Witco Tiki Bar and Stools Ebay/Treadway auction - Tiki Marketplace

TK Tiki Kollektor Member A Cave in Manhattan Joined: Aug 29, 2006 Posts: 107	TK Tiki Kollektor Posted posted on Sun, Apr 29, 2007 5:33 PM On 2007-04-29 08:16, Basement Kahuna wrote: The thing I can't believe is that William Westenhaver is now being sold at a Treadway auction next to Mies Van DerRoe, Charles Eames, Arne Jacobsen, and Breur Wassily! Well deserved in his own right. It really has come full circle! That's exactly what I was thinking. As someone who has collected Arts and Crafts and other 20th Century design for a long while, I think it's only a matter of (short) time before Witco (tiki, conquistador, viking, or whatever style) is identified as particularly representative of some type of "1970's style" in American decorative arts. I recently previewed Dave Rago's modern auction and he and I were discussing the Paul Evans pieces (real "art furniture" from the same period). The premier Evans lot is a cabinet estimated at around $80,000-120,000, so collecting 1970s decor has certainly arrived, but Witco is almost completely unknown (for now). None of the Modern dealers I've spoken with in NYC have heard of it (until you say "Elvis Jungle Room"). But of course everyone who sees it says "that's so 70s!" In my opinion, Witco might be to Paul Evans what Stickley (pick your brother) is to Rohlfs, Green and Green or Frank Lloyd Wright --- the somewhat mass-produced exemplar of a design era, with an occasional artistic all-star thrown in (and yes, a fur covered carved jungle room lounge chair might be that!). There are an awful lot of people around now who are kicking themselves for not recognizing Stickley back when it was affordable (and when most people had the same reaction to Mission style as they do now to the Jungle Room stuff!). It may be that the next generation will build their important Witco Decor collections by buying pieces out of Treadway, Rago, even Christies on a regular basis. One last thought -- all it would take to change the landscape is for one key dealer to show up at the Modernism Show or the Pier Show in NYC with a complete Witco suite set up as a room installation on some killer green shag wall-to-wall! The trend spotters would be all over it -- next thing you know there's a feature in Elle Decor -- and each of your bar stools (Tiki or not tiki) are now worth $1500 a pop. [ Edited by: Tiki Kollektor 2007-04-29 17:42 ]

On 2007-04-29 08:16, Basement Kahuna wrote:
The thing I can't believe is that William Westenhaver is now being sold at a Treadway auction next to Mies Van DerRoe, Charles Eames, Arne Jacobsen, and Breur Wassily! Well deserved in his own right. It really has come full circle!

That's exactly what I was thinking. As someone who has collected Arts and Crafts and other 20th Century design for a long while, I think it's only a matter of (short) time before Witco (tiki, conquistador, viking, or whatever style) is identified as particularly representative of some type of "1970's style" in American decorative arts. I recently previewed Dave Rago's modern auction and he and I were discussing the Paul Evans pieces (real "art furniture" from the same period). The premier Evans lot is a cabinet estimated at around $80,000-120,000, so collecting 1970s decor has certainly arrived, but Witco is almost completely unknown (for now). None of the Modern dealers I've spoken with in NYC have heard of it (until you say "Elvis Jungle Room"). But of course everyone who sees it says "that's so 70s!"

In my opinion, Witco might be to Paul Evans what Stickley (pick your brother) is to Rohlfs, Green and Green or Frank Lloyd Wright --- the somewhat mass-produced exemplar of a design era, with an occasional artistic all-star thrown in (and yes, a fur covered carved jungle room lounge chair might be that!). There are an awful lot of people around now who are kicking themselves for not recognizing Stickley back when it was affordable (and when most people had the same reaction to Mission style as they do now to the Jungle Room stuff!). It may be that the next generation will build their important Witco Decor collections by buying pieces out of Treadway, Rago, even Christies on a regular basis.

One last thought -- all it would take to change the landscape is for one key dealer to show up at the Modernism Show or the Pier Show in NYC with a complete Witco suite set up as a room installation on some killer green shag wall-to-wall! The trend spotters would be all over it -- next thing you know there's a feature in Elle Decor -- and each of your bar stools (Tiki or not tiki) are now worth $1500 a pop.

[ Edited by: Tiki Kollektor 2007-04-29 17:42 ]

Post #302758 by Tiki Kollektor on Sun, Apr 29, 2007 5:33 PM