| | | | | | | | |
| ||||||||
| | | | | | | |
|
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 2001 Highlights 2002 Highlights 2003 Highlights 2004 Highlights 2005 Highlights 2006 Highlights 2007 Highlights 2008 Highlights Advertising & Country Store Americana Antiques & Decorative Arts Bottles Ceramics & Glass Civil War Classic Autos Collectibles Cookie Jars Furniture Glass & China Oil Lamps Paintings Pattern & Early American Glass Pottery Silver & Jewelry Textiles Toys & Dolls |
 |
Past Sale Results for May 19 - 21, 2006 Highlights of the 2006 Spring Cataloged Auction of Early American Glass and Lighting Scroll down for photos and descriptions of highlighted pieces from this auction. Mt. Crawford, Virginia was again the focal point for American glass collectors on May 19-21 as enthusiasts from across North America participated in Green Valley's sixth annual spring cataloged sale of 18th & 19th century glass and lighting. This spring's auction proved to be the firm's largest and most impressive event to date, being comprised of over 2,500 lots which were sold in three sessions. Company president and senior auctioneer Jeffrey S. Evans, widely celebrated for his no-nonsense rapid selling pace, kept bidders on their toes by averaging 160 lots sold per hour over the three days. Evans and his knowledgeable staff produced a monumental 288 page full-color catalog for the sale which is both authoritative and very detailed, an attribute for which the firm is well known. Numerous important collections were featured in the sale including the 20+ year collection of Sean S. and Patricia K. Skinner of Houston, TX; part II of the Dr. and Mrs. Oscar Hollander collection of Cape Cod, MA; the Robert F. DeLong collection of Neenah, WI; the Brian Wagner estate collection of Philadelphia, PA; plus additional collections from across North America. Of special note was the multitude of items formerly in prominent early collections with provenances that read like a Who's Who of American glass collectors, including William J. Elsholz, Gladys & Paul Richards, Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth Wakefield, George McKearin, plus countless others. In addition, many items had notable exhibition records including the Sandwich Museum of Glass. Friday's Session #1 was devoted to free-blown, pattern-molded, and mold-blown wares of the 18th and 19th centuries. The first 114 lots of the sale were from the Wagner collection of bottles and flasks. Mr. Wagner was a respected artist and associate professor in the College of Media Arts & Design at Drexel University in Philadelphia; he began collecting at the age of nine and continued until his death last year at the age of 58. His most prized possession was a Benjamin Franklin historical flask (McKearin GI-94) in a black olive amber color which he discovered at a Philadelphia yard sale in 1983. This rare product of Philadelphia's Kensington Glass Works was in exceptional condition and quickly sailed past its $2,000-$3,000 estimate selling for $8,250 (all prices include the 10% buyer's premium). A wide variety of blown three-mold articles were next to the block highlighted by a brilliant cobalt blue 4 1/2" high GI-29 footed cream jug attributed to the Boston & Sandwich Glass Co., 1825-1840. This beauty was from the Hollander collection and had been exhibited at the Sandwich Glass Museum - its brilliant proof condition attributed to the final selling price of $6,325. The Skinner collection supplied two rare pattern-molded articles, both possessing impressive provenances. Lot 222 was a deep semi-translucent milky blue circa 1830 Midwestern footed sugar bowl with cover, faintly patterned with vertical ribs. It had been purchased by the Skinners at the 1993 Garth's auction of the Alberta Rodgers Patterson collection and was closely related to the amethyst example at the Toledo Museum of Art. It was in exceptional condition and sold for $6,050 to Ohio dealer David Good who was bidding on the phone. The next lot was a brilliant amethyst Midwestern tall cruet formerly in the James Courtney collection which the Skinners purchased from David Good. This 8 1/4" high sixteen-rib example dated to 1830-1860 and was attributed to the Pittsburgh region, possibly Bakewell, Page & Bakewells or one of their successors. After a spirited bidding contest, it sold to an in-house Florida collector for $9,900, smashing its $3,000-$4,000 auction estimate. Free-blown glass comprised the remainder of Session #1 and provided the day's most hotly contested and highest priced lot - a mid 19th century medium olive green footed toy jug from the Hollander collection which was attributed to Connecticut, possibly the Coventry or East Hartford Glass Works. Despite standing only 3" high, it demanded and received tremendous attention from nearly everyone in the gallery. It was in outstanding condition and demolished its conservative $500-$800 estimate selling to an in-house New England collector for $10,175. Two circa 1850 New York State attributed aquamarine table articles received strong interest - a 7" high lily-pad decorated quart jug from the Skinner collection, and a 2 3/4" diameter footed salt from the DeLong collection, both of which were won by David Good. The Skinners had purchased the jug from Good in 1997 and it cost him $7,700 to get it back. The salt, which carried only a $100-$150 estimate, drew many eager bids before being knocked down at $2,420. Another lily-pad decorated jug was in amber and stood only 4 1/2" high; it was attributed to New York's Ellenville Glass Works, circa 1850, and sold strongly at $7,700. Additional free-blown highlights included a structurally bold colorless footed pitcher featuring an 1838 English two pence coin encapsulated in its hollow-knop stem which was attributed to Thomas Cain's Phoenix Glass Works in Boston; carrying a Richards provenance and $2,000-$3,000 estimate, it performed well, ending at $3,740. Many marbrie-loop decorated articles were offered including a South Jersey aquamarine 6 1/2" high jug from the mid 19th century which the Skinners had also purchased from David Good; it was much coveted and out-performed its $1,000-$1,500 estimate, finding a new owner for $4,180. Friday afternoon's Session #2 consisted of over 800 cup plates, primarily from two collections, 155 of which were sold individually through the catalog. Top honors went to an opaque powder blue Lee/Rose No. 84 (Rose recorded only five examples) in near proof condition, and a colorless Lee/Rose No. 619-A with an extremely rare amber stained center (Rose recorded only six examples), each of which drew final bids of $3,300. The remaining 650 lower value plates were offered in bidder's choice block lots, and even though there were only a handful of bidders remaining, Evans held an abundance of absentee bids and prices were surprisingly strong, with over 100 of the plates each selling in the $22 to $66 range. Session #3 commenced Saturday morning at 9:30 a.m. and included over 800 lots of primarily pressed glass beginning with an outstanding group of early salts spanning the 1828 to1850 Lacy period. Evans strategically placed the star of the group as the opening lot because "It's the Holy Grail of early salts" he explained. This Lyre pattern CD-4 (all ID numbers refer to Neal's "Pressed Glass Salt Dishes of the Lacy Period") was in an opaque soft violet blue color, and more importantly, retained its extremely rare original cover in excellent overall condition. Evans could only locate five other complete examples, three of which are in museum collections. This example from the DeLong collection was previously unrecorded and had been purchased decades ago from pioneer salt collector A. G. White. The published auction estimate was $8,000-$12,000, but talk before the auction was that it would probably sell closer to the $20,000 range. At 9:32 a.m. Evans called "Lot 1001" and the small but serious crowd became deathly quiet as if in anticipation of an epic battle. The little salt did not disappoint. With his staff manning five phone lines, Evans opened the bidding at $16,000 and advanced the bidding in thousand dollar increments between an absentee bidder and the phones until the absentee was surpassed and a collector on the floor jumped in at $28,000. The in-house bidder eventually yielded to a Florida phone bidder who won this important little jewel at $34,100! After the auction Evans noted that this was by far the most expensive salt ever sold, smashing the old mark of $10,450 set at Green Valley's September 2004 glass auction. "It would also qualify as one of the highest prices ever paid for a piece of American pressed glass, but I'm not sure of its exact ranking at this time, top five for sure" he added. Another Lyre salt, LE-2, in an unlisted opaque lavender blue but without a cover, sold for $7,700. Other rare salts included a beautiful translucent opalescent periwinkle Cornucopia and Scroll OL-12b in virtually proof condition which soared to $9,075, and an unlisted medium sapphire blue Peacock Eye Medallion and Acanthus Leaf SC-1a, also virtually proof, which reached $8,525. One of the largest collections of pressed toys to come up for sale in many years was next to the block, including many examples purchased at the 1986 and 1987 Bourne auctions of the renowned William J. Elsholz collection. Top honors at Green Valley went to a circa 1840 deep cobalt blue Lacy toy ewer, probably by the Boston & Sandwich Glass Co., which sailed past its $300-$500 estimate, selling for $5,060 despite several foot chips. Other outstanding Boston & Sandwich Lacy examples included an unrecorded fiery opalescent medium purple blue jug which sold for $4,180, and a canary small-size covered tureen with original undertray which brought $3,520. A fine selection of circa 1860 toy flat irons in a wide range of colors also received strong interest, selling between $1,375 and $3,850 each. Lacy pressed glass from the 1828 to 1850 period was well represented with most selling within their estimates. Three rare window panes were offered with the largest example, which measured 8" x 10", reaching $4,180. Compotes included a rare Paneled Rose and Thistle example with an impressive 9 1/2" diameter - its outstanding condition contributed to the final selling price of $4,180. Colored flint pressed glass continues to be one of the hottest categories in the field of American glass and this sale contained many outstanding examples from the Skinner collection. Several Boston & Sandwich Tulip vases crossed the block including a peacock green example at $3,730, and an amethyst example at $3,850. A brilliant cobalt blue hexagonal covered nappie was extremely rare because of the addition of an eight-rib stem and three-step base with extended round corners, a standard normally seen on whale oil lamps. Cataloged as of probable Pittsburgh origin and circa 1840, it was in outstanding condition and sold to a New York City collector on the phone for a well deserved $11,000 against a $4,000-$6,000 estimate. Mid 19th century colored candlesticks included an outstanding pair of translucent blue and clambroth 11" high Acanthus Leaf which brought $2,530, and a single emerald green 7 1/2" high hexagonal example which reached $1,760. Two other items of note in Saturday's session, both from the Hollander collection, included a rare Boston & Sandwich tall drum-form pomade jar in a translucent starch blue which marched away at $4,070. Evans noted that much of the jar's value was in its rare original cover which is very fragile and not often found. The second was an exquisite Boston & Sandwich Poinsettia paperweight picture hanger made by Nicholas Lutz which sold to an absentee bidder for $3,410, a reasonable price considering its impressive provenance. Lutz is considered the master of American paperweights and this hanger had descended in the Lutz family until it and a mate were purchased by Dr. Hollander from Joseph K. Lutz in 1984. Sunday's Session #4 consisted of nearly 400 lots of 19th century lighting from the whale oil to early kerosene periods. An impressive selection of circa 1870 cut overlay lamps were first up for bid including three seldom seen banquet size examples. A green cut to colorless 21" high example complete with a period shade set up was described in the catalog as "An exceptional, complete, and correct example." It drew the attention of numerous phone and floor bidders as well as a determined absentee bidder who won out at $11,000. After the sale Evans was happy to reveal that the lamp had been purchased by the Dallas (Texas) Glass Club for the Dallas Museum of Art. A majestic 28 1/2" high pink cut to white cut to colorless example would have been the star of the group if it had not been altered for electrification in the early 20th century. The fact that the alteration did not affect the lamp's outward appearance coupled with its extremely rare and desirable size contributed to it selling for $9,075 to a New York City dealer on the phone. Other early kerosene period stand lamps included a Boston & Sandwich Eaton or Onion example in a translucent heliotrope color which reached $3,190 and a blue with white threads Atterbury Reed Oval font example with marble base which doubled its high estimate, selling for $2,420. A selection of over 30 colored whale oil and fluid period lamps were next to the block drawing strong prices from absentee, phone, and in-house bidders. A matching pair of Loop pattern stand lamps in amber, a color rarely seen in this period, were in outstanding condition; after a prolonged battle with a floor bidder, they were ultimately won by a phone bidder at $15,900, doubling their high estimate. An opaque white example of a blown ball font on a pressed Lion's Head and Basket of Flowers base stand lamp was elevated to extremely rare status because of its tall inverted conical stem and eleven wafers which pushed its height from the standard 8" or 9" to a monumental 14". Possessing an impressive Richards/Elsholz/Rose provenance, it sold to a New York City dealer on the phone for $6,600. Other early colored stand lamps included a deep emerald green Circle and Ellipse at $4,290, and a brilliant violet blue Ring and Oval at $3,960. Colorless whale oil lamps were highlighted by six differing examples of free-blown fonts supported on pressed cup plate bases which ranged from $990 to $2,750. After the auction Jeff Evans expressed his pleasure with the auction's gross of just over $800,000, a new record total for the firm's glass auctions. "It was a great thrill to sell the record breaking salt!" Evans exclaimed. He relayed that while discussing the price with New York dealer Ian Simmonds, Ian suggested that it had to be a record price per square inch for any piece of American glass. "I wish I had thought of that," Evans quipped, "It's a great record, I love it." Evans reported that his staff processed over 3,100 absentee bids and 431 phone bids for the sale and that bidders from 37 different states plus Canada participated in the auction. He also reported that the firm sold more copies of this catalog than any in the past and that a very limited number of copies are still available. "This catalog will serve as a valuable price guide for many years to come" he proudly added. Green Valley's next glass auction will take place September 27 through October 1. Featured will be the renowned collection of the late Harry A. Hoffman of Lancaster, PA, including the most complete collection of the Early Thumbprint pattern ever assembled, along with two prominent Midwestern collections of Sandwich and other early glass. To order the May or other past catalogs, or for more information call (540) 434-4260. You may also order our past catalogs online by clicking here.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
