Art and Antiques: Keeping the Bear at Bay

Shown here, a detail from a late 1500's Flemish tapestry– over seven feet wide – from a recent Sotheby's sale. Expected to fetch around $20,000, the tapestry sold for $55,000 including buyer's premium. Evidently there's no liquidity crisis in this sector of the auction market.

The tapestry must have been a 16th-century sportsman's version of large-screen home theater. Take a look at the enlarged image Sotheby's offers (free registration required). You'll encounter other hunters as well as creatures such as the birds at right.

Leona Helmsley's possessions also seem to be selling smartly. At Christie's, a pair of French commodes that once belonged to King George V of England and more recently graced the entrance hall at Dunellen sold for $421,000, way over the pre-sale estimate.