Cleveland, OH/Pittsburgh, PA: The auction of the collection created by Muriel and Noah Butkin grossed $1,052,664.00 last weekend at Aspire Auctions. The auction benefits the Cleveland Museum of Art.  

Aspire Auctions is online only without live floor bidding. So, the bidders know exactly when each lot closes. This encourages global bidding without the hassle of poorly timed auctions which can be delayed by the live auctioneer and third party technical issues. During this auction Aspire had 57,392 internet visits from users in 130 countries and territories from around the globe to view the items.

Many nice paintings were had at fair price while other items surprised everyone. In orientalia lot 801, a Chinese jardiniere with liner sold for $35,655.75. Apparently this is Imperial Chinese porcelain and sought after by many collectors.

The Netsuke collection, said by a bidder calling in to compliment the house, "was the best collection I've ever seen offered at auction". Many sold for triple the high estimate but lot 726 sold for 7 times the high estimate-$2,093.00 and depicted a carved ivory woman on a carved wood fish.

Object de Virtue has some exciting results; lot 200 a guilloche enamel and pink quartz perfume set sold for $5,318.75 and lot 201 a carved hard-stone of bleeding hearts set into a crystal base by C. Beau sold for $4,611.50. 

You may view the bidding history for thirty days after the auction ends in the Past Auctions section. Here you'll see the bids, when they were placed right down to the last second. All prices quoted above include the 15% buyers premium. For information call 216-231-5515 or visit www.aspireauctions.com.