Early 20th Century Design Auction at Rago’s: The Results
by Kate Nixon
This past weekend on May 18th, Rago Arts and Auctions offered decorative art, glassworks and furniture galore from their Early 20th Century Design. This auction not only featured works from Gustav Stickley and L. and J.G. Stickley, lamps from Tiffany Studios and Dirk Van Erp, pottery and assorted glassworks from Galle, Grueby, Teco and more, but also presented a 55-lot collection of works from french ceramic and glass artist Rene Buthaud, previously owned by collector Stephen Engel. Within the Early 20th Century Design catalog that presented a brief bio of Rene Buthaud and his contributions, as well as “…delighted to present the following 56 lots from the collection of Stephen Engel. Stephen and his wife, Joan, were great admirers of the artist’s work and traveled to France in the 1980s to meet with Buthaud and his gallerist Michel Fortin.” The top lot item of this particular auction was an Albert Cheuret Cobra Console table with a mirror that sold within the estimated value, selling for $193,750.
Among the several high-selling items from the auction include:
- Lot #1100 – a Tiffany Studios Twelve-light Lily table lamp with Favrile shades, coming from a private collection in New York State. Sold for $21,000, just past its $20,000 high estimate.
- Lot #1115 – a Tiffany Studios blown glass large Favrile peacock feather vase, etched Louis C. Tiffany 7357. This one sold for $17,000, past the high estimate of $6,500
- Lot #1124 – a stampled Charles R. Ashbee (1863 – 1942) Guild of Handicraft dessert dish with pierced decoration, rose, violets, and daffodil, stamped C OF H Ltd. with hallmarks and date mark, three monograms. This dish, coming from a private collection in Boston, additionally sold for $17,000 – $10,000 past the high estimate.
- Lot #1243 – a George Ohr (1857 – 1918) fine bulbous vase with multicolor sponged-on glaze and stamped ‘G.E. OHR Biloxi, Miss.’ sold for $10,000 – high estimate was $6,500.
- Lot #1284 – a Fulper Vasekraft lamp with Cat’s Eye flambé glaze, from the collection of Robert A. Ellison. The lamp sold for $20,000 – the lamp’s high estimate was $17,500.
- Lot #1319 – a Harriet Wilcox (1869 – 1943) Rookwood Exceptional Painted Mat vase with poppies, from the collections of Florence Barnes and Robert A. Ellison, sold for $15,000, blazing past the high estimate of $3,000. This work was featured in the publication From Our Native Clay: Art Pottery from the Collection of the American Ceramic Arts Society, 1987 by Martin Eidelberg.
How did our selections fare? Most sold within their estimated values.
Fine and rare Old English heraldic table lamp on base with four Graces, New York
early 20th C. Patinated bronze, leaded slag glass, four sockets Base stamped TIFFANY STUDIOS NEW YORK 557
metal TIFFANY STUDIOS NEW YORK 1914 tag to shade
Measures 26 1/2″ x 20″
Estimate: $30,000 – $40,000
Realized Price: $36,250
Lot #1221: Gustav Stickley Child’s wardrobe
Child’s wardrobe (no. 920), Eastwood, NY, ca. 1907-12
Red decal, original paper label
Measures 60″ x 34 1/4″ x 17″
Provenance: Private collection, California.
Estimate: $4,000 – $6,000
Realized Price: $6,875
Lot #1242: George Ohr Vase with Quatrefoil Rim
Lot #1232: Dirk Van Erp table lamp
Fine early table lamp with vented shade, San Francisco, CA, ca. 1911-12
Hammered copper, mica, two sockets
Closed box windmill stamp
Measures 17 1/2″ x 16 1/2″
Estimate: $12,500 – $17,500
Realized Price: $13,750
Rago is a New Jersey-based leading U.S. auction house, serving thousands of sellers and buyers internationally. A world-class venue through which to buy and sell, Rago’s offers insurance valuations and appraisals for personal property, estate services from appraisal to auction and clean out, and exhibitions and lectures in house and online. Rago Auctions is owned by David Rago, a dealer in American decorative ceramics and appraisal expert on the PBS series Antiques Roadshow. He specializes and sells privately in the field of 20th and 21st century design.