Some good results at Bonham’s New York 20th Century Decorative Arts sale, December 17, 2015

Posted on December 31, 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.

It’s December 31, 2015. Wishing everyone a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year, filled with Peace!

Bonham’s New York held their 20th Century Decorative Arts sale on December 17, 2015, immediately following their The Artistry of Tiffany sale. I will only concern myself with the beginning of the sale, which included works by Tiffany Studios, the Martin Brothers and Daum Nancy.

Tiffany Studios Floral Bouquet chandelier, Bonham’s lot #1008

The first nine lots of the sale were offerings by Tiffany Studios. Of this group, the top lot was a 28¼” diameter Floral Bouquet chandelier. It doubled its high estimate of $120,000, realizing an impressive $293,000, including buyer’s premium. There are more buyers for table lamps than chandeliers, which made the result even more notable. It easily exceeded the high of $137,000 for all of the Tiffany Studios items in the previous The Artistry of Tiffany sale.

Martin Brothers aquatic vase, Bonham’s lot #1010

Lot #1010 was a large, incredible Martin Brothers stoneware aquatic vase from 1892, with 3-dimensional carving and barnacles. I was drooling over this vase, especially with an unbelievably low estimate of $2,000 – $3,000. I knew I had a chance, but only if the major collectors weren’t interested. I was willing to pay way over the high estimate, but unfortunately I wasn’t the buyer. At $20,000, I was the underbidder. Oh well. At least I made the buyer pay, but I really wanted this lot. Martin Brothers collectors have deep pockets, so I think I would have been outbid no matter what.

Daum Nancy Impressionist vase, Bonham’s lot #1011

The three Daum Nancy lots did very well, with the best results for lot #1011, an Impressionist vase with yellow trees on a purple mottled background. It easily exceeded its high estimate of $15,000, realizing $27,500, including buyer’s premium.

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 really need to buy more, so if you have something great, please offer it to me for sale. I am paying the highest prices of any dealer. My decisions are quick and my payments just as quick. Just snap a photo and email me a jpeg.

I will continue to list more as often as possible. 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.

Fair results for Bonham’s New York The Artistry of Tiffany sale, December 17, 2015

Posted on December 28, 2015 by Philip Chasen

Bonham’s New York held their The Artistry of Tiffany sale on December 17, 2015, with total sales of $820,000 for the very small 25-lot auction. 8 lots did not sell, which worked out to an average of $48,235 for each of the 17 sold lots, well below the results of both Christie’s and Sotheby’s.

Tiffany Studios 16″ diameter Snowball table lamp, Bonham’s lot #8

Tiffany Studios 18″ diameter Peony table lamp, Bonham’s lot #15

Two Tiffany Studios’ lamps tied for best results at $137,000 each, including buyer’s premium — lot 8, a 16″ diameter Snowball, and lot 15, an 18″ diameter Peony.

Tiffany Favrile Aquamarine vase, Bonham’s lot #18

The top glass lot was #18, a Tiffany Aquamarine vase, made to depict aquatic subject matter. Aquamarine vases are heavy, with thick glass containing embedded glass objects, like a glass paperweight. Lot #18 contained embedded water lilies and was a nice size at 10″ tall. It sold within its pre-sale estimate of $60,000 – $80,000, realizing $81,250, including buyer’s premium.

For the complete results of the sale, click here.

I will continue to list more as often as possible. Please click here to take a look.

What’s new at Philip Chasen Antiques?

Posted on July 13, 2015 by Philip Chasen

Business has been good, so I’ve been buying up a storm (and selling quite a bit too). Most of my energy has been in French glass, but I’ve bought some wonderful items in other categories, including Tiffany glass and lamps, Loetz glass, Amphora pottery and much more. This entire last last week has been an exercise in continuous cleaning, labeling, and packing for our show next week in Denver. If there’s any chance you can make it, please try. Our display will be second to none. Here are a few examples of this exciting new merchandise.

Tiffany Studios 22-inch diameter Nasturtium table lamp

How about a superb and huge Tiffany Studios 22″ diameter Nasturtium table lamp on an adjustable Cat’s Paw base? I haven’t had a Tiffany lamp this large and this fine in quite a while. It’s priced right, so it’s not going to last long.

Daum 17¼-inch blownout scenic vase

Daum produced only a few different models of blownout vases, with the 11″ forest scenic the most common (and the most beautiful). What they made very few of is the large, 17¼” tall version. (This is only the second time I’ve owned this vase.) Besides rarity, it’s more impressive, with extensive wheel-carving between the trees and to the foot. It’s a stunning vase.

Daum inkwell with 4 applied insects

I love this Daum Nancy inkwell from the 1920s, which includes techniques developed earlier in the century. The 1920s characteristics are the bright colors and the foil inclusions. The technique is called paperweight, where the outer layer is clear glass. The foil and the colored glass are internal. The earlier influences are the applied and wheel-carved insects, four in all, each a different color. When molten, clear glass was applied over colored foil, giving each insect a different color — blue, purple, red or yellow. When the glass was cold, a craftsman engraver carved all of the details for each insect, including the legs into the body of the inkwell, making them very realistic and very cool.

These are only a small sample of the new items. Click here to check my website for the latest items and to look around.

Keep checking my site, as I will be updating it often. 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.

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.

Good results for Tiffany Studios lamps at Christie’s Design sale, June 10, 2015

Posted on June 11, 2015 by Philip Chasen

Christie’s New York held their Design sale yesterday, June 10, 2015, with total sales of $7,687,750 for the 213 lots offered. Included in the sale were several Tiffany Studios lamps that sold well as a group.

Tiffany Studios 22″ diameter Peony floor lamp, Christie’s lot #14

The top lot of the Tiffany lamps was #14, a 22″ diameter Peony floor lamp that sold for $161,000, against a pre-sale estimate of $80,000 – $120,000.

Tiffany Studios 20″ diameter Dragonfly table lamp, Christie’s lot #11

Flying well past its pre-sale estimate of $60,000 – $80,000 was an unusual 20″ Dragonfly table lamp, Christie’s lot #11. It had nicely colored dragonflies against a pastel sky-blue, mottled background, with non-jeweled eyes, two amber geometric bands near the rim and amber jewels in the background. The shade rested on a twisted vine base, all with an original gold doré finish. I couldn’t decide if I liked it or not, but I was going to buy it if the price were low. Alas, that wasn’t the case. It realized $125,000.

All prices include the buyer’s premium.

For the complete results of the sale, click here.

No shows until July, when we’ll be in Denver for the Denver World Wide Antique Show, at the Denver Mart, EXPO Building, 451 East 58th Avenue, July 24-26, 2015. We’re still in business, so please don’t hesitate to email or call. Keep checking my website for the latest offerings, which I’ll be posting in the next week.

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.

Good results at Sotheby’s The Warshawsky Collection: Masterworks of Tiffany and Prewar Design sale, May 19, 2015

Posted on May 25, 2015 by Philip Chasen

On May 19, 2015, Sotheby’s New York sold a one-owner collection, The Warshawsky Collection: Masterworks of Tiffany and Prewar Design, which included 90 lots of outstanding Tiffany Studios objects. Only 2 of the 90 lots failed to sell. Sales totaled $7,951,125 for the 138 lots offered.

Tiffany Studios Oriental Poppy floor lamp, Sotheby’s lot #36

The top lot of the sale was #36, a beautiful Oriental Poppy floor lamp. It topped $1 million, with a final sale price of $1,066,000, including buyer’s premium, against a pre-sale estimate of $400,000 – $600,000.

This rare Tiffany Studios Peacock frame, Sotheby’s lot #2, sold for $40,000, against a pre-sale estimate of $5,000 – $7,000

The sale started strongly, with frames and lamp screens selling for ridiculously high prices. Then reality set in and the sale lost a little steam, with some lots selling at or below their low estimates.

Tiffany Studios Grapevine frame, Sotheby’s lot #85

A bizarre result was the sale of a medium-sized Tiffany Grapevine frame, lot #85, a common frame that I ordinarily sell for $2,500 – $3,500. It sold for the extraordinary price of $22,500, against a pre-sale estimate of $1,200 – $1,800. Whaaattt??? Some people have more cents than sense. Where are those clients when I need them?

Tiffany Studios advertising sign, Sotheby’s lot #87

One of the more amusing results came with the sale of an original Tiffany Studios bronze advertising plaque. It brought an incredible $20,000, against a pre-sale estimate of $800 – $1,200.

For the complete results of the sale, click here.

We’re now in Lyon, seeking treasures, then back to Paris for a few days before returning home.

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.

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

Posted on March 16, 2015 by Philip Chasen

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

Tiffany Studios charger, Little lot #590

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

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

For the complete results of the sale, click here.

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

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

Posted on March 5, 2015 by Philip Chasen

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

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

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

Steuben red decorated vase, Sotheby’s lot #18

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

Rare Daum Dragonfly lamp, Sotheby’s lot #46

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

For the complete results of the sale, click here.

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

The remains of Louis C. Tiffany’s home — Laurelton Hall

Posted on January 5, 2015 by Philip Chasen

Monday’s post should be up by noon.

This mansion sits right on the site of Laurelton Hall

I feel lucky to live only a few miles from Laurelton Hall, the home of Louis C. Tiffany. I wonder how many of the residents of the many mansions that now cover the 600 acres of the former grounds of Laurelton Hall know about its history. My gut feeling is that most of them don’t have a clue. The mansion above is one of a couple that sits right on the location of Laurelton Hall. In the backyard, one original wall remains. I’m curious if the owner is permitted to knock it down, or does it have historical status? What a joy it must be to live right on the same ground that Tiffany lived and breathed. It’s my opinion that if Laurelton Hall had never burned down, and were preserved, it would be one of the most visited sites in the entire USA. I dream about it.

Sagamore Hill

Did you know that Sagamore Hill, the summer residence of President Theodore Roosevelt, is just down the road? Tiffany and Roosevelt were neighbors. Sagamore Hill has been beautifully preserved and is a must-see if you come to Long Island. Here’s another hint. Teddy Roosevelt is buried just down the road and almost nobody goes. It’s right next to the Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary & Audubon Center, 134 Cove Road, Oyster Bay, NY. My guess is that most people who visit Sagamore Hill never visit his grave, simply because they don’t know it’s there.

Historical photo of the minaret at Laurelton Hall (courtesy of http://www.oldlongisland.com/)

Historical photo of the minaret at Laurelton Hall (courtesy of www.oldlongisland.com)

The snowy view today from the beach

You can see the blue glass at the top of the minaret

If you travel to the beach at Laurel Hollow, next to the parking lot of the Village Hall, you can see the Laurelton Hall minaret, originally the smokestack for the power house. At the top, you can see the original blue glass. It’s in the backyard of the mansion pictured above in the first photo. (BTW, thanks to Chris Delloiacono for showing it to me. I’ve lived in the area for 25 years and never knew it existed.)

The view of the Laurelton Hall caretaker’s house from Tiffany Road

Driving down Tiffany Road, you can see the caretaker’s house, near the original entrance to the estate. I might be spreading rumors here, but to the best of my knowledge, the house was occupied for many years by Bruce Randall. He was Mr. Universe in 1959 (way before Arnold Schwarzenegger). He’s the same Bruce Randall who not only wrote the forward to the famous book on Tiffany lamps, The Lamps of Tiffany, by Egon Neustadt, but the entire book. Supposedly, Dr. Neustadt was just the collector who put together his famous collection, while Bruce did all the writing. In another aside, you can view the Neustadt collection of Tiffany lamps in two places, the New York Historical Society in NYC and the Queens Museum in Flushing Meadow Park (the site of the 1939 and 1964 World’s Fairs).

If you’re planning a trip to New York, consider adding a side trip to the Oyster Bay, Laurel Hollow, Cove Neck area of Long Island. You’ll be rewarded.

There won’t be a Thursday post this week, but tune in next Monday for What’s New at Chasen Antiques, part III, with an emphasis on French glass.

I’ll be spending the next couple of weeks looking for still more treasures to bring to Florida for our southern circuit. Wish me luck!

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

Posted on December 22, 2014 by Philip Chasen

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

Tiffany Floral Bouquet chandelier, Bonham’s lot #52

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

Webb perfume bottles, Bonham’s lot #7

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

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

For the complete results of the sale, click here.

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

Philip Chasen Antiques

The blog for chasenantiques.com

Tag Archives: authentic Tiffany

Some good results at Bonham’s New York 20th Century Decorative Arts sale, December 17, 2015

Fair results for Bonham’s New York The Artistry of Tiffany sale, December 17, 2015

What’s new at Philip Chasen Antiques?

What’s new at Philip Chasen Antiques?

Good results for Tiffany Studios lamps at Christie’s Design sale, June 10, 2015

Good results at Sotheby’s The Warshawsky Collection: Masterworks of Tiffany and Prewar Design sale, May 19, 2015

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

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

The remains of Louis C. Tiffany’s home — Laurelton Hall

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