Teco | Philip Chasen Antiques

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.

David Rago held a very successful 20th/21st Century Design Auction on March 2, 2013. The sale grossed $5.25 million, exceeding the high estimate, with a sell-through rate of 85%. 308 phone bidders competed with the live audience and 1500 Internet bidders. Absentee bids totaled over $3 million.

David had the following to say about his sale. “The sale was interesting not because of the total dollar amount or the sell through rate (we’ve had higher numbers in both cases), but for the strength of the middle market. We had only 4 lots over $50k hammer for the entire weekend. What was most pleasing was how well the $2,500 – $5,000 lots performed. Lots always sold at that level, of course, but not with such consistency and so much competition. At first I thought it was for maybe just Arts and Crafts or some of the Modern but, as the sale progressed, it was clear that it was going to happen through the day. This means that the normal collector base was joined by designers, decorators, and dealers looking for material.”

Monumental Teco vase, Rago lot #21

The 20th Century section of the sale was led by a rare, monumental (22½”), Teco vase with iris flowers. Estimated to sell for $35,000 – $45,000, it blew past the estimate to sell for an astounding $212,500.

Fine Martin Brothers bird, Rago lot #150

The results for the sale of seven Martin Brothers birds confirmed the strength of the market, which has been hot for decades. The group was led by lot #150, a large bird with a bald head, at one time in the famous Harriman & Judd collection. It more than doubled its low estimate of $35,000, to sell for $93,750, including buyer’s premium. The average selling price for the seven birds was an impressive $44,643.

For the complete results of the sale, click here.

Remember the fantastic NYC Pier Antiques Show opens to the public this coming Saturday, March 16th, at 10 AM. Make sure you attend this exciting show.

Fine Galle Plum blownout vase, 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.

This superb Galle fuchsia blownout vase has great color and just arrived

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.

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

Philip Chasen Antiques

The blog for chasenantiques.com

Tag Archives: Teco

Martin Brothers and Teco ceramics led the Rago 20th/21st Century Design Auction March 2, 2013

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