The vendor had little idea of value and was happy with the £800-1200 estimate, but Hampton felt confident that it would bring more at the May 23 sale.
How much more, however, came as a surprise. The 13in (34cm) tall lamp, etched and enamelled in the Summer Trees pattern, was marked Daum Nancy with the Cross of Lorraine and sold to an American collector at £10,500.
The condition report mentioned: “We suspect that the very top point of the shade has had a small chip professionally removed which has reduced the thickness of the glass”, but it may not have been restored.
Veteran Portobello Road specialist and Art Nouveau/Deco glass dealer Roger Harris believes that the thinner areas were, in fact, how the hand-blown lamp left the factory and that it had not been over-polished.
“Daum lamps generally bring more than the sum of their parts, basically a vase and a bowl,” he added. “There were three shapes and this is an example of the rarest and the most attractive. The summer design is also rarer than the winter design. There is renewed interest in Daum. Like most things, prices aren’t what they were, but this price [a shade over £13,000 with premium and VAT] was a strong one.”
Glass collectors
Glass was a major feature of another section of the sale, with 68 lots from the collection of artist couple Ronald and Betty Pennell who, now in their eighties, are downsizing in the Welsh Marches.
Most of the lots comprising watercolours, drawings, bronzes as well as glass brought two or three-figure bids.
Topping the collection were two of Ronald ’s wheel-engraved, 7in (18cm) tall rounded vases.
The crystal glass First Flight vase illustrated doubled the estimate at £1400. A similarly shaped vessel, engraved over green glass with a characteristic theme Green Man Meets a Greek Myth went within estimate at £1100. Both sold to collectors.
