Arthur Balder Leads Rago Arts & Auction Center $474,000 Post War & Contemporary Ceramics Auction

A work by Arthur Balder was the headline sale at Rago Arts & Auction Center 'Post War & Contemporary Ceramics' auction on February 18 in Lambertville.

• The sale totaled $474,000, meeting the pre-sale estimate.

Snapshot of the sale

• 87 works sold totaling $474,000.
• Estimates totaled: $367,400 (low) and $528,600 (high), excluding premiums.
• The sell-through rate was 87% of the original 100 lots announced.

The star lot was: Arthur Balder, Head (Gatekeeper No. 6) (2014), which sold for $40,600, 712% above its $5,000 low estimate. It has not been traded before.

The outperformer sold for 712% above its low estimate. Arthur Balder, Head (Gatekeeper No. 6) (2014), sold for $40,600 ($5,000 low estimate). It has not been traded before.

• 41 works, or 47%, sold above their high estimate.
• 22 works, or 25%, sold within their low and high estimate.
• 24 works, or 28%, sold below their low estimate.
• 0 sold with undisclosed estimates.

Guaranteed sales

No sales had a guarantee.

Works that did not sell

13 works were bought-in, including: Peter Voulkos, Untitled (Plate) (1995), estimated at $10,000 (low) to $15,000 (high). It has not been traded before.

Withdrawn before the sale

0 works were withdrawn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Withdrawn: This happens when a seller decides, for whatever reason, to withdraw a work before the bidding begins.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