American Art Pottery sale at Rago achieves exceptional results

LAMBERTVILLE, NJ.- With the total exceeding $1.3 million, more than 1.5 times the low estimate, and a 90% sell-through rate, Saturday’s American Art Pottery auction illustrates the strength of the market. The roughly 200 lot sale featuring designs by many of the masters in the field, was the first auction dedicated solely to the material since the firm auctioned the Berberian collection in 1994. The auction included works by Adelaide Robineau, Taxile Doat for University City, Arthur Hennessy and Sarah Tutt for Marblehead Pottery, Frederick Hurten Rhead and many more.

The auction included several standout results throughout the day including an Exceptional and Rare vase by Arthur Hennesey and Sarah Tutt for Marblehead pottery. Exemplary of the firm’s best work, the stylized Arts & Crafts vessel sold for $150,000. A rare tall gourd form by Taxile Doat for University City brought $81,250, a rare centerpiece featuring five large and nineteen small hand-carved frogs exhibits the exceptional detail of Adelaide Robineau’s best work, brought a result of $47,500 and an innovative low-fired from by Fritz Albert for Teco Pottery sold for $43,750.

The auction also included several pieces by the bombastic George Ohr whose works are entirely original and technical tours-de-force that were well ahead of their time. Appreciation continues to grow for Ohr’s shaped and misshaped, unique and exquisite forms in a variety of bold glazes. All twenty-eight lots by Ohr sold for $416,937 nearly double the low estimate for the group.

David Rago and Suzanne Perrault auctioneered the sale with a small audience in attendance for the first time since the start of the pandemic. Interest throughout the auction was strong; besides the few floor bidders, participants bid live by telephone or online using our platform or those of our third-party partners.

Top Results
• Taxile Doat for University City Exceptional and Rare gourd vase $81,250
• Fritz Albert for Teco Pottery Exceptional vase, model 310 $43,750
• Adelaide Robineau Exceptional centerpiece $47,500

Results for Works by George Ohr
• George E. Ohr Large vase $62,500
• George E. Ohr Exceptional Large Coupe $37,500
• George E. Ohr Large Coupe $27,500
• George E. Ohr Large Pitcher $35,000