Van Briggle “Despondency” vase, $32,500.

Gustav Stickely book cabinet, $22,000.

ESU 400 by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller, $14,000.

By Susan and Al Bagdade

OAK PARK, ILL. – Results at the December 2 Treadway-Toomey Galleries 20th Century Art and Design Auction demonstrated “overall strength, especially in the ceramics section entitled Objects 2001,” according to John Toomey. Although “the crowd was smaller, there were more phone and absentee bidders than ever,” Toomey continued. “We gave out tons of condition reports and emailed photos to interested bidders. There were so many bidders for this exceptionally strong ceramics section.”

An important circa 1902 Van Briggle Despondency vase illustrating the Art Nouveau influence he gained in Europe sold over the estimate to a phone bidder for $32,500. A Martin Brothers bird form vessel mounted on a wood base exceeded its estimate and crossed the block for $18,000.

Signed Hugh Robertson was a rare Dedham vase with cut-back blue and white poppies against a multitoned green ground that reached $16,000, slightly over its estimate. Attributed to Henry Darilek was a large form rare Zsolnay vase with six carved birds that exceeded its estimate and was hammered down for $6,000.

An important Overbeck vase with multicolored flowers and leaves reached the middle of its estimate and sold for $15,000. With a Bigelow and Kennard leaded glass shade was an exceptional Grueby pottery lamp base with carved leaves at the bulbous bottom that was a good buy at $13,000 after a $15/25,000 estimated selling price, while a rare Grueby vase with unusual tapered form with sculpted and applied leaves far exceeded its estimate of $5,5/7,500 and sold for $16,000 after strong bidding.

A rare Losanti porcelain vase by Mary Louise McLaughlin reached $15,000, which was the midpoint of its estimated price. Strong bidding greeted a Moorcroft vase with colorful landscape design and impressed mark that exceeded its estimate and sold for $4,000. Monumental in size was a Galle vase with elaborate cameo decoration of red flowers and leaves against a frosted yellow background that sold for $11,000.

Held in an Arts and Crafts frame was a Rookwood tile with a nicely executed landscape with trees, water and mountains that exceeded its estimate of $3,5/4,500 and crossed the block for $6,500, while another Rookwood landscape tile with a very unusual landscape scene in an Arts and Craft oak frame also exceeded its estimate and sold for $7,000.

In excellent condition was a Marcel-Andre Bouraine aquamarine luminaire, silvered, gilt and gold-painted bronze mounted on a green onyx base, which far exceeded its estimate of $6/8,000 and sold for $12,000. With a carved and painted floral decoration in blue and green enamel against a pink background was Marblehead vase that sold for $7,000, in the middle of its preauction estimate.

There were many fine Tiffany examples in the Ceramics 2001 section. A rare Tiffany Studios floor lamp with leaded glass shade of apple blossom pattern on a bronze base of Spanish design with three columns bound together with a twisted wire design sold for $60,000 ($70/90,000).

A Tiffany Studios Nautilus desk lamp had a bronze base supporting a shell-shaped leaded shape with green, blue and ivory glass exceeded its estimate and crossed over for $13,000. A rare L.C. Tiffany vase in multicolored Cypriote glass exceeded its $10/15,000 estimate and sold for $19,000.

The opening rdf_Description was a L.C. Tiffany flower form vase with a pulled green feather decoration extending form a gold Favrile base that sold for $8,500, in the middle of its estimate. Far exceeding its estimate was a rare L.C. Tiffany vase that was a slender miniature form with two open handles adorned with a pulled feather decoration in blue and purple; it hammered down for $6,500, more than doubling its estimate.

In the Arts and Crafts Session, “the furniture was somewhat soft since there is a lot on the market” according to Toomey. Gustav Stickley examples included a book cabinet in original condition with red decal that sold in the middle of its estimate for $22,000; a director’s table, number 631 with a large rectangular top in original condition that crossed the block for $20,000; an exceptional trestle table with original paper label and burned mark that exceeded its estimate and sold for $9,500; and a shirt waist box that was hammered down for $7,500, which also exceeded its estimate. A rare Gustav Stickley music cabinet reached $17,000 before going to a happy bidder, and an armchair, number 376, sold for $5,500.

L&JG Stickley furniture included an unusual keyed-tenon bookcase with chamfered back with handcraft decal that sold for $4,750, and a number 222 settle with 20 slats to the back and seven on each side crossed the block for $6,500.

In Limbert furniture there was a number 146 table with oval top over cutout sides with a lower shelf for $4,500, a number 4511/2 sideboard with mirrored back that crossed for $5,500, and a number 473 china cabinet with a single door that sold for $4,500.

A Stickley Brothers table with splayed legs with thru tenons under a round top exceeded its estimate sold for $3,250. This session started with an important Grueby vase that was a large organic form with sculpted and applied leaves which crossed the block for $19,000.

Toomey was pleased the “the majority of the paintings sold, and there was a larger crowd in the audience for the paintings.” Dating circa 1898 was an Archibald McNeal Willard ink illustration board entitled “On to Havana” that crossed for $28,000, and a circa 1910 Louis Aston Knight oil on canvas “Cottage along the Stream” that found a new home for $18,000 after an estimate of $20/25,000.

A circa 1888 Bernhard Schneider oil on canvas “Artist by the Lake” sold for $15,000, and a circa 1914 Ada Walter Shulz oil on canvas “The Picture Book” crossed for $50,000 after an estimate of $60/80,000. By Frederic M. Grant was a 1917 oil on canvas “Uncertain Weather,” which was hammered down for $42,000 in the middle of its preauction estimate.

The last section of the auction was 1950s/Modern, which began with examples by Warren McArthur that were prototypes designed and fabricated in the spring of 1934. A two-door cabinet nightstand exceeded its estimate and sold for $4,250, a coffee/occasional table sold for $2,500, number 1538 end tables sold for $3,250 each, a radio table crossed for $7,000, more than doubling its high estimate, a number 1150 side chair exceeded its estimate and sold for $2,400, and a two-drawer writing desk exceeded its estimate and sold for $7,000.

A George Nelson Marshmellow sofa by Herman Miller from the 1950s sold in the middle of its estimate for $8,000, and an ESU 400 by Charles and Ray Eames by Herman Miller also from the 50s sold for $14,000. Also by Herman Miller was a Charles and Ray Eames ESU desk and return that exceeded its estimate and crossed for $8,000.

Dating from the 1950s was a Piero Fornasetti architectural cabinet in transfer-printed wood with two doors that rose above its estimate and sold for $4,250. An Edward Wormley Janus collection coffee table by Dunbar, number 5632 from the 1950s with inset Tiffany tiles, sold for $5,500.

A T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbins coffee table by Widdicomb with a round walnut top sold for $2,100, a black marble Paul McCobb desk by Calvin crossed for $1,600, and a circa 1950 Ico Parisi Altimara console sold for $4,750. Exceeding its estimate was a Bruno Mathsson Maria folding table by Dux that crossed for $3,500, while a Studio 65 Marilyn love seat by Gufram Multipli inspired by Marilyn Monroe’s lips sold for $2,500.

Dating circa 1956 was a George Nelson full-size thin edge bed in original finish that crossed for $4,000, and a number 4658 George Nelson home office desk by Herman Miller reached $5,500. A pair of 1950s Finn Juhl lounge chairs with sculpted rosewood frames achieved $2,100, and a 1970s Frank Gehry Wiggle chair crossed for $3,250. Nearly doubling its high estimate was a circa 1950 Charles and Ray Eames FSW-6 by Herman Miller including the original box that sold for $13,000.

Reported prices do not include the 15 percent buyers premium.