: An extremely rare Gustav Stickley Grueby tile-top table, picked
from a New Haven home within the past month, sold for $104,500 at
Jamie Selig's Central Street Antiques auction this past Saturday,
March 27.
Depicted in the Early Works catalog as a Chalet Plant
Stand, the rare table attracted the attention of collectors and
dealers nationwide. The table, with a double cross stretcher
base, keyed thru tenons attaching the top to the legs and
Mackmurdo feet, is one of four known examples of the table and
one of two known with a with a tile top.
Six bidders were poised on the telephones and several in the
gallery as the lot was offered. It opened for bidding at $15,000
and moved quickly in $1,000 increments with bidders on the floor
dropping from the action by the $25,000 mark. Selig continued in
$1,000 advances to $60,000 where the competition narrowed to two
phone bidders, Manhattan dealer Robert Kaplan of Cathers and
Dembosky, and a "secretive" bidder on the other telephone. The
auctioneer jumped to $5,000 increments asking for $65,000 and got
it without hesitation. The lot continued to advance quickly with
it eventually selling to the secretive phone buyer at $95,000
plus premium.
The only problem with the table is that the keys had come loose
over the years and were missing; other than that, the table was
in exceptional original condition.
"It was fantastic," commented Kaplan. "When I first saw it my
heart jumped right out of my mouth, the tile was great, the
finish was great, it was a great color - it was totally
exceptional. Someone is very lucky to own this piece, it is truly
fantastic."
He added, with a pang of remorse, "Just wish it was us."
