Record-Setting 20th Century Design Sale at Rago’s March 8-9
Mar. 14, 2008
LAMBERTVILLE, New Jersey– Forecasts of wicked weather and a shaky U.S. economy were disconcerting, but proved no match for the superb property offered at Rago’s Craftsman Auction weekend March 8-9. The sale, at $4.2 million, toppled the high set in Rago’s March 2007 sale in which a single piece of pottery by Frederick Rhead brought $516,000. This year, records were broken throughout both days for pottery, tiles, art glass and metalwork. As with all Rago auctions, catalog preview and Internet bidding were provided by LiveAuctioneers.com.
90% of lots sold as a packed house jousted with close to 200 telephone bidders and 1,000 Internet bidders. Online buyers won a record 20% of property sold. Rago’s attributes this in good part to the sale’s evolution beyond Arts and Crafts. The inclusion of other essential movements of early 20th century design has made for not only a more diverse and interesting sale, but broadened its appeal to international buyers and this was reflected in strong prices for Lalique, Zsolnay and other art glass, as well as British ceramics. Registered bidders on eBay Live Auctions and LiveAuctioneers participated in the sale from the EU, UK, Asia, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Eastern Europe, Chile, Australia/New Zealand, South Africa and Canada.
The first 245 lots sold came from the collection of Alexandra & Sidney Sheldon and brought $1 million. The collection’s star attraction, a fine Tiffany Studios Poppy lamp with twisted vine bronze base, sold for $144,000 – the price pronounced “just right” by a leading expert monitoring the sale. (All prices include buyer’s premium.) The Sheldons’ best piece of Grueby (lot 12) brought $15,600 and best piece of Van Briggle (lot 45) brought $15,600. Three of the top furniture lots came from the Sheldons as well, all by Gustav Stickley: an inlaid drop-front desk designed by Harvey Ellis (lot 100) which sold for $19,200; an inlaid occasional table designed by Harvey Ellis (lot 101) which sold for $24,000; and a set of six tall-back spindle dining room chairs (lot 105) which sold for $31,200.
Arthur Baggs joined Marblehead Pottery soon after it started; as artist and owner, he brought this small company to its heyday. His granddaughter and her family, who brought a significant collection of Baggs’ work to Rago’s, watched from the audience as one of his finest tiles (lot 577) brought the record price of $114,000 and the original artwork that accompanied it $24,000.
A third fine collection – some 70 lots in all - came from Roycroft collector Kevin McConnell. Highlighting this grouping of metalware, furniture and smalls was lot 500, a Secessionist hammered copper candelabra with cabochons and three stems, 1910-15. It sold for $144,000 against a pre-sale estimate of $20,000-30,000. One of only three known examples, this was the first David Rago had seen; it broke the record for Roycroft metalware. American Art pottery and tile was, as ever, a strong suit of the sale. The headline lots: a tall vase with metalwork by Van Briggle (lot 304) which brought $90,000; a corseted Teco vase (lot 738) which sold for $60,000; a North Dakota School of Mines bulbous vase (lot 325) for $7,800; an Adelaide Robineau ovoid vase (lot 452) for $21,600; a Rookwood two-handled vase painted by Matt Daly with an image of “Running Antelope Oncpapa” for $24,000; a Saturday Evening Girls mug with rooster for $14,400; and a Roseville Futura Tank vase, which set a new high at $22,800. Most notable among the tiles, in addition to the Marblehead, was the sale of a single Van Briggle tile (lot314) for $14,400 and a twenty-five tile Grueby frieze, a record-setter itself at $102,000.
The auction’s Arts and Crafts furniture was brought to market by specialist Jerry Cohen and he was delighted with the results. Sales were strong, from entry level objects to pieces for more serious collectors, prices averaging in the mid-range of the estimates. Including the Sheldon property, furniture was 96% sold (128 of 133 lots) and brought in $668,940. “This shows a solid market across the full spectrum of buyers,” said Cohen.
Art glass sold well. The collection of Durand was particularly strong, with two temple jars (lots 881 and 885) fetching $18,600. Other highlights of the sale: A Suess lamp belonging to the Sheldons sold for $15,600; a Handel cattail table lamp for $36,000; an exceptional hammered Roycroft humidor for $28,800; a small and wonderful Californian basket from a Yokut weaver (lot 163) for $10,200; an early plate by Mary Chase Perry (lot 173) for $5,700; a Martin Brothers grotesque bird jar (lot 713) for $39,000; and a set of three transom panels by Samuel Yellin for $19,200.
“This auction was one of the most nervous-making and one of the most gratifying of my career. Nervous-making because of the current economy, gratifying because the quality of the property with which we were entrusted won the day as we knew it should.” said David Rago. “There wasn’t a sour note in the sale. It just sang.”
