Christie’s Betsey Harvey Collection Auction Totals $1.08m

A work by Fritz Scholder was the headline sale at Christie's 'Heart of the West: The Betsey Harvey Collection' auction on May 28-June 25 in New York.

• The sale totaled $1.08m, falling short of its pre-sale low estimate.

The collector Betsey Harvey was a founding member of the Western Art Society of the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art in Indianapolis.

Snapshot of the sale

• 46 works sold totaling $1.08m.
• Estimates totaled: $1.2m (low) and $1.86m (high), excluding premiums.
• The sell-through rate was 87% of the original 53 lots announced.

The star lot was: Fritz Scholder, Sun Dance Ceremony (Undated), which sold for $165,100, 560% above its $25,000 low estimate. It has been traded once in the past.

The outperformer sold for 560% above its low estimate. Fritz Scholder, Sun Dance Ceremony (Undated), sold for $165,100 ($25,000 low estimate). It has been traded once in the past.

• 17 works, or 37%, sold above their high estimate.
• 16 works, or 35%, sold within their low and high estimate.
• 13 works, or 28%, sold below their low estimate.
• 0 sold with undisclosed estimates.

Guaranteed sales

No sales had a guarantee.

Works that did not sell

7 works were bought-in, including: Howard A Terpning, Red Blanket Coat (2000), estimated at $300,000 (low) to $500,000 (high). It has been traded twice in the past.

Withdrawn before the sale

0 works were withdrawn

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Withdrawn: This happens when a seller decides, for whatever reason, to withdraw a work before the bidding begins.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