Two Lesser-Knowns Take Center Stage At Rago's Sale

Elizabeth Burton and Charles Rohlfs.

Not exactly household names in America, but they will have a lot of people talking after this Saturday's Arts & Crafts auction at the Rago Arts and Auction Center in Lambertville, N.J.

A monumental 27" table lamp in copper and abalone shell by the California metalsmith Elizabeth Burton comes into the sale with a pre-sale estimate of $50,000-$70,000. Working in Santa Barbara, Elizabeth Burton is noted for her rare and unique combinations of hammered, folded, twisted and pierced copper bases and abalone shell shades. A smaller Burton table lamp sold at the Grove Park Inn Arts & Crafts Show last February for $23,000.

Buffalo furniture maker and master woodcarver Charles Rohlfs, who gave up playing Hamlet to get serious about Arts & Crafts, has one of his best-known and finest examples as lot #270 in this sale. Model #500, an oak dropfront desk, features strong Art Nouveau influences, intricate piercings and carvings, flame finials, a pivoting base and a pre-sale estimate of $35,000-$55,000.

David Rago is noted for always bringing excellent examples of George Ohr pottery to the market and this sale is no exception. Opening the American Decorative Arts portion of Saturday's auction is lot #117, a 7" bulbous urn with two scrolled handles beneath a "mottled raspberry and gun-metal glaze." Signed and in perfect condition, it is estimated to sell at $10,000-$15,000.

Along with an outstanding selection of Van Briggle, Grueby, Newcomb and Fulper art pottery, this sale also highlights one of the finest pieces of Teco to come to the market this year. A rare and unusual four-footed bulbous vase standing 12" tall with four pierced buttresses encircling the rim is estimated to sell in the $18,000-$22,000 range. Indicative of its importance, perhaps, this piece was stamped with the Teco shopmark on the bottom of all four feet.

Three Greene & Greene cedar light fixtures (range $7,000-$15,000) from the 1907 Blacker House in Pasadena, along with two Dirk Van Erp copper and mica table lamps (est. $6,000-$20,000), are also included in Saturday's sale.

Furniture from the Craftsman Workshops of Gustav Stickley includes an 8-legged sideboard ($8,000-$12,000), your choice of three bow-arm Morris chairs ($4,500-$12,000), a 72" director's dining table ($9,000-$14,000) and a two-door bookcase with keyed tenons ($6,500-$9,500).

In addition, the sale will also feature furniture from Charles Limbert, L. & J. G. Stickley, J. M. Young and the Roycrofters.

To see the online catalog, please go to http://www,ragoarts.com.

Sales results will appear here on June 14th.

- Bruce Johnson