Rarities in Art Pottery, Lighting, and More: Auction Watch for Oct. 21st – 27th
by Kate Nixon
Great Estates
October 24th, 2023 at 10:00 AM Central
Hosted by Toomey & Co Auctioneers
Click here to see the online catalog.
Toomey & Co. has a new series of auctions focusing on prominent collections. On October 24th, Toomey & Co Auctioneers presents “Great Estates,” the first installment of a new, wide-ranging auction series featuring a curated selection of fine and decorative arts of the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries from prominent collections across the globe. Works from several notable estates will be featured in these auctions including Nicole Emmerich Teweles, sister to the renowned gallerist André Emmerich, the esteemed news anchor Peter Jennings, Governor Jim Thompson, and Toni Schulman.
In this first offering, a number of works will be labeled “No Reserve” including a lithograph from Arthur Wesley Dow ($300-$500), a Handel desk lamp ($200-$300), a walking cane from The Kalo Shop ($200-$300), an Arts and Crafts meditation chair ($200-$300), a collection of seven Roycroft table top accessories ($300-$500), a banker’s lamp attributed to Roycroft ($700-$900), and a number of art glass works from Loetz, Lalique and more.
The rare table lamp from Wheatley Pottery and Handel ($2,500 – $3,500) certainly stood out as a possible highlight: the glazed earthenware base is in the form of a tree trunk while the textured glass shade is stamped Handel Co. 2325′. The Arts and Crafts furniture offerings come in a rocker and a tea cart from the Brothers Stickley as well as the aforementioned meditation chair, which just happens to be from the estate from news anchor Peter Jennings. Additionally, a collection of six Rookwood vases ($500 – $700) comes from the important collection of Nicole Emmerich Teweles, sister of art dealer Andre Emmerich. The collection is comprised of one Decorated Mat vase by Charles Todd, one Decorated Mat vase by William Hentschel, and four production vases. Impressed manufacturer’s mark, date and number to underside of each example ‘Flame mark XXI 2388’, ‘Flame mark XXIII 1358E’, ‘Flame mark XIII 1660E’ with inicised artist’s signature ‘C.S.T’, ‘Flame mark XXV 2135’, ‘Flame mark XIX 2135’ and ‘Flame mark XV 962’ with incised artist’s initials ‘WEH’.
Lastly, a notably tall (22 inch) white apple blossom umbrella stand ($150-$250) from Weller from Nicole Emmerich Teweles’ collection is an Arts & Crafts gem for any collector’s front room.
To see the entire online catalog, visit the Great Estates webpage on Toomey & Co’s website by clicking HERE.
Modern Design – Art
October 24th, 2023 at 10:00 AM Pacific
Hosted by Bonhams – Skinner
Click here to see online catalog
A Large and Rare Teco pottery vase ($15,000-$25,000) will be auctioned off October 24th as a part of Bonham/Skinner’s Modern Design – art auction.
While the cover and nature of this auction may turn off the Arts & Crafts collector only interested in works of the movement, there are a few Arts and Crafts gems to be found in this auction. A highlight certain to attract a number of art pottery collectors is the large and rare Teco vase ($15,000-$25,000) the example found in Tod M. Volpe and Beth Cathers’s book Treasures of the American Arts and Crafts Movement: 1890-1920 and Sharon Darling’s Teco: Art Pottery of the Prairie School. Coming from a private collection in Northern California, the same model of this vase resides in the permanent collection of the Chicago History Museum. Two Van Briggle bowls ($1,000-$1,500) and a set of Imperial Hotel dinnerware ($800-$1,200) by Noritake for Heinz and Co., from the edition of 1,000 place settings, transfer printed porcelain, each signed ‘HEINZ AND CO. 1984/Noritake’. A hand hammered copper Dirk Van Erp vase ($1,500-$2,500) with the shopmark on the bottom measuring 5 7/8in (14.9cm) in height and 3 1/4in (8.2cm) in diameter comes to the auction from a Northern California collection. An oaken Gustav Stickley china cabinet (model 815) with a Craftsman Workshops paper label ($2,000-$4,000) featured in D. Congdon-Martin’s The Gustav Stickley Photo Archives will be auctioned off. In glassworks and lighting, a large and rare Rose and Butterfly vase from Tiffany Studios coming from the collection of Albert A. Webb of Riverside, California is sure to fetch a heavy price tag, estimated at $60,000-$80,000. For those with a budget, collectors can find a Handel designed Apple Blossom Table Lamp 3 inches taller than the Tiffany lamp estimated for $1,500 – $2,500.
The Pursuit of Beauty: Art Nouveau, Art Deco & Art Glass Signature Auction
October 26th, 2023
Hosted by Heritage Auctions
Click here to view online catalog
Art glass abound in this October 26th auction along with some unexpected art pottery finds to the joy of art pottery collectors. A number of works in this auction have come from the estate of Angela Gross Folk. I’d be remiss if I didn’t start off these highlights with one of the many Tiffany Studios lamps: a Tiffany Studios table lamp with an Acorn shade on a rare Pumpkin base ($14,000-$16,000). Just in time for Halloween and the fall season! As this model was demonstrated in the publication by A. Duncan Tiffany Lamps and Metalware: An illustrated reference to over 2000 models, this lamp features an early example of the “Acorns” shade and a rare example of the “Pumpkin” oil lamp base with a green-dark brown patina.
Aside from a pair of bookcases attributed to L and J.G. Stickley (from Folk’s estate), the great majority of these highlights are in the art pottery realm: starting with a rare ceramic basket from Weller Pottery’s Hudson line. Entitled “Little Bo Peep” basket made by Dorothy England Laughead, the rare nursery-rhyme themed basket ($500-$700) has been shown in Linda Carrigan and Allan Wunsch’s book Weller Pottery: The Rare, the Unusual and the Seldom Seen and comes to the auction from a Florida antique dealer. The underside of the Bo Peep basket shows shopmarks from “Weller Ware” and the initials “D.E.” Other
The Little Bo Peep Basket, a ceramic work made by Dorothy England Laughead of Weller Pottery. Photo courtesy of Heritage Auctions.
Weller representatives include the Sicard Snake vase ($700-$900) from Folk’s estate described as “Lustre glaze vase with beautifully shifting iridescent tones of purple, green, and gold, featuring stylized snake motif with arabesque coiling bodies,” a lot of seven La Sa Landscape Vases ($700 – $900) all with gold lustre finishes and hand-painted landscape themes, and two larger examples of Weller Pottery including a large red Hudson floral vase ($800-$1,200) and a Flemish Apple Blossom umbrella stand ($500 – $1,700) standing at 22 inches high.
There are a large number of Fulper vases in this auction – 34 vases – in all their colorful glazed glory which you can search for by clicking HERE. If you’re a fan of the chinese blue and pink flambe combination, this vibrant vase from Fulper ($500-$700) measures 7-3/4 x 7-1/2 inches (19.7 x 19.1 cm) and is listed in very good condition. With some lots featuring multiple Fulper vases – one lots offers EIGHT Fulper bud vases – Fulper is always a great addition to collections everywhere and a great consideration for those starting out with their collection. The number of Rookwood examples in this auction is an astounding 54 examples, although some lots show multiple vases and all the popular Rookwood artists are represented here – William McDonald, Sturgis Lawrence, Kataro Shirayamadani, Albert Valentien, Artus Van Briggle, Lenore Asbury, Lorinda Epply and others.
Two Rookwood Pottery Standard Glaze Vases Decorated by Lenore Asbury, 1903-1904. Estimate: $700-$900. Measuring 9-3/4 inches (24.8 cm) (tallest) The group comprising: 1 Dandelions vase, 1903; 1 Chrysanthemum vase, 1904.
Upcoming Auctions in November
The Life Collection of Terry & Ralph Kovel
November 1st, 2023 at 11:00 AM EST
Hosted by Rago Auctions
Visit Rago’s auction website here.