Brilliant Period Cut Glass pieces by Libbey lead the way at Woody Auction's May 12 sale in St. Louis

ST. LOUIS - May 21, 2018 - PRLog -- A rare pedestal crescent vase by Libbey in the Herringbone pattern knocked down for $22,000 and a large round tray, also by Libbey, in the Diana pattern, realized $17,000 to take top lot honors at the sale of several outstanding collections of Brilliant Period Cut Glass held on May 12^th by Woody Auction, online and at the Crowne Plaza St. Louis Airport Hotel, not far off I-70 in St. Louis.

The auction comprised just under 400 lots of Brilliant Period Cut Glass, many of them rare, beautiful and stunning pieces. Featured was the continuation of the Bill Chandler collection, boasting many important pieces, as well as the Stanley and Ruth Gotliffe collection out of New Jersey. As with all sales held by Woody Auction, every item up for bid was offered to the highest bidder, without reserve.

Perhaps it should come as no surprise the two top lots were by Libbey. The glass manufacturer was founded in Ohio in the late 19^th century and produced some of the highest quality American Brilliant Cut glass items that remain highly sought after by collectors today. The pedestal crescent vase that sold for $22,000 appealed to bidders because of its large size – 12 ½ inches in height – and rare shape. It had a large scalloped petticoat hobstar foot.

The round Libbey tray in the Diana pattern was also seen as desirable for its large size – 15 ¾ inches in diameter – but also for its superior quality. The piece had been pictured as an outstanding example of its kind on page 228 of Rarities. Another Libbey Brilliant Period Cut Glass bowl – this one in the Marcella pattern, 3 ¼ inches by 9 ¾ inches square, with superb cutting – changed hands for $5,000.

One other lot in the sale topped the $10,000 mark: a pair of Brilliant Period Cut Glass (BPCG) vases by glass maker Dorflinger – one cranberry and one green, both cut to clear – in an unnamed but gorgeous pattern featuring engraved floral with hobstar, vesical and nailhead diamond highlights. The pattern of the vases matched one featured in the Philadelphia Museum of Art that was presented to the museum by Dorflinger & Sons in 1903. The vases each stood 11 ¾ inches tall and sold as one lot for $14,500.

Following are additional highlights from the auction, which attracted about 100 people to the venue (of whom 61 were bidders), 15 absentee bidders and 270 registered online bidders, who bid via the online platform LiveAuctioneers.com and who tallied nearly 8,000 page views during the auction. All prices quoted are hammer. Woody Auction (based in Douglass, Kansas) does not charge a buyer's premium when bidding in person.

A water set featuring a 12-inch pitcher in the Pedestal Alhambra pattern by Meriden with a triple-notched handle and full pattern cut foot, plus six pattern-matched 3 ¾ inch tall tumblers, commanded $8,000. Also, a 14 ¼ inch tall emerald green cut to yellow tankard with a fabulous wheel carved floral design, a clear applied handle, and a ray cut base, hit $6,500.

A hard-to-find tazza (shallow bowl of wide form, on a footed stem) by Libbey, in the Aztec pattern, having a scalloped petticoat hobstar foot, breezed to $4,000. Also, a rare round tray by Clark in the Waldorf pattern (also known as the Quatrefoil and Rosette pattern), 11 ¾ inches in diameter, with a brilliant well-cut blank, showing strong yellow/green fluorescence under the black light, topped out at $3,750.

Round trays by Hawkes were a hit with bidders. An 11-inch-diameter example in the Panel pattern with exquisite blank and cutting, went to a determined bidder for $5,000; while one in the Lattice and Rosette pattern, signed and 10 inches in diameter, with outstanding blank, fetched $4,000. Both trays, just like the abovementioned Clark tray, also showed strong yellow/green fluorescence under the black light.

Beautiful, colorful wine glasses always get paddles wagging, too. A 7-inch-tall BPCG green cut to clear wine glass in a cane, vesica and fan motif, with a hobstar foot, found a new owner for $5,500. Also, a blue cut to clear wine glass in a block and fan motif, having a clear, six-sided air trap stem with hobstar foot, a little smaller at 5 ¾ inches, didn't sell for quite as much either, settling at a respectable $4,250.

A green cut to clear decanter in the Marlboro pattern by Dorflinger, 8 ¼ inches tall and sporting a bell-shaped body, hobstar base and pattern cut stopper, left the room for $3,750; while a two-color cut to clear covered jar by an unknown maker but of nice quality and quite striking, blue cut to rose cut to clear and having a bird-on-branch décor with floral and scroll highlights, 8 ½ inches tall, made $5,000.

An extra-large flower centerpiece signed Libbey in the Empress pattern – 9 inches by 15 inches – very nice, with a facet cut ring neck, coasted to $4,500. Also, a top-quality, 18 inch tall trumpet vase by Hawkes in the Queens pattern, with a facet cut ball stem and 7-inch hobstar foot, gaveled for $3,750.

Woody Auction is always accepting quality consignments for future sales. To consign an item, an estate or collection, you may call them at (316) 747-2694; or, you can e-mail them, at info@woodyauction.com. To learn more about Woody Auction and its calendar of upcoming sales, visit www.woodyauction.com.