Aestheticism Brings $1 Million For Stair

Leading the sale after soaring beyond its $10/15,000 estimate was Lockwood de Forest’s Ahmedabad Wood Carving Co., Indian teakwood model of the windows in Sidi Saiyyad’s mosque at Ahmedabad, India. Measuring 6 feet 7½ inches high by 10 feet 5 inches wide, the window was bid to $224,000.

Review by Carly Timpson

HUDSON, N.Y. — Stair’s Design From 1860 to 1910 auction on September 26 focused on fine furniture and decorative arts from that period. Included among the 374 lots offered were Aesthetic Movement items from the collection of Barry R. Harwood (1947-2018), curator of decorative arts at the Brooklyn Museum (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and adjunct professor at the Cooper-Hewitt Museum/Parsons School of Design’s master’s program in the history of decorative arts. Also included was a selection of furniture, decorations and books from the collection of Ann and Gordon Getty. In total, the sale boasted a 98 percent sell-through rate and exceeded its estimates to realize $1,002,688.

Muffie Cunningham, Stair’s director of decorative arts, noted a few factors that contributed to the sale’s success: “very good material all in one place; many retail bidders who were collecting for or furnishing places, houses and apartments; and the beginning of the sale was Barry Harwood’s collection. He was liked by many people and there was some sentimentality to that — they wanted a memento, or they just liked his eye.”

The top lot of the day was an intricately carved teakwood tracery, or decorative window arch, made by Lockwood de Forest (American, 1850-1932) and the Ahmedabad Wood Carving Company, India, after the stone examples at Sidi Saiyyed Mosque in Ahmedabad, India (built 1500 CE). From the collection of Ann and Gordon Getty, the pierced semi-circle panel was bid to $224,000. Cunningham commented, “The teak window was a spectacular piece — before it turned up at Stair its whereabouts were unknown. Anything by Lockwood de Forest is interesting, maybe it’s esoteric, but the people who like it and know it are dedicated to it, and museums like to have it in their collections. This example was owned by de Forest and was one of the first pieces he had made in India. And it didn’t hurt that it was owned by Ann Getty. It went to a private collector but also had some institutional interest. You don’t often see Lockwood de Forest’s works and we had three pieces in this sale.”

Designed by Lockwood de Forest and produced by the Ahmedabad Wood Carving Co., this carved teak armchair, 45½ by 26¼ inches, was bid to $11,250 ($6/8,000).

Other carved teak works by de Forest included an armchair and a fire screen. The carved armchair, designed by de Forest and produced by the Ahmedabad Wood Carving Co., was upholstered in a light gray linen and was cataloged as being “in good condition with very little wear and nicks” and impressive in scale. It sold to a New York buyer for $11,250. The other piece, a carved teak and beveled glass double-sided fire screen, was attributed to de Forest and Louis Comfort Tiffany (American, 1848-1933). Measuring 41½ inches high by 39 inches long, the screen was intricately carved with foliate details on elephant mask feet. Also selling to a New York buyer, the fire screen brought $10,880 against an estimate of $3/5,000.

Founded in New York City by German immigrants Gustave and Christian Herter, the Herter Brothers company was active from 1864 through 1906. And, as Cunningham stated simply, “Herter Brothers performed very well in the sale.” Achieving the most impressive price for a Herter Brothers lot — $46,080 — was a carved walnut library table. The table, which was 5 feet long by 3 feet wide, had floral marquetry side panels, made with various woods and was fitted with a baize-lined writing surface. Branded “Herter Bro’s” twice, the table sold to a Newport, R.I., buyer.

The next three lots in price were also Herter Brothers pieces. Selling to a New York buyer for $44,800 was a maple folio cabinet, also with marquetry details in various woods. Each of the nine shelves were lined with maroon baize, as was the top surface. This piece was stamped with the Herter Brothers mark. Following at $25,600, an ebonized burlwood parlor cabinet with various wood marquetry detailing. The catalog noted that a related cabinet, dated circa 1872, is in the collection of the Brooklyn Museum. The center section, behind glass, was fitted with one shelf and the two side compartments did not have shelving. The cabinet was of “fine quality and structurally sound” and sold with its key. A Connecticut buyer scored an ebonized and parcel-gilt cabinet, with “beautifully inlaid” marquetry details, for $24,320, despite the catalog noting that the doors were locked and lacked a key.

Achieving $44,800 was this Herter Brothers Aesthetic Movement maple marquetry folio cabinet, which had nine baize lined shelves and measured nearly 4½ feet high by 42½ inches wide by 29 inches deep ($7/10,000).

An unmarked Aesthetic Movement rosewood library table had all the necessary carved details and marquetry inlays for Stair to catalog it as being “possibly by Herter Brothers.” Fitted with an inset leather top and opposing drawers, the table went out to a Connecticut buyer for $17,280.

The New York City firm Herts Brothers (1872-1937) was also represented in this sale. Leading the selection was a satinwood octagonal center table. Cunningham noted that this table got a lot of interest, saying that it was a “rare, signed item that was very good looking and appealed to a variety of bidders.” Branded “Herts Brothers Broadway & 20 St NY,” the 39½-inch-wide octagonal table brought $19,200.

With a high estimate of just $800, a silver gilt and parcel-gilt mirror stunned Stair’s expectations, ultimately selling for $17,080. “That was the surprise of the sale. It had so much interest and the bidders seemingly just had to have it! It was an unusual item, and it was a record price for something like that. Two very dedicated, interested parties were fighting to get it and the one from New York prevailed,” Cunningham said of the mirror. With a beveled mirror plate, the Aesthetic Movement piece came from the collection of Barry R. Harwood and his husband, Joseph V. Garry.

“The surprise of the sale” was this Aesthetic Movement silver gilt and parcel gilt mirror, 4 feet 2¼ inches by 27¼ inches; it was bid well beyond its $600/800 estimate to achieve $17,080.

Also from the Harwood and Garry collection was a metal stand by Charles Parker (1832-1957). The mixed metal stand was double-sided with panels depicting birds and flora against a green velvet background that matched the green velvet top surface. Cataloged as being “exceptional quality,” and “beautifully restored,” per Cunningham, the stand went to a New York state collector for $12,160.

Once included in an exhibition on George A. Schastey & Co., at New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, a carved rosewood three-panel dressing screen, attributed to George A. Schastey & Co., made $12,800. The primary side of each of the three panels was detailed with hand-painted flowers and other plants.

For final thoughts, Cunningham added, “Regarding this furniture — even the ebonized Aesthetic pieces: there seems to be a kind of resurgence in the style and that was reflected in the sale. People were mentioning they hadn’t had this much quality in one place in a long time. And there were people in person in the gallery during this sale and that doesn’t happen so much anymore!”

Prices quoted include the buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. Stair will be auctioning jewelry on October 23 and fine and decorative arts on October 24. For information, www.stairgalleries.com or 518-751-1000.