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Christie’s New York held a Design sale on June 4, 2019 with total sales of $14,038,250. 77 of the 96 lots offered for sale sold, for an impressive average of $182,315. Included in the sale were several lamps by Tiffany Studios, the topic of today’s post.

The selection of Tiffany lamps was small and decent quality, but not exceptional. The top lot of the group was #12, a 20″ diameter Pond Lily table lamp on a Twisted Vine base. It sold below its low estimate of $100,000, realizing $106,250, including buyer’s premium.

The second highest price for a Tiffany lamp went to lot #15, a 17″ diameter Dragonfly table lamp on a rare matching Dragonfly base with mosaic tiles. It too sold below its low estimate of $100,000, realizing $100,000, including buyer’s premium. Even though the base was rare, the shade didn’t have much pizzazz.

After viewing the catalog, I really wanted to buy lot #17. The 10 green shades were quite rare and beautiful. My goal was to buy the lamp and put the shades on a patina 10-light lily base, which would have looked much better. However, after inspecting the lamp in person, I decided not to bid at all. The shades looked great in the photo, but they didn’t match very well in person and had some original flaws in workmanship I found objectionable. So without my participation, the lamp sold for $43,750, including buyer’s premium, against a pre-sale estimate of $15,000 – $20,000. My participation really didn’t matter because I wouldn’t have paid that price.

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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.

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I’m so busy that I miss more than a few opportunities to buy good items at fair prices. Recently there have been several auctions where some really wonderful items sold for very good prices, but I missed many of them, including Bonham’s Modern Design | Art sale on April 24, 2019.

Lot #26 was a gorgeous, large, 24″ diameter, Duffner & Kimberly table lamp with intense red poppies, easily worth in the $15,000 – $20,000 range. It sold for $10,000, including buyer’s premium, against a pre-sale estimate of $3,000 – $5,000. It was incorrectly catalogued as a generic American table lamp.

Lot #5 was a high glaze Newcomb College ceramic plate with incised floral decoration, early, from 1913. It sold for $1,402, including buyer’s premium, below the pre-sale estimate of $1,500 – $2,000. I could have easily sold it for double, possibly more.

I was also interested in a very nice Grueby 2-color vase, Bonham’s lot #7. I wouldn’t have been the buyer as it sold for $13,825, including buyer’s premium, against a pre-sale estimate of $5,000 – $8,000.

For the complete results of the sale, click here.

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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.

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Sotheby’s New York held a Dreaming in Glass sale on May 23, 2019. The sale was small, 41 lots, but consisted entirely of important Tiffany Studios lamps and glass. Total sales were $4,088,250 for the 36 lots that sold.

The cover lot, #214, a Tiffany Fish and Waves table lamp, the most important lot in the sale, did not sell, against an estimate of $1,000,000 — $1,500,000. I guess the estimate was a bit too aggressive.

The top lot of the sale was #211, a Tiffany Studios Elaborate Peony floor lamp, formerly in the collection of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr. It sold for $692,000, including buyer’s premium, at the low end of the estimated range of $600,000 — $800,000.

Lot #206, a Tiffany Studios Peacock box, achieved an astonishing result, selling for $87,500, against a pre-sale estimate of $8,000 — $12,000. I loved the box, but didn’t even bother to bid because I knew I had no chance of buying it. It was very rare and very beautiful.

Click here for the complete results of the sale.

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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.

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Rago Auctions held an Early 20th C. Design sale on May 18, 2019. Included in the sale was a varied selection of Tiffany Studios lamps, glass and desk accessories. The following post will cover only those items.

Lot #1107 was a rare Tiffany Studios 20″ diameter Harvard table lamp. I thought it would sell for more than it did because it was rare and fresh-to-the-market. It did just okay, selling within its estimate of $30,000 – $40,000, realizing $36,250, including buyer’s premium. My feeling is that it was so specialized that there weren’t as many buyers as for a floral or dragonfly table lamp.

Lot #1100, a Tiffany Studios 12-light lily lamp, sold fairly well. It realized $26,250, against an estimate of $15,000 – $20,000. The shades were nice, with some minor chips to fitters and some corrosion problems to the the base.

Rago Auction wasn’t sure of the authenticity of lot #1115, but I assured them prior to the sale that it was correct. It sold very well, realizing $21,250, including buyer’s premium, against an estimate of $4,500 – $6,500. It brought that strong price even with a serious condition problem as stated in their report: Tight, subtle, curving hairline from rim to shoulder, approx. 7 1/2″ in length. A few minor flecks to inner edge of rim.

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Click here for the complete results of the sale.

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.