Ohr, Overbeck, Robineau and Stickley Works at Rago's This Week PLUS Toomey and Co's Auction Results

by Kate Nixon

Editor’s note: this article has been updated to reflect Rago’s upcoming auction on Wednesday, September 23rd.

Upcoming Auction:

Gustav Stickley Rare inlaid desk and chair, models 720 and 394 $5,000–10,000. Photo courtesy of Rago Arts and Auction Center.

Rago will present a curated sale of early 20th century American and European design, lighting, and decorative arts. An expansive selection of American art pottery will be offered, including Ohr pottery from the Estate of Martin and Estelle Shack and exceptional vases by Overbeck Pottery and Adelaide Robineau. From ceramics to metalwork, this auction will feature many highlights by leading makers such as Tiffany Studios, Gustav Stickley, Grueby and more.

Forty George Ohr vases, including an exceptional bisque pot, a rare poem mug, and a rare and exceptional Jefferson vase, are included in the sale as is a rare jardiniere from Arthur E. Baggs of Marblehead pottery. A number of Baggs’ works are available for bidding including those made at the State School of Ceramics at Alfred University and additional works for Marblehead Pottery. A number of Grueby Faience tiles will be featured as will a rare George P. Kendrick Grueby Faience vase. A number of Van Briggle Pottery and Fulper Pottery vases will be included, as works from Newcomb College, Rookwood, Dedham Pottery, Chelsea Keramic Artworks are also represented. However, a certain highlight of the auction will be the Adelaide Robineau selections of vases, including a signed “Masterwork” Night lamp vase of Robineau’s owned by Robineau’s grandson.

Lighting includes a bright blue daffodil Tiffany Studios table lamp often represented in literature as well as other popular Tiffany Studio shades: Jack-In-The-Pulpit, Dogwood, Black Eyed Susans, a vine border are featured as designs in the Tiffany Studios examples up for bid this auction. Furniture is represented by Roycroft, Gustav Stickley, L & J.G. Stickley, Charles Limbert and others. Fans of Dirk Van Erp’s work will find several examples of the Bay Area master up for bid as well as works from Marie Zimmerman and Archibald Knox.

Lots can currently be previewed now through the 22nd. Bids are currently being accepted online: interested bidders may leave bids through ragoarts.com (registering for the auction and entering a credit card is needed for online bidding) and Live Auctioneers.

See the catalog now at Ragoarts.com and on LiveAuctioneers.com.

Starting from upper left: an exceptional bisque vase by George E. Ohr ($12,000 – $16,000), a rare and exceptional Jefferson vase ($3,500 to $4,500), a rare vase from George P. Kendrick for Grueby Faience Company ($16,000 – $19,000), an Important Night Lamp vase from Adelaide Robineau ($40,000 – $60,000). Starting from lower left: a rare blue Daffodil Tiffany Studios table lamp ($60,000 – $75,000), an early flat-arm Morris chair by Gustav Stickley ($2,500-$3,500), an early Gustav Stickley dresser ($3,000 – $4,000), and an early Stickley Morris chair ($4,000 – $6,000).

To see the whole catalog of this Thursday’s auction, please visit Ragoarts.com

The Results: Fine Art + Furniture & Decorative Arts

September 15th, 2021

The Arts and Crafts offerings featured plenty of Gustav Stickley furniture including, a rare settee from the Stickley Brothers and a table lamp and double door bookcase from L. & J.G. Stickley. A rare table lamp base from Charles Rohlfs, a daybed and hall seat from Charles P. Limbert, furniture inspired by Charles Rennie Mackintosh, and a number of furniture from The Roycrofters round out the furniture highlights.

In metalwork and jewelry, three copper American Beauty vases from The Roycrofters and a pair of copper bookends featuring ceramic ship tiles by Dirk Van Erp while two pieces of jewelry stood out – a 14K yellow gold pendant necklace with coral roses, freshwater pearls, and leaf décor by Rokesley Shop Co-founder Ruth Smedley and a sterling silver and amazonite necklace from The Kalo Shop sold moderately: a high selling item came from the Cellini Shop in the form of a set of sterling silver and stainless steel flatware with stamped marks with a finalized price of $2,000, nearly three times the high estimate of only $800.

Here are just a few highlights from the auction:

Lot 89: An oaken waste basket from Gustav Stickley sold for $5,000, twice the high estimate. The basket was not only marked with the red label, but had the paper label. A similar item will be up for bid at Rago’s Art and Auction Center during the Early 20th Century Design auction on September 23rd.

Lot 91: A pair of copper and polychrome glazed ceramic bookends from Dirk Van Erp featuring Galleon ships sold for $4,687.00. The set of tiles featured an open box mark.

Lot 99: Selling for nearly twice its high estimate, a mahogany server made by L & J.G. Stickley for the Onondaga shops brought in a finalized price of $3,900.00.

Lot 107: An Español carved earthenware vase made by Anna Frances Simpson of Newcombe College sold for $4,225.00. Its impressed factory marks and incised artist’s initials, along with the pleasing blue tones and the fact that the vase was made by one of the most recognized of the Newcombe College creators helped to make the vase a standout.

Lot 113: Another work from L & J.G Stickley for the Onondaga shop, this one an unmarked but rare magazine stand, brought in a finalized price of $4,225.00, more than twice the high estimate. Its rare nature stems from its early carved form and the presence of the lower shelf.

Lot 127: A branded oak and copper table lamp from Charles Rohlfs impressed with its period silk shade and its apparent resemblance to a Gustav Stickley’s table lamp, #625 brought home an impressive selling price of $8,750, more than four times the high estimate.

Lot 131: One of the highest selling Arts and Crafts era works of the auction, this Mahogany and copper china cabinet, complete with the carved orb and cross sold for an impressive $27,300! The intricately designed cabinet, designed by the Roycrofters out of East Aurora, NY sold for more than three times the high estimate of $8,000. Meanwhile, The Roycroft Inn window bench sold for $4,062.00

Lot 177: An oaken Charles Limbert-designed hall seat was purchased at $3,250, nearly thrice the high estimate; the seat additionally featured a branded mark.

Lot 216: Another high selling work in the auction comes from Frank Lloyd Wright; his oaken chair made for Browne’s Bookstore coming from the collection of Francis Fisher Browne, sold for $24,700.00.

Lot 236: An example of the popular Tiffany lamps comes to us in the form of a leaded glass Pine Needle shade and a patinated bronze base; this stamped example sold for $6,875, more than twice the high estimate of $3,000.

How did our items of note fare? See the results below…

To see realized prices from the entire catalog from the Toomey & Co website, click HERE.

Art Pottery

(left) Lot 82
Grueby Pottery
Water Lily three-color tiles, set of three
Boston, Massachusetts
matte glazed ceramic
each tile with impressed mark
set in an older quartersawn oak Arts & Crafts frame
tile (each): 6″sq; frame: 28″w x 13 1/4″h x 1 1/4″d

Estimate $2,000-3,000

Sold for $2,875

(right) Lot 106
Charles Walter Clewell (1876-1965) for Clewell Metal Art
large vase with excellent encrusted blue-green patination, shape number 272-5
Canton, Ohio, circa 1930
copper-clad ceramic
etched signature, numbered
6 3/4″dia x 11 1/8″h

Estimate $800-1,200

Sold for $1,300

Furniture

(left) Lot 98
Stickley Brothers
rare English influenced inlaid settee
Grand Rapids, Michigan
mahogany, pewter, fruitwood with original finish
remnant of oval paper label
52″w x 24″d x 46″h

Estimate $2,000-3,000

Sold for $4,062

(right) Lot 132
The Roycrofters for the Roycroft Inn
window bench, #A203
East Aurora, New York
oak
numbered
40″w x 16″d x 24″h

Estimate $3,000-5,000

Sold for $4,062

Lighting

(left) Lot 124
Heintz Art Metal Shop
table lamp with poppy decorated shade
Buffalo, New York
bronze, mica, silver
marked with partial paper label
9″dia x 10 3/8″h

Estimate $300-500

Sold for $715.00

(right) Lot 120
Stickley Brothers
table lamp, #466
Grand Rapids, Michigan
copper, caramel slag glass with original patina, original glass, original three-socket base and wiring.
numbered
19″w x 16 3/8″d x 21″h

Estimate $3,000-5,000

Sold for $4,687.00

Metalwork

(left) Lot 141
The Roycrofters / Roycroft
American Beauty vase
East Aurora, New York
copper
stamped orb and cross
7 3/4″dia x 21 3/8″h

Estimate $2,000-3,000

Sold for $2,990.00

(right) Lot 91
Dirk van Erp (1862-1933) / California Faience
bookends with galleon ship tiles, pair
San Francisco, California / Berkeley, California
copper, polychrome glazed ceramic with original finish
open box mark
each: 3 7/8″w x 4 3/4″d x 4″h

Estimate $2,000-3,000

Sold for $4,687.00

Jewelry

(left) Lot 268
Ruth Smedley (1882-1920) (co-founder of the Rokesley Shop)
rare pendant for a necklace with rose and leaf decoration
Berea/Cleveland, Ohio
14K yellow gold, coral, freshwater pearls
unsigned
9.7 dwts; accompanied by a period photograph of Smedley with various inscriptions to the reverse
1 13/16″w x 2″h

Estimate $1,500-2,500

Sold for $1,125.00

(right) Lot 269
The Kalo Shop
necklace
Chicago, Illinois
sterling silver, amazonite
stamped marks
10.2 dwts
15 1/2″l (approximately); linked panel elements (laid flat): 4 7/8″w x 1 1/4″h

Estimate $1,000-2,000

Sold for $2,000