Kaws Leads Rago Arts & Auction Center $210,200 '21st Century Art' Auction in Lambertville
3 min read · 08 Aug 2024
Four Foot Companion (Black) by Kaws sold for $44,100. Image courtesy of Rago Arts & Auction Center
A work by Kaws was the headline sale at Rago Arts & Auction Center '21st Century Art' auction on August 7 in Lambertville.
- The sale totaled $210,200, falling short of its pre-sale low estimate.
Snapshot of the sale
- 37 works sold totaling $210,200.
- Estimates totaled: $375,700 (low) and $551,800 (high), excluding premiums.
- The sell-through rate was 67% of the original 55 lots announced.
The star lot was: Kaws, Four Foot Companion (Black) (2007), which sold for $44,100, 26% below its $60,000 low estimate.
The outperformer sold for 84% above its low estimate. Alison van Pelt, Untitled (Blue, Green Nude) (Undated), sold for $2,772 ($1,500 low estimate).
Breakdown of results against auction house estimates that are disclosed
- 2 works, or 5%, sold above their high estimate.
- 11 works, or 30%, sold within their low and high estimate.
- 24 works, or 65%, sold below their low estimate.
- 0 sold with undisclosed estimates.
Guaranteed sales
No sales had a guarantee.
Works that did not sell
16 works were bought-in, including: Kehinde Wiley, The Gypsy Fortune-Teller (2007), estimated at $25,000 (low) to $35,000 (high).
Withdrawn before the sale
2 works were withdrawn before the sale, including: Kenny Scharf, Object to Enjoy (2008) estimated at $10,000 (low) to $15,000 (high).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Withdrawn: This happens when a seller decides, for whatever reason, to withdraw a work before the bidding begins.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.
