Christie’s will offer one of the largest single groups of art glass ever offered at auction in its upcoming sale of Magnificent Tiffany: Including Property from the Estate of Jeanne Laverne Dailey on December 17, 2011, at 10am.  This lively collecting category has achieved outstanding results in recent years, fueled by increased demand from collectors for top-quality examples of the distinctive Tiffany style.  The sale will feature two private collections, including more than 100 lots from the Estate of Thomas F. Walker of Green Bay, Wisconsin, and Property from the Estate of Jeanne Laverne Dailey, Ohio, which comprises a dozen Tiffany Studios lamps.

The Tiffany Studios portion of Christie’s Important 20th Century Decorative Art and Design sale in June 2011 realized more than $2.5 million – 128% above the pre-sale estimate – with buyers of this quintessentially American art coming from as far afield as Europe, Asia and the Middle East. The strong presence of Midwestern collectors, as both buyers and sellers, remains one of the most striking hallmarks of the Tiffany market.  In the June 2011 sale, no fewer than 57 lots came from the private collection of one Midwestern couple, and realized a total of more than $1.3 million.  The Midwest will be no less significant at the December 17 Christie’s sale, which will include an astounding 102 lots of art glass and lamps – one of the largest groups ever sold at auction – from a single collector in Wisconsin.

Property from the Estate of Jeanne Laverne Dailey, Ohio

Over a period of 20 years beginning in the early 1970s, Jeanne Laverne Dailey built a superb and varied collection of works by Tiffany Studios. Dailey, an accomplished attorney and devoted mother, was a committed collector and acquired a wide range of objects. Stunning examples of some of the more elaborate Tiffany lamps are offered, displaying the flora of Tiffany’s organically inspired forms, with examples such as the Pond Lily (pictured left), Wisteria and Floral Bouquet (each estimate: $200,000-300,000).

Estate of Thomas F. Walker of Green Bay, Wisconsin

Thomas F. Walker’s ardor for Tiffany art glass is evident in the breadth and beauty of the collection he amassed over a period of twenty years starting in the 1980s. An anesthesiologist by profession and a Captain in the United States Air Force, Dr. Walker also spent much of his life dedicated to helping others through the various charitable organizations he supported. The majority of the sale proceeds from this collection will be given to charity.

The stunning examples of vases and lamps Dr. Walker collected illustrate the widely varying forms and types of glass produced by Tiffany Studios. Among the 102 lots in the collection is a Snowball leaded glass and bronze table lamp, circa 1910, with its domed shade of overlapping leaves and flora that exude a sublime naturalism characteristic of its shape (estimate: $100,000-150,000). Other highlights include a decorated Favrile glass rose water sprinkler vase, circa 1900, (estimate: $10,000 - $15,000), a Floriform Favrile glass vase, circa 1905 (estimate: $15,000-20,000), and a Favrile glass Lava bowl, circa 1900 (estimate: $20,000-30,000).

Public Exhibition:       December 10-16

Auctions:                     December 17, 2011

Magnificent Tiffany: Including Property from the Estate of Jeanne Laverne Dailey ~ 10am

Important 20th Century Decorative Art & Design ~ 2pm