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Current Auctions & Results
THE LEBERFELD MAJOLICA COLLECTION AUCTION
Once again Strawser Auctions offers another fine Majolica collection for sale to include 89 lots of Wedgwood. It begins online on October 12th. For complete list, visit:
Members will receive the ZOOM link a week prior to the meeting. If you are not a WSB member and would like to join, click onto the Become a Member tab above.
Three Great Wedgwood Auctions at Bonhams Skinner This Fall
The three major collections and more (currently up to 300 Wedgwood lots) will be sold via a timed online auction on October 7th starting at 1 p.m. EDT. Previews by appointment will be available from September 30th through October 4th.
The sale is comprised of the collections of Myra Karp (Seattle, Washington), Gary Kidwell (northern California) and David Clippert (Arkansas). For information and to schedule a preview,
contact: [email protected] | phone: 1-508-970-3278
Look for full listing soon at: https://skinner.bonhams.com/
July brought Major Wedgwood to Bonhams Skinner
It has been a while since Boston area auction house Bonhams Skinner offered significant Wedgwood collections. The two-day bonanza was an online only event (not live and certainly no longer in-person). The July 10th sale featured among its decorative arts array, about 50 lots of Wedgwood from the Richard Cohen collection, comprised of mostly the unusual category of gilt and bronzed black basalt. Many of us remember Richard from the days of in-person Skinner Boston gallery sales where he focused almost exclusively on said category.
On the 11th, bidders were treated to the Stanley Goldfein collection consisting of nearly 500 lots of Wedgwood from primarily the 18th century. A native of New York city, Stanley recently passed away at the age of 100. Among his important wares, were an abundance of medallions – thousands offered in this sale, mostly in large box lots.
One may view the full results (all prices include the 28% buyer’s premium) at: https://www.bonhams.com/auction/30236/european-decor-and-design-featuring-the-twinight-collection/
and https://www.bonhams.com/auction/30237/the-stanley-goldfein-collection-of-wedgwood-and-related-wares/
Note that once the sale is closed one can no longer enter a keyword (such as Wedgwood or lot #); one must scroll through the entire catalogue to find what one seeks.
Here are a few highlights:
- Pegasus Vase, Gilt & Bronzed Basalt, 2001: $2048
- Vestal Oil Lamp, Gilt & Bronzed Basalt, c2000: $3584
- Vase, Auro Basalt, c1885: $512
- 3-pc Tea Set, Brown Terracotta, c1810: $640
- Bust of Prior, Basalt, W&B c1775: $896
- Fishtail Vase, Variegated Q.W. W&B c1775: $7,680
- Pr. Cassolettes, Basalt, late 18th c: $896
- Plaque, Encaustic Basalt, late 18th c: $5376
- 7 Portrait Medallions, Basalt, late 18th c, upper & lower case mark: $256
- Bulb Root Pot, Basalt, late 18th c: $409
- Altar Potpourri Bulb Pot, Brown Slip Terracotta, late 18th c: $128
- Jug, Caneware, late 18th c: $102
- Jelly Mold, Pearlware, late 18th c: $3328
- 10 Medallions, Mounted, Blue Jasper, late 18th c: $5376
- Pegasus Vase, Green Jasper, 19th c: $8320
- 531 Intaglios, c1775-85: $23,040
Goldfein Wedgwood Sale at Dreweatts Recap
A portion of the Stanley Goldfein Collection, that included 81 lots of Wedgwood, was sold June 27th at Dreweatts in Berkshire, England. While the inventory was primarily Wedgwood & Bentley / 18th century period, the hammer prices fell far below the estimates on about 85% of the lots. Was it a factor of over-zealous expectations? Some prices realized seemed reasonable while others, a bargain.
The few lots that did exceed included four Portland Vases hammering between 10,000 and 15,000 GBP; an original Catherine the Great Frog Service plate (with crack) at 13,000 GBP; and a basalt bust of Grotius at 9,500 GBP. Prices do not include the 26% buyers’ premium. To view all the results visit: https://www.dreweatts.com/auctions/the-stanley-f-goldfein-collection-important-english-ceramics-14741/
It shall be interesting to observe how the other 500 lots from the Goldfein collection, being offered at Bonhams Skinner on July 11th, will fare.
“All The Variety and Perfection”: Rubins Part III Wedgwood Auction Highlights
This part-three sale offered quite an eclectic mix of objects – mostly Wedgwood, but other makers as well. Freeman’s Auctions presented 306 lots on January 25, 2024, and in this sale the vast majority of objects realized hammer prices below estimates.
This part-three sale offered quite an eclectic mix of objects – mostly Wedgwood, but other makers as well. Freeman’s Auctions presented 306 lots on January 25, 2024, and in this sale the vast majority of objects realized hammer prices below estimates.
Below are some highlights and the prices shown include the 26% buyer’s premium.
- -Encaustic Basalt 4-pc Tea Set: 1783: $693
- -Light Blue Jasper Inkstand: c1785,6 1/8” w: $630
- -Queen’s Ware Centerpiece:1879,12 3/4” h: $504
- -Majolica Water & Wine Ewers: c1870, 16 ¾” h: $945
- -Alfred Powell Earthenware Bowl:1914,14 1/4” dia: $6300
- -Bone China Great Sale of USA Plate: c1900; 10” dia: $819
- -Saxon Blue Jasper First Day’s vase: 2009,11 ¼” h: $1638
- -Fairyland Lustre Nizami Box: c1920, 5” dia: $2520
To views the entire auction results visit: https://www.freemansauction.com/auctions/wedgwood-and-european-ceramics-1796
Upcoming Exhibitions & Reviews
None to show at the moment.
Antiques Shows
Summer Antiques Shows:
- Dover Antiques Show: July 20; Elks Lodge, Dover, NH
- Camden Rockport Antiques Show: July 20 & 21n Rec Center, Camden, ME
- New London Antiques Show: July 27; Historical Society, New London, NH
- CCADA Antiques Show: August 3; Middle School, Orleans, MA
- Deerfield Antiques Show: August 5; Fairgrounds, Deerfield, NH
- Mashpee Antiques Show: August 10; Commons Grounds, Mashpee, MA
- Osterville Antiques Show: August 14; Cape cod Academy, Osterville, MA
Brimfield Flea Market:
Collectors in the general New England area are likely familiar with the Brimfield Flea Market. The massive event takes place over a 6-day stretch every May, July, and September, with about 2000 dealers offering everything imaginable to an estimated 50,000 attendees flooding Brimfield, Massachusetts. The dates for this Brimfield, Massachusetts, antiques and collectibles extravaganza in 2024 are: May 14-19; July 9-14; and September 3-8. Visit the website at: http://brimfieldantiquefleamarket.com/
Current Publications
Wedgwood: Craft & Design
Looking back at key moments in Wedgwood’s design history, this book, written by Catrin Jones, curator of the V&A Wedgwood Collection, celebrates the manufacturer’s visual power and great design from its founding in 1759 to the present day. It highlights the internationally renowned V&A Wedgwood Collection containing around 80,000 objects. Published by Thames & Hudson, it will be available May 2023 via most book sources: $19.95
Beyond Wedgwood Blue
The Ruthmere Museum in Indiana held an exhibition, “Beyond Wedgwood Blue”. Now available is a catalogue that features highlights of the exhibit and the history of Wedgwood. Visit: http://ruthmere.wildapricot.org/Exhibit-Catalogues
Newsworthy Bits & Bytes
Robert Hamilton Wedgwood (1948-2024)
The Wedgwood community mourns the death of Robert H. Wedgwood, 75, of Palm Springs, California, on February 7, 2024. Bob served as president of the Wedgwood Society of Southern California for many years, was on the boards of the WIS and WSNY, and a long-time member of the WSB and other related societies. He also acted as an advisor to the Wedgwood 250th exhibition in DC. His collecting focused on Wedgwood’s handcrafted wares and artists pieces of the 19th and 20th centuries. Among his many lectures was one on his Wedgwood ancestry from the 15th century. Bob was a retiree of the IRS’s business division in California. He is a native of Andover, Massachusetts, and has strong roots in New England. He is survived by his sister Dawn Forbes of MA and his twin brother William of NH. Bob will be cremated and his ashes interred in the family plot in Connecticut at a later date. RIP.
The loss of a Wedgwood legend
The Wedgwood Society of Boston is saddened to learn of the death of member Suzanne Borow Rubin on May 24, 2023. Our heartfelt condolences go out to her husband Ellis and family. We will miss her, dearly. You can read the full obituary here.
Remembering a friend: Dorothy-Lee Jones Ward
We are most saddened to learn of the death of Dorothy-Lee Jones Ward (January 11, 1927 – August 4, 2022), of Sebago Lake, Maine, and Wellesley, Mass. A WSB past president as well as that of WIS, she was a most gracious lady and Wedgwood legend, serving as mentor to many of us. Her love and expertise was also in the field of glass, as an antiques dealer, and later the founder of the Jones Museum of Glass and Ceramics in Maine. You may find the complete obituary here. A memorial service will be held at Doherty’s Funeral Home, 477 Washington St., Wellesley, Mass., on Thursday, September 22, 2022 at 1 pm.
Members’ Choices
Submitted by Peggy Kerner
I love this piece in my collection because it is so unusual. It is called a “Bouquetière” which is a fancy word from the French for flower pot. They are usually oval or round in shape, have a pierced lid to hold flower stems or branches, and were made in the late 18th to early 19th century. Mine is made of white terracotta biscuit covered with matte black slip and glazed inside to prevent staining. It is 8 1/2 inches high and 11 inches wide and dates to 1785. It was originally in the Oxborrow collection, and a similar example is in the Beeson Collection at the Birmingham Museum of Art.
Submitted by Ron Frazier
Spotted by my son Forrest many years ago and knowing it was Wedgwood, he scooped the piece up. This Imari (Japanese) style 9” Vase is in a Pearl Ware body and has a production date-code of 1886. Imari style is based largely on two colors, a dark underglaze blue and a dark red, and is a crowded design. Along with other patterns of stylized floral shapes, the Imari range became popular in England during the early 19th Century and appears in various renditions (usually described as Japan Patterns) on Wedgwood’s Queen’s Ware, bone china, and whiteware, as well as pearlware. Japanese designs became popular after the international exhibitions in London in 1862 and Paris in 1889.