Greene & Greene Table and Teco Vase Sell Big at Toomey’s Tradition & Innovation Sale
by Kate Nixon
Toomey & Co. Auctioneers presented two back to back auctions this past Sunday, December 2nd: Tradition & Innovation, its inaugural auction of important works from the 19th century started at 10:00 a.m. CST and Art & Design, a collection of all things Art and Design at 11:30 a.m. CST. The first of the two events fared very well, receiving plenty of attention for lots by Charles Rohlfs, Greene & Greene, Edward Curtis, Grueby Faience, and Fritz Albert Teco to name a few.
The pieces that did particularly well were a signed and branded Greene & Greene dining table crafted circa 1906, made from mahogany with an ebony inlay and a green glazed Fritz Albert Teco-designed ceramic Calla Lily vase out of a Chicago collection. According to Toomey & Co’s online listing, the Greene & Greene table belonged to a notable owner, which could account for its realized price – in addition to its excellent condition. “This Greene and Greene dining table was made for Mrs. Belle Barlow Bush, Pasadena, California in 1907. It was the first commission in which the Greene brothers used an ebony inlay. This table was originally used in the Craftsman-style home of Dr. W.T. Bolton House on ‘Millionaire’s Row’ in Pasadena.” The Teco vase was also noted for its excellent condition – “This form is considered among the finest of Teco’s organic designs. The beautiful glaze and crispness of the mold create a wonderful example of the best in American art pottery.” See our highlights below for images.
Tradition & Innovation featured 19th and Early 20th Century Design includes several works by Frank Lloyd Wright ranging from an early print cabinet for the Avery Coonley house in Riverside, Illinois, estimated at $80,000-120,000, to a Usonian coffee table, estimated at $15,000-20,000. Works by California Prairie School architects Greene & Greene, a wrought iron gate by Samuel Yellin, metalwork by renowned English silversmith Paul Storr, Mexico’s famed William Spratling and early examples by Chicago’s Kalo Shop, and pottery pieces by Fritz Albert for Teco and the Grueby Faience Company were also auctioned. The Art & Design auction featured favorites from Stickley, Teco, Tiffany & Co – as well as Louis Comfort Tiffany – The Roycrofters, Grueby, and more.
How did our choices fare? See the realized prices below:
Charles P. Limbert Furniture Co.
early Floral two-door bookcase, #331
Grand Rapids, Michigan
oak, iron, leaded glass
unsigned
44″w x 15″d x 54″h
Estimate $3,000-4,000
REALIZED PRICE: $14,300
Tradition & Innovation
Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959) and George Mann Niedecken (1878-1945) for the Avery Coonley House
print cabinet, birch, unsigned
Riverside, Illinois, 1908
42″w x 41 3/4″d x 27 1/2″h
Estimated Value: $80,000 – $120,000
REALIZED PRICE: $100,000
Tradition & Innovation
Charles Sumner Greene (1868-1957) and Henry Mather Greene (1870-1954) for the William T. Bolton house
dining table, mahogany, ebony inlay, signed with branded mark
Pasadena, California, 1906
closed: 28″w x 48″d x 29 3/4″h; open: 66″w
Estimated Value: $15,000 – $25,000
REALIZED PRICE: $100,000
Tiffany Studios
Grapevine assembled nine-piece desk set from New York, New York
patinated bronze, green Favrile slag glass with impressed marks, some numbered
desk organizer, #818; calendar frame, #940; open cigarette box and match safe, #965; paper rack; double card box; thermometer; pen tray; glue pot; hexagonal box
paper rack: 12 1/2″w x 3 1/2″d x 8 5/8″h
Estimate: $1,500-2,000
REALIZED PRICE: $4,875
Tradition & Innovation
Teco, Fritz Albert (1865-1940), designer
Calla Lily vase, #141
Chicago, Illinois
matte green glazed ceramic
two impressed signatures
6 1/2″sq x 17″h
Estimate: $50,000-70,000
REALIZED PRICE: $93,750
Tradition & Innovation
The Kalo Shop
chop set or salad set, #G44, with applied stones
Chicago, Illinois
sterling silver, carnelian cabochons, stamped marks
spoon: 2″w x 9 3/4″l; fork: 1 3/4″w x 9 3/4″l
Estimate: $1,500-2,500
REALIZED PRICE: $2,000