Here we go again!
As before, the rules of the game are simple:
1) I select from the “Market Watch” page one Montici artwork currently being offered for sale.
2) I do a comparative market analysis on the work.
3) Society Members vote whether they would “Bid” or “Pass” on it at the seller’s asking price.
Ready to play? Andiamo!
Montici artwork for Sale: “Pear #5” (MSID)
Asking Price: Starting bid: $950. Price: $1,240 (buy it now)
Dealer: eBay
Seller: “Electrobeam7.” Has a 100% positive feedback rating on EBay.
Analysis: Still life Montici mosaics always sell well.
Indeed, in terms of highest prices achieved, they’re second only to “Hands” as a Montici genre. In our Society database, we have logged 15 Montici still life mosaics publicly sold between 2000-2019. The lowest price paid was $500, for MSID “Nine Fruits #5”. It was auctioned off way back in Sept. 2010 by Michaan’s Auctions in California, before the explosive rise in Montici prices The highest was $16,250 fetched by MSID “Fruit Medley” in the historic Wright-Edelsber.g auction of October 2019
This work was executed and signed by Giuseppe Fiaschi. Fiaschi did multiple Montici fruit mosaics, and he did them very well. They tend to be small pieces – 4 inches or under. Our Society database includes eight Fiaschi fruit still life works -- three different fig mosaics plus four Fiaschi variations of this current eBay Pear offering.
If we are correct in our identification of variants, “Pear #1” (MSID) twice sold for $2,000. The first time was by Rago in April 2008. In 2019, the same --or an almost exact variant --sold for $2,000 at the Wright-Edelsberg auction. (Lot 129). Pear #1 is fractionally smaller, at 3.75 x 2.25 inches, than our new EBay pear which measures 4.0 x 2.375 inches, by sight (unframed).
“Pear” #2 (MSID) sold three times between 2008-2019, if we’re correct. It came up first in April 2008 as part of a two-lot offering from Rago that also included a Fiaschi fig mosaic. The pair fetched $3,000. In October 2014 Pear #2 came on the auction block as part of a three-lot combination which included Pear #1 plus a Fiaschi fig. The three-lot offering from Wright fetched $3,048 with premium. Finally, in November, 2019, Pear #2 reappeared on First Dibs – alone this time – sporting an asking price of $4,800. I’m trying to find out more information on what happened to this piece.
Pear #3 (MSID) is a very close variation to Pear #5. It has a yellow center seed vs. the red center seed of Pear #5; but overall is very similar in color palette, making it a good comparable. It appeared first in October 2011, as part of a three-lot package with Pear #4 and a fish mosaic. This combo auctioned by Rago fetched $2,232. In Nov. 2015, it sold as a solo piece on EBay for $895. Four years later, in October 2019, it again sold as a single work, fetching $2,000 as Lot 125 of the Wright-Edelsberg auction.
We only have a fuzzy photo of Pear #4. It was part of the Pear #3, three-lot combination sold in 2011 for $2,232.
Your turn — Would you BID OR PASS?
Would you bid or pass on this Montici mosaic for $1,240?
Michael Schmicker
P.S. As promised, here are the results for “Bid or Pass? Game #1” (see March 12, 2021 blog. Five Montici Society members responded.
Four passed on the artwork for their personal collection; one liked it very much, but not at the $6,000 asking price.
Three passed on it as an investment; the fourth would bid $2,500 ;and the fifth liked it enough to bid $3,500.