: An affordable selection of early American glassware was offered
at Norman Heckler's absentee auction recently. The auction, which
closed on February 9, featured just under 100 lots with prices
ranging from $150 to more than $20,000.
The top lot of the auction came as a Harvey's Prairie Bitters was
offered. The rare bottle, termed by Heckler as being "one of the
ten most popular bitters bottles," was in a shaded golden yellow
with amber tones. With patterned brick decorated sides and
sloping globular shoulders, the bottle was in near mint condition
with only two pinpoint flakes on the rings at one top corner.
Heckler called the bottle "extremely rare and beautiful" with it
selling at $22,400.
A Mason jar brought a premium price of $6,720 at the sale as a
rare half-gallon example in light golden amber was sold. The
smooth based jar, marked "Masons, Patent Nov. 30th, 1858" and
with the "HGW" monogram, was said to be the only known example in
the half-gallon size in that color.
Several scroll flasks in desirable colors were offered in the
sale with a Louisville Glassworks example in a deep strawberry
puce doing well. The GIX-34 half-pint bottle, with a sheared
mouth and tubular pontil scar, sold at $5,600. A "BP&B"
scroll flask in a deep cobalt blue, so dark that it almost
appears black at the shoulder and near the base, was hampered by
an epoxy repair, yet it still realized more than four times the
high presale estimate. Bidding on the lot was active, according
to Heckler, with the bottle selling at $4,200.
A Louisville scroll flask in a nice light cobalt blue was another
lot that was kept in check due to damage, although it also easily
exceeded estimates. The rare bottle was described as being in a
"beautiful color" and it displayed as perfect. Despite a 1/2-inch
fissure in the neck, the rare and desirable flask sold at $2,800.
A nice blown three-mold bar bottle from the Kent Glassworks,
GII-6, in a greenish aquamarine color with a rolled lip did well
at $4,480, a hearts and flower scroll flask in a deep aquamarine
shot past the $500-$1,000 estimates to bring $4,480, and a rare
seal bottle marked "Sidney Breese 1765" that was made at the
Glass House Company of New York" also sold well above estimates
at $4,200.
A lot of three "Trademark Lightning" fruit jars in graduating
size from half-gallon to pint sold reasonably at $364, a large
free-blown covered bowl believed to be New York State brought
only $236, and a nice free-blown witch ball and stand realized
$1,232.
The next auction at Heckler's is currently scheduled for a spring
closing date. A good selection of medicine bitters bottles, blown
glass, flasks, fruit jars and utilities will be among the
assortment. For further information regarding this auction,
future sales or consignments, contact Norman Heckler, 79 Bradford
Corner Road, Woodstock Valley CT 06282, or call 860-974-1634.
