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Samantha's Picks
Samantha Robinson | Vice President, Design, Chicago
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This Tiffany Studios Peony table lamp includes an early example of the shade model, evidenced by the inclusion of a dash and additional number on the tag and the use of nearly transparent glass suitable for turn-of-the-century bulbs. I find the glass selection, in particular the wide range of pinks – from apricot to bubblegum to fuchsia - and the pale green confetti glass, to be breathtaking and best experienced in person. The shade rests on a well-matched cushion base. This lamp, which is fresh to market from a private Midwestern collection, is one of several Tiffany Studios table lamps presented in this auction, so it’s in good company.
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The majority of the French Art Glass – Galle, Daum, Schneider, and Lalique – in this auction is drawn from the collection of late collector Rex Rush. Rex was a knowledgeable and passionate collector with exquisite taste and exacting standards related to condition. Rex recently passed away, and we are honored to work with his family to bring his treasured collection to market. Rex purchased this stunning Galle Painted Daisy vase from one of our auctions in 2020, and I suspect that he and I spoke about its condition ahead of the auction, as we often did. It is a full circle moment, and we look forward to connecting it to its next steward.
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René Lalique began creating jewelry in the 1880s, initially designing for prestigious Parisian houses such as Cartier and Boucheron before establishing his own atelier around 1888. His work quickly stood out because he redefined what jewelry could represent—shifting focus from the intrinsic value of gemstones to the artistic expression of the piece itself. This pendant, which can also be worn as a brooch, demonstrates Lalique’s design philosophy and preferred motifs and techniques. The pendant includes a female figure, likely Mary, depicted in profile in a quiet, pensive pose, rendered in enamel on gold.
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Nicholas' Picks
Nicholas Dawes | Senior Vice President, Special Collections, New York
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With a close look at these (use the image enlargement tool on our website), René Lalique’s extraordinary and superb talent as a sculptor of the female form becomes evident, even in a simple plate designed for table use. His equally superb exploitation of opalescence brings the swirling sirens to life. One of these plates is a prize for most collectors, but a set of six presents a rare and exceptional opportunity.
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I know I am supposed to pick some higher value lots for this spot but cannot resist highlighting this exquisite bowl. In Rene Lalique’s range of inter-war colors, ‘mint green’, a pale green opalescent glass, is my favorite. It was used sparingly, often on bowls and perhaps never more successfully than on this model, among the first produced by Lalique at his ‘new factory’ in Alsace which opened in 1921. The mistletoe berries glow with an appeal normally reserved for confectionary and are perhaps the most lifelike renditions ever created of this enigmatic plant. A big thank you to our Photography staff for this beautiful image.
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I am drawn to French photographs of the inter-war years, especially those capturing the spirit of what we now know as ‘Art Deco’. This exquisite and exotic bronze by Demetre Chiparus captures that spirit in three dimensions, as if the dancer was frozen in time from her stage appearance at the ‘Folies Bergere’ or the Moulin Rouge’ a century ago. This is an excellent example in every respect, including size, colors and overall superficial condition. If you want to be transported to Paris in 1925, here is your vehicle. You will never tire of her, and she will never grow old.
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Michael's Picks
Michael Hartman | Director, Modern Design, New York
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This pair of silvered wrought iron panels by Edgar Brandt are a fantastic example not only of the famed designer’s metalwork, but 1920s French Art Déco more broadly. One panel frames a wedge of geese, angled as if in attack; the other egrets in various Muybridge-like stages of flight In both, a mountainous coastline is surmounted by swirling skies, the clouds abstracted into ornament emblematic for the period. Brandt himself clearly thought highly of this pair of designs—they appear in his display at the 1925 Paris Exposition from which Art Déco received its name, as the side panels of a table. The designs appear again a year later, on another table base in his Paris gallery. A half decade is an eternity in modern design, but in the early thirties Brandt
was still smitten, using this panel design in several full-page print advertisements.
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If you were renovating your apartment or hôtel particulier
in early 1930s Paris, the pinnacle of luxury was having one of the city’s famous decorators conceive a fully integrated design program for you. Though only thirty years old in 1931, Marc du Plantier had already established himself as a leading decorator for elite private clients in need of such services. Having studied painting and architecture, du Plantier became known for his luxurious interiors and classically influenced furniture that was both imposing and precisely crafted. With its strong massing, fine polished surfaces, and custom brass and glass hardware, this sideboard exemplifies du Plantier’s sense of scale and theatricality, and his delight in refining even the smallest design elements.
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In operation from 1894 to 1900, the Salon des Cent was a continuously running art exhibition space in Paris that brought together the most important Art Nouveau poster artists of the Belle Époque. The brainchild of Léon Deschamps (publisher of the avant-garde magazine La Plume),
the Salon commissioned posters by some of its most important exhibiting artists, including Eugène Grasset, Georges de Feure, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, and Alphonse Mucha. In Mucha’s poster here, we have all his classic iconography: a symbolic figure’s majestically spiraled hair framing her expression of pleasure and contentment; her holding the tools of artistic production, as if they were arrows in her quiver; and the cascade of six-pointed stars that appear throughout his body of work.
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Christianne's Picks
Christianne Teague | Consignment Director, Design & Decorative Arts, Beverly Hills
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Drawing inspiration from the peacock—a beloved Art Nouveau motif and personal favorite of Louis Comfort Tiffany—the shade features an all-over motif of stylized feathers in vibrant apple green transitioning to deeper green hues variegated with warm ochre along the upper and lower border. The iridescent aubergine eyes are particularly striking against the surrounding bands of cerulean and red amber and the undulating form of the base pairs nicely with the flowing lines of the shade. A naturalistic and visually rich example of a well-loved pattern.
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I find this Dunhill Aquarium lighter so delightfully charming-a perfect marriage of mid-century smoking culture, innovative materials, and craftsmanship. Produced during the 1950s, the Aquarium lighter featured panels of Lucite, each with a hand-carved and hand-painted scene. Decoration often included delicately rendered fish, aquatic plants, and rippling water effects, giving the impression of a tiny, living ecosystem (hence, ‘Aquarium’). While very much a product of its time, reflecting the era’s fascination with both luxury and novelty, the Aquarium lighter is a miniature work of art that continues to charm distinguished collectors and design enthusiasts alike.
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Elinor's Pick
Elinor Chalmers | Cataloguer, Decorative Arts, Dallas
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These exceptional Tiffany Studios lamp screens are rare and eye-catching accessories designed to complement the iconic stained-glass lamps. This Dragonfly displays the meticulous craftsmanship and attention to detail that define Tiffany's work, from the finely rendered wings to the iridescent Favrile glass eyes that bring the piece to life when illuminated. Louis Comfort Tiffany had a similar Dragonfly screen hanging from a Turtle-Back shade in the living room of his Long Island estate, Laurelton Hall—and a fine example of a Turtle-Back lamp is also featured in this auction.
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Ben's Pick
Ben Windsor | Cataloguer, Decorative Arts, Dallas
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I enjoy how the soft details of the Pairpoint Puffy shades take on such a unique, dream-like quality when lit, as if they’ve been lifted straight from the background of a painting. The gentle glow creates a warm, painterly atmosphere that feels both nostalgic and serene.
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Aaron's Pick
Aaron Crosett | Consignment Coordinator, Fine & Decorative Arts, Dallas
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Not all cocktail cabinets are created equal, and this is no exception. If it were just for furnishing, it would be enough, but this piece comes with a secret. The juxtaposition of hardwood on the outside, and the sophistication and elegance of glass and personality on the inside, creates a fun and exciting piece that will be the talk at any dinner party.
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Samantha Robinson
Vice President,
Design,
Chicago
SamanthaR@HA.com
(312) 260-7233
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Nicholas Dawes
Senior Vice President,
Special Collections,
New York
NickD@HA.com
(212) 486-3512
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Michael Hartman
Director,
Modern Design,
New York
MHartman@HA.com
(212) 486-2492
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Christianne Teague
Consignment Director,
Design & Decorative Arts,
Beverly Hills
ChristianneT@HA.com
(214) 409-1932
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Elinor Chalmers
Cataloguer,
Decorative Arts,
Dallas
ElinorC@HA.com
(214) 409-1276
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Ben Windsor
Cataloguer,
Decorative Arts,
Dallas
BenW@HA.com
(214) 409-1142
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Aaron Crosett
Consignment Coordinator,
Fine & Decorative Arts,
Dallas
AaronC@HA.com
(214) 528-3500
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