Chinese scroll brings ten times estimate in Michaan's triumphant estate auction

Fine portrait watches, Asian history and assorted works of art helped them triple their estimates

Lots sold for more than triple their high estimate in every major department at Michaan's estate sale on August 7 (for which the results have just recently been released). Once again, a front runner of the sale was the Asian Department.

A pair of Chinese hand scrolls were picked up by a phone bidder who shelled out $2,400 for lot 392, nearly 10 times the high estimate.

A piece of history: The Chinese scrolls

Chinese hand scrolls can certainly be valuable, as was shown emphatically earlier this year with an extraordinary record price being set in Toulouse.

In second place was the Jewelry Department with a unique pair of enamel, seed pearl, yellow metal pocket watches. The vibrantly coloured watches depicting fair maidens sold for over six times their high estimate to a floor bidder for $3,383.

(Portrait watches such as these are the special interest of a certain breed of collector, and a particularly fine example was owned by King Farouk.)

Enamel and pearl portrait watches can be extremely striking

Silver usually sells quite well at auction for the Furniture and Decorations Department, and this sale was no exception.

The fact that the flatware collection was of fine quality and bore the Hermes Paris name most likely helped to push the 18-piece set to sell for $1,046, or more than three times its high estimate.

Continuing the sale's successful run was the Fine Art Department, whose two works by Claude Ferrand were sold together as lot 757. Harem Dancers went for $2,040 to the delight of an absentee bidder, who was willing to pay over three times their high estimate.

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www.paulfrasercollectibles.com

Images: Michaan's