GENESEO, N.Y. – Tiffany led the list of top lots at Cottone Auctions’ two-day Spring Fine Art & Antiques Auction held March 23rd and 24th, as a rare Tiffany Studios ‘Bamboo’ leaded glass and bronze floor lamp lit up the room for $241,900 and a fine, vintage Tiffany & Company 5.25-carat diamond ring slipped onto a new finger for $182,900, combining for a staggering $424,800.

They were easily the top achievers in a 576-lot sale that posted an overall gross of $1.9 million. “We had some great items with excellent provenance,” said Matt Cottone of Cottone Auctions. “Participation was strong nationally and internationally. The market continues to be solid for the right merchandise. We try to have carefully curated sales limited to 350 lots or less per day.”

The 'Bamboo' leaded glass and bronze floor lamp on a 'Bamboo' senior base, made circa 1910, featured a shade signed “Tiffany Studios New York”. The ‘Bamboo’ lampshade is one of a handful of models produced by Tiffany Studios that incorporated curved panels of glass, a labor-intensive, time-consuming process in which individual pieces were cut.

After being cut, the pieces were then placed in a kiln and heated until they slumped to conform to the contours of the mold. The ‘Bamboo’ series of lamps was first introduced shortly before the firm's initial price list, published in 1906, then discontinued in 1913, likely due to the time and cost of their production. The lamp sold stands 67 inches tall.

The vintage Tiffany & Company 5.25-carat diamond ring, from an estate in Rochester, N.Y., was set in platinum and came with a flattering GIA report. The round brilliant diamond boasted color E and clarity VS1, and had good cut. Both sides were bar set with tapered baguettes, having an estimated weight of .45 carats and VVS clarity, E-F color.

A crowd of 100-150 people attended the auction in person, at Cottone’s Geneseo gallery, while over 2,000 others registered to bid online, via LiveAuctionbeers.com, Invaluable.com and the Cottone Auctions website, www.cottoneauctions.com. Phone and absentee bids were also taken. Following are additional highlights from the sale. All prices quoted include the buyer’s premium.  

A watercolor, India ink and pastel painting on paper by the renowned Spanish artist Joan Miro (1893-1983), signed “Miro” and dated “2/VI/64” on the reverse, 11 ¼ inches by 14 ¼ inches, previously on display at the Galerie Maeght in Paris, brought $64,000. Miro was a sculptor, painter and ceramicist. A museum dedicated to his work exists in his home town of Barcelona.

Two other artworks posted identical selling prices of $22,420. One was an oil on canvas painting by William Aiken Walker (Charleston, S.C., 1838-1921), titled Cotton Picker (1886), artist signed, measuring 18 inches by 10 inches. The other was a 26 inch by 36 inch oil on canvas by Jack Lorimer Gray (Canadian, 1927-1981), titled The Foghorn, signed and in the original frame.

An Italian Renaissance-style walnut secretary, made in Florence around 1870 by Luigi Frullini (It., 1839-1897), covered with beautifully carved panels and borders of flowers, leaves and conventional figures, hit $54,280. Four doves in flight were depicted on the main panel of the 8 foot 4 inch tall secretary, while a dove with outstretched wings surmounted a dial face above.

A late 19th century Chinese carved hardwood and silk six-panel screen with a carved foo dog base and featuring exotic birds and foliage, overall 6 feet 11 inches tall by 12 feet 6 inches wide (with each panel 23 inches wide) realized $42,480. Also, a 19th century Native American Zia pot with three colors and moths, 19 inches tall, brought $9,440 despite a chip and a hairline crack.

A scarce Tiffany Studios bronze butterfly inkwell, signed “Tiffany Studios New York 862” and with an iridescent blue insert and cover and a brownish green patina, just 3 inches in height, went for $21,830; while a Steuben pink to blue Cintra paperweight cologne (or perfume) bottle, signed, shape #6941, 10 inches tall, in excellent shape, with no chips or cracks, rose to $12,980.

Rounding out just some of the sale’s top-selling lots, a rare horse-drawn fire tower toy, circa 1900, made of cast iron, wood and steel and attributed to the American LaFrance Fire Engine Company, 16 inches tall by 61 inches long, roared off for $11,800; and a pair of watercolor and gouache paintings of shore birds by Archibald Thorburn (Scottish, 1860-1935), signed lower left and lower right and dated 1931, 7 inches by 9 ½ inches (sight), were sold as one lot for $10,325.

Cottone Auctions’ next big sale is planned for Friday and Saturday, May 11th and 12th, also online and in the Geneseo gallery. The sale will feature a great selection of fine art, clocks, Steuben, art glass, estate jewelry and other items. For more information about Cottone Auctions and the May 11th-12th auction, please visit www.cottoneauctions.com; or, call (585) 243-1000.

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