Released on: January 28, 2008, 1:23 pm

Press Release Author: Fred and Gail Taylor

Industry: Small Business

Press Release Summary: J. K. Galleries of Boca Raton held its largest sale ever
December 30 and January 1 with 850 lots of art pottery and fine art.

Press Release Body: Art pottery dealers and collectors from around the world put off
New Year's celebrations long enough to take part in the two day sale hosted by J.K.
Galleries of Boca Raton on December 30 and January 1. Auction owner Jay Kielstock
said he had 300 bidders registered in house and 900 registered to bid by phone,
absentee and live online through LiveAuctioneers.com for the 850 lot inventory forty
percent of which sold online. Since relocating to Boca Raton in late 2006 J. K.
Galleries has established itself as the premier art pottery venue in the South and
this sale helped cement that reputation.

Nearly half the lots, 48 percent, sold online including the opening lot of the sale,
a Moorcroft silver overlay tea set which also turned out to be the top lot of the
sale. Each piece of the three piece set was signed "W. Moorcroft" and had incised
script reading "W. Moorcroft ship to San Francisco" followed by the black
registration number 452777. The set had a sage green ground with pewter colored
highlights featuring a cartouche of swirling leaf circled by heavy sterling overlay
with handles, spouts and finals all encased in sterling. The set was competed
heavily on the phone, in the room and online beginning with an opening bid of
$1,200. It closed after the top bid of $14,400 including buyer's premium from an
online bidder in England, well above the presale estimate of $3,000/5,000.

The next three lots fell right into line and pretty well set the tone for the
remainder of the sale. A superb Roseville Tourist jardiniere in mint condition
featuring a scene of a man in an open touring car passing a sign reading "Garage 10
miles" sold for $3,450. It was followed by a Newcomb College vase, 5 by 6in,
impressed with the initials of the artist, Sadie Irvin. The vase showed a swamp
scene in various shades of blue with soft green at the sky and an ivory moon behind
Spanish moss. It closed over estimate at $4,025 followed by another Sadie Irvin
Newcomb College vase at $3,795, also over estimate.

Two of the non-pottery lots achieved impressive results from an overseas audience
ready to buy. A Louis XV small table/commode, 16 by 12in by 27½in tall, was signed
"Galet" on the drawer apron. The mid 18th century green painted finish with winged
cherubs on all surfaces accented by brass gallery and dore bronze corner mountings
was essentially 100 percent intact. It sold on the phone to member of the Chanel
family for $11,500 and will make the trip back to Europe. A sterling tea set will
also cross the Atlantic headed to England. The seven piece tea and coffee set was
made in 1935 in the Champlain pattern by Ellmore Silver Co of Meridian, CT and
contained approximately 360 ounces. It closed at $10,925. Another non-pottery lot
that did well but will stay in the United States was a pastel figure study by
painter and sculptor Francisco Zuniga (Mexican 1912-1998) dated 1974 from the estate
of Leon Klinger, a noted Chicago area auto dealer. It sold online to a Las Vegas
bidder for $8,400.

But this was, after all, a pottery sale and pottery was strong. Roseville Futura
maintained its charm with lots like a green balloon vase, shape number 408, making
$1,093, an ostrich egg vase, shape number 400 in mottled pale green and tan, selling
for $863 and a seldom seen 8in tall beehive vase, shape number 406 with blue and
green raised leaves closing at $2,070. Other good Roseville included a tan Artcraft
12in jardiniere and pedestal base with green accents, $2,160, nearly double the
estimate and a 10in sunflower vase online for $1,440.

Hand painted Rookwood was no slouch. A 9in Rookwood scenic vellum vase by Ed Diers,
1921, sold online for $2,400 and a 7 ½ in landscape vase by Diers, 1912, brought
$1,840. A 7in vellum daffodil vase by Shiraymadani, 1944, brought $1,380.

And Weller was also in the fray. A large Weller Louwelsa dog vase signed L. Blake
featuring a St Bernard brought $1,380 and a seldom seen Coppertone piece by Weller
with black ink mark, 7in tall with a full bodied fish handle grip, sold for the same
price.

For more information about this sale or upcoming sales call Jay Kielstock, J. K.
Galleries, at (954) 421-2800, email at jkgalleries@bellsouth.net or visit the
website at www.jkgalleries.com. J.K. Galleries is located at 8221 W. Glades Road,
Suite # 13, Boca Raton, FL 33434.

Written by:
Fred & Gail Taylor
www.furnituredetective.com
800-387-6377



Web Site: http://jkgalleries.com

Contact Details: J.K. Galleries
8221 W. Glades Road Suite #13
Boca Raton, FL 33434
954-421-2800