Louis Comfort Tiffany-designed necklace to be auctioned by Heritage Auctions on December 9, 2014

Posted on December 4, 2014 by Philip Chasen

Louis Comfort Tiffany necklace, Heritage lot #54124

Most people are aware that Tiffany Studios made lamps and many people know they made other items, including glassware and desk sets. But I suspect if you were to ask someone if Louis Comfort Tiffany designed jewelry, the answer would probably be “I don’t know.” or “No.”. Well, he did, and Heritage Auctions will sell a lovely example on December 9th. Lot #54124 in the Holiday Fine Jewelry Signature Auction is an amethyst, enamel and gold necklace, designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany, for sale at his father’s store on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, Tiffany & Co. The necklace features a 35 carat amethyst, enhanced by several smaller amethysts, set in 18k gold, with enameled leaves and suspended by an 18k gold chain. It is marked Tiffany & Co.

Enamel detail

The pre-sale estimate is $30,000 – $50,000. In most auctions, the reserve is kept secret, but in this case Heritage revealed the reserve of $20,000. That means as soon as the bidding hits $20,000, the item is sold. It can stop at $20,000 or sky’s the limit. Anything less than $20,000 will mean the item will go unsold. It’s provenance will certainly help. It’s been passed down through three generations of New York women.

It will be on public view in NYC at the Fletcher-Sinclair Mansion on E. 79th St. for several days prior to the sale. I’m curious to see what happens as I specialize in the works of Louis Comfort Tiffany, but never his jewelry. I’ll let you know after the sale.

For the complete catalog, click here.

I’ll be spending the next month and a half looking for treasures to bring to Florida for our southern circuit. The Florida shows begin with the Miami National Antiques Show on January 24, 2015.

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.

Heritage’s Tiffany, Lalique & Art Glass auction grosses over $1 million, December 4, 2013

Posted on December 9, 2013 by Philip Chasen

Heritage Auction held a Tiffany, Lalique & Art Glass auction on December 4, 2013. It wasn’t a stellar sale, with mostly B level items, but the results were decent. 344 of the 364 offerings sold, for a high sell-through rate. The sale totaled $1,030,706, for an average of $2,996 per sold item.

Tiffany Studios 22″ Belted Turtleback table lamp, Heritage lot #89039

Top lot of the sale was a Tiffany Studios 22″ Belted Turtleback table lamp, with a rare base, in a non-mosaic tile version. When inset with mosaic tiles, this same base is much more valuable. The lamp sold just below the low estimate of $100,000, for a total of $118,750, including buyer’s premium. The consignor was lucky to sell the lamp, as it wasn’t exciting and carried an overly optimistic estimate.

Fine Tiffany Favrile paperweight vase, Heritage lot #89049

The top Tiffany Favrile glass lot of the auction was #89049, a fine paperweight example, purchased in 1978 from Grover Antiques. It sold just below its low estimate of $25,000, for a final price of $30,000.

Fine Loetz black bottom vase, Heritage lot #89172

The most interesting lot of the sale was #89172, a rare, desirable, signed Loetz 7″ black bottom vase. It carried a ridiculously low estimate of $1,000 – $1,500. Black bottom Loetz vases have been selling in the $10,000 price range for the last 20 years, so why did Heritage put a $1,000 – $1,500 estimate? Only two explanations make sense. First they didn’t know, or second they did it purposely to generate excitement. Regardless of the reason, the vase soared to a final price of $13,750.

For the complete results of the sale, click here. You will have to sign in to get the prices realized.

We’ll be busy buying for the next couple of months in anticipation of the important Florida shows, starting with the Miami National Antiques Show on January 24, 2014. We’ll end our winter schedule with the wonderful Grove Park Inn Arts & Crafts Conference, February 21 – 23, 2014. We last exhibited there a few years ago and couldn’t do it again because of scheduling conflicts. This year there were no conflicts, so we’re happy to return. It will immediately follow the important Palm Beach Antiques Show.

Fine Tiffany Favrile vase with applied handles, just in

Click here to view my new website and look around. We always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on our website and at every show. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps

Heritage held a very successful Illustration Art auction, October 26, 2013

Posted on November 14, 2013 by Philip Chasen

Norman Rockwell’s The Song of Bernadette, Heritage lot #78138

Heritage Auctions held their Illustration Art auction on October 26, 2013, with some impressive results. Norman Rockwell’s The Song of Bernadette from 1944 was supposed to be the highlight of the sale and it was. It sold within its estimate of $400,000 – $600,000, to realize $605,000, including buyer’s premium.

Gil Elvgren, Lucky Dog (Dog Gone Robber), Heritage lot #78071

Gil Elvgren is one artist who can be counted on to do well at an illustration art auction. His Lucky Dog (Dog Gone Robber), Heritage lot #78071, scored the biggest hit, selling for $173,000, against a pre-sale estimate of $50,000 – $75,000. This was the highest price ever paid for an Elvgren at a Heritage auction. Two other Elvgren paintings at this same auction sold for over $130,000.

Stevan Dohanos, The Future Fireman, Heritage lot #78014

Steven Dohanos is another fine artist whose works command premium prices. I was particularly enamored of lot #78014, The Future Fireman, the cover for the November 14, 1953 Saturday Evening Post. I wasn’t alone, as it soared past its pre-sale estimate of $30,000 – $50,000, to realize $106,250.

For the complete results of the sale, click here. You will have to sign in or register for free to see the prices realized.

The NYC Pier Show will be held next weekend, November 23-24, 2013. The show is under new management, U.S. Antique Shows, which usually portends improvements. It will be our last show of the year, followed by the important Florida shows in January and February. We’re bringing some incredible new items, so don’t miss this show!

Fantastic Tiffany Favrile blue decorated vase, just in

Norman Rockwell painting, The Song of Bernadette, to be sold at Heritage Auctions’ Illustration Art Signature ® auction, October 26, 2013

Posted on October 10, 2013 by Philip Chasen

Norman Rockwell’s The Song of Bernadette, Heritage lot #78138

Heritage Auctions’ will hold their Illustration Art Signature ® auction on October 26, 2013. Included in the sale will be Norman Rockwell’s famous painting The Song of Bernadette, which was originally commissioned to publicize the 1945 movie of the same name, starring Jennifer Jones. It is one of Rockwell’s most reproduced works. The painting is expected to be the top lot of the sale, selling for millions.

Jesse Wilcox Smith’s A Child’s Prayer, Heritage lot #78153

Other important artists included in the sale will be J.C. Leyendecker, Jessie Willcox Smith, Stevan Dohanos, Dean Cornwell, Gil Elvgren and Alberto Vargas.

Gil Elvgren’s Lucky Dog, Heritage lot #78071

Gil Elvgren’s works are usually met with enthusiasm and spirited bidding. Lot #78071 will feature Elvgren’s 1958 painting, Lucky Dog, considered by many to be one of his best. It is likely to exceed its pre-sale estimate of $50,000 – $75,000.

For more information on the sale, click here.

Wonderful 12″ Daum rain scenic vase, just in

Heritage Auction to hold historic Pierre-Auguste Renoir auction, September 19, 2013

Posted on September 9, 2013 by Philip Chasen

On September 19, 2013, Heritage Auctions will hold a sale entitled The Unknown Renoir, which will include fascinating memorabilia and personal artifacts. The 143-lot sale will include letters to and from Renoir, personal items, drawings, documents, and original plasters, to name a few. I suspect that some of the estimates will be blown away by enthusiastic bidders.

Original Renoir plaster, Grande Vénus Victorieuse, Heritage lot #89115

Heritage expects the top lot of the sale to be #89115, an original plaster, which is not copyright protected. Entitled Grande Vénus Victorieuse (Large Victorious Venus), the pre-sale estimate is $900,000 – $1,000,000. Whoever buys this lot will legally be able to cast it in bronze. If it’s done right, it could be quite remunerative, and surely interesting. Several other copyright protected, original plasters will also be in the sale, at significantly lower estimates in the $30,000 – $40,000 price range. They cannot be legally reproduced without permission from the copyright holder.

Lot of 56 original Renoir copper plates, Heritage lot #89109

Another lot that will likely lead to a flood of new Renoir etchings is #89109, 56 original copper plates. New etchings from original plates fall into a gray area. If they’re represented accurately, they’re worth a lot less than with a Renoir signature. The temptation to have a forger sign them will be difficult to resist.

Handwritten letter from Claude Monet to Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Heritage lot #89081

Lot #89081 is a really cool handwritten letter from Claude Monet to Renoir, dated February 16, 1914, thanking Renoir for his condolence note on the death of Monet’s son, Jean Monet, at the age of 46 — pretty amazing letter. My guess is the pre-sale estimate of $7,000 – $9,000 is conservative.

For the complete catalog, click here. You’ll find many of the lots intriguing.

Don’t have any shows for several weeks, so I’m devoting more time to updating my site. I’ve already listed about 10 new Tiffany, Daum, and Gallé vases. Click here to take a look. Then look for my totally redesigned website, with many changes and improvements, coming sooner than later. Can’t wait to show you and get your reaction!

Wonderful Daum Nancy scenic blownout vase, in rare purple variation, just in

Click here to view French cameo glass for sale. We always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on our website and at every show. Look around my website. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps.

Dr. Francis Crick’s Nobel Prize medal sells for $2,270,500 at Heritage Auction, April 11, 2013

Posted on July 4, 2013 by Philip Chasen

Dr. Francis Crick’s Nobel prize medal, front, Heritage lot #34001

Coming from a scientific background, I was acutely aware of the significance of the discovery of DNA’s double helix structure. The names Watson and Crick were emblazoned in my mind, alongside the likes of other famous scientists like Newton, Darwin and Einstein. So it was with great curiosity that I followed the auction of the Nobel Prize medal won by Dr. Francis Crick for his share of the discovery.

Back of Dr. Crick’s medal

Heritage Auction included the 23K solid gold medal in its Manuscripts Signature Auction in New York on April 11, 2013. The auction house estimated the medal could sell for up to $500,000, but it soon became clear that price would be left in the dust. Selling as lot #34001, it soared to $2,270,500, including buyer’s premium. The winner was businessman Jack Wang, of Biomobie, a biomedical company with offices in California and China. He flew into New York to attend the auction.

Dr. Crick’s endorsed Nobel Prize check, Heritage lot #34002

The family of Dr. Crick had consigned the medal, along with ten other lots, including Dr. Crick’s endorsed Nobel prize check for 85,739.88 Swedish Kroner. It sold as lot #34002 for $77,675.

For the complete results of the sale, click here.

No shows until July 19-21, when we’ll be in Denver. A fellow dealer convinced me to try the show again. She said the show has new promoters, who filled the hall with buyers the last time. So we’ll give it one more shot. In the meantime, don’t hesitate to call or write if you would like to buy, sell or trade.

Fabulous B&S mini vase with internally decorated flowers — just in

Click here to view French cameo glass for sale. We always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on our website and at every show.

Wonderful A. Walter pate-de-verre vase with lizard, just in

Look around my website. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps.

J.C. Leyendecker leads Heritage’s Illustration Art Auction, April 11-12, 2013

Posted on May 6, 2013 by Philip Chasen

Heritage Auction held an Illustration Art Auction on April 11-12, 2013, with some exceptional results. 859 lots were offered, with sales totaling $2,852,875.

J.C. Leyendecker painting Honeymoon, July 17, 1926, Heritage lot #78299

Top lot of the auction was one of the two cover lots, #78299, Honeymoon, a Saturday Evening Post cover from July 17, 1926. It easily exceeded its high estimate of $120,000, to sell for $194,500, including buyer’s premium.

Patrick Nagel painting, Her Seductive Look, Heritage lot #78153

I understand why the Leyendecker was the top lot of the sale, but I don’t understand why a fairly modern, and not so special (in my opinion) painting by Patrick Nagel, should sell for $158,500. Entitled Her Seductive Look, the pre-sale estimate was $20,000 – $30,000. Personally I wouldn’t have paid $5,000, but my opinion didn’t matter. What mattered was that two wealthy, determined bidders butted heads and bid the price into the stratosphere. Congratulations to the lucky consignor.

Gil Elvgren painting A Near Miss (Right on Target), Heritage lot #78081

Gil Elvgren paintings were well-represented in the sale, so it was no surprise that the third highest lot was his. Lot #78081 was entitled A Near Miss (Right On Target). The final price of $104,500 easily exceeded the high estimate of $75,000. Other Elvgren paintings did well too, with lot #78080, Let’s Go Around Together, selling for $101,500.

For the complete results of the sale, click here. You will have to sign in to see the prices.

No shows until late July, but we’re still very much in business. Please don’t hesitate to call or write. We’re always interested in buying, selling or trading.

Fine Argy-Rousseau pate-de-verre moth paperweight, for sale at the show

Click here to view French cameo glass for sale. We always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on our website and at every show.

Wonderful Tiffany Favrile blue decorated mini vase, for sale at the show

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

Gil Elvgren leads Heritage Auction’s Illustration Art auction, June, 2012

Posted on July 16, 2012 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. This week we’ll go hiking and white water rafting before our shows in the greater LA area, so there won’t be a Thursday post.

Heritage Auction held their Illustration Art auctions June 27-28, 2012, proving that Gil Elvgren is still King of the Hill. Heritage sold seven works by Elvgren that ranged in price from $11,875 to $176,500, for an average of $82,036, far surpassing the results for any other artist in the sale. Of course there are other illustration artists that can sell for more, like Norman Rockwell, but they weren’t represented in the sale. Besides, Elvgren is noted for pinup art, whereas the other big shots are not.

Gil Elvgren, Skirting the Issue (Breezing Up), Heritage lot #78139

Lot #78139 was an Elvgren painting titled Skirting the Issue (Breezing Up), from 1956. It took the prize for top lot, selling for $176,500, against a pre-sale estimate of $30,000 – $50,000.

Al Buell painting, Brunette Pin-Up, Heritage lot #78110

After Elvgren, second prize, (really 7th prize after six Elvgrens) went to Al Buell. His painting, Brunette Pin-Up, circa 1940, sold for $32,500, against a pre-sale estimate of $1,000 – $2,000 — truly an impressive result. The most a Buell painting has sold for in recent Heritage auctions was $10,000 in March of 2012, so this was quite a jump. Let’s see over the next few auctions if a new level has been set for Buell, or this result was just a fluke.

Hy Hintermeister painting, The Last Word, Heritage lot #78314

One of my favorite artists, Hy Hintermeister, sold very reasonably. Lot #78314, The Last Word, sold for $4,062.50, against a pre-sale estimate of $3,000 – $5,000. A similar painting, Hold Everything, sold for $20,000 in Heritage’s March, 2012 Illustration Art auction.

For the complete results of the sale, click on the following link. Heritage’s Illustration Art results. You’ll have to sign in to view the prices.

We’ll be exhibiting at a show at the end of next week in Redondo Beach, CA, July 27-29. Please come and visit us and show support by considering purchasing something. This will be our last time exhibiting in the greater LA area if we don’t sell enough to make it worth our while.

In the meantime, we’re still very much in business. Don’t hesitate to call or write, and let us know what you’d like to buy, sell, or trade.

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Come visit us in Redondo Beach, July 27-29

Look around my website. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps. I regularly add Tiffany vases, lamps and desk accessories, as well as French cameo glass by Galle and Daum Nancy and Louis Icart etchings. Just recently, I added about 15 new items. Here’s the link. chasenantiques.com

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

Posted on March 5, 2012 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. Thursday’s post will be about some very good French cameo glass sales at a recent auction.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Posted on December 5, 2011 by Philip Chasen

Every major and not so major auction house holds a 20th Century decorative arts sale in November or December. Today’s post will be about the results at Heritage. I hope to be able to publish Thursday about Julia’s results. My goal is to publish new posts twice a week — Mondays and Thursdays. However, if you don’t see a new post on Thursday, it’s because I was too busy, so please look for a new one the following Monday.

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

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

Tiffany Favrile paperweight vase, Heritage lot #62024

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

Daum Nancy Orchides vase, Heritage lot #62136

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

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

Rare and wonderful Tiffany red Favrile vase, just in

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

Philip Chasen Antiques

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Tag Archives: Heritage Auction