This, gown, designed by Charles Frederick Worth in 1888, sold for $101,500, far above the estimate fo $15,000-$20,000.

NEW YORK CITY

On May 16, Doyle New York held an auction of French furniture, decorations and Asian porcelains from the estate of Lady Sarah Consuelo Spencer-Churchill, the sister of the 11th Duke of Marlborough and granddaughter of Gilded Age heiress Consuelo Vanderbilt. Lady Sarah's collection featured furniture and decorations from the mid- to late-eighteenth century, with signed pieces by the most prominent ebenistes of the period.

The sale totaled $1,512,457, doubling the pre-sale estimate, with 99 percent of the 125 lots sold by value. Prices quoted include the buyer's premium.

The top lot was an elegant Louis XV gilt-bronze mounted marquetry bureau en pente, beautifully detailed and inlaid with musical instruments and a floral bouquet. The high price attained for the classic French piece reflects its grand sophistication. It features a fully finished back, perfectly suited to the European grand manner of placing a bureau in the middle of a room. After frenzied bidding, it sold to a French bidder for $179,750.

Several petits commodes offered in the sale performed exceptionally well, including a transitional Louis XV/XVI gilt-bronze mounted tulipwood and fruitwood marquetry petit commode that commanded a high price of $165,000. Although not signed, the commode can possibly be attributed to Charles Topino, as indicated by the marquetry inlay with pictorial scenes depicting vases.

Another Louis XVI gilt-bronze mounted mahogany petit commode by Joseph Baumhauer (died 1772) sold over its estimate for $26,400. Around 1749, the German-born Joseph Baumhauer was made a marchand-ebenist privilegie du roi (dealer and cabinetmaker to the king). He used the first name of Joseph, which he also put on his stamp, because his surname was unpronounceable to his colleagues. He also may have used Joseph to avoid prejudice in Paris against foreign-born craftsmen. His work evolved from the ornate rococo style of the mid-eighteenth century to more academic neoclassicism of the 1770s, from which this piece was most likely made.

Also of importance from the furniture section of the sale was a Louis XV/XVI gilt-bronze tulipwood and kingwood marquetry gueridon by Charles Topino, "Maitre 1773," which sold for $57,500. Topino was best known for his small-scale furniture and distinctive use of marquetry.

In addition, a Louis XV gilt bronze mounted diminutive secretaire-a-abattant signed Pierre Migeon sold for $18,400. Migeon also specialized in fancifully designed, small-scale furniture such as traveling desks and folding tables. His style is defined by a preference for bombe shapes, exotic woods and lacquer, as is seen in this piece.

The collection featured many exquisite decorations, including a pair of Louis XVI gilt and patinated bronze four-light candelabra that achieved $77,000. The candelabra is decorated with two female figures that were probably inspired by a 1761 design by the French sculptor Etienne Maurice Falconet (1716-1791) for silver candlesticks. Many variations of this form exist, with different bases and candle arm arrangements.

Gracing the cover of the sale catalogue was a set of Louis XVI gilt-bronze two-light sconces, with female figural back plates, that was purchased for $51,750. The sconces once lined the walls of the Petit Salon in the Hotel de Marlborough in Paris, and were designed by Jean-Charles Delafosse (1734-1791), a French architect known for ornamental designs of female figures morphing into foliate forms.

May sale sets rcord

An important 1888 court dress offered at Doyle New York's couture, textiles and accessories auction on May 2 and 3, set a new world auction record of a staggering $101,500 for an antique dress.

In addition to impressive prices realized for over two centuries of vintage clothing, the sale also saw strong prices for an extraordinary single owner collection of Bakelite, costume jewelry and accessories. Also attracting much bidder attention was a special section of the sale devoted to the art and fashion archives of renowned New York Times photographer Bill Cunningham. The sale totaled $1,798,574 with 99 percent of the 1,349 lots sold by value.

The most celebrated lot of the sale was an elaborate velvet and satin gown with a 23-inch waist and a 101/2 -foot detachable train, designed by the world's first couturier, Charles Frederick Worth. The gown belonged to Esther Maria Lewis Chapin (1871-1959), the great-great-granddaughter of Elizabeth Washington Lewis (1733-1797), George Washington's sister. Chapin's father, Col. Edward Parke Custis Lewis (1837-1892) was the American Minister to Portugal under President Grover Cleveland from 1885-1889. It was during this period that Chapin, age 17 or 18, was bestowed with the honor of being presented at court to Queen Victoria wearing this gown.

Monica Seggos of Harwich Port, Mass., a descendant of Chapin, was the consignor of the gown. Seggos attended both the exhibition and the auction and was "completely overwhelmed and overjoyed" regarding the high price brought for her family's treasured heirloom.

"I'm still in shock," she stated. The gown was estimated to bring $15,000 to $20,000.