Will Seippel, CEO of WorthPoint, enjoys watching the items sold at auctions held by our WorthPoint Industry Partners. We thought it would be a great idea for him to select some of his favorite sold items and explain why those sales stood out to him. Gaining insights from Will is an excellent way to learn about buying and selling trends in our industry. We want to empower you to buy and sell with confidence. Take a look at his thoughts on a few of our partners’ recent sales.
A Stunning Baleen Basket
Some truly unique items appeared in several auctions that celebrated our furry and feathered friends. Among the standouts, my favorite (if I had to pick just one) was a stunning Inupiat Native basket featuring a walrus ivory carved polar bear finial, which sold for $3,600. These baskets are quite rare, and the craftsmanship is exceptional. Made by Adam Tooyak Sr., a well-known artisan, this basket is a fantastic example of his work. Alaska Premier Auctions had the honor of selling it, and it’s worth noting they also set the record for a similar basket in 2022, which sold for $10,120.
For those unfamiliar, a baleen basket like this one is a true work of art. First crafted in the early 1900s, these baskets are made from baleen—the gill filters of harvested whales, which are now only legally collected for the Native market. The baleen is soaked and intricately woven, often with ivory plates as a base for the weaving and finely carved ivory finials on top. They’re challenging to create, and this piece, with its beautiful polar bear finial, is a perfect example of the skill involved. We even had a similar one sneak by in an auction a few weeks ago that I couldn’t help but comment on!
So What Is a Panther?
Moving on in our zoo for the day, an Andre Margat painting titled “Panther and Leopard” sold for $24,250.60 at Antikeo‘s auction. If you’re not familiar with Antikeo, it’s a collaboration of vetted antiques and fine art, and trust me, it’s worth checking out. When I first saw the painting, I wondered about the difference between a panther and a leopard. The short answer is that a panther is a black leopard with no spots. This painting was a striking piece, measuring 31″ x 51″, and framed in elegant ebony. Margat, a French artist known for his animal paintings, did a series on large cats in the 1940s, and it’s curious to think about what drew him to them. This particular painting, from 1947, was larger than the others in the series—proving, as we know, that size often makes a big difference in the world of art!
Over-the-Top Masterpiece
Today’s last stop on our zoo tour takes us to the large bird section, and what a sight it was! A Jerome Massier Complete Faience garden urn, pedestal, and planter set sold for $15,534.08 at Antikeo, and it had that over-the-top Italian Renaissance vibe. Picture this: a column base with a pink flamingo perched on it and three butterflies delicately sitting on the top edge. While I’ve seen plenty of urn and pedestal combos from the likes of Weller, nothing quite compares to this artistic masterpiece. It’s a high price for a jardiniere, but this is no ordinary piece—it might even be a WorthPoint record!
Interestingly, a similar but less elaborate piece by Massier was offered in 2019 with an estimated price range of $11,000 to $16,000, yet it didn’t meet its reserve. Fast-forward four years, this stunning example had no such issues—perhaps because it was simply the better of the two!
Will Seippel is the founder, president, and CEO of WorthPoint. Will has been an avid collector since 1974 and dealer of just about all things antique—with an emphasis on ephemera— since 1984. He is also the creator and founder of HIP, a website devoted to recording the best of the world’s history that has been saved on film.
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