Despite the severely cold weather that had gripped much of the Northeast, the action at Fontaines Auction Gallery was hot at its Fine and Decorative Arts Auction on Feb. 7. The auction surpassed its high estimate to total $4.6 million with about two-thirds of the sale results coming from Tiffany Studios wares, primarily lighting. It takes a lot to surprise John Fontaine, auctioneer and owner of Fontaines, but even he admitted to being surprised to see that the Tiffany items as a group accounted for $3 million of the total sales. This auction was amazing and we were very pleased with the results, he said. You expect that the very good items will bring very good prices but even the mid-range items did very well, outperforming their estimates in many cases. Bidders came out in droves with more than 9,500 registered bidders from 67 countries represented. What came as little surprise however was that a historically important and monumental Tiffany Glass & Decorating Company Moorish chandelier from the First Presbyterian Church, Buffalo, N.Y., ca. 1892, became the sales top lot when bidders drove the price to $500,000. The chandelier was not only a masterpiece to behold, but also one of the earliest surviving examples of Tiffanys use of leaded glass panels to enclose a light source. Certainly not suitable for the average house, this monumental chandelier had a 72-inch drop, but a private collector in Virginia evidently has just the place for it as they were the winning bidder. As a grouping, Tiffany Studios table lamps held six of the auctions top ten spots, led not by a floral pattern example but a fine Russian table lamp, ca. 1910, having a 20-inch diameter shade, that attained $125,000. This was a fine example in great condition that had been out of the public eye for decades as the consignor had acquired it before the 1980s. The parade of floral and nature-themed Tiffany lamps did cross the block though, to much acclaim. Highlights included a large Lotus table lamp with a 26.5-inch diameter shade that achieved $118,750; a Drophead Dragonfly example sold for $107,550; a Jonquil-Daffodil, $81,250; and a Peony lamp sold for $75,000. Tiffany Studios lighting came in a variety of forms, ranging from a large Chain Mail chandelier in favrile glass in earthy green and brown hues and patinated bronze that sold for $71,875, to a set of four wall sconces that sold for $62,500. A non-Tiffany standout that was among the auctions top performers was an mile Gall (1846-1904) pis De Bl Art Nouveau marquetry sideboard, which realized $75,000. The ca. 1903 piece was signed, and a related model can be found in the collection of the Muse des Arts Dcoratifs, Paris. Four fine bronze sculptures by Evgeny Lanceray were on offer, led by Crossing of the Balkans selling for $37,500. Rounding out the auction was a stainless steel sculpture by Harry Bertoia, Small Wheat, that earned $27,500. It is included in the Harry Bertoia catalogue raisonn. All prices reported include the buyers premium. Fontaines Auction Gallery is located at 1485 W. Housatonic St. (Route 20), Pittsfield, Mass. For more information, visit www.fontainesauction.com.