Tiffany window from Ohio church shatters expectations, sells for $12.48M
The historic Danner Memorial Window originally installed inside First Baptist Church in Canton, Ohio, blew past all expectations, selling at auction for a whopping $12.48 million on Monday night, according to the auction company.
Crafted by Tiffany Studios, the 16-by-10-foot window lauded by experts as a masterpiece was auctioned by Sotheby's in New York City.
The $12.48 million amount includes auction fees after bidding topped out at $10.8 million.
Previous estimates had it going for between $5 million and $7 million.
It took 6 minutes and 41 seconds to reach the winning bid, which began at $4 million.
The window designed by Tiffany Studios artist Agnes Northrop was commissioned by Annie McClymonds of Morris Plains, New Jersey, in 1913 to honor her uncle and aunt, John and Theresa Danner, who cofounded the First Baptist Church in Canton in 1849.
In 1989, First Baptist built a new church in suburban Plain Township and sold the original building and its contents, including its stained-glass windows, to various auctioneers around the country for a total of $900,000.
"It's astonishing," said the Rev. Kevin Thomas, the current senior pastor at what is now known as Full Devotion-First Baptist Church. "To think this church has a historical connection to John Danner. I woke up... and read that, and thought, 'Whoo!'"
Shortly after the original building was sold, it was destroyed by fire.
"We still have a few members who were connected to the process when the church was sold," Thomas said. "Nobody thought that 30 years later, it would sell for that price."
Over the last 20 years, the Danner Memorial Window has been privately owned by American art collector Alan Gerry, founder of the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, site of the famous 1969 Woodstock Festival.
In 2000, the window broke a world record for Tiffany window auctions, selling for $1.99 million.
This month's winning bidder was not identified.
Reach Charita at charita.goshay@cantonrep.com or on X @cgoshayREP.