Nevertheless, when the group, right, by the less-well-known Berlin sculptor Professor Poertzel, was consigned to auctioneers DDM, Brigg, (10% buyer’s premium) specialist Graham Paddison had no hesitation in putting it into the specialist sale at the Lincolnshire rooms on May 14 and15.
Often Mr Paddison has found that “lower-end things that have failed in an antique sale have sailed away in a general sale”, and is beginning to assign pieces accordingly. No such psychology, however, was needed for this 161/2in (42cm) cold
painted bronze and ivory group, right, of two dancers standing on a polished onyx octagonal column and base which went into the 1119-lot antique sale, where it attracted wide interest.
One of around 150-200 entries consigned from a local deceased state that netted in the region of £30,000, the group, inscribed Prof. Poertzel, was in poor condition with a badly restored arm and hand.
Nevertheless, Graham Paddison felt its quality was on a par with bronzes by the better known names, and buyers in the room, on the book and on five telephones agreed. The dancers were finally secured by a Manchester dealer on the telephone at £8200.
The estate furnished proceedings with many of its top works including a Georgian mahogany Pembroke table. Originally thought only to be Georgian in style, the trade felt it was the genuine article and it was taken to £2000, while a pair of mahogany Sheraton-period chairs with Edwardian inlay brought a £1650 trade bid.
Poertzel joins high-price Deco
Buoyant as the world of Art Deco is, bidders still like familiar names, which in the world of bronze and ivory 1930s figures tend to mean Demetre Chiparus and Ferdinand Preiss.
