On 30 January, Dallas Auction Gallery is hosting the first of three auctions featuring a collection of glass art from the late Mr John W. Lolley of Monroe, Louisiana, who was honoured as one of the top 100 collectors in the United States. His glass collection is exceptional and offers hundreds of fine pieces, from the art nouveau period of Galle, Daum and Tiffany to the work of contemporary artists, such as Chihuly and Lino Tagliapietra. Here are the top highlights of the esteemed collection.
Between the 1830s and 1930s, British glassmakers Stevens & Williams produced a wide variety of art glass, often inspired by nature. This beautiful piece was part of the company's ‘Silveria’ series, an art nouveau style that was made by inserting silver foil amidst the glass to create an interior metallic sheen and embellished by adding bright colours and threads to the exterior.
This extraordinary Chinese blue and white plate is decorated with a scrolling lotus design. Its production dates to 1723-35, during the prosperous and peaceful Qing dynasty under the imperial rule of Yongzheng. Qing dynasty porcelain is especially valuable because artisans experimented with firing the pieces at a higher temperature which led to more brilliant, glossier colours.
Although this piece may appear ceramic, it's actually glass. Mt Washington Glass originated in 1837 in south Boston and became the region's premier glass factory. In 1876, the company moved to New Bedford, Massachusetts, where it introduced famous glass lines, such as the Colonial ware series. This line is often characterised by its scenes on white background and interestingly-shaped works. The Garden of Allah vase depicts an Egyptian scene of a Bedouin man leading a camel, his back piled high with riches. The neck and base of the vase are intricately decorated with swirling gold curlicues and arabesques, adding a gilded element to this extraordinary piece.
Burgun Schverer was founded in France in 1711 and is considered the best in terms of art nouveau cameo glass. Cameo glass is an art glass form created by etched figures made out of different colours of glass. Their early pieces took weeks to make, with a long process of hand painting, reheating, etching, and more. This figure boasts mythological figures enameled with a ‘Dreams of Hours’ image by Walter Crane, one of the leading illustrators of the second half of the 19th century.
In addition to these highlights, this first auction of the Lolley collection will feature Chinese ceramics and antiques, glass from Tiffany and Lalique, Neiman Marcus fur coats, and more.