Rago Auctions

First introduced in 1916, Wedgwood’s Fairyland Lustre wares were born from the fertile imagination of Daisy Makeig-Jones (1881-1945). Similar to well-known American decorative arts firms such as Tiffany Studios and Rookwood Pottery, English maker Wedgwood hired many women artists and decorators. Makeig-Jones started her apprenticeship at Wedgwood in 1909 through her family friend, Cecil Wedgwood.

After Makeig-Jones joined Wedgwood’s female painter training program, she became one of the firm’s lead designers by 1914. Within a year or so, she created the fantastical Fairyland Lustre line against the grim backdrop of World War I. Drawing on her childhood memories and vivid imagination, Makeig-Jones gave her pottery jewel-toned rainbow hues and adorned works with imps, fairies, and an array of flora and fauna. For inspiration, she borrowed from 19th century English fairytale illustrations while incorporating other exotic elements, such as ancient mythologies and Chinese and Japanese folklores. These whimsical designs captured the hearts and minds of a war-weary public and helped lift Wedgwood out of an economic slump.

Beyond being beautiful and well-designed, the Fairyland Lustre line was technically innovative thanks to the lustre glazes for which it was named. The iridescent colors were achieved by adding precious metals to the glaze formulae and each pot was fired multiple times, making it a time-consuming and expensive process. However, this laboriousness yielded brilliant gilt highlights, which led to highly ornate yet harmonious designs in a striking blend of Arts & Crafts and Art Nouveau styles as well as East Asian and Middle Eastern aesthetics.

Fairyland Lustre remained popular and financially viable for about a decade, but the market for it dried up around the time of the Great Depression and the burgeoning Art Deco movement. The line was retired in 1929 and Makeig-Jones followed suit in 1931. Despite a difficult exit from the company, in part due to her inability to change with the times, Makeig-Jones's legacy at Wedgwood is nevertheless one of great innovation, success, and creativity.

Seymour Stein is co-founder and Chairman of Sire Records, one of the world’s most influential record labels and home to some of the most iconic artists in modern music. He has been Sire’s driving visionary and creative force since its origins in the 1960s as an independent label and its four-decade tenure as part of Warner Music Group. His unique ability to anticipate musical trends, and to discover and sign the greatest artists within those movements, has left an indelible mark on contemporary culture. 

It was in 1955, when he was just 13 years old, that Stein was granted access to the Billboard archives, where he painstakingly transcribed two decades of charts, developing his encyclopedic memory of songs. After high school, he joined the Billboard staff, then worked for King Records and Red Bird Records. He and producer Richard Gottehrer launched Sire Records in 1967. 

Stein first saw the Ramones in 1975 and, as he said, “It was like sticking my hand in a live electric light socket.” The band’s first album was released by Sire in 1976. It remains one of the seminal recordings in rock and roll history. Stein put New Wave music – a term he coined – on the mainstream map with the likes of Talking Heads and the Pretenders. And in a moment that has become a permanent part of music industry lore, Stein signed a young artist named Madonna while he was in the hospital recuperating from a heart infection. Over the years, Sire’s roster has included other cutting-edge artists such as Tom Tom Club, Depeche Mode, The Smiths, The Cure, Ice-T, k.d. lang, Seal, Everything But The Girl, Aztec Camera, Dinosaur Jr., Wilco, My Bloody Valentine, Primal Scream, Aphex Twin, Spacehog, Regina Spektor, Tegan & Sara, and many more. Stein was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005.

In addition to his myriad musical pursuits, Stein developed an impeccable eye for fine and decorative art. His particular love for Art Deco and Art Nouveau design began during his many trips to London and Paris while on the hunt for new bands to sign. With the guidance of his long-time curator and adviser Rodney Richardson, Stein procured only the best examples of ceramics, paintings, drawings, and furniture he could find. We are thrilled to present works from his extraordinary collection and are grateful to him and Rodney for their help, warmth, and good humor.