Edward J. Wormley Auction Prices and Value Guide

Edward J. Wormley auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 749 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.

Edward J. Wormley auction prices: quick answer

Edward J. Wormley auction prices depend on medium, size, date, condition, provenance, edition details, attribution confidence, and recent comparable auction sales.

Artist
Edward J. Wormley
Source records
749
Market update
2026-02-16

Artist context

About Edward J. Wormley

Edward J. Wormley (1907–1995) was an American furniture designer whose work bridged historical craftsmanship and twentieth-century modernism. Born in Rochelle, Illinois, he studied briefly at the Art Institute of Chicago before beginning his career in the late 1920s. Wormley is best known for his long tenure as director of design at the Dunbar Furniture Corporation of Berne, Indiana, where he produced lines that combined traditional materials and silhouettes with modernist restraint. His designs—including the Tuxedo sofa, Hearst chair, and Janus series—earned a place in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Collectors and institutions continue to seek Wormley pieces for their blend of comfort, refined proportion, and mid-century sophistication.

Mid-Century Modernfurnitureupholstery and textilesseating (sofas, chairs, lounges)tables and case pieces

Common works and media

Wormley's output spans upholstered seating (sofas, lounge chairs, ottomans), wooden case pieces (desks, credenzas, dressers), dining tables and chairs, and occasional tables. Many pieces were produced under the Dunbar label and carry manufacturer marks or paper labels. Original fabrics and finishes, when intact, are valued by collectors. Reupholstered or refinished examples are common in the secondary market and should be assessed for impact on value.

Market and appraisal context

Edward J. Wormley's furniture commands a well-established secondary market with 264 auction lots recorded by Appraisily, of which 141 carry realized prices. The price distribution spans €195 at the low end to €32,500 at the high end, with a median of €5,200 and an interquartile range of €2,200–€10,000. The market is predominantly European: Piasa (Paris) is the most active house by volume, followed by Cornette de Saint-Cyr (Brussels and Paris), Artcurial, Tajan, and Aguttes. Rago Arts and Auction Center (Lambertville, NJ) represents the primary North American channel. Premium results cluster around identified model numbers—the Model 5761 realized €17,000 at Piasa in November 2024, and the Model 5425 achieved €15,000 in the same sale. A Model 3137 sofa reached €7,000 in April 2025. Collaborative pieces, such as the Wormley × Tiffany Model 5625T, and pieces distributed through Jules Wabbes in Europe, add a niche collector layer. Liquidity is moderate: the trailing twelve months show no priced lots in Appraisily records (likely a data-ingest lag rather than a market absence), while the prior twelve months recorded 20 lots. Collectors should expect pieces to surface primarily at continental 20th-century design sales two to four times per year.

Auction categories and appraisal factors

Common auction categories

  • 20th Century Design
  • Mid-Century Modern Furniture
  • furniture
  • upholstery and textiles

Value drivers

  1. Attribution to Dunbar Furniture Corporation, for which Wormley served as director of design for decades
  2. Model or line identification (e.g., Tuxedo, Hearst, Janus, Precedent series)
  3. Condition of original finishes, upholstery, and mechanical components
  4. Provenance and documented exhibition or publication history
  5. Model or line identification (e.g., Janus, Tuxedo, Hearst, Precedent, Long John, numbered models such as 5761, 5425, 4632S)
  6. Originality of finishes, upholstery, and mechanical components—original Dunbar fabrics and walnut finishes command premiums

Appraisal caveats

  • Wormley furniture was produced in quantity by Dunbar; not all pieces carry equal rarity or value. Condition, specific model, and originality strongly affect appraisal outcomes.
  • The recent 12-month lot count is zero in Appraisily records, which likely reflects a data-ingest lag rather than an actual market hiatus; the prior 12 months recorded 20 lots, indicating ongoing liquidity.
  • Many recent lots at Piasa lack published realized prices (priceRealised: null), so the effective sample of confirmed results is smaller than the 141 priced-lot count suggests. Estimates of central tendency may shift as more results populate.
  • The observed auction houses skew heavily toward France and Belgium; results from major US design houses (Christie's, Sotheby's, Wright) that the existing profile references are not represented in this source pack's recent lots. Appraisals for the North American market should account for this geographic bias.

Evidence

Sources for artist context

This source-grounded artist context passed Appraisily's promotion threshold: high confidence, strong sources.

Source-grounded artist Markdown

Data basis

This page is built from Appraisily's public auction market index. Private transactions, incomplete sale feeds, and attribution changes may not be fully represented.

LLM-readable Markdown summary for Edward J. Wormley

LLM summary index · LLM full index

Artist value FAQ

How much is Edward J. Wormley worth?

Comparable public auction sales are the best starting point, but final value depends on the specific artwork, condition, size, medium, provenance, and attribution confidence.

Can Appraisily value my Edward J. Wormley artwork?

Yes. Appraisily can review photos, dimensions, signatures, condition, provenance, and comparable market data to prepare a current valuation.