AUCTION FINDS OF THE WEEK- JANUARY 6: "UNRESERVED" AT RAGO ARTS & AUCTION CENTER
by Kelly Keating on 01/08/14
Rago Arts and Auction Center in Lambertville, New Jersey is one of the top auction houses offering 20th century design objects including fine art, decorative art, furniture, jewelry and silver as well as currency and ethnographic property. This week's auction finds were all found at Rago's "Unreserved" auction which is taking place on January 18-19, 2014. The auction is full of wonderful 20th century design lots that are being offered without reserve. I hope one of the objects I have selected generates some new design ideas for your interior space or introduces you to an area of design which was unfamiliar to you.
This week's first find is a small, but gorgeous Rookwood vase by Sallie Coyne circa 1901. The vase, lot 9, only measures 6.25" tall, but its stunning sea green color with an ombre effect and the chestnut branch decoration give it a wonderful presence. This little jewel has a pre-sale estimate of $800-1,200. Imagine a collection of Rookwood and other pottery pieces in a similar color range dispersed throughout a large bookcase with books and a few other well-chosen objects. It would make a wonderful centerpiece to a room, a focal point of color and design.
This week's next object is a very large ceramic vessel compared to the small Rookwood vase. Lot 43 measures 14" tall with a 20" diameter and has a pre-sale estimate of $800-1,200. The massive five-handled glazed piece with floral decoration is French in origin and was made by Clement Massier (1844-1917).
Born into a family of ceramists, Clement Massier took an interest in the business from an early age. In 1884, after years of work, study, and travel, he relocated his share of the family firm to Golfe-Juan and began producing Hispano-Moresque-influenced pottery, with silver and copper oxide glazes made iridescent in a smoky kiln. Following the arrival Lucien Levy-Dhurmer in 1887, Massier introduced fiery luster glazes enriched with etching and painting, applying them to forms ranging from hand-built individuality to slip-cast uniformity. He was soon in command of a busy factory and a showroom that boasted an elite international clientele.
The contrast between the roughly conceived form of this pot and the richness of its glaze and decoration is extremely dynamic. This energetic quality makes this piece particularly captivating. So, too are the 5 handles which in their irregularity speak to the nonuniformity of the object itself. They are decorative, but not really functional, but seem essential to the overall design of the vessel.
From pottery to furniture, lot 62, a Gustav Stickley (1858-1942) trestle library table, is the next discovery in this week's auction finds. The quartersawn oak table was made circa 1915 and has a pre-sale estimate of $1,200-1,800. While American Craftsman furniture (growing out of the British Arts & Crafts movement) is not typically my favorite style, I am often drawn to the work of Stickley whose furniture seems a step above bog standard Craftsman pieces. This library table is very elegant and has all the hallmarks of Craftsman design such as simplicity of design, truth in materials in the use of oak with no stain or other application to disguise the wood as something else and the visibility of construction where mortise and tenon joints are clearly see. This library table would work in a variety of settings from a more traditional space to being the centerpiece in a modern space where such a table would provide a dynamic contrast to the rest of the room.
This week's next find, an English Arts & Crafts work table dated circa 1915 along with the previou find, the Stickley library table, illustrates quite well the difference between the Arts & Crafts and American Craftsman styles. Lot 76 with a pre-sale estimate of $300-500 is made of quartersawn oak like the Stickley and it also exposes the elements of its construction. However, the English work table unlike the Stickley library table has applied ornament in the floral carvings on its corners as well as the shaped apron on its bottom shelf and even its bobin turned feet. The Stickley for the most part is full of straight lines and right angles with minimal use of curves and certainly no applied ornate as in the English piece. The Stickley is purely simple relying on it materials and construction as its ornamentation. That said, the English work table is a nice piece that would be welcome in many settings perhaps as a large table between 2 well stuffed chairs with a good lamp and stacks of coffee table art books on the bottom shelf.
Perhaps you need a rug for the room with your new Stickley library table or English Arts & Crafts work table? Lot 457A is a Danish rya rug from the 1960's with a pre-sale estimate of $250-350. A rya is a traditional Scandinavian wool rug with a long pile of 1 to 3 inches. The rug is a great size at 11.6' x 8'. It is a wonderful combination of black and greys within a graphic design of geometric shapes. It is perfect for the creation of a Mid-century modern inspired interior and pricewise it seems like a bargain.
How about a stylish Danish coffee table from the same period to sit on your new Danish wool rug? Lot 497 is an Illum Wikkelso coffee table from the 1960's with a pre-sale estimate of $1,000-1,500. The table has a stained and lacquered teak sort of X-form base with a cross stretcher and a glass top. This piece is extremely stylish. I love the way the glass just seems to float above the base. The Wikkelso coffee table would look quite handsome on the Danish rug discussed above.
This next discovery is my favorite find from this week. Lot 730 is a very stylish American Art Deco bar cart from the 1920's with a pre-sale estimate of only $400-600. The cart is comprised of 2 circles with 3 shelves with edge molding attached between them. Walnut and birch are the materials used in its construction. The cart is not big only measuring 27" x 28" x 17". I would use it on top of a sideboard rather than on the floor to create an overmantel effect and then I would use it to display various objects or a collection. Or use it on the floor if you have a perfect spot or short wall in a living room or dining room and fill it with glassware and decanters on silver trays for a very elegant look.
This week's next treasure is a gorgeous little French lot that is my second favorite object of the week. Lot 879 is a darling French settee from the 1940's with legs of cerused oak with a pre-sale estimate of $1,000-1,500. Cerused or limed oak is when a paste of a white lead derivative is rubbed into the porous open grain of the oak producing a whitened grain. The technique was popular in the Art Deco period and into the Mid-century modern era. This settee owes something to Art Deco, but it has moved beyond that as well becoming simpler. At only 31" in width, the piece is dainty, but chic and would be a great addition in a neutral fabric to a living room as secondary seating to a sofa.
This week's next treasure is a bit of whimsical fun for your home. Lot 890 is a French brass magazine rack in the shape of a swan by Maison Jansen from the second half of the 20th century. It has a pre-sale estimate of $300-400. Maison Jansen (House of Jansen) was a Paris-based interior decoration office founded in 1880 by Dutch born Jean-Henri Jansen and continuing in practice until 1989. Jansen is considered the first truly global design firm, serving clients in Europe, Latin America, North America and the Middle East by 1900.
This week's last find, lot 1253, is a pair of silvered wood sofa tables from the 1960's by James Mont. The pair of tables have a pre-sale estimate of $600-800. From the early 1930s and into the 1960s, Mont was one of the most prominent designers and decorators on the East Coast. His forte was creating furniture that offered a stylish and dramatic, yet modern, take on historical forms and details—most of his designs drew on Asian influences, though he often employed classical elements in his pieces. This pair of sofa tables are certainly dramatic not only in their metallic finish, but in their bold geometric C shape design with beveled edges and the use of a classical trumpet baluster that attaches the base of the table to the top. Admittedly, these tables are a little over the top, but they exude a sense of luxury and at the same time a sense of fun. To work in a room, they would have to be paired with the right sofa, something simple and streamline as well as other furnishings that would not compete or overshadow their fabulousness.
The Rago "Unreserved" Auction offers many wonderful items of 20th century design from fine art to decorative art to furniture as one can see from this week's auction discoveries. Many pieces have great estimates and since this auction has no reserves, everything must sell whether on estimate or below.
My favorite piece this week is the Art Deco bar cart. I love its dramatic circular shape. I would place it on top a sideboard instead of the floor to make a stunning display. A close second for me this week is the French 1940's settee which is wonderfully sweet and stylish. And coming in third are the James Mont silvered sofa tables which scream "luxury" and perhaps whisper "Las Vegas".
What was your favorite piece this week? Tell everyone about it by leaving a comment below. Did this piece spark a new idea for your interior space or give it a whole new direction?
If you need help finding a wonderful antique or vintage piece from traditional to modern, please take a look at my website for details and then contact me at [email protected].
To find out the sale prices for lots in the Auction Finds, please check my Facebook Page after the auction has ended.
Until next time,
Kelly T Keating
