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This Tiffany pottery vase kicked off Rago’s Early 20th Century Design auction, selling for $50,020. The rare cabbage-shaped vase, which measured 8 1/2 inches by 8 inches, was a flea market find. Image courtesy of Rago Arts and Auction Center.

Rare Tiffany art pottery vase tops Rago’s $3 million auction

Tom Hoepf
Tom Hoepf

This Tiffany pottery vase kicked off Rago’s Early 20th Century Design auction, selling for $50,020. The rare cabbage-shaped vase, which measured 8 1/2 inches by 8 inches, was a flea market find. Image courtesy of Rago Arts and Auction Center.
This Tiffany pottery vase kicked off Rago’s Early 20th Century Design auction, selling for $50,020. The rare cabbage-shaped vase, which measured 8 1/2 inches by 8 inches, was a flea market find. Image courtesy of Rago Arts and Auction Center.
LAMBERTVILLE, N.J. – A rare Tiffany art pottery vase – discovered at a New York City flea market – sold for $50,020 to open Rago Arts and Auction Center’s 20th Century Design Weekend, Jan. 16-17. The two-day auction totaled $3.28 million inclusive of the buyer’s premium.

The Louis Comfort Tiffany cabbage-shaped vase in mottled polychrome matte glaze more than doubled the high estimate. The circa 1900 vase turned up at the 23rd Street Flea Market in New York City recently, literally falling off a truck into the arms of a dealer, who bought it immediately.

“It is the best example of Tiffany pottery – when both glaze and form are considered – to come to market in three decades,” said Rago. The same form sold five years ago at a Christie’s sale, but the glaze was not as good. A better form, the fern basket, has been in the market, but again the glaze was not at this level, noted Rago.

“Solid property priced conservatively continues to draw attention and generate bidding. The auction wasn’t crazy, as the Modern was in 2007/2008 or settled, as the Early 20th Century market has been. It was active and spirited, and there were few weak spots,” said Rago. “I’m particularly pleased with the performance on Sunday by designers like Parzinger and Adnet and with the glass – a market we’ve worked very hard to build.”

The Early 20th Century sale on Saturday was notable for the Tiffany, the lamps, the furniture and the European pottery, said Rago.

Every piece of Stickley furniture and metalwork sold, totaling $303,700 against a low estimate of $217,850. Included was a Gustav Stickley plant stand with a Grueby tile top that sold for $17,080.

A Rookwood Iris vase by Kataro Shirayamadani sold for $31,720; a Saturday Evening Girls tile with tulips, $14,640; a Moorcroft red flambé vase, $18,300; and an Edward Stellmacher Amphora vase with lizard, $9,760.

A Tiffany Studios table lamp with acorn shade made $28,060, while a Dirk Van Erp hammered copper floor lamp finished at $19,520.

A 1903 Charles Rohlfs carved blanket chest hit $32,940.

Topping the high estimate in Sunday’s Mid-Century Modern auction was a John Lewis blue painted glass bench, which sold for $24,400. The California glass artist’s work can be found in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. Lewis, who explores cast glass as in designs both sculptural and functional, created the case glass bench in 2007. It measured 18 inches by 54 inches by 14 inches.

A signed and dated 1982 Dale Chihuly Macchia glass vessel, 11 3/4 inches by 15 1/4, inches, sold for $12,200. A Dan Dailey and Linda MacNeil bust of etched glass, brass and vitrolite, titled Accoutrements, soared past the $3,000-$4,000 estimate to sell for $30,500.

A 78 1/2-inch-tall Vasa acrylic column sculpture created in 1988 by Velizar Mihich (Yugoslavian) reached $9,150.

Furniture highlights included a pair of Tommi Parzinger lacquered chests and hanging cabinet that sold for $11,590; a 1967 Paul Evans deep relief patinated steel credenza, $34,160; six conoid dining chairs by George Nakashima, $48,800; Nakashima conoid walnut dining table, $31,720; Jacques Adnet pair of stitched leather and brass lounge chairs, $19,520; Poul Kjaerholm, E. Kold Christiansen daybed of brushed steel, $19,520; and a Karl Springer freeform stainless steel coffee table, $17,080.

A carved wooden table lamp by James Mont with a woven shade made $5,490.

For details phone 866-724-6278.

Click here to view Rago Arts and Auction Center’s complete catalog.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

Tommi Parzinger’s pair of lacquered oak chests and a matching hanging cabinet with original milk-glass panels sold for $11,590. The chests measured 31 1/2 inches high by 42 inches wide by 18 inches deep. Image courtesy of Rago Arts and Auction Center.
Tommi Parzinger’s pair of lacquered oak chests and a matching hanging cabinet with original milk-glass panels sold for $11,590. The chests measured 31 1/2 inches high by 42 inches wide by 18 inches deep. Image courtesy of Rago Arts and Auction Center.

John Lewis created this 54-inch-long cast glass bench in 2007. It sold at Rago’s auction for $24,400. Image courtesy of Rago Arts and Auction Center.
John Lewis created this 54-inch-long cast glass bench in 2007. It sold at Rago’s auction for $24,400. Image courtesy of Rago Arts and Auction Center.

Jacques Adnet was another recognized name in Rago’s Mid Century Modern auction. This pair of his brass and leather lounge chairs sold for $19,520. Image courtesy of Rago Arts and Auction Center.
Jacques Adnet was another recognized name in Rago’s Mid Century Modern auction. This pair of his brass and leather lounge chairs sold for $19,520. Image courtesy of Rago Arts and Auction Center.

American furniture maker Charles Rohlfs designed this blanket chest in 1903. It sold for $32,940 in Rago’s Early 20th Century auction Jan. 16. It features three pullout trays over a lower drawer. Image courtesy of Rago Arts and Auction Center.
American furniture maker Charles Rohlfs designed this blanket chest in 1903. It sold for $32,940 in Rago’s Early 20th Century auction Jan. 16. It features three pullout trays over a lower drawer. Image courtesy of Rago Arts and Auction Center.