Date: Fri 03-Jul-1998

Publication: Ant

Author: DAVIDS

Quick Words:

Christy's

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Christy 20thC Postsale

w/cuts

NEW YORK CITY -- The proverbial scale of success tipped rapidly from side to

side throughout the day at Christie's auction of Twentieth Century Decorative

Arts on June 11. Although by day's end it seemed to balance itself out fairly

well.

Several major disappointments weighed down the atmosphere of the sale, yet

each time a substantial lot was passed, it was quickly eclipsed by a stunning

surprise. The marketplace proved to be somewhat fickle at times, the auction

house overzealous at others, resulting in the sporadic results.

As the auction started, a sparse crowd in the gallery of less than 50 people

was on hand, accompanied by a host of Christie's personnel. Absentee and

telephone bids set the pace for the day (despite numerous vain attempts from

the gallery) with the majority of the lots going their way.

The sale featured numerous important items, some of which were either

considered unique, one of a couple known, or the best-known example. The most

successful of the highly touted items came from the Tiffany and art glass

collection of Harriet and Jack Stievelman. Other major lots that Christie's

expected fireworks from merely fizzled on the block, such as the Pierre

Chareau suite of furniture, which was intact and owned by the same family

since its commission.

Each of the ten Chareau lots of furniture was passed, either at or well below

estimates. Another major disappointment was the monumental dining suite by

Eugene Vallin that was accompanied by a matching Marjolle and Daum chandelier.

Christie's announced a major increase in the pre-sale estimate as the lot came

to the block, from $350/500,000 to $550/700,000. After a flurry of bids from

the house, the lot was passed at $500,000.

The Jean-Michelle Frank "elephant" chairs that had been commissioned for

Argentina's Llao-Llao Hotel in 1939 were thought to be among the only examples

left in existence. Proclaimed as highly important, the two chairs and

accompanying tables failed to find buyers.

However, like a day filled with sun showers, Christie's rainbow kept

appearing. Its most significant pot of gold came from Louis Marjolle's

"Nenuphars" and "Orchidee" series of furnishings.

The "Orchidee" carved and inlaid mahogany and gilt bronze desk, circa 1903,

proved to be by far the most important of the offerings. Marjolle, considered

to be the "undisputed master of Art Nouveau furniture," according to

Christie's catalogue, began his "Nenuphars" series of furniture in 1900. By

1903, he had introduced the more elaborate "Orchidee" series.

The "Orchidee" desk featured graceful flowing lines accentuated by organic

form bronze mounts that began at the feet and ascended the desk terminating in

overhanging orchid form lamps with shades by Daum. The desk was produced in a

limited edition with no more than "a handful of examples" having ever been

made available, according to Christie's. Marjolle had exhibited one of his

examples of the desk at La Salon des Artistes Francais in 1903.

It appeared that most of the phones in the auction room were ready for

bidding. But as the lot crossed the block, only four actually became players

as the desk, estimated at $160/240,000, opened for bidding at $110,000.

The phones moved back and forth on the desk advancing the bid in $10,000

increments to $210,000. Then, a bid from a Japanese client in the rear of the

room caught everyone by surprise. Action moved between the telephone and the

bidder in the rear of the gallery to $470,000. Bidding stalled and the desk

appeared to be sold to the phone. Just prior to the drop of the hammer, the

Japanese bidder jumped back in and hit the lot a couple more times until the

phone appeared to have won again at $510,000. After some gentle prodding from

the auctioneer, and some lighthearted heckling from those in the gallery, the

bidder in the room hit the piece at $520,000. The phone quickly countered with

a winning bid of $530,000. The actual sales price including premium was

$585,500.

Other Marjolle pieces from the "Nenuphars" series included a writing desk

selling at $244,500, an armchair reaching $40,250, and a vitrine garnering

$112,500.

The undisputed stars of the show were the Tiffany lamps from the Stievelman

collection. Harriet and Jack Stievelman began collecting Tiffany and art glass

in the mid-1970s, a time when the collecting field of Twentieth Century

decorative arts was considered to be relatively new. The Stievelmans' main

interest was art glass, and from this grew an appreciation for the lighting

created by Louis Tiffany. They sought out Tiffany lamps for their "wonderful

selection of glass in each shade, and it is, of course, the choice of glass

that separates the most prized Tiffany lamps from the less interesting ones,"

according to the catalogue.

Leading the auction was a lot from the Stievelmans' Tiffany lamps, a rare and

important "Magnolia" leaded glass and bronze floor lamp marked "Tiffany

Studios, New York" on both the shade and the base.

The circa 1910 lamp measured 78 inches high with the pig-tail finial and the

diameter of the shade 28 inches. Estimated at $450/600,000, the floor lamp

opened for bidding at $280,000 with several people in the room getting in on

the action. The telephones soon dominated though.

The price climbed past the $400,000 mark. The bids advanced rapidly in $10,000

increments to $560,000. At this point the bid was jumped by one of the two

active phone bidders to $575,000. The opposing phone bidder cut the bid to

$580,000.

Bidding jumped again to $600,000 then resumed to $10,000 increments. Once

again bidding jumped, from $660,000 to $675,000, and it was countered with a

$5,000 advance.

Then, out of the blue a new phone bidder hit the lot at $690,000 and brought

the action back to life. Back and forth between the two telephone bidders, the

price moved methodically in $10,000 increments up to $850,000, where the bid

was jumped for a final time to selling price of $900,000. With premium, the

selling price was $992,500.

Other top Stievelman lamps included a Tiffany "Dragonfly" at $332,500 and a

"Peony" lamp at $222,500.

Other items of interest included two Galle lamps selling at $178,500 each. The

first was a mold-blown, overlaid and etched glass table lamp in the

"Rhododendron" pattern, and the second was an overlaid and etched glass table

lamp in the "Peony" pattern.

A highly important and extremely rare Galle floor lamp with overlaid and

etched dome shade supported by a glass and wrought-iron flora-form base,

estimated at $250/350,000, failed to meet reserves.

Once a mecca for an abundance of important Arts and Crafts furnishings,

Christie's has pared the offering down a mere 25 lots. The short and sweet

Arts and Crafts session saw the spotlight fall on a Dirk Van Erp hammered

copper lamp with conical mica shade, marked with the windmill stamp and Dirk

Van Erp within a broken box. The lamp, estimated at $40/60,000, was actively

bid by two telephone bidders who pushed the lot to $156,500. Furniture was

highlighted by a Gustav Stickley drop-front desk with keyed tenons that more

than doubled estimates selling at $51,750. A Gustav Stickley plant stand with

Grueby tile top surpassed the $10/15,000 estimate realizing $41,990.

Prices include the buyer's premium charged. For information, contact

Christie's, 502 Park Avenue, New York City 10022. Call 212/546-1000.