ATLANTA, Ga. – A mixed media painting by Thornton Dial (American, 1928-2016) titled tiger in trouble (1991) sold for $84,700, and a 1920s Tiffany Studios Favrile glass door titled the sower, brought in $51,425 to take top lot honors at Ahlers & Ogletree’s New Year’s Signature Estates auction held Jan. 14-16. There were no in-person auctions.

The Thornton Dial painting – full title Tiger in Trouble (The Parked Tiger) – was a painting and mixed media on canvas mounted on panel and titled on the back. The 60-inch by 60-inch painting was a spectacular example of Dial’s work. It also marked the fifth-highest auction record for a work by Dial and the highest record outside of a New York auction. Dial rose to prominence in the 1980s. Ten of his paintings were acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2014.

Tiffany Studios’ leaded and veneered Favrile glass panel in an oak door was the auction’s top expected lot, with a solid pre-sale estimate of $50,000 to $100,000. It was originally commissioned by Melville Dewey (of the Dewey Decimal System) as one of two doors to be installed in the Annie Dewey Memorial Chapel in Lake Placid, New York, in 1923, and dedicated to Dr. WG Russell.

It was the left door, showing a woman like the sower. The accompanying right door (not in the auction) depicted a male figure and was titled Warning light, by Grosvenor Dawer, Limited Club Edition #30, with Dewey’s signature. The auction door was probably designed by Mary Elizabeth Tillinghast (1845-1912). Overall it was 84 inches high by 42 ¾ inches wide.

The three-day, three-session sale was Ahlers & Ogletree’s first major auction of 2022. Session 1, Jan. 14, offered the estate of a prominent Atlanta interior designer. Session 2, the next day, featured Modernism, Estate Jewelry, Asian Arts, Fine Furs, African Arts, Vintage Movie Posters and Advertising Posters. Session 3 was filled with vintage antiques and artwork.

Bidders were able to register and bid on one of three online platforms: LiveAuctioneers.com, Invaluable.com and Bidsquare.com. Telephone and correspondence offers were also accepted. Here are more highlights from the auction. All prices quoted include buyer’s premium.

A clear crystal Lalique center table designed in France by Marc Lalique, “cactus” shaped, with a round glass top, chrome stand and frosted base, was to change hands for $20,000 to $30,000, but it reached $36,300. The table had a frosted mark on the foot and was 60 inches in diameter by 28 ¾ inches high. Lalique creations are highly prized by collectors.

A rare, well carved, neo-Renaissance style blackened and holly (or satinwood) accented cabinet secretary, made circa 1874-1876 by the Wooten Desk Company (American, 1870-1893), previously owned by the President of Uruguay, was $37,200; and a walnut rocking chair with ebony accents by Sam Maloof (American, 1916-2009), signed and dated 1993, realized $21,780.

An opalescent koi glass mosaic in an Art Nouveau patinated copper dragonfly relief frame by Steven Stelz (American, 20th/21st century), titled Koi pond with water lilies (1995), signed and dated, 44 ¼ inches by 24 ¼ inches (frame size), sold for $19,360. In addition, two large allegorical figures in Meissen porcelain (German, founded 1720), representing Day and Night, originally modeled by Heinrich Schwabe (1847-1924), each figure 21 inches tall, fetched $11,160.

A marble mythological figurative statue by Cesare Lapini (Italian, 1848-1893), titled naked woman standing, from the estate of author Valerie Sherwood (pen name: Jeanne Hines) and her husband, of Atlanta, who is 50 inches tall, made $31,000. Also, a large pair of late 19th or early 20th century Chinese rose medallion floor vases, each 35 ¾ inches high with flared necks, dragon handles and panels depicting floral scenes and yard with gold accents, finished at $30,250.

An oil on canvas by Willard Leroy Metcalf (Mass., 1858-1925), titled The barn door, signed lower left and housed in a 25 ¼ inch by 33 inch vintage giltwood frame, left the piece for $37,200; while an oil on canvas laid on board by Harold Newton (1934-1994), one of the renowned artists of the Florida Highwaymen, titled Dusk, Florida Swamp, framed, made $18,600.

A 19th century foliated carved giltwood continental central table in the Rococo taste, probably French, made in the manner of Joseph Effner (German, 1687-1745), with a black Nero Porto marble top carved, climbed to $7,440. Also, a bench (or daybed) in gilded wood upholstered in velvet in the George II style, made in the manner of John Vardy (1718-1765), Thomas Vardy (1751-1788) and William Kent (1685-1748), cutaway shape, red velvet upholstery, ordered $4,240.

A handwoven antique Turkish Oushak wool rug from a collection in North Carolina measuring 12 feet 5 inches by 11 feet went to a determined bidder for $5,580. In addition, a modern platinum and diamond eternity ring comprising 8.36 carats, 22 emerald cut diamonds (VS2 clarity, HI color), unmarked, from the estate of Joan O’Brien Diemer of Atlanta, fetched 13 $750.

Ahlers & Ogletree is a multi-faceted family business covering the antiques, estate, wholesale, liquidation, auction and related industries. Ahlers & Ogletree is always on the lookout for quality submissions for future auctions. To consign an item, estate, or collection, you can call them at 404-869-2478; or, you can email them, at [email protected]

To learn more about Ahlers & Ogletree Auction Gallery or to join their mailing list for information on upcoming auctions, please visit www.aandoauctions.com. Updates are released often. You can also follow Ahlers & Ogletree via social media on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook.

# # # #