Oak Park, IL — Toomey & Co. Auctioneers’ December 2 Art & Design sale will feature a rare and important museum quality weed holder by Frank Lloyd Wright. The vase is one of 11 known examples, with others found in the collections of prestigious museums such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, New York) and the British Museum (London, England). The item, circa 1895, is estimated at $100,000-150,000.

A newly discovered Alphonse Mucha oil on canvas will be offered as the first lot in the auction. The painting, depicting an embracing young couple, is a fully worked-out study from a larger composition by Mucha. The larger composition, titled Rusadla, represents a procession scene from a Slavonic spring festival. The two figures in this painting appear in the upper-right-hand corner of Rusadla. “Young Couple from Rusadla” was produced in 1920 and is signed and dated; it is estimated at $100,000-200,000.

The sale also includes nearly 350 items of fine art, decorative arts, furniture, lighting, and more spanning the 19th to 21st centuries, including the Arts & Crafts period to Modern Design and Contemporary Art.

Preview and Bidding with Toomey & Co. Auctioneers

Art & Design on Thursday, December 2 will start at 10:00 a.m. Central Standard Time. The sale will be held at Toomey & Co. Auctioneers, 818 North Boulevard, Oak Park, Illinois and online.

The preview runs weekdays Monday, November 22 through Wednesday, December 1 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (closed Thanksgiving Day).

Those who wish to preview or attend the auction must make an appointment by emailing info@toomeyco.com; virtual preview may also be requested. Clients are required to wear masks on the premises regardless of vaccination status. Bidders may participate by phone (708-383-5234) or leave absentee bids (info@toomeyco.com). The catalog is posted online at toomeyco.com and early registration is recommended. Alternatively, bids may be placed via two real-time, third-party platforms (LiveAuctioneers and Invaluable). 

About Toomey & Co. Auctioneers

Located just west of Chicago in Oak Park, Illinois, Toomey & Co. Auctioneers holds several carefully curated auctions annually with material sourced from six departments: Fine Art, Early 20th Century Design, Modern Design, Fine Furniture & Decorative Arts, Silver & Objects of Vertu, and Fine Jewelry & Timepieces. Recent schedules have presented single-owner and special sales drawn from important estates and private collections.