Birches and Irises Window Leads Christie's $3.8m Tiffany Auction in New York

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

• The sale totaled $3.84m, meeting the pre-sale estimate.

Snapshot of the sale

• 31 works sold totaling $3.84m.
• Estimates totaled: $2.74m (low) and $4.16m (high), excluding premiums.
• The sell-through rate was 91% of the original 34 lots announced.

The star lot was: Tiffany Studios, 'Birches and Irises' Landscape Window (1915), which sold for $571,500, 42% above its $400,000 low estimate. It has been traded 3 times in the past.

The outperformer sold for 408% above its low estimate. Revere Studios, 'Grapevine' Floor Lamp (1910), sold for $25,400 ($5,000 low estimate).

• 19 works, or 61%, sold above their high estimate.
• 12 works, or 39%, sold within their low and high estimate.
• 0 works, or 0%, sold below their low estimate.
• 0 sold with undisclosed estimates.

Guaranteed sales

No sales had a guarantee.

Works that did not sell

3 works were bought-in, including: Tiffany Studios, Rare and Important ‘Landscape’ Floor Lamp (1900), estimated at $500,000 (low) to $700,000 (high). It has been traded once 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Withdrawn before the sale

0 works were withdrawn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Withdrawn: This happens when a seller decides, for whatever reason, to withdraw a work before the bidding begins.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