Clars Auction Gallery, Oakland, CA, held a 3-day Furniture, Fine Art, Jewelry and Timepieces, Asian Art auction, June 15-17, 2019. Included in the sale was a very fine leaded lamp by Morgan & Sons, Brooklyn, NY, 18″ diameter x 24″ tall. It sold for $19,680, including buyer’s premium, against a pre-sale estimate of $10,000 – $15,000. I was interested in the lamp, but not willing to pay the price, so I declined to bid. The lamp also needed some attention as one of the flowers had come loose from the lamp and will have to be re-leaded.
Morgan & Sons used techniques in their leaded lamps that differed from their competitors like Tiffany Studios. First they bent the glass, which took a lot of time, effort and skill. Then they hand-painted the flowers on the individual tiles of glass and fired them in a kiln, making the decorations permanent. Ultimately the shade was leaded together in the manner of Tiffany, but only after 1903, when Tiffany’s patent on the technique expired. Then they coupled the shade with a complementary organic base, creating a unique and magnificent lamp.
Other similar examples of Morgan lamps were sold over the years at James D. Julia Auctions, ranging from $6,792 – $23,000. Click here for Julia’s results.