New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-11-24
Antique Furniture Treas
ures Bring $223,745 in
One Session
RECEIPTS MAY GO
BEYOND 100000
American Art Galleries
Again Crowded by Bid
derS and Buyers

All records were broken at the Amer
lean Art Galleries yesterday, at the
third session Of the sale OF art treas
ures and antiquities from the Davan-
zati Palace. The total receipts an
nounced were s223,745, and this sum,
Thomas E. Kirby, who conducted the
sale, said, was the largest ever given
for 125 pieces of furniture, either here
or abroad, in one afternoon session. IL
figures out an average Of s1,790 for
each lot sold.
As a result Of three afternoon sales
the figures have reached S470,695. With
three more afternoon sessions and one
evening session at the Hotel Plaza on
Monday night, it is more than likely
that the total Of the entire sale VIII go
beyond s1,0OO,OOG
The galleries yesterday were filled to
the doors again with persons well
known in society and the world OF art.
Many Of them came not 10 bid, but to
watch those who did, and grow enthusi-
astic over the exciting tits between
men who juggled with thousands, led
merrily on by the clarion tones OF the
auctioneer.
Those present included Mr.. and Mrs.
Daniel G. Reid, Joseph Widener, Miss
Frick, Mrs. Fred Lewisohn, Mrs. Otto
Kahn, Mrs. Jonathan Buckley, Mrs.
John T. Pratt and James W. Ellsworth.
The latter paid $4,000 for a Florentlne
walnut armchair which belonged to one
Of the great painters of the sixteenth
century, Andrea del Sarto. Mr.. Els
worth said that he would take the chair
back to Florence and install it in his
home, tho Villa Palmieri.
Table Brings Top Price
The top price at yesterdays session
was S11 900 paid by Miss r. II. Lorenz,
as agent, for a large centre table of
Tuscan walnut of the sixteenth cen
fury. Its heavy oblong top, with
moulded edge, is 9 feet Ga inches long,
the upper member being carved in a
pattern Of guilloche. It's heavy Tyre
shaped legs are richly carved with
acanthus leaf volutings inclosing oval
cartoucheS, carved with coat OF arms
and terminating in lions paws.
Miss Barr gave the next highest
price, $4,000, for sixteenth century
Florentine carved walnut bench, bear
ing on its lyre-shaped pedestal the
coat of arms Of the Antinori family.
There was a merry battle OF bids be-
tween Otto Bernet and Carl ". Hamil
ton for q fifteenth century inlaid wal
rut dais bed. After $4,000 was reached
these two had it hammer and tongs
until the Kirby pencil raped TO the
tune Of $6.600 which was Mr.. Hamil-
tons winning bid for the bed. A four
teenth century Venetian carved walnut
Golfer was the subject of another battle
Of bids between Joseph Duveen and w.
w. Seaman, as agent. 1t was knocked
down 10 Mr.. Seaman for S6,4OO.
Fully $4,000 worth of the furniture
about one-third of the total amour:
of the session-was bought by the
Duveens. This included about all OF
the Italian walnut "Savonarola" chairs
of the sixteenth century and all OF the
Dante" chairs of the same period. For
two of these the firm gave $500 each,
and it paid $4,000 each for two others
OF the fifteenth century.
Another Duveen Purchase
The Duveens also paid $4,000 for a
walnut pedestal table from the Palazzo
of the Martelli family, of Florence, and
on which the famous Donatello bust,
now in Philadelphia, stood for at least
a generation. For a walnut centre
table. designed, it is said, by Giorgio
Vasari. the sixteenth century historian
and writer of the celebrated Lives 81
the Painters" Miss X. II. Lorenz, as
agent, gave $4,000.
After the sale Mr.. Kirby announced
that the reason that four pieces Of
furniture listed in the catalogue were
"passed," was because, after a COM
n.ittee Of Italian artists had protested
TO the government at Genoa that these
pieces, of great historic value, should
not be permitted TO leave the country
they were held by the government at
the port of Genoa.
Other bidders, whose purchases were
$4,000 and above, included:
Name and article Price.
p. W. French Co. Umbrian walnut
Golfer e"en ~. 4.3oC
cofer ie"'" . W. 400
Duveen Brothers. inlaid walnut chest. 1000
Duveen Brothers, inlaid walnut chest. 1901
Arnold SeliRmnn, inlaid walnut bench. $500