Record-Smashing at Rago

LAMBERTVILLE, New Jersey—The Rago Art and Auction Center, in Lambertville, New Jersey, has built its reputation over the past decade on its Arts & Crafts offerings. But its Sollo/Rago modern auction, held October 26–27, netted twice its highest single-sale Arts & Crafts earnings, with a total just shy of $8 million. “The first day brought in what we’d expected for the whole sale,” says owner David Rago.

There was plenty of competition for the 1,100 lots, which ranged from an impressive selection of American and British ceramics to pieces by both hot contemporary designers like Ron Arad and seminal figures such as wood craftsman Wharton Esherick. Saturday’s marathon session lasted eight hours—the consequence, according to Rago, of “too much bidding”—but the mood was energetic throughout.

In the audience, New Hope, Pennsylvania–based furniture maker Philip Lloyd Powell watched with astonishment as a 76-inch-tall patchwork-steel sculpture made for him in 1964 by the late sculptor and designer Paul Evans, soared to $144,000 (est. $60–90,000), paid by New York dealer Todd Merrill, resulting in a three-way tie for top lot. Powell also marveled at the prices won by his own midcentury sculpted-walnut pieces: A pair of cabinets went for $60,000 each (est. $40–60,000).

Four works by George Nakashima were among the top 10 lots, including two of his classic Minguren free-form coffee tables, which brought $144,000 each (est. $30–50,000 and $40–60,000). Lambertville is Nakashima country after all—the craftsman lived and worked nearby, in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

"Record Smashing at Rago" originally appeared in the January 2008 issue of Art+Auction. For a complete list of articles from this issue available on ARTINFO, see Art+Auction's January 2008 Table of Contents.