Glowing Prices for Tiffany in Indiana

INDIANAPOLIS, IND.

:A much talked about recent auction at Dan Ripley's Antique Helper received plenty of presale attention nationally and was one of Antique Helper's finest, according to the auction house.

Grossing nearly $200,000, the sale presented examples of rare Tiffany, European bronzes and Victoriana.

Presented at the heart of the sale was a pair of Durand art glass ginger jars bearing provenance from the collection of Greg and Patti Gluck, which drew considerable interest. The rare pair of jars closed within estimate at $10,500.

A Tiffany bronze and Favrile glass candlestick, a paw footed version of rare form, nearly doubled its high estimate of $8,000, closing at $15,000. Another Tiffany offering, a decorated yellow Favrile art glass vase saw $6,000, while a Tiffany dore bronze tripod stick and ball table candle lamp with Favrile glass shade closed at $1,500.

Three Tiffany Studios bronze harp lamp bases all closed above estimate, with prices ranging from $1,050 to $2,500, and a Tiffany Studios candlestick with Queen Anne's lace base and blown out green glass candle cup and beaded bobeche closed at $2,900.

Three Tiffany Studios Favrile glass and bronze student lamps from a private collector and previously from the Victoriana collection of Martin M. May were the centerpieces of this auction. The first lamp, supporting a Damascene Favrile glass shade, closed at $7,500. The second student lamp, with bronze adjustable base with wire filigree decoration, supporting a brilliant blue and green Damascene Fravrile glass shade, sold within estimate at $9,500. The third lamp in this offering, a Favrile glass and bronze double student lamp, ended at $13,000.

Other antique art glass offered at this sale included a Paul Nicolas cameo glass, vase, circa 1900, signed "P. Nicolas Windeck," which saw $1,500, and a Galle French Cameo scenic art glass vase, circa 1910 that ended at $4,750.

There was plenty of other excitement throughout the auction as well. Starting the sale on a high note was a rare Lenci Italian doll catalog. Possibly the retail or original printed version of the 1927-28 Playthings consumer catalog, this rare book closed well above high estimate at $1,450 to a New York telephone bidder.

Several sets of antique skittles and ten-pin game sets were offered from a New York City collector, including a set of ten-pins comprising ten enameled composition frogs and selling for $1,950. Carrying the same price tag was a set of antique African American "band" skittles game set of eight pins, while an 11-piece set of antique African American "choir" skittles managed $2,700, all going to the same East Coast collector. Going to another collection was an antique "Mikado" skittles game of nine pins (one missing), possibly by Ives and decorated with Aesthetic Victorian period lithographed paper over painted wood figures, which closed at $2,900.

Sales of bronzes, many consigned from the Farber Gallery of Art in Indianapolis, were strong for animals and nudes, with many sales ending within or above estimate. A small bronze howling puppy by Edith Bartetto Stevens Parsons (American, 1878-1956), inscribed "EB Parsons" copyright and stamped "Gorham Co" closed at $850, while another EB Parsons puppy closed at $750.

A bronze pointer dog sculpture by Pierre Jules Mene (French, 1810-1979) closed at $1,050, while another Mene pointer hunting dog with hare also closed at $1,050. Rounding up the pack of top-selling bronzes was an enameled, silvered and gilt bronze figure of a seminude "Dream Girl," cast from a model by Erte, which ended above high estimate at $3,750.

Following Saturday's excitement, Antique Helper put on its first books and ephemera auction, which had a few fireworks of its own. Pictorial Battles of the Civil War, an 1885 volume by David Porter sold for $250 to an eBay bidder, and a 1907 ledger detailing the Nancy Lincoln Memorial closed at $120.

A 12-volume leather bound collection by Indiana author James Whitcomb Riley closed at $180 to an eBay bidder, and a copy of Raintree County signed by author Ross Lockridge Jr closed at $300, also going to an eBay bidder. But the highest-selling item of the day was an antique Bible dating from 1613, including Old and New Testaments, closing at $775 to an eBay bidder.

Prices reported include buyer's premium.