In the late Nineteenth Century, amid a favorable market for cameo glass, Thomas Webb’s leading glass engravers, Frederick Kny and William Fritsche, developed a technique they coined “rock crystal,” named for its appearance to actual carved rock crystal. The predominant style at the time saw glassware with unpolished, shallow engravings on a polished surface. This gave the design more visibility, but everyone did it. The style was ubiquitous at this point. So, as the engravers’ designs shifted to artistic subtlety, Kny and Fritsche decided to go deeper. Rock crystal glass utilized deeper engravings, higher reliefs and an all-over polished surface, providing a smooth glisten to the entire work. It was a hit, and was naturally copied by other glassworks in the area within a year of its release. A terrific example of a Webb rock crystal vase approaches the block at Dallas Auction Gallery, joining other lots from around the United States in this week’s picks.
DALLAS AUCTION GALLERY
Sale Date: September 13, 2017
Lot 117
Rare Webb Carved Rock Crystal Vase
Decorated with colored fruit. Marked for Webb to underside. Circa 1900; 5.825 inches high.
Estimate: $15/25,000
DuMOUCHELLES
Sale Date: September 15-17, 2017
Lot 91021
Louis Solon Decorated Pate-Sur-Pate Porcelain Exhibition Vase
Circa 1880, 23 inches high. Of classic urn form, a slim neck of green and blue gilt registers, flanked by double scrolling handles at the shoulder; six panels of male and female classical figures alternate with brightly colored slip columns of a pavilion, further architectural doorways and paneling in matching lavender and rich orange-yellow enclose each figure; raised on a gilt square foot. Decorated by Marc-Louis-Emmanuel Solon, signed within a figural panel.
Estimate: $10/15,000
BRUNK
Sale Date: September 15-16, 2017
Lot 653
Henry Moore (British, 1898–1986)
Maquette for “Spindle Piece,” 1968, edition 00/9 +2, signed on base “Moore,” inscribed in ink underside “Spindle/F,” bronze, 8 by 5-3/8 inches.
Estimate: $12/18,000
ESTATE OF MIND
Sale Date: September 16, 2017
Lot 340
Rare Prisoner Folk Art Presentation Dresser Box
With all over inlay and silver plaque, “Presented to Mr. & Mrs. Charles H. Bond by Thomas Towne, Nov. 24th, 1871. Made by Harvey Doane, a life convict in the state prison, Auburn, NY.” Doane was convicted of murder in 1862, 14 inches high.
Estimate: $100–$1,000
BRIGGS
Sale Date: September 15, 2017
Lot 14
Wharton Esherick (American, 1887–1970) Bronze Sculpture
A bronze sculpture titled “Horse Race” and dated 1926, mounted on a marble base. Engraved “W E” and marked XXVI; 4 by 7 by 2½ inches.
Estimate: $4/6,000
SKINNER
Sale Date: September 15, 2017
Lot 246
Jade Ruyi Scepter
China, in the shape of a gnarly branch intertwined with openwork lingzhi mushrooms, the head with pomegranate seeds and an openwork chilong, celadon stone with yellow tint and russet markings; 12½ inches length.
Estimate $10/12,000
GREAT GATSBY’S AUCTION GALLERY
Sale Date: September 16–17, 2017
Lot 587
J.W. Fiske Cast Zinc “Fire Dog” Statue
Depicting a standing Labrador retriever with raised tail and wearing a studded collar, the whole resting on a naturalistic rectangular base with scattered leaves, having later polychrome decoration, marked “J.W. Fiske” at the front of the base; 45½ inches high.
Estimate: $7/9,000
CLARS
Sale Date: September 16–18, 2017
Lot 7056
Albert Bierstadt (American, 1830–1902)
“Passing Clouds Over the Mountains,” oil on canvas, initialed lower left, canvas: 42¼ by 32½ inches sight.
Estimate: $70/100,000
CARLSEN GALLERY
Sale Date: September 17, 2017
Lot 149
Important Chippendale Boston Blockfront Desk
By J.S. Ingraham, circa 1750, 40 inches wide.
Estimate: $5/15,000
