$47,800 American Union Porcelain Vase brings five times its sale estimate

$47,800 American Union Porcelain Vase brings five times its sale estimate

The colourful piece was the star of the sale which featured items from Malcolm S Forbes's collection

More than 100 extraordinary objects formerly displayed in the Forbes Galleries in New York City drew frenzied bidding from around the globe to help Heritage Auctions reach a total of more than $1m earlier this month.

The sale was its Signature Decorative Arts & Design and Gentleman Collector Auctions at the company's Design District Annex in Dallas.

"The Forbes property was 100% sold," said Nicholas Dawes, Vice President of Special Collections at Heritage, "and most lots went well within or above estimate."

The collection was split between two auctions, held back-to-back during the day, with most offered in the 'Gentleman Collector' afternoon event, which featured diverse property from several other American and European private collections.

Colourful and beautiful - the American Union Porcelain Vase

This included a fine group of vintage walking canes, an important collection of motoring mascots, exquisite French boxes, ocean liner memorabilia and a fascinating group of period decorative objects related to the sport of golf.

Malcolm Forbes titled this main collection "Mortality through Immortality," a variety of objects commemorating and celebrating long-gone - and long-forgotten - heroes from distant historic, military and civic endeavours and events.

"It was his personal time machine," said Dawes, "able to transport you to a precise moment in history through tangible contact."

The most spectacular sale was an American union porcelain works centennial vase. Listed at just $6,000-$9,000, the colourful and spectacular piece eventually sold for over five times that at $47,800.