Stefek’s Auctioneers of Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan, held an auction tonight. It was a well-rounded sale with furniture, lighting, paintings, etc. I only had interest in two lots in the sale, #257, a Tiffany Studios Byzantine perpetual calendar frame and #258, a Tiffany Studios Abalone desk set.

Tiffany Studios Byzantine calendar frame, lot #257

Original perpetual calendars come with a set of month and date cards that allow for every possibility, so they can be rotated monthly to make the date come out on the correct day of the week. Nowadays, they’re more useful as photo frames. Byzantine is a rare pattern, probably because it was quite expensive when new. It comes with many jewels inset in the design, but not always the same colors from set to set. Coral, white and dark blue are some of the other colors I’m familiar with. Stefek’s lot #257 came with turquoise round jewels and deep green, diamond-shaped jewels. This example seemed to be in especially fine condition. The pre-sale estimate was $2-3000 + 15% buyer’s premium. I was prepared to bid to about $2500 as perpetual calendar frames are small and Byzantine collectors are few and far between. To my pleasant surprise, the frame sold for $7475 — quite a sparkling result. If I’m not the buyer, I like strong prices. They show me that the market is alive and well.

Tiffany Studios Abalone desk set, lot #258

The next lot in the sale, #258, was a Tiffany Studios Abalone desk set with some very nice items, including the best item, a frame, and the second best item, a scale. Some of the items showed considerable wear but the better items seemed to be in good condition. The pre-sale estimate was $12/14000 — quite aggressive in my opinion. I was prepared to bid $7-7500. The lot sold for $9775, including the buyer’s premium — a fair price. If I had been the successful buyer, I would have sold all of the items individually, giving different collectors the chance to buy an item or two.

Please send me your suggestions or questions about art glass, lamps, Louis Icart, shows, auctions, etc. If it’s interesting, I’ll answer your question in a future blog entry.

Call or write and let me know what you would like to buy, sell, or trade. philchasen@gmail or 516-922-2090. And please visit my website. chasenantiques.com