Don’t call Thomaston Place Auction Galleries in Maine just another auction house. Owner Kaja Veilleux prefers another term.
“We’re really urban archaeologists,” he said. “We’re placing [items] so they’ll be saved for other generations…and in the course of doing things, we make a living. A lot of companies just sell ‘stuff’ - we try to find the perfect buyers and homes for the goods.”
The high-end antiques the auction house sells often come from seniors downsizing and liquidating their possessions. “We braced ourselves for a large inflow of stuff into the market,” Veilleux said. “We get mostly fresh merchandise from estates.”
On Nov. 7-8, Thomaston Place (named for the city it resides in) will feature a 1,000-lot sale of such “stuff,” ranging from fine art and jewelry to antique clocks and decorative wares.
While most of the company’s inventory usually comes from a 50-mile radius, the November sale will feature some pieces from the estate of Anne Bigelow Stern, a wealthy patron of the arts from New York City. In May, Thomaston Place sold her collection of German Meissen and Chinese porcelain, bringing more than $1 million.
This sale will be highlighted by Old Masters paintings from the Stern collection, including artists such as Alessandro Magnasco (Italian, 1667-1749).
Artistic finery
Many twentieth-century American paintings, including the work of Milton Avery, Andrew Wyeth and Robert Spear Dunning, will also grace the auction block. But the sale’s top lot is expected to be a double-sided oil-on-panel painting by John Singer Sargent (American, 1856-1925). The painting, which depicts donkeys in a Moroccan desert, is expected to bring $250,000 to $350,000.
While that piece has the highest presale estimate, Veilleux said he’s “often surprised” by what the final prices realized are for certain lots.
Another notable piece of fine decorative art expected to do well is a pair of 40-inch fifteenth-century wood carvings from the workshop of Michael Pacher. The duo depicts St. Florian and St. George; presale estimate is $50,000 to $100,000.
About $250,000 worth of vintage and estate jewelry will also be spotlighted, including a Cartier diamond/platinum choker on velvet ribbon, which carries a presale estimate of $4,000 to $6,000.
Veilleux noted that despite the current recession, Thomaston Place is having “the best year we’ve ever had.”
Why? “It’s all about the ‘stuff.’ People are always searching for great stuff.”
And these days, Veilleux said that investing in antiques has become even better than the stock market.
“The rarity of the objects in themselves and the enjoyment that one can get…there’s no price for that,” he said. “They tend to be better than blue chip stocks. They’re always in demand; there are so few of them. They have historical significance…and show how cultures worked throughout the years.”
ABOUT THOMASTON PLACE: Licensed auctioneer and appraiser Kaja Veilleux has 40 years’ experience in the art and antiques business. He founded Thomaston Place 16 years ago. The company specializes in high-end personal property—everything from coins to cars, with a heavy concentration in sculpture, fine art, jewelry and silver. Thomaston Place Auction Galleries, P.O. Box 300, Thomaston, ME 04861; (207) 354-8141; www.thomastonauction.com. |
One of the jewelry stunners is this necklace with rose cut diamonds and centerpiece containing a carved emerald weighing approximately 40 carats and pear-shaped ruby weighing approximately 3 carats. Presale estimate is $18,000 to $24,000.
St. Florian and St. George are depicted on this pair of 40-inch polychrome gilt-wood figures from the workshop of Michael Pacher. The fifteenth-century pair carries a presale of $50,000 to $100,000.
Donkeys in a Desert by John Singer Sargent, painted in 1880 in Morocco, depicts three tethered donkeys with crouching human figures on sand dune behind, with a study of three Venetian gondolas on reverse. The painting, in gilt panel frame with molded edge, carries a presale estimate of $250,000 to $350,000.
Chippendale mahogany Boston ball and claw foot serpentine front slant lid desk, circa 1775. It features four graduated drawers and large batwing brasses. It has been refinished but not restored. Presale estimate is $18,000 to $22,000. |
