Date: Fri 08-May-1998

Publication: Ant

Author: AMYD

Quick Words:

BeaconHillEstate

Full Text:

Contents Of Beacon Hill Estate Offered At Landry

W/3CUTS SS

By Rita Easton

ESSEX, MASS. -- At Woodman's Hall on March 28, Landry auctioned the contents

of the Beacon Hill estate of the late Joseph A. Tetreault to an audience of

600, in addition to phone and absentee bidders.

The 515 lots sold, which were acquired during a long life marked by an

interest in fine furnishings, resulted in a gross of more than $200,000.

An early New England Chippendale seven drawer maple chest, 36 inches wide,

standing on bracket feet, went to a member of the trade on the phone for

$7,500, the highest bid of the auction.

A pair of massive cut glass candlesticks standing approximately 28 inches,

with floral etched hurricane shades, brought $1,500; a set of 18 bronze wall

sconces realized $2,600; a Currier & Ives print, "New England Winter Scene,"

large folio size, fetched $3,300; a small framed Dutch oil on canvas of a

winter scene sold at $1,600; and a four by six foot scatter rug, a Chichi

Kuba, rang up $6,200.

A Federal tallcase clock in birch sold at $5,500; a mahogany and satinwood

paneled inlaid Federal chest, either Portsmouth or Salem, brought $3,750; a

gilded Italian angel, approximately 16 inches high, in the form of a table

lamp, reached $2,400, purchased by the California decorater; a Bidjar rug, 9

by 12 feet, achieved $4,000 from the trade; a large Nineteenth Century

Brussels tapestry was purchased at $4,000; and an Italian credenza of walnut

went out at $3,200.

Fourteen pillows of tapestry, needlework, and chintz, sold as one lot, made

$800.

"The thing that was outstanding about the sale was the way people stayed right

through to the end," noted Peter L. Combs of the gallery. "Normally people

leave before the end. We started at 20 minutes to 11, finished at 4 pm. But

lately I've noticed that the business has changed entirely."

He continued: "We have dealers up here who used to do one or two shows a year,

and now they do a show every two weeks and many are closing their shops and

just doing shows. ... Everything that goes into shows comes out of auctions,

then everything is being sold retail, in turn, through shows. Twenty years

ago, dealers with shops would do four or five shows a year and make 60 percent

of their annual gross. Now they do a show a week just to make a week's pay. We

try to schedule our auctions around shows. It seems that between that and the

Internet this is how the antiques business is being conducted. There are about

100 auctions currently on the net. Of course, you're not going to see a good

piece of American furniture on it because people want to look in the drawers

and so on, but collectibles, Royal Doulton, for example, do well."

Prices quoted do not reflect a required ten percent premium.