20th Century Decorative Arts Sell Strong at Bonhams on Monday in New York City
Published June 20th, 2007
More than $1.3-million was paid on Monday, June 18, 2007 at Bonhams New York for 20th Century Decorative Arts, with the famous and highly-collectible name Tiffany Studios appearing six times among the sale’s top ten lots.
Gracing the international fine arts auctioneer’s catalog’s cover was an illustration of the sale’s top lot, a Tiffany leaded Favrile glass and pebble landscape window from an Arizona private collection. The nearly seven-foot-tall window features a central panel depicting an idyllic wooded landscape with an elaborate border of both pebbles and foliate devices. Created between 1893 and 1900, the window sold to a gentleman seated in the auction room for $162,000. Another star lot by Tiffany Studios was a Peony lamp sold for $156,000, while a five-foot tall Favrile glass and patinated jeweled drop-head Dragonfly floor lamp sold for $60,000. Bringing an above-estimate price was a Tiffany Studios Favrile glass and bronze dichroic Roman lamp selling for $57,000. Other Tiffany glass works were offered and sold after strong bidding, including a Tiffany Studios Favrile glass and bronze Moorish prism lamp (brought $42,000) and a bronze Daffodil lamp (sold for $36,000).
The auction opened with active bidding for beautiful Arts & Crafts lots, including a circa 1906/07 Charles Robert Ashbee sterling silver muffin dish with cover which brought $9,600, more than double its estimate. A collector paid $96,000 (over the estimate of $50/70,000) for a fine Charles Rohlfs carved oak revolving fall-front desk, circa 1900. Rohlfs, an Arts & Crafts visionary, was a fellow at the Royal Society of Arts in London and was honored with important commissions including designs for Buckingham Palace.
According to Frank Maraschiello, Bonhams 20th century Decorative Arts Dept. Director, for the second consecutive sale, portrait vases by Amphora showed strong interest with several bringing above-estimate prices. A circa 1900 Amphora glazed porcelain portrait vase, “The Princess,” sold for $6,000. The same price was paid for “Summer Queen” one of the Allegory of Germany series, this portrait vase painted by Nikolaus Kannhauser circa 1892/94.
A wonderful and elaborate Rene Lalique molded blue glass clock: Le Jour et la Nuit, the model introduced in early 1926, sold within estimate for $108,000 while a circa 1949 Josef Frank cabinet on stand, a two-door floral paper-decorated cabinet on a mahogany base, sold for $27,000. This lot was one of several modern furniture pieces offered late in the sale, including a John Dickinson console table, Model 57, of galvanized tin and brass, inscribed by the designer on the applied brass plate, which brought $60,000, well-above its $25/35,000 estimate.
