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

3 min read  ·  01 Oct 2024

Study for Energy Void by Isamu Noguchi sold for $4.65m.
Image courtesy of Sotheby's

Study for Energy Void by Isamu Noguchi sold for $4.65m. Image courtesy of Sotheby's

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.

Breakdown of results against auction house estimates that are disclosed

Breakdown of results against auction house estimates that are disclosed

  • 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Withdrawn before the sale

1 work was withdrawn before the sale: Robert Indiana, Ballyhoo (1961) estimated at $600,000 (low) to $800,000 (high).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.