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Fontaine Postsale

PITTSFIELD, MASS. -- As warmer weather and torrential downpours moved across

the Berkshires, much of which was still pocketed with ice and snow, fog eerily

rolled across the roadways and blanketed the region. Dealers and collectors

traveling to the John Fontaine/Jerry Cohen Craftsman Auctions gallery suffered

greatly from diminished visibility and vehicular speeds that were reduced to a

crawl.

Yet once auctiongoers had secured themselves within the confines of the

auction gallery their vision became crystal clear and the action soared to a

blistering pace. Record prices were routinely established, although it

wouldn't be fair to simply term many of the prices realized during the course

of the day as merely records, many of them were huge records, one might even

term a couple of them trophies.

One question has been repeatedly posed since the news of the record setting

auction first broke: Is Arts and Crafts back? Some will vehemently argue it

never went away. Others will proclaim that the parvenu aire of the market has

matured during the past few years thus bolstering its current position.

Perhaps the question is best answered by the results posted most recently at

the Fontaine/Cohen auction.

The auction was a two-day sale, January 23 and 24, with more than 800 lots

being offered and a final tally of over $1.85 Million. While Saturday's

merchandise was certainly respectable, the stellar lots were saved for Sunday.

Craftsman auctions have gained a great deal of respect among collectors and

dealers over the past few years as most of the merchandise offered has either

been consigned directly from homes or has been freshly plucked from homes by a

network of pickers loyal to the gallery.

Auction coordinator Jerry Cohen commented that numerous people had mentioned

to him during the course of the sale that this particular auction was regarded

as the "best auction in the past 10 to 15 years" which featured freshly picked

merchandise.

A standing room only crowd was packed into the hall as auctioneer John

Fontaine made his way to the auction podium. After a few announcements the

crowd settled right in and prepared to either partake in or watch what

everyone knew would be the biggest battle of the day's war. In a bold

maneuver, Craftsman offered its premier item as the first lot of the sale, a

maneuver which resulted in closed mouths and fixed eyes among virtually

everyone in the gallery.

Fontaine checked his staff attending to the bevy of telephone bidders one last

time, and then announced the rare Gustav Sickly trapezoidal china cabinet. The

auctioneer commented that the piece had been consigned directly from a New

York State home, and he then proceeded to squash the rumor mill. Although

cataloged as being in "very crisp original condition," many in the crowd had

felt that something had been done to enhance the dark finish. Fontaine coolly

announced the piece was all original and that the only enhancement had been a

quick "rub with a wool cloth and wax."

The rare cabinet was described as being produced during Stickley's

experimental period during 1901-02, and there was some speculation as to this

cabinet having been a custom order, making it possibly unique. The upper

cabinet doors featured nine mitermullioned sights, with the top row having

flaring trumpet-form mullions.

The lower blind doors were arched to emulate the pattern used on the doors

above. With the original finish intact, a lack of use was apparent as the

patina on the ring-pull hardware did not even show signs of wear.

Presale scuttlebutt had been that the china cabinet was expected to bring

anywhere from $70/80,000, and some talk was as high as $100,000, so it was

with little surprise that Fontaine asked for an opening bid at the high

estimate of $50,000. No response came from the gallery, nor did any come from

his request for an opener at $25,000, although when he cut the opening bid to

$15,000 there was a flurry of activity from all around the room.

The lot moved quickly, initially in $5,000 increments until bidding slowed in

the $40,000 range. Bids soon afterwards jumped in $10,000 advances, with

renewed interest coming from two seated near the front and a bidder in the

rear of the room. Everyone in the room seemed stunned as the piece surpassed

the gossiped selling point of $80,000, and even more taken back as it crested

the $100,000 mark.

While all of the galleries staff manning the phones seemed poised and ready to

jump into the fray at a moment's hesitation, the opportunity never arose as a

Florida collector and New York City dealer Beth Cathers of Cathers and

Dembrosky kept plugging away at the lot. A final definitive bid came from the

side of the gallery where the collector was seated at $170,000, and after a

moment or two Fontaine pronounced the lot sold amid thunderous applause. A

final price of $187,000, including premium, firmly established a record for a

Gustav Stickley china cabinet.

The consignor of the lot had made himself known to us prior to the sale and

was willing to share some provenance even the auction gallery was unaware of.

It was related by the consignor that he had called a local dealer in to look

at a table which he was considering selling, only to find out it did not have

a great deal of value. During the ensuing conversation the dealer cajoled, "If

you only had a piece of Stickley," to which the consignor replied "But, I do."

The consignor then explained the piece was at his hunting lodge and after a

look it was determined that the cabinet with the large red Gustav Stickley

label on the back might be worth something.

The consignor further related that the piece had originally come from a

ministry and was purchased by his mother some 35 years ago from "a church

lady." After being used in their home for two more decades, the cabinet was

moved to the hunting camp where it remained until Fontaine and Cohen picked it

up for the auction.

While the Gustav Stickley china cabinet was by far the top lot of the sale,

several other pieces stimulated equal interest and also established impressive

record prices for their forms. Among those lots was a Model 2342 slat arm

Morris chair by Gustav Stickley, circa 1901-02. The chair was described as

being in "estate fresh condition" with the original finish intact. It was

cataloged as being "in as close to factory condition as any Morris chair we

have seen."

Retaining its original well-worn leather cushions, the chair was marked with

an early red Stickley sticker under the arm. The chair, estimated at

$14/18,000, opened for bidding at $5,000 and was immediately hit at $10,000.

It bounced back and forth between a phone bidder and client in the room,

finally selling for a record price of $46,750.

A Gustav Stickley even arm settle also soared past the $15/25,000 presale

estimates as it was actively bid by several in the gallery. The crib settle

featured canted slatted sides and back with chamfered posts. The legs were

corbeled, as were the interior posts under the arm rails. This piece was

marked with the large red decal and was thought to be a unique variation of an

early Gustav form.

Fontaine tried to open the lot at $20,000, but settled for an opening bid of

$5,000. It wasn't long before the piece surpassed the auctioneer's initial

request as it reached a selling price of $49,500.

Another record price was established for a Gustav Stickley double bed with

slatted head and footboards. The rare bed retained its original condition and

was marked with the large red decal. Estimated at $7/9,000, the bed sold for

an impressive price of $22,750.

A couple of Gustav sideboards were sold with an eight-legged sideboard also

surpassing estimates. The piece, which was described as being a "rare and

wonderful" example in unusually fine color and condition, sold for $18,700.

Another sideboard with arched base, designed by Harvey Ellis, had some veneer

replacement and problems, yet sold for a solid $12,100.

A price of $13,750 was paid for a model 815 Gustav double door china cabinet

with through tenons, the same price also claimed a Model 625 dresser and

mirror with wooden pulls.

$12,650 was paid for a few other Gustav pieces, namely a Gustav hall bench

with a brass tacked leather seat, and a magazine stand with chamfered sides.

Another notable price among the Gustav furniture was a circa 1903 dining room

set consisting of 12 chairs and a five legged expanding dining room table with

seven leaves. The set had come from a local home in the Berkshires and was

said to have "never left the house until it was picked up for the auction."

The chairs retained their original leather, which was in remarkably good

condition, and was done in a rare ebony finish. Bidding on the lot was opened

at $20,000 by New Jersey dealer Ray Groll, who communicating via a cel phone

held tightly to his ear, was apparently bidding for a client. $25,000 came

instantaneously from the phone and Groll countered at $30,000.

Two phones hit the lot at the same time at $35,000, with one of them quickly

advancing to $37,500. Groll hit the lot at $40,000, only to be countered by

the gallery's phone bidder once again and thus resulting in a price of $46,750

being paid for the set.

Another of the impressive prices established for a piece of Gustav Stickley

furniture came as a small circular top lamp table with cross stretcher base

was offered. The lot, estimated at $3/4,000, was in the original dark finish

and sold for $11,000.

A rare Limbert double-door bookcase with cut-outs and exterior side shelves

also established is believed to be a record price. The cabinet retained its

original finish, although minor touch-up had been done in areas of high wear.

Marked with a large paper label, this piece also went back and forth between

the gallery and phone bidders, although in the end it was claimed by a bidder

in the rear of the room for $33,000.

L&JG Stickley furniture also saw substantial prices, with a Model 412 massive

paddle arm Morris chair marked with the "handcraft" decal establishing a

record for this form at $17,050. An L&JG triple-door bookcase did well at

$16,225, a Model 412 paddle arm Morris chair in a new finish $11,550, and a

Model 516 slatted book table in original finish realized $10,450.

Furniture by other makers included a Stickley Brothers 12-piece dining room

set including sideboard, server, china cabinet, dining table and eight chairs,

which sold for $19,350. A Grand Rapids bedroom set in dark finish included a

bed and two dressers which were hammered down at $8,275.

A Young Morris chair brought $4,675, a Roycroft refinished dresser and mirror

marked with the carved orb $4,400, and a Phoenix even arm settle brought

$2,420.

Metal items attracted a great deal of interest with a large hammered copper

cylindrical jardiniere with flaring base and lip by Gustav Stickley selling

well above estimates at $10,450, while a Gustav hammered copper tray with

fresh patina was knocked down at $4,025.

Dirk Van Erp items included a hammered copper smoking stand at $4,400, and a

hammered copper chamberstick at $990. Metal lamps were highlighted by two Dirk

Van Erp lamps with a large table lamp with hammered copper red warty bulbous

base and hammered copper and mica shade selling at $27,500, while a hammered

copper trumpet base lamp with copper and mica shade sold to a phone bidder for

$11,000.

Also offered was a rare Limbert copper lamp with windmill base and matching

cut-out windmill copper and slag glass shade selling to a phone bidder at a

reasonable $13,750. Fontaine announced that a gentleman during preview had

told him he loved the lamp and was going home to sell his Porsche. After the

hammer fell the auctioneer queried the staffer manning the phone as to whether

or not he still had his car. "Not any more," was the reply.

Another of the lamps in the sale which attracted a great deal of interest was

a Grueby base lamp with matte green glaze and carved leaves, topped with the

original Tiffany shade. Holding the piece back was a repaired drill hole in

the base of the lamp, although it still garnered $27,500.

The top lot among the pots was a nice high glaze Newcomb vase with carved

asparagus decoration selling at $9,900. A gourd shaped Grueby vase with carved

leaves in a matte green glaze realized $8,800. Two Teco pieces were offered, a

flaring cylindrical vase with four handles and a straight sided cylindrical

vase with four buttress handles, selling at $7,150 each. Two large Wheatley

pieces were also offered, with both a large floor vase and a smaller four

handled vase bringing $2,200 each.

Other items sold included a Rookwood scenic plaque by Lenore Asbury which sold

for a solid $15,950, a large tile fountain on an iron base signed Batchelder,

Los Angeles $12,650, and three Edward Curtis gold-tone photographs in original

frames brought $9,460, $7,700 and $6,050.

Prices include the ten percent buyer's premium charged. The next auction in

the Craftsman series will be a middle line auction scheduled for the first

week of April. Another of the high end auctions has also been scheduled for

the last weekend of May.

For further information contact John Fontaine, 1485 West Housatonic,

Pittsfield, MA 01201, telephone 413/448-8922, or Jerry Cohen, 109 Main St.,

Putnam, CT 06260, 800/448-7828.