Bid Smart: Grueby tiles exemplify the Arts & Crafts period

Detail of a rare Grueby ship tile frieze that achieved $17,000 plus the buyer’s premium in September 2019. Image courtesy of Rago Arts and Auction Center and LiveAuctioneers.
This rare Grueby ship tile frieze achieved $17,000 plus the buyer’s premium in September 2019. Image courtesy of Rago Arts and Auction Center and LiveAuctioneers.

This rare Grueby ship tile frieze achieved $17,000 plus the buyer’s premium in September 2019. Image courtesy of Rago Arts and Auction Center and LiveAuctioneers.

NEW YORK — One particular potter in New England was a standout during the Arts and Crafts era. The Grueby Faience Company was founded in 1894 in Revere, Mass., by Boston-born William Henry Grueby, who was both a potter and businessman. The firm employed many talented artists and its famous matte green hue — dubbed by some as Grueby green or “curdled green” — seen on its products became ubiquitous and instantly popular. Antique Grueby vases and lamps are relatively easy to find at auction, but locating Grueby’s elegantly decorated ceramic tiles in fine original condition is even more challenging.

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Monumental Tiffany Dandelion lamp rises to $3.7M at Rago

Monumental Tiffany Studios Dandelion lamp, which sold for a record $3.7 million
Monumental Tiffany Studios Dandelion lamp, which sold for a record $3.7 million

Monumental Tiffany Studios Dandelion lamp, which sold for a record $3.7 million

LAMBERTVILLE, N.J. – With a total of $10 million, more than double the high estimate, and a 89% sell-through rate, Rago’s Early 20th Century Design and Modern Design auctions illustrate the continued strength of the design market. The highlight of the two-day auction event, which took place May 13-May 14, was the record sale of an important Tiffany Studios Dandelion lamp from the 1900 Exposition in Paris. One of only two known monumental examples, the lamp, which measured almost 30 inches tall and carried an estimate of $50,000-$75,000, brought in $3,745,000–a new world record. (Linked images reflect the hammer prices of each lot.)
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