Asian scroll painting on paper depicting a mountain landscape with a meditating man. Qianlong dynasty. Calligraphy upper right quadrant; 67.5” x 37”. Mounted to board with scattered losses, stains, ripples, fading and toning. Sold for $ 4,440.00. Courtesty Witherell's. Dave Brooks

SACRAMENTO, California. Two paintings identified by Boston-based Vose Galleries that highlighted Witherell’s Summer Auction held July 9 to 23, 2014 sold for $10,200 and $6,000, including buyer’s premium, respectively.

While Frank Duveneck’s “Reflections” was within estimates at $5,000 to $10,000, B.J. Blommers “Courtship Days” exceeded estimates of $1,000 to $2,000 by three to six times.

Both paintings came from a Sacramento family collection that dates back to the nineteenth century.

The auction brought in a total of $143,512, with an average price per lot of $627.

“All categories performed well,” said Brian Witherell, “Antiques Roadshow” appraiser and chief operations officer of Witherell’s. “I didn’t think the lots would sell for more than $100,000, so we were very pleased.”

Many items sold well above estimates.

Estimated at $100 to $200, a group of Dunbar Dyson Beck studies for the White House Steinway piano that still sits in the East Room and other ephemera far exceeded estimates by selling for $6,900. A framed Jane Peterson gouache of a European village scene that was estimated at $3,000 to $5,000 sold for more at $6,866.40. A Hugh Bolton Jones oil on canvas of a wooded landscape was within estimates at $6,720.

Trent Meyer’s bronze of three standing Sandhill Cranes, “Sandhill March” sold for $4,920 in overtime though the 45.5 inches high sculpture only was estimated at $1,000 to $3,000.

Estimated at $300 to $500, a Qianlong dynasty scroll painting on paper mounted to a board that depicted a mountain landscape with a meditating man sold for $4,440 in overtime bidding. The 67.5” x 37” high painting had calligraphy in the upper right quadrant.

Details of a Qianlong dynasty scroll painting on paper. Courtesy Witherell's. Dave Brooks

Asian ceramics also did quite well in overtime bidding. Five pieces of twentieth century Asian ceramics, including two polychrome porcelain bowls, one footed small bowl/ drinking vessel, one short brown glazed vase and one taller blue glaze vase measuring 8” high sold for $4,200.The estimate was $100 to $300. Estimated at $400 to $600, three twentieth century Asian polychrome ceramic lidded jars, one with a missing lid and the largest measuring 16.5”h x 11”w sold for $4,080. The Asian ceramics came from the estate of a Sacramento man who collected the pieces while working in Asia in the 1970s.

A ladies platinum ring with 1.12 ct. center diamond, VS1 clarity and H color, surrounded by 10 side diamonds of 42 points total weight sold for $4,260. At $2,000 to $4,000, the final bid was slightly more than estimated. Estimated at $600 to $800, a ladies emerald 1.61 ct ring surrounded by 1 ct. total weight diamonds in 14K yellow gold, sold for $2,106. The jewelry came from a Reno, Nev., estate.

“The paintings, Asian art and jewelry especially exceeded our expectations,” said Witherell.

The auction also had furniture and rugs, silver and silverware as well as technology of various eras that are now considered antiques.

Assorted studies on paper and wood as well as ephemera related to Dunbar Beck’s White House commission. Steinway presented Franklin Roosevelt with the grand piano in 1938 and Beck was commissioned to decorate it with gilt stenciling. The piano remains in the East Room of the White House. Beck was an artist known for his murals and portraits who won the Grand Prix de Rome in 1927 and designed a gilt mural for the Steinway piano in the White House as well as murals for the 1929 World’s Fair in NYC and a mural in the lobby of Rockefeller Center, NYC in 1934. Courtesy Witherell's. Dave Brooks.