Sotheby’s New York held a Dreaming in Glass sale on May 23, 2019. The sale was small, 41 lots, but consisted entirely of important Tiffany Studios lamps and glass. Total sales were $4,088,250 for the 36 lots that sold.
Tiffany Fish and Waves table lamp, Sotheby’s lot #214
The cover lot, #214, a Tiffany Fish and Waves table lamp, the most important lot in the sale, did not sell, against an estimate of $1,000,000 — $1,500,000. I guess the estimate was a bit too aggressive.
Tiffany Studios Elaborate Peony floor lamp, Sotheby’s lot #211
The top lot of the sale was #211, a Tiffany Studios Elaborate Peony floor lamp, formerly in the collection of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr. It sold for $692,000, including buyer’s premium, at the low end of the estimated range of $600,000 — $800,000.
Tiffany Studios Peacock box, Sotheby’s lot #206
Lot #206, a Tiffany Studios Peacock box, achieved an astonishing result, selling for $87,500, against a pre-sale estimate of $8,000 — $12,000. I loved the box, but didn’t even bother to bid because I knew I had no chance of buying it. It was very rare and very beautiful.
Click here for the complete results of the sale.
No shows until October 20, 2022, when we’ll exhibit at the Baltimore Art, Antique & Jewelry Show. Two weeks later we’ll exhibit at the Antiques + Modernism Show in Winnetka, IL, starting on November 4, 2022.
Rago Auctions held an Early 20th C. Design sale on May 18, 2019. Included in the sale was a varied selection of Tiffany Studios lamps, glass and desk accessories. The following post will cover only those items.
Tiffany Studios Harvard table lamp, Rago lot #1107
Lot #1107 was a rare Tiffany Studios 20″ diameter Harvard table lamp. I thought it would sell for more than it did because it was rare and fresh-to-the-market. It did just okay, selling within its estimate of $30,000 – $40,000, realizing $36,250, including buyer’s premium. My feeling is that it was so specialized that there weren’t as many buyers as for a floral or dragonfly table lamp.
Tiffany Studios 12-light lily lamp, Rago lot #1100
Lot #1100, a Tiffany Studios 12-light lily lamp, sold fairly well. It realized $26,250, against an estimate of $15,000 – $20,000. The shades were nice, with some minor chips to fitters and some corrosion problems to the the base.
Tiffany Favrile Peacock Feather vase, Rago lot #1115
Rago Auction wasn’t sure of the authenticity of lot #1115, but I assured them prior to the sale that it was correct. It sold very well, realizing $21,250, including buyer’s premium, against an estimate of $4,500 – $6,500. It brought that strong price even with a serious condition problem as stated in their report: Tight, subtle, curving hairline from rim to shoulder, approx. 7 1/2″ in length. A few minor flecks to inner edge of rim.
Click here for the complete results of the sale.
No shows until October 20, 2022, when we’ll exhibit at the Baltimore Art, Antique & Jewelry Show. Two weeks later we’ll exhibit at the Antiques + Modernism Show in Winnetka, IL, starting on November 4, 2022.
It’s Memorial Day, but I’m not comfortable saying Happy Memorial Day, although many people do. It’s a time to honor the memory of those soldiers who lost their lives defending our liberty. So have a good holiday and remember those who came before us.
Between shows, travel and personal business, I lead a pretty busy life. So it shouldn’t be a surprise that I miss more than a few opportunities to buy good items at fair prices. Heritage’s Tiffany, Lalique & Art Glass sale, May 14, 2019, was a good example. I was interested in about 10 lots, but because we were in Chicago for a show, it totally slipped my mind.
Tiffany Linenfold floor lamp, Heritage lot #79016
Lot #79016 was a Tiffany Linenfold counterbalance floor lamp with a rare 4-legged base, estimated for a ridiculous $2,500 – $3,500. It was photographed poorly, too dark in the catalog, and with the shade in an awkward position. I would have paid in the range of $10,000, all in, but it sold for $7,500. I could have doubled my money at that price.
Pairpoint scenic table lamp, Pairpoint lot #79134
The Pairpoint lamp market has suffered for the last decade. Many lamps are selling today for less than when I started in the antiques business over 40 years ago. Take lot #79134, an 18″ diameter Pairpoint scenic table lamp, as an example. It sold for $500, including buyer’s premium, against a pre-sale estimate of $800 – $1,200. This same lamp would have sold for approximately $1,500 in the 1970s, in inflation-adjusted dollars.
Le Verre Francais Poisson vase, Heritage lot #79192
Lot #79192, a rare Le Verre Francais Poissons vase, was another story. It carried a ridiculously low estimate of $500 – $700. At least two bidders noticed and bid it to a more realistic price of $6,875, including buyer’s premium.
Click here for the complete results of the sale. You will have to sign in (free) to see the realized prices.
No shows until October 20, 2022, when we’ll exhibit at the Baltimore Art, Antique & Jewelry Show. Two weeks later we’ll exhibit at the Antiques + Modernism Show in Winnetka, IL, starting on November 4, 2022.
There’s a gaggle of geese outside my booth and no one in my booth at the preview party
Thursday, 7 PM. If I have enough time, I write my blog directly from the floor of the show. It’s usually a bad sign, because I should be busy with clients. But the preview party is happening now and I’m in my usual preview-party-bad-mood. I don’t want to be here.
The crowd is 90% young women who seem to have no interest whatsoever in antiques. So why are we they here? I guess because it’s a nice social event. But why are we here? The $64,000 question. Certainly not to sell antiques.
Opening Day,Friday, 1 PM. The show has been open for two hours. Attendance is light, but there have been several serious inquiries. No sales as of this moment, but I’m cautiously optimistic.
We sold this lovely R. Lalique Chevreuse vase at the show
Friday, 7 PM. The first day is over and I’m disappointed. We made a few small sales, but are nowhere near making our expenses, let alone a profit. There’s lots of show left, so hopefully the weekend will be good.
Saturday, 1:45 PM. Attendance is light to moderate. There have been only a few inquiries. Some may be serious, but it’s hard to tell. One client is back from yesterday, so there might be a sale there.
There were a few people in my booth on Saturday afternoon
Saturday, 3:45 PM. Attendance is still light to moderate. The “be-back” from yesterday was full of hot air. We made one nice sale to one of our established clients. Still not out of the woods with respect to making our expenses. One of our best clients is due to arrive in a little while. We’ll see what happens.
Saturday, 7:00 PM. The day is over and it was a moderate success. Our late afternoon client made purchases that put us over the top, into the black. If we do some business on Sunday, it will be a good show.
Sunday, 1 PM. Attendance is again light to moderate. No sales yet, but we had some serious inquiries that I hope will turn into sales.
We sold this beautiful Tiffany 10-light lily lamp at the show
Sunday, 5 PM. The show is over and we’re satisfied. We only made one sale on Sunday, but it was a lovely Tiffany 10-light lily lamp. Overall, business was down about 15% from last year, but it was still a moderately successful show. Had some of our best clients attended, we probably would have had an even more successful show, but unfortunately they were indisposed.
No shows until October 20, 2022, when we’ll exhibit at the Baltimore Art, Antique & Jewelry Show. Two weeks later we’ll exhibit at the Antiques + Modernism Show in Winnetka, IL, starting on November 4, 2022.
The third edition of the resurrected Chicago Antiques + Art + Design Show will open to the public this Friday, May 17th, at 11 AM, and continue until Sunday, May 19th, at 5 PM, with a preview party on Thursday night.
Last year in our booth
The show at the Merchandise Mart is select and elegant. The exhibitors and their displays will be extraordinary, in a fabulous venue. You will be hard pressed to find a finer show anywhere in the entire United States. There aren’t many antique shows left in the entire country and even fewer of this quality, so make your plans now to attend. You’ll thank me.
We just bought this intense blue Gallé clematis vase
As usual, we’re bringing a fabulous inventory of French and American glass and lamps. We just came back from a very successful buying trip to Europe, so we’re bringing our latest and greatest purchases. I know you’ll enjoy the show and my display in particular. Please stop into my booth and say hello.
No shows until October 20, 2022, when we’ll exhibit at the Baltimore Art, Antique & Jewelry Show. Two weeks later we’ll exhibit at the Antiques + Modernism Show in Winnetka, IL, starting on November 4, 2022.
We’re on the way home, as you read this blog, after a very successful trip. We bought mostly Daum Nancy rarities, but some lovely Gallé glass also.
Following are some of the wonderful items. We’ll bring them to the Chicago Antiques + Art + Design Show in a couple of weeks if they are not sold prior, as they are available for immediate sale.
Daum Nancy Crane vase
Animals of any sort are rare and very desirable decoration for Daum. Cranes are exceptionally rare. The example pictured above is decorated with four cranes in flight, with heavily gilded rays of the rising or setting sun. It’s museum-quality.
Daum Nancy vase with applied berries
Daum is most famous for fabulous detail attained by the use of hand-painted enameling, after acid-etching. The example above has exquisite detail in the leaves and vines. The contrast with the mottled background is strong and beautiful. Once we add the many applied berries to the workmanship, we raise the level of this vase from excellent to awesome. Another example of museum-quality.
Daum Nancy bowl with Imperial Russia decoration
The bowl pictured above is not only beautiful, it’s historically significant. Tsar Nicholas II started his state visit to France on September 18, 1901, by royal yacht and then by train to Compiègne, near Reims. This commemorative bowl is decorated with the Russian imperial emblem on one side with Compiègne Reims 1901 enameled below, in the gilded belt. The other side is decorated with a scene of the venue, hand-painted en grisaille, surrounded by acid-etched and hand-painted enameled flowers and leaves. This is the type of Daum item that you would want just based on its beauty. With the additional historical importance, it’s extraordinary.
There’s more, but I can’t list them all in this blog. Email me if you have interest. I’ll try to take photos and list them on my website as soon as possible.
No shows until October 20, 2022, when we’ll exhibit at the Baltimore Art, Antique & Jewelry Show. Two weeks later we’ll exhibit at the Antiques + Modernism Show in Winnetka, IL, starting on November 4, 2022.
Daum Nancy scenic table lamp, Euvrard & Fabre lot #766
On doing some research, I located a beautiful, rare Daum Nancy scenic table which was to come up for auction in France. I did all my homework, including getting a condition report and made arrangements to bid. The auction house called me the week before to verify that they had my correct phone number. Everything was all set, except for one thing. THEY NEVER CALLED. So they sold the lamp to another bidder for less than I would have paid.
Needless to say, I was very upset. I really wanted this lamp, which I know I could have sold for a good profit. So I wrote to the auction house and asked them to explain. You know what? THEY NEVER ANSWERED.
These kind of things don’t happen at professional auction houses. If they do, at least they apologize. So here’s their information. Euvrard & Fabre, www.euvrard-fabre.com. Write to them and ask them what happened. And certainly don’t ever bid there.
No shows until October 20, 2022, when we’ll exhibit at the Baltimore Art, Antique & Jewelry Show. Two weeks later we’ll exhibit at the Antiques + Modernism Show in Winnetka, IL, starting on November 4, 2022.
Sorry, but just got too busy this week, so no new post.
I search online from time to time to see what’s being offered for sale, including French cameo glass. Somewhat unsurprisingly, a large percentage of it is either authentic, but low quality, or authentic and cut down, or reproduction. How is a novice supposed to tell? The simple answer is that a novice cannot tell.
Reproduction Gallé lamp, Grogan lot #274
Here are a few examples from this week’s listings.
Grogan & Co. is a reputable auction house from Boston, Mass. They listed two lamps for their May 5th sale, lots 274 and 275, as authentic Gallé, when in fact they were modern reproductions. As of this writing, they were still listed for sale on liveauctioneers, but not on their own website. They found out the items were reproductions and they removed them from the sale. That’s what a reputable auction house is supposed to do.
Reproduction Gallé vase
How about the vase pictured above? It’s on liveauctioneers advertised as SIGNED EMILLE GALLE FLORAL DESIGN BOWL by Redlands Antique Auction of Redlands, CA. Technically they’re correct. It is a floral design bowl and it is signed Gallé (not counting the misspelling of Emile), but it isn’t old. I don’t know the auctioneers from a hole in the wall, so I have no idea if they’re uninformed or sinister. A novice would have no idea about the authenticity or age of this bowl. It’s actually a pretty good repro.
Reproduction Daum Nancy vase
It’s painful for me to look at the reproduction Daum Nancy vase pictured above. It’s soooo bad. But Washington Crossing Fine Arts and Antiques, Washington Crossing, PA, think enough of it to offer it for sale on liveauctioneers with an estimate of $1,800 – $2,000.
There’s a sucker born every minute (possibly said by P.T. Barnum). Even if he didn’t say it, it’s true. Make sure you’re not one of them. Buy only from reputable dealers and auction houses, even if it costs a few bucks more. At least you’ll be able to sleep well at night.
No shows until October 20, 2022, when we’ll exhibit at the Baltimore Art, Antique & Jewelry Show. Two weeks later we’ll exhibit at the Antiques + Modernism Show in Winnetka, IL, starting on November 4, 2022.
Treadway Gallery, Cincinnati, Ohio, held a Spring 2019 Art+Design auction yesterday, April 7, 2019. Included in the sale was a collection of French cameo glass, as well as a number of Tiffany Studios’ items — the subject of today’s post.
Tiffany Studios 20″ diameter Daffodil table lamp, Treadway lot #4
The top Tiffany Studios item of the sale, lot #4, a 20″ diameter Daffodil table lamp, sold for $43,750, including buyer’s premium. The result was below the estimated price of $40,000 – $60,000.
Tiffany Studios 6-light floor candelabrum, Treadway lot #31
The second-best performing Tiffany Studios lot in the sale was #31, a rare 6-light floor candelabrum. It too sold below its estimate, realizing $26,250, including buyer’s premium. Its estimate was $30,000-$40,000.
Gallé Marine scenic vase, Treadway lot #37
The French cameo glass, mostly from a single Los Angeles collection, fared better. I tried to buy lot #37, a beautiful Gallé wheel-carved Marine vase. Estimated to sell for $7,500 – $9,500, it realized $17,500, including buyer’s premium. I was the underbidder.
No shows until October 20, 2022, when we’ll exhibit at the Baltimore Art, Antique & Jewelry Show. Two weeks later we’ll exhibit at the Antiques + Modernism Show in Winnetka, IL, starting on November 4, 2022.
I’m frequently too busy to list new items on my website. It’s poor business on my part because I make more sales when I do. But there’s only one of me, so there isn’t much I can do about it. There are only so many hours in a day and I try to strike a balance in my life. This week I’m making an intense effort to list some of the great new items I’ve recently acquired. Following are a few.
Daum Nancy 11″ Daisy vase
Daum is always high on my list of new items. The quality is outstanding and the market is strong. The Daisy vase pictured above is a truly outstanding example of Daum’s best work. Imagine applying molten glass to a vase while it’s being formed. It has to be carefully planned so the flowers come out in the right places. First a gob of white glass was applied, followed by a gob of yellow glass on top of that. After cooling, the gobs of applied glass didn’t look much like flowers, but the carver took care of that. He used a spinning, engraving tool to carve away the excess glass to make beautiful, realistic, 3-dimensional flowers. The resulting Daum vase is outstanding.
Tiffany Studios 10-light lily table lamp
I usually have at least one Tiffany lily lamp for sale at any given time, but I had none for a few months as I sold all that I had. I recently was able to purchase a very fine 10-light lily. What makes one example better than another? Two answers — the quality of the shades and the finish on the base. This lamp excels on both counts. The lily shades are beautiful and extremely well-matched. The original patina on the base is stunning — rich chocolate brown with green highlights. Patina doesn’t get much better than this. Of course all the shades are signed, as well as the base. The porcelain sockets are all original and the lamp has been professionally rewired. It’s one of the finest examples I’ve ever had for sale.
Gallé blownout Rowanberry vase
Recently I had as many as a dozen different Gallé blownout vases for sale, but slowly but surely that number is dwindling. I now have about six different examples for sale. The example above is the latest, called Rowanberry, part of the rose family. I think Gallé took artistic license with this vase as all the photos I’ve been able to find show the berries as orange or red. Regardless, it’s rare and beautiful, with no grinding (as found on too many examples).
I’ll keep working this week to add more items. Keep tuned to my website and don’t forget to email me with any questions.
No shows until October 20, 2022, when we’ll exhibit at the Baltimore Art, Antique & Jewelry Show. Two weeks later we’ll exhibit at the Antiques + Modernism Show in Winnetka, IL, starting on November 4, 2022.
