Sol LeWitt sculpture hits $118,000 at Nest Egg Auctions

“We are thrilled with the results. The Auction did really well,” said auctioneer Ryan Brechlin.

The 240-lot auction proved to be full of surprises as the afternoon progressed. A sterling silver octopus-form chatelaine made by Gorham Silversmiths in the late 19th century was holding the attention of many serious buyers during the preview.

“It is rare to see American silver like this come to market” said Brechlin.

Bidding started slowly at $1,100, and proceeded with an in-house buyer competing against an online bidder. The online bidder was victorious at $11,800. A chatelaine is a decorative belt hook or clasp worn at the waist with a series of chains suspended from it. Each chain is mounted with a useful household appendage such as scissors, thimble, vinaigrette, buttonhook, etc.

An archive of early Connecticut papers, photographs and ephemera from the Pratt family of Old Saybrook brought $5,664, well above the $1,000-$2,000 estimate.

A rare carved blackamoor head humidor with ivory teeth and shell eyes exceeded its estimate of $500-$1,000, closing at $3,540.

The featured item of the sale was a Sol LeWitt painted aluminum outdoor structure. The 38-inch, seven-pointed star rises into a flat-top pyramid. It was owned by Michael Hayes, a friend, neighbor and fabricator for Sol LeWitt for many years. Hayes sat in the audience with his wife as the modern sculpture came up at the mid-point of the sale.

“We had a very eager in-house bidder and a serious collector on the phones for this piece,” said Brechlin.

Bidding opened at the high estimate of $50,000 and proceeded briskly in $5,000 increments until it hit $90,000 when the bidding slowed. A few more bids brought the price up another $10,000. After a final call the gavel dropped at $100,000. The total price including buyer’s premium was $118,000.

“This is a single-item record price for us at Nest Egg,” said Brechlin.

The previous single item sales record was a painting by artist Alphonse Mucha that sold in April of last year for $59,000.

All prices are inclusive of buyers premium except where noted.

Complete auction results may be viewed on Nest Egg’s website: www.nesteggauctions.com.

Click here to view the fully illustrated catalog for this sale, complete with prices realized.