Results from California Historical Design and a “Fantastic” Auction “Exceeding Expectations”
by Kate Nixon
Furniture by Arts and Crafts icon Gustav Stickley sold well at last weekend’s AcStickley Arts & Crafts Auction, put on by California Historical Design and Gus Bostrom. In addition to Gustav Stickley and Newcomb College, the Alameda, California auction featured items from Limbert, Mathews Furniture Shop, Bernard Maybeck, Roycroft, the Stickley Brothers, Fulper Pottery and more. Among the highlights of the auction included an early Dirk Van Erp Hammered Copper & Mica Lamp selling for $20,000 – a meaningful purchase considering the local California heritage of the Dirk Van Erp legacy. The furniture of Gustav Stickley sold well with bookcases, cabinets, sets of chairs, and an evenarm settle selling for its high estimate if not more — a sideboard sold for $4,500, while the settle sold past its high estimate at $4,750.
How did our picks do? See the realized prices below:
Lot #260: Early Dirk van Erp Hammered Copper & Mica Lamp
Early Dirk van Erp hammered copper and mica two-socket lamp c1911-1912. Signed with closed-box mark. Excellent condition original patina and original mica. Measures 18″h x 19″d.
Estimates: $15,000 – $20,000
Sold for $20,000
Lot #294: L&JG Stickley Grandfather Clock c1910
L&JG Stickley Grandfather Clock c1910. Signed with “The Work of L&JG Stickley” decal inside door. Excellent original finish. This is a high quality example of this important L&JG Stickley clock. 80″h x 25.5″w x 14.75″d (clock case 20″w x 12″d)
Estimate $18,000 – $22,000
Sold for $17,000
Lot #14: Walrath Pottery Scenic Vase
Walrath Pottery scenic vase with Arthur Wesley Dow influenced stylized decoration. Signed. Hairlines to rim have been stabilized, otherwise perfect condition. Measures 5″h x 3.25″d
Estimates: $6,000 – $8,000
Sold for $5,000
Lot #193: Fulper Pottery – Vasekraft Leaded Glass Lamp c1910
Fulper Pottery – Vasekraft Lamp with ceramic leaded glass shade circa 1910. Signed. Invisible professional restoration to small chip under rim, otherwise perfect condition. Measures 22.5″h x 16.5″d
Estimates: $10,000 – $15,000
Sold for $10,000
Lot #19: Newcomb Transitional Vase – “Paperwhites” Henrietta Bailey
Newcomb College transitional vase decorated with stylized paperwhites by Henrietta Bailey circa 1911. Signed. Perfect condition. Measures 8″h x 5.75″d.
Estimates: $5,000 – $7,000
Sold for $4,250
California Historical Design will be open Saturday, March 23rd 10-5pm to sell any unsold lots. To see the remaining lots, click here.
In other news, the “Fantastic Private Collection of Arts & Crafts” – an auction that lasted nearly 8 hours at the Barry County Fairgrounds in Hastings, MI featuring a large number of items from a private collector – sold a collection of 557 items to a wide variety of collectors. Stanton’s Auctioneers hosted the event to a “full house” including buyers from 18 different states in person, 147 phone bids and email bidders. Stephen Stanton, owner of Stanton’s Auctioneers and an auctioneer himself, said of the sale: “expectations completely exceeded past what I anticipated.” Stanton said the same of the private collector, the original owner of the collection of Arts & Crafts items, who was in attendance and was pleased with the results.
Top row: Left – Gustav Stickley Chalet with original wicker basket, center – middle early Gustav Stickley desk, right – Limbert Turtletop small table with cutouts. Bottom row: rare Greene & Greene lantern.
Finalized selling prices have not yet been provided at the time of publication. We will post the article to social media when we receive more details. Additional pictures and a catalog of all the items sold can be seen at the auction page on Stanton’s Auctioneers website.