Isamu Noguchi Leads Sotheby's $13.18M 'Art Without Boundaries: The Abrams Family Collection Live Sale' in New York

A work by Isamu Noguchi, which had a guarantee, was the headline sale at Sotheby's 'Art Without Boundaries: The Abrams Family Collection | Live Sale' on September 27 in New York.

• The sale totaled $13.18m, meeting the pre-sale estimate.

Snapshot of the sale

• 26 works sold totaling $13.18m.
• Estimates totaled: $10.59m (low) and $14.89m (high), excluding premiums.
• The sell-through rate was 93% of the original 28 lots announced.

The star lot was: Isamu Noguchi, Study for Energy Void (1971), which sold for $4.65m, 32% above its $3.5m low estimate. The work was backed by a guarantee. It has not been traded before.

The outperformer sold for 284% above its low estimate. Allan d'Arcangelo, Guard Rail (1964), sold for $384,000 ($100,000 low estimate). It has been traded twice in the past.

• 12 works, or 46%, sold above their high estimate.
• 8 works, or 31%, sold within their low and high estimate.
• 6 works, or 23%, sold below their low estimate.
• 0 sold with undisclosed estimates.

Guaranteed sales

1 work was backed by a guarantee: Isamu Noguchi, Study for Energy Void (1971). It sold for $4.65m, 32% above its $3.5m low estimate. It has not been traded before.

Works that did not sell

1 work was bought-in: Christo, Package on Luggage Rack (1963), estimated at $100,000 (low) to $150,000 (high). It has been traded once in the past.

Withdrawn before the sale

1 work was withdrawn before the sale: Robert Indiana, Ballyhoo (1961) estimated at $600,000 (low) to $800,000 (high).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Withdrawn: This happens when a seller decides, for whatever reason, to withdraw a work before the bidding begins.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.