James D. Julia Auction presented a vast assortment of treasures over a two-day session of antique and contemporary lamps, paperweights, rare art glass and English and French cameo vases. The December 1′ sale followed a diverse array of American and European toys, mechanical banks, fine French and German dolls, antique advertising, salesman samples, coin-operated machines, music boxes and other fine items offered on November 30.
Tiffany lamps and accessories were led by a Nasturtium leaded lamp with bold green leaves and lovely polychrome flowers that brought $57,500. The following lot was a Tiffany Studios Arrowroot table lamp in which its conical shade was decorated in flowers in various stages of bloom; it realized $51,750.
Tiffany is also well known for its leaded windows. But before an elaborate window can be created, Tiffany artists would sketch and paint their ideas; these sketches rarely appear on the market and are quite sought after. A watercolor of a garden scene depicting a woman standing at a fountain in the setting sun far exceeded its $2/3,000 estimate to finish up at $18,400.
Other lighting included a Duffner & Kimberly leaded Peony table lamp in rich shaded red and green glass against a striated green and brown background, which sold for $40,250; a Pairpoint puffy Azalea lamp with pink, red and white blossoms against a green leafy background resting on a floral base with gold finish sold for $16,100; and a Handel Wisteria leaded chandelier with light blue wisteria flowers against a darker blue background was further enhanced by an openwork top with cast branches across the entire top. This rarity went out at $13,800.
Topping the list of French and English cameo vases was a Eugene Michel cameo and intaglio carved vase featuring four maidens in flowing gowns. Ignoring its $10/15,000 estimate, it finished at $47,150.
Other highlights included a selection of Daum Nancy, such as a monumental stick vase with a bulbous base. Accented with cameo and enameled roses, insects and berries, it had great presence and sold for $13,800. A Daum Nancy vase with a mottled purple, yellow and fiery red background featured cameo grapes and leaves and an applied snail to give more dimension to the piece; it realized $12,650. And a cameo and silver bowl with cameo lattice work with rose stems and buds surrounding the body appealed to a number of bidders, who battled it out past its $500/700 estimate to ultimately stop at $7,015.
English cameo also found favor among bidders. From the Dorothy-Lee Jones collection came a Webb vase with deeply cut cameo decoration of two rabbits resting beneath a descending grape vine that hopped to $6,325. From the same collection, a Webb cut crystal vase by William Fritsche with beautifully detailed palm trees and billowing clouds realized $8,050.
The offering continued with art glass ranging from functional to decorative, from Victorian to more contemporary, with several examples from the Jones collection. Included was a lot of two glass decanters, one a clear example with carved floral design and an amber cut glass in the Daisy and Button pattern. In a seemingly endless bidding battle, the lot ultimately sold at $22,425.
This diverse auction included more than 300 paperweights from four separate collections, including that of Barry Schulthiess. An antique Baccarat paperweight chalice with millefiori base and four millefiori panels in its original presentation box went out at $12,650. Other highlights from his collection included a Clichy millefiori newel post with a variety of flowers in a range of hues that sold for $10,350. From other collections came an antique St Louis dahlia with a yellow central stamen surrounded by five tiers of blue striped petals that brought $16,100.
Miscellaneous highlights included a selection of jewelry that was underscored by an 11-carat natural yellow brilliant-cut diamond set in a platinum band with 14 smaller diamonds, which sold for $69,000.
All prices reported include the buyer’s premium. For more information, 207-453-7125 or www.jamesdjulia.com .
