Category Archives: Auctions

Actor Steve Martin scammed by art forgers

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Steve Martin

In July, 2004, Steve Martin purchased a purportedly 1915 painting, Landscape with Horses, by the German painter Heinrich Campendonk, to add to his extensive collection of modern art, which includes works by Pablo Picasso, Edward Hopper, and Roy Lichtenstein. He purchased the painting in Paris at the Cazeau-Béraudière Gallery for €700,000. He then consigned the painting to auction at Christie’s London, where it sold two years later for €500,000, a loss of €200,000.

The fake Heinrich Campendonk painting Landscape with Horses

The scam was uncovered only last year, when Wolfgang Beltracchi, was arrested together with three accomplices – his wife, his sister-in-law and another accused forger named Otto Schulte-Kellinghaus. They were accused of creating and selling at least 35 forgeries of famous artists, including Fernand Léger and Max Ernst, starting in the early 1990s. Beltracchi painted the forgeries and then the gang concocted elaborate stories and labels that traced the paintings back through various owners, including his wife’s grandfather, Werner Jägers. Apparently Beltracchi is quite a talented guy, as his paintings fooled many experts, both private and at prestigious auction galleries like Christie’s. So here’s my question. Why would such a talented artist paint forgeries? Yes, yes, I know. I’m not naive, but what a waste! He couda been a contenda! Now he’ll wind up in a German pokey. But he will have plenty of time to paint and maybe now he’ll sign his own name. With his new notoriety, perhaps you’ll want to own a Beltracchi one day. It’s got a nice ring to it.

Mr. Martin has stated to the New York Times that he doesn’t know if he has any legal liability, but that the Cazeau-Béraudière Gallery has accepted responsibility. French law is quite strict about the sale of forgeries, so it’s quite unlikely that Mr. Martin will have any personal liability.

In my one personal dealing with Mr. Martin, he was quite the gentleman. After having my gallery deliver three Handel lamps to his apartment on Central Park West in Manhattan in 1989, he called to say that he and his wife couldn’t make up their minds, so they were going to pass on the lamps. When I personally went to his apartment to collect the lamps, he had left a bottle of champagne and a signed note of apology. (I wish I could find the note, but somehow it got lost in the shuffle. Oh well!)

Check out my new acquisitions. This week I listed several fine Daum vases, a Daum lamp and several Galle vases. Soon I’ll be listing a wonderful Tiffany Studios 7-light lily lamp with beautiful shades and a fine patina. Also coming soon will be several wonderful European ceramic items by Clement Massier, Zsolnay and Amphora. Here’s the link. chasenantiques.com

Some strong results at Christie’s London and Sotheby’s Paris 20th Century Decorative Art sales

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Christie’s held a 20th Century Decorative Art sale at their King St. location in London on April 20, 2011. A month later Sotheby’s held their 20th Century Decorative Art sale in Paris on May 25, 2011. Both auctions were strong with some exceptional results for certain items.

Demetre Chiparus Exotic Dancer sculpture, Christe's lot #109

Demetre Chiparus was the star of the Christie’s auction. Lot 109 was a bronze and ivory Exotic Dancer sculpture. It carried a pre-sale estimate of $91,000 – $120,000 and soared to an impressive $315,771, including buyer’s premium. Art Deco bronze and ivory figures by important artists have continued to excel at auction with new auction records established regularly. Another Chiparus sculpture in the same sale, Tanara, sold for $104,004, more than double it’s pre-sale high estimate of $45,000.

Tiffany Studios Hollyhock chandelier, Christie's lot #49

The major auction houses rarely sell items by Tiffany Studios in their European sales, but they do on occasion. Christie’s lot #49 was a rare 28½” diameter chandelier in the Hollyhock pattern. It sold well below its pre-sale estimate of $110,000 – $140,000, realizing $80,475, including buyer’s premium. I think it’s safe to say that the result would likely have been better if it had sold in a New York sale.

Antoni Gaudí bench, Sotheby's lot #11

The stars of the Sotheby’s Paris auction were Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann, the Art Deco master and Antoni Gaudí, the wonderful Spanish Art Nouveau master. Lot 11 was a carved olive wood and wrought iron two-seat bench. Estimated to sell for between €150,000 and €250,000, it sold for €384,750 ($549,557) – a really nice piece of change.

Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann table, Sotheby's lot #23

Lot #23 was an Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann Macassar ebony, ivory and silvered bronze table, “Araignée”. It more than tripled its pre-sale high estimate of €120,000 to reach €408,750 ($584,074). I’m sorry, call me ignorant, but I don’t understand it. It’s a very nice table, probably quite rare, but $584,074??

Sotheby’s sale was larger than Christie’s, continuing a recent pattern. Sotheby’s grossed €4,746,950 ($6,782,900), for an average value of $67,829 for each lot sold. Christie’s total sales were £1,797,875 ($2,960,127), for an average of $31,159 for each lot sold.

For complete auction results, click on the following links. Sotheby’s results, and Christie’s results.

Check out my new acquisitions. First are two fine scenic Daum vases – one a vivid fall scenic. Soon I’ll be listing a wonderful Tiffany Studios 7-light lily lamp with beautiful shades and a fine patina. Also coming soon will be several wonderful European ceramic items by Clement Massier, Zsolnay and Amphora. Here’s the link. chasenantiques.com

Consignors hit the jackpot with two Jasper Cropsey paintings at Clarke Auction Gallery, May 15, 2011

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Jasper Cropsey, Prospect Point, Niagara Falls in Winter, Clarke lot #234

Clarke Auction Gallery of Larchmont, NY, held an auction on May 15, 2011, that likely changed the lives of some of its consignors. Two paintings by New York artist Jasper Cropsey were sold for a total of $822,000. Not bad for two ignored paintings from the wall of the basement rec room.

This is the kind of story that shows like Antiques Roadshow thrive on – forgotten items that could easily have been thrown in the garbage but instead turn out to be treasures. Here’s the story in a nutshell – mother dies, children clean up, children go to appraisal clinic, paintings go to auction, children hit the jackpot. The details are what make the story interesting.

The two paintings were removed from the mother’s basement wall, where they had hung since the 1920s. Likely, the mother received them as a gift or payment for seamstress work from one of her wealthy Manhattan clients. One of the cleanup helpers offered to purchase the paintings for $125, which was refused. The paintings were then brought to an appraisal clinic set up by the Larchmont Historical Society at Clarke Auction Gallery. Their appraiser didn’t think much of them, deeming them of little value. The auctioneer, Ronan Clarke, intervened, thinking they could be good. He took them to Newington Cropsey Foundation, where one of the paintings, “Prospect Point, Niagara Falls in Winter”, was authenticated with help from a pencil sketch for the painting found at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. The second painting, “Autumn in America”, was a known Cropsey work that had been missing since the 1860s.

“Prospect Point, Niagara Falls in Winter” was the first painting to come to the auction block with the following description.

Lot#: 234
Description: CROPSEY, Francis Jasper. O/C “Prospect Point,
Niagara Falls in Winter.” N.D., after 1856. Signed lower left. As featured in the April 6, 2011 New York Times. Authenticated by the Newington-Cropsey Foundation and to be included in the Cropsey catalog raisonné. 1856 preliminary sketch (see photo) courtesy of the Boston Museum of Fine Art archives. As found in a West Hartford, Connecticut home. Dimensions: 15″ high x 24″ wide.
Estimate: 40,000.00 – 60,000.00

Bidding started at $50,000 and rapidly soared to the final price of $540,500, including buyer’s premium. Although all of the phone lines had bidders, all of the action took place on the floor, with a New Jersey dealer competing against a Connecticut private collector. The collector won.

Jasper Cropsey, Autumn in America, Clarke lot #235

The next lot was “Autumn in America”, described as follows.

Lot#: 235
Description: CROPSEY, Francis Jasper. O/C “Autumn in America”
c. 1860. Signed lower right. From the series of “The Four Seasons.” As featured in the April 6, 2011 New York Times. Authenticated by the Newington-Cropsey Foundation and to be included in the Cropsey catalog raisonné. As found in a West Hartford, Connecticut home. Dimensions: 15″ high x 24″ wide.
Estimate: 40,000.00 – 60,000.00

It also opened at $50,000 and had the same active floor bidders. The final price of $282,000, including buyer’s premium, far exceeded its pre-sale estimate, but not with the same fireworks as the first painting — still a very strong result. This time the NJ dealer was the winner.

Kudos to the auctioneer for spotting, authenticating and selling the paintings.

Check out my new acquisitions. First is a vivid Daum fall scenic vase. Soon I’ll be listing a wonderful Tiffany Studios 7-light lily lamp with beautiful shades and a fine patina. Also coming soon will be several wonderful European ceramic items by Clement Massier, Zsolnay and Amphora. Here’s the link. chasenantiques.com

Results of the Chicago Merchandise Mart International Antiques Show, April 29 – May 2, 2011

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Saturday afternoon in my booth

The Chicago Merchandise Mart International Antiques Show ended on Monday, May 2, 2011. Many of the dealers were pleased with their results, but a few were not. Following is some of the scuttlebutt.

An important Art Nouveau dealer is not returning because he did not do enough business after having exhibited at the show twice. An important dealer of Art Nouveau, 19th century and Asian antiques only had a fair show, mainly because he sold Chinese antiques to Chinese dealers. (The Chinese market is red hot because of the new wealth in China. Chinese buyers are repatriating fine Chinese antiques.) A dealer in Russian antiques only had a decent show. A dealer in French furniture and bronzes did very well, exhibiting for the first time at the show. Another dealer who deals in general, but fine antiques, did very well. An important dealer in general, but fairly unique items, only had a fair show. Another who deals in mainly 19th century fine antiques and art only had a fair show. An English dealer of silver had a very good show. A domestic dealer of silver had a barely passable show. An English dealer of ceramics and other objects barely made expenses. (Last year was much better for them.) Finally several dealers in Asian antiques did well.

One of the fine sold Daum Nancy vases -- "Rain"

Personally, my show was very good. I have to thank all of my loyal clients, who made a point of visiting my booth and purchasing from me. Interest and sales were best for Tiffany lamps and French glass by Gallé and Daum Nancy. I was disappointed that few of my sales were to new people, but thankful for the good show.

Where else but my blog can you get such accurate information about a show? NOWHERE! Most people who write about antiques have an agenda, but I don’t. I’ll tell you like it is. So have you told one of your friends to read my blog? Send them the link. https://blog.chasenantiques.com

So what was the consensus? Many dealers did OK, some did well, and others only had fair shows. I didn’t hear from a single dealer who had a great show. The best I heard was “pretty good”. Business was solid, but not ebullient. Overall, there have been better years, but almost every dealer is returning, with the exception of a few. So that means they think Chicago is a good city to exhibit and the Chicago Merchandise Mart is a good venue to exhibit. The Mart does a really fine job of making the dealers feel like they’re important. Kudos to the staff of the Merchandise Mart.

A Tiffany Studios 7-light lily lamp, similar to the one that I will be getting soon with a fine patina

I’m in the process of acquiring some wonderful Tiffany Studios lamps — a 7-light lily with beautiful shades and a fine patina, a 20″ Dragonfly and a 16″ Poinsettia. I should have them reasonably soon, so email me if you’re interested and I’ll send you photos as soon as they’re in my possession.

Check out my new Tiffany, Daum, and Gallé acquisitions. I just listed a couple of important Tiffany vases, straight from a private home. I also listed about ten Daum and Gallé vases plus about 10 Tiffany Pine Needle and Grapevine desk pieces. I’ll be listing even more Pine and Grapevine pieces within the next few days. Here’s the link. chasenantiques.com

Results of the Arlington Park Racetrack Antiques Show, April 1-3, 2011

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Setup is just beginning on Wednesday, March 30, 2011

The Arlington Park Racetrack Antiques Show ended yesterday, April 3, 2011. Most of the dealers I spoke to were quite pleased with their results. One dealer who sells furniture sold quite a few pieces. Another who sells jewelry and diverse objects told me he sold a bracelet for $100,000. (I can’t verify that information, so my best guess is that he sold an expensive bracelet, but who knows the price.) I didn’t hear a single complaint from any dealer, except one, and it wasn’t really a complaint. He was just disappointed. The problem was that he’s too specialized and very few buyers showed up for his specialty.

A few of the lamps on display in my booth

Personally, the show went well for me, but with few sales. Based on the number of bona fide buyers who showed up, I should have had a really great show. Too many potential buyers were right on the fence and decided not to make a purchase. It could easily have gone the other way and then I would be raving about my great show. Oh well! I really would like to rave about my great show, but it wasn’t meant to be.

Some of the Daum Nancy glass on display in my booth.

Interest and sales was greatest in Tiffany lamps and glass. French glass was quiet at this show, but not otherwise. The French glass market, mainly Gallé and Daum Nancy glass, is quite active. Each show has a personality, depending on who shows up. This time the Tiffany buyers showed up.

It’s sad to see that the show is shrinking. There was the bare minimum number of dealers for a show. Unfortunately, if the show shrinks any more, there won’t be a show. I’m hoping that the dealers who did well will tell their friends to exhibit there the next time and the show will expand. There are so many good buyers in the area, it would be a serious shame if the show were to close. Are you dealers reading this? Call Shawn Hastings and sign up for the next Arlington Park Racetrack Antiques Show in October. (618) 444-2803. Unfortunately I won’t be at Arlington this coming October because it conflicts with the Fall edition of the Merchandise Mart Antiques Show in downtown Chicago. They’re the same weekend. Bummer! I would love to exhibit at one show and then do the other show the following week. I hope that Shawn can change his dates.

Merchandise Mart Antiques Show, April 29 - May 2, 2011

We’ll be back soon in the Chicago area for the Spring edition of the Merchandise Mart Antiques Show. It will start on Friday, April 29, 2011 and end on Monday, May 2, 2011. Before then we’ll be exhibiting at the Los Angeles Antiques Show at the Barker Hangar at the Santa Monica Air Center, April 14 to April 17. Then we’re going on a buying trip, so we should have some very fine new items for the Merchandise Mart Show, especially French Cameo Glass. Make the time to come and visit the show. It’s one of the best in the entire United States, so it’s worth a trip from anywhere.

Check out my new Tiffany, Daum, and Gallé acquisitions. I just listed a couple of important Tiffany vases, straight from a private home. I also listed about ten Daum and Gallé vases plus about 10 Tiffany Pine Needle and Grapevine desk pieces. Here’s the link. chasenantiques.com

Good results for Tiffany Studios at Christie’s and Sotheby’s March 10-11, 2011 auctions

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I just started with twitter, so I hope you’ll start following me, by clicking on the twitter button at the end of this post. You can also email this post to a friend by clicking on the email button at the end.

Christie’s and Sotheby’s New York locations used to hold two 20th Century Design auctions per year, in June and December. Recently they’ve each added March sales. The overall quality of the offerings is usually lower, as the sales are used to clean up the excess consignments that accumulate. Sotheby’s was first on March 10th, 2011, with Christie’s selling the following day.

Tiffany Studios Magnolia boudoir lamp, Sotheby's lot #14

The top lot of the sale was a rare and very unusual Magnolia boudoir lamp with leaded glass flowers and mosaic glass inlay throughout. Estimated to sell for $50-70,000, it sold very near the high, for $86,250, including buyer’s premium.

Tiffany Studios Clematis chandelier, Sotheby's lot #13

The second highest Tiffany Studios item was lot #13, a beautiful Clematis chandelier. It handily exceeded it’s pre-sale estimate of $30-50,000, reaching $80,500, including buyer’s premium.

Total sales were $3,551,816, less than the usual $5-7,000,000 for the June and December sales, but still quite respectable. Click on the following link to view the complete results. Sotheby’s 20th Century Design results.

Tiffany Studios 22" Peony table lamp, Christie's lot #5

Christie’s sale wasn’t as high-powered as Sotheby’s, so total sales were only $1,435,125. It included a few bargains, in my opinion, such as lot #5, a Tiffany Studios 22″ Peony table lamp. It had been offered in a previous sale, at a much higher estimate, and didn’t sell. Re-offered items have a “stigma” attached to them, many times unjustifiably. This wasn’t the greatest example of a 22″ Peony, but it was still was very good. The flowers were gorgeous, but the background was so-so. Christie’s wanted to make sure it sold this time, so the estimate was lowered to $100,000-$150,000. It sold for $134,500, including buyer’s premium, probably much lower than it would have the first time around, if it had carried a lower estimate and reserve.

Duffner & Kimberly 24" Peony floor lamp, Christie's lot #9

The second big bargain was for a beautiful, huge Duffner & Kimberly 24″ Peony floor lamp. Estimated to sell for $50-70,000, it sold for $30,000, including buyer’s premium. That’s a very unusual event at major auction houses because the reserve is usually no more than 25% below the low estimate. This lot apparently had a very low or no reserve. I surely wasn’t expecting that or I would have spent more time examining it at the exhibition.

For the complete results of the Christie’s sale, click on the following link. Christie’s 20th Century Design results.

Check out my new Tiffany, Daum, and Gallé acquisitions. I just listed three important Tiffany vases, including a red decorated vase, straight from a private home. I also listed about ten Daum and Gallé vases plus about 10 Tiffany Pine Needle and Grapevine desk pieces. Here’s the link. chasenantiques.com

Knowledge is power, part VI

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This story doesn’t end the way I planned it, but I trust you’ll find it interesting.

Daffodil table lamp, Hindman lot #346

Leslie Hindman Auctioneers, of Chicago, held their Marketplace auction on January 19-20, 2011. Included in their offerings was lot 346, described as An American Leaded Glass Daffodil Table Lamp, after Tiffany Studios, raised on a tree trunk standard. Height overall 18 1/2 inches, outer diameter of shade 13 7/8 inches. Estimate $800-1,200 , and that’s where my story begins.

As soon as I discovered lot 346, my curiosity was piqued. Here was a lamp that was described as “after Tiffany Studios”, which is auction-speak for “the lamp is not authentic”. To my eyes, the lamp appeared to be authentic, but late-period. Late in their production, Tiffany Studios stopped using their own glass that had been manufactured in-house. Rather, they purchased glass from outside suppliers, like the Kokomo Opalescent Glass Company of Kokomo, Indiana. This outside-purchased glass had a different “look” to it — “flatter”, less subtle and more garish. To the untrained eye, late Tiffany lamps look like reproductions. So here was the perfect opportunity to sneak up on an item and use my knowledge to gain the advantage. (Read my blog of July 24, 2009 for a good example. Here’s the link. July 24, 2009 blog)

I called the auction house and spoke to the expert in charge and asked Hindman to ship the lamp to me for inspection. I volunteered to pay for the shipping in both directions. Unfortunately, they were unable to comply with my request as this wasn’t their property, but the property of the consignor (in this case an estate). They sent many detailed photos, which only confirmed my suspicion that the lamp was authentic. The problem was that photos were insufficient to make a 100% decision about its authenticity — I had to see it in person. Unfortunately, the only way I could do that was to fly to Chicago.

So, on the Saturday before the auction, I flew to Chicago. The expert in charge, Mike Intahar, kindly agreed to meet me at the auction house to view the lamp. In person, there was no question — the lamp was authentic. I turned right around and flew back to New York. In and out in a few hours. Now armed with knowledge, I could bid with confidence. The lamp had a retail price of $25,000 – 30,000, but I wanted to be conservative, so I could resell it quickly for $20,000 or less.

The auction took place on Wednesday, January 19th. The problem was that I didn’t record it in my calendar, so I completely forgot about it. I was in the city with my wife, when I checked my phone. There were two messages from Hindman’s that I had missed their calls. My heart sank! Here I had spent the time and money to go to Chicago to inspect a lamp, only to forget about the auction!!! Argh! I called Hindman’s and much to my relief, I hadn’t missed the lamp. It was an unimportant lot, earlier in the sale, that I had missed. Whew!!! Dodged a bullet on that one. Now I was prepared to bid. They were going to call me back within the hour.

At around 2 PM EST, Hindman called me to bid on the lamp. The bidding started at $400, which was a very good sign. It meant that no one had left a bid. I let other bidders start the bidding before I jumped in. $1000, $1500, $2000, still good. I was prepared to bid $10,000, or more, so there was plenty of room. $8,000, $9,000, $10,000 — oops, not looking too good any more. $16,000, $17,000, ($20,740, including buyer’s premium), and the bidding ended. Oh well! Nothing ventured, nothing gained. I exchanged one day’s time and $500 in expenses for the possibility of a big payday. But it wasn’t meant to be. Two other bidders, one on the phone and one in the room, were also knowledgeable.

I have no regrets. If I have the opportunity again, I will do exactly the same thing. Throw enough #*&% against the wall and something will stick.

If you like my blog, please let your friends know by sending them a link. Then check out my new Tiffany, Daum, Gallé, Webb and R. Lalique acquisitions. I’ve recently listed many of them on my website, including Daum swans, rain, a Gallé monumental red vase — more each day, plus a killer red Tiffany Favrile vase and a millifiori vase. Here’s the link. chasenantiques.com

The 2010 year in review for Tiffany Studios

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Tiffany Studios Magolia floor lamp

2010 was a very good year for better Tiffany Studios items, continuing a decades-long trend of new records nearly every year. The fireworks began at the Cottone sale of March 27th. A Tiffany Magnolia floor lamp that descended in the family of Merton Armstrong, sold for $661,250. In the same sale, a very good 20″ Dragonfly, on a great lily pad base, sold for $172,500.

Tiffany glass and pottery came up for sale at the Rago sale of April 24th. A rare 6″ tall pottery artichoke-form vase, sold for $19,520, approximately double the high estimate. In the same sale, a 9″ Favrile vase with elaborate gold hearts & vines decoration on a deep carmel background sold for $26,840, approximately four times the pre-sale estimate.

Tiffany Studios Dragonfly table lamp, Sotheby's New York, lot #4, June 16, 2010

Tiffany Studios Dragonfly table lamp, Sotheby's New York, lot #4, June 16, 2010

Those were just the warm-up acts for the 20th Century Decorative Arts sales in June. Sotheby’s was first, offering 22 important Tiffany Studios lots. Three of the lamps sold just above or below the half-million dollar mark, including a gorgeous 17″ Dragonfly on a matching mosaic base, which sold for $554,500.

Tiffany Studios Grape chandelier, Christie's lot #45, June 17, 2010

Tiffany Studios Grape chandelier, Christie's lot #45, June 17, 2010

Christie’s held their Decorative Arts sale the next day. A beautiful Tiffany Studios Grape chandelier sold for $398,500, more than double the low estimate of $150,000-200,000. Christie’s results were not as good as Sotheby’s, but that wasn’t a total surprise as Sotheby’s offerings were better.

Tiffany Favrile Lava loving cup, Leland Little lot #438, September 18, 2010

Leland Little held a sale on September 18th with some important estate-fresh Tiffany Favrile glass. They didn’t know how good their glass was, so they underestimated a loving cup to sell for $1,000-2,000. It soared to $62,100, including buyer’s premium — a price commensurate with its quality and rarity.

Tiffany Studios turtleback inkwell, Nadeau's lot #150

The string continued on October 30th when Nadeau’s sold a killer Tiffany Studios inkwell for $37,500, against a pre-sale estimate of $15,000-20,000.

Tiffany Studios Peony window, Christie's lot 252

Like a good fireworks show, the year ended with the finale — both Sotheby’s and Christie’s sold Tiffany items for approximately $1 million. Sotheby’s was first with the sale of a magnificent Peony window for $962,500. Christie’s followed the next day, with the sale of a Grape lamp for $1,202,500. These were only the headline results. Both sales were solid throughout with many very strong sales.

Rare Tiffany Studios Grape table lamp, Sotheby's lot #221

I rarely give investment advice but I did when a wealthy client asked me about ten years ago. I told him that the better Tiffany Studios items had performed best over the previous twenty years and I had no reason to doubt that they wouldn’t continue. I never found out if he followed my advice, but I hope he did. He surely would have done significantly better than the last decade in the stock market.

2011 is looking up. The antiques business saw a significant recovery from 2009 levels and appears to be continually getting better. The Miami Beach Antiques Show at the end of January is always a good barometer for the rest of the year. I’m cautiously optimistic.

If you like my blog, please let your friends know by sending them a link. Then check out my new Tiffany, Daum, Gallé and R. Lalique acquisitions. I’ve recently listed many of them on my website, including Daum blackbirds, swans, rain, and more to come in the next few days, plus a killer red Tiffany Favrile vase. Here’s the link. chasenantiques.com

Strong results for Arts & Crafts at Sotheby’s Important 20th Century Design sale, December 16, 2010

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Every major and not-so-major auction house holds its 20th Century Decorative Arts sale in December. It makes for a very busy month.

Sotheby’s held three decorative arts sales on December 16th. In my previous blog, I covered the superb results of the Important Tiffany sale. Today I’ll review the results of the Important 20th Century Design sale, which grossed $6,933,688, despite the failure of the cover lot to sell, a Greene & Greene desk and chair from the Pratt House of Ojai, CA.

The first section of the sale was devoted to Arts & Crafts furniture, ceramics and lighting. The strong results probably had most of the consignors smiling.

Rare Greene & Greene lantern, Sotheby's lot #30

The top lot of this section of the auction was a Greene & Greene lantern, one of six that had been removed from the Blacker House in Pasadena, CA. It sold toward the lower end of the estimate of $400,000-600,000, realizing $470,500, including buyer’s premium. It’s curious to note that the following lot, #31, another of the six Greene & Greene lanterns, failed to reach reserve and did not sell.

Rare 17 inch Teco Calla Lily vase, Sotheby's lot #23

Rare and impressive examples of Arts & Crafts ceramics all sold well, with one Teco vase doing exceptionally well. Lot #23 was a rare 17″ Teco Calla Lily vase, estimated to sell for $80,000-120,000. It soared to three times its pre-sale estimate, to sell for $314,500.

Rare Gustav Stickley book cabinet, Sotheby's lot #38

Gustav Stickley was well represented in the sale with furniture and metalware. A rare book cabinet, lot #38, sold for $194,500, against a pre-sale estimate of $80,000-120,000.

Other superb results from the sale were a cire perdue René Lalique statuette ($602,500), a cire perdue René Lalique vase ($494,500), a pair of armchairs by Emile Ruhlmann ($410,500) and a dining suite by Claude Lalanne ($386,500). For the complete results of the sale, click on the following link: Sotheby’s Important 20th Century Design results.

If you like my blog, please let your friends know by sending them a link. Then check out my new Tiffany, Daum, Gallé and R. Lalique acquisitions. I’ve recently listed many of them on my website, including Daum blackbirds, swans, rain, and more to come in the next few days, plus a killer red Tiffany Favrile vase. Here’s the link. chasenantiques.com

The Tiffany Studios market is alive and well (Part II)

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If you read Monday’s blog, you know that better Tiffany Studios items were very strong at Christie’s Important Tiffany auction on December 15, 2010. Sotheby’s followed the next day with their Important Tiffany auction, also with impressive results. With only 33 lots for sale, the auction grossed $5,583,375.

Rare Tiffany Studios Grape table lamp, Sotheby's lot #221

The top lot of the sale was the cover lot, #221, a rare Grape table lamp, in the shape of a Wisteria. Estimated to sell for $400,000—600,000, it realized $1,202,500, including buyer’s premium, doubling the estimate — an understandable result for a beautiful and rare Tiffany Studios lamp. So how do you explain the following result?

Tiffany Studios Daffodil table lamp, Sotheby's lot #232

Lot #232 was a Tiffany 20″ Daffodil table lamp — a nice example, but certainly not remarkable. On a good day, it might have sold for $100,000. On this day, it sold for the extraordinary price of $512,500, against an estimate of $50,000-70,000 — 10 times the estimate. The consignor must have been giddy. And why not? It’s the equivalent of winning the lottery. The only sensible explanation is that two bidders who have more cents than sense (my mother would have liked that one, too), were bidding against each other. Pride and competitiveness won out over logic. All one of them had to do was to go into a shop on Madison Ave. and buy a similar lamp for a fraction of the price.

Another six Tiffany Studios lamps sold for over $250,000, for a total of eight. They included a Laburnum ($842,500), a rare Landscape floor lamp ($842,500), and a Peacock table lamp ($410,500).

Tiffany Favrile wheel-carved vase, Sotheby's lot #203

Only a few lots of high quality Tiffany Favrile glass were offered, all selling well. A beautiful wheel-carved vase, lot#203, sold for $50,000, against a pre-sale estimate of $8,000—12,000.

For the complete results of the sale, use the following link: Sotheby’s Important Tiffany results.

If you like my blog, please let your friends know by sending them a link. Then check out my new Tiffany, Daum, Gallé and R. Lalique acquisitions. I’ve recently listed many of them on my website, including Daum blackbirds, swans, rain, and more to come in the next few days, plus a killer red Tiffany Favrile vase. Here’s the link. chasenantiques.com