Contemporary Glass 
6 February 2025
Contemporary Glass 
166

Dan Dailey b.1947

Nude in Junk lamp

1996
blown glass, bronze, gold-plated bronze, aluminum, plate glass, Vitrolite and lampworked glass 34 h × 24 w × 9 d in (86 × 61 × 23 cm)
estimate: $10,000–15,000
result: $16,510
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Impressed signature to foot ‘Dailey’.
provenance: Collection of Dr. and Mrs. Morton and Rhea Mandell
literature: Dan Dailey, Dailey, pg. 197 illustrates this example

This work will ship from Lambertville, New Jersey.

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Planning and Teamwork

Dan Dailey's Creative Process

Contemporary glass maestro and self-described graphic artist Dan Dailey discusses the conceptuality and intentional design process behind his functional glass objects and sculptures.

For the Love of Glass

Works from the Mandell Collection

Rago is honored to present an exceptional selection of works from the collection of Dr. Morton and Mrs. Rhea Mandell. The Mandells’ journey into contemporary glass art began when Rhea’s brother introduced them to the medium through his own collection. Moved by the transcendent beauty and craftsmanship of his pieces, they embarked on a journey to curate a collection that would reflect their shared appreciation for this extraordinary art form.

For decades, these works were cherished fixtures in the Mandells’ lives, with most displayed in their home in Boca Raton, Florida. A select few pieces graced their Philadelphia-area residence, and today, Dr. Mandell continues to draw joy and solace from treasured pieces in his home in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, honoring Rhea’s memory and their shared love of the art. With this offering, Dr. Mandell hopes these extraordinary works will find new stewards who will experience the same profound connection, joy, and inspiration that enriched the Mandells’ lives for so many years.

Dan Dailey b. 1947

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World-renowned American visual and glass artist Dan Dailey was born in Philadelphia and educated at the Philadelphia College of Art (B.A.) and the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design (M.A.), where he was the first graduate student to study under Dale Chihuly. He has produced sculptural and functional art, with a particular emphasis on lighting, since 1970. Dailey is Professor Emeritus at Massachusetts College of Art in Boston and founded their Glass Department in 1973. He also taught at RISD, the Pilchuck Glass School, and the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts and has lectured and led workshops across the United States, Europe, and Japan.

Each of Dailey’s creations begins with detailed drawings and watercolors inspired by humans and the world surrounding us. Dailey works primarily in series and has explored a myriad of forms, styles, and topics, including faces, animals, architecture, masks, mythology, gender, and nature. His drawings and watercolors are not only used to refine his ideas, but to direct his geographically diverse team which can include glassblowers in Seattle, acid polishing in West Virginia, waterjet cutters in local shops, and a variety of assistants at his New Hampshire studio.

Since the early 1970s, Dailey has been a part of over 300 group, juried, and invitational exhibitions, and held numerous one-person museum and gallery shows including a retrospective at the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution. In addition to his impressive personal and educational accomplishments are his more than 70 architectural commissions at a variety of locales including corporate headquarters, hospitals, and private residences. He is the recipient of many awards including a Fulbright Hayes Fellowship (1972-73) and the James Renwick Alliance’s Masters of the Medium Award (2001) and was elected a Fellow of the American Craft Council in 1998. His work is held in over 50 public and private collections worldwide, including the Museum of Arts and Design, New York, the National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto, and the National Gallery of Victoria.

Auction Results Dan Dailey

Dan Dailey

Fine and tall Female Figurative Floor Lamp

estimate: $35,000–45,000

result: $40,000

Dan Dailey

Birds with Topaz sconces, pair

estimate: $25,000–35,000

result: $37,500

Dan Dailey

Maybe from the Individuals series

estimate: $10,000–15,000

result: $32,500

Dan Dailey

Fine large lighting sculpture

estimate: $10,000–15,000

result: $31,250

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