George Leslie Hunter Leads Bonhams $1.02m 'Scottish Art' Auction in Edinburgh
3 min read · 16 May 2024
Still life with roses in a Chinese blue and white jar by George Leslie Hunter sold for $120,500. Image courtesy of Bonhams
A work by George Leslie Hunter was the headline sale at Bonhams 'Scottish Art' auction on May 15 in Edinburgh.
- The sale totaled $1.02m, meeting the pre-sale estimate.
Snapshot of the sale
- 115 works sold totaling $1.02m.
- Estimates totaled: $886,200 (low) and $1.33m (high), excluding premiums.
- The sell-through rate was 75% of the original 153 lots announced.
The star lot was: George Leslie Hunter, Still life with roses in a Chinese blue and white jar (1916), which sold for $120,500, 125% above its $49,700 low estimate. It has been traded 3 times in the past.
The outperformer sold for 500% above its low estimate. Alexander Jamieson, Geese and Rabbit in the Garden (Undated), sold for $6,125 ($994 low estimate).
Breakdown of results against auction house estimates that are disclosed
- 55 works, or 48%, sold above their high estimate.
- 46 works, or 40%, sold within their low and high estimate.
- 14 works, or 12%, sold below their low estimate.
- 0 sold with undisclosed estimates.
Guaranteed sales
No sales had a guarantee.
Works that did not sell
38 works were bought-in, including: Paul McPhail, Mother & Child (1992), estimated at $37,300 (low) to $62,200 (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Withdrawn before the sale
0 works were withdrawn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Withdrawn: This happens when a seller decides, for whatever reason, to withdraw a work before the bidding begins.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.