: Large auction, large crowds and large prices. All contributed to
another large grossing sale at Northeast Auctions over the
weekend of March 6, as Ron Bourgeault posted an impressive $3.4
million sales total for the 1,100 lots offered.
The long list of lots included an impressive roll call of
consignors with more than 350 lots deaccessioned from Colonial
Williamsburg, 100-plus lots from the American and English
ceramics collection of Don and Pam Levine and the tall-case clock
collection of George Demitroff.
The auction included another 60-plus cataloged items from a
private collection, however, Bourgeault received an unpleasant
surprise during the final hours of preview when an injunction was
filed that disallowed the sale of cataloged lots 248 through 309.
Signs were posted throughout the auction hall on Saturday morning
that read "As the result of a certain legal proceeding commenced
two days ago, lots 248-309 as listed in the catalog are not being
offered for sale at this time." The situation left many dismayed,
especially those that had traveled to the sale for those
particular items.
Bourgeault reasoned that those items will more than likely be
re-offered this summer. Some of the lots to be withdrawn included
a pair of New York Hepplewhite shield back armchairs, a Duncan
Phyfe attributed Sheraton sofa and a Newburyport Chippendale wall
clock by David Wood. Most notable, however, was a strong
assortment of China trade paintings and a large selection
assortment of Chinese export porcelains - many of which were
decorated with American eagles.
This New Hampshire Chippendale carved and painted slant front
desk signed by Samuel Dunlap was hammered down at $195,000.
The auction got off to a brisk start with offerings from the
Levine's ceramics collection with an assortment of Bennington
crossing the block first. The first lot to take off was a flint
enameled tulip and heart pattern pitcher that was actively pursued
by New York City dealer Gary Stradling and two phone bidders. The
lot went Stradling's way at $1,840. The next lot to attract
substantial interest was a small flint enameled butter dish with
insert and dome cover that was bid actively by Barbara Adams from
the front row, yet claimed by a buyer in the middle of the room at
$1,955.
A rare flint enameled chamber stick caught the eye of collectors.
"We have seen virtually all of the major collections and have
never seen more than two examples of a flint enameled chamber
stick," commented Bennington collector and dealer Charles Adams
in regard to the rarity of the piece. The lot opened at the high
estimate of $900 with Adams and several others getting in on the
quick paced action with it eventually selling to the buyer in the
middle of the room for $3,105.
The top lot of the Bennington came as an extremely rare light
green flint enameled Swiss Lady change cover sold at $8,050. This
was the only known example in green according to those "in the
know" at the auction. Other top lots included a pair of flint
enamel poodles at $4,600, a lion on base facing left $5,750 and a
lion sans base brought $4,600.
The top lot of the auction came a short while later as a painting
by Eastman Johnson was offered. The oil on board, entitled
"Embers," measuring 165/8 by 141/2 inches, was signed and dated
by Johnson in 1869. From a series of paintings executed in
Nantucket that documented the decline of the Island's golden age
of whaling, which, according to the catalog, allowed Johnson "to
capture a part of the nation's life rapidly fading from the
American scene." One of Johnson's favorite subjects was aging sea
Captain Charles Myrick, the subject of "Embers," a repeated
painting by the artist.
"This version of 'Embers,' largely unknown to the Amer-ican art
world, is an important rediscovery in Eastman Johnson's body of
work," states Bourgeault in the auction catalog. "It is a larger,
more complex rendering of the painting known as 'Embers,' last
exhibited at the 1972 Whitney Museum of American Art's
retrospective 'Eastman Johnson.'"
The best of the tall case clocks went virtually unnoticed until
preview, but once there it was scrutinzed by everyone,
including major players such as David Wheatcroft, James Glazer,
Bill Samaha and the successful bidder at $46,000, Pennsylvania
dealer Kelly Kinzle.
The painting, filled with suggestive reminders of
good-days-gone-by, symbolically employs a Windsor chair, a Queen
Anne lowboy and mirror. An aging Myrick "seated by the dying coals
of the fire is himself an ember of a bygone era," states Dr
Patricia Hill in both the catalog and her forthcoming raisonne of
Eastman's work, in which this painting will be featured.
Estimated at $80/120,000 the desirable picture opened for bidding
at $75,000 with three phone bidders jumping in on the action
right from the start. Two of the phones battled back and forth in
$5,000 increments to $95,000, where the third phone jumped into
the action. At $110,000 a bidder in the room became active, but
at $130,000 it was back to all telephone action. Bourgeault stuck
with the attractive $5,000 increments all the way to $205,000,
where it looked as if the lot would be hammered down. After a
long hesitation, a bid of $210,000 came which was immediately
countered at $215,000, resulting in a selling price of $239,000,
inclusive of the staggered 15/10 percent buyer's premium.
Other lots that did well included a New Hampshire Chippendale
carved and painted slant front desk signed by its maker, Samuel
Dunlap. The rare desk, with faux painted inlay and realistic
grained paint, featured an unusual step back interior with five
shell carved upper drawers. Along with Dunlap's signature,
several other chalk inscriptions were discovered on an interior
drawer with the inscription "Peter Fifield, Andover N.H."
discernable along with a partial date of "182-."
The desk had been the subject of a great deal of interest with
numerous dealers and collectors in the crowd ready as the lot
crossed the block. Three phone bidders were poised as Bourgeault
asked for a $60,000 opening bid, which was immediately received
from one of the phone bidders and quickly countered by the other
two. Bids came fast and furious from the phones with two hands in
the air at the same time on several occasions. At $110,000,
competition had narrowed to two bidders but the action never
slowed till the end when the lot was hammered down at $195,000.
Another of the lots that attracted major attention from the trade
was an extremely rare pair of Eighteenth Century portraits of
Mary Jarvis and Captain Phinias Stone, circa 1796, attributed to
an unknown Massachusetts limner. The oil on paper portraits
retained the original frames and were related to three portraits
offered at Sotheby's sale of the Bertram and Nina Fletcher Little
collection.
Estimated at $20/30,000, the portraits opened for bidding at
$19,000 with David Wheatcroft and Rockingham, Vt., dealer Stephen
Corrigan, of Stephen Douglas Antiques, going head to head.
Bourgeult moved painstakingly in $1,000 increments with the two
banging away to $70,000, where Corrigan claimed the lot at
$79,500, including premium.
"You just don't see Eighteenth Century portraits come onto the
market," said Corrigan of the pictures, "and these are absolutely
wonderful. They are simplistically stylized, straight-forward,
very naïve in fashion, there is almost a bluntness to them. It is
a very interesting quality that you just don't see in Nineteenth
Century portraits."
Corrigan also commented that he may have identified the limner,
who up until now has been unknown. He stated that he has a
similar piece from the same area dated 1807 that is signed Stone,
which has Corrigan thinking that the artist may be a family
member of the sitters. The dealer commented that the portraits
were purchased for stock and they are expected to make their
first appearance at The New Hampshire Dealers Show in August.
Until then, they have found a home in Corrigan's bedroom where he
looks at them every morning, "I just love them," he stated.
The New Jersey tall-case clock collection of George Demitroff was
offered with most of the examples selling near the low estimates.
A Philadelphia tall-case clock with step-molded bonnet-top and
moon phase dial inscribed "Jos. Wills" selling at $23,000. A
Simon Willard banjo clock also did well at $10,637, a fancy late
Nineteenth walnut clock with Westminster chimes by Walter Durfee
brought $29,900 and a Hepplewhite mahogany dwarf clock attributed
to Joshua Wilder realized $37,950.
The best of the tall-case clocks attracted the least amount of
attention, until preview that is. Once it appeared in the preview
area the desirable tall-case was scrutinized by everyone. The
Chippendale mahogany tall-case clock with inscribed brass dial by
Enos Doolittle, Hartford, was illustrated in a group photo in the
catalog and was offered sans reserve. A good-looking example,
which appeared to retain the original finish, the clock had a
scrolled pediment bonnet above an astral glazed door. The case
was nicely carved on a plinth base with ogee bracket feet.
Bidding on the lot was active with it selling to Pennsylvania
dealer Kelly Kinzle for $46,000.
A sum of $32,200 was paid for this Salem carved and gilded
eagle finial attributed to Samuel McIntyre.
Property deaccessioned from Colonial Williamsburg, the first
of several auctions featuring Williamsburg materials for Northeast
this year, was offered during the Sunday portion of the auction
with strong prices realized. According to Ronald Hurst, chief
curator and vice president of Colonial Williamsburg, items sold
were "objects that no longer advance the educational mission of the
Foundation," thus they "have been deaccessioned and authorized for
sale. These deaccessions are undertaken as part of a continuing
refinement of the collections in response to ongoing research and
study."
He further stated that funds generated by the sale would be used
to acquire items that would "further enrich the [Colonial
Williamsburg] collection with items more clearly representing the
Foundation's educational mission and goals."
The top lot from the Williamsburg items came as a New England
Chippendale serpentine front mahogany four-drawer chest was sold
with it easily surpassing the $15/25,000 presale estimate
bringing $97,750. A heavily carved Georgian mahogany settee with
out-swept arms terminating in carved eagles heads also soared
past estimates bringing $37,950, while a Chippendale rococo-style
carved mahogany and satin wood dressing table sold at the high
estimate of $34,500. Three pieces of Philadelphia furniture did
well with a walnut Queen Anne side chair attributed to Savery
hammering down at $33,350, a carved Chippendale armchair brought
$24,150 and a Queen Anne walnut dish-top bird-cage candlestand
realized $23,000.
A Joseph B. Smith portrait of the American clipper ship Ocean
Express entering the Golden Gate, circa 1855, an oil on
canvas, 32 by 44 inches, surpassed estimates bringing $63,000 and
a partially colored engraved map from 1780 entitled "A Chart of
the Coast of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland,
Virginia, North Carolina, Etc" from "The Atlantic Neptune" by JFW
Des Barres, also surpassed estimates bringing $14,375.
Prices include the 15 percent buyer's premium charged.
