Rago Auctions

  • Auctions
      • Auctions + Events
      • Upcoming
      • Past
      • Catalogs
      • View Catalogs
      • Upcoming Auctions
        • Post War & Contemporary Ceramics
        • Summer Jewels & Watches
        • Photographs Unlimited
        • Urban Art
  • Artists & Designers
      • Artists & Designers
      • View All
      • Featured Artists & Designers
        • George E. Ohr
        • Paul Evans
        • Viola Frey
        • Lino Tagliapietra
        • Gertrud and Otto Natzler
        • Wendell Castle
        • George Nakashima
  • Buying & Selling
      • Buying
      • Bidding
      • Shipping
      • payment
      • Terms of Sale
      • Selling
      • Sell With Rago
      • Trusts, Estates & Appraisals
      • Free Evaluations
      • Submit Your Items Now
  • Contact
      • Information
      • About Rago
      • Contact Us
      • NYC Gallery
      • Send Feedback
      • Sign Up For Emails
      • Sign up for auction alerts & news!
log in

Artists & Designers (0)

No Results

Upcoming Items (0)

No Results

Past Items (0)

No Results

Resources (4)

  • View our Auctions

  • About Us

  • Looking to consign an item? We offer Free Evaluations

  • Have another question? Contact us

Rago / Wright presents

Structure & Ornament
Studio Jewelry: 1900 to the Present
Curated by Mark McDonald

Information View Lots View Catalog

This auction—the first of its kind in America—is an expansion upon the landmark 1984 exhibition at Fifty/50 Gallery of modernist studio jewelry. This sale includes works by revolutionary goldsmiths Giampaolo Babetto and John Paul Miller, mid-century icons Margaret De Patta and Art Smith, contemporary masters such as Lisa Gralnick and Peter Chang, and stand-out works from some of the twentieth century's most pivotal artists, like Claire Falkenstein, Harry Bertoia and Arnaldo Pomodoro.

Ernest Blyth  bracelet  $7,500  

The earliest work in the sale, a unique hair comb by Josef Hoffmann and Wiener Werkstätte from 1909, blends the Art Nouveau motifs of the 19th century with the emerging modernist aesthetics of the 20th.

Josef Hoffmann  hair comb  $47,500  

This sale features contemporary jewelry designers from around the world who create work that challenges traditional approaches to material, craftsmanship and aesthetics. Featured are works by Terhi Tolvanen, Annamaria Zanella, Gijs Bakker,  Karl Fritsch and  Petra Zimmermann.

Hans Richter  brooch  $4,375  

Join us in New York for an exhibition of this extraordinary collection. 

31 January – 6 February 2020
12 – 5 pm Monday – Saturday

Rago / Wright at The High Line Nine
507 West 27th Street, New York

John Paul Miller  Scorpion necklace  $30,000  

An Introduction to the Collection

By Mark McDonald

Creating this sale has been a look back and a lunge forward for me, reviving treasured old connections and encouraging me to stretch my focus in new directions. 

The core material of this auction—mid-century modernist studio jewelry—has always been a large part of my professional career. At Fifty/50, our gallery in Manhattan from 1980 to 1993, my partners and I were pioneers in this field: researching, gathering, and exhibiting the best work available to us. Our 1984 exhibition and catalogue, Structure and Ornament: Studio Jewelry 1940-1960, featured many pieces purchased, or consigned directly, from key jewelers of that era, or from their friends and families. I have maintained many of these relationships to this day. And several pieces from that original show have found their way into this auction.

The Fifty/50 endeavor, in 1984, established a market and platform for the resale of this material, benefiting buyers, as well as sellers, and serving as my inspiration for the title of this auction. One of my goals for this sale is that it too will establish a viable and healthy marketplace for studio jewelry from 1900 to the present, with this informative catalogue serving as a guide and reference—a lasting document.

This sale is built on the foundation of two major collections, assembled in the 1980s, by incredibly astute early connoisseurs. My job has been to create and curate a body of work expanding the scope of these consignments, including earlier twentieth century pieces, and continuing the thread into more contemporary work. 

The important point I want to stress in this presentation is the continuum of the modern studio jewelry movement throughout the past one hundred years—the interconnected ideas, techniques, and materials. In assembling this auction, and attempting to create a broad yet cohesive focus, I’ve had the opportunity to make new connections and relationships. I have been pleased at the response to my appeals for support…collectors, artists, and gallerists have been enthusiastic, encouraging, instructive, and generous.

Ed Wiener  Dancer brooch  $1,000–1,5000; Ed Wiener  brooch  $2,000–3,000

Gerd Rothmann  Four Finger bracelet  $10,000–15,000  

Structure & Ornament
Studio Jewelry: 1900 to the Present

Curated by Mark McDonald

For more information about
this sale, contact:

312.563.0020
sales@wright20.com

Preview / New York
 507 W 27th St.
31 Jan – 6 Feb 2020
12 – 5 pm Mon – Sat

Preview / New Jersey
333 N Main St, Lambertville
8 – 12 February 2020
12 – 5 pm Daily

Auction / New Jersey
12 February 2020
11 am eastern

Sign up for auction alerts & news!
  • Upcoming Auctions
  • Artist & Designers
  • Sell with Rago
  • Contact

© Rago Wright, LLC 2025


  • Cookie Policy
  • Cookie Settings
  • CA Privacy Notice

  • Terms of Sale
  • Privacy Policy
  • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
  • SMS Policy

  • Accessibility Widget

A network of independent auction houses

0

List price does not include shipping or sales tax; sales tax will be calculated based on your shipping address.

If you have any further questions, please contact us at 312 563 0020 or sales@wright20.com

Please note items will remain in your cart for 24 hours and are subject to availability.