Monthly Archives: December 2018

Phillips New York sold some important Martin Brothers stoneware in their Design sale, December 13, 2018

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First I would like to wish everyone a Happy and Healthy New Year. May 2019 be a year of Peace and Prosperity!

Phillips New York held two Design sales on December 13, 2018. Included in the evening sale were four important items by R.W. Martin & Brothers. Only two of the four items sold, but they brought strong prices.

R.W. Martin & Brothers Crab creature, Phillips lot #29

The highest price of the four lots was realized by #29, a very rare, huge (18″ long), stoneware Crab creature. This early work from June, 1880, sold near its low estimate of $250,000, realizing $275,000, including buyer’s premium. What should have seemed like a good result didn’t look quite as good because of the aggressive estimate.

R.W. Martin & Brothers bird, Phillips lot #28

Lot #28 was a large, 15″ bird, meant to be a caricature of Sir Edward George Clarke. It was signed and dated February, 1898. It, too, sold near its low estimate of $150,000, realizing $175,000, including buyer’s premium.

Lot #26, a huge (28½” tall) mantel clock case and lot #27, a 21″ bird, did not sell. They were estimated at $30,000 – $50,000 and $100,000 – $150,000 respectively.

For the complete results of the sale, click here.

No shows until October 20, 2022, when we’ll exhibit at the Baltimore Art, Antique & Jewelry Show. Two weeks later we’ll exhibit at the Antiques + Modernism Show in Winnetka, IL, starting on November 4, 2022.

The market for Tiffany Studios lamps and glass is alive and well, part II (Christie’s New York)

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I am now publishing once a week, on Monday.

Christie’s New York held a Design sale on December 13, 2018, with total sales of $8,493,125. Approximately 40% of that total was for the sale of one single Tiffany Studios lamp.

Tiffany Studios Pond Lily table lamp, Christie’s lot #9

Lot #9 was a rare and important 1903 Pond Lily table lamp. It had previously been sold at Christie’s New York on December 9, 1989, for what was then the world auction record price for a Tiffany lamp, $550,000, including buyer’s premium. Once again it attained the new world record auction price for a Tiffany lamp. It realized $3,372,500, including buyer’s premium, against a pre-sale estimate of $1,800,000 – $2,500,000. Its rarity was partially due to its steep price of $400 in 1903. (That is not a misprint.) There are only 13 examples known to exist, with 5 in museums and 8 in private hands.

Tiffany Studios Laburnum table lamp, Christie’s lot #10

The second best result for Tiffany lamps was a magnificent Laburnum table lamp on a killer Bird Skeleton lamp base. It sold near its low estimate, realizing $468,500, against a pre-sale estimate of $400,000 – $600,000 .

The six Tiffany lamps in the sale sold for a combined total of $4,134,750 – almost 50% of the total for the entire sale of sixty-three lots. For the complete results of the sale, click https://www.christies.com/design-27820.aspx?lid=1&dt=231220181137&saletitle=

No shows until October 20, 2022, when we’ll exhibit at the Baltimore Art, Antique & Jewelry Show. Two weeks later we’ll exhibit at the Antiques + Modernism Show in Winnetka, IL, starting on November 4, 2022.

The market for Tiffany Studios lamps and glass is alive and well

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I am now publishing once a week, on Monday.

December is Design month, with every major and not-so-major auction house in the entire world holding a Design sale. My desk gets piled high with all the catalogs. It’s tough to keep track, but trends do appear. The most obvious is that the market for Tiffany Studios’ lamps, glass and objects is alive and well. Today I’ll only focus on the recent sale at Sotheby’s New York. I’ll write about other sales in the weeks to come.

Sotheby’s held a Dreaming in Glass: Masterworks by Tiffany and La Farge
sale on December 12, 2018, with total sales of $9,060,000. The majority of the 48 lots sold above their high estimates, with 100% selling.

Tiffany Trumpet Creeper table lamp, Sotheby’s lot #327

The top banana of the sale was lot #327, an important Trumper Creeper table lamp. It almost doubled its high estimate of $1,200,000, realizing $2,295,000, including buyer’s premium.

Tiffany Cypriote vase, Sotheby’s lot #319

Lot #319 was the top lot of the glass vases. It sold for $87,500, including buyer’s premium, against a pre-sale estimate of $30,000 – $50,000. The paperweight-technique vase had a thin layer of Cypriote decoration over clear glass.

John LaFarge window Dawn Comes on the Edge of Night

The one lot in the sale by John LaFarge was an important window entitled Dawn Comes on the Edge of Night. It sold near its high estimate of $700,000, realizing $765,000, including buyer’s premium.

For the complete results of the sale, click http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/2018/tiffany-dreaming-in-glass-n09958.html.

No shows until January 18, 2019, when we’ll exhibit at the Miami Antiques + Art + Design Show at the Miami Airport Convention Center (MACC). It precedes the Original Miami Beach Antiques Show.

I just listed some of the new items on my website and will list more every week. Click Philip Chasen Antiques to take a look. I will make every effort to actively list new items as often as time permits. 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.

Some good results at Toomey & Co.’s Tradition & Innovation auction, December 2, 2018

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I am now publishing once a week, on Monday.

Toomey & Co. held its Tradition & Innovation auction on December 2, 2018. Following are the results for some interesting lots by Grueby and Tiffany Studios.

Grueby vase, Toomey lot #13

Lot #13 was a rare Grueby 9″ x 9″, yellow, melon-shaped vase. I liked it and hoped to buy it, but it wasn’t meant to be. It sold for $18,750, including buyer’s premium, against a pre-sale estimate of $3,000 – $5,000. I knew it was nice, nonetheless I was surprised by the result.

Tiffany Studios Saxifrage candlestick, Toomey lot #17

Usually collectors want Tiffany Studios’ candlesticks in pairs, but not when it comes to Saxifrage. It’s rare and highly desirable, so single candlesticks sell well. This example, lot #17, sold for $23,750, including buyer’s premium, against a pre-sale estimate of $8,000 – $12,000

Tiffany Studios/Grueby lamp, Toomey lot #19

The other Tiffany Studios lot in the sale, lot #19, a combined lamp with a pottery base by Grueby, also did reasonably well. It sold within its estimate of $15,000 – $20,000, realizing $22,500, including buyer’s premium. This was one of those unusual examples where the base of the lamp was more valuable than the shade, as the base was two-color, with full flowers. (Most Grueby vases are one color.)  

For the complete results of the sale, click here.

No shows until January 18, 2019, when we’ll exhibit at the Miami Antiques + Art + Design Show at the Miami Airport Convention Center (MACC). It precedes the Original Miami Beach Antiques Show.

I’ll be listing new items soon, especially Tiffany desk set items, which make great Christmas gifts. Look for them soon.

I recently listed some of the new items on my website and will list more every week. Click Philip Chasen Antiques to take a look. I will make every effort to actively list new items as often as time permits. 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.

I recently bought and sold a wonderful original oil painting by Louis Icart

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I am now publishing once a week, on Monday.

The translation of the caption is Still life with grapes, pears and a bouquet of dahlias by Louis Icart

    • I recently bought and sold a beautiful, large (39″ x 51″), original Louis Icart oil painting, with impressive provenance. Louis Icart had given the painting to his wife as a gift. He inscribed it on the back of the canvas

Au Fanny. L.I. Au jardin des Hesperides

    • (To Fanny. L.I. In the garden of Hesperides), a reference to Greek mythology.

The owner had had personal interactions with Fanny when he was young.

I remembered Fanny from my young age, she passed away when I was 8. I used to meet Fanny each week-end, when visiting my grandmother. They used to be very good friends.

She was doing nice paintings, and loved to make fakes, I remembered a Picasso in the living room to turn to not be a real one when my grand mother passed away.

She was such a graceful lady, with a big sense of humour and a great painter.

It’s rare to find subject matter like this and even rarer to find any provenance. Most of Icart’s oil paintings include a young lady or two lounging about. If I couldn’t agree on a price with the buyer, I would gladly have hung it in my house. It was a privilege to own it for a short while.

Unfortunately I’m not at liberty to discuss the price as I sold it to a dealer, who in turn sold it to a collector.

Do you have any original oil paintings by Louis Icart? I’m interested in knowing about them and perhaps purchasing them. Please email me.

No shows until January 18, 2019, when we’ll exhibit at the Miami Antiques + Art + Design Show at the Miami Airport Convention Center (MACC). It precedes the Original Miami Beach Antiques Show.

I’ll be listing new items soon, especially Tiffany desk set items, which make great Christmas gifts. Look for them soon.

I recently listed some of the new items on my website and will list more every week. Click Philip Chasen Antiques to take a look. I will make every effort to actively list new items as often as time permits. 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.