Phillips 1986 Carousel Art AuctionCarouselHistory.com

Phillips Auctions “American Carousel Art from the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art” May, 1986 – NYC

(Reprinted from June 1986 Carousel News & Trader)
New York, NY – The gallery at Phillips Auction in New York City, May 3, was almost filled to capacity as over 200 people attended the sale of American Carousel Art from the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art. Eager buyers from all over the U.S. waited to bid on their favorite figure from this rare offering of Looff carvings.

The figures were part of a carousel that was donated to the museum in 1965 by Carl J. Sedimayr, Sr. and Jr., owners and operators of the nation’s largest carnival, The Royal American Shows. As the museum plans to display only circus related artifacts, the carousel items were put up for sale.

The figures were on display in the Phillips showroom from April 26 until Friday, May 2. A Carousel Party hosted by Phillips and Charlotte Dinger, Consultant to Phillips for Carousel Art, was held the evening before the sale. Light refreshments were served while the potential buyers looked over the figures and chatted with old and new friends.

Charlotte Dinger was on hand to answer questions about the carousel items and to sign copies of her book, The Art Of The Carousel. Phillips President, Robert E. Frye, and Collectibles Specialist, Eric Alberta, greeted the guests and made everyone feel welcome.

The bids for the animals, chariot sides, shields, scenery panels and rounding boards totaled $492,300, plus a 10% buyer’s premium of $49,230 made the sale top the half-million dollar mark at $541,530. The terms of the sale included a 10% buyer’s premium, and 8 1/4% New York sales tax. Items that were shipped directly to another state did not need to pay the state sales tax.

The top selling figure, a Looff tiger with jewels, brought a bid of $32,000 from Duane Perron of Portland, Oregon. Mr. Perron also bought the rare armored Looff jumper. A large Looff outside row stander with tasseled braided ropes, jeweled straps with fringe, and a head of a helmeted warrior at the saddle cantle, sold for $19,000. Two other large outside row standers brought $17,000 each. The two Looff chariot sides with a Roman gladiator racing in a chariot pulled by two horses brought $10,000, and $9,000. The wood and plaster, rococo carousel shields brought an average of $950 each.

A very rare Looff stag, one of only two known to exist, sold for $8,500, far short of the estimated price of $12,000·$14,000. Two large outside row Dentzel goats sold for $8,500 and $10,000, also falling short of the estimated auction prices. A very rare armored Looff outside jumper exceeded the pre-auction estimate of $12,000·$14,000 by selling for $15,000.

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