The sale’s top lot, a Murano glass “Jews vs. Catholics” chess set by Gianni Toso (Italian, b 1942), circa 1969, 26 by 26 inches boxed, was bid to $13,000 ($1/1,500).
Review by Carly Timpson
EAST MEADOW, N.Y. — World Auction Gallery conducted its Exceptional Premier Auction with 432 lots of fine and decorative art, furniture, Asian antiques, jewelry and collectibles on June 23. At the sale’s close, 91 percent of the lots changed hands. As such, World Auction Gallery owner, Ben Nejat, commented, “We are very happy with this auction. It was very successful.”
Coming out on top with great pre-auction interest was a rare Murano glass chess set by Gianni Toso. Titled “Jews vs. Catholics”, the chess set depicted a battle between leaders of the two religions, each armed with corresponding ritualistic items. The 42 Venetian blown glass figures were paired with the original chessboard and were in very good condition. As referenced in the biography section of Toso’s website: “He started to push the limits of his craft, and in 1969 made a chess set, ‘Jews vs. Catholics,’ that depicted the leaders of two opposing theologies, Catholic Franciscan Priests battling Hasidic Jews. It won him first prize in an exhibit of Murano’s master glassblowers, and shortly after, he was commissioned by Salvador Dali to make a series of 12 of the painter’s surrealistic flowers in glass.” Coming from a collection in Long Island, N.Y., the set was bid well past its $1,500 high estimate and sold to a private New Jersey collector for $13,000.
Several art glass vases made an impression on bidders, with one by Gabriel Argy-Rousseau and an example by Émile Gallé, both from private New York City collections, tying for the category’s top price. Made circa 1928, the Argy-Rousseau pâte de verre vase had raised yellow-orange dancing women figures with long, flowing spotted dresses. The Gallé Water Lilies vase, made with souffle glass circa 1904, had raised flowers in varying shades of green and white. Both vases were fully signed by their makers and were bid to $8,400, selling to private Florida collections.
An Émile Gallé (French, 1846-1904) souffle glass Water Lilies vase, circa 1904, 10 inches high, made $8,400 ($6/8,000).
Two circa 1900 Art Nouveau cameo glass vases by Gallé finished among the top lots, selling to Long Island, N.Y., collectors for $4,200. The first was an 18¾-inch-tall Landscape vase with layered shades of blue depicting a lake amid a tree-lined mountainous landscape with cloudy yellow detail around the rim ($3/5,000). Of similar form, the Geranium vase was detailed with red flowers over a yellow ground, which stood 17¾ inches tall ($2,5/3,500).
A circa 1900s Daum Nancy enameled cameo glass vase with a tree landscape was also from a New York City collector. On a clouded blue-green ground, the tall brown and orange trees extended with dark colors at the base and sparse foliage around the top. Signed “Daum Nancy” with the Cross of Lorraine toward the bottom of the scene, the vase brought $4,800 and will be heading home with a collector based in Japan.
A Roy Lichtenstein lithograph, “Crying Girl,” sold to a New York City collector for $7,800. The unframed print was signed in pencil in the lower right margin. Despite some minor browning to the edges of the lightweight off-white paper, the vibrant image itself was in very good condition.
“Crying Girl” by Roy Lichtenstein (American, 1923-1997), color offset lithograph on off-white paper, 23¾ by 18 inches with full margins, crossed the block for $7,800 ($5/8,000).
Ever popular Louis Vuitton steamer trunks were represented in this sale by a fully marked example from a Long Island, N.Y., collection. Made in the late Nineteenth or early Twentieth Century, this trunk had expected losses due to use but was in good condition with its original metal rollers intact. Measuring 39½ inches long by 20½ inches wide and 13 inches deep, the trunk had old Cunard Line travel stickers and was marked with the name “Beau Barry Ryan” on the inside. It was bought by a collector in England for $5,700.
“Young Shepard” by Charles-Émile Jacque, an oil on canvas depicting a young boy, dressed in blue, standing beneath a large tree with a small flock of sheep. The work was signed to the lower left in addition to being signed and titled in French on the reverse. Housed in its original frame, the Nineteenth Century painting is joining a Long Island, N.Y., collection for $4,500.
Another French painting that generated interest was “Harlequin” by Paul Augustin Aïzpiri. The abstract oil portrait depicted a male figure in colorful dress against a vibrant blue background. Signed to the lower right, “Harlequin” was in its original frame and brought $4,305.
A Chinese carved jade bowl was bid past its $3,000 high estimate to achieve $4,550. The dark spinach-colored stone featured intricately carved dragons throughout and was paired with an original wooden display base. An impressive work, this bowl, with each side being nearly 2 inches thick, weighed 20 pounds and was more than a foot long. It was from a Park Avenue, New York, apartment and will be heading to a private Florida collection.
Prices include the buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. For information, www.worldauctiongallery.com or 516-307-8180.
