Round American Brilliant cut glass tray in the Hawkes Panel pattern, 16 inches in diameter and weighing more than 11½ pounds, sold in the November 12 auction for $115,500.
DOUGLASS, KAN. – Woody Auction specializes in Victorian and pre-1920s antiques, but the firm’s real stock in trade is fine cut glass, which it has been offering at auction for years. This point was driven home over the course of 2022, when the company conducted four major cut glass auctions that all performed well and contributed to a highly successful year overall.
The first was a two-day American Brilliant cut glass (ABCG) auction conducted March 4-5 that featured a pair of single-owner collections. Like nearly all Woody Auction sales, this one was presented online and live in the Woody Auction hall. And, as per usual, all lots were sold to the highest bidder, without reserves.
The collections were those of Ila and the late Joe Lemon, who gathered examples of colored stems and great patterns; and Rich and Sandy Encelewski, who insisted that all the pieces in their collection be in outstanding condition. Some smaller collections were also added, pushing the lot count total to more than 500.
Top lots included a signed Egginton pitcher in the Trellis pattern, 8 inches tall, an example that featured a triple-notched handle and hobstar base, selling for $11,500; and an American Brilliant cut glass bowl signed by Hawkes in the Imperial 2 pattern, 3½ by 8 inches with deep cutting, from the Lemon collection, which sold for $9,200.
American Brilliant cut glass tankard in the Byzantine pattern by Meriden, 12 inches tall, earned $19,550 in the September 10 auction.
The second major cut glass sale of 2022 was conducted on May 28 and featured an assortment of American Brilliant cut glass pieces, boasting a wide array of patterns and makers, many showcasing sterling silver.
The ABCG patterns included Libbey, Hawkes, Sinclaire, J. Hoare, Egginton, Dorflinger, Clark, Maple City, Laurel, Tuthill, W.C. Anderson, Blackmer, Bergen, Hunt, Quaker City, Irving, Meriden, Pairpoint, CF Monroe, Pitkin & Brooks and others. The most numerous patterns were Libbey (22 different patterns), Hawkes (nearly 30 different patterns) and W. C. Anderson (16 different patterns).
A standout piece from the May auction was the ABCG punch bowl by Dorflinger in the Sultana pattern from the Kathy and the late Leigh Emmerson collection. It brought $5,000. The punch bowl, measuring 6¼ by 15¾ inches, had a sterling silver rim embossed with roses and was marked, “Shreve & Company, San Francisco,” with a monogram on silver.
Cut glass auction number three was an American Brilliant period cut glass auction conducted on September 10. It featured the Joe Panico collection out of Ohio, developed over many decades and packed with patterns that included Aztec, Byzantine, Crystal City, Ellsmere, Herringbone, Orloff, Nautilus, Aberdeen and many others.
Signed Egginton pitcher in the Trellis pattern, 8 inches tall, featuring a triple-notched handle and hobstar base, sold in the March 4-5 auction at $11,500.
Tankards piqued the interest of bidders in the September auction. Some examples included an ABCG tankard signed Libbey in a rare, unidentified Anderson pattern, 11¾ inches tall, having a design of vesica, cane, nailhead diamond, hobstar, star and fan motif, a pattern cut handle and a hobstar base for $21,850; an ABCG tankard signed Libbey in the Aztec pattern, 11¾ inches tall, with a pattern cut handle and hobstar base at $19,550; and an ABCG tankard in the Byzantine pattern by Meriden, 12 inches tall, featuring an elegant shape, blank, a pattern cut handle and hobstar base selling for $19,550.
Woody Auction may have saved the best for last when it conducted a 400-lot antique glass auction on November 12 that featured Aztec goblets, Waldorf stems, an Isabella tankard and other pieces.
The expected top lot was a round American Brilliant Cut Glass tray in the Hawkes Panel pattern, 16 inches in diameter and weighing more than 11½ pounds. It did not disappoint. “This was the finest Hawkes Panel tray it had ever been my privilege to sell,” Jason Woody said. It went for $115,500.
Also sold was an ABCG pitcher, 11¾ inches tall, with cased cranberry/green cased overlay, a pillar and cane swirl design, ray cut base sterling silver spout and handle marked Gorham, finishing at $19,000.
Prices given include the buyer’s premium as stated by the auction house. Woody Auction is always accepting consignments for future sales. To consign a single item, an estate or an entire collection, call 316-747-2694 or email info@woodyauction.com. For more information, www.woodyauction.com.
