By Susan Emerson Nutter CINCINNATI — Humler & Nolan’s Holiday 2019 Auction was a pottery and art glass lover’s playground. With almost 1,500 lots from which to choose, there was surely something in the sale to spark interest. Though Auction Director and Art Pottery specialist, Riley Humler feels the art pottery market is still soft, it is also a perfect time to buy, and that’s what a plethora of collectors did. Humler & Nolan divides the amount of material for sale into three categories and there were stellar examples in each. The auction began with the Keramics portion where everything from Weller and Roseville to Newcomb and Van Briggle pottery pieces were presented for bids. “We had some fantastic, very special pieces of Weller; items that just do not come on the market that often, and for whatever reason, Weller continues to be very soft,” Humler said. “Many collectors got wonderful pieces for very reasonable prices.” With that said, there were several Weller items that surpassed their estimates. The top Weller lot of the day was a Weller duck garden ornament incised “Weller Pottery” on the base. Standing 9 1/8 inches high and being 12 ½ inches long, this figural sold for $3,600 (est. $900-$1,200). Prices do not include the buyer’s premium. A Weller Hudson scenic vase featuring two white peacocks standing in a garden; the work of artist Hester Pillsbury sold for $2,200 (est. $1,500-$2,000), and a Weller Rhead faience scenic vase with fruit bearing trees actually signed by Rhead also brought $2,200 (est. $1,000-$1,500). The top art pottery piece sold during the Keramics portion of this two-day event was the George Ohr tortured pitcher with an unusual fleur-de-lis shape body and cut-out handle that wore a semi-gloss glaze of mustard yellow and a sponge on of raspberry red. Then the interior of the piece had a wash of green over mustard. Impressed “Geo. E. Ohr, Biloxi, Miss.” beneath, this pitcher realized $11,000 far outstripping its $1,500 to $2,000 estimate. “Ohr stuff is just going crazy right now,” Humler said. “This pitcher had great color and form, so it didn’t surprise me collectors wanted it. This also came from my dear friend, Elizabeth Rudisill’s collection. She had a marvelous eye and bought only the best. We will be selling more of her things this coming June of 2020.” An early high glaze Newcomb College scenic vase with tall pine trees; again from the Elizabeth Rudisill collection, also did well coming in at $9,250. Carved and painted by Marie de Hoa LeBlanc in 1909, the 12¼ inch tall vase was impressed with the Newcomb College logo and potter Joseph Meyer’s monogram. During the Art Glass portion of this event, a massive (13 5/8 inches high and 13 ½ inches wide) Muller Freres Egyptian scenic vase featuring two Arabic men in conversation and a woman seated nearby realized $9,250. Also included in the scene were palm trees, a Mosque and pyramids. A Steuben acid cut vase in blue Aurene over yellow Jade revealing a dragon drifting through clouds and lightening sold for $7,500 and the always desirable Tiffany made a showing with an impressive Tiffany Studios bronze six-arm Artichoke parlor lamp with Tiffany shades coming in a tad below estimate at $12,000. And then there was the Rookwood. Humler & Nolan continue to be known for bringing some of the best examples of Rookwood to the masses and this held true for this auction. Again, pieces from the Elizabeth Rudisill Collection were the most noteworthy. A two-handle Rookwood Standard glaze vase done by Grace Young in 1900 featuring a beautifully rendered Native American woman holding her baby wrapped in a woven checkerboard pattern blanket was bid to $13,500. “Elizabeth had a passion for Native American portraiture Rookwood,” Humler noted, pointing to another Grace Young example with this Standard glaze vase from her collection. Featuring a portrait of a Sioux warrior; Kills Alone, this vase made $8,750. The cover lot of the sale’s catalog; the impressive and sizable at 17 7/8 inches tall, French Red vase with incised and painted tulip decoration done in both mat and gloss glazes by Sara Sax in 1921 soldfor $10,000. And one piece of Rookwood that sold with a great story was the large (9 3/8 inch tall) Rook figural in a black mat glaze with tiny silver micro-crystals. Done in 1922, this big bird brought $9,000. Humler said, “A gentleman contacted me about several pieces of Rookwood he wanted to consign. As we talked about what was actually his brother’s collection, he made reference to the fact that his brother had given his daughter a ’bird’ figure which turned out to be this Rook. It was the best piece from the collection, and the daughter was very happy with its selling price.” Contact: (513) 381-2041, www.humlernolan.com |