Christie’s recent online sale of decorative arts items from the collection of Jonathan Burden totaled over $1.07 million with fees, more than twice the low estimate of $487,500.“We’re thrilled. Jonathan Burden is thrilled. I’s really exciting. And I think promising for the field of the more traditional field of decorative arts and furniture,” Allison Cox, Christie’s decorative arts specialist and head of sale, told ARTnews. “It points to the larger, burgeoning re-interest in this category, which you know, is exciting for us.”The sales results for the Burden sale came after the house’s first “in-situ” viewing at the studio of the antique furniture conservator and dealer in Long Island City. Potential bidders arranged appointments with Christie’s representatives over a two-week period, including on Saturdays, before bidding online between September 24 and October 8.The new, interactive approach for “Crafted and Collected: The Jonathan Burden Sale” paid off. Out of 151 lots, only five did not sell, for a sell-through rate of 97%. Only 21 of the 151 lots had high estimates of $10,000 or more, but many items sold for several times their high estimates, and helped attracted new interest to the category.Cox said the “new and exciting” experience also meant potential bidders were also able to meet Burden himself at his studio, hear his stories about different items and see him demonstrate the movement of certain pieces, like a 19th century metamorphic chair. “We’ve had between, you know, five to 25 people coming through, which is great. And they’d bring friends and kind of make an afternoon of it.”The top lot was a 10-foot-long French Incarnat Turquin marble dining table which sold for $101,600 with fees, blasting past its high estimate of $30,000. Notably, Burden bought the table almost exactly five years prior for only $15,000 with fees (also on a high estimate of $30,000) from the Dalva Brothers sale at Christie’s in October 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic.The one-of-a-kind marble table was in storage and wasn’t assembled for that previous auction, so Christie’s used a magazine spread for the listing. The estimate of $20,000 to $30,000 was also kept the same by the house due to the table’s rarity, serious weight of 1,360 lbs, and unusual appearance, which mean no other recent prices as points of comparison.“You have to take into account someone’s going to spend probably $10,000 or more on on shipping, depending on where they’re sending it. And they have to the right floors, because if you have to make sure your floors are reinforced or cement. “There’s a lot of factors that can be a deterrent. Anything that’s huge, super large scale is always a little bit more challenging, just because it needs a specific space to be able to fit into it.”All prices mentioned below are in US dollars and include fees unless otherwise indicated.Other top lots from the Burden sale included a set of 10 Irish Queen Anne-style walnut chairs which sold for $35,560, more than seven times its high estimate of $5,000; a pair of Italian Scagliola and polychrome-decorated panels which sold for $38,100 on a high estimate of $25,000; and a pair of North Indian gilt-laquered chests on stands which sold for $30,480 on a high estimate of $18,000. A Victorian 19th century mahogany metamorphic chair sold for nine times its high estimate of $3,000. Photo by Christie’s Images Limited 2025.Several items at the other end of the estimate range also skyrocketed past expectations, including the mahogany metamorphic chair selling for $27,940, on a high estimate of $3,000; a set of four African carved palm wood posts which sold for $16,510, more than 13 times the high estimate of $1,200; a George III-style black painted bench manufactured by Burden sold for $12,065 on an estimate of $1,500; and a pair of oak ‘club’ and ‘spade’ hall stools also sold for $12,065, on the slightly higher estimate of $1,800. It’s worth noting the same painted bench manufactured by Burden in white sold for $5,715, highlighting the lack of clear trends across the results of the sale and bidders being drawn to very different items. “The one commonality is, it is all unique pieces, and they’re beautiful in their own way,” Cox said. “Looking for this connection to the world through these objects, is kind of what people are seeking. And being able to set, I guess, apart their own, their own style. It’s exciting to see.”A significant amount of new and younger interestAccording to Christie’s, 33.5 percent of the buyers and bidders for “Crafted and Collected: The Jonathan Burden Sale” were new to the house, and more than 15 percent were Millennials. “I think anytime people come in person, they’re more invested, more likely to continue bidding, because they’ve seen it,” Cox said. “There’s that level of investment that tends to convert to people being more likely to actually bid and buy things.”Cox said the strong results also reflected the unique nature of many items, the “excellent condition” of all the items, and how good everything looked in his studio. “You can’t just find them anywhere. It comes up once, and that’s kind of your one shot. So I think people are encouraged by that,” Cox said.A pair of oak ‘club’ and ‘spade’ hall stools also sold for $12,065. Photo by Christie’s Images Limited 2025.Affordability part of the big draw for new biddersMany of the items were also offered with no reserve and most had a starting bid of just $100, helping attract the younger bidders and buyers.“Everyone had the opportunity to potentially win something that they loved,” Cox said, “And, you know, will last, and they won’t have to put out to the curb when they move to a new apartment. Being able to having that accessible price point is a huge draw, especially now that millennials are starting to have more of a disposable income.”“It’s exciting seeing, you know, how they’re spending their money, as they’re starting to, you know, think about their own spaces that they live in and how they want to furnish them. These things has been around for hundreds of years before us, and will be around hundreds after.”When ARTnews asked whether Christie’s will replicate the in-situ format for a future sale, Cox noted the level of interest from interior designers, and the right circumstances for a potential consignor. “In a situation like this, I think we’d be delighted to, if the opportunity arises to do another sale like it. And I think we’ve already received some interest from people and maybe looking into it. So I’m excited to see where that takes us.”