Louis Icart oil paintings sell well at DuMouchelle’s, May 17, 2015

Posted on May 21, 2015 by Philip Chasen

My goal is to publish new posts twice a week — Mondays and Thursdays. However, if you don’t see a new post on Thursday, it’s because I was too busy, so please look for a new one the following Monday.

Icart oil painting Devant Le Feu, Dumouchelle lot #2051

The market for Louis Icart etchings has been weak for years, but that weakness did not extend to the sale of three Louis Icart oil paintings in DuMouchelle’s three-day general auction, May 15-17, 2015. The first of the three paintings, lot #2051, entitled Devant Le Feu (In Front of the Fire), came to the auction block with a fair estimate of $7,000 – $10,000. It almost doubled its low estimate, selling for $14,400, including buyer’s premium.

Icart oil painting Satyre, Satyr, DuMouchelle lot #2052

The next lot was the second Icart oil painting, entitled Satyre, Satyr (sp?), with a strong estimate of $15,000 – $20,000 (but it was the largest at 32″ x 25½”). It sold at the low estimate, yielding $18,000, including buyer’s premium.

Icart oil painting, untitled, DuMouchelle lot #2053

The best result came from the third Icart oil painting, of ballerinas (the best in my opinion). It doubled its low estimate of $7,000, to sell for $16,800, including buyer’s premium.

DuMouchelle’s is one of the few auction galleries that doesn’t post the results of previous sales, so there will be no link to the results of the sale.

In the meantime, we’re still in Paris looking for more treasures. I will do my best to find some time to post some of these purchases on my website, but so far it’s been difficult.

No shows until July, when we’ll be in Denver for the Denver World Wide Antique Show, at the Denver Mart, EXPO Building, 451 East 58th Avenue, July 24-26, 2015. I’ll always be in touch, even while we’re in Europe, so please don’t hesitate to email or call.

Click here to check my website for the latest items and to look around. 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.

A Thomas Webb & Sons English cameo covered jar led the way at Hindman’s 20th Century Decorative Arts sale, May 1, 2015

Posted on May 4, 2015 by Philip Chasen

Leslie Hindman Auctioneers held a 20th Century Decorative Arts sale on May 1, 2015. The offerings weren’t strong, but mixed in were some special items. As expected, they did well.

Superb Thomas Webb & Sons cameo jar, Hindman’s lot #25

Leading the way was a huge, 11½” tall, English cameo covered jar by Thomas Webb & Sons, with elaborate and exquisite carving. Mike Intihar, Hindman’s Senior Specialist, expected it to sell at or slightly above the high estimate of $50,000, but it performed much better. High quality items that are fresh to the market are a good bet to do well and this jar did not disappoint. It had not been for sale to the public since it was sold by Leo Kaplan Ltd. in New York in 1986. The public liked what it saw and bid it to $158,500, including buyer’s premium — a stupendous result almost three times what it was expected to fetch.

Tiffany Studios Empire Jewel table lamp, Hindman lot #144

A rare, but unattractive (to my eyes), Tiffany Studios Empire Jewel table lamp sold for the low estimate of $40,000, ($50,000 with buyer’s premium). It was very elaborate, with opalescent jewels and hundreds of tiny pieces of glass. Technically it was marvelous, but drab in person, especially the puce/gray/purple background. On the other hand it was authentic, large (22″ diameter), rare, yada yada yada. Attractive it wasn’t. Had the bidders asked me, I would have told them to save their money, but they never did. Whaaat??? (Said aloud, with emphasis.)

Fake Daum vase, Hindman lot #15

Surprisingly a couple of reproduction Daum vases, lots 14 and 15, slipped into the sale. The public knew better so neither vase sold.

For the complete results of the sale, click here.

We’re off to Paris this week, so the chances of a Thursday post are 50/50. We’re sure to come up with some goodies, so keep an eye on my site for the latest additions. No shows until July, when we’ll be in Denver for the Denver World Wide Antique Show, at the Denver Mart, EXPO Building, 451 East 58th Avenue, July 24-26, 2015. I’ll always be in touch, so please don’t hesitate to email or call.

Some strong results at Bonham’s Los Angeles 20th Century Decorative Arts sale, April 29, 2015

Posted on April 30, 2015 by Philip Chasen

Bonham’s Los Angeles held a 20th Century Decorative Arts sale yesterday, April 29, 2015. The offerings were more or less mediocre, but there were a few goodies mixed in — and they did well.

Bronze & ivory figure Thaïs by Demetre Chiparus, Bonham’s lot #288

Top lot of the sale was #288, an Art Deco bronze & ivory figure entitled Thaïs by Demetre Chiparus. It sold for $185,000, including buyer’s premium — near the pre-sale low estimate of $150,000. Apparently the recent problems created by new ivory regulations did not deter the bidders.

Martin Brothers bird, Bonham’s lot #224

The Martin Brothers market continued strong, as evidenced by lot #224, a large (12¾”), wildly grotesque bird tobacco jar. Collectors were willing to overlook its condition problems — several chips to the head and the rim and a missing wooden base. The bird flew well beyond the pre-sale estimate of $20,000 – $30,000 to realize $50,000, including buyer’s premium.

Marblehead Panther bowl, Bonham’s lot #214

The sale began with a nice collection of Marblehead pottery from the collection of the actor, Bruce Willis. Top lot of this group was a rare Panther bowl. It growled its way almost to the high estimate of $30,000, realizing $35,000, including buyer’s premium.

For the complete results of the sale, click here.

No shows until July, when we’ll be in Denver for the Denver World Wide Antique Show, at the Denver Mart, EXPO Building, 451 East 58th Avenue, July 24-26, 2015. In the meantime, we’ll be traveling in Europe. We’re sure to come up with some goodies, so keep an eye on my site for the latest additions. I’ll always be in touch, so please don’t hesitate to email or call.

Bonham’s New York sold Alan Turing’s Wartime Manuscript for $1,025,000, April 13, 2015

Posted on April 27, 2015 by Philip Chasen

Alan Turing

You may know of Alan Turing from history or the latest movie about him, The Imitation Game, starring Benedict Cumberbatch. In a nutshell, Alan Turing is considered by many to be the father of modern computing. His work during WW II helped the Allies break the German Enigma codes and speed the end of the war.

A page from the manuscript

On Monday, April 13, 2015, Bonham’s New York sold an original, hand-written manuscript by Alan Turing — the only known example. The 56 pages of mathematical notes on logic were probably written in 1944. The auction house did not disclose a pre-auction estimate in their catalog, but it was available as “Estimate on request”. It sold for $1,025,000, including buyer’s premium — probably helped by the publicity from the movie.

For the complete results of the sale, click here.

An unexpected result at Leland Little’s Fine & Decorative Arts auction, March 14, 2015

Posted on March 16, 2015 by Philip Chasen

OK, I lied. I said no posts this week because we’re on vacation, but I did have time to write this quick one.

Tiffany Studios charger, Little lot #590

Leland Little held a Fine & Decorative Arts auction on March 14, 2015. Included in the sale was lot #590, a 12″ diameter Tiffany Studios bronze charger with enameled decoration. It sold for a whopping $13,310, against a pre-sale estimate of $200 – $400.

So what gives? How could a plain-looking charger bring so much money? Easy. First, it was fresh to the market since the 1960s, when it was purchased from Lillian Nassau. Nice, but not key. The key was the signature, “L.C. Tiffany, 196 A-Coll.” Items marked “A-Coll.” were in Louis Comfort Tiffany’s personal collection — oooh, now I understand!

For the complete results of the sale, click here.

We’re vacationing this week. We’ll be back in time for our next show, next week at the NYC Pier Antique Show, March 28-29, 2015.

The results of the Louis Daniel Brodsky Collection of Art Nouveau at Leslie Hindman Auctioneers, February 22, 2015

Posted on March 12, 2015 by Philip Chasen

Leslie Hindman Auctioneers held their Louis Daniel Brodsky Collection of Art Nouveau sale on February 22, 2015, selling the estate of the late poet. Results were good, with sales totaling $1,049,319, against pre-sale estimates of $437,570 – $693,430. All 347 lots sold, for a 100% sell-through rate. Phone and online bidders from 15 countries vied with the audience in the full saleroom.

Emile Gallé marquetry cabinet, Hindman lot #42

Two furniture lots tied at $35,000 for top lot of the sale — #20, a French Art Nouveau rosewood vitrine, against a pre-sale estimate of $8,000 – $12,000 and #42, an Émile Gallé marquetry cabinet, against a pre-sale estimate of $5,000 – $7,000.

Early Gallé Crystallerie vase, Hindman lot #2

Brodsky favored early Gallé glass — clear Crystallerie with hand-painted motifs. Top lot of this group was #2, an interesting rectangular vase with flowers and two praying mantises. It sold for $10,625 — double the high estimate of $5,000.

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, poster, Divan Japonais, Hindman lot #99

Of the posters that Brodsky collected, lot 99, a Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec example, entitled Divan Japonais, 1892-93, sold for $30,000, against a pre-sale estimate of $10,000 – $20,000.

For the complete results of the sale, click here.

Now for a little down time and a lovely vacation. We’ll be back in time for our next show, the NYC Pier Antique Show, March 28-29, 2015.

Good results at Sotheby’s New York 20th Century Design sale, March 4, 2015

Posted on March 5, 2015 by Philip Chasen

Sotheby’s New York held its 20th Century Design sale on March 4, 2015, with good results. Sales totaled $2,621,379 for the 218 lots offered. Of those, 168 lots sold, for an average of $15,603. 50 lots failed to reach reserve and did not sell. Considering the selection was weaker than the main sales in June and December, the results were impressive.

Tiffany Studios 7-light lily lamp with decorated shades, Sotheby’s lot #11

Lot #11 was one of the better Tiffany lamps — a 7-light lily with decorated shades. Most lily lamps have gold shades, so it was nice to find an example with unusual shades. The lamp was in nice condition, except for one mismatched gold decorated shade (visible in the rear). Regardless, it sold for $40,625, including buyer’s premium, against a pre-sale estimate of $12,000 — $18,000.

Steuben red decorated vase, Sotheby’s lot #18

Several lots of Steuben glass crossed the block, with #18, a fine red decorated vase, selling well. It brought $11,250, against an estimate of $7,000 — $9,000.

Rare Daum Dragonfly lamp, Sotheby’s lot #46

I didn’t like lot #46, a rare Daum Dragonfly lamp, so I didn’t bid. The shade didn’t match the base well and I had a suspicion the base was shortened. I also had doubts about the authenticity and originality of the hardware — it just didn’t look right to me. However, the bidders didn’t ask my opinion first, and pushed the lamp to $43,750, against a pre-sale estimate of $20,000 — $30,000.

For the complete results of the sale, click here.

Now we’ll slow down until our next show, the NYC Pier Antique Show, March 28-29, 2015. In the meantime, I can see a nice vacation in our near future. 🙂

Fontaine knocks it out of the park at his 2/28/2015 auction

Posted on March 2, 2015 by Philip Chasen

Fontaine's Auction Gallery, Pittsfield, MA

The nature of live auctions has changed with the advent of the Internet. It used to be that most auctions were attended by many people. For some it was the Saturday night entertainment. Today, most auctions are lightly attended, but not neglected. The action comes from the Internet and the telephones. It’s now possible to bid live from anywhere on the planet, at almost any auction, with an Internet connection. And that’s exactly what happened at Fontaine’s Auction Gallery on Saturday, February 28, 2015. There weren’t many people in attendance, but items sold well even with light in-house bidding. The phones and the Internet took up all the slack. What was different for us is that we were in attendance. We rarely attend live auctions anymore. I forgot what torture it is to sit through a six-hour auction in a fairly uncomfortable chair. We decided to attend this auction because Fontaine put together a great sale, with lots of fresh, important merchandise. It’s always best to inspect items in person, as many appear better (or worse) than the photos.

Tiffany Moorish chandelier, Fontaine lot #163

It seemed that almost everything went above high estimate — some way above high estimate. Take lot #163, a Tiffany Moorish chandelier, estimated to sell for $20,000 – $30,000. It realized $133,100, including buyer’s premium — over four times the high estimate. It was a rare, beautiful chandelier with turtleback tiles and Favrile glass balls, matching the design of original Tiffany Studios’ chandeliers from the Belasco Theater in New York City.

Beautiful red Tiffany Favrile mini vase, Fontaine lot #178

I tried to buy a stunning Tiffany red decorated mini vase, Fontaine lot #178, but was unsuccessful. It realized $9,982.50, against a pre-sale estimate of $6,000 – $8,000 — too much for a dealer, but fair for a collector.

Great set of Steuben #202 shades, Fontaine lot #205

Top lot of the art glass shades was #205, a rare Steuben set (Roberts #202). Estimated to sell for $1,000 – $2,000, it realized $5,989.50.

For the complete results of the sale, click here.

Now we’ll slow down until our next show, the NYC Pier Antique Show, March 28-29, 2015. In the meantime, I can see a nice vacation in our near future. 🙂

French glass sells well at Doyle New York’s Belle Epoque sale, February 18, 2015

Posted on February 26, 2015 by Philip Chasen

Doyle New York held its Belle Epoque sale on February 18, 2015. Included in the sale were two interesting collections of French glass — Schneider glass from the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and Gallé glass from the estate of Erica Lemle Amsterdam. Both groups of glass sold well.

A Schneider applied floral vase, Doyle lot #302

Top lot of the museum’s Schneider glass collection was #302, an important applied floral vase. Estimated very conservatively at $1,000 – $1,500, it soared to $5,938, including buyer’s premium.

Gallé Crystallerie decanter, Doyle lot #333

An early Gallé Crystallerie decanter depicting a Renaissance Queen was the best performing lot of the Erica Lemle Amsterdam estate collection. It realized $12,500, five times its pre-sale high estimate of $2,500.

For the complete results of the sale, click here. Then choose Belle Epoque from the drop-down list and click “View”.

Now we’ll slow down until our next show, the NYC Pier Antique Show, March 28-29, 2015. In the meantime, I can see a nice vacation in our near future. 🙂

Bonham’s New York had a good 20th Century Decorative Arts auction, Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Posted on December 22, 2014 by Philip Chasen

Bonham’s New York held its 20th Century Decorative Arts auction on Tuesday, December 16, 2014, a day ahead of Sotheby’s. The sale was fairly small, with total sales of $1,136,534, for the 95 of 166 lots that sold. Many of the unsold lots were radios, which skewed the results. Tiffany lamps were a large contributor to the total.

Tiffany Floral Bouquet chandelier, Bonham’s lot #52

Leading the sale was a beautiful Tiffany Floral Bouquet chandelier, which easily exceeded its high estimate of $120,000, realizing $197,000, including buyer’s premium.

Webb perfume bottles, Bonham’s lot #7

Lot #7, two Webb lay-down perfume bottles, was a nice surprise. It soared past the pre-sale estimate of $1,500 – $2,000, to realize $21,250, including buyer’s premium. To be fair, the pre-sale estimate was quite low, and the quality was high. Mice are rare subject matter, the detail was superb, and the lids were 14K gold, instead of the usual sterling silver.

It was nice to see two sales in a row where Tiffany Studios lamps and glass sold well. It appears that the poor results at Christie’s sale were just an anomaly.

For the complete results of the sale, click here.

I’ll be spending the next month looking for treasures to bring to Florida for our southern circuit. So far the buying has been great, so look for lots of new goodies to be listed on my website soon. The Florida shows begin with the Miami National Antiques Show on January 24, 2015.

Philip Chasen Antiques

The blog for chasenantiques.com

Category Archives: Auctions

Louis Icart oil paintings sell well at DuMouchelle’s, May 17, 2015

A Thomas Webb & Sons English cameo covered jar led the way at Hindman’s 20th Century Decorative Arts sale, May 1, 2015

Some strong results at Bonham’s Los Angeles 20th Century Decorative Arts sale, April 29, 2015

Bonham’s New York sold Alan Turing’s Wartime Manuscript for $1,025,000, April 13, 2015

An unexpected result at Leland Little’s Fine & Decorative Arts auction, March 14, 2015

The results of the Louis Daniel Brodsky Collection of Art Nouveau at Leslie Hindman Auctioneers, February 22, 2015

Good results at Sotheby’s New York 20th Century Design sale, March 4, 2015

Fontaine knocks it out of the park at his 2/28/2015 auction

French glass sells well at Doyle New York’s Belle Epoque sale, February 18, 2015

Bonham’s New York had a good 20th Century Decorative Arts auction, Tuesday, December 16, 2014