Treadway-Toomey Galleries’ 20th Century Art & Design Auction Sets Record for Karl Schmidt Painting In a surprising twist, a Karl Schmidt triptych estimated at $6,000 to $8,000 stole the show when bidding escalated to achieve $120,000, a record price for this American painter’s work.
10-inch tall tapered form sold for $21,600, triple estimates of $5,000 to $7,000. A Tiffany Studios table lamp with a daffodil shade of leaded glass in an array of vivid yellow, cream and green hues also fetched $21,600 (est. $20,000-$25,000). A large form, 11.5-inch high Rozane Della Robbia vase decorated with nodding daffodils and an intricate cutout design achieved $9,000 ($7,500-$10,000), despite chips on the base. An uncommon Royal Doulton jardinière, a large footed bowl painted with canary-yellow tulips, brought $2,880 ($1,000-$1,500). A green matte-glazed Teco vase by William Dodd in an inventive design of overlapping tulip leaves and blooms sold for $4,200 (est. $4,000-$6,000).
A dozen Teco pottery pieces sold well within or above estimates, including an architectonic vase in a large, tapering four-sided form by Fritz Albert that brought $16,800 (est. $12,000-$17,000). Sleek and skillfully executed, the 14-inch high vessel had four small, open handles at the top and was covered with an exceptional green matte glaze. One of the best buys was a Teco vase by J.K. Cady that sold for $9,000, below estimates of $10,000 to $12,000. The 14.5-inch tall, tapered form featured four curved handles and a good matte green glaze with charcoal highlights.
Vases in arresting shades of red were also in demand. The color ‘red’ has a myriad of variations, connotations and names. And none looks as potent or sounds as imposing as the glaze called ‘sang-de-boeuf.’ (By any other name, would ox blood sound as sweet?) A stunning CKAW (Chelsea Keramic Arts Works) vase in an elegant, tapered shape covered in a gorgeous, multi-toned sang-de-boeuf glaze sold for $2,400 (est. $1,000-$1,500). An exceptional Dedham vase in a large, heavy shouldered form, which was covered in a thick, iridescent sang-de-boeuf glaze, reached $9,000 ($5,000-$7,000). Another intense shade is Tiffany’s red favrile glass, a crimson commodity in short supply. In an impressive size for the color, an 11-inch tall, bulbous shaped vase in Tiffany’s magnificent red favrile glass fetched $9,600 (est. $9,000-$12,000). Then, “Red Chinese Vase,” a painting by Hubert Vos (1855-1935), a Dutchman who specialized in still life with Asian motifs, brought $2,400 (est. $1,500-$2,500).
A pair of Jarvie candlesticks, which were the Beta model in bronze with an exceptional patina and early bobêche, sold for $12,000 (est. $5,000-$7,000).
“Minotaure, Buveur et Femmes,” a circa 1933 etching by Pablo Picasso (1881-1973), which was signed by the famed Spaniard and included a certificate of authenticity from Merrill Chase, reached $13,200 (est. $10,000-$20,000).
An unusual Kayserzinn pewter drinking set with a tray, five very small cups and a whimsical pot shaped much like a graylag goose brought $1,200 ($300-$500). A wild ancestor of barnyard geese, the graylag was the basis for nearly all European goose folklore.
Ever-intriguing verdigris vessels by Charles Clewell, the copper-clad pottery crafter, were coveted. An 11-inch vase in a shouldered form with flaring rim sold for $2,520 (est. $900-$1,200), while a 4.5-inch high squat form vase brought $1,440 ($300 to $400). A bulbous bowl brought $780 (est. $350-$450).
