David Rago
Rago Arts held their 20th Century auction this past Saturday, April 24, 2010, with good results for pottery, furniture and glass, as well as a few exceptional results.
In an email reply to my inquiry, David made the following remarks about his sale.
“As for the ac sale, the low estimate was 690k and the sale hammered at 718k. it was 88% sold at the hammer (with things selling after the sale, as always). Better things did better, which I’m sure comes as no surprise. The market is really expressing a discerning eye and the bottom end of most things has really fallen away. The tiffany that either didn’t sell or attracted little interest were the obviously weak lots. If I never see another acorn table lamp again I’ll be thrilled. Unless the background glass is red. And the base is decorated with mosaic tiles. And the reserve is $5k.
Our approach has been to curate smaller, tighter sales with conservative estimates, and reserves under the low estimates, to attract competitive bidding. While I do miss those two day, 1000 lot Arts and Crafts/Art Nouveau auctions, our sell through rate and our total sales ($850k including bp) have been gratifying.”
Marblehead bowl with panthers, Rago auction, lot 1
The first lot of the sale was a Marblehead bowl, with rare panther decoration. It carried a pre-sale estimate of $25-35,000. The result doubled the low estimate, with the bowl selling for $61,000, including buyer’s premium.
Tiffany pottery vase, Rago auction, lot 262
There weren’t many Tiffany lots in the sale, but for the most part, they did very well. A rare 6″ tall pottery vase, in the form of an artichoke, sold for $19,520, approximately double the high estimate.
Tiffany Favrile decorated vase, Rago auction, lot 272
Lot 272 was a Tiffany Favrile 9″ vase with elaborate gold hearts & vines decoration on a deep carmel background. The vase sold for $26,840, approximately four times the pre-sale estimate — a surprising result. Perhaps the hint of red was the reason for the enthusiasm.
For the complete auction results, click on the following link Rago Early 20th Century auction results.
I’ve taken a lot of time to add new items to my website. Please take a look, as every day I’m adding more. Click on this link chasenantiques.com.
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.