There are higher-priced items, too. A massive, pastel-colored flatweave carpet carries a high estimate of $500, while a large basket, woven entirely out of silver bands, has a high estimate of $800.
Fittingly, as in the Christie’s auction, the most expensive lot in this sale is by Pablo Picasso. An aquatint of a bullfight, signed by the artist, is estimated to sell from $5,000 to $10,000. It bears inventory labels from both Nelson Rockefeller and David Rockefeller.
Under the Radar
Much of the fun of assembling the sale, Nadeau says, has been from peeking into the lives of one of the world’s most famous—and certainly the wealthiest—families.
“Everything was cataloged, and about 90 percent of the lots have a special Rockefeller label on the back,” he explains of David Rockefeller’s personal system. Some items even have two labels—one from David Rockefeller and one from his legendary father, John D. Rockefeller Jr.
Nadeau acknowledges that his sale might be slightly under the radar, especially compared with the international marketing bonanza that preceded the Christie’s auction. “We were told that Christie’s wanted to make a big splash, so we couldn’t advertise until after [their sale] was over,” he explains.
“The cufflinks and stuff they sold—looking at those values, we’re just sitting here and going, ‘Well, it would be nice to have half of that.”
This article was provided by Bloomberg News.