Fulvio Bianconi Leads Bonhams $713,400 'Modern Design | Art' Auction in Los Angeles

A work by Fulvio Bianconi was the headline sale at Bonhams 'Modern Design | Art' auction on July 31 in Los Angeles.

• The sale totaled $713,400, falling short of its pre-sale low estimate.

Snapshot of the sale

• 171 works sold totaling $713,400.
• Estimates totaled: $716,800 (low) and $1.09m (high), excluding premiums.
• The sell-through rate was 75% of the original 229 lots announced.

The star lot was: Fulvio Bianconi, Pezzato Vase (Undated), which sold for $23,000, 360% above its $5,000 low estimate.

The outperformer sold for 380% above its low estimate. Doyle Lane, Weed Pot (1965), sold for $19,200 ($4,000 low estimate).

• 49 works, or 29%, sold above their high estimate.
• 68 works, or 40%, sold within their low and high estimate.
• 54 works, or 32%, sold below their low estimate.
• 0 sold with undisclosed estimates.

Guaranteed sales

No sales had a guarantee.

Works that did not sell

57 works were bought-in, including: Lino Tagliapietra, Angel Tear (2008), estimated at $18,000 (low) to $25,000 (high). It has been traded once in the past.

Withdrawn before the sale

1 work was withdrawn before the sale: After Henri Matisse, (Untitled) Tapestry (1950) estimated at $12,000 (low) to $18,000 (high).

Terms and definitions

All results include the fees and premiums added to the price of a work of art when the auctioneer's hammer falls. Sale prices are compared to the auction house’s low estimate, which do not include premiums.

Guarantees: Sometimes an auction house guarantees to pay a seller for a work, regardless of whether the bidding reaches the reserve price, a figure that is typically confidential.

Bought-in: If there are no bids for a work, or if bidding falls short of the reserve price, the lot is unsold or “bought-in”.

Withdrawn: This happens when a seller decides, for whatever reason, to withdraw a work before the bidding begins.

Premiums: Typically a sliding-scale of charges paid in addition to the hammer price by the buyer, plus any other fees.