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Morphy Auctions, Denver, PA, held a Fine & Decorative Arts sale on July 14-15, 2020. Day 1 was a general auction with watches, silver, paintings and orientalia. Day 2 was more interesting for me with art glass and lamps, among other items. Following are a few of the more interesting results from Day 2. Sales totaled over $3.3 million for the entire sale.

An attractive, but not killer, Tiffany Studios 17″ diameter Dragonfly table sold for $44,100, including buyer’s premium, against an estimate of $20,000 – $30,000, a nice result. I tried to buy it, but it was just out of range for a dealer, but not for a collector.

Morphy offered a very nice selection of Handel reverse-painted table lamps. The top lot of the group, #2165, a Poppy, multi-floral lamp sold for $30,750, at the low end of the $25,000 – $40,000 estimate. Unfortunately the Handel market peaked decades ago, with values today at about 35-50% of the peak. They’re just as beautiful today as they were then, just not as valuable.

There was a dearth of good French cameo glass at the sale, so not much to report there. In the American glass category, a very nice Tiffany Favrile paperweight vase sold just below its low estimate of $10,000, realizing $10,455, including buyer’s premium.

Morphy sold quite a few English cameo glass perfume bottles. The star of this section of the sale was lot #2012, a Webb laydown bottle in the form of a falcon. It sold well above its high estimate of $4,000, realizing $7,380, including buyer’s premium.

Included in the sale was a large, high-quality collection of Amphora pottery. The top lot of this section of the sale went to #2392, an important Dragon vase. It sold for almost 5 times its high estimate of $8,000, realizing $40,590, including buyer’s premium. That had to put a smile on the consignor’s face.

For the complete results of the sale click here.

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The John Atzbach Collection of historic automobiles and memorabilia was sold by Mecum Auctions on July 10-18, 2020 in Indianapolis, IN.

As expected, the highlight of the entire auction was the sale of the 1965 competition Shelby GT350 R-Model. It was anticipated that it would sell for upwards of $2 million and it didn’t disappoint. The final price of $3.85 million, including buyer’s premium, set the record for the most valuable Mustang in history.

The second highest price of the sale was achieved by a 1966 Shelby GT350, one of only 4 convertibles built that year. It realized $1,100,000, including buyer’s premium.

The top Lamborghini of the sale went to a 1967 400 GT 2+2, unrestored with 28,000 original miles. It sold for $363,000, including buyer’s premium. To put that in perspective, five Shelbys sold for more.

The top lot of the 1,300 lots of memorabilia went to an enormous, 138″ x 90″, early 1960s, COBRA POWERED BY FORD banner, hand-signed by Carroll Shelby. It realized $53,100, including buyer’s premium.

For the complete results of the sale, click here. You won’t be able to see a thing until you sign in (free).

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Heritage Auctions, Dallas, TX, held an American Art sale on July 1, 2020. The sale was diverse and included some works of American Illustration, many of which sold well above their high estimates. Auctions in general have been doing well since the pandemic began, I suppose partially because people are spending more time on the Internet.

Three of the top four lots of the sale were American illustrations. The second highest price of the sale went to Norman Rockwell. His Grandfather and Grandson, commissioned by the Dixon Ticonderoga Company in 1929, sold for a disappointing $447,000, including buyer’s premium, against an estimate of $500,000 – $700,000. Apparently his magazine cover illustrations are more in demand. Saying Grace, the cover of the Saturday Evening Post in 1951, sold for $46 million at a Sotheby’s auction in 2013.

The first lot of the sale, #67001, a black and white painting by Frederic Remington entitled Water!, was also the third best selling lot of the sale. It realized $300,000, including buyer’s premium, against an estimate of $120,000 – $180,000.

An unpublished cover painting by J.C. Leyendecker for the Saturday Evening Post, entitled New Year’s Baby Hitching to War, New Year’s Day, 1943, Heritage lot #68163, sold for almost triple its high estimate of $80,000, realizing $275,000, including buyer’s premium. Wow! Curtis Publishing never used the image because it was deemed too unsympathetic to the mothers of America whose sons were heading off to war. Apparently being unpublished did not diminish the enthusiasm for this lot.

For the complete results of the sale click here. You will have to sign in (free) to see the prices realized.

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Happy 4th of July! I hope you’re using your masks and taking proper precautions. This COVID-19 nonsense is not going away until we get an effective vaccine. So buckle your seat belts for the long haul.

I’ve been pretty busy, considering that I’m stuck at home and not doing any shows. Business has been surprisingly good. I’ve been selling quite a bit and buying accordingly.

Following are a few of the many examples I’ve just listed on my website. First is a rare and very desirable Tiffany Studios Spider table lamp. This lamp came from a one-owner home in New Hampshire. Never touched by human hands as a good friend likes to say about virgin items. I sent it to my restorer to be professionally rewired and now it’s ready to go into your home.

Second is a magnificent Daum Nancy vase with Datura flowers. They don’t grow in the Northeast, so I was unfamiliar with them. I do know they’re very showy, beautiful flowers. The vase has extensive gilding at the top and bottom making it exceptional, especially at 12″ tall. Next up is a rare, superb blue Tiffany Tel el Amarna vase. Blue is the second rarest color, after red. This example comes with its original gilded bronze base. Tiffany ground a button on the bottom of the vase to fit perfectly into the bronze holder. It’s fully signed on both the glass and the bronze. What a special vase!

I’ve posted more than these three items on my website, so please go and have a look. I’ll be posting more every day this week. If any of the items are of interest to you, I’ll be happy to supply more information or photos.

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