Rago's Standalone Art Glass Sale Showcases Exceptional Quality

LAMBERTVILLE, N.J.

: On February 10, David Rago and Nicholas Dawes of Rago Arts presented their first exclusively art glass auction. Typically, art glass is sold in Rago Arts' Arts and Crafts sale, but when four important consignments of art glass came into the auction house at the same time, the decision was made to have a specialty auction.

The 207-lot collection was exceptional by any standard, not only for quality but also for its depth and scope. Virtually every important maker was represented in rare and highly collectible pieces, several of which were one-of-a-kind.

Dawes, widely known for his knowledge in Lalique, stated that he was proud of the sale and believed that their "impressive following in Lalique could expand into art glass with ease." Galle, Daum, Tiffany, Argy-Rousseau, Steuben, Loetz, Charles Schneider and Thomas Webb, among many others, were offered. This comprehensive collection was outstanding in terms of form, extreme rarity, color and clarity, according to Dawes.

Rago was somewhat more guarded. In his estimation, the collection was unparalleled in quality; however, he believed that high reserves by necessity on some of the key items may have caused them to fail to hit their mark. He was confident that the strength of the rest of the auction would carry the day. These high-reserve lots had been purchased within the past few years, while the majority of the items were fresh-to-the-market. Most had not been in circulation for generations and a few for more than a century.

Approximately 50 absentee, 55 phone and 250 Internet bidders were registered; many from overseas, especially Japan and France. In-house turnout was moderate, likely due to the Friday afternoon venue and possibly the threat of a blizzard. Prior to the auction, Rago expected the sale would yield $800,000. As anticipated, some of the major lots failed to meet reserve, and at day's end, the tally for the auction was approximately $750,000.

Tiffany took the top spot of the day, as Tiffany often does. In this case, the item was a 21 1/2-by-16-inch Tiffany Studios table lamp with golden pansies on a lapis ground that had a three-socket faceted bronze base with three feet. The base and shade were stamped "Tiffany Studios, New York," the base with "533." This piece sold for $84,000 against a presale estimate of $35/45,000, in spite of breaks to the glass and possibly replaced sockets.

The owner of another table lamp by Tiffany Studios, seated in the front row of the audience, squealed with joy as the lamp, that had been in her attic for some 35 years, sold for $27,600 against a presale estimate of $10/15,000. The piece belonged to her family for more than 100 years and they were the original owners. Mary Giffin confessed that the piece spent more time in the attic than it did on display, and her daughter, who was also at the auction, finally convinced her to sell it so someone else could enjoy it. The 25 1/2-by-20-inch table lamp had a geometric shade of rectangular green glass on a bronze patina fluted floral three-socket base. Both shade and base were stamped "Tiffany Studios, New York," the shade marked "1496," and the base marked "368," with minor cracks to the shade.

An unusually extensive Tiffany Studios 16-piece desk set in the Abalone pattern, with abalone discs on a gilt ground, came with a rare postal scale, picture frame, perpetual calendar, large paper rack, pen tray, rocker blotter, inkwell complete with liner, paper clip, paper pad, stamp box, ink wipe, small double letter holder and gentlemen's and ladies' blotter ends. Each was stamped "Tiffany Studios, New York." This set sold under active bidding for $12,000. An 11 7/8 -inch Tiffany Studios carved overlay and internally decorated glass vase depicting purple headed tulips with green leafage was engraved "L.C. Tiffany Favrile, #4182A." This piece, featured on the catalog cover, opened at $12,000 and galloped to a realized price of $28,800.

An extensive collection of superior Galle from the early 1880s included a 7 1/2-inch Emile Galle Artistic Verre Parlant floriform cameo vase decorated with orchids in blood red on an orange-yellow ground. The neck was engraved with the opening lines from Charles-Pierre Baudelaire's "Les Fleurs de Mal" and it was signed "Cristallerie de Galle Nancy" in the center of a blossoming orchid. This piece, which was also on the front cover, brought $19,200.

Among other exceptional pieces of Galle was an 18-inch monumental cameo vase decorated with hydrangea in shades of red on a frosted yellow ground with a cameo signature that yielded an impressive $10,200 and a scenic 14-inch cameo vase with a continuous mountain landscape in shades of mauve, green, blue and yellow against a shaded orange ground that brought $8,400. A price of $18,000 was paid for an 8 1/2-inch Emile Galle artistic marine cameo vase that was patterned with undersea plants and creatures in amber on an internally decorated mauve, amber and frosted ground. The cameo signature formed as jellyfish tentacles.

Frenchman Gabrile Argy-Rousseau (1885-1953) was well represented. Discriminating collectors appreciated the many highly sought-after bold color pieces that were offered. Chief among them was a 6-inch pate-de-verre vase with all-around red stylized chrysanthemum with yellow ribbed stems on a marbled purple ground, circa 1925-30, with a molded signature "G. Argy-Rousseau" and "France" on the base. This piece commanded $9,600. A 5 1/2-inch signed Argy-Rousseau pate-de-verre veilleuse lamp patterned with three masks in bright coral colors had the original wrought iron illuminating base and brought $8,400.

Another attractive piece by this artist was a 5 3/4-inch pate-de-verre vase patterned with three bold chrysanthemums in red, purple, white and green on a mottled grey ground. It also had a molded G. Argy-Rousseau signature and realized $7,800.

The collection of Daum was unsurpassed. Chief among them was a 17 1/4-inch etched and enameled landscape scenic vase with a winter wooded landscape painted in naturalistic colors against a shaded lemon-orange interior ground and painted Daum Nancy Lorraine on the base. It sold for a staggering $15,600 against a presale estimate of $4/6,000. A similar motif in the form of a perfume bottle with a snowy winter scene had delicate birds in flight on the stopper. The 7 3/4-inch piece was signed with Daum Nancy and Cross of Lorraine and also had a rare Marjorelle retail label. This item, which carried a presale estimate of $1,8/2,400, fetched $12,000.

An 11-inch etched and enameled three-handled vase that was patterned with herons flying among tendrils above a pond of water lilies was painted in naturalistic colors on a pale blue ground, the signature painted Daum Nancy with Cross of Lorraine in gilt. According to Dawes, "very few of these pieces were made and everything about this one was good." The catalog noted that a near identical example is in the Musee des Beaux-Arts de Nancy. It opened at $10,000 and finished at an impressive $28,800.

A Daum Art Nouveau 18 3/4-inch-high slender table lamp with a mushroom-shaped shade was decorated with trumpet lilies in deep red shades on a mottled pale yellow ground. This piece, a large-scale representation of a perfume, was fully original and the shade was engraved Daum Nancy with Cross of Lorraine. The selling price was $16,800 against a presale estimate of $7/9,000.

An unusual Daum cameo amphora-form 10-inch vase with applied handles decorated with berried branches in violet-blue, green and mottled glass over frosted orange ground with an engraved signature Daum Nancy with Cross of Lorraine realized $10,200. One of the most unusual designs in the sale was a Daum/Edgar Brandt 18-inch wrought iron and glass table lamp that had a bullet-shaped shade which was internally decorated with gilt foil inclusions on a mottled ground of deep colors of blue and mauve, circa 1925. The base was stamped E. Brandt, and the shade engraved with Cross of Lorraine - it sold for $28,800.

There was only one piece of Thomas Webb in the sale and it was in every way outstanding. A price of $9,600 was realized for the 14-inch rainbow-cased glass vase from the collection of Mr and Mrs Leonard Rakow. It depicted apples on branches in shades of red, green and yellow on an opaque chalk-white ground, circa 1890.

Rago Arts Auctions do not disappoint and this sale was extraordinary. Few museums could boast of a finer selection. From a connoisseur's standpoint, it was a rare experience not to be missed. The catalog alone was a visual delight that was well worth archiving.

Prices reported reflect a 20 percent buyer's premium. For information, 609-397-9374 or www.ragoarts.com.