French cameo glass sells well at Sotheby’s Paris Design sale, November 24, 2015

Posted on November 30, 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.

Sotheby’s Paris held their Design sale on November 24, 2015, with total sales of €3,870,400 ($4,100,304). Bidders were determined to continue life as usual, and not allow the terrorists to win, after the recent horrendous terrorist attacks.

Gallé Rose de France vase, Sotheby’s lot #16

Of particular interest to me were five lots of superb Gallé items and one Daum vase. They all sold, most above their high estimates. Top lot of this group was #16, an important, artistic vase by Gallé, entitled Rose de France. It sold for €141,000 ($149,375), including buyer’s premium, against a pre-sale estimate of €70,000 — €90,000.

Fine Gallé marquetry vase, Sotheby’s lot #13

Second best of this small group was lot #13, a fine Gallé marquetry vase on an original bronze base. It soared past its pre-sale estimate of €15,000 — €25,000 to realize €81,000 ($85,811).

Gallé Mosque chandelier, Sotheby’s lot #11

The most unusual of the six items was a huge, 22″ tall, Gallé chandelier Grand Lampe De Mosquée (Large Mosque lamp). Though this wasn’t for everybody, it found at least two bidders who were willing to push the final sale price beyond the high estimate, to €43,750 ($46,348), against a presale estimate of €25,000 — €30,000.

For the complete results of the sale, click here.

I’ve been quite busy buying and selling recently, partly because I’ve listed many new items on my website. I will continue to list more daily. Please click here to take a look.

We’re still very much in business between shows, especially since there are fewer shows nowadays. Please don’t hesitate to email or call. 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.

What’s new at Philip Chasen Antiques?

Posted on November 23, 2015 by Philip Chasen

The buying has been really good for me recently with most of my effort directed at acquiring exciting examples of French cameo and Tiffany Favrile glass. I’m listing a few of them here (in no particular order) and will be listing them as fast as I can on my website.

Rare Gallé Undersea 11″ vase

First up is a really special Gallé vase with undersea flora. Aquatic subject matter of this sort is rare for Gallé and this particular example is the best I’ve ever owned or seen. The size is large, but not overwhelming, at 11″ tall and bulbous. What’s exciting are the detail and especially the colors, with exquisite, realistic greens and blues.

Another special example of the finest of Gallé glass is a monumental, 19″, Trumpet Flower vase with red flowers on a yellow background. The colors, the size and the shape make it a superb, desirable vase.

Important Tiffany 9¾” red decorated vase

If you know about Tiffany Favrile glass, you know that red is the most desirable color. I’ve been fortunate to acquire two great examples, both of which are decorated red, not solid red. The first example is larger, 9¾” tall, with busy blue and black decoration. The second is smaller, with simpler decoration and a lower price, of course.

I’m trying to list many new items on my website, as fast as I can. If you check my site often, you’ll see regular updates.

Click here to check my website for the latest items and to look around. I will update it as often as time permits. We’re still very much in business between shows, so please don’t hesitate to email or call. 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.

Julia’s held one of their best ever Important Rare Lamps, Glass & Fine Jewelry auctions this past Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Posted on November 20, 2015 by Philip Chasen

James D. Julia, Inc. held their semi-annual Important Rare Lamps, Glass & Fine Jewelry auction this past Wednesday, November 18, 2015, with approximately $2.4 million in sales — one of their best ever for the division. The sale included five private collections of high quality goods, some with no reserves. As I’ve noted many times in the past, nothing makes for a better auction than three key ingredients — 1. fresh-to-the-market items; 2. high quality; 3. no or low reserves. It’s like fresh meat to the lions and these lions were hungry.

Important Gallé marquetry vase, Julia lot #1130

French glass did extremely well, with some ultra-high quality items in the mix. Lot 1130, a gorgeous Gallé marquetry vase in the original box, was the best item of the French glass. Estimated to sell for $15,000 – $20,000, it realized $53,325, including buyer’s premium.

Rare Le Verre Francais cat vase, Julia lot #1611

Surprisingly, a nice collection of Le Verre Francais vases and lamps also did well at the end of the sale. The Le Verre market has been soft for a while, so it was nice to see new interest. Lot #1611, a rare, large (23¼”) cat vase, was the best of the group. It sold for $10,665, against a pre-sale estimate of $4,000 – $6,000.

Loetz Phaenomen vase, Julia lot #1143

The selection of Loetz glass was strong and so were the prices. A large, 12″ Loetz Phaenomen vase, estimated to sell for $3,000 – $5,000, sold for five times it’s high estimate, realizing $29,625, including buyer’s premium.

Tiffany Favrile Cypriote vase, Julia lot #1108

The selection of Tiffany Favrile glass was also strong, with some vases selling at considerable premiums over their pre-sale estimates. Lot #1108 was a gorgeous Cypriote miniature example. It sold for many times it’s estimate of $800-1,200, realizing $11,257.50.

Tiffany Studios Koi Fish lamp, Julia lot #1202

The best Tiffany Studios lamp in the sale did well. Lot #1202 was a rare Koi fish example, consigned by a Japanese national. Previously this exact lamp had sold at Christie’s in March, 1990, for $104,500. After the seven phone bidders were done, it went out the door for $106,650, against a pre-sale estimate of $50,000-100,000.

For the complete results of the sale, click here. You will have to sign in (free) for the prices.

I’ve listed many new items on my website and will continue to list many new (and great) items that I’ve recently purchased, both on our buying trip and elsewhere. We have a treasure trove of goodies, so please check my site often for updates.

No two French cameo vases are identical

Posted on September 7, 2015 by Philip Chasen

Pair of Gallé Magnolia floral vases

Take a careful look at the photo above. The pair of vases were made at the same time at the Gallé factory, but they’re not identical. If you look carefully, you can see small differences, like the detail within the central flower. The glass artists started with a prototype that was the standard to copy, most likely a stencil, but were given latitude to make minor changes, as they saw fit. Scrutinize the photo above and you’ll find other minor differences.

Pair of Le Verre Francais Orchidées vases

The two vases above, by Le Verre Français, were also made at the same time and display small differences. The easiest to see is the difference in height, but there are also differences in the decoration. The easiest ones to spot are the tips of the petals at the very top.

Cutting the pattern into the waxy resist used to cover the vase was all done by hand. Each time the artist repeated the design, he/she made slight changes to the decoration, so they were never identical.

Lalique vases can be identical because they were cast in molds. French cameo vases were not molded, except for blownout vases. Even those vases were not identical because the designs were carved by hand after being mold-blown. Small differences occurred during the process, making each one unique.

nyc-big-flea-9-2015 Our next show will be The Big Flea Market at Pier 94 in New York City, September 26-27. Last year was the first time for this show and it was good. The attendees were completely different than the established Pier Antique Show that takes place in November and March each year, making it a totally different experience.

Setting up at the Baltimore Summer Antiques Show, August 18-19, 2015

Posted on August 20, 2015 by Philip Chasen

Setup was just beginning

The Baltimore Summer Antiques Show begins today, August 20, 2015, as you read this post. Setup went smoothly and the booth looks great.

I just bought this large, killer B&S internally decorated vase with orchids

I was able to purchase several wonderful Daum, Gallé and B&S vases during setup, which I’ll have at the show. Early buying is one of the advantages of being an exhibitor, which sometimes can make up for a poor show.

Another of the wonderful items I purchased at the show

I’ve got my fingers crossed that the show will go well, but it’s not up to me. I did my best to gather the finest items. Now it’s up to the public. Tune in Monday for the show results.

On a sad note, I have to report two deaths. James (Jimmy) Roush, 70, and Sig Monroe, 77, both of cancer. They will be missed.

Our next show will be The Big Flea Market at Pier 94 in New York City, September 26-27. Last year was the first time for this show and it was good. The attendees were completely different than the established Pier Antique Show that takes place in November and March each year, making it a totally different experience.

I just bought a great collection of French cameo glass

Posted on August 10, 2015 by Philip Chasen

Last Thursday I flew out of town to purchase a collection of French cameo glass that I helped assemble in the 1980s and 1990s. There were some really great items, so I was very pleased to repurchase them.

Rare and beautiful Daum vase with applied snails and grapes

It’s hard to put them in order of importance, but I’ll try. First would have to be a 10¼” Daum vase with two applied snails and eight applied grapes. What can I say about this vase except that it’s really great and important!

Rare Daum Nancy Weeping Willow vase

Second place is probably a multiple tie, but I sure like a Daum scenic vase with willow trees, a canoe and a mallard. It’s not only extremely rare, but gorgeous too, with incredible color and detail. I’ve only seen the tri-lobed shape a few times ever, making it equally rare to the decoration. Nice size at 5½” tall x 5″ diameter.

Rare Daum Wheat vase

Wheat is one of Daum’s rarest and most desirable decorations. What’s especially nice and unusual is that the wheat sheaves were gilded first and then the detail was hand-painted on top — a real rarity. Most of the time gilding was used for fine detail, as well as decoration on the bases and rims of vases. This 11″ vase also has highly intricate gilded decoration on the foot.

There’s more, including a Daum Farm vase, a monumental Daum vase with wild orchids and four bees, a super rare early Gallé Crystallerie box with original sterling silver fitted tray, etc. By the time you read this, some of the vases may already be sold, so they won’t even make it to my website, but others will, so please take a look.

baltimore-8-2015 The Baltimore Summer Antiques Show is just around the corner. It opens to the public on Thursday, August 20th, at noon and continues until Sunday, August 23 at 6 PM. If you haven’t made plans yet, there’s still time. I just checked hotwire.com and unbelievably there are 4½-star rooms in the Inner Harbor available for $85/night. Wow! The show is the best summer antique show in the entire United States, so it’s worth a trip from anywhere. Hope to see you there!

A primer on Gallé blownout vases

Posted on July 30, 2015 by Philip Chasen

Gorgeous Gallé Water Lily blownout vase

It is believed that the firm of Emile Gallé did not start to produce blownout vases until after WWI, which was also after Gallé’s death in 1904. If that’s true, then Gallé himself never saw some of the most interesting and valuable vases the firm produced. These vases are referred to as blownout, or mold-blown, or soufflé. The terms are interchangeable.

Monumental Gallé Calla Lily blownout vase

The technique in producing these vases was similar to standard acid-etched vases, but with one major difference — first the glass was blown into a mold using compressed air. Then the design was cut into the vase using hydrofluoric acid. My rough estimation is that there are approximately 50 different models of Gallé blownout vases.

Gallé purple Fuchsia blownout vase

Gallé pink Fuchsia blownout vase

The same model may vary in color, but not in size or shape, since the molds were defined. This is very similar to R. Lalique vases, which were also produced in molds.

Gallé white and standard Elephant vases

To the best of my knowledge, no one has ever built a collection of every known example of Gallé blownout vases. That would be a very interesting (and expensive) collection. Today’s prices range from under $10,000 to over $200,000. The most valuable would be a white elephant.

Reproduction Gallé Elephant vase

Comical reproductions exist, but are easily identifiable after learning the real examples.

The Denver World Wide Antique Show opens this Friday, July 24, 2015

Posted on July 20, 2015 by Philip Chasen

The Denver World Wide Antique Show will be held in the Expo Building of the Denver Merchandise Mart

The Denver World Wide Antique Show opens to the public this Friday, July 24, 2015, at 10 AM, and continues until Sunday, at 4 PM. The show is held three times per year, but we only exhibit in Denver in the summer.

Sunday afternoon at our booth last year

The show is medium-size — just right for the Denver market. The quality is better than you might expect for a local show. Don’t expect a flea market with a lot of junk. If you’re anywhere in greater Denver area, you should visit, as you won’t be disappointed. My display will be top-notch and many others will be too.

Tiffany Studios 22-inch Nasturtium table lamp

We’ll have a large selection of Tiffany Studios lamps, including a 22″ Nasturtium. We’ll also have a fine selection of Pairpoint puffy lamps, including an Apple Tree. Our French glass collection will be second to none and will include extensive examples of Daum Nancy’s and Gallé’s works. Tiffany Favrile glass will be well-represented, as well as fine examples of glass and pottery by Loetz, Quezal, Rookwood, Newcomb and Amphora, and others too numerous to mention.

We’ll have this rare Daum Nancy blackbird vase at the show

Thursday’s blog will be from the floor of the show and Monday’s blog will have the results.

What’s new at Philip Chasen Antiques?

Posted on June 22, 2015 by Philip Chasen

Important Daum Nancy Impressionist vase

We haven’t exhibited at any shows since the Chicago Botanic Garden in mid-April, so I’ve directed a lot of my energy to buying for the summer shows, the Denver World Wide Antique Show, July 24-26, 2015, and the Baltimore Summer Antiques Fair, August 20-23, 2015. We were successful both in France and in the US, so here are a few of the newest and most interesting purchases. I’ll be spending time this week and next adding as many new items to my website as possible. Keep checking back.

Fine, rare Tiffany Favrile red vase

I bought a pair of rare and very desirable 7″ Tiffany red vases. I’ve known where they were for the last couple of years, but the dealer who owned them couldn’t sell them, because he insisted on selling them as a pair. The Tiffany numbers are very close to each other, indicating they were probably made on the same day. I have no problem selling them individually or as a pair. It’s not like a pair of candlesticks that were meant to stay together. On any given day, Tiffany produced a run of consecutively numbered vases that were meant to be sold individually. These red vases are no different.

Fantastic Austrian bronze novelty lamp

I just bought this incredible Austrian bronze novelty lamp, 11½” tall. It was probably designed by Bergman, because this is the quality he created. The condition is superb, with original colored glass windows. Haven’t had anything this wonderful in Austrian bronze in quite some time.

Fine Daum Nancy Peacock Feather vase

Daum Peacock Feather vases are deceptively sophisticated. Most of the work on the vase is standard acid-etching, but not the centers of the feathers. The light blue and dark blue glass was applied when the glass was molten, then pressed into the vase on the marver. The process is called padding, which makes for special vases. I get one or two Peacock Feather vases yearly and they sell very quickly. This example is almost 12″ tall. (The vase is not in yet, so please excuse the quality of the photo. I’ll post a better one after the vase has arrived).

There’s lots more coming in in the next couple of weeks, including two important Daum Nancy Blackbird vases, two large Tiffany Favrile Jack-in-the-Pulpit vases, two Gallé Magnolia vases and lots more. Keep checking my site, as I will be updating it daily.

Click here to check my website for the latest items and to look around. We’re still very much in business between shows, so please don’t hesitate to email or call. 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.

The market in French glass is excellent. Thank you for asking.

Posted on June 8, 2015 by Philip Chasen

We sold this important Argy-Rousseau pâte-de-verre vase in Miami

I’ve been dealing in French cameo glass for over 40 years, so I have a pretty good handle on what’s going on. My conclusion is that the market is alive and well. The anecdotal evidence is all around. Let’s start with the first big show of the year, the Original Miami Beach Antiques Show. Here’s a quote from my blog of February 4, 2015. “French cameo glass continued on fiyah! (that’s fire for those who need translation). I cannot think of another show, ever, where more cameo glass was sold, not just by me, but by all the dealers.”

This important Gallé marquetry vase, Sur Socle Grand Iris, sold at Sotheby’s in Paris for $476,325

Auction after auction has resulted in strong sales for good examples of French glass. Just last week a fine Gallé artistic vase sold for almost half a million dollars at Sotheby’s in Paris.

I sold this killer Daum Nancy farm scenic vase recently

Personally, business has been wonderful. In fact, it hasn’t been this good since the late 1980s, when Japanese buyers dominated the market. Markets go up and they go down, so it’s refreshing to see the resilience of the French glass market.

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.

Philip Chasen Antiques

The blog for chasenantiques.com

Category Archives: Galle

French cameo glass sells well at Sotheby’s Paris Design sale, November 24, 2015

What’s new at Philip Chasen Antiques?

Julia’s held one of their best ever Important Rare Lamps, Glass & Fine Jewelry auctions this past Wednesday, November 18, 2015

No two French cameo vases are identical

Setting up at the Baltimore Summer Antiques Show, August 18-19, 2015

I just bought a great collection of French cameo glass

A primer on Gallé blownout vases

The Denver World Wide Antique Show opens this Friday, July 24, 2015

What’s new at Philip Chasen Antiques?

The market in French glass is excellent. Thank you for asking.