signups and page views.

During the fourth quarter of 2010, there were more than 3.8 million “absolute unique” visitors to LiveAuctioneers.com, where both current and archived auction catalogs are readily available to view. This figure reflects an 87% increase over the comparable quarter of 2009.

There was also a sizable jump in the number of overall visits to the LiveAuctioneers site, soaring from 3.3 million in Q4 2009 to 5.9 million in Q4 2010. Statistically, this result represents a 77% increase over the comparable quarter of a year ago.

“Whether they’re first-timers or coming to the site expressly to view catalogs or bid, there’s no question that visitors to LiveAuctioneers are sticking to the site and viewing more catalog pages than before,” said LiveAuctioneers CEO Julian R. Ellison. “In October, November and December, we recorded more than 47.8 million page views on the site, as compared to 27.7 million in the corresponding quarter of 2009 – an increase of more than 72 percent.”

Ellison added that a sizable flow of traffic is being redirected to LiveAuctioneers on a regular basis through search engines. “During the fourth quarter 2010 there were 3.1 million search-engine referrals to LiveAuctioneers – a 42.7% increase over the fourth quarter of 2009,” Ellison said. Additional statistics revealed that during the fourth quarter of last year LiveAuctioneers.com attracted 39,500 new-bidder signups.

“By no means have we reached the outer fringes of our potential – quite the contrary. Our user base just keeps on growing, with phenomenal interest coming from Asia, where the ‘new money society’ is only in its infancy,” said Ellison. “Unquestionably, the repatriation of antiques to China, in particular, hit top gear in 2010, and there’s no slowdown in sight. Already in 2011, we’ve seen a seven-figure online-sales total. More than a million dollars worth of antiques and fine art sold to our online bidders at Brunk Auctions’ January 8 and 9 sale. Well over 1,300 people registered for that sale through LiveAuctioneers.com, and obviously they were very serious bidders. Based on the auction results we’ve seen just in the first two weeks of January, there’s every indication that this is going to be another outstanding year for LiveAuctioneers.”

Visit LiveAuctioneers online at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

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About LiveAuctioneers.com:

Founded in November 2002, LiveAuctioneers.com provides real-time Internet bidding capability to more than 1,000 auction houses worldwide. LiveAuctioneers.com has opened up once-exclusive antiques and fine art sales to the cyber community through online publication of auction catalogs, and Internet live bidding. For further information, log on to www.liveauctioneers.com.

Media enquiries:

LiveAuctioneers PR Services

pr@liveauctioneers.com

Highly Important 19th-Century Italian Micromosaic is Centerpiece of Myers Auction Gallery’s Jan. 30 European & Asian Sale

Artwork attributed to Vatican artist Roccheggiani remained in Tampa home for 90 years

ST. PETERSBURG, FL – A remarkable Italian micromosaic artwork depicting the Roman Forum and attributed to Vatican artist Cesare Roccheggiani has emerged from a Florida residence after nearly 90 years of unobtrusive display and will be auctioned on Jan. 30, 2011. The important estate discovery will be offered at Myers Auction Gallery in St. Petersburg as the star attraction in a 500-lot sale of fine European and Asian antiques.

Measuring 59 inches wide by 32 inches long and weighing over 100 lbs., the circa-1870s panoramic depiction of Rome was composed from hundreds of thousands of minute pieces of non-reflective glass. It is believed to be the work of master mosaicist Cesare Roccheggiani, who was active at the Vatican workshops from 1856 to 1864.

“While unsigned, we believe it is almost certainly the work of Roccheggiani,” said Michael Myers, founder and co-owner of Myers Auction Gallery. “An 1879 micromosaic nearly identical in size and subject matter, artist-signed by Rocchegiani, was auctioned in December at Christie’s London gallery for more than half a million dollars.”

Quite likely, the glass mosaic to be auctioned by Myers was a commissioned work created for a wealthy nobleman or aristocrat visiting Italy during a Grand Tour of Europe. “Many Italian artists capitalized on the opportunity to sell mosaic jewelry and miniatures to the influx of well-heeled visitors of that period, but few possessed Roccheggiani’s ability to produce a monumental micromosaic of such superior quality,” Myers said.

“It’s so luminous, it almost looks like a photograph. It even fooled a visitor who walked into our gallery and thought they were looking at a picture on a flat-screen TV,” added Mary Dowd, Michael’s wife and business partner.

Since the 1920s, the artwork attributed to Roccheggiani had rested above a mantel in the residence of a prominent Tampa businessman. When the home was sold in the 1980s, the buyer was given the option of purchasing some of the existing furnishings. The micromosaic was among the pieces selected. Now, through descent, the estate artwork is headed to auction with a conservative $100,000-$200,000 estimate.

Among the paintings on the auction roster are a Jean Ferdinand Monchablon (French, 1855-1904) oil-on-canvas wildflower landscape estimated at $8,000-$12,000; and a pre-1920 Edouard Leon Cortes (French, 1882-1969) gouache on board street scene of Paris in wintertime, from the estate of Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Douglas Moore (1893-1969). Its estimate is $8,000-$10,000. The fine art section also includes a pair of handsome equine paintings by British artist Harry Hall (1814-1882), each estimated at $1,500-$2,500.

Approximately 30 lots of Asian and European carved ivory works are scheduled to sell. Within the grouping are fans, figures and four extremely desirable 19th-century miniature portraits, each depicting a member of Russia’s Romanov family.

A selection of period European bronzes is led by two Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse (French, 1824-1875) sculptures, including the 22-inch-high Allegory of Friendship, $4,000-$6,000; and Jean Baptiste Carpeaux’s (French, 1827-1875) Winkle Gatherer, 28 3/8 inches high and estimated at $4,000-$6,000. The category also features a 31-inch bronze rooster by Jules Moigniez (French, 1835-1894), $2,000-$3,000; and a collection of 19th-century Austrian cold-painted bronzes of Arabs, animals and other figures.

An extensive array of excellent-quality 18th- and 19th-century European sterling silver will be offered, with highlights including a 1797 George III sterling tea caddy by Daniel Pontifax, London; an 1819 Rebecca Emes, London, sterling decanter set; and a variety of ornate hollowware and flatware by various Continental makers. Four hallmarked sterling serving platters by Jean Emile Puiforcat (French, 1897-1945) will cross the auction block, as well. Three will be auctioned as one lot with an estimate of $3,000-$5,000; while a fourth platter will stand on its own with an estimate of $1,500-$2,000.

A featured attraction in the sale is the selection of antique Japanese cloisonné by master makers, a category that Mary Dowd said “has really been bringing premium prices lately.” A Namikawa Sosuke (1847-1910) artist-signed tray to be auctioned is similar to one that sold for $33,000 in 2008. Other Japanese highlights include samurai swords, sterling silver, scrolls, and silk embroidered with monkey and tiger motifs.

Other Asian antiques include an exquisitely carved rosewood Chinese throne chair with possibly original silk damask upholstery; Chinese carved stands, and an altar table. A beautiful assortment of Asian porcelain reveals designs by Imari, Satsuma, Canton and Rose Medallion. Estimated at $3,000-$5,000, a pair of 19th-century Chinese blue and white double-gourd vases stands 29 inches tall.

European ceramics by Meissen, Royal Vienna, KPM, Sevres, Dresden and Delft will go under the hammer. Several sets of ornate service plates are included in the grouping, as is a George Jones majolica doves centerpiece, estimated at $1,000-$2,000.

A top lot within the selection of 19th- and early 20th-century gold gemstone jewelry is a circa-1825 bracelet by Austrian Crown Jeweler Piote et Kochert. The enameled 18K gold bracelet is set with stones and bears an Islamic inscription. Estimate: $4,000-$6,000.

The auction offering is completed with a lineup of fine 18th/19th-century European clocks and more than 25 fresh to the market 19th- and early 20th-century Oriental rugs, all from estates. Among them are Tabriz, Kashan and room-size Chinese and Persian carpets. A noteworthy addition to this portion of the sale is an early Kai-tag Daghestan Persian textile.

Myers Auction Gallery conducts only two sales per year. “We’re very particular about what we sell,” Mary Dowd explained. “We would rather take our time and present only top-quality estate material. It takes a commitment to do this properly, but it’s the reason we have such a faithful following of buyers.”

All forms of bidding will be available for the Sunday, Jan. 30 auction, including live in the gallery, absentee, phone and live via the Internet through LiveAuctioneers.com. For additional information, call 727-823-3248 or 727-823-3249, or email auctions@myersfineart.com. Visit Myers online at www.myersfineart.com.

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CAPTION:


Attrib. to Vatican master micromosaicist Cesare Roccheggiani, circa-1870s micromosaic depicting the Roman Forum, 59 inches wide by 32 inches long, estimate $100,000-$200,000. Myers Auction Gallery image.











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Rare 1882 Colt Open-Top, Ivory-Handled Revolver Arrives Fashionably Late for Don Presley’s Jan. sale

ORANGE, Calif. – A late, and most welcome, consignment to Don Presley’s Jan. 1-2 auction is expected to capture the attention of collectors who favor exceptional antique firearms and edged weapons.

“This is a sensational collection,” said auctioneer Don Presley. “It came in late, but there’s no way we would have said no to these items. I think we’re going to see some heavy competition when they come up for bid.”

Among the key pieces in the consignment is a Colt 1882 open-top .44 caliber revolver with engraving on the raised ivory grips attributed to Louis D. Nimschke. Only about 20 original Colts of this type are known to exist, and this one is a very impressive example, according to Presley. It is estimated at $50,000-$75,000.

Made sometime between 1810 and 1840, an especially high quality American Eagle Head Officer’s sword comes with a hand-engraved scabbard and fancy scrolling on the guard. The blue and gold gilt on the blade is 95 percent original. “It’s the find of a lifetime in this condition,” Presley said. Estimate: $5,000-$10,000.

Another fascinating item is the early dagger with gold and silver inlay, in its original scabbard. Writing appears on the handle and blade of the 15-inch-long dagger, as well as on the scabbard. Estimate: $1,000-$2,000.

The collection joins many highlights entered in Don Presley’s annual New Year’s Auction, which includes pop-culture rarities such as Frank Sinatra’s custom-made tuxedo shirt, Marilyn Monroe’s two-piece day ensemble and Michael Jackson’s gilt-bronze clock. A stellar array of antiques and fine art to be auctioned ranges from antique ivory and jade; bronzes and porcelains to Liberace’s opulent fountains and a superb oil-on-canvas genre painting attributed to Eugene Delacroix (French, 1798-1865).

All forms of bidding will be available for the auction, including live via the Internet through LiveAuctioneers.com. For additional information, call 714-633-2437 or email info@donpresleyauction.com. Visit Don Presley Auctions online at www.donpresleyauction.com.

Colt 1882 open-top .44 caliber revolver with engraving on the raised ivory grips attributed to Louis D. Nimschke


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Long-held Collection of Antique Asian Jade Takes the Spotlight in Austin Auction Gallery’s Nov. 21 Multi-Estates Sale

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date of Release: Nov. 5, 2010

Army colonel’s collection led by exceptional Chinese jade design of cabbage and crickets

AUSTIN, Texas – With Asian art currently dominating the headlines in nearly every antiques trade publication, the timing is 10 out of 10 for Austin Auction Gallery’s Nov. 21 sale featuring a superb 38-lot collection of early Chinese jade. Amassed primarily in the 1970s by a U.S. Army colonel posted in Japan and later Vietnam, the collection contains purchases made during the officer’s extensive travels throughout the Orient.

“The colonel and his wife had a great appreciation for Asian cultures, and collecting jade and ivory carvings, wood carvings and other Asian art became a lifelong hobby,” said Ross Featherston, owner of Austin Auction Gallery. “Among the countries they visited while living in Asia were China, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia and Nepal. The pieces they acquired were displayed and enjoyed for many years.”

The most intriguing entry in the sale is a 19th-century Chinese pale celadon jade carving of two crickets atop a cabbage. The 3.25-lb., 6½-inch-long carving was crafted to a very high standard and detailed to perfection, down to the bas-relief veins visible on the cabbage’s peeled-back “leaves.”

In the course of cataloging the jade collection, Austin Auction consulted with two high-profile experts on Asian art. It was the opinion of both specialists that the cabbage, from the late Qing/early Republic period, is “quite exceptional – a premier piece of jade,” Featherston said. The lot is estimated at $3,000-$5,000, although Featherston noted that its value is “anybody’s guess, since we have not been able to find any records of a similar piece for comparison. We think collectors will view this as a very exciting discovery.”

Standing 18 inches tall, a spinach-green Chinese jade carving modeled as Guanyin depicts the deity on a lotus-draped platform in front of a full-length pierced screen ($2,000-$4,000). Another key lot is a Chinese lotus-form double brush washer carved from translucent agate. Dating to the mid Qing Dynasty, the 3-inch piece is carved with lotus leaves serving as two separate bowls, adorned with flowers and birds along the rim of the bowl. The auction estimate is $2,000-$4,000.

The Nov. 21 auction includes rare and outstanding examples from several other categories of fine and decorative art and furniture. Dated 1875, a three-part hand-colored folk manuscript is, in actuality, an illustrated youth diary created by siblings Johnathan and Catharine King of Lancaster County, Pa. Twenty-five of the diary’s 42 pages are profusely decorated with the children’s fraktur paintings of flowers, wagons, animals, farm and kitchen implements. Contained in a “Ciphering Book” published by Reuben Chambers, Bethania, Pa., the diary also includes four pages of mathematics inscribed by Jonathan King, and hand-written accounts of the children’s daily activities, with their chores including milking cows and washing dishes. Offered with decorative calling cards for both Johnathan and Catharine King, the lot is expected to make $2,000-$4,000.

Other American highlights include a 1914 Newcomb College vase created by Joseph Meyer and with the cipher of decorator Henrietta Bailey (estimate $4,000-$6,000); and a scarce 84-inch oak hall tree and bench with dual beveled mirrors and a central grandfather clock ($5,000-$7,000).

Approximately 50 lots of 18th- and 19th-century colonial Mexican art will be offered, including retablos painting on both canvas and tin. A 17 ¾-inch by 13-inch framed oil on canvas of The Repentant Magdalene is a naïve artwork that depicts the important female Christian disciple in a sensitive downward gaze, surrounded by cherubim ($400-$600).

A fine selection of antique European furniture has been cataloged for this sale. Among the highlights is a circa-1890 monumental Italian Renaissance-style sideboard, its upper shelf supported by four 20-inch griffins. The entire piece is richly adorned with foliate and figural carving, with the finishing touch being a monogrammed crest presented by winged putti. It carries an estimate of $5,000-$10,000. From the same decade, a Louis XV gilt and ormolu cabinet in the Vernis Martin taste features a landscape painting on each of its sides as well as a central-door painting of a courting couple in lavish attire ($2,000-$4,000).

Two lots in the sale consist of Mid-century Modern furniture designs by Pierre Jeanneret (1896-1967), a Swiss architect who often collaborated with his famous cousin Charles Jeanneret, a k a “Le Corbusier.” Both the Jeanneret teak desk with leather writing surface and six storage cubicles ($6,000-$8,000) and the set of six teak chairs with cane seats and backs ($4,000-$6,000) come with provenance from the Punjab Civil Secretariat of Chandigarh, India.

The 470-lot auction includes numerous other furnishings, paintings and decorative art, as well as small selections of coins, furs and jewelry. Four lots of pin-up art by Olivia de Berardinis (b. 1949) will be sold, including two signed and dated (1996) watercolors, each estimated at $2,000-$4,000; and two Playboy limited-edition lithographs, each of which is expected to make $400-$600.

All forms of bidding will be available for Austin Auction Gallery’s Nov. 21, 2010 Multi-Estates and Chinese Jade sale, including live via the Internet through LiveAuctioneers.com. For additional information, call 512-258-5479 or e-mail info@austinauction.com. View the fully illustrated catalog online and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet at www.LiveAuctioneers.com. Visit Austin Auction Gallery’s website at www.AustinAuction.com.

CAPTIONS:

Chinese pale celadon jade carving of a cabbage topped by two crickets, late Qing/early Republic period, 6½ inches long, 3.25 lbs. Provenance: U.S. Army colonel who lived in Asia post World War II. Estimate $3,000-$5,000. Austin Auction Gallery image.

Chinese carved translucent agate double brush washer, lotus form, mid Qing Dynasty. Provenance: U.S. Army colonel who lived in Asia post World War II. Estimate $2,000-$4,000. Austin Auction Gallery image.

Two fraktur pages from an 1875 youth diary created by siblings Jonathan and Catharine King of Lancaster County, Pa., 42 pages total (25 illustrated) describing daily chores on the farm, attending school, and play time. Purchased by consignor in Pennsylvania in the 1970s. Estimate $2,000-$4,000. Austin Auction Gallery image.

The Repentant Magdalene, Mexican, 19th century, oil on canvas, sight: 17¾ inches high by 13 inches wide, retains original frame. Estimate $400-$600. Austin Auction Gallery image.

Scarce American oak hall tree/bench centered by a grandfather clock and flanked by beveled mirrors, 84 inches tall, time-and-strike movement by Waterbury Clock Co. Estimate $5,000-$7,000. Austin Auction Gallery image.

 

  

Newcomb College art pottery vase, New Orleans, 1914, 8½ inches tall, Joseph Meyer potter’s mark and cipher of decorator Henrietta Bailey. Estimate $4,000-$6,000. Austin Auction Gallery image.

 

 

Pierre Jeanneret (Swiss, 1896-1967) Mid-century teak desk with leather writing surface, single drawer and six storage cubicles. Provenance: Punjab Civil Secretariat, Chandigarh, India. Estimate $6,000-$8,000. Austin Auction Gallery image.

 

Louis XV gilt and ormolu cabinet with figural, floral and scenic painting in the Vernis Martin taste, 77 inches high by 28¾ inches wide. Estimate $2,000-$4,000. Austin Auction Gallery image.

 

Monumental Italian Renaissance-style sideboard, circa 1890, display shelf supported by four 20-inch griffins, with profuse foliate and figural carving, 89 inches high by 110 inches wide. Estimate $5,000-$10,000. Austin Auction Gallery image.

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LiveAuctioneers To Award Year Of Unlimited, Deluxe Internet Live-Bidding Services To Winner Of Drawing

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date of Release:  Sept. 29, 2010

NEW YORK – To celebrate its anticipated one-thousandth auction-house client, Internet live-bidding services provider LiveAuctioneers.com has announced details of a month-long promotion that will culminate with the awarding of a grand prize package valued at no less than $16,000.

With 990 auction houses currently on its roster, the Manhattan-based company expects to record its 1,000th auction-house sign-up sometime during the month of October.

“Because it is such a significant milestone for us, we’ve organized a fantastic prize for one of the auction houses that signs up with us between now and October 31st,” said LiveAuctioneers CEO Julian R. Ellison. “All October sign-ups will be entered in a drawing to be held on November 1st at our corporate offices. The winner will receive a full year of unlimited Internet live bidding services at the platinum-plus level, as well as several other premium-level bonus gifts.”

The additional gifts include a custom-created iPhone app from LiveAuctioneers App Technologies, and a custom-designed LiveAuctioneers White Label platform, which enables an auction house to integrate its LiveAuctioneers catalog and Internet live bidding into its own Web site, branded under the auction house’s own name. “Factoring in an average usage of LiveAuctioneers’ services at four to five times during a calendar year, the total prize package tops $16,000 in value,” said Ellison.

Ellison said there is no limit to the number of auctions the winner will be allowed to conduct through LiveAuctioneers during the one-year period from Nov. 1, 2010 through Oct. 31, 2011. “And at the platinum-plus level, the winner will have access to every imaginable feature and service available through LiveAuctioneers,” said Ellison, “from the creation of an electronic catalog, online ads and editorial support, to bidder-console training, audio/video and postsale statistical reports.” (See full list of features online at http://www.liveauctioneers.com/auctioneersetup/platform.html)

In order to be entered in the drawing, auction houses must be licensed (if required in their state) and in the business of selling antiques, fine or decorative art, or vintage collectibles. The winner must agree to a two-year commitment with LiveAuctioneers.com, with the first year being free. There is no set number of auctions that the winner would be required to conduct during the second year of the commitment. The winning auction house is responsible for ensuring it has sufficient technology in place to support Internet live bidding through LiveAuctioneers.

The drawing is open to both new customers and returning auction houses that are not presently using LiveAuctioneers for their Internet live bidding. LiveAuctioneers does not require exclusivity of its customers and places no restrictions on auctioneers who may wish to use other Internet live-bidding companies concurrently with LiveAuctioneers.

For additional information regarding the drawing, call LiveAuctioneers.com tollfree at 888-600-2437 or e-mail sales@LiveAuctioneers.com. Visit LiveAuctioneers online at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

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About LiveAuctioneers.com:

Founded in November 2002, LiveAuctioneers.com provides real-time Internet bidding capability to 990 auction houses worldwide. LiveAuctioneers.com has opened up once-exclusive antiques and fine art sales to the cyber community through online publication of auction catalogs, and Internet live bidding. For further information, log on to www.liveauctioneers.com.

Media enquiries:

pr@liveauctioneers.com

Furnishing Commissioned by East Indian Royalty Headlines Austin Auction’s Sept. 25-26 Multi-Estates Sale

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date of Release: Sept. 14, 2010

Extensive research suggests lavishly appointed dressing table was made under order of fabulously wealthy 7th Nizam of Hyderabad

AUSTIN, Texas – An extraordinary mahogany “Beau Brummel” dressing table fit for a princess has swept into the spotlight of Austin Auction’s Sept. 25-26 Estate Auction.

The circa-1930 triple-mirrored dressing table is of the highest-quality construction and is fitted with a key-lock safe and exquisite 30-piece Art Deco vanity set of sterling silver and cut glass. The well-marked table and its accessories were crafted by the premier London firm Goldsmiths & Silversmiths Co. Ltd.

Each hallmarked vanity accessory is finely enameled and adorned with an Islamic moon-and-star motif as well as one of three images of a regally attired gentleman believed to be Asaf Jah VII, Mir Osman Ali Khan, the Nizam of Hyderabad (1886-1967).

In a Feb. 22, 1937 cover story in Time magazine, His Exalted Highness, The Nizam of Hyderabad was reputed to be the richest man in the world, with a fortune of $2 billion. Among those who enjoyed the lavish lifestyle The Nizam provided were his seven wives and 42 concubines. Austin Auction Gallery associate Chris Featherston said “intensive research into the dressing table’s background gives every indication that the piece was commissioned by the Indian prince, perhaps for one of his wives or concubines.”

“We have convincing photo similarities for the three portraits that appear on most of the items in the vanity set, which include hairbrushes, jars, bottles, scissors, nail files and even an 8-day clock,” Featherston said. “Our expert in India told us that, in his opinion, the person whose images are the focal point of the vanity items is, indeed, The Seventh Nizam of Hyderabad, one of India’s last princes.” The vanity was purchased by the consignor in the 1990s from a private antiques dealer, the dressing table is estimated at $20,000-$30,000.

Many significant artworks, as well as furniture, decorative art, estate jewelry and ladies’ designer handbags, will be auctioned in the Sept. 25-26 auction. Standing 84 inches tall inclusive of black granite base, a life-size Neapolitan marble statue of Bacchus (a k a Dionysus), the god of wine, is adorned by garlands of grapes around his head and waist, and holds a bowl of grapes with one hand and a cluster of grapes with the other. The mid-18th-century sculpture’s age and region of origin have been authenticated by a Professor Emeritus and PhD from the University of Texas’ Art History department. It carries a presale estimate of $20,000-$30,000.

The influence of visionary architect Antonio Gaudi (Spain, 1852-1926) is strikingly obvious in the design of a Gothic Revival carved walnut and stained glass armoire consigned to the auction. The circa-1890 design incorporates four decorative glass-embedded doors, the two central doors displaying artistic leaded-glass panels with an intricate botanical theme. A stunning presentation, the 113-inch-tall by 81-inch-wide armoire is entered in the sale with a $2,000-$4,000 estimate.

Other highlights of the furniture section include a 14-foot dining table from northern Spain, 18th- and 19th-century French furniture, a pair of MacKenzie-Childs rattan chairs, and a circa-1890s six-piece walnut parlor set with carved heads, attributed to John Jelliff. Non-traditional and sure to attract attention on auction day, a Carol Hicks Bolton for E.J. Victor “Bollywood” sofa of beaded and sequined burgundy velveteen could make $2,000-$4,000 at auction, while a Renaissance Revival 3-piece parlor set upholstered in long-haired cowhide and embellished with winged-griffin crests and figural hand rests is cataloged with a $3,000-$5,000 estimate.

A grand dore bronze figural mantel clock and garniture set by Japy Freres (France) features three winged putti resting over profuse foliate and floral decoration. This exceptionally beautiful ensemble is estimated at $10,000-$15,000. In all, more than 40 figural clocks will be offered, some of them after Auguste Moreau and standing 3feet tall, and others of the Black Forest genre. Within the latter group is a highly detailed 4-foot parcel gilt wall clock mounted with a stag, wolfhound and boar.

Dating to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912), a Chinese white jade bear carving is conservatively estimated at $400-$600. Another figural piece with charm and eye appeal is the large presentation drinking horn decorated with a three-dimensional finial shaped as a drunken gnome – estimate $1,000-$2,000. The latter piece is one of a large collection of unusual drinking horns to be auctioned.

The profusion of top-tier antiques continues with a Tiffany dresser set in fitted leather travel case, a scarce and unusual George B. Sharpe gilded sterling ice cream set in fitted leather case from Robbins, Clark & Biddle; and an 1890s handwoven tapestry. Made around 1890 in Leipzig, Germany, an upright Polyphon Musikwereke music box, walnut with crank handle, is accompanied by 36 discs. Its estimate is $4,000-$6,000.

Modern master Dale Chihuly (American, b. 1941-) designed and created the three artist-signed glass sculptures included in the auction. Of billowing and striated yellow glass, the “Radiant Persian Pair” is expected to fetch $8,000-$10,000. A marine-blue creation of similar concept, known as “Paradise Persian,” is estimated at $3,000-$5,000.

Austin Auction has enjoyed great success in the past with designer handbags. The September event includes an excellent assortment of purses by Gucci, Salvatore Ferragamo and Louis Vuitton – one of the Vuitton bags is lotted with matching shoes.

Leading the estate jewelry category are a diamond and alexandrite ring, and several pieces of Brazilian beaded accessories with 18K gold clasps. A selection of coveted David Yurman designs will be auctioned, as well.

All forms of bidding will be available for Austin Auction Gallery’s Sept. 25-26 Multi-Estates Sale, including live via the Internet through LiveAuctioneers.com. For additional information, call 512-258-5479 or e-mail info@austinauction.com. View the fully illustrated catalog online and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet at www.LiveAuctioneers.com. Visit Austin Auction Gallery’s Web site at www.AustinAuction.com.

CAPTION:

An extraordinary circa-1930 “Beau Brummel” dressing table with 30-piece Art Deco silver and cut glass vanity set produced by Goldsmiths & Silversmiths Co. Ltd., London. Estimate $20,000-$25,000. Austin Auction image.

 

LiveAuctioneers.com reports booming second quarter with dramatic increase in platform use

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 8, 2010

CEO Ellison views the results as proof of continued strong interest in top-end antiques and fine art

NEW YORK (LAPRS)– LiveAuctioneers.com, the Manhattan-based Internet company that provides an online live-bidding platform and related support services to more than 960 auction houses worldwide, has released second-quarter statistics revealing a marked increase in sign-ups, site visits and page views.

“What our second-quarter results have shown us is that fine art, antiques and high-quality memorabilia seem to be performing as an independent microeconomy,” said LiveAuctioneers’ CEO Julian R. Ellison. “Globally, the economy is struggling, but at the same time, interest in collecting the best examples from any given category has never been higher. Fine art, in particular, has been surging, as we’ve witnessed lately in one record-setting auction after another.”

During the second quarter of 2010, there were more than 2.6 million unique visitors to LiveAuctioneers.com, where both current and archived auction catalogs are readily available to view. This figure reflects a 31.04% increase over the comparable quarter of 2009.

There was also a sizable jump in the number of visits to the LiveAuctioneers site, soaring from 3.2 million in Q2 2009 to 4.1 million in Q2 2010. Statistically, this result equates to a 31.99% increase in site visits.

“Visitors are sticking to the site and viewing more catalog pages than before,” Ellison observed. “During April, May and June, there were 33.7 million page views, as compared to 25.5 million in the corresponding quarter of 2009.”

Ellison added that a sizable flow of traffic is being redirected to LiveAuctioneers on a regular basis through search engines. “Last quarter there were 2.3 million search-engine referrals to LiveAuctioneers – a 16.98% increase over the second quarter of 2009. The user base just keeps on growing,” Ellison said.

Technology continues to be the drawcard for new visitors from non-English-speaking countries. “LiveAuctioneers’ bidding platform can translate nine major languages and automatically convert bids into any of 14 currencies,” said Ellison. “Add to that our online bidding apps for iPhone, BlackBerry and Google’s Android phone, and it’s a package that’s totally up to the minute, offering every possible convenience to enrich the online-bidding experience.”

Ellison noted that auction houses have responded enthusiastically to the company’s White Label platform service, which allows an auction house to customize the online bidding environment for those who participate in their sales. The benefits include being able to brand the LiveAuctioneers bidding platform with the auction house’s own name, linking the platform directly to the auction house’s Web site and allowing bidders to register directly with auction house staff.

“We’ve known from the beginning that in order to stay ahead of the pack we would have to keep the emphasis on new technology. We’re constantly refining, inventing and evolving. That’s where our focus will remain throughout 2010 and beyond,” Ellison said.

Visit LiveAuctioneers online at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

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About LiveAuctioneers.com:

Founded in November 2002, LiveAuctioneers.com provides real-time Internet bidding capability to more than 960 auction houses worldwide. LiveAuctioneers.com has opened up once-exclusive antiques and fine art sales to the cyber community through online publication of auction catalogs, and Internet live bidding. For further information, log on to www.liveauctioneers.com.