Rago Curated: CALDER Auction Totals $285,700

A work by Alexander Calder was the headline sale at Rago 'Curated: CALDER' auction on October 14.

• The sale totaled $285,700, exceeding the pre-sale high estimate.

Snapshot of the sale

• 21 works sold totaling $285,700.
• Estimates totaled: $96,800 (low) and $140,700 (high), excluding premiums.
• The sell-through rate was 100%, so a white-glove sale.

The star lot was: Alexander Calder, La Poire, le fromage, et le serpent (from The Bicentennial Tapestries series) (1975), which sold for $51,200, 241% above its $15,000 low estimate.

The outperformer sold for 448% above its low estimate. After Alexander Calder, Swirl tapestry (1974), sold for $38,400 ($7,000 low estimate).

• 17 works, or 81%, sold above their high estimate.
• 2 works, or 10%, sold within their low and high estimate.
• 2 works, or 10%, sold below their low estimate.
• 0 sold with undisclosed estimates.

Guaranteed sales

No sales had a guarantee.

Works that did not sell

0 works were bought-in.

Withdrawn before the sale

0 works were withdrawn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Withdrawn: This happens when a seller decides, for whatever reason, to withdraw a work before the bidding begins.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