Tiffany lights up 'finest and most diverse' glass and lamps sale

Auction house James D Julia last month sold what was, in its own words, "perhaps the largest, finest, and most diverse grouping" of glass and lamps offered anywhere in the world in the last couple of years.


A Webb white over cranberry
junior banquet lamp, sold
for $23,000 

With prices ranging from a few hundred dollars to $100,000, the lots represented a cross-section of the art glass marketplace, consisting of objects found in the booths and shops of leading dealers throughout the world.

Among the sold items were examples of art nouveau, 20th Century American art glass, paperweights, KPM plaques, lamps of all types, miniature lamps, French and English cameo glass, Fairyland Lustre, and more.

With such a high profile collection on offer, the auction house knew that collectors and experts all over the world would be watching the sale's performance. Fortunately, the results made it clear the market is still healthy and active.

In the end, the auction far exceeded its estimate total of $1.6m to bring almost $2m - more than $300,000 past James D Julia's low estimate for the day's total takings.

Highlights among the Tiffany lamps included a spectacular 22" Tiffany drop head dragonfly table lamp that brought a solid $109,250.

Of two Tiffany Studios Greek Key table lamps, an example featuring a background of mottled green and yellow panels that come to life with a turn of a knob sold on target for its $35,000-45,000 estimate at $37,950.


A dragonfly table lamp, sold for $109,250 (left) and a Tiffany
Studios Greek Key table lamp which brought $37,950

A star lot among the fine art glass included a 20" Jack in the Pulpit vase with bulbous foot and slender stem leading to a wide ruffled face. Finished with a lovely gold iridescence, it sold above its $16,000-20,000 estimate for $21,275.

Elsewhere, English cameo glass included an outstanding Webb white over cranberry junior banquet lamp with fine detailed floral carving and its original red chimney. It hit the upper end of its $15,000-25,000 estimate to sell for $23,000.

James D Julia's sale took place from June 22-23 in Fairfield, Maine, US.

 

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