Tag Archives: Tiffany

Some treasures I’ve owned, part IV, Tiffany Studios desk items

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Tiffany Studios Pine Needle clock

Tiffany Studios Pine Needle clock

Tiffany Studios desk sets have become quite popular in the last few years. I think publication of the Kemeny book on Tiffany desk sets galvanized public interest. Since the publication of the book, prices have gone up 10-fold on many items. Some of the items show up repeatedly, so it’s a kick for me when I find a rarity. Even the rarities are still priced within many collector’s budgets, with a high of about $10,000 for most, except the nearly impossible-to-find Pond Lily pattern. Some of you may remember that a set of six Pond Lily desk items sold for over $200,000 at an auction in North Carolina about 2 years ago.

The Pine Needle pattern has become more popular in the last year or so. A clock is one of the items that’s quite rare in any Tiffany desk set. The pictured example had a beautiful patina.

Tiffany Studios Grapevine set

Tiffany Studios Grapevine set

I never knew a combination tray, inkwell, wax seal, matchbox holder, and pen existed, until I was offered this one.  This particular example was complete and had one of the best original patinas one could ask for.  I wish I had 10 more, but then it wouldn’t be quite as rare.

Tiffany Studios clock with signs of the Zodiac

Tiffany Studios clock with signs of the Zodiac

This clock is not part of the Zodiac pattern but it does have the signs of the Zodiac. It’s quite rare and in stupendous condition with colorful original enameling. Some Tiffany desk set items come with or without enameling. The rarer ones are enameled and those where the enameling is in great original condition are the rarest of all.

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

Call or write and let me know what you would like to buy, sell, or trade. philchasen@gmail or 516-922-2090. And please visit my website. chasenantiques.com

Tiffany Studios lamps soar at Skinner’s sale of the Richard Wright Collection

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On October 24, 2009, Skinner, Inc. sold part II of the Richard Wright Collection. Overall, the sale was a barnburner, but today I’ll only discuss the Tiffany Studios lamps and glass. Yesterday, I reviewed a few of the results and tomorrow, I’ll discuss the Martin Brother ceramics and Zsolnay pottery results.

Tiffany Elaborate Peony table lamp, Skinner lot #305

Tiffany Elaborate Peony table lamp, Skinner lot #305

Richard didn’t collect too many Tiffany lamps, but the ones he did were special. The most important lamp of his collection was a 22″ elaborate Peony. It was estimated at $300,000 – $500,000, one of the more aggressive estimates in the sale. The lamp sold within the estimate, for $435,000, including the buyer’s premium. The photos in the catalog and on their website do not do the lamp justice, as it was more colorful and beautiful in person.

A Tiffany 20 inch diameter Dragonfly table lamp, Skinner lot #471

A Tiffany 20 inch diameter Dragonfly table lamp, Skinner lot #471

A 20″ Dragonfly lamp on a mock Turtleback base was estimated for $25-35,000 and quadrupled the high estimate for a final price of $148,125, including the buyer’s premium. Lot #291 was a rare Daffodil Jonquil table lamp. It sold to a dealer for $112,575, against a pre-sale estimate of $30-50,000. A Tiffany 10-light lily did not fare quite as well, as it was sold with one reproduction shade and one cracked shade. It was estimated for $7-9,000 and sold for $22,515.

A rare Tiffany Favrile orange vase, Skinner lot #583

A rare Tiffany Favrile orange vase, Skinner lot #583

A small, but rare and interesting Tiffany Favrile vase, deep orange with a zipper decoration, was estimated for a silly low price of $4-600. It sold for $10,665, in the range one would expect for a vase of this quality.

It was a good day for Tiffany Studios items at auction, but that was to be expected. The items were high quality, fresh-to-the-market, estimated low, and sold into a market where superior Tiffany items have been strong for quite some time.

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

Call or write and let me know what you would like to buy, sell, or trade. philchasen@gmail.com or 516-922-2090. And please visit my website. chasenantiques.com

Skinner’s auction of the Richard Wright Collection is a barnburner

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Richard Wright

Richard Wright

Richard Wright died on March 1, 2009 at age 62. He was best known as the expert doll appraiser for the Antiques Roadshow. He was also the owner of Wright Antiques & Dolls, in Birchrunville, Pennsylvania. I used to see him regularly when we both exhibited at the Atlantique City show. Skinner Inc. was the lucky auction house to sell his collection. They divided it into two parts, with the dolls being sold first on October 10, 2009 and the rest of his eclectic collection on October 24, 2009, with spectacular results. I’ll only cover the second session, which was so diverse and so exciting that I’ll divide my coverage into three parts.

Skinner’s knows how to market a sale. They let the public know that everything was there to sell by putting estimates that were so low, that everyone thought they were in the game. There is nothing better for a stellar auction than high quality, fresh-to-the-market items at low or no reserves. Stuart Whitehurst was the supervisor in charge. He and his staff did a great job and the results show it.

Bruno Zach, 'The Riding Crop', Skinner's lot #85

Bruno Zach, 'The Riding Crop', Skinner's lot #85

A large Bruno Zach bronze entitled “The Riding Crop”, 33½” tall, was estimated for $12-15,000. It sold for $94,800, including buyer’s premium.

Gallé side table, Skinner lot #306

Gallé side table, Skinner lot #306

Richard had a few pieces of Art Nouveau furniture in his collection and the auction results for them were fantastic. A Gallé two-drawer side table with mother-of-pearl butterfly inlays was estimated at $6-8,000. It brought an astounding $136,275, including buyer’s premium. A Gallé marquetry hall tree for coats and umbrellas, was estimated for $3-4,000 and sold for $31,995, including the buyer’s premium.

The results for Tiffany glass and lamps, Martin Brothers ceramics and Zsolnay pottery were equally tremendous. Tomorrow I’ll cover the Tiffany and the next day the Martin Brothers and Zsolnay.

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

Call or write and let me know what you would like to buy, sell, or trade. philchasen@gmail.com or 516-922-2090. And please visit my website. chasenantiques.com

Thank you, Chicago, once again

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Royal Vienna vase

Royal Vienna vase

I just finished my third show in the greater Chicago area in six weeks, with sincere reservations beforehand. After all, how many times can you exhibit in the same city within a reasonably short period of time? Well, the answer is THREE! The show went very well and I’m both surprised and pleased. What happened is that my clients who couldn’t attend the previous two shows found the time to attend this one. Sales were made to existing clients (thank you very much!) and also several new ones. That’s as good as it gets. I always value sales to my loyal clients, but it’s important to make sales to new ones too. When I have a show where I make very few, but good sales, I feel lucky. I don’t want to feel lucky. I want business to be good and when it’s spread across a larger base of clients, it means that business is good. Guess what? Business is good!

Tiffany Favrile candle lamp in rare kerosene version

Tiffany Favrile candle lamp in rare kerosene version

There was interest across the board. Sales were made in Tiffany, Daum, Galle, Rookwood, Newcomb College, Marblehead, Royal Vienna, and bronze and ivory, to name a few. That’s the way it’s supposed to be! If the stock market is a leading indicator of the end of recession, let me add that the antiques business also seems to be a leading indicator. The economy is getting better and it’s starting to show. After a wonderful show at the Chicago Merchandise Mart a couple of weeks ago, it was very gratifying to see that it wasn’t a fluke.

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

Call or write and let me know what you would like to buy, sell, or trade. philchasen@gmail.com or 516-922-2090. And please visit my website. chasenantiques.com

What a find at auction! A fantastic Tiffany Favrile vase.

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This is something that doesn’t happen every day. An auction gallery thinks so little of a vase that it’s not advertised, combined with a Baccarat vase to raise the value of the lot, sold near the end of the auction, estimated at $1/150, and sold for $28,200. Now for the whole story.

Clarke auction lot #358, photo from their website

Clarke auction lot #358, photo from their website

Clarke Auction of Larchmont, NY, held an auction on September 15, 2009. Buried at the end of the auction was lot #358 of a total of 435 lots. The lot was listed as ‘Baccarat Vase along with an Arts & Crafts Vase. From a Purchase home. Dimensions: 12″ and 9 1/2″‘

The “Arts & Crafts Vase” was not Arts & Crafts, but rather Art Nouveau, and more importantly a fantastic, stupendous, incredible Tiffany Studios Favrile, wheel-carved cameo vase. The vase was not signed, only numbered, so the auctioneer had a slight excuse for not knowing the true origin. However, the QUALITY was so fantastic that the auctioneer was negligent in not advertising the vase. Had he included a photo of the vase in his advertising, the cognoscenti would have recognized it, with a better result for both the consignor and the auction house.

We have a situation where the auctioneer is proud of his achievement, as evidenced in an article entitled “Kitchen Discovery – Tiffany Bowl Brings $28,200 at Clarke’s”, printed in the October 16, 2009 edition of Antiques and The Arts Weekly (known as The Newtown Bee), on page 14. The auctioneer should be embarrassed. He did a disservice to his consignor, selling a $100,000 Tiffany vase for $28,200. Congratulations to the bidders at the auction who recognized the vase and bid accordingly. Big sigh! I wish I had known and been one of them!

Tiffany Studios cameo vase

Tiffany Studios cameo vase

Just look at the quality of this vase. The flowers have been padded with molten glass in the making. After the vase cooled, it was extensively wheel-carved over the entirety of the vase to achieve the fantastic details. Folks, it doesn’t get any better than this. It’s a Tiffany masterpiece.

Knowledge is power. Sir Francis Bacon, Religious Meditations, Of Heresies, 1597.

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

Call or write and let me know what you would like to buy, sell, or trade. philchasen@gmail.com or 516-922-2090. And please visit my website. chasenantiques.com

The changing antiques market

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I’ve been pondering the changing nature of the antiques business. After 35 years, I have the luxury of being able to stand back and look dispassionately at the changes.

One of the major changes I’ve noticed is that there are fewer collectors today. That hasn’t necessarily hurt the value of antiques, as many people are still decorating with antiques. I meet people at shows who have a spot for a lamp or a vase or a painting and then they’re finished. Previously I encountered many more people who were looking to accumulate collections.

Daum winter scenic bowl

Daum winter scenic bowl

A lady from Florida wanted only to collect Daum winter scenes. She would see me at a show and ask me if I had any new shapes. She would only buy from me if I had a vase in a shape she didn’t have. By the time she finished, she had collected 72 different Daum winter scenic vases and lamps. It was quite an impressive collection.

Sam Maloof furniture from a 2006 exhibit at the Oceanside Museum of Art

Sam Maloof furniture from a 2006 exhibit at the Oceanside Museum of Art

Another big change has to do with what is collectible today — and that’s constantly changing as time goes by. For example, most Victorian glass has gone down in value, as there are fewer collectors today. Just on the face of it, it seems that when certain antiques get “too old”, interest in them lessens. Maybe people want to collect items from their childhoods or their parent’s or grandparent’s childhoods. Older than that and the items are unfamiliar. Modernism has become more and more popular as the years go by. The collectors are mostly younger and the items they like are no older than from the ’50s, and much of it is much newer. For example, Sam Maloof furniture is highly collectible. Sam was making furniture until his death in May, 2009.

So what will happen as time passes? I wish I had the answer. I do know that whatever happens is not inevitable. Publicity can work wonders. After a traveling exhibition in the 1980s in Japan of the works of Louis Icart, interest in Japan soared. So how about a few important exhibitions for Tiffany or French cameo glass? I’d love to see some.

What’s your opinion? Please post comments.

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

Call or write and let me know what you would like to buy, sell, or trade. philchasen@gmail.com or 516-922-2090. And please visit my website. chasenantiques.com

Thank you, Chicago

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My booth at the Chicago Merchandise Mart Show

My booth at the Chicago Merchandise Mart Show

We last exhibited at the Chicago Merchandise Mart in May. The spring show is considered the better of the two shows because it’s more established and gets better attendance. But for us the results were the reverse. We were disappointed in the spring and thankful for a very fine show this time around.

Tiffany 14 inch diameter Acorn floor lamp with drink tray, ashtray and magazine rack

Tiffany 14 inch diameter Acorn floor lamp with drink tray, ashtray and magazine rack

I asked a handful of dealers about their results and as always, there was a diversity of opinion. One dealer who is not a specialist and sells fine items from many different categories had one of the best shows ever in Chicago. Another dealer specializing in majolica didn’t do well. Two mid-west dealers said their shows were ok, but not better. Then there’s me. I’d like to thank all of my clients who made purchases. My clients are very loyal and as a result, I’m sincerely appreciative.

Tiffany glass and lamps garnered the most interest this time, with Art Nouveau French cameo glass by Gallé and Daum Nancy a close second. This time there was less interest in Art Deco glass by Le Verre Francais, etchings by Louis Icart and pottery by Rookwood.

Now it’s time for a short break and then back to the greater Chicago area for the Arlington Park Racetrack Show, October 16-18, and then on to Denver the following week.

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

Call or write and let me know what you would like to buy, sell, or trade. philchasen@gmail or 516-922-2090. And please visit my website. chasenantiques.com

Mixed results for Tiffany Studios at Doyle New York auction

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Doyle New York held its Belle Epoque auction last on September 23. Over 30 lots of Tiffany Studios items came to the auction block, with mixed results. None of the lots were exceptionally rare or unusual, so these results were predictable. Unfortunately, Doyle does not retain its photos online for posting on this blog, so I used my file photo for one lot.

A 20″ diameter Daffodil table lamp came to the block with a pre-sale estimate of $40-60,000, a bit on the aggressive side. $30-50,000 would have been more appropriate. It was bid to $35,000 and did not sell.

Tiffany Studios 18" diam. Whirling Leaf shade, very similar to lot #285

Tiffany Studios 18 inch diam. Whirling Leaf shade, very similar to Doyle lot #285

An 18″ diameter Swirling Leaf shade only, without a base, was estimated at $8-12,000, appropriate for this item. It sold for $10,625, including buyer’s premium.

Vases did OK, with a 14″ blue Favrile glass trumpet vase reaching $2,500, a blue Tel el Amarna vase bringing $4,375 and a gold vase with millifiori decoration selling for $3,375, all including buyer’s premium.

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

Call or write and let me know what you would like to buy, sell, or trade. philchasen@gmail or 516-922-2090. And please visit my website. chasenantiques.com

Tiffany desk set items sell very well at Stefek’s Auction

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Stefek’s Auctioneers of Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan, held an auction tonight. It was a well-rounded sale with furniture, lighting, paintings, etc. I only had interest in two lots in the sale, #257, a Tiffany Studios Byzantine perpetual calendar frame and #258, a Tiffany Studios Abalone desk set.

Tiffany Studios Byzantine calendar frame, lot #257

Tiffany Studios Byzantine calendar frame, lot #257

Original perpetual calendars come with a set of month and date cards that allow for every possibility, so they can be rotated monthly to make the date come out on the correct day of the week. Nowadays, they’re more useful as photo frames. Byzantine is a rare pattern, probably because it was quite expensive when new. It comes with many jewels inset in the design, but not always the same colors from set to set. Coral, white and dark blue are some of the other colors I’m familiar with. Stefek’s lot #257 came with turquoise round jewels and deep green, diamond-shaped jewels. This example seemed to be in especially fine condition. The pre-sale estimate was $2-3000 + 15% buyer’s premium. I was prepared to bid to about $2500 as perpetual calendar frames are small and Byzantine collectors are few and far between. To my pleasant surprise, the frame sold for $7475 — quite a sparkling result. If I’m not the buyer, I like strong prices. They show me that the market is alive and well.

Tiffany Studios Abalone desk set, lot #258

Tiffany Studios Abalone desk set, lot #258

The next lot in the sale, #258, was a Tiffany Studios Abalone desk set with some very nice items, including the best item, a frame, and the second best item, a scale. Some of the items showed considerable wear but the better items seemed to be in good condition. The pre-sale estimate was $12/14000 — quite aggressive in my opinion. I was prepared to bid $7-7500. The lot sold for $9775, including the buyer’s premium — a fair price. If I had been the successful buyer, I would have sold all of the items individually, giving different collectors the chance to buy an item or two.

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

Call or write and let me know what you would like to buy, sell, or trade. philchasen@gmail or 516-922-2090. And please visit my website. chasenantiques.com

Some treasures I’ve owned, part II, Tiffany Studios Favrile glass

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Periodically I’ll write about treasures that I’ve owned and sold in my long antiques career. Today I’ve chosen a couple of wonderful Tiffany Studios Favrile vases.

Tiffany Favrile cameo vase, front and back views

Tiffany Favrile cameo vase, front and back views

Tiffany produced very few cameo vases, probably because of the difficulty in producing them and the high price they would have had to charge. The purple and green color glass is “padded” onto the vase when molten hot. The vase is then annealed and cooled. The rest of the work is done to the cold vase at a leisurely pace, unlike working with the glass when hot. All of the details of the leaves and the grapes is intaglio-carved by hand. Only the most skilled craftsmen had the ability to artistically carve the details and achieve such a special result. There were no shortcuts taken in making this wonderful vase.

Outstanding Tiffany Favrile flowerform vase

Outstanding Tiffany Favrile flowerform vase

Flowerform vases (also called floriform vases) were meant to look like growing flowers, so the classical Tiffany Favrile floriform vase has a skinny leg (the stem of the flower) and a beautiful cup (the flower itself). Some shapes are relatively common and some are special. They are as delicate and beautiful as the real flower. Not only is the shape outstanding on this particular vase, but it’s decorated in gorgeous, realistic colors. Many lesser Tiffany floriform vases are plain gold iridescent. This example is that one that I should have kept for myself, but unfortunately I can’t keep as many items as I would like or I wouldn’t have much of a business. This is probably my favorite of many Tiffany vases that I’ve sold.

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

Call or write and let me know what you would like to buy, sell, or trade. philchasen@gmail or 516-922-2090. And please visit my website. chasenantiques.com