Auctions

by George O'Bannon

From Oriental Rug Review, Vol. 8/1, October/November, 1987

Preview: Skinner's, December 6, 1987

We have remarked in the past that Turkish rugs are one of the most undervalued (aesthetically and financially) by the American public. Many fine pieces have come on the market and remained unsold for lack of interest. Skinner's seems to be bucking that trend for they have achieved some very good prices on several Turkish rugs in their recent rug sales. Their fall sale will be no exception to this trend.

A Konya rug at Skinner's, December 6, 1987 sale

They have collected a remarkable group of Western and Central Anatolian rugs for their December 6 sale. The most outstanding is a single medallion "Holbein variant" rug with impressive drawing, space, and presence. The main border pattern is especially appealing. See McMullan Islamic Rugs, No. 97, and Brüggeman/Böhmer, Plate 52, for comparisons. According to the house the rug was discovered in a barn, where the dog slept on it. (It's a good story so why not pass it on!) Since the rug has been washed, the odors the dog liked so much are now gone and the rug is ready to claim its place in a prominent European collection, no doubt.

A Western Anatolian rug at Skinner's in December

Although of a later period, three other West Anatolian village rugs accompany it. One with an elongated medallion has wonderful reds, blues, greens and yellow. A squarish rug has a diamond medallion on a quartered field in blue and gray-green. A third piece has a two keyhole format field and a lattice border which harks back to much earlier rugs. In fact, the borders on all of these rugs are most interesting in their references to earlier rugs or those from more urban areas.

A yellow field Konya rug at Skinner's, December 6, 1987 sale

A yellow ground Konya rug appears to be another knockout. Although not as impressive as Lot 85 from the 1987, sale, it is more interesting and archaic than Lot 87 from that sale. My pick of all the Turkish rugs is another with a corroded brown main border and sinuous vine element reconciled so it creates the effect of a prayer niche around the the red rectangular field.

However, Turkish rugs are not all there is at Skinner's in December. An unusual Ferahan rug with two ivory medallions on an open, plain yellow field is an interesting variant of a well-known type. Also offered will be a Kuba runner, very similar to Schürmann's Plate 99, is a type infrequently found in the Caucasian rug group.

Preview: Sotheby's, December 5. 1987

by George W. O'Bannon

In previewing Sotheby's sale of December 5, 1987, our eye was immediately caught by a group of classical Persian carpets which were consigned by the Baltimore Museum of Art. We contacted the museum and were told by a spokesperson that the decision to deaccession the carpets came after an outside expert told the museum that the only important carpet in the collection was the vase carpet pictured below. When asked about the museum's sensitivity on the question of whether or not the carpets would remain in the United States, we were told that the museum was sensitive to that and that they had asked the auction house to do all they could to see that they went to an American buyer. Knowing how sensitive auction houses are in general on these questions we can be nearly certain that these carpets will grace European collections. A curious note on this sale. A "silk provincial Mughal carpet fragment, 6'2" x 6'2", will appear with an estimate of $25,000 to 35,000. It is the same piece that appeared in Sotheby's May 31, 1986 as lot 127, a "silk Kashgar fragment." it was estimated then at $8,000/ 12,000 and did not sell.

Left

Northwest Persian rug. 18th century, 7'1"x4'3" Estimated at $7,000/$10,000. Property of Baltimore Museum of Art

Right

Central Persian vase carpet, 17th century, 23'6"x8'9", estimated at $100,000/$150,000. Property of the Baltimore Museum of Art

Preview Christie's East, December 8, 1987

Melas rug, c. 1890, estimated at $5,000/7,000 at Christie's East, December 8, 1987

Those Other Rug Sales

by George W. O'Bannon

With the emphasis the major auction houses place upon their currently semi-annual rug sales, one tends to forget that these same houses have other sales where rugs are sold. These sales usually consist of rugs combined with furniture, paintings, silver and similar household items. Simply because these sales are mixed does not mean that some good, and occasionally exceptional, rugs do not pass through them. The executors of an estate may not wish to wait six months or more for an Oriental rug sale to liquidate its assets; more likely, they will request placement of the goods in the most immediately available sale.

Christie's East has a half dozen or more such sales a year in which 50 to 150 rugs will be offered. On September 22, 1987, their sale of English and Continental furniture, decorative objects, and rugs contained 71 rugs. Included was a silk Keshan, lot 23, and an antique Khotan mat of respectable vintage. Christie's always seems to put the rugs up first so, assuming that one is interested solely in the rugs, one can get in and out quickly. The house may have a motive in getting the rug dealers in and out quickly; they tend to stand around in the back of the room talking loudly and, to those who do not know them, appear boorish.

Skinner's in New England also includes rugs in their Americana and Victoriana sales, which are held several times a year. It is in these sales that one finds many decorative roomsize rugs of post World War I vintage from the Heriz, Bijar and Arak (Saruk) production areas. In contrast to Christie's, the rugs at Skinner's are scattered throughout the sale, which would seem to give some advantage to the private bidder since many of the dealers are unwilling to spend the whole day waiting for a rug or two - - after all, time is money.

Sotheby's sells many rugs through its Arcade Sales. This year they have had some "rugs only" Arcade auctions. One such was held on September 16 and consisted of 181 lots, cataloged in black and white. The lot descriptions contain no condition qualifiers and the rug department staff strongly recommends previewing or close consultation.

The European dealers were notable by their absence at this interim round of sales. That made it more interesting to observe the domestic dealers positioning themselves vis a vis one another. Typically, most stood in the back of the room where they could gossip but also, more importantly, observe out of the corners of their eyes who was buying what. Some sought anonymity by taking seats but revealed themselves with their ferret-like head turning to determine bidding competition or simply to see who was buying what.

One prominent New York dealer brought a puppet to do the bidding. Sitting behind the puppet, the dealer would jab it in the back with a ballpoint pen and, as if answering pulled strings, the puppet's arm would raise the bidding paddle. A private bidder in competition with the puppet appeared to be on the verge of puppetricide.

Lot 1 at Sotheby's was a well chosen piece to open the auction. A Shirvan type of prayer rug, it had rows of camels in the field with a human figure leading each row and employed an effective diagonal use of color. Typical of this type, the weave was coarse and irregular, with wool warps and wefts. The overcasting on the sides was newer than the rug. Estimated at $2,000 to $4,000 (an exceptionally wide spread at this price level, but appropriate considering the volatility of these rugs at auction), the bidding opened at around $2,000 and quickly topped out at $4,500. The appeal of this type was demonstrated again in the number of bidders who quickly pushed the rug over high estimate.

Lot 7 was a group of four bagfaces a pair of Loris, a Kurd and a Baluch, all of which were attractive. Estimated at $1,400 to $1,800, a lucky bidder took them for $850.

Lot 18, a large (11'7" x 12'5") Thracian kelim with great dyes and condition (some minor repairs), seemed underestimated at $1,000 to $1,500. These are not the easiest pieces to sell and the magenta red might have put some off. However, there was much dealer interest in the piece and it sold for $2,600.

Lot 24 was a Shirvan long rug in excellent condition, indeed a variant of a rarely seen Kazak (Tschebull, Plate 40), and was estimated at $6,000 to $8,000, one of the highest estimates for an area rug. Its colors were very bright and clear, but it was bought back, probably perceived as too young.

On the other hand, a dealer well known for perceiving rugs as art took an interest in lot 25, in spite of an aniline purple. It was a dragon soumak with a very bold and effectively rendered design; it was in near perfect condition, and the colors had mellowed beautifully. It carried a lofty $8,000 to $10,000 estimate and sold for $8,750. Were it not for the purple, it could have easily brought twice as much. The same dealer, whose aesthetic sense is widely acknowledged, also took home one of the oldest Caucasians in the sale for $2,100, lot 31, a Kuba runner with a pale yellow field and an allover pattern.

Lot 26, a Kazak, was cataloged as having a "Bellini-style keyhole medallion." It was actually a shield variant, the product of a weaver's misjudging the space needed to complete the pattern. At $2,500 to $3,500, it was reasonably estimated and someone got a very nice piece for $3,000.

Lot 39 was a finely woven Afshar rug with the phoenix half of a design described elsewhere in this issue by Roger Gardiner in his review of John Collins' Shiraz exhibition. Seen apart from its dragon design element, it appears to this reviewer to be an allover palmette pattern. Whatever its design, despite repairs it was a good buy at $1,500.

There were two interesting Ferahans, lots 56A and 67, estimated at $3,000 to $3,500 and $4,000 to $6,000 respectively. Lot 56A had lost its outer border but was otherwise in good condition and had a rarely seen design. Lot 67 is a more popular type with a medallion on an open field, but this rug carried six border type urns with flowers in the field. The rug was intact, though it had serious wear. The house let neither piece go as bids reached only $1,900 and $2,500. These rugs might have sold if the Europeans had been present, though even they might have balked at condition and estimates (reserves).

Lot 66, a Serafian Isphahan rug, 4'11" x7'1", was estimated at $5,000 to $7,000 and sold for $8,250. This was the only rug of its type that countered a strong negative trend towards Isphahans and Nains. Many of these finer Persian types either did not sell or sold very close to low estimate. For those who appreciate the type, there were bargains this day. Several years ago lot 66 would have been heavily contested to at least $12,000. Most of this type were estimated below their wholesale cost at this auction. For example, lot 144, a 10'3" x14'9" Isphahan, estimated at $10,000 to $14,000, sold for $8,000. Plug in the buyer's commission and it went for $58 a square foot!

Lot 70A was a Chinese rug deaccessioned by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This piece certainly proves that museums acquire pieces that for one reason or another they should not keep; it was one of the real dogs of the sale. It is regrettable that the museum probably had to keep this monstrosity for three years before it could get rid of it. As it only sold for $600, the museum would have been better off tossing it in the trash and better utilizing the storage space. The Met is often criticized for not displaying more of its rugs; it would have silenced criticism forever by hanging this awful one.

Two other Chinese rugs deserving of comment were lots 68 and 114. Lot 68 was a turn of the century rug in excellent condition and with a very appealing design. Nearly square, 8'1" x 9'9", nothing like it is coming out of China at present and at $3,750 it was a very good buy. Lot 114 was certifiably antique, given its telltale corroded brown. In this reviewer's opinion it predates the catalog's "last quarter of the 19th C." Despite a large but well done reweave and small cigarette burns, it was a good value at $2,250.

Lot 68 seemed to define the border-crossing to the larger decorative rugs, most of which were Persian. It was from here that most of the buy-ins occurred, though several of these lots went in the $20,000 range. Lot 87 was a "Mothashem" Kashan from the turn of the century which was the subject of spirited and prolonged bidding. Estimated at $6,000 to $8,000, it finally went to the puppet and its ballpoint-pen wielding New York dealer for $8,000.

Herizes appeared strong, selling within and over estimates. The best of these was lot 169 in salmon, pink, ivory and light blue. It was in very good condition and sold for $8,000. Lot 113, a Heriz from the early 20th century, 18'x 11'8", sold to a private for $10,500, a good buy.

There was in this sale an example of why auction prices can be defective barometers in determining the value of rugs. There were four lots of Serab runners. Lot 122, an estate rug, 5' x 11'1", was attractive with minor moth damage. Estimated at $700 to $900, it sold for $900. Lots 150, 151, and 158 were also of the type and each was estimated at $1,500 to $2,000. Lot 150 was a pair of l9 'runners showing wear. Two private buyers could not live without these rugs - the auctioneer's dream! After prolonged bidding, they sold for an outrageous $7,500. Lot 151, a 14' runner and the best of the Serab lots, failed to make reserve, topping out at $850. Before you conclude that your Serab runner is worth $3,750, based on the sale of lot 150, remember that two people in the sale room wanted those runners and nobody wanted the others.

As at most rug sales, some lots went high, there were some good buys, and many pieces did not sell. However, it is well worth your while to follow these less publicized auctions.

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