RAGO DEBUTS 20TH C. DESIGN WEEKEND WITH MODERN AND EARLY 20TH C. PROPERTY NOT SEEN ON THE MARKET IN Extraordinary private collections, exceptional individual pieces and conservative estimates promise to attract serious competition.
Lambertville, NJ Rago Arts and Auction Center begins 2010 with
the artist from 1981, estimated at $11,000-14,000, is one of the stars of the Modern ceramics. Rago’s also has its usual fine selection of Claude Conover, including lot 644, a glazed ceramic garden stool estimated at $5,000-7,000; lot 650, a rare and early Toshiko Takaezu stoneware double spout bottle, estimated at $3,500-4,500: a selection of Scheier that includes lot 635, an early lamp base, estimated at $3,000-5000, as well as vases and vessels, chargers and platters; a Richard Devore vessel estimated at $3,000-5,000 and bowl estimated at $2,500-3,000; a charger and chalice by Beatrice Wood; and work by Peter Voulkos, Peter Shire, Ralph Bacerra, Viola Frey, Jean Mayadon, David Gilhooly, Val Cushing, Ruth Duckworth, Ken Ferguson, Karen Karnes, Gerry Williams, Russel Wright, Bernt Friberg, Hui Ka Kwong, Chris Gustin, Otto Heino, Stephen Merritt, Barbini, Natzler, Jack Earl, Lydia Buzio, Walter Bosse, Pillin and Rorstrand.
There is great variety in the Modern glass portion of the sale, with contemporary work by John Lewis, here with lot 684, a sculpture estimated at $4,500-6,500; an internally decorated cased glass vase by Joel Phillip Myers, estimated at $2,750-3,750; lot 835, a Fratelli Toso Cattedrale glass vase with square murrines, estimated at $4,000-6,000; lot 683, ''Golden Ascension'', a glass bottle by Michael M. Glancy, estimated at $3,000-5,000; lot 681, a large glass pillow vase from the Stonehenge series by William Morris, estimated at $4,000-6,000; lot 570, Mary Ann “Toots” Zynsky’s fused glass bowl in polychrome, estimated at $4,000-6,000;lot 765, Eva Englund’s Graal glass vase “Adam and Eve”, estimated at $3,000-4,000; and lot 840, a large contemporary sculpture by Romano Dona, estimated at $3,250-4,250. Other glass artists featured are Anzolo Fuga, Ann Harakawa, Anna Matouskova, Dale Chihuly, Edwin Ohrstrom, Frederick Kahl, Lino Tagliapietra, Massimi Micheluzzi, Richard Royal, Tsuchida Yasuhiko and Carolos Nason.
The silver and metal works in the sale runs the gamut: the brute strength of lot 594, an Albert Paley fireplace hood for $7,000 -10,000; lot 770, a thrilling parcel-gilt hammered copper ribbed vase by Josef Hoffman, estimated at $16,000-23,000; lot 901, a delicate Buccellati 800 silver hinged box with amethyst and carnelian, estimated at $3,000-5,000. In between are more metal from Paley, fireplace tools from Deskey and Albrizzi, tableware from the Adie Brothers, Bulgari, Ettore Sottsass, Swid Powell, and Jens Quisgaard, brass and copper tabletop and wall art from Chase, Curtis Jere, Sila Seandel, Paul Evans, Franz Hagenauer, Marianne Brandt and Heyno Focken.
Jewelry includes a lot 588, a gold necklace by George Rickey, estimated at $12,000-16,000; lot 593, a copper and glass bead necklace from Albert Paley, estimated at $6,000-8,000, lot 583, a glass and copper pendant by Claire Falkenstein and more.
Among the textile are vibrant maguey fiber Calder tapestries, tapestries by Claude Stahly and Ruth Reeves and rugs by Pierre Cardin and Raymond Loewy.
There is also turned wood by Bob Stockdale, John Sage, Mark and Melvin Lindquist and fine art, including woodblock prints by Esherick, a Calder lithograph, sculpture by Curtis Jere, Ronal Westerhuif, Aronel de Roy Gruber, Jay
