: An imposing Early Nineteenth Century, three-section George III
inlaid mahogany bookcase-breakfront secretaire with glass doors
and octagonal bar design attracted substantial interest from
local and overseas buyers at Joseph Kabe's auction on March 13.
Opening at $7,000, the room burst into spirited bidding among
floor and phone bidders, including callers from Pennsylvania and
England, pushing the price up, in $500 increments, to $20,700,
ultimately hammered down by the phone dealer from England. "A
handsome piece and hard to come by," said Joe Kabe, owner and
auctioneer.
Equally distinctive was an Eighteenth Century English Chippendale
mahogany secretary-desk with mirrored doors and candle slides
above the desk. "A nice feature for providing light; they did
that in the Eighteenth Century," said Kabe. A dealer from
Woodbury snatched up the prize at $3,450, doubling its opening
bid.
Also noteworthy were a mid-Nineteenth Century American Empire
solid mahogany, four-poster plantation bed with canopy and
headboard, caught in a bidding war between two phone buyers, with
the price escalating to $3,162, an antiques shop in North Haven,
Conn., the successful bidder; an Eighteenth Century New London,
Conn., Chippendale four-drawer cherry chest, with ogee feet and
quarter columns, fetching $2,702 from an absentee antiques shop
in New Milford, Conn.; and a late Eighteenth Century Connecticut
cherry Hepplewhite chest, also aggressively bid by two buyers in
the room, climbing from $500 to $2,415.
Other prime lots included an early Nineteenth Century English
Regency four-drawer mahogany sofa table with satinwood inlay,
garnering $2,242, a Regency three-drawer satinwood writing table,
$2,127, and a mid-to-late Eighteenth Century American mahogany
ball and claw footed drop leaf table, attracting lively bidding,
$1,955. Additionally, two room buyers feverishly competed for a
small Eighteenth Century English inlaid mahogany sideboard,
driving the price up from $750 to $1,782. "An interesting size,"
said dealer Tom Medlin from Ivoryton, Conn.
Ginny Kabe with the top redware dish, $3,335.
Of special note was a small late Eighteenth-early Nineteenth
Century American oak friendship chest with the initials "GP" and
five locks and keys. Creating lots of interest, the bid bandied
among several room buyers, with the price climbing from $400 to
$1,840.
"The interesting thing about this family chest is that you need
all five keys to open it because each lock is different; it's
amazing that all the keys have survived," said Jeff Chinchak,
gallery manager.
An assortment of chairs stimulated bidding. Top among them was a
set of 12 custom carved English mahogany Chippendale-style chairs
with stretchers, bringing $4,600, seven 1790-1820 English oval
back rosewood chairs from the Adams period with bright red and
blue geometric patterned seats, reaching $2,012 and a black
painted fanback Windsor side chair, in original finish, rapidly
bid by phone and room bidders, closing at $l,380. Also actively
bid were a set of six painted arrow back chairs in the original
color and finish, selling at $1,092, and an Eighteenth Century
English Bannister arm chair, $1,092.
The auction opened to a full house, packed to the gills, with
buyers eager to bid the 500-lot sale. Prior to the opening,
background music, peppered with Irish tunes, delighted
auctiongoers during preview. The sale included the partial
contents of Westport and Wilton estates with an impressive array
of high quality antiques, especially strong in
Eighteenth-Nineteenth Century American and English furniture.
Amidst the crowd and helping out was Professor Barbara Amodio of
Fairfield University getting a taste of the auction business
first hand, as research for her new mystery book series, the
first of which will use the fascinating world of art and
archaeology for a backdrop and be set in Fairfield County. Can't
wait!
A highlight of the sale was the Charles Lindberg collection of
photos, letters, postcards, etc, with lots of autographs, owned
by his chauffeur. Creating a stir, room and phone buyers jumped
on the bid rapidly driving the price up from $750 to $2,645, with
a phone dealer from Fairfield winning the bid. Other memorabilia
included 20 lots of old postcards from a Westport home, realizing
$1,495, Civil War photos of officers and ladies, $517 and a
framed New York Herald news story on the assassination of
President Lincoln, $287.
An exceptional item generating interest and activity was a
room-size Sarouk carpet in an overall red, blue and beige design,
with border and fringe, in excellent condition, opening with two
left bids and intensely sought by room, phone and absentee
bidders. It sold to a phone dealer from New York for $4,025.
Still another crowd pleaser was a fine collection of redware
pots, jars and bowls. The pieces sold from $50 to a high of
$3,335, with the top lot a shallow bowl with "Cheap Dish" written
across it. Not so cheap as it turns out! Additionally, a
Roseville jardinière (planter and base) realized $1,092.
A selection of paintings and prints drew interest. Top lots
included an oil by American Black artist C.E. Porter, depicting a
cluster of pink and white roses in a bowl, in a giltwood frame,
measuring 9 by 12 inches, selling to a local absentee dealer for
$3,450.
Tim Chaucer, director of the Gulf Pond Museum in Milford,
examines "The Hunter Shanty in the Adirondacks" by Currier
& Ives, which sold to an Ohio dealer for $2,070.
A large Currier & Ives framed print of "The Hunter Shanty
in the Adirondacks" of two pioneer men outside a log cabin by a
stream in the woods, briskly bid by phone and absentee bidders,
with an absentee dealer from Ohio taking the bid at $2,070.
A Federal three-part mirror, topped with an eagle and
gilt-trimmed edges, sold to the same absentee antiques shop in
New Milford for $1,725. A 100-piece set of International sterling
flatware, Royal Danish pattern, in a case, actively bid by room
and absentee bidders, reached $1,380, doubling its opening bid,
and a small decorative Tiffany sterling spoon with shell-shaped
bowl and monogram brought $287.
"It was a strong sale, good attendance, high quality items and a
good combination of things," said Kabe. "That's where the market
is right now. Better than average sells," he said.
The auction attracted approximately 250 registered bidders,
including about 25 phone and absentee bidders each. Prices
include a 15 percent buyer's premium.
