The Works of Stickley, Strong Lighting Offerings, and Blue Grueby in Wednesday Toomey & Co Auction

by Kate Nixon

Fine Art + Furniture & Decorative Arts

Wednesday, October 19th at 10:00 AM Central

Toomey & Co Auctioneers

Click here to see the whole catalog

 

On October 19th, Toomey & Co. will present Fine Art + Furniture & Decorative Arts at 10:00 AM Central, Wednesday, October 19th; a 422-lot auction featuring furniture, ceramics, textiles, lighting, metalwork, fine art, prints, and more. While this is the first decorative arts auction held newly combined with the Rago/Wright brand, the works available range from the rare to the perfect addition to the beginner’s collection.

 

 

 

 

An early Gustav Stickley Somno, model 605 (est. $2,000–3,000) to a rare and early Divan of his, model 165 (Est. $5,000–10,000) to a set of Stickley’s six early dining chairs with the red manufacturer’s early decal to top of leg of each example and the iconic ‘Als Ik Kan Stickley’ with joiner’s compass surrounded by box. ($2,000–3,000) and a rare drop-front desk found in the catalog Arts and Crafts Furniture from the Collection of the Two Red Roses Foundation by Cathers and Montgomery, the 30 lots that bear Gustav’s name range from the early and rare to the quality works suitable for any collector’s home. A Gustav Stickley library table (est. $2,500–3,500) shown in the 1909 Catalogue of Craftsman Furniture complete with three drawers with the branded mark and joiner’s compass, a Stickley fixed-back armchair, model 324 ($1,000 – 2,000) also with the mark and compass, or even one of his V-back swivel chairs ($1,000–1,500). Perhaps a notable work found in Budwig and Preston’s Redux: The Arts and Crafts Revival, 1972-2012, Stickley’s Inglenook cabinet ca 1909 ($2,000–3,000) and yes, it has the branded manufacturer’s mark to a drawer ‘Als Ik Kan Gustav Stickley’ with the joiner’s compass. Meanwhile, a massive price tag is attached to a paneled Prairie settle from L & J.G. ($10,000-20,000): the settle has been shown in the The Work of L. & J.G. Stickley catalog.

The rarities of Roycroft are additionally set on display with a rare settee ($2,000–3,000) found in the 1906 Roycroft Furniture Catalog, a bookcase from the Roycroft Inn with a carved manufacturer’s mark to front ‘Roycroft’ ($7,000–9,000) and a double carved orb and cross mark to drawer, a Grove Park Inn chair with the carved orb and cross and GPI ($1,000 – $2,000) and a chiffonier also from the 1906 Roycroft Furniture catalog ($5,000-7,000).

 

 

Lighting offerings are strong in this auction with an early Dirk Van Erp table lamp (estimate: $9,000–12,000) featured in the publication Bay Area Copper 1900-1950: Dirk van Erp and His Influence by Gus Bostrom and yet another Gustav Stickley highlight in the form of rare hanging lanterns ($3,500–5,000) out of a private collection in New York. By far, some of the largest price tags in the auction belong to three lamps and they naturally bear the Tiffany name: two Greek key table lamps (both $15,000 – 20,000) and a ten-light Lilly lamp ($10,000 – 20,000). But don’t count out the Margaret Helen McDonald for Rookwood Pottery pair of Ivory Jewel Porcelain lamp bases ($800–1,200) – this pair has painted initials along its bottom and the special porcelain bases sit atop woodbine decoration.

Ceramic offerings are many: Grueby in Blue? A vase in a rare blue glaze ($2,000–3,000) is marked with the typical Grueby shopmark with lotus. A scenic vellum vase from Rookwood’s own E.T. Hurley ($900–1,200), and an additional number of Grueby vases with beloved leaves and buds. ($2,000-3,000).

In the world of metalwork, one of the most infamous in the collecting community is of course the Roycroft  “American Beauty” vase; this one is estimated at $1,000-2,000. A pair of Dirk Van Erp warty vases weigh in at respectively a 900-1,200 range while the other has a $1,500-2,000 range.

In the fine art and print section, one noticable selection happens to be two prints from Arthur Wesley Dow: the two poppy prints (estimate: $400–600) were purchased as a fund raiser for the Ipswich Historical Society, formerly Dow’s summer season art school, through Tommy Macpherson, when he was director there, and were used as models for students in Dow’s classes.

 

 

This decorative arts auction is the first offered since joining forces with the Rago/Wright brand last month. Next month, Toomey & Co Auctioneers will feature two back-to-back auctions on the subject of American art pottery. On November 2nd, the Riley Humler-curated favorite auction Keramics & Rookwood auction features more than 400 lots; auction highlights include a Dragon vase by Rookwood founder Maria Longworth Nichols Storer, a Hester Pillsbury for Weller monumental Hudson scenic vase with two galleons, a rare Sturgis Laurence for Rookwood plaque depicting the New England coast, and fine examples by Kataro Shirayamadani, Carl Schmidt, Frederick Hurten Rhead, Waylande Gregory, and others. On November 3rd, the world of English Arts and Crafts comes to Toomey & Co’s auction stage: the 130-lot Moorcroft auction features English Arts & Crafts vases, bowls, teapots, and other forms sourced from an important Midwestern collection.

 

To view the lots up for auction tomorrow (Wednesday), click here

 

All photos courtesy of Toomey & Co Auctioneers.