For the week ending Saturday May 17th 29 auctions were archived to the AED; 2 in Australian dollars, 1 in Swiss Francs, 11 in euros, 2 in British pounds and 13 in US dollars.  Turnover was $17,337,495 as 8,339 lots were offered and 6,381 sold for a 76.52% success rate.  It was another strong week.  The average lot brought $2,717.

<--- THE CODEX CHIMALPAHIN and HISTORICAL WORKS BY FERNANDO DE ALVA IXTLILXOCHITL, in Spanish and Nahuatl, MANUSCRIPTS ON PAPER, in 3 volumes.  Christies in London on May 21st.  Lot 14.  A 17th century lot of extraordinary importance estimated GBP 300,000 to 500,000 [two illustrations shown]

4 auctions saw their total proceeds reach a million dollars: 

Sothebys. Contemporary Art - Prints on May 15th: $8,224,250
Artcurial. Books and Manuscripts on May 13th: $1,563,792
Heritage Auctions. Space on May 14th: $1,130,364
Swann Galleries. Contemporary Art - Prints on May 13th: $1,007,983

6 auctions saw total sales exceed 100% of the high estimates of all lots offered in the sale:

Artcurial. Orientalism - Books on May 13th: 650.00%
Ferraton. Antiquarian and Modern Books, Autographs, and Prints on May 10th: 160.17%
RR Auction. Titanic Internet bidstart 4/17 on April 24th: 142.40%
Artcurial. MIDDLE EAST & ISLAMIC ARTS-FOUR PRIVATE COLLECTIONS - Manuscripts on May 12th: 103.93%
Neal Auction Company. Books, Prints on April 27th: 102.91%
Artcurial. Books and Manuscripts on May 13th: 100.67%

11 sales saw at least 80% of their lots sell:

Bruun Rasmussen. Old Master Prints on May 12th: 100.00%
Artcurial. Orientalism - Books on May 13th: 100.00%
Heritage Auctions. Comics -Internet bidstart 15/4 on May 11th: 100.00%
Heritage Auctions. Movie Posters - Internet bidstart 5/4 on May 11th: 94.77%
Heritage Auctions. Space on May 14th: 92.75%
Heritage Auctions. Rare Books - Internet bidstart 5/8 on May 15th: 85.51%
Ferraton. Antiquarian and Modern Books, Autographs, and Prints on May 10th: 85.45%
Bruun Rasmussen. Modern and Contemporary Prints on May 13th: 85.25%
Swann Galleries. Contemporary Art - Prints on May 13th: 84.64%
Northeast Auctions. Prints on May 11th: 83.79%
Dominic Winter Book Auctions. PRINTED BOOKS & MAPS, TRAVEL & POLAR EXPLORATION, NATURAL HISTORY & SCIENCE on May 14th: 80.40%


For the week ahead 44 sales are scheduled:

Mon. May. 19th
Bloomsbury Auctions. London. Important Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper. 238 lots
Ketterer Kunst Doerling. Hamburg. Rare Books, Manuscripts, Autographs, Decorative Prints, Maritime and North German Art. 674 lots
Bruun Rasmussen. Copenhagen. Old Master Prints. 9 lots

Tue. May. 20th
Bubb Kuyper. 2011 KM Haarlem. Books and Ephemera. 1037 lots
Rupert Toovey and Co. West Sussex. Antiquarian and Collectors Books. 221 lots
Bonhams. Oxford . Law Books - Part II. 332 lots
Hauswedell and Nolte. Hamburg. Rare Books and Autographs. 1047 lots
Artcurial. Paris. Photography. 196 lots
Artcurial. Paris. Limited Editions. 117 lots
Skinner. Boston. Prints and photography - Internet bidstart 5/13. 121 lots
Sothebys. London. Music and Continental Books and Manuscripts. 227 lots
Paige Auction. Portland. May Sale - Posters. 40 lots
Rossini. Paris. Prints. 124 lots
Robert Siegel Galleries. New York. U.S. Postal History. 468 lots
Bubb Kuyper. 2011 KM Haarlem. Books and Autographs. 746 lots
Ketterer Kunst Doerling. Hamburg. Rare Books, Manuscripts, Autographs, Decorative Prints, Maritime and North German Art. 555 lots
Bonhams. London. Scientific Instruments - Globes. 11 lots
Bruun Rasmussen. Copenhagen. Modern and Contemporary Prints. 72 lots
Bruun Rasmussen. Copenhagen. Photographs. 39 lots
Ader. PARIS. Letters, Autographs and Manuscripts. 430 lots

Wed. May. 21st
Christies. London - King Street. Fine Printed Books and Manuscripts. 121 lots
Rupert Toovey and Co. West Sussex. Prints. 50 lots
ALDE. Paris. Illustrated Books and Modern Prints. 338 lots
Old World Auctions. Glen Allen. Antique Maps, Globes, Charts, Atlases & Vintage Graphics - online bidstart 5/7. 770 lots
Christies. London -South Kensington. Vintage Posters. 155 lots
Morton Casa de Subastas. México DF CP 11000. Antiquarian and Modern Documents, Prints and Books. 313 lots
Bubb Kuyper. 2011 KM Haarlem. Old and Rare Books, Manuscripts and Autographs. 1039 lots
Bubb Kuyper. 2011 KM Haarlem. Old and Rare Books. 622 lots
Doyle New York. New York. Prints. 32 lots

Thu. May. 22nd
Swann Galleries. New York. Autographs. 261 lots
RR Auction. Amherst. Space and Aviation - Internet bidstart 5/15. 375 lots
Heritage Auctions. Dallas. Rare Books - Internet bidstart 5/15. 467 lots
PBA Galleries. San Francisco. Fine Books from the Library of Dr. Elmer Belt. 393 lots
Bubb Kuyper. 2011 KM Haarlem. Modern Art - Prints. 865 lots
Bubb Kuyper. 2011 KM Haarlem. Modern Art - Prints. 124 lots
Heritage Auctions. Dallas. Lomasney Vintage Movie Art Posters Benefiting Lifebeat Monthly Internet Charity. 41 lots

Fri. May. 23rd
Aspire Auctions. Cleveland. Prints and Photographs - online bidstart 5/16. 24 lots
Bubb Kuyper. 2011 KM Haarlem. Prints, Photographs, Maps and Ephemera. 1048 lots

Sat. May. 24th
Heritage Auctions. Dallas. Americana, Political. 326 lots
Artcurial. Paris. the Universe of the Creator of TinTin. 359 lots
Ketterer Kunst Doerling. Hamburg. Old Masters - Prints. 269 lots

Sun. May. 25th
Artcurial. Paris. Comic Strips. 525 lots
Heritage Auctions. Dallas. Movie Posters - Internet bidstart 5/18.
Heritage Auctions. Dallas. Comics -Internet bidstart 5/18.

Strength in the rooms has been the order of the day.  The field is on its feet.

Bruce McKinney

AE