Sale coordinator Dudley Browne with the Handel lamp which fetched $40,250.
Tiffany Acorn lamp, $19,950.
Signed Daum Nancy banjo vase with winter scene, $9,200.
FAIRFIELD, ME. – Julia’s November auction of glass and lamps offered a diverse selection drawn from several collections, including the estate of Mr and Mrs Robert Rascovar of Baltimore, as well as the estate of Mrs John Harwood, also of Maryland. Additionally, the estate of Ronald Olmstead enhanced this sale, as did a group of overlay glass recently deaccessioned from the Sandwich (Mass.) Glass Museum.
In addition more than 60 lamps were offered.
The showstopper was a Handel leaded glass globe lamp mounted on a hollow bronze type figure of Atlas. This lamp came from Springfield, Mass., and Julia had known about it for more than 25 years. On two occasions, he consulted with dealers who were trying to buy the lamp but the elderly gentleman who owned it refused to sell. Recently the gentleman passed away and his son sold it to a local dealer who consigned it to Julia’s. The lamp had supposedly at one time been part of the fixtures of a large Springfield bank and because of its outstanding nature, may have originally been made by Handel for an exposition.
It has long been known that Handel patented a world globe design lampshade, as a line drawing of this appears in Revi’s book on American art glass. Until this lamp surfaced, however, no one had ever known of a Handel product using this patent. The lamp, at 4½ feet tall, carried an estimate of $20/50,000. A quick flurry of bidding activity resulted in a final sale price of $40,250 and a new world auction record for a Handel leaded lamp, according to the gallery.
Also included in this sale were reverse painted Handel lamps. A fern lamp or Olympic Rain Forest lamp estimated at $8,5/12,500 topped out at $10,350. A Columbia River scene numbered 7117S and signed by one of Handel’s best artists, “Bedigie,” was estimated at $7/9,000 and sold right at mid-estimate of $8,050. A bright scenic Handel with rolling hills and blue skies signed Handel #7108 and with the artist signature “PAL,” probably for Palme, was estimated at $7/9,000 and topped out at just a little under $7,500. An overlay chandelier, very appropriate for a Mission-decorated house, topped out at $5,462.
Other lamps included a large dichroic glass Tiffany acorn table lamp standing 29 inches tall and signed “Tiffany Studios New York 531.” It fetched a final price of $19,550. A signed Tiffany Nautilus lamp stood 14 inches high and sold for $5,175. A pair of King Tut-type decorated Tiffany candle lamps estimated at $4,5/6,500 went out at $8,050. A 21½ -inch Pairpoint Puffy featuring blown out chrysanthemums sold for $6,900 and an unusual Lalique molded hanging half-dome chandelier with an apples and leaf motif was a nice buy at $1,897.
This sale offered several decorative vases including the signed Tiffany floriform vase with green pulled feather decoration on iridescent white at $5,750 and a large iridescent blue Tiffany Favrile bulbous vase standing 9 inches tall at $2,415. Tiffany collectors also vied for a Tiffany cordial set in iridescent gold selling at $3,162. A four-arm candelabra signed “Tiffany Studios” brought $3,200. Other Tiffany rdf_Descriptions included tiles, prisms, candlesticks and desktop accessories.
Cameo art glass included all the major names from Daum Nancy, Durand, D’Argental and Le Verre Francais to the artistry of Galle. A signed Durand gold cameo vase decorated with a woodland scene stood 14¼ inches tall and fetched a final price of $4,600, while a fine small Daum Nancy cameo and enameled three-handled vase stood out with a strong price of $5,750. Daum Nancy also stole the show with a strikingly unusual wheel-carved teardrop vase that brought $5,175. A wheel-carved large tumbler vase with Marguerites estimated at $4/6,000 sold for $4,600.
A Daum Rain scene tumbler vase 3½ inches tall estimated at $2,5/3,000 went well over high estimate at $3,622. A large Durand King Tut ginger jar with vibrant swirled coloration estimated at $2,5/3,500 topped out just over $4,000.
A blown out vase signed Daum Nancy featured a silhouetted decoration of trees and brush. It brought $5,750 while another vase signed Daum Nancy featured a Dutch winter scene and fetched $5,175. A monumental signed Daum Nancy banjo vase, also with a winter scene, was the top-seller among this maker at $9,200.
A rare 24½-inch monumental signed Galle vase featuring green thistle decoration against a mottled pink to grayish green glass brought $2,300.
Bidding battles took place on some of the better quality cameo glass. One interesting such battle was on lot 746, a miniature Daum winter scene vase with black birds standing just over two inches tall. The piece was quickly bid up to $1,000 and then three absentee bidders took it at $100 intervals all the way up to $3,400.
Steuben collectors had many choices in this sale, from a tulip candlestick at $3,622 to a cameo Steuben dragon lamp base at $2,587. Perhaps the rarest piece of all was a Steuben moss agate vase with swirls of colors throughout the translucent glass. Estimated at $3/5,000 it finally topped out at just over $7,000. A signed blue aurene Steuben chalice stood ten inches tall and went out at $3,450, and an eight-inch diameter acid cut-back plum jade bowl brought $4,887. A pair of iridescent aurene Steuben candlesticks also attracted attention and sold for $1,840 while a blue pair brought $2,645.
Loetz has a similar appeal with its elegant forms and rich, iridescent colorations. Among the Loetz lots was a signed vase featuring blue pulled feather decoration against an iridescent gold ground. It sold for $1,610. A very small Loetz vase with blue and pink iridescent swirls stood 3½ inches tall and sold for $1,265 and a pretty amethyst feather decorated vase sold for $2,070.
Some of the strongest prices of the day were realized in rare examples of Mt Washington Burmese and Royal Flemish glass. For example, the Royal Flemish vase with guba ducks stood 15 inches and depicted 11 ducks in flight against a golden sunburst. It sold for $8,510. A monumental Mt Washington Royal Flemish Snow Geese in Flight vase went out at $7,705. An eight-inch diameter by seven-inch tall Mt Washington Royal Flemish vase with coin decoration doubled the estimate when it sold for a final price of $6,037.
The delicate color and texture of Burmese glass attracted bidders. A Webb Burmese epergne featuring three shades mounted on a base signed “Clark Patent Trademark” was a lovely combination of flower vases and lighting. It sold for $1,955 while a ten-inch overall condiment set in Burmese glass brought $1,495. A rare Mt Washington verse-decorated Burmese covered jar stood seven inches high and, in spite of a small crack in the handle, fetched $1,150.
Amberina and its cousin, Wheeling peachblow, were well represented and well received. The top-seller in this category was a glossy Mt Washington peachblow jack-in-the-pulpit vase shading from raspberry to pale blue and featuring a ruffled top. It sold for $2,875. A plated amberina ribbed tumbler standing 3¾ inches tall was close behind at $2,300. An amberina floriform vase signed “Libby” was a winner at $1,552; the same price was paid for a deep fuchsia Wheeling peachblow Morgan vase with griffin-motif holder in applied amber glass. A similar Wheeling peachblow in a darker shade and matte surface fetched $1,437. A nice amberina condiment set sold for $1,322 and a simply elegant nine-inch vase featuring fuchsia shading to amber and an applied amber glass rigaree at the neck brought $977.
A small group of Doulton lambeth included a rare Sherry barrel estimated at $1/1,400. It sold for $2,990.
A Victorian pickle canister with white enamel floral decoration on blue satin glass went out at $1,006. A fine Mt Washington cameo bride’s bowl with a silver-plated metal holder brought $1,150. While not represented in great numbers, rare Mt Washington lava glass fetched healthy prices as two eight-inch vases brought $747 each. A rare agata vase standing a diminutive 3½ inches tall exceeded the estimate of $600/1,000 when it went out at $2,185.
The auction opened with Victorian lighting, which included a solar lamp with a brass font mounted on a ruby cut-to-clear stem with a double-marble foot. This 24-inch lot sold for $2,300. A 9½ -inch Thuro II 56-K table lamp featured a blue and white stripped crystal font and a double-step marble foot. It exceeded the $500/800 estimate when it went out at $2,012. A 10½ -inch red cut-to-white-cut-to-clear table lamp featured a pear-shaped font mounted on a base of white milk glass. It also topped the estimate when it sold for $1,035.
Julia’s new glass and lamp sales coordinator, Dudley Browne, recently relocated with his wife to Maine from Spokane, Wash., to take up this new position. This was the first auction that he was able to manage from the beginning to the end.
“Over the past 20 years with my involvement in antiques, glass and lamps have always been my primary love and being able to handle such a high concentration of quality lamps and glass and interact with some of the best collectors and dealers in the country is an experience,” he said.
All prices include the buyer’s premium.
