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VERY rare tapering trapezoidal form vase with cutouts and applied silver. The silver overlay includes the Roycroft orb and cross mark. About 7 inches high.
A good example of Roycroft's use of avant garde European "Secessionist" design elements in their circa 1910-1912 copperwork. Thus it is an "important" vase and may be considered one of the most desirable cataloged Roycroft vases to collectors today. These are VERY hard to find these days. Value: est. $8,000+. This vase sold on eBay in November 1999 for $10,200. $8,000+premium Rago 03/06 (picture: note slight cleaning and lifting silver overlay) click here for a big picture. click here for a big picture of another version with a slightly darker finish. |
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Here's another version of the vase above, this time without the silver overlay. This vase is also very rare, and what's more amazing is that the example pictured was found by its owner at a barn sale and purchased for only one dollar! We should all be so lucky.
Value: est. $6,000+. Auction results: $6,000+premium Rago 03/06 (picture). click here for a big picture. This vase has an interesting "double strike" mark that you can see by clicking here Just means the craftsman had to whack it twice -- doesn't add or detract from value. |
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Tapering cylinder form with applied silver overlay and cutouts. A few collectors have agreed to call this form the "lighthouse vase". About 7 inches high. Like the vases above, this is a Secessionist-inspired form that dates to the early period of Roycroft copper production around 1910-1912. It is also a very rare vase -- I've seen only four of them in 15+ years of collecting.
Value: $8,000+. The vase at top sold on eBay in November 1999 for $9,200 (the buyer now refers to it as "my expensive pencil holder"); This one sold at Rago's 1/01 for $9,000+15%. click here for a big picture of the one top left, and here for a picture of the mark which also includes an unidentified artist mark on this vase. click here for a big pic of the wonderful example bottom left. Note the almost 100 years of patina on the silver -- I wouldn't clean this.
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Buttress form vase. Roycroft called it the "Egyptian Flower Holder". A highly desirable Secessionist-influenced Roycroft form. About 8 inches high. Has 4 legs, woodgrain hammering, and applied squares of German silver. This is an early vase, dating to around 1910-1916. Copper thickness, cylinder diameter, hammering, how the legs are attached at the bottom, and the rivet details at the top will vary slightly from one to another, so each of these vases is definitely unique. The later ones sometimes have a laquer coat on the brown finish. These three are all in excellent original condition. click here for a giant pic of the pair at bottom click here for a big pic of another example of this form, and here for another. Value $4,000-5,000 in excellent condition. Auction prices: $6600 vg cond. 9/99; $2,300 cleaned ebay 5/01; $3,750 +15% vg cond. Rago 5/03; $2,100 +15% moderately cleaned Rago 5/03; $5000 + premium Rago1/05; $4050 vg cond ebay 05/06 (picture); $4800 Rago 3/08. |
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Buttress form vase. This is a variation on the above vase but with a stitched-line square panel design below the silver squares. Also note that the area around the squares isn't hammered. These are rarer than the ones above. click here for a big pic Value $5,000+ in excellent condition. Auction prices: this actual vase sold for $6500 plus premium Rago 5/05. Photos courtesy David Rago Auctions. |
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Rare buttress form vase. Somewhat similar to the vase above, but this vase was made at Karl Kipp's Tookay Shop (signed KK) probably 1912-1914. The Tookay catalog describes it as follows:
"VIENNESE VASE of hand-wrought Copper with three handles and panel design. In its substantial, simple beauty and excellence of workmanship this Vase speaks very strongly of the individuality of its maker. It stands 7 inches high." This Kipp vase is 7.25 inches tall, has tooled squares and stippled hammering on the body of the vase, and 3 buttresses (legs). The color of a KK buttress is always a warm caramel instead of Roycroft's Aurora Brown.
Value $2,000-3,000 in excellent condition. Auction prices: $1,900 plus premium Rago's 9/00; $1,800 plus premium Treadway 2/01; $3156 ex. cond 7/07 ebay. |
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Rare buttress form vase. The 3-legged buttress vase was also made early on at the Roycroft Shops (model #C204). If you look carefully, you can spot some of the differences between the KK and Roycroft version of this form. In fact, I've made it easier for you by including a picture of the two side by side. Note the differences in:
Value: Roycroft 204C vases sometimes show up unsigned, in which case they are worth $1200-1500. Signed are very very rare and worth $3000+. |
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American Beauty Vase. An icon of both Roycroft and the American Arts and Crafts Movement, this vase is a must-have for any serious Roycroft collector. They were made in four sizes -- 7, 12, 19-ish, and 21-ish inches. This is the largest size, about 21.5 inches high. It was introduced in 1912 but produced by Roycroft into the 1920s. It was most likely designed by Victor Toothaker, a Roycroft craftsman who also worked for Gustav Stickley. Toothaker supervised the production at Roycroft of lighting fixtures for the Grove Park Inn (GPI) in Asheville NC in 1912-13 and Roycroft also made a limited number of these large AB vases for GPI. Supposedly they were also offered for sale at the Inn. Here's a nice picture of a GPI vase, and here's the special mark that appears on the bottom. Needless to say, the GPI version generally sells for more than the regular production version. Original Aurora Brown finish in excellent condition. Also shown is an original ad for this vase from The Fra magazine 1914. Value $3,000-5,000, $5,000+ for the version bearing the GPI mark in excellent condition. Latest auction prices: $3,500 gd cond. ebay 7/00. The actual GPI vase shown at the link above sold for $6750 (including buyer's premium) at Rago's 5/00. An apparently excellent one sold for $7,600 2/03 eBay; $1700 drilled for a lamp but good finish otherwise 10/05 eBay; $4250+premium vg cond Rago 03/06 GPI version picture has very early base profile; $5700 Rago 3/08 GPI version. |
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American Beauty Vase. The second largest size -- about 19.5 inches high (this size seems to show up most often), this was introduced a few years later than the 22 inch version. Both of the examples pictured are in original Aurora Brown finish in excellent condition. But note the color differences -- the top one is probably earlier with a "heavier" early dark finish (with plenty o' grime too), while the bottom one is later lacquered medium Aurora Brown. They're both desirable but all else being equal many collectors would go with the earlier one.
Value $3,000+. Auction prices: $1760 fair cond brown 9/99; $2,970 ex. cond brown 6/00 Cottone; $2,130 gd cond. brass 3/01 ebay; I paid $3,100 for an early one in excellent condition 5/01. The bottom one pictured sold for $3,750 plus premium at Rago's 5/02; $2600 good cond. brown ebay 8/03; $2640 Rago 3/08. Click here for a bigger pic of another wonderful example of a 19.5 inch American Beauty. Click here for a big pic of the bottom vase (David Rago Auctions). |
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American Beauty Vase. The third largest size -- about 12 inches high. Introduced in the later teens. Original Aurora Brown finish in excellent condition.
Value $2,000-2,500. Latest auction price: $1975 brown gd cond ebay 12/99; $2400 repatinated ebay 9/00; $2201 brown vg cond 12/00; $1,178 some rim bends otherwise ok 10/01; $2,400 originality of finish questionable 6/03 eBay; $1,025 cleaned 7/03 ebay. |
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American Beauty Vase. Another 12 incher. Original Old Brass finish in very good condition.
Value $1,500-2,000 |
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American Beauty Vase. The smallest size, about 7 inches high, was introduced in the later teens. These little ones seem particularly hard to come by. Original Aurora Brown finish in excellent condition. Finding little ABVs with early marks is a challenge but they're usuallu very well made.
click here for a big pic of another example with a good brown finish. Value $1,500+. Auction prices: this actual vase sold for $2500 +12.5% at Rago's 5/00 (could be a record!); excellent cond. brown $1825 ebay 9/00; $910 finish cleaned and ruined eBay 6/03; $1592 vg/ex cond. ebay 2/04; $1664 vg cond ebay 6/04; $2371 ex cond. ebay 10/04. |
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American Beauty Vase. Another 7 incher. Original Old Brass finish in excellent condition.
Value $1,200+ |
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Large early and rather rare vase circa 1912-15 with bulbous bottom and rivets. Roycroft called this the "Tall Shaft Vase" and it was introduced right after the 22 inch American Beauty Vase and remained in production alongside the large ABV at least through 191. Very likely a Victor Toothaker design as well. Great design, heavy weight copper, wonderful workmanship, and a band of large rivets make this a robust and very desirable early form. About 15 inches high.
Value $4,000+ in excellent condition. Latest auction prices: $3,783 slightly cleaned ebay 2/02; One with finish issues sold for around $3,000 Fall 2002 at Rago's; while one in very excellent condition sold for $5,600 ebay 11/02. |
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Large early rather rare vase circa 1912-1915. Roycroft called it the "Shaft Vase". About 10.5 inches high, the shaft is 3 inches wide. Compare the design of this vase to both the large American Beauty Vase and Tall Shaft Vase above. This one is simpler but includes lots of hand crfaftsmanship and represents another likely Victor Toothaker design.
Value $3,000+ in excellent condition. The vase on the bottom sold for $3,500 on ebay 9/03; $3000 + premium ex. cond. Rago 1/05. A note on the strikingly different finishes on the two vases pictured -- I'm not sure what finish originally came on this form. Dark Aurora Brown ones show up, and lighter ones too like the one pictured bottom left (which shows plenty of age and having examined it in person I would describe as excellent). I think with this form the value is not so much in the color as in the richness -- evidence of age, depth, character, etc. In other words, these look best (and are worth the most) when they have a true "patina". click here for a big pic of another version with a new finish. |
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About 10 inches high. Modified cylinder form with tooled bellflower designs. This form was introduced in the very late teens and produced into the 1920s. Has greenish "polychrome" accents around the decoration. Original Old Brass finish in excellent condition.
click here for a nice big pic of this beautiful vase. Value $1,000-1,500. Latest auction prices: $785 fair cond 5/00 ebay. |
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Bellflower vase. About 10 inches high. Here's the same vase as above but with a very good Aurora Brown finish. Click here to see a better picture of a similar vase.
Value $1,000-1,750. Latest auction prices: $1225 brown vg cond ebay 1/00 (a good deal!); $1335 lightly cleaned brown 6/01 ebay; $1000 plus auction premium poor condition finish 10/05. |
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About 6.5 inches high. Heavy cylinder form with German silver accents that was introduced around 1915. These came in various sizes ranging from about 6 to 7 inches, but the ones closer to 6 inches are much more common. In my opinion , one of Roycroft's finest production designs. I think this is a great form for a beginning collector to step up to (after the bookend and letter opener phase is over), since they do show up on a regular basis and one with minor issues can be had for around $1,000. Top one is excellent original Aurora Brown finish, bottom one is a dull brassy finish.
Value $1,250-1,500 for a vg-exl brown one. Latest auction prices: $1,690 ex cond. brown ebay 7/00; $1525 brown with some oxidation 8/01 ebay; $1,150 brown excellent condition ebay 12/02, $1,375 apparently vg-exl cond. brown ebay 1/04; $1500 ex cond. ebay 3/04; refinished $815 9/04; $811 avg cond ebay 12/04; $800 avg. cond and dented 3/05 ebay. Since the mid-1990s, the prices of these have dropped significantly from their former $2,000+ highs.. Check out a 4 vase comparison from my collection: Note the variations -- vase #1 is middle marked, has the darkest finish (quite stunning), but weighs the least; #2 is the earliest with a big early mark, weighs a lot more than the others, and has the best hammering; #3 has a very dull brassy finish; #4 has the most finish depth, with a nice nutty brown color, and the most taper at the top. The point I'm making is that there is a lot of variety in these vases and even aside from finish, some are better or more interesting than others. Click here for a big pic of an excellent example with a nice dark Aurora Brown finish. |
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Heavy cylinder form with German silver accents. Same as above but in a very nice Old Brass finish.
Value: $900+. This vase sold for $1200 on ebay 3/02; $891 good cond. ebay 8/07. Click here for a close up. Note the kind of finish imperfections that develop in Old Brass finishes. The imperfections in this vase I would say are not too distracting and therefore not a big issue. Perfect Old Brass is hard to find. The same stuff happens to Aurora Brown, but it just blends in, making Aurora Brown somewhat more forgiving of wear/discoloration.. |
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About 7 inches high. Heavy cylinder form with German silver accents. Here's a taller version. Note the difference in color versus the vase above. Original brown finish in good condition.
Value $1,500-2,000. Auction prices: $1980 vg cond brown 9/99. |
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About 6 inches high. Rare and early circa 1915 heavy cylinder form with tooled Glasgow rose design. There are very few of these known -- I counted 4 sold at the major auction houses over the past 20 years, and two on ebay. Value: $2000+. The one pictured top left has a slightly cleaned finish and sold at Rago's 1/01 for $2,400+15%. The one at bottom has what is probably remnants of the original finish along with plenty of darkening over time. The bottom vase also happens to be the one pictured in Kevin McConnell's book, which I purchased in Feb 2005 for $2800. Click here for a big pic of top vase. Click here for a very big pic of bottom vase. Top photo courtesy David Rago Auctions |
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Cylinder Vases!
A variety of cylinder vases were made at the Roycroft and Tookay shops over perhaps a 10-12 year period, and many examples are pictured below. While looking at the pics, recognize that these vases are valued based on a variety of critera: rarity, design, craftsmanship, thickness, weight, size, color, attribution, and of course condition. These three vases Walter Jennings was perhaps the best "chaser" at Roycroft, and a WJ attribution on a Roycroft cylinder vase, generally through the "2 dot" mark, may add to the value. The Kipp (probably made by WJ) and WJ signed cylinders have an entirely separate value structure than the Roycroft cylinders because they are much much rarer and individual examples may have unique motifs. In my opinion, the WJ-signed cylinder vases, due to their quality Arts and Crafts design and exquisite craftsmanship, are among the finest pieces of Roycroft copper ever produced. This, along with their rarity, make them also some of the most desirable pieces to collectors. Here is a group of three WJ vases and an unattributed vase (note the design variations and smooth versus hammered surfaces):
Here's the result of 10 years of Roycroft/Kipp/Jennings cylinder vase hunting:
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About 7 inches high. Cylinder form with tooled diamond flower designs. These are examples of the Roycroft production number 202 seven inch cylinder vase in a brass finish. They sometimes have green "polychrome" highlights as pictured on the bottom vase. The top example, most likely done in the 1920s, is signed with the "middle mark" and these are typically slightly lighter in weight than those that show up with the "early" mark. The bottom one is signed with this "2 dot" early jennings mark and is a little thicker. Both original Old Brass finish in excellent condition.
Value $1,200-1,500. Auction prices: $1525 vg cond brass 6/99; $1540 gd cond brass 9/99; $1025 vg cond brass 2/00; $950+15% cleaned 1/01. click here for a big pic of the top one. click here for a big pic of the bottom one. |
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About 7 inches high. Same as above, Roycroft #202, middle mark done in the 1920s, but original Aurora Brown finish in excellent condition. In fact, this vase is just about the best one of these, condition-wise, that I've ever seen. It's just about the way it was when it came out of the box. That's why I've attached a nice big pic. Note that the polychrome highlights on this one are bronze colored rather than green.
Value $1,500-1,750 would be the normal range for a good brown one. This particular vase is in such mint condition that the retail price would be more like $3,000 if it ever hit the market. Auction prices: $1980 vg cond brown 9/99; $1,285 mint condition brown 12/02 ebay (the picture wasn't great though). |
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About 7 inches high. Cylinder form with tooled diamond flower designs. Here's an early marked Roycroft 202, very heavy, with nice thick copper. The heavy early ones are definitely rarer, and all else being equal are more desirable than lighter middle marked vases. The one pictured at left has a great original medium brown finish rather than the later lacquered Aurora Brown.
Here's a nice big pic of a medium weight early cylinder with a two-dot mark.
These two pics Value $1,500-2,500. Color, workmanship and condition have a HUGE impact on value --each of these must be judged individually. Auction prices: $1651 eBay 3/00 (the second vase above). |
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Similar to the above vases, but I'm showing this one because it's double signed with a large early Roycroft orb and cross mark as well as a tiny Karl Kipp KK mark, probably indicating it was made by Kipp after he returned to Roycroft from the Tookay Shop (around 1915-16). That makes the vase interesting and quite rare, but I have to admit, the workmanship is better on the ones with a Walter Jennings mark. Evidently, Walter was just better than Karl at making these. However, this vase is probably the heaviest of these I've encountered, and check the thickness of the copper in the big pic link below. Finish was cleaned at some point, which affects value. Click here for a big pic. Photos courtesy of David Rago auctions. Value: I paid $2000 out the door at the 9/04 Rago auction -- the cleaning evidently kept the price down. But to me the two signatures, uniqueness and what it reveals about Kipp's chasing technique make it priceless. |
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Ultra rare (one-of-a-kind) cylinder form vase by Roycroft craftsman Walter Jennings. This vase is signed with Jennings' personal mark, not the Roycroft orb and cross, but a circle with three slashes. The signature indicates it was probably made at home. Jennings' records show that this vase was made in November 1916, then exhibited by him in Boston in 1917 and Philly in 1918. A limited number of uniquely signed Jennings vases are known to exist, and they are all, based on known examples, slightly different. About 7 inches high but only 1.75 inches wide. Five beautifully carved diamond flower designs around the top. Extremely heavy for its size. Original caramel brown finish in excellent condition.
Value: Estimated at $3,000+. Click here for a close-up of the workmanship. Note the depth, fineness and symmetry of the carving. Click here for a big pic of the whole vase. |
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Superlative (one-of-a-kind) cylinder form vase by Roycroft craftsman Walter Jennings. This vase is signed with Jennings' circle with three slashes mark (probably circa 1916), actually came from the Jennings family, and in my opinion could be one of the BEST cylinder vase ever. About 7 inches high and 2.5 inches wide. The repeating trefoils and arches create a stunning decorative effect that draws the eye upwards and literally makes this design soar. Very thick copper means a heavy and substantial piece.
Value: Chances are virtually zero that a vase like this will hit the market. But estimated at $3,000+. Click here for a large pic, and here and here for close ups of the workmanship. Again, note the depth, fineness and symmetry of the carving. |
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Ultra rare (probably one-of-a-kind) cylinder form vase by Roycroft craftsman Walter Jennings. Also signed with the circle with three slashes. This vase measures about 10 inches tall, with alternating rectangular smooth and stippled panels topped by quatrefoils. The owner indicates it was given as a wedding gift in East Aurora in 1920. It was either cleaned, or perhaps never had much of a finish, since Jennings was known to do that with these.
Value: Est. $3,000+. Click here for a nice big pic. |
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Ultra rare (probably one-of-a-kind) cylinder form vase by Roycroft craftsman Walter Jennings. Signed "WJ" and dated 1917. This vase measures about 8.5 inches tall and 2.5 inches wide and has smooth panels topped with a band of 6 quatrefoils and fine stippling. Somewhat similar to the vase above, but a little smaller and without the stippling on the side panels. Finish is dirty original medium brown. This vase is further distinguished by a complete provenance. After its creation in 1917, it was given as a gift that same year by Jennings to RW Crouch, a decorative artist famed for his redesigning the cover of National Geographic magazine in 1910. Crouch resided for a time in East Aurora, and may have been associated with the Roycroft, perhaps as a graphic designer. The vase then passed through the next two generations of the Crouch family, whereupon in 2003 its significance was identified by a family member who visited RoycroftCopper.com (the power of the Internet!!). Value: Est. $3,000+. Click here for a nice big pic. Click here for a big closeup pic. |
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Ultra rare (probably one-of-a-kind) cylinder form vase by Roycroft craftsman Walter Jennings. Signed with the circle and 3 slash mark (circa 1916). This vase measures about 7 inches tall and 2 inches wide and has 16 smooth arched-topped panels containing bellflowers and bordered by stippled triangles. The overall impression of the decoration is delicate and very jewelry-like. Also, very thick copper stock makes for a heavy vase (note the top rim). Finish was cleaned at some point. Value: Est. $3,000+ given the size and cleaned finish. Click here for a nice big pic. Click here for an extreme close-up. Click here for a pic of the mark. |
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Very rare and exceptional cylinder form vase signed Karl Kipp and Roycroft. The combination of the two marks means that it was probably made at Kipp's shop circa 1914-1915 (almost certainly by Jennings), then brought to Roycroft by Kipp in 1915 and signed again with the orb and cross.
Heavy and great workmanship. About 7 inches tall and 2.5 inches wide, with an interesting and unusual design of conventionalized 3-pointed flowers inside circles along with a Greek key type motif at the bottom. A similar, but not identical, vase is pictured in Bruce Austin's 1992 book "The Arts and Crafts Movement in Western New York." Value: 3,000+. Auction prices: The similar vase pictured in the book described above sold at Craftsman Auctions in 1999 for $4,100. |
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Two rare Walter Jennings cylinder vases. Sorry for the poor quality pictures, but I scanned these from an old flyer for the Muriel Jennings Case estate auction back in the mid '90s. Muriel was Walter's daughter and the estate included a whole load of rare and fine WJ copper stuff. Probably the finest grouping of Roycroft copper to ever hit the market at one time. I'm guessing the tall one was a 10 inch and the shorter one a 7 inch, and each has a band of tooled quartrefoils at the top. Value: It doesn't make any sense to try and put values on these since they'll never appear on the market again -- they're museum bound. Click here for a big pic. Taller Vase Collection Roycroft Arts Museum, Boice Lydell |
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Now that you're an expert on Roycroft cylinder vases, here's one to consider. It has all the features of a Roycroft vase: dimensions (7 by 2.5), design and construction (including 5 "diamond flowers"), quality deep chasing, hammering technique, line work, stippling, heavy weight, and an original Roycroftie finish. But, it lacks a mark..... I've seen a few of these over the years (including the one right below), none of which were signed. We have not been able to make a firm attribution yet (eliminating Jennings and Roycrofter Roy Johnson for some specific reasons), so the best we can say with 100% certainty is that this is a very Roycroft-like period vase (but highly likely made by one of the Roycrofters in his spare time). Value: One sold at Rago auctions for $1,020 03/08. |
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Compare this vase to the one above. A slight variation in the decorative details at the top but clearly by the same hand. Finish was cleaned long ago. Slightly shorter than the usual 7 inches, this vase is 6.25 inches high. Value: This sold at Auction Helper for $1,110 03/10. |
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Highly unusual, possibly unique, wonderful little cylinder vase/cup with a band of 7 tiny diamond flowers. Signed with Karl Kipp Hand Wrought mark. Circa 1915. Probably made by Walter Jennings but could also be Kipp's work. Only 2.5 inches high by 2.5 inches wide. Thick copper and nice workmanship. Master coppersmith Ron VanOstrand speculates that this piece may actually have been made to hold copper chasing tools, based on the size and the cork insert glued to the inside bottom. Value: No auction record, but estimated at $1,500+. |
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Another member of the "diamond flower" family, but this is a super rare smaller version signed KK (Karl Kipp) Probably made by Jennings while at the Tookay shop, this vase measures 4" by 1.75" and has a rare very dark finish.
Value: This vase sold Rago's 1/01 for $4,750+15%. Don't hold your breath for another one to show up. Click here for a big pic. |
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About 10 inches high. Cylinder form with tooled diamond flower designs. Here's the 10 inch Roycroft production cylinder vase model 212 in mint original Aurora Brown finish. Similar to the 7 incher, but it has trailing stems ending in a little curl about 3/4 down, and there's no band around the bottom.
Value: this vase is very high quality, has the Jennings two dot mark, and the condition is mint, so the value is high, perhaps $3500+. However, the form typically ranges from about $1,800-2,800 depending on quality and condition. Auction prices: $2640 vg cond 9/99, $1,975 gd cond 3/00 eBay; $2,200+15% vg cond Rago's 1/01; $1,853 vg cond. 12/01 ebay; $1804 ex cond but with an engraved monogram (usually reduces value) 11/05; $2,300 vg cond w/ early mark ebay 12/06.. click here for a big pic of a different example of this form, and here for another one, and here for a nice one but with a monogram. Click here for a big pic of the very nice one that sold for $2300 on ebay 12/06 -- early mark, great color and patina, and age appropriate wear -- that's the market price right now for a desirable example of this form. Collection of David and Debbie Rudd, Daltons |
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Here's the Old Brass finish version of the 10 inch Roycroft production cylinder vase model 212. Finish on this one is ok. Value: $1,500-2,250 Auction prices: This one sold for $2226 eBay 10/05. click here for a big pic of a well-worn brass version that failed to meet an $1800 reserve 8/00 on ebay. |
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Super rare and awesome cylinder vase, circa 1919. About 9 inches high. Italian Polychrome finish. Fantastic design and workmanship, probably by Walter Jennings. Although this form is cataloged as part of the Italian Polychrome line (vase number 228), it is extremely rare (one example known to me). I had been waiting for years for one of these to show up and this one finally appeared at a small Ohio auction in October 2008 - and it's almost mint! Value: very hard to value, just assume $3,000+. |
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Another rare and awesome Italian Polychrome cylinder vase probably by Jennings. About 10 inches high. Like the one above, fantastic design and workmanship. Cataloged as part of the Italian Polychrome line (vase number 229), but this is the only one I know of. In terms of design, craftsmanship, and rarity, Roycroft vases probably don't get much better, so a vase like this represents the top of the market.
Value: very hard to value, just assume $3,000+. Collection of David and Debbie Rudd, Daltons |
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Another super rare and awesome cylinder vase! About 10 inches high. Silver plate finish. Mint condition. Similar design to the vase above, but in a rare silver finish. Probably by Walter Jennings, this vase could be one-of-a-kind.
Value: very hard to value, assume $3,000+. Collection of David and Debbie Rudd, Daltons |
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A rare cylinder vase! About 10 inches high. Unsigned but probably Roycroft-related.
Value: no auction record.
Collection of David and Debbie Rudd, Daltons |
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Spectacular and very rare Karl Kipp vase. Corseted form with applied arts and crafts style decoration. In Kipp's 1914 catalog there was a centerfold picture with 7 vases pictured. They never seem to show up, so it's possible it was a run of one-off's or at least very limited production. This is one of these vases and it's the only example I'm aware of. For the uninitiated, Karl Kipp was the manager of Roycroft's Copper Shop, but left to establish his own shop (The Tookay shop) in 1912, returning to Roycroft around 1915. According to Kevin McConnell, the Tookay Shop continued to operate into the 1920s. Signed with the "Hand Wrought" mark (Kipp had another mark consisting of back-to-back K's). This vase was refinished by Michael Adams. Value: No auction results, so too hard to value. Collection Roycroft Arts Museum, Boice Lydell |
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Here's another one of the rare vases from Kipp's Tookay Shop 1914 catalog centerfold. A 7 inch corseted form, if it's not the actual one pictured in the catalog, then it's a close sibling. Condition is a bit rough, as finish has been cleaned off and there's a dent or two, but given the rarity -- it's the only one I'm aware of -- this is a wonderful condidate for restoration. Value -- It sold very very low on ebay at $400 July 2008 due to the condition issues. One in excellent condition would be worth a lot more. |
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Rare Karl Kipp vase with handle. About 7 inches high. It's listed in Kipp's 1912 Tookay Shop catalogue. The only one I've ever seen, but I think the design is a little funky. Not the prettiest piece to ever come out of the Tookay Shop.
Value: $1,500-2,000. This piece sold at Treadway in 2000 for $2,000 + premium. |
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About 5 inches high. Bulbous form with tooled designs. Here's a rare Italian Polychrome vase (but Roycroft called it a bowl), probably designed by Walter Jennings in the late teens. The IP line appears in the 1919 catalog, but is not represented in the 1924 catalog. The tooled areas have the remnants of green polychrome highlights. This vase sold on eBay in September 1999 for $1,125, and another excellent one sold on ebay in early 2008 for around $1200.
click here for a big picture. Photo used by permission |
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Rare, about 2.5 inches high, bulbous form with tooled designs from Roycroft's Italian Polychrome line. There were only two Italian Polychrome bowl-like vases cataloged. This is the other one, which is much smaller. Also extremely rare and desirable to collectors. This vase sold on eBay in 2001 for around $400, and then resold on ebay 9/08 for $614.
click here for more pics that show the terrible things that happen when you use valuable antiques as plant pots.
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About 15.5 inches high. This is a neat example of later Roycroft/Karl Kipp production sometimes called an "Ali Baba" vase (but I think because it looks like an anorexic American Beauty vase it should be called an "Ali McBeal"). The greenish finish is called Verde Green according to my 1924 catalogue. These vases are not hammered, but they're nicely made, quite heavy, and because they don't show up too often they're valuable. This one is even more special because it's signed Karl Kipp (the later Handwrought mark).
Value: $2,000-ish. Auction results: $1920 Rago 3/08. click here for a big picture. Photo used by permission |
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About 15.5 inches high. Here's another Ali Baba vase, this time with a silver acid etched finish. The photo also shows the late mark on this vase.
Value: $1,000-$1,500. This vase sold for $1000 on ebay 12/00. click here for a big picture. |
