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Historic L.A. stained-glass ceiling up for auction

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Los Angeles Modern Auctions, founded in 1992, will celebrate its 50th sale on Sunday by offering what owner Peter Loughrey calls ‘the most comprehensive stained-glass window ever built in Southern California, a landmark design that affected the market for stained-glass windows for decades.’

Created in 1965 by Roger Darricarrere, who won the medal for best artwork at the 1964 World’s Fair, the unique piece was a custom commission for the ceiling of the Columbia Savings Bank in Los Angeles. During the auction preview, 28 panels from the work and a pyramid, shown above, will be displayed at Los Angeles Modern Auctions’ headquarters in Van Nuys.

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‘While each panel was composed to make up a larger design,’ the auction catalog notes, ‘they can easily be assembled in smaller sections or used individually as coffee or dining tables.’

That’s good to know, as installation could prove costly, and the estimated price of the work is $80,000 to $100,000.

The entire glass mural is made up of 84 concrete-and-glass pieces, with the pyramid hanging down from the center, and covered nearly 1,300 square feet when it was originally unveiled, as shown at right.

Another highlight is a piece designed by William Haines, one of the forefathers of the Hollywood Regency style. In the mid 1930s, Haines was commissioned to decorate the home of studio chief Jack Warner. He created the bronze-framed Lanai sofa, left, which was later owned by David Geffen and actress Carol Kane. It is valued at $20,000 to $30,000.

Not everything in the auction is expected to sell for such astronomic figures. Among some of the items estimated at less than $1,000: a pair of Paul McCobb side tables, four Eames chairs, and ceramics by David Cressey and Stan Bitters.

Free public previews run daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Saturday at 16145 Hart St., Van Nuys; (323) 904-1950.

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-- David A. Keeps

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