Rare Lalique glass collection smashes records in $1 million auction

A collection of fine Lalique glassware, owned by Dr Jack Richards, sold at auction on Sunday for more than $1 million. Photo / Alan Gibson

Fierce bidding for pieces of Art Nouveau Lalique decorative glass broke records and reached more than $1 million in sales at a Webb's auction at the weekend.

Lalique collectors from New Zealand, the UK, Milan, Paris, Zurich, Tel Aviv and Dubai bought pieces from the renowned collection of linguist Dr Jack Richards. The "white glove" sale – meaning every piece sold – set new benchmarks for Lalique with many pieces doubling their estimates. The sale now holds the Australasian record for a Lalique collection.

Perruches, a selenium red and phosphate opal glass was estimated to fetch between $9000 and $12,000 but sold for $51,419.

This Lalique glass vase, Perruches, sold for $51,419 at a Webb's auction. Photo / Supplied

Palestra, estimated at between $32,000 and $35,000 reached $73,455. Many others more than doubled their estimates including Languedoc which sold for $20,813; Archers which sold for $44,073; and Oranges which sold for $47,746. Alicante, the copper and cobalt piece estimated between $32,000 and $35,000 fetched $58,764.

Richards travelled widely, gradually assembling one of the finest privately-owned collections of Lalique glasswork in the world. He bought his first piece of Lalique in Egypt in 1975. Although later pieces were made from crystal, he only collected Lalique made from glass, the original material French 20th century designer René Lalique intended for his designs.

Palestra, a Lalique glass urn sold for $73,455 at an auction of Dr Jack Richards' collection. Photo / Supplied

Richards' collection survived an earthquake in 2007 which shook his Gisborne home, thanks to the glassware being glued down with wax resin.

This piece of Lalique glass, named Archers, sold for $44,073. Photo / Supplied

Richards lent his collection to various galleries and museums and, in 2011, agreed to it being displayed in the purpose-built gallery Jack C. Richards Decorative Art Gallery at the Tairawhiti Museum in Gisborne, to which he contributed $350,000. But after a disagreement last year with the museum management over how his collection would be displayed, and realising that he could not continue to fund and extend the collection, Richards decided to sell the 110 pieces. The collection will now be spread across the globe with all registered bidders from overseas making successful purchases at the auction.

Ben Erren, director of decorative arts at Webb's, said it was a credit to Richards' collection that so many records were broken at the auction. Interest from collectors worldwide added a competitive edge to the sale.