A Sum of
$222,500 Sews up a Shaker Sewing Cabinet
CANTERBURY, N.H. - On October 7 a phone bidder won a diminutive
Shaker six-drawer sewing cabinet for $222,500 at Ron Bourgeault's
Northeast Auctions; the cabinet was the featured lot in the sale
of the Jim and Nola Stokes collection of Shaker antiques.
Bourgeault told correspondent Bob Jackman, "[It] is the finest
example of Shaker furniture that we have sold in a long, long
time. It has great design, condition, and surface." The case of
the lot was in fine original red paint, and remnants of red paint
were visible on the edges of the drawer fronts. The cabinet was
created using pine, cherry, and butternut, and bore two
inscriptions inside the top full drawer that read, "Received this
table January 7, 1846, Joseph Wilber." The cabinet is attributed
to the Hancock community.
Total sales topped $750,000 with all 325 lots finding buyers. A
full review of this auction will be included in an upcoming issue
of Antiques and The Arts Weekly.
