Sotheby’s amazing $1 billion November

My goal is to publish new posts twice a week — Mondays and Thursdays. However, if you don’t see a new post on Thursday, it’s because I was too busy, so please look for a new one the following Monday.

Sotheby’s worldwide auctions of art and jewelry totaled $1.02 billion in 10 days in November, 2013. Records were broken repeatedly, including for individual items and total sales. Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels sale realized $200 million, the highest total for any jewelry auction ever.

Giacometti bronze Grande Tête Mince (Grand Tête de Diego), Sotheby's lot #15

Giacometti bronze Grande Tête Mince (Grand Tête de Diego), Sotheby’s lot #15

Top lot of the Impressionist & Modern Art Evening Sales on November 6th was #15, a bronze sculpture by Alberto Giacometti entitled Grande Tête Mince (Grand Tête de Diego). Estimated to sell for $30,000,000 – $50,000,000, it realized $50,005,000 — near the high estimate.

Andy Warhol Silver Car Crash (Double Disaster), Sotheby's lot #16

Andy Warhol Silver Car Crash (Double Disaster), Sotheby’s lot #16

Andy Warhol won the bidding wars at the Contemporary Art Evening Auction on November 13th. His Silver Car Crash (Double Disaster), lot #16, sold for $105,445,000, a world record for a Warhol. The estimate was secret, listed as “Estimate Upon Request”. Not sure why they do that, but basically it means “If you have to ask, you can’t afford it.”

Robert Mapplethorpe portrait of Andy Warhol

Robert Mapplethorpe portrait of Andy Warhol

Andy Warhol was a regular at the Triple Pier Show in NYC before his death in 1987 at age 58. I saw him many times, but never talking to anyone. He never came into my booth. I wish I had taken a photograph of him, but it didn’t even cross my mind at the time. I didn’t know he would become such a big deal.

We’ve been buying for the last several weeks, with great success. You won’t believe all the wonderful Tiffany Studios glass, lamps and candlesticks we’ve purchased from fantastic private collections. We’ll have it all on display at our four shows down south, starting with the Miami National Antiques Show on January 24, 2014, less than two weeks away. We’ll end with the wonderful Grove Park Inn Arts & Crafts Conference, February 21 – 23, 2014. We last exhibited there a few years ago and couldn’t exhibit again because of scheduling conflicts. This year there were no conflicts, so we’re happy to return. It will immediately follow the important Palm Beach Antiques Show.

Wonderful Tiffany Favrile vase with wheel-carved leaves, just in

Wonderful Tiffany Favrile vase with wheel-carved leaves, just in

Click here to view my new website and look around. We always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on our website and at every show. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps

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