A Lifetime Arts and Crafts Collection For Bid Wednesday
by Kate Nixon
The DeCoster Collection: Arts & Crafts From a Grosse Pointe Cottage
featuring the lifetime collection of Dennis DeCoster
Wednesday, April 16th, 2025
11:00 AM Central
The lifetime efforts of a Detroit-born dedicated Arts & Crafts collector will be up for the highest bidder on Wednesday, April 16th as Toomey & Co and Rago presents The DeCoster Collection: Arts & Crafts from a Grosse Pointe Cottage. Revealing the many collected works of Detroit native and General Motors Interior Designer Dennis DeCoster, this 249-lot auction represents DeCoster’s own tribute to the Arts and Crafts movement – his Grosse Pointe cottage and award-winning garden.
Notably, his lifetime collection includes historic works, including the handwrought copper table lamps of Chicago’s own George H. Trautmann. Trautmann is known for his works at the Art Institute of Chicago in the early 1900s and his honorable mention at San Francisco’s own Panama-Pacific International Exposition in 1915. His craftsmanship is represented through three rare table lamps offered in this auction, including this example with its handwrought copper base and leaded glass shade ($12,000-$17,000). The others have an estimate of $7,000-$9,000 and $10,000-$15,000.
Rare table lamp by George H. Trautmann. Lamp is made of handwrought copper, leaded glass 23¾ h × 20½ dia in (60 × 52 cm). Estimate: $12,000-$17,000. Photo courtesy of Toomey & Co and the Rago/Wright network.
The interior of Dennis DeCoster’s cottage in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan. Photo courtesy of Rago/Wright and Toomey & Co.
According to an interview with DeCoster’s friend Dan Winey, Dennis’s passion for the Arts and Crafts movement started in his early twenties and led to many trips to Pewabic Pottery, studying architecture at Cranbrook Academy, Eastern Market and other highlights within the detroit area, (highlights that will be explored in the upcoming AAPA convention returning to Detroit) and his attention to detail showed in his locally award-winning garden. His decades of collecting from flea markets and antiques dealers resulted in a historically important collection including fine and decorative art and furniture.
Pewabic Pottery and More
Clearly there will be some splendid examples of Pewabic listed in this collection – forty two lots to be exact! Several of them are no reserve lots as well. The rare examples include a fine blue iridescent vase ($3,000-$5,000), a pair of exceptional vases ($4,000-$6,000), a set of rare and early three hanging lanterns panels ($2,000-$3,000), an early green vase with panels ($2,000-$3,000), a rare Alice in Wonderland tile ($1,000-$1,500), and an early vase by founder Mary Chase Perry ($1,500-$2,000). However, there are lots of multiple Pewabic vases (listed as no reserve) and a number of more affordable options like a smaller vase ($700-$900), a “No Reserve” vase with stylized flowers ($700-$900), an iridescent red and green vase ($500-$700), and an already popular lot of “No Reserve” three early iridescent vases ($1,000-$1,500).
Collection is comprised of a seed pod-form vase, a tea bowl with foliate and geometric motifs, and an oval dish. Glazed manufacturer’s mark to underside of one example ‘Pewabic’. Photo courtesy of Rago Wright and Toomey & Co.
Furniture
Naturally, the works of Gustav Stickley are represented well in this collection – starting with an early Mikado tile-top plant stand ($5,000-$7,000), a Stickley bookcase ($3,000-$5,000) and early library desk ($3,500-$5,500) and an early plate rack ($2,500-$3,500). A duo of a chest of drawers and mirror with original hardware and a clear red manufacturer’s decal to reverse of each example ‘Als Ik Kan Gustav Stickley’ with joiner’s compass is listed with a $8,000-$12,000 estimate. Additionally, a rare and early card table ($3,000-$5,000), a music cabinet ($3,000-$5,000) and an early L & J.G. Stickley stool (No Reserve) ($1,000-$1,500) are among the many furniture highlights.
Lighting – Cleaveland, Fulper, Fred Robertson and More
Lighting will clearly have the spotlight here – and yes, pun intended. I’ll just leave these here for you.
The 27 lamps that are up for bid are gorgeous and would be on many collector’s wish lists, but among the most looked at are works from and inspired by Henry G. Cleaveland including a rare desktop tortiseshell lamp ($1,000-$1,500), a Cleaveland nautilus desk lamp ($1,500-$2,000) and a table lamp with leaves in the style of Cleaveland ($1,000-$1,500), a rare Fulper Vasekraft Mushroom table lamp ($8,000-$12,000), a rare Fred Robertson lamp with butterflies ($8,000-$12,000) and a Stickley Brothers rare overlay table lamp ($1,000-$1,500).
To see the full catalog, visit online at The DeCoster Collection online catalog
To register online at Toomey & Co, click here.