On November 22 Christie's held a large sale of European decorative arts. There were a number of pieces of majolica in the sale but two in particular should be of interest to the average majolica enthusiast.
One of those broke records for the price it brought when the hammer fell and the second was a bellwether for where majolica prices have gone in the past six years.
The majolica sale of the day was a large Hugo Lonitz hawk perched on a rocky precipice. Standing almost 24" tall, the hawk was a gorgeous example of Lonitz animal work. The pre-sale estimate was $3,000 -$5,000 but no one expected the price it ultimately brought: $56,250. I believe that is a record for a piece of Lonitz at auction.
The other big majolica sale was no surprise to seasoned majolica collectors though it was probably a disappointment to majolica investors.
The Minton vulture and serpent teapot has long been the rarest and most coveted of the Minton figural teapots. Only a handful are known to exist and Christie's put a pre-sale estimate of $20,000 - $30,000 on their example. The final price brought was $37,500. That's certainly a great price, but it is only about half the price the vulture and serpent teapot in the Karmason collection sold for in 2005: $71,875.
Both auctions were a good indication of where the majolica market has grown in the past few years. Where good English pieces have always brought a good price, the growth in the market is in Continental majolica. Fine makers like Lonitz and Massier are finally being appreciated for the exceptional work they did. That, I think, is a good thing for the future of majolica collecting.
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