Rookwood and Tiffany Shine at Bonhams' Auction

Philanthropist, activist and avid collector of American art, Rookwood pottery and Tiffany lighting, Nancy M. Daly (1941-2009) was known as one of Los Angeles’ leading advocates working on behalf of neglected and abused children.

Ms. Daly got involved in children’s advocacy in the late 1970s after moving to the West Coast with her first husband, the entertainment executive Robert A. Daly, founding the nonprofit groups United Friends of the Children and Children’s Action Network and forging links between Hollywood and Washington on the issue. She also worked on children’s issues in the administration of Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan, whom she married in 1998 during his second term, and served on the boards of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Los Angeles Opera.

This past Tuesday the auction house of Bonhams & Butterfields held their spring Twentieth Century Decorative Arts auction, which included portions of the Nancy M. Daly collections.

(For those readers unfamiliar with Bonhams & Butterfields, in 2002 the British-based auction house Bonhams purchased the San Francisco-based auction house Butterfields, which for several years had included Arts & Crafts in their auction schedule. Bonhams & Butterfields is now ranked as the third largest auction house in the world.)

The sale opened with nearly 100 examples of art pottery, including one of the finest collections of Rookwood pottery to hit the auction block in recent years. Among the highlights of the sale were the following:

A Rookwood black iris glazed earthenware Poppy vase, decorator Kataro Shirayamadani, 1906. Sold for $23,180 (all prices include the buyer’s premium)

A Rookwood dark iris glazed earthenware Swan vase, decorator Kataro Shirayamadani, 1896. Sold for $10,370.

A Rookwood trial sculpted black iris glazed earthenware Dancer vase, decorator Harriet Elizabeth Wilcox, 1919. Sold for $10,370.

A Rookwood jeweled porcelain glazed earthenware Storks in Evergreens vase, decorator Edward Timothy Hurley, 1922. Sold for $11,590.

A Rookwood tiger eye glazed earthenware Swimming Fish vase, decorator Albert Robert, Valentien, 1900. Sold for $24,400.

A Rookwood dark iris glazed earthenware Iris vase, decorator Carl Schmidt, 1910. Sold for $19,520.

A Rookwood sea green glazed earthenware Fish and Seagull vase, decorator William Purcell McDonald, 1897. Sold for $30,500.

A large Rookwood iris glazed earthenware Storks in Flight vase, decorator Albert Robert Valentien, 1902. Sold for $24,400.

A monumental Rookwood iris glazed earthenware Orchid vase, decorator Carl Schmidt, 1909. Sold for $14,640.

A Rookwood iris glazed earthenware Flamingo vase, decorator Kataro Shirayamadani, 1908. Sold for $15,860.

In addition, the auction also featured a Newcomb Pottery vase ($14,640), a Gustav Stickley dropfront desk, model #729 ($3050), a Gustav Stickley 8-legged sideboard, model #817 ($6100) and several examples from Tiffany Studios, including:

A Tiffany Studios patinated bronze three light Lily lamp 1899-1918. Sold for $6,710.

A Tiffany Studios Favrile glass and bronze Lotus table lamp 1899-1918. Sold for $85,400.

A Tiffany Studios Favrile glass and bronze Harp floor lamp 1899-1918. Sold for $8,540.

A Tiffany Studios Favrile glass and bronze Fleur de Lys lamp 1899-1918, Sold for $12,200.

For complete auction results, please go to www.bonhams.com or click on their display ad on this website.

-bj