John Moran Auctioneers features Arts & Crafts, Art Nouveau, and mid-century designers at their May 25th Antiques and Decorative Arts Auction. With the focus on art glass, pottery, lighting and furniture dating from 1900 to the 1950’s, Moran’s continues to build on its history of offering top names in this collecting area. Alongside these items bidders will also find 18th and 19th century British and Continental silver, porcelain and furniture, and a large selection of European and American fine art.
The many examples of Twentieth Century design are led by an iconic piece by famed mid-century Danish designer Hans Wegner, known for his artful blend of beauty and utility. His “Valet” chair, designed in collaboration with craftsman Johannes Hansen, holds a complete set of gentlemen’s clothing without wrinkles while exhibiting the aesthetic qualities of fine sculpture. Moran’s is pleased to offer the refined three-legged version of the design, the “PP 250”, which Wegner arrived at after determining that the earlier four-legged version was too heavy looking. The chair is branded ”Johannes Hansen / Copenhagen / Denmark”, and is estimated to realize $4000 – 6000.
A teak draw-leaf dining table, also designed by Wegner, carries a very accessible estimate of $600 – 900. Made in collaboration with Andreas Tuck, it is to be sold with four unsigned chairs in the style of Wegner’s “Bull” chair, forming a functional set comfortable in any interior, and also a solid foundation for a mid century collection.
The Aurora, New York-based Arts and Crafts workshop, Roycroft, is also renowned for objects of simple beauty and practicality. Founded by Elbert Hubbard in 1895, the Roycroft campus produced furniture, metalware, bookbinding and leather goods, with output peaking between 1910 and 1915. Moran’s will offer an oak GPI armchair, made for the famed Grove Park Inn of Ashville NC, with an estimate of $1000 – 2000. A hand hammered copper lamp with acorn shaped shade, and several group lots of various other copper pieces by Roycroft, will all be offered with estimates of $600 – 900 per lot.
Another luminary in Twentieth Century design, Tiffany, is also represented in the sale by several items. A group lot of four desk accessories in the “Grapevine” pattern, marked Tiffany Studios New York, is expected to realize $800 – 1200, while a collection of Tiffany Favrile glass items will be offered in seven lots, with estimates ranging from $500 to $1200. These include vases, goblets, bowls, shades, a candlestick and an electrified 14 inch tall candle lamp, of gold Favrile glass, the base and ruffled shade each inscribed ”L.C.T.”, estimated at $800 – 1200.
Several more art glass lamps are also offered, among them examples by Pairpoint and Handel. One of the Pairpoint lamps, made circa 1930, has a stunning controlled bubble glass base with a reverse-painted shade. It is expected to bring $3000 – 5000. An unmarked, but very striking, lamp pairs a patinated metal base with a mushroom-form shade of mottled orange and yellow glass decorated in enamel with peacocks perched on flowering tree branches.
Other leading names in the sale include Gallé, Rookwood, Weller and Arequipa.
In addition to these Twentieth Century highlights, Moran’s will offer the types of Continental furnishings usually seen at their monthly auctions, including Louis XV, XVI, Italian Neoclassical and Rococo style furniture, a pair of Venetian blackamoor figures (estimate: $1200 – 1800), a Spanish Colonial polychrome-decorated crucifix (estimate: $700 – 1000) and figure of St. Anthony (estimate: $1000 – 2000).
Early 20th century cold-painted metal pieces include a lot of four Austrian and German figural groups, among them a snake charmer and a man prying in a tent, estimated at $500 – 700, and an Orientalist jardinière, modeled as a veiled woman leaning against an urn. This highly decorative piece, standing 33 inches high, is offered for $1000 – 1500.
An exquisite 19th century French tantalus (estimate: $1000 – 1500) and a lovely Victorian sterling coffee and tea service made by William Hunter, together with a later Henry Hobson & Son Sheffield plate footed galleried tray (estimate: $800 – 1200) are two of the other various high quality items rounding out the sale.
With over sixty lots of fine art, a wide selection of European and American paintings and prints is available. Edouard Leon Garrido, Andre Bauchand, and Theo Tobiasse are among the Continental artists represented, along with the popular Antoine Blanchard (French 1910 – 1988). Two of his Paris scenes, a view of the Boulevard des Capucines in winter and a view of the Rue Royale with La Madeleine, are offered for $3000 – 5000 each. A signed lithograph by Fernand Leger (French 1881- 1955) depicting figures in a park is expected to realize $800 – 1200.
Standing out among the American works is a drawing of Mickey Mouse, formally attired in suit, tie and hat, signed, dated and inscribed by Walt Disney (1901- 1966). Moran’s is offering the 15.5 x 11.5 inch graphite-on-paper work with an estimate of $8000 – 10,000.
Several California Impressionist and California Style works come from artists that are also regularly featured in Moran’s well known California and American Art Auctions, including Dan Lutz, George Post, Fil Mottola, Darwin Duncan, Lorenzo Latimer, Evylena Nunn Miller, Carl Sammons, Carl Schmidt, William Adam and others. Moving into the later twentieth century, a whimsical acrylic work by Gary Lang (b. 1950), dated 1975, mimics a collage of cartoons and comic strips. It is offered for $1000 – 1500.
John Moran’s May 25th sale is scheduled to begin at 6:30 pm PST. Bidding is available from the floor, via telephone, absentee, and online through ArtFact.com. A fully illustrated catalogue complete with condition reports will be available at Moran’s website, johnmoran.com, two weeks prior to the sale date.
In addition to the 6:30 pm sale, an afternoon “Discovery Sale”, starting at 3:00 pm on the 25th, will offer similar types of items with estimates ranging from $200 to $1000. The no-reserve Discovery sale is uncatalogued and open o floor and absentee bidders only.
All of John Moran’s sales are held at the Pasadena Convention center in Pasadena, CA. For more information about this sale, or for consignment inquiries for future sales, please call 626-793-1833 or email to [email protected]