SEEKING QUALITY CONSIGNMENTS FROM INDIVIDUALS, ESTATES, PRIVATE COLLECTIONS, BUSINESSES, TRUSTS, MUSEUMS, UNIVERSITIES
Asian Arts | Decorative Arts | Fine Art | Folk Art | Outsider Art
Ethnographic Arts | Antiques | Garden
Modern Design | Fine Carpets & Textiles | Vintage Couture
Fine Books & Manuscripts | Jewelry & Timepieces
Silver & Objects de Vertu
View Our Virtual “Seeking Auction Consignments” Brochure
With over three decades of experience in the fields of art, decorative arts, antiques and collectibles from around the world, Material Culture brings a discerning eye and a careful hand to the marketing and selling of your property at public auction. We conduct many heavily-advertised theme, general estate, and single owner/estate auctions throughout the year, covering a vast and eclectic array of diverse material, periods, styles and price ranges.
Whether you are an individual or a business seeking to consign a single object, a collection, or an estate; or a museum or university seeking to de-accession items, our specialists and experienced staff will provide you with individualized attention and service through the entire auction process, from pre-assessment inspection to post-auction payment.
Material Culture provides auction consignors a transparent, no-surprises, low flat % rate which takes into account our shared goal of reaching the strongest, most competitive markets for your property; there are no additional charges or fees for photography, marketing, internet listings and insurance.
The internet has leveled the global auction playing field: the times when it may have made sense to send items to New York or London are long gone. All our auctions are accessible to an international audience through online platforms that inter-face in real time with the live in-house auction sales. Our auctions regularly attract thousands of online bidders from 60+ countries, and we place the highest priority on achieving the best results by reaching a global audience.
Our spacious auction and exhibition areas are among the finest in the country, and our central, convenient location in Philadelphia (just 11 minutes from the Philadelphia Art Museum, Center City and 30th Street Station) has free, unlimited parking 7 days a week, including easy access loading and unloading for every size vehicle and truck. Material Culture’s auction exhibition galleries, 15,000 square feet of naturally-lit space, are housed under the same roof as Material Culture’s 40,000+ square foot retail store and Café.
Consigning Made Easy
Auction Estimates: First, we need to learn about the items you wish to sell to determine which of our upcoming auctions would be the best match for them, and to provide you with an auction estimate. This assessment is free-of-charge and confidential. We can review your objects in a number of ways:
Photographs: An easy first step is to email us at expert@materialculture.com or mail photographs to us. Please include any information you can give us regarding the dimensions, condition or markings, media, and provenance, which are often important factors in determining the object’s value. This will help us make our assessment, though our estimate may change on first-hand examination.
Call Us: If you would prefer, you can also call us at (215) 438–4700 to discuss the details of the objects you would like to sell. Please explain to the receptionist that you have an item you would like to sell at auction, and you will be forwarded to the appropriate specialist.
Visit Us: Examining an object in person allows us to give you the most informed auction estimate. If you would like to make an appointment to meet with us to estimate the value of your auction item, email expert@materialculture.com, or call us at (215) 438–4700, with a date and time of your preference.
In-Home Visit: If you are seeking to auction off an entire estate, an extensive collection, or a large item with limited mobility, a specialist can be made available to travel to your location to make an assessment.
Transportation: If you are unable to transport or ship the items yourself, email us at expert@materialculture.com, or call us at (215) 438–4700, and we will work with you to find a solution.
Pair of Chinese Jeweled Gilt Bronze Foo Dogs, 19th c., sold for $143,750
Sheila Hicks (American, b. 1934), “The Double Prayer Rug”, 1970, sold for $27,750
Harry Bertoia (Italy-USA, 1915-1978) “Sonambient Sculpture”, sold for $53,000
Samuel Robb Cigar Store Statue 19th c., sold for $35,000
14th-16th c. Tibetan Thangka of Vajra Varahui, sold for $46,000
Edward Hopper (American, 1882-1967) Night Shadows, 1921, etching, Signed “Edward Hopper” in pencil Sold for $25,000
 19th C. Chinese Imperial Dragon Robe, sold for $28,750 |
 Embroidered Silk Dragon Robe, China, mid 19th c., Sold for $23,700 |
 Ming Dynasty Buddha, sold for $17,000 |
 Qiu Deshu (Chinese, 20th c.) Painting, Sold for $20,000 |
 Hector Hyppolite (Haitian/St. Marc, 1894-1948), “Birds and Flowers”, c. 1946-47, sold for $43,750 |
 Philomé Obin (Haitian/Cap-Haïtien, 1892-1986) Debacle des Cacos le 1/6/1915 (A Disaster for the Caco Guerillas on 19 June, 1915), c. 1947, sold for $32,500 |
 Purvis Young (1943-2010), Untitled (Black Panthers), c. 1970’s, sold for $25,000 |
 Prince Twins Seven Seven (Nigeria, 1944-2011), sold for $13,750 |
 Antique Serapi Rug, Persia, late 19th c., sold for $20,000 |
 Minton Pate-Sur-Pate Porcelain Plates, C. 1900, sold for $27,500 |
 Carved Marble Relief, India, 12th c, sold for $6,500 |
 19th c Navajo Germantown Blanket, sold for $6,875 |
 Kota Reliquary Figure, sold for $8,750 |
 Maxfield Parrish (American, 1870-1966), Harvest, circa 1905 Watercolor and Gouache, sold for $12,500 |
 Antique Louis Vuitton Hat Box, sold for $3,750 |
 18th c Hudson Valley Pine Cupboard, sold for $11,250 |
 English Sterling Silver Tea & Coffee Service, sold for $8,750 |
 Civil War Robbins and Lawrence “Mississippi” Rifle, sold for $3,625 |
 Georg Jensen Silver and Ebony Coffeepot, sold for $5,625 |
 19th c Russian Icon, sold for $6,800 |
 Georges Liautaud (Haitian/Croix-des-Boquets, 1899-1992), sold for $12,500 |
 Felipe Jesus Consalvos (Cuban-American, 1891-1960’s) Mixed Media Guitar, sold for $7,300 |
 The Lusiad, Luis de Camoens; Richard Fanshaw, 1655, Sold for $4,375 |
 John Tunnard (British, 1900-1971) 1960, mixed media on paper, signed, sold for $23,750 |
 Fred Johnson (American, 1892-1990) Dope Show Banner, Sold for $5,310 |
 Pair of Antique Chinese Hung-Mu Summer Palace Chairs, sold for $20,000 |
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