Tiffany Studios Leads Christie's $15.43m 'Design' Auction in New York

A work by Tiffany Studios was the headline sale at Christie's 'Design' auction on June 12 in New York.

• The sale totaled $15.43m, exceeding the pre-sale high estimate.

Snapshot of the sale

• 72 works sold totaling $15.43m.
• Estimates totaled: $8.64m (low) and $12.88m (high), excluding premiums.
• The sell-through rate was 75% of the original 96 lots announced.

The star lot was: Tiffany Studios, 'The Goddard Memorial Window' for St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, East Greenwich, Rhode Island, 1909-1910 (1909), which sold for $4.29m, 114% above its $2m low estimate. It has been traded once in the past.

The outperformer sold for 992% above its low estimate. Tiffany Studios, 'Acorn' Table Lamp, circa 1905 (1905), sold for $163,800 ($15,000 low estimate). It has been traded once in the past.

• 41 works, or 57%, sold above their high estimate.
• 30 works, or 42%, sold within their low and high estimate.
• 1 works, or 1%, sold below their low estimate.
• 0 sold with undisclosed estimates.

Guaranteed sales

No sales had a guarantee.

Works that did not sell

23 works were bought-in, including: Bugatti, 'Baby 52' Electric Car, circa 1930 (1930), estimated at $70,000 (low) to $90,000 (high). It has been traded 3 times in the past.

Withdrawn before the sale

1 work was withdrawn before the sale: Wendell Castle, 'Dr. Caligari Desk and Chair', 1986 (1986) estimated at $120,000 (low) to $180,000 (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Withdrawn: This happens when a seller decides, for whatever reason, to withdraw a work before the bidding begins.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.