Tag Archives: Ruhlmann

Sotheby’s New York Important 20th Century Design sale on June 15, 2011 was its strongest since 2008

Posted on by
Reply

Lots of interesting things have been happening in the antiques world recently. Since I have a bit more time to write about them during the spring and summer, I will be posting new blog entries twice a week, instead of once — Mondays and Thursdays for the next few weeks. So make sure you come back often and tell your friends about my blog!

Tiffany Studios Oriental Poppy floor lamp, Sotheby's lot #19

Sotheby’s New York held their Important 20th Century Design sale on June 15, 2011. The results were generally strong, with total sales of $7,139,250. That’s the highest gross for a Sotheby’s 20th Century sale since 2008, before the “great recession”. Tiffany Studios items did well, with a few exceptions, including one that I don’t understand. Lot #19 was an outstanding Tiffany Studios Oriental Poppy floor lamp. Estimated to sell for $400,000 – $600,000, it did not reach reserve and was bought in. Apparently the lot was sold privately, after the auction, for $434,500, including buyer’s premium. The buyer was smart, because in my opinion, it should have sold at or above the high estimate. But inconsistency and odd results are normal at auction. Sometimes fair quality items sell for much more than they’re worth and other times excellent quality items don’t sell at all.

Rare pair of Tiffany Studios Arts & Crafts turtleback wall sconces, Sotheby's lot #8

A rare pair of Tiffany Studios wall sconces in the Arts & Crafts style, lot #8, sold well above the high estimate of $35,000, to reach $92,500. Both sconces had cracked turtleback tiles, but that didn’t slow the bidding down at all. Recent buyers at major auctions seem willing to overlook damage. That’s more frequently the case when the market is strong.

Importand and rare Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann dining table, Sotheby's lot #65

I don’t usually pay a lot of attention to the furniture in the sale, but this time I had to. Ruhlmann ruled (pun intended). Ten lots of Ruhlmann furniture sold for a combined $2,877,500, accounting for approximately 40% of the total sale. Lot #65 was catalogued as “An Important and Rare Dining Table, Model 1314 NR”. It carried a hefty pre-sale estimate of $700,000 – $900,000, but did not disappoint, selling for $1,482,500, including buyer’s premium.

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

Impressive 11½ inch Daum Nancy floral vase

Check out my new acquisitions. This week I listed a gorgeous Daum Nancy pink floral vase; a very fine Tiffany Studios Favrile flowerform vase — better than the one that sold at Christie’s for $27,500; a rare Tiffany Studios desk lamp in the Spanish pattern; several fine Daum vases; a Daum lamp; several Galle vases; and several more Tiffany Favrile 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

Posted on by
Reply

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

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

Posted on by
Reply

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

Good results at Christie’s Important 20th Century Decorative Art & Design sale in New York, June 17, 2010

Posted on by
2

June is 20th Century Decorative Arts Month, or so I’ve named it. Every June (and December), it seems every major (and minor) auction house has a 20th Century Decorative Arts sale. The June sales usually don’t have as powerful a selection as the December sales, but it’s still quite good. The June sale at Sotheby’s was strong, as I reported in my last blog entry. The overall results of the Christie’s sale the following day were good, with total sales of $5,853,100, but the Tiffany lamp sales were weaker, except for the best examples. Sotheby’s selection of Tiffany lamps was more select than Christie’s and the results showed. This time around, collectors were looking for superior examples and those excelled. Bargains were to be had for some of the less expensive lamps. For the most part, under $50,000 lamps suffered, while the over $100,000 lamps did well.

Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann commode, circa 1925, Christie's lot #97, June 17, 2010

Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann commode, circa 1925, Christie's lot #97, June 17, 2010

The top lot of Christie’s sale was #97, an Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann burl walnut and ivory commode, circa 1925. Estimated to sell for $150,000-200,000, it quadrupled the low estimate to sell for $614,500, including buyer’s premium.

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

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

A beautiful Tiffany Studios Grape chandelier, lot #45, was the second highest lot of the sale. It more than doubled the low estimate, selling for $398,500, against an estimate of $150,000-200,000. It continued the trend of strong results for the best examples.

Tiffany Studios 16 inch diameter Linenfold table lamp, Christie's lot #29, June 17, 2010

Tiffany Studios 16 inch diameter Linenfold table lamp, Christie's lot #29, June 17, 2010

At the other end of the spectrum, there were bargains to be had. Lot #29 was a 16″ diameter Tiffany Studios Linenfold table lamp. It was estimated very conservatively at $8-12,000 and sold for $9,375, including buyer’s premium, slightly below the low estimate. At retail, the lamp is estimated to sell for $15-20,000.

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

I just added over 10 Galle vases to my website, 7 Tiffany lamps, 1 Grueby vase, 1 Newcomb vase, Daum Nancy glass and a fabulous Burgun & Schverer internally decorated vase. I’m spending a lot of time this spring adding new items. Please take a look. Click on this link chasenantiques.com.

Please send me your comments or questions about art glass, lamps, Louis Icart, shows, auctions, etc. If it’s interesting, I’ll answer you in a future blog.