These 13-inch George Jones majolica wall pockets with hummingbirds zipped to $16,660, earning the title of top lot in both the majolica sale and overall ($2/3,000).
Review by Kiersten Busch
WOLCOTTVILLE, IND. — From May 21 to 25, Strawser Auction Group conducted four auctions: Antique Glass and Victorian Silver, Antiques, Staffordshire and Majolica. Combined, the four sales had a sell-through rate of more than 99 percent. Michael G. Strawser, president of Strawser Auction Group, reported, “We were very pleased with the results of the auction. We were able to sell over four days all but six items out of 2,071 lots.” The consignments mostly came from private collections and estates.
Antique Glass and Victorian Silver Auction
The top lot of the Antique Glass and Victorian Silver auction was this DeVilbiss parrot perfume lamp, 12 inches tall, which realized $3,575 ($2/4,000).
There were 579 lots offered in the Antique Glass and Victorian Silver auction, which took place on May 21. There was much glassware offered, including Fenton, American brilliant cut glass, carnival glass, a collection from Greentown Glass, perfume bottles and toothpick holders. Victorian silver included bride’s basket and pickle castors, a silver plate figural napkin ring collection and others.
The top selling lot of the auction was a DeVilbiss perfume lamp, which sold for almost nine times its high estimate. Listed as “rare” in the auction catalog, the lamp depicted a colorful parrot on the side and measured 12 inches high. The lamp realized $3,575.
Crossing the block for $1,650 was a Mount Washington Flemish “Tiny Fingers” toothpick holder. The glass holder had painted flower designs around the body.
Exchanging hands for more than double its high estimate at $1,130, was this Durand art glass gold and iridescent vase, 11 inches tall ($300/500).
A Durand art glass vase exchanged hands for more than two times its high estimate. The large vase was signed and featured a striped gold iridescent pattern swirling throughout the body. It realized $1,130.
A lot containing four separate art glass pieces in the Gallé style was pushed to $1,000 by bidders, more than eight times its high estimate. The lot contained two vases, a perfume bottle and a bowl. All four were covered in various floral designs.
Antiques Auction
Earning the title of top lot for the antiques auction was this Black Forest wood carving of a stag, circa 1920, 47 inches tall, 27 inches wide, 21 inches deep, with original antlers, which pranced over to Canada with the winning bidder for $5,355 ($2,5/4,000).
May 22 was the Antiques auction, which offered 551 lots of bronzes, furniture, sterling silver, paintings, cast iron banks, primitives and more.
A monumental Black Forest wood carving of a stag was the top selling lot of the sale, earning $5,355 against a $2,5/4,000 estimate. The circa 1920 carving had its original antlers and measured 47 inches high. It sold to a buyer in Canada.
Bringing $4,460 against an $80-$120 estimate was a closed tailback folding knife by Ron Lake, a custom knifemaker from Eugene, Ore., who is best known as the originator of the inter-frame folding knife. The knife had a 3¾-inch blade that sported a “No 3” engraving, as well as a gold etching of elephants, done by Leonard Leibowitz, an etcher, engraver, make-up artist and printmaker from Pittsburgh. Penn. The knife had provenance to the Marshall P. Katz estate collection. Katz was the chief executive officer and president of Papercraft Corporation, a household consumer products company.
“Relaxing” by Susan L. Crawford, 1983, oil on canvas, 18½ by 22½ framed, earned $3,570 ($200/300).
A portrait of a horse titled “Relaxing,” by Susan L. Crawford, sold for $3,570. The oil on canvas was done in 1983 and measured 18½ by 22½ inches framed.
A gilt figural clock resembling a humanoid figure by Pedro Friedeberg, a Mexican artist known for his surrealist work, was pushed by bidders to $2,750, just past its high estimate. The clock was signed by the artist and measured 19 inches high.
Staffordshire Auction
Leading the Staffordshire auction was a complete set of “Four Seasons” pink luster Staffordshire figures of ladies. Each base read the name of a different season, and each figure was 9 inches tall. Minor base nicks did not deter bidders from raising the set to $2,500, almost three times their high estimate ($600/900).
“The Staffordshire Collection was from the ‘Staffordshire Lady,’ Elinor Penna, the founder of the Staffordshire Figures Collectors Club,” informed Strawser. “This auction represented approximately 20 percent of her collection. The balance will be sold over the next couple of years.” Despite the May 24 auction containing less than one quarter of Penna’s full collection, there were still 330 lots of various Staffordshire pieces offered to bidders.
Four Staffordshire pink luster figures of ladies, the “Four Seasons,” were the top lot of the sale, realizing almost three times their high estimate. Each figure was 9 inches high and had a base marked with the season they were supposed to represent. Minor nicks to the bases of the figures did not deter bidders from chasing the four ladies to $2,500.
A pair of longhaired Staffordshire spaniels were the second highest selling lot of the day, crossing the block for $1,550 against a $300/500 estimate. The pair measured 10 inches high each and rested on pink plinths. One spaniel had professional repair done to one of its back corners.
Earning $1,425 was this pair of Staffordshire poodles, one of which had pups. The tallest figure measured 5 inches in height ($60/90).
Staffordshire dogs continued to be popular with bidders, as a pair of poodle figures rounded out the top three best-selling lots of the sale. Estimated at just $60/90, the two dogs, one with pups, defied expectations and sold for $1,425. The tallest figure was 5 inches tall.
Realizing $1,300 was a pair of Staffordshire pearlware figures. Each figure, a man and woman, had a base labeled “Old Age.”
Majolica Auction
Offered in Strawser’s May 25 auction were 611 lots of majolica, including works by well-known makers Minton, George Jones, Holdcroft, Etruscan and Palissy.
The work of George Jones, an apprentice of Minton and a United Kingdom native, was one of the more popular majolica manufacturers of the sale, with half of the top 10 best-selling lots of the sale being his majolica. This included the top lot of all four days of sales, a pair of hummingbird wall pockets cataloged as “rare” by the auction house. The wall pockets stood at 13 inches tall each, and featured lush, green foliage with hummingbirds at the bottom, each sipping out of a flower. Professional repair to separate parts of each wall pocket did not deter bidders from pushing the pair to $16,660, more than five times their high estimate of $3,000.
Buzzing to $10,700 was this majolica bee skip cheese dish by George Jones, which measured 7½ inches high ($3/3,500).
A George Jones small sized bee skip cheese dish, measuring 7½ inches high, crossed the block for three times its high estimate. It was modeled after a straw beehive, sitting on a square-cut branch pedestal base on four rustic feet. This particular piece was referenced in Majolica Mania Vol. 1 (2021), on page 121. It sold for $10,700.
A third notable Jones majolica piece was a punch bowl, which earned $8,250. The base was in the shape of a jester, who supported the turquoise bowl, which was decorated with holly and berries. It measured 11 inches in diameter.
A majolica banana leaf and garden seat manufactured by Minton and designed by sculptor Hughes Protat circa 1875 exchanged hands for around three and a half times its high estimate, realizing $10,700. The 19½-inch-tall garden seat was of waisted cylindrical form and was naturally molded in relief with large banana leaves wrapping around faux bamboo. The seat was made with the Ruyi pattern around the open hand holder and had a stylized Oriental style “H” and “P” on either side, standing for Hughes Protat. It had provenance to “The Majolica Guru,” Nick Boston Antiques, London.
Strawser Auction Group’s next sale will take place October 9-12.
Prices quoted include the buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. For information, www.strawserauctions.com or 260-854-2859.
