Wedding Gift Turns To Windfall

April 8, 2014

After spending the last two decades in the bottom of a closet in a Bucks County, Pa., home, a fine Chinese White Jade incense burner was brought to auction. A wedding present to the consignor's parents in the 1930s, the beautifully carved piece of white jade went unnoticed for 20 years until they decided to have it appraised. Excitement mounted as a frenzied bidding war began between the phones, Internet, and live audience. After much excitement, a final price of $48,000 was realized. That was one of hundreds of pieces that comprised the March 20th Fine & Decorative Arts auction that received the attention of buyers from 37 countries at AlderferÂ’s Auction, located in Hatfield, Pa.
The estate of Clarence Bodine, Jr. of New Hope, Pa., contributed many of the Asian arts for the sale, including netsuke, snuff bottles, and porcelains. One grouping of netsuke sold for $1,404, a collection of Chinese carved seals brought $5,265, three blue and white porcelain snuff bottles sold for $995, a pair of Chinese goldfish bottle vases realized $4,680, and a framed hand-painted porcelain plaque sold for $1,560. Mr. Bodine owned East/West Oriental Art Gallery in New Hope, Pa.
Additional auction highlights included an eclectic collection of bronzes, Orientalia, and religious items from the estate of Dr. John Dunlop of Stroudsburg Pa. An unusual find, a sterling silver monstrance originating from the Hagia Sophia in Turkey, realized $5,850. Also from this collection, a fine group of vermeil and enamel boxes garnered a lot of attention and bidding. They brought $1,440 and $1,920. Dr. Dunlop's mixed-use property located in Historic Stroudsburg will be sold at auction on Saturday, May 31, by Tranzon/Alderfer.
Coming from the estate of Albert Sandecki of the Sanski Art Studio in Haddonfield, N.J., were a number of ship models, sculptures, and artwork. Mr. Sandecki, an artist, restorer and collector, cultivated his collection over the last 75 years, including hundreds of paintings, Classical style bronzes, a bronze perched hawk by Wilhelm Zugel ($3,300), an Arts and Crafts ceramic box with ghoulish figures ($702), and a beautiful wrought iron gate ($1,755) that was installed in the Sanski Studio.
Other standouts from the day were the Lyon & Healy harp with original case that sold for $7,995 and a Jedidiah Weiss, Bethlehem, Pa., tall case clock, which sold for $8,775, one of the most viewed lots of the sale. Attracting a lot of interest online and from the floor was the work of contemporary Bucks Co. artist Andrew Woehrel. The work titled "Lumberville," a winter landscape with sleigh, garnered a record price of $4,095. Another highlight was a framed KPM porcelain plaque depicting a sailor on a shipwreck kissing a nude female, which sold for $4,973.
Alderfer's next Fine & Decorative Arts auction is scheduled for Thursday, June 12, and will feature fine paintings from Fern Coppedge, George Sotter, William Langston Lathrop, Mary Elizabeth Price, and Walter Baum, as well as a sound sculpture by Harry Bertoia and a Nakashima writing chair. Also featured will be a collection of pipe tampers, Tiffany Studios pieces, and various historical items.
For additional information, visit wwwalderferauction.com.

 

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