I will do my best to publish a new post every Monday.

---

Very few authentic Tiffany Studios lamps come up for sale in Europe, but occasionally one does. Aguttes, a French auction house, sold one on March 24, 2022 in their 20th Century Design sale. The lamp was a rare 16″ diameter Grapevine shade on a Bamboo base; a strange combination, in my opinion, but apparently original as presented.

Figuring out the value of this lamp was difficult because there were no comparisons with the usual suspects; Tiffany floral, leaded lamps. This one was built with six green glass bent panels and overlaid with Grapevine filigree. Who could I sell this lamp to? Most probably a collector of the Grapevine desk set who had the means to pay for it; i.e., a small subset of Tiffany lamp buyers. Seems like caution should have been my operative word.

I did my due diligence by getting a condition report. The shade was unsigned; a negative, but not a deal breaker. The base was a very good model, but usually seen with a matching Bamboo shade. The condition was superb, including the glass panels and the patina on both the shade and base. The sockets had been changed to European; a negative because of the cost of changing them back to American. I had to weigh it all in determining what I was willing to pay.

Selling as lot #34, it had an estimate of €6,000 – €8,000. I decided to bid up to €12,000, but got carried away when the bidding passed that. I dropped out at about €15,000. It sold for €19,500, including buyer’s premium; approximately $21,418. I was the underbidder. I don’t think I would have been the buyer even if I had gone a little higher. The other bidder seemed determined.

And so it goes. You win some and you lose some. I’ll keep searching. If you have any Tiffany lamps for sale, please think of me.

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.

---

Let me know what interests you, even if you don’t see it on my website. I’ve got lots of items that I haven’t listed yet and I know how to locate what you desire.

I 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 will do my best to publish a new post every Monday.

Bonham’s, the UK’s third-largest auction house after Sotheby’s and Christie’s, has decided to expand its reach within the United States with the purchase of the venerable Massachusetts-based auction house, Skinner Inc. I shouldn’t have been surprised, but I was. I’ve been buying at Skinner’s for decades, and remember Mr. Skinner. I shouldn’t have been surprised as Bonham’s bought Butterfield’s Auction in California in 2002. Now I’m curious about some other auction houses, like Doyle New York, for example. If they’re acquired, it will no longer be a surprise.

Click on the following link for Bonham’s announcement.

P.S. Bonham’s is trying to become a powerhouse. On March 22nd, Bonham’s purchased another auction house, this time Denmark’s leading auction house, Bruun Rasmussen. Click here for the announcement.

---

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.

---

Let me know what interests you, even if you don’t see it on my website. I’ve got lots of items that I haven’t listed yet and I know how to locate what you desire.

I 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 will do my best to publish a new post every Monday.

---

I said I would devote an entire blog post to a single lamp that I sold a few weeks ago. So here it is.

I did a complicated deal with a couple of real gentlemen in Canada. Many items came my way and a few items went their way. The best of the lot coming my way was a Tiffany Studios 20″ diameter Acorn chandelier. Yes, that’s not a typo. The lamp had all the original hardware from the day it was made into a chandelier.

It was filthy, but you could see the color was great and the condition was excellent. The sky blue at the top was dramatic and the rust-red at the bottom was gorgeous, as was the transitional glass in the middle. It would have been difficult to sell as a chandelier, so I had my restorer remove the hanging hardware and I put it on a proper, original base with a great patina, original cap, etc. Now it’s a stunning table lamp. I have no doubt that Mr. Tiffany himself would have approved.

I debated and debated whether to keep it for my private collection or sell it. Selling won out, but I definitely have my regrets. It sold to the first client I offered it to. My wife is not happy with my decision. I’ll never get another one like it, but now it’s water under the bridge.

---

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.

---

Let me know what interests you, even if you don’t see it on my website. I’ve got lots of items that I haven’t listed yet and I know how to locate what you desire.

I 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 will do my best to publish a new post every Monday.

---

Doyle New York sold the mostly French glass collection of Dr. Thomas Chua on March 4, 2022. Sales totaled $435,111, more than double the pre-sale estimate of $124,150-184,650. Spirited bidding pushed the sell-through rate to 98%. Following are a few of the highlights.

The top lot of the sale was #89; and hard to explain. The only thing special about it were the internal foil specks. The colors were mostly undesirable brown and green. The shape was nice, with a pinched-in rim, but nothing special. The size was small at 4½”. Yet it sold for $13,860, including buyer’s premium, against an estimate of $700 – $1,000. I probably wouldn’t have bought it even if had only brought $1,500. Like I’ve said before, sometimes bidders have more cents than sense.

Chat (Cat) decoration in Le Verre Francais is one of the rarest and most desirable. Lot #145 was a sterling example, with a great shape and superb color. At 10″ tall, it was a wonderful example. It sold for $11,610, including buyer’s premium, against a ridiculously low estimate of $300 – $400. I don’t buy much Le Verre Francais nowadays as I exhibit at very few shows. But if I did exhibit at more shows, I probably would have bought this vase.

There were only a few offerings by Tiffany Studios. Lot #183 was a so-so example of a Favrile glass floor lamp. It had nice color and ribbing in the shade, but there were quite a few chips on the fitter rim. The base had an unattractive statuary bronze doré finish. It was loose and needed help. It sold for $10,080, including buyer’s premium, against an estimate of $3,000 – $4,000. Seems about right. It would have sold for thousands more if the shade were in perfect condition and the base had a nicer finish.

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.

---

Let me know what interests you, even if you don’t see it on my website. I’ve got lots of items that I haven’t listed yet and I know how to locate what you desire.

I 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.