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Tiffany lamp

Tiffany lamp, diamond ring approach $425K at Cottone Auctions

Tom Hoepf
Tom Hoepf
Tiffany lamp
Fine and rare Tiffany Studios ‘Bamboo’ floor lamp, circa 1910, with original reddish-brown patina on base and shade, and a 24-inch diameter Tiffany-signed shade. Sold for: $241,900. Cottone Auctions image

GENESEO, N.Y. – Tiffany led the list of top lots at Cottone Auctions’ two-day Spring Fine Art & Antiques Auction held March 23-24, as a rare Tiffany Studios “Bamboo” leaded glass and bronze floor lamp lit up the room for $241,900 and a fine, vintage Tiffany & Co. 5.25-carat diamond ring achieved for $182,900. Absentee and Internet live bidding was available through LiveAuctioneers.

They were easily the top prizes in a 576-lot sale that posted an overall gross of $1.9 million. All prices quoted include the buyer’s premium.

“We had some great items with excellent provenance,” said Matt Cottone of Cottone Auctions. “Participation was strong nationally and internationally. The market continues to be solid for the right merchandise. We try to have carefully curated sales limited to 350 lots or less per day.”

The Bamboo leaded glass and bronze floor lamp (above) on a Bamboo senior base, made circa 1910, featured a shade signed “Tiffany Studios New York.” The Bamboo lampshade was one of a handful of models produced by Tiffany Studios that incorporated curved panels of glass, a labor-intensive, time-consuming process in which individual pieces were cut.

After being cut, the pieces were then placed in a kiln and heated until they slumped to conform to the contours of the mold. The Bamboo series of lamps was first introduced shortly before the firm’s initial price list, published in 1906, then discontinued in 1913, likely due to the cost of their production.

The vintage Tiffany & Co. 5.25-carat diamond ring, from an estate in Rochester, N.Y., was set in platinum and came with a flattering GIA report. The round brilliant diamond (below) boasted color E and clarity VS1, and had good cut. Both sides were bar-set with tapered baguettes, having an estimated weight of .45 carats and VVS clarity, E-F color.

Tiffany lamp
Vintage Tiffany & Co. 5.25-carat diamond ring set in platinum, with the round brilliant diamond graded color E, clarity VS1. Sold for: $182,900. Cottone Auctions image

A watercolor, India ink and pastel painting on paper by the renowned Spanish artist Joan Miro (1893-1983), signed “Miro” and dated “2/VI/64” on the reverse, 11¼ inches by 14¼ inches, previously on display at the Galerie Maeght in Paris, brought $64,000.

Tiffany lamp
Watercolor, ink and pastel on paper by Joan Miro (Spanish, 1893-1983), signed lower right, dated and inscribed on back with a label from Galerie Maeght, Paris. Sold for: $64,900. Cottone Auctions image

Two other artworks posted identical selling prices of $22,420. One was an oil on canvas painting by William Aiken Walker (Charleston, S.C., 1838-1921), titled Cotton Picker (1886), artist signed, measuring 18 inches by 10 inches. The other was a 26-by-36-inch oil on canvas by Jack Lorimer Gray (Canadian, 1927-1981), titled The Foghorn, signed and in the original frame.

Tiffany lamp
Oil on canvas painting by Jack Lorimer Gray (Canadian, 1927-1981), titled ‘The Foghorn,’ signed and in the original frame. Sold for: $22,420. Cottone Auctions image

An Italian Renaissance-style walnut secretary, made in Florence around 1870 by Luigi Frullini (1839-1897), covered with beautifully carved panels and borders of flowers, leaves and conventional figures, hit $54,280. Four doves in flight were depicted on the main panel of the 100-inch-tall secretary, while a dove with outstretched wings surmounted a dial face above.

Tiffany lamp
Italian Renaissance-style walnut secretary by Luigi Frullini (Italy,1839-1897), covered with carved panels and borders of flowers, leaves and figures, 8 feet 4 inches tall. Sold for: $54,280. Cottone Auctions image

A late 19th century Chinese carved hardwood and silk six-panel screen with a carved foo dog base and featuring exotic birds and foliage, overall 6 feet 11 inches tall by 12 feet 6 inches wide (with each panel 23 inches wide) realized $42,480. Also, a 19th century Native American Zia pot with three colors and moths, 19 inches tall, brought $9,440 despite a chip and a hairline crack.

Tiffany lamp
Late 19th century Chinese carved hardwood and silk six-panel screen with a carved foo dog base and featuring exotic birds and foliage. Sold for: $42,480. Cottone Auctions image

A scarce Tiffany Studios bronze butterfly inkwell, signed “Tiffany Studios New York 862” and with an iridescent blue insert and cover and a brownish green patina, just 3 inches in height, went for $21,830; while a Steuben pink to blue Cintra paperweight cologne bottle, signed, shape #6941, 10 inches tall, in excellent condition, rose to $12,980.

Rounding out just some of the sale’s top-selling lots, a rare horse-drawn fire tower toy, circa 1900, made of cast iron, wood and steel and attributed to the American LaFrance Fire Engine Co., 16 inches tall by 61 inches long, roared off for $11,800; and a pair of watercolor and gouache paintings of shorebirds by Archibald Thorburn (Scottish, 1860-1935), signed lower left and lower right and dated 1931, 7 inches by 9½ inches (sight), were sold as one lot for $10,325.

For more information about Cottone Auctions call 585-243-1000.

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