Date: Fri 23-Apr-1999

Publication: Ant

Author: SARAH

Quick Words:

Pinto

Full Text:

Property From Interior Designer Alberto Pinto

NEW YORK CITY -- Sotheby's completed the sale of the collection of noted

international interior designer Alberto Pinto on March 30 with the two-day

auction total surpassing the pre-sale high estimate of $4.6 million to reach

$6,309,655. Salesroom, telephone and absentee bidders from both sides of the

Atlantic delighted in the superb array of Continental furniture and

decorations that originally formed the contents of Mr Pinto's magnificent

apartment in Paris. More than ninety-four percent of the lots sold, sixty-nine

percent above the high estimate, with buyers from more than twenty countries.

The top lot was a painting by Johann Friedrich Seupel entitled "An Ocelot with

a parrot" ($25/35,000), which finally sold for $580,000. Other highlights of

the nearly 700 lots included a fine large Napoleon III Aubusson carpet, third

quarter Nineteenth Century ($50.70,000) sold for ($25/35,000) which brought

$79,500. A fine Indian enamelled silver cockatoo, Nineteenth Century

($10/15,000) sold for more than four times its high estimate to garner

$63,000.

Mr Pinto's designs for furniture and porcelain proved to be some of the most

hotly contested property in the sale with a set of ten Limoges inner plates

($4/600) selling for no less than $40,250; 67 times its estimate! A

Turkish-inspired giltwood, green silk velvet and gold damask upholstered

settee, designed by Alberto Pinto ($10/15,000) brought $25,300.