"The Ford," Charles Marion
Russell, $195,000.
MANCHESTER, N.H. - Furniture and fine art were favorites among
some 1,300 lots offered in four sales at Northeast Auctions March
3-4. From the estate of Madeline Whitney Shea on Sunday, a
grisaille oil on canvas by Charles M. Russell (American,
1864-1926), "The Ford," realized $195,000 (est $70/90,000).
Initialed "C.M.R." with a steer head lower left, the work had
been offered by Kennedy Galleries, New York City, in 1958 and was
illustrated in the artist's Studies of Western Life (New
York: The Albertype Co., 1890).
The Shea estate featured more than 375 lots of Eighteenth And
Nineteenth Century American and English furniture, Nineteenth
Century American and English paintings, Chinese furniture, silver
and other decorative accessories, many examples of armorial
porcelain and a large collection of Chinese Export porcelain.
From the latter group, an important Chinese Export punch bowl
made for the American market, featuring two vignettes of an
American eagle and the inscription "In God We Hope," reached
$56,000.
Known as the John Jay Bowl, the circa 1802-06 lot measured 11
inches in diameter and was decorated with a gilt and famille rose
floral border. It was originally purchased by Mrs. Shea from
well-known dealer and consultant Elinor Gordon, who also acted as
Shea's adviser throughout her years of collecting. Gordon
attended the sale and its previews; on Friday she gave a
presentation on the Shea offerings.
Philadelphia lowboy, with appliques attributed to the "Garvan
carver," $105,000.
Also on Sunday, a sale of nearly 300 lots of American furniture,
clocks, paintings and Oriental rugs from various owners preceded
the Shea collection, with a Boston Federal inlaid mahogany
cylinder writing desk attributed to John and Thomas Seymour
leading the event at $125,000 (est $125/175,000). Coming in close
behind, a Philadelphia Chippendale carved walnut dressing table,
deaccessioned by The Minneapolis Institute of Arts to benefit its
acquisitions fund, fetched $105,000. Estimated at $25/35,000, the
circa 1765 lot featured relief carved shell and acanthus
appliques attributed to the "Garvan carver," an anonymous
tradesman active in Philadelphia during the third quarter of the
Eighteenth Century.
And kicking off the weekend, a small, 14-inch-long carved and
painted eagle by John Haley Bellamy (Portsmouth and Kittery,
1836-1914), estimated to bring $10/15,000, topped the 185-lot
sale of the Susan and Larry Polans Folk Art Collection at $26,000
on March 3.
It leads: a small Bellamy eagle reached $26,000.
The eagle, unusual for its diminutive size, bears a banner
inscribed with the Maine state motto, "Dirigo (I lead)," in red,
white and blue paint, above its shield. "I sold it to [Mr Polans]
15 years ago," auctioneer Ron Bourgeault told us. "It's the
smallest Bellamy eagle I've ever seen." The lot was exhibited at
the York Institute Museum, Saco, Me., in 1989.
Four hundred fourteen lots of American country and painted
furniture, Shaker furniture and accessories, folk art, ceramics,
baskets and Indian artifacts from various owners immediately
following the Polans collection were highlighted by a stack of 11
Shaker finger lapped oval boxes in yellow, blue, red, green and
salmon stain, ranging in size from 3.5 inches long to 15 inches
long. One box carried a gift inscription "From Gertrude Soule,
Eld., 1961," and a note indicating its maker, Henry Green of the
Alfred Community. The stack brought $62,500.
A full report of these auctions will appear in a future issue.
