Category Archives: Auctions

French cameo glass sells well at John Moran Antiques & Decorative Arts Auction | March 6, 2012

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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.

John Moran held an Antiques & Decorative Arts Auction at the Pasadena Convention Center in Pasadena, California on March 6, 2012. Included in the sale were a few outstanding lots of French cameo glass.

Fine Emile Gallé lamp, John Moran lot #1058

Lot 1058 was a medium-sized Gallé lamp with red prunus blossoms on a yellow background, 14″ tall. The color, quality and condition were all excellent. Expected to sell for only $2,000 – $3,000, it roared past the estimate to sell for $13,100, including buyer’s premium. The estimate was very low, letting everyone know the lamp was there to be sold. Smart auctioneers put low estimates because they generate better interest and results.

Rare Daum Nancy Prairie vase, John Moran lot #1059

The next lot was a very rare and desirable Daum Nancy vase with Prairie decoration. Prairie vases are beautiful and very difficult to find. This example had excellent color and workmanship, but was a little small at 4¾”. Also for some inexplicable reason, it was unsigned. Daum signed almost everything, so it’s hard to explain why this one was unsigned. With a realistic pre-sale estimate of $5,000 – $7,000, it sold for $12,000, including buyer’s premium — double the low estimate. I was interested in purchasing it, but couldn’t pay more without a signature. My guess is that it probably would have sold for over $15,000 if it had been signed.

Fine Daum Nancy scenic creamer, John Moran lot #1060

I’m not sure why a small Daum Nancy creamer was estimated at $6,000 – $9,000. It had outstanding decoration and color but should only have been estimated for $2,000 – $3,000. By my standards it did very well, selling for $6,000, including the buyer’s premium. By their estimation, it didn’t do very well, selling below the low estimate. (Remember the estimate is without the buyer’s premium.)

For the complete listing of the auction, click on the following link. John Moran auction listings. My guess is they’ll have the results listed in a few days.

Our next show is coming very soon — the Pier Show in New York City on the weekend of March 17th and 18th. You don’t have a lot of time, so plan your trip now. Make it a business/pleasure trip and have a great time in the Big Apple!

In the meantime, we’re still in business, so don’t be bashful. Call or write!
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Fine Tiffany Studios millifiori vase

Look around my website. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps. I regularly add Tiffany vases, lamps and desk accessories, as well as French cameo glass by Galle and Daum Nancy and Louis Icart etchings. Here’s the link. chasenantiques.com

Gil Elvgren leads again at Heritage Illustration Art Signature Auction in Beverly Hills, CA, March 1-2, 2012

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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. Thursday’s post will be about some very good French cameo glass sales at a recent auction.

Heritage Auctions held a successful auction of Illustration Art in Beverly Hills, CA, on March 1st and 2nd, 2012. Total sales exceeded $3,000,000, with a sell-through rate of 98%.

Gil Elvgren, Vision of Beauty (Unveiling), Heritage lot #78117

Top lot of the sale was #78117, an oil on canvas illustration by Gil Elvgren, entitled Vision of Beauty (Unveiling), from 1947. It sold for $140,500, against a pre-sale estimate of $50,000 – $75,000 — almost double the high estimate. Fourteen works by Elvgren were offered, with eleven of them pin-up paintings. Six of those sold for over $50,000, raising the average selling price for Elvgren to $55,915 — far and away the best for any artist in the sale.

Cover illustration for Spicy Adventure Stories by Hugh Joseph Ward, 1937, Heritage lot #78321

The highest price paid for a non-Elvgren painting was $62,500, for a 1937 oil on canvas cover illustration for Spicy Adventure Stories by Hugh Joseph Ward. The selling price was almost double the high estimate of $35,000.

Dean Cornwell painting On Target- Let's Finish the Job, Heritage lot #78075

A Body by Fisher/General Motors oil on canvas advertisement by Dean Cornwell, from 1945, entitled On Target- Let’s Finish the Job, did very well. It quadrupled its high estimate of $9,000 to sell for $37,500.

Dean Cornwell study, Raleigh Receiving the Charter, Heritage lot #78592

At the other end of the sale, prices started as low as $28 for a portrait of Mrs. Brunner, circa 1950, by Frederick Sands Brunner. In fact, there were 48 items that sold for $100 or less. You could even buy an original work by an important artist like Dean Cornwell, Raleigh Receiving the Charter, for $687.50. Granted it was small — 10½” x 6½”, a pen and watercolor on paper study, and unsigned, but it was still a bargain.

For the complete results of the auction, click on the following link. Heritage Illustration auction results.

Our next show is coming very soon — the Pier Show in New York City on the weekend of March 17th and 18th. You don’t have a lot of time, so plan your trip now. Make it a business/pleasure trip and have a great time in the Big Apple!

In the meantime, we’re still in business, so don’t be bashful. Call or write!
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Fine Tiffany Studios millifiori vase

Look around my website. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps. I regularly add Tiffany vases, lamps and desk accessories, as well as French cameo glass by Galle and Daum Nancy and Louis Icart etchings. Here’s the link. chasenantiques.com

Great results for Louis Icart and the rest of the Milhous Collection at RM Auctions, February 24-25, 2012

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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.

The auction is underway

RM Auctions, in association with Sotheby’s, held an auction of the Milhous Collection of musical instruments, cars and collectibles, at the Milhous Museum in Boca Raton, Florida on February 24th and 25th, 2012. The auction was strong, with individual eye-popping results. Total sales were $38.3 million with 100% of the items selling – a superb result.

The museum was not open to the public, but I had the privilege of visiting about 15 years ago, when I sold five Louis Icart etchings to Paul Milhous. Wow, what a museum — filled with classic antique automobiles and the most amazing selection of meticulously restored orchestrions, assembled from all over the world. The music was fantastic, just like the best merry-go-round you’ve ever been on.

Original Louis Icart etching - Leda and the Swan, RM Auctions lot #364

Louis Icart etchings were a tiny part of the auction, but since I sold them to him, I’m mentioning them first. I’m happy to report they all did great! When was the last time you heard of superb prices for Louis Icart etchings at auction? It’s been a while. I hope this is the start of a new leg up in the market. Lot #364 was Leda and the Swan. It sold for a whopping $21,850, against a pre-sale estimate of $5,000-$7,000. Other great Icart results were Lilies, $9,200; Orchids, $9,200; Speed II, $7,475; and Waltz Echoes, $8,625. If you would like to purchase any of the same etchings, framed in the same 24K gold leaf frames, for a fraction of the price, please contact me. 516-922-2090 or philchasen@gmail.com.

1912 Limited Five-Passenger Touring Oldsmobile, RM Auctions lot #823

Top lot of the auction was a 1912 Limited Five-Passenger Touring Oldsmobile, sold as lot #823. It doubled its pre-sale estimate of $1,400,000-$1,600,000, to sell for $3,300,000.

1903 Ruth Style 38-B Fair Organ, RM Auctions lot #784

The top orchestrion in the sale was lot #784, a 1903 Ruth Style 38-B Fair Organ by A. Ruth & Söhne from Waldkirch, Germany. It sold for $1,265,000, within the pre-sale estimate of $1,000,000-$1,200,000. On a personal note, I tried buying one of the player pianos, but prices were too strong for me. Drats!

For the complete results of this extraordinary auction, click on the following link. The Milhous Collection results.

Our next show is the Pier Show in New York City on the weekend of March 17th and 18th. It’s always fun, so start planning your trip to the Big Apple!

In the meantime, we’re still in business, so don’t be bashful. Call or write!
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Very fine Daum blownout scenic vase with wheel-carved detail

Look around my website. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps. I regularly add Tiffany vases, lamps and desk accessories, as well as French cameo glass by Galle and Daum Nancy and Louis Icart etchings. Here’s the link. chasenantiques.com

Some smoking results for Tiffany Studios and French cameo glass at Doyle’s Belle Epoque auction, February 8, 2012

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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. Setup for the important Palm Beach Jewelry, Art and Antique Show starts on Thursday, February 16th, so I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to post this Thursday, but I’ll try.

Doyle New York held their Belle Epoque sale on Wednesday, February 8th, 2012. There were some fine items in the sale, including Daum vases, a Gallé lamp, Tiffany vases and a rare Tiffany Studios settee. They all did well, but the settee was on fire (well, not literally). The sale totaled $1,775,439, against a pre-sale estimate of $964,100 – $1,456,900, with 86% sold by lot and 95% sold by value.

Rare Tiffany Studios settee, Doyle lot #439

Top lot of the sale was #439, a Tiffany Studios settee, circa 1890-91, from the music room of the Louisine and Henry Osborne Havemeyer mansion in New York. Estimated to sell for $125,000 – $175,000, it soared to $422,500, including buyer’s premium. All you need to get similar results is to consign your rare Tiffany Studios objects that descended in your family from the 19th century. (Good luck with that!)

Tiffany paperweight vase, Doyle lot #437

The most important Tiffany Favrile vase in the auction, lot #437, was a calla lily paperweight vase, 16½” tall, that sold for $40,625, four times its $10,000-15,000 low estimate.

Rare wheel-carved Daum vase with silver mounts, Doyle lot #391

A fine Daum vase, lot #391, also had a great day. The vase was decorated with vivid blue cornflowers, wheel-carved and with an elaborate silver floral foot (probably original). Against a conservative estimate of $3,500 – $4,500, it shot to $22,500, including buyer’s premium.

Fine Gallé table lamp, Doyle lot #413

Gallé was well represented with a gorgeous purple and yellow clematis lamp, lot #413. It more than doubled its pre-sale estimate of $12,000 – $18,000, to sell for $37,500.

For the complete results of the sale, click on the following link. Doyle’s Belle Epoque results.
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There’s only one more show for us in Florida and that’s the important Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show this coming weekend. It opens to the public this Saturday, February 18th, at 11 AM and continues until Tuesday, February 21st at 6 PM. It has some of the best dealers in the world exhibiting.

In the meantime, we’re still in business, so don’t be bashful. Call or write!
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Incredible Daum egg with swan decoration, 5½ inches long

Look around my website. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps. I regularly add Tiffany vases, lamps and desk accessories, as well as French cameo glass by Galle and Daum Nancy and Louis Icart etchings. Here’s the link. chasenantiques.com

Superb results at Sotheby’s Important Tiffany sale, December 15, 2011

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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. No Thursday post this week because of a brief holiday. Hope to have a new post on Monday, but it might be Tuesday.

Sotheby’s New York held its Important Tiffany sale on December 15, 2011, a day after Bonham’s New York held its 20th Century Decorative Arts sale. Sotheby’s separated its 53 Tiffany Studios’s items into one catalog and its Important 20th Century Design items into another. Continuing the excellent results for Tiffany Studios items, the sale totaled $4,597,875, with 83.0% of the offerings sold by lot and 78.2% by value. That worked out to an impressive average price of $104,497 per sold lot. The Important 20th Century Design portion of the sale grossed $5,106,251, for a combined total of $9,704,126.

Tiffany Studios Wisteria table lamp, Sotheby's lot #238

Top lot of the sale was #238, a beautiful Tiffany Studios Wisteria table lamp, which sold for $842,500, including buyer’s premium — well above the pre-sale estimate of $400,000 – $600,000.

Three Tiffany Studios wall sconces, Sotheby's lot #231

The most mystifying result of the sale was lot #231, a set of three relatively simple (except for the bronze balls) Tiffany Studios wall sconces. Estimated to sell for $25,000 – $35,000, they sold for an astonishing $182,500. Bidding slowed and almost finished near $45,000, when two determined phone bidders continued to duke it out to $182,500. Another happy consignor hit the jackpot! There’s no other way to describe it. If I had displayed these sconces at a show and asked $182,500, I would have been laughed out of the show.

Original oil painting on panel by Louis Comfort Tiffany, Sotheby's lot #201

Prices and interest have been steadily rising on original artworks by Tiffany. The current exhibition at the Nassau County Museum of Art in Roslyn, Long Island, NY, displays a vast collection of Tiffany artwork. (More on that in a subsequent blog.) Perhaps that had some influence on the sale of lot #201, a small, original oil painting on panel by Louis Comfort Tiffany, of a Mediterranean seascape. Estimated to sell for $15,000 – $20,000, it realized $53,125.

For the complete results of the Tiffany sale, click on the following link. Sotheby’s Tiffany results.

Very rare R. Lalique red vase, Ronces

Look around my website. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps. I regularly add Tiffany vases, lamps and desk accessories, as well as French cameo glass by Galle and Daum Nancy and Louis Icart etchings. Here’s the link. chasenantiques.com

Louis Comfort Tiffany and Demetre Chiparus lead Bonham’s 20th Century Decorative Arts sale, December 14, 2011

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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.

Bonham’s New York held its 20th Century Decorative Arts sale on December 14, 2011. The sale went well, with choice items and reasonably estimated items doing best. Lots with overly strong estimates and/or reserves either did not do well or failed to sell.

Demetre Chiparus Art Deco bronze and ivory figure, Clara, Bonham's lot #3168

Top lot of the sale was #3168, an Art Deco bronze and ivory statue by Demetre Chiparus, entitled “Clara”, sold together with a champlevé enamel pedestal. Aggressively estimated at $100,000 – $200,000, it sold for $98,500, including buyer’s premium, below the low estimate. That meant that the reserve was set lower than the low estimate. By New York State law, the reserve cannot be set higher than the low estimate. Other Art Deco bronze and ivory figures by Ferdinand Preiss were more conservatively estimated and sold well, most at or above the high estimates.

Tiffany Studios Dragonfly table lamp, Bonham's lot #3066

The Tiffany Studios section of the sale was led by a fine 20″ diameter Dragonfly table lamp. Although the base was simple and the cap not original, the shade had very good color and mottling, and was in excellent condition. With a conservative pre-sale estimate of $35,000 -$45,000, it sold for double the low estimate, realizing $86,500, including buyer’s premium

Other good results were a Tiffany Studios 20″ diameter Daffodil table lamp, lot #3073, $50,000; a gorgeous Tiffany Favrile blue decorated vase, lot #3029, $10,625; and a Gallé two-handled vase with leaves and a grasshopper, lot #3080, $11,875. For the complete results, click on the following link Bonham’s results.

Very rare R. Lalique red vase, Ronces

Look around my website. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps. I regularly add Tiffany vases, lamps and desk accessories, as well as French cameo glass by Galle and Daum Nancy and Louis Icart etchings. Here’s the link. chasenantiques.com

A couple of interesting surprises at Christie’s New York Interior sale, December 8, 2011

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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.

Christie’s New York held an Interiors sale on December 8, 2011. Two lots that I was following had very interesting results.

R. Lalique vase Senlis, Christie's lot #82

Lot #82 was a gray R. Lalique vase, entitled “Senlis”. I knew that Senlis was a very good model because it had bronze handles. The problem was that I only knew enough about R. Lalique glass to be dangerous. I’m not nearly as knowledgeable about Lalique as I am about French cameo glass or Tiffany Favrile glass. I hoped that perhaps it would go unnoticed and slip through the cracks. Wrong! Estimated to sell for $2,000 – $3,000, it sold for $40,000, including the buyer’s premium. I would have gambled up to $10,000, but not more since I didn’t really know the value. Obviously others did.

French dolls, Christie's lot #235

Lot #235 was listed as: A FRENCH BISQUE AUTOMATON DOLL STANDING BEFORE A CHEVAL MIRROR, with an estimate of $800 – $1,200. The lot was actually two dolls — one seated and the second an automaton with a mirror. Apparently the dolls were way better than estimated, as they sold for $20,000, including buyer’s premium. Again, I knew enough about dolls to be dangerous. Many years ago, I bought about 100 dolls from one collection and learned the basics from that experience. So I knew that to sell for $20,000, there had to be something else going on. I never had a chance to examine the dolls in person, but I suspect that one was made by an important French maker, like Bru, Jumeau or others. That would explain it.

Knowledge is power. Need more proof?

Rare Tiffany Arabian lamp in glorious blue color

Look around my website. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps. I regularly add Tiffany vases, lamps and desk accessories, as well as French cameo glass by Galle and Daum Nancy and Louis Icart etchings. Here’s the link. chasenantiques.com

Rare Tiffany Studios andirons sell at South Bay Auctions on Long Island, December 10, 2011

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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. There will be a post this Thursday about of couple of nice surprises at Christie’s Interior sale.

Pair of andirons, South Bay Auctions lot #263

South Bay Auctions of East Moriches, Long Island held a Fine Art, Antiques & Sporting auction on Saturday, December 10, 2011. Included in the sale were a pair of andirons that were sold as lot #263, with the following description: Pair of Art Nouveau nickel plated bronze torchieres with iridescent stained glass tops, 23-1/2″h; one misshapen, loss to plating. No estimate was listed for them. It’s likely they were sold without reserve.

Detail photo showing where the cast iron was originally inserted

Torchieres they weren’t, as there was no way they could provide light. Rather, they were nickel-plated bronze andirons. A detail photo of the back shows where the cast iron portion was originally inserted. It had been cut off somewhere in its history.

Superb leaded glass turtleback tiles inset into the top of each andiron

The proof that they were Tiffany Studios was in the top — leaded turtleback tiles. Fabulous! The quality, materials and workmanship all screamed Tiffany Studios. The andirons were unsigned, but Tiffany didn’t sign everything. Every once in a while, something got out unsigned.

The bidding started at a few hundred dollars and continued in hundreds until about $2,000. Then a phone bidder jumped the bid to $5,000 (a failed attempt to scare off the other bidders). After a few thousand more dollars, the live audience dropped out and left the bidding to two determined phone bidders. Again the bidders jumped a few bids, until the final price of $28,000, for a total of $33,040, including the buyer’s premium. I’ve got a pretty good idea of who the bidders were, but that’s not for publication. In my opinion, if the pair were signed and in better condition, they could have brought double or more at a major auction house in New York City. In the meantime, I’m sure the consignor was thrilled with the result.

Knowledge is power, and this item was another example.

A killer Daum Nancy vase, just acquired

Look around my website. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps. I regularly add Tiffany vases, lamps and desk accessories, as well as French cameo glass by Galle and Daum Nancy and Louis Icart etchings. Here’s the link. chasenantiques.com

Julia’s Important Lamp & Glass Auction grossed $1.5 million, December 1-2, 2011

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Every major and not so major auction house holds a 20th Century decorative arts sale in November or December. I’ll cover many of them this month. Today’s post will be about the results at Julia’s. 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.

James D. Julia, Inc. held its semi-annual Important Lamp & Glass Auction on December 1 and 2, 2011, in Fairfield, Maine. The sale totaled $1.5 million, at the high range of expectations for the head of the department, Dudley Browne. As has been the case of recent, some categories performed better than expected and others faltered. There’s no clear pattern, so it’s difficult to extrapolate forward. Victorian glass, which had not done well recently, did well at this auction. Wedgwood Fairyland Lustre did poorly after doing well in the last sale.

Cut glass decanters, Julia lot #2136

A pair of cut glass decanters, one of which was pale amber, sold for $22,425, against a pre-sale estimate of $200 – $400, over 100 times the low estimate. Apparently the amber one was quite rare. Nice home run for the consignor.

Eugene Michel French cameo glass vase, Julia's lot #3204

The cover lot, a spectacular wheel-carved Eugene Michel French cameo glass vase, took off. Estimated properly at $10,000 – $15,000, it quadrupled its low estimate to sell for $47,150, including buyer’s premium. Michel vases can command high prices when the workmanship is super, and this one was super.

Daum Nancy vase with roses, insects and cabochons, Julia lot #3215

At this sale, Daum did marginally better than Galle. The top lot of the Daum glass was a 25″ tube vase, decorated with roses, insects and applied cabochons. It sold for $13,800, including buyer’s premium, slightly below its low estimate. Much of the French glass in the sale was fresh, from a private Long Island consignor.

Tiffany Studios watercolor sketch, Julia's lot #3300

Tiffany Studios watercolor sketches of stained glass windows did extremely sell, selling for 6 to 15 times their estimates. The highest price was paid for lot #3300, a watercolor sketch of a Tiffany window. It brought $18,400, against a pre-sale estimate of $2,000 – $3,000.

Tiffany lamps that were in the sale with aggressive estimates and reserves failed to sell, whereas most of the lamps with conservative estimates sold.

For the complete results of the sale, click on the following link. You will have to sign in (free) to see the prices. Julia’s Important Lamp & Glass Auction results.

A killer 6½" Daum Nancy vase, just acquired

Look around my website. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps. I regularly add Tiffany vases, lamps and desk accessories, as well as French cameo glass by Galle and Daum Nancy and Louis Icart etchings. Here’s the link. chasenantiques.com

Excellent results at Heritage Art Glass Signature Auction, November 19, 2011

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Every major and not so major auction house holds a 20th Century decorative arts sale in November or December. Today’s post will be about the results at Heritage. I hope to be able to publish Thursday about Julia’s results. 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.

Tiffany Studios 16" Daffodil table lamp, Heritage lot #62001

Heritage held its Art Glass Signature Auction on November 19, 2011 with excellent results. Top lot of the sale was a Tiffany 16″ Daffodil table lamp, lot #62001, received as a wedding gift in 1917 by the present owner. (How old does that make the present owner?) It realized a price of $56,762.50, close to the high estimate of $30,000 – $50,000.

Tiffany Favrile paperweight vase, Heritage lot #62024

Second highest was a rare, fine Tiffany Favrile paperweight vase, 9″ tall. It was part of a consignment of fresh-to-the-market items that had been in storage since the 1940s. You can’t get fresher than that, nor better quality. Estimated very low at $3,000 – $4,000, it soared to $50,787.50. That wasn’t a huge surprise, considering the rarity and quality.

Daum Nancy Orchides vase, Heritage lot #62136

From the same 1940s consignment was a very fine artistic Daum Nancy vase, Orchides. Artistic vases are one-of-a-kind, usually found in museum collections. The vase brought the highest price for French cameo glass, selling for $34,655, against a pre-sale estimate of $8,000 – $12,000. However, personally I thought the vase would do even better. My best guess is that the strange shape deterred some buyers (including me).

Many other items did well in the sale, which grossed $1.84 million. For the complete results, click on the following link. Heritage Art Glass results. You will have to sign in (free) to see the results.

Rare and wonderful Tiffany red Favrile vase, just in

Look around my website. There are listings for sale, sold listings with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps. I regularly add Tiffany vases, lamps and desk accessories, as well as French cameo glass by Galle and Daum Nancy and Louis Icart etchings. Here’s the link. chasenantiques.com