Bonham’s New York sold Alan Turing’s Wartime Manuscript for $1,025,000, April 13, 2015

My goal is to publish new posts twice a week — Mondays and Thursdays. However, if you don’t see a new post on Thursday, it’s because I was too busy, so please look for a new one the following Monday.


Alan Turing

Alan Turing

You may know of Alan Turing from history or the latest movie about him, The Imitation Game, starring Benedict Cumberbatch. In a nutshell, Alan Turing is considered by many to be the father of modern computing. His work during WW II helped the Allies break the German Enigma codes and speed the end of the war.

A page from the manuscript

A page from the manuscript

On Monday, April 13, 2015, Bonham’s New York sold an original, hand-written manuscript by Alan Turing — the only known example. The 56 pages of mathematical notes on logic were probably written in 1944. The auction house did not disclose a pre-auction estimate in their catalog, but it was available as “Estimate on request”. It sold for $1,025,000, including buyer’s premium — probably helped by the publicity from the movie.

For the complete results of the sale, click here.


No shows until July, when we’ll be in Denver for the Denver World Wide Antique Show, at the Denver Mart, EXPO Building, 451 East 58th Avenue, July 24-26, 2015. In the meantime, we’ll be traveling in Europe. We’re sure to come up with some goodies, so keep an eye on my site for the latest additions. I’ll always be in touch, so please don’t hesitate to email or call.

Click here to check my website for the latest items and to look around. I always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on my website and at every show. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps. And remember to keep reading my blog.

Bonham’s New York had a good 20th Century Decorative Arts auction, Tuesday, December 16, 2014

My goal is to publish new posts twice a week — Mondays and Thursdays. However, if you don’t see a new post on Thursday, it’s because I was too busy, so please look for a new one the following Monday.


Bonham’s New York held its 20th Century Decorative Arts auction on Tuesday, December 16, 2014, a day ahead of Sotheby’s. The sale was fairly small, with total sales of $1,136,534, for the 95 of 166 lots that sold. Many of the unsold lots were radios, which skewed the results. Tiffany lamps were a large contributor to the total.

Tiffany Floral Bouquet chandelier, Bonham's lot #52

Tiffany Floral Bouquet chandelier, Bonham’s lot #52

Leading the sale was a beautiful Tiffany Floral Bouquet chandelier, which easily exceeded its high estimate of $120,000, realizing $197,000, including buyer’s premium.

Webb perfume bottles, Bonham's lot #7

Webb perfume bottles, Bonham’s lot #7

Lot #7, two Webb lay-down perfume bottles, was a nice surprise. It soared past the pre-sale estimate of $1,500 – $2,000, to realize $21,250, including buyer’s premium. To be fair, the pre-sale estimate was quite low, and the quality was high. Mice are rare subject matter, the detail was superb, and the lids were 14K gold, instead of the usual sterling silver.

It was nice to see two sales in a row where Tiffany Studios lamps and glass sold well. It appears that the poor results at Christie’s sale were just an anomaly.

For the complete results of the sale, click here.


miami-national-show-1-2015I’ll be spending the next month looking for treasures to bring to Florida for our southern circuit. So far the buying has been great, so look for lots of new goodies to be listed on my website soon. The Florida shows begin with the Miami National Antiques Show on January 24, 2015.

Click here to check my website for the latest items and to look around. I always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on my website and at every show. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps. And remember to keep reading my blog.

A Tiffany Studios Laburnum table lamp led the way at Bonham’s New York 20th Century Decorative Arts sale, June 10, 2014

My goal is to publish new posts twice a week — Mondays and Thursdays. However, if you don’t see a new post on Thursday, it’s because I was too busy, so please look for a new one the following Monday.

Bonham’s New York held their 20th Century Decorative Arts auction on June 10th, 2014, a day ahead of Sotheby’s and two days ahead of Christie’s. 227 lots crossed the block with 100 failing to sell, for a sell-through rate of 44% — less than Sotheby’s sell-through rate of 66% and Christie’s sell-through rate of 67%. Bonham’s did not post total sales.

Tiffany Studios Laburnum table lamp, Bonham's lot #70

Tiffany Studios Laburnum table lamp, Bonham’s lot #70

Top dog of the sale was a beautiful 24″ diameter Tiffany Studios Laburnum table lamp. It sold for $425,000, including buyer’s premium.

2001 William Morris sculpture Laibon Man, Bonham's lot #227

2001 William Morris sculpture Laibon Man, Bonham’s lot #227

The last lot of the sale sold for the second highest price of the sale — a 31½” contemporary cast glass and steel mount by William Morris, entitled Laibon Man from the Man Adorned Series of 2001. It sold for $100,000, including buyer’s premium.

For the complete results of the sale, click here.

This fabulous Gallé plum blownout vase just arrived

This fabulous Gallé plum blownout vase just arrived


It’s spring, so there are no shows, but we’re still very much in business. Click here to view my new website and look around. We always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on our website and at every show. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps.

Some good results at Bonham’s 20th Century Decorative Arts auction, December 11, 2012

My goal is to publish new posts twice a week — Mondays and Thursdays. However, if you don’t see a new post on Thursday, it’s because I was too busy, so please look for a new one the following Monday.

Every year all the major and many secondary auction houses hold a 20th century decorative arts auction in December. This year Bonham’s New York was the first of the majors. They held their 20th Century Decorative Arts auction on December 11, 2012. Christie’s was next (this Thursday’s blog) and Sotheby’s was last (next Monday’s blog). Bonham’s results were good, but not superlative.

Good Tiffany Studios 20-inch diameter Dogwood table lamp, Bonham's lot #2047

Good Tiffany Studios 20-inch diameter Dogwood table lamp, Bonham's lot #2047

Two Tiffany Studios lamps tied for top lot of the sale. #2047 was a nice 20″ diameter Dogwood. Estimated to sell for $80,000 – $120,000, it realized $104,500 — within the estimate.

Tiffany Studios Miniature Wisteria table lamp, Bonham's lot #2049

Tiffany Studios Miniature Wisteria table lamp, Bonham's lot #2049

Lot #2049 was a Tiffany Miniature (Pony) Wisteria lamp. It carried the same estimate as the Dogwood lamp and brought the same result.

Daum Nancy Blackbird and Frog vase, Bonham's lot #2072

Daum Nancy Blackbird and Frog vase, Bonham’s lot #2072

The top French cameo glass item of the sale was a rare 14¼” Daum Nancy blackbird and frog vase, lot #2072. It was bid well past the pre-sale estimate of $15,000 – $20,000 to a final price of $43,750, including the buyer’s premium. I thought it was ugly and wouldn’t have paid $5,000, but apparently two bidders disagreed with me. (They should have asked.)

For the complete results of the sale, click on the following link. Bonham’s 20th Century results.

I will be posting videos on YouTube of my lecture on French Cameo Glass to the Metropolitan Glass Club. I need some time to edit the videos. When they’re ready, I’ll put the link on my website and here in my blog.

Incredible Tiffany Favrile red decorated paperweight vase, just in

Incredible Tiffany Favrile red decorated paperweight vase, just in

Click this link to view some of the new objects I recently purchased and listed. Tiffany glass for sale. We always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on our website and at every show.

Fine Gallé clematis blownout vase, recently acquired

Fine Gallé clematis blownout vase, recently acquired

Look around my website. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps. I regularly add Tiffany vases, lamps and desk accessories, as well as French cameo glass by Galle and Daum Nancy and etchings by Louis Icart. Here’s the link. Philip Chasen Antiques.

A few good results at Bonham’s New York 20th Century Decorative Arts sale, June 12, 2012

My goal is to publish new posts twice a week — Mondays and Thursdays. However, if you don’t see a new post on Thursday, it’s because I was too busy, so please look for a new one the following Monday.

Bonham’s New York held their 20th Century Decorative Arts sale on June 12, 2012, with fair results. There were a few good sales, but more than a few items went unsold. Sotheby’s and Christie’s held their 20th Century sales in the two days following Bonham’s, with considerably better results.

Tiffany Studios Lotus table lamp, Bonham's lot #4061

Top lot of the Bonham’s sale was #4061, a Tiffany Studios Lotus table lamp. Estimated to sell for $80,000 – $100,000, it squeaked by to sell near the low estimate, reaching $92,500, including buyer’s premium.

Art Deco bronze and ivory figure, Dourga, by Chiparus, Bonham's lot #4205

Second best lot of the sale was an Art Deco 24½” bronze and ivory statue by Demetre Chiparus, entitled Dourga. It soared past its pre-sale estimate of $25,000 – $35,000 to sell for $88,900. That continued the decade-long strength by important Art Deco bronze and ivory artists like Chiparus and Preiss.

Rare R. Lalique vase, Deux Anneaux Lizards, Bonham's lot #4195

René Lalique glass sold well, also showing continued strength. Top Lalique lot was #4195, a rare frosted glass two-handled vase, Deux Anneaux Lizards. It was sold privately after the auction for $20,000, against an aggressive estimate of $20,000 – $30,000.

For the complete results of the sale, click on the following link. Bonham’s 20th Century results.

Thursday I’ll cover James D. Julia’s Important Lamp and Glass auction that took place on June 21.

Our next show won’t be until July 27-29, in Redondo Beach, CA, but we’re still very much in business. Don’t hesitate to call or write, and let me know what you’d like to buy, sell, or trade.

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Very fine, internally decorated Burgun & Schverer vase, just in

Look around my website. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps. I regularly add Tiffany vases, lamps and desk accessories, as well as French cameo glass by Galle and Daum Nancy and Louis Icart etchings. Just this past week, I added about 10 new items. Here’s the link. chasenantiques.com

Louis Comfort Tiffany and Demetre Chiparus lead Bonham’s 20th Century Decorative Arts sale, December 14, 2011

My goal is to publish new posts twice a week — Mondays and Thursdays. However, if you don’t see a new post on Thursday, it’s because I was too busy, so please look for a new one the following Monday.

Bonham’s New York held its 20th Century Decorative Arts sale on December 14, 2011. The sale went well, with choice items and reasonably estimated items doing best. Lots with overly strong estimates and/or reserves either did not do well or failed to sell.

Demetre Chiparus Art Deco bronze and ivory figure, Clara, Bonham's lot #3168

Top lot of the sale was #3168, an Art Deco bronze and ivory statue by Demetre Chiparus, entitled “Clara”, sold together with a champlevé enamel pedestal. Aggressively estimated at $100,000 – $200,000, it sold for $98,500, including buyer’s premium, below the low estimate. That meant that the reserve was set lower than the low estimate. By New York State law, the reserve cannot be set higher than the low estimate. Other Art Deco bronze and ivory figures by Ferdinand Preiss were more conservatively estimated and sold well, most at or above the high estimates.

Tiffany Studios Dragonfly table lamp, Bonham's lot #3066

The Tiffany Studios section of the sale was led by a fine 20″ diameter Dragonfly table lamp. Although the base was simple and the cap not original, the shade had very good color and mottling, and was in excellent condition. With a conservative pre-sale estimate of $35,000 -$45,000, it sold for double the low estimate, realizing $86,500, including buyer’s premium

Other good results were a Tiffany Studios 20″ diameter Daffodil table lamp, lot #3073, $50,000; a gorgeous Tiffany Favrile blue decorated vase, lot #3029, $10,625; and a Gallé two-handled vase with leaves and a grasshopper, lot #3080, $11,875. For the complete results, click on the following link Bonham’s results.

Very rare R. Lalique red vase, Ronces

Look around my website. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps. I regularly add Tiffany vases, lamps and desk accessories, as well as French cameo glass by Galle and Daum Nancy and Louis Icart etchings. Here’s the link. chasenantiques.com

Tiffany Studios items do well at Bonhams 20th Century Decorative Arts sale of June 7, 2011

Lots of interesting things have been happening in the antiques world recently. Since I have a bit more time to write about them during the spring and summer, I will be posting new blog entries twice a week, instead of once — Mondays and Thursdays for the next few weeks. So make sure you come back often and tell your friends about my blog!

Bonham’s New York held its 20th Century Decorative Arts sale on June 7, 2011. While the Tiffany Studios items were not as deep in quality as the Sotheby’s and Christie’s New York sales, there were some notable exceptions. The results showed a continuation of the strength of better Tiffany Studios objects.

Fine Tiffany Studios Wisteria Lamp, Bonham's lot #6097

Lot #6097 was a Tiffany Studios Wisteria lamp, in beautiful shades of blue. Estimated conservatively at $200,000 – $300,000, it soared past its high estimate to achieve $792,400, including buyer’s premium.

Tiffany Studios paperweight vase, Bonham's lot #6026

The best of the Tiffany Studios glass was lot #6026, a fine and rare paperweight vase. It exceeded its pre-sale estimate of $20,000 – $30,000, selling for $39,040.

Very rare Tiffany Studios Pine Needle triple frame, Bonham's lot #6051

A very rare Tiffany Studios triple frame in the Pine Needle pattern, in mint original condition, was the top lot of a nice offering of twelve frames. It doubled its pre-sale estimate of $6,000 – $8,000, to sell for $19,520, an auction record for any frame in the Pine Needle pattern.

Other notable results were a Tiffany & Co. carved mahogany clock, lot #6014 ($91,500) and a cracked Tiffany Studios blue decorated mini vase, lot #6034, ($3,416), continuing the trend of “cracks don’t make a difference at auction”.

For the complete results of the sale, click on the following link. Bonham’s 20th Century results.

Impressive 11½ inch Daum Nancy floral vase

Check out my new acquisitions. This week I listed a gorgeous Daum Nancy pink floral vase; a very fine Tiffany Studios Favrile flowerform vase — better than the one that sold at Christie’s for $27,500; a rare Tiffany Studios desk lamp in the Spanish pattern; several fine Daum vases; a Daum lamp; several Galle vases; and several more Tiffany Favrile vases. Soon I’ll be listing a wonderful Tiffany Studios 7-light lily lamp with beautiful shades and a fine patina. Also coming soon will be several wonderful European ceramic items by Clement Massier, Zsolnay and Amphora. Here’s the link. chasenantiques.com