The St. Louis Republic., 1903-02-08
ANTIQUE PORCELAINS BRING
HIGH PRICES AT AUCTION
in the Collection of Henry Marquandt Eagerly
Bid in by Dealers and Private Connosseurs.

New York, Feb Antique Chinese por.
celain from the collection of the late Henry
G. Marquand was sold at auction in the
rooms of the American Art Association, {
East Twenty-third street. The go vases
! Jars, dishes. bowls. beakers. incense burn
srs, water-vases, wine cups, and writer S
water jars brought S22,6S7.50. On many OF
the pieces the bidding was spirited, dealers
In art treasures contesting ferceiy one
against the other, and would-be independent
purchasers in their eagerness occasionally
sent prices somewhere near the real value
of the objects
Early in the afternoon the rooms of the
American Art Association were filed with
enthusiasts, who wanted to take a last look
at some coveted treasure and to decide
whether they ought to raise the limit on
their original estimate of what they were
willing TO pay.
There was more than one sigh, when
after bidding for beyond the intended
limit the would-be purchaser had to quit
and let the representative of some one TO
whom two or three figures make little or
no difference. secure the prize There Were
others who went away very we'll satisfied
prices far below what they had decided was
The most they could afford to pay.
Representatives from art institutions in
Scago made the bidding particularly lively
when they found that they were all COM
mlssioned TO buy some particular object,
put they. too, had a stated limit, which, as a
rule. was below that Of agents for wealthy
New Workers familiar. with the treasures
given carte blanche 10 the agents.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art. having
q full collection of Chinese porceains did
not figure in the bidding. although it was
rumored that some of the smaller vases,
sold at moderate prices, which as exam
Or n he
AUCTION IN GALLERY.
The large gallery of the American Art
Institute was used as the auction room.
Lle,.p The porScelains S were placed on a pedestal,
proper ground for. the exhibits. SO that
Their eolors might be displayed to the full
The early bidding on the diminutive vases
was spirited. Among the first to carry off
the little prizes was T. B. Clarke. who has
also ono Of the successful bidders for some
of the larger pieces. j
It developed later that some of the fancy
pieces were bid for by an agent for Frank
Could. One professional art dealer had COM
missions from four wealthy men OF New
can & evident that the price vas
to the last. For a while he was having it
ali his own way: then dealers whose com
venge and bid above him for the fun Of IT.
certain that they would not have to nay,
for he would add $50. or ;ioo. as II men
He tried new tactics and let one vase go
70 rival. There was second of con-
stefnauon among the merrymalkers who
had been forcing up prices, and then the
man who first felt that he had gone too
far, realized that the agent with an unlim-
from him. SO that the bidding kept up at
good prices
There were several instances of ealIantry
and fair play IN the struggle. In one of the
afsles a woman had bid unsuccessfuIIy sew
eral times. A FIambe vase. invested with
With the priced ''incised mark found her
eagerly bidding.
She was so interested that she was stand
ing up making her offers at 81 so each The
larger bidders looked at the vase and then
at the woman. They had not comm need to
! bid. waiting for the first fire of little offers
$fo clear the way to real fight in figures.
when tho woman made a junp of s1o inst
as man in the front row bid the same fig-
ure. -e
The auctioneer could not but recognize the
woman. for the bids were simultaneous The
man protested. and then. looking back and
seeing the eager face of the woman. sat
down win a smile. and the woman seated
herself. too. for she realized that she was
conspicuous. The dealers consulted their
catalogues, and the F1ambe vase with the
clair-de-lune splash glaze was knocked down
to her for the ridiculous price of $45
There was sigh on the part of the deal
ers. and a smile on the part of the woman
Later she appreciated her good fortune and
when the sale was over walked nm and
thanked the man who had been bidding
against her. s
He remarked that he had wanted the vase
Tor his wire. but that he had bought almost
duplicate Tor three times the price The
woman coiored and drew out her checkbook