Dealer Wayne Pratt won the
Connecticut Queen Anne piece for $160,000.
By David S. Smith
WINDSOR, CONN. - A rare Connecticut highboy soared past presale
estimates at Nadeau's Annual Spring Antiques Auction recently
during one of the auction gallery's most successful and
highest-grossing sales to date. The single session auction
conducted on March 24 grossed $950,000, an impressive yet
bittersweet figure, according to auctioneer Ed Nadeau, falling
just shy of "that elusive seven-figure mark."
The annual spring auction at Nadeau's has long been a popular
watering hole for Americana enthusiasts, many of whom combine
their trip to the Hartford area with a visit to the ever-popular
Connecticut Antiques Show. Although the auction gallery
traditionally gears the selection of merchandise offered towards
the show's Americana oriented dealers and clientele, it is also
filled with a wide variety of merchandise ranging from
Continental to Victorian.
The spring and fall auctions are traditionally the most popular
sales of the year for the auction gallery, with a full house
always on hand. The most recent sale was no exception, as a
standing room only crowd spilled out into the hallway as the
auctioneer made his way to the podium. Nadeau also reported that
absentee and phone-bidding interest was at an all-time high with
presale interest coming from throughout the US, as well as Canada
and Europe.
One of the stars of the auction came from the nearly 70 lots of
jewelry that were offered prior to the start of the Americana
auction. The lot, a rare Patek Phillipe stainless steel man's
chronograph wristwatch with double registers, had been found in a
local West Hartford estate. Nadeau reported that the watch had
been discovered while cleaning out the home "in a box filled with
cheap watches." Although unaware of its true value, Nadeau
recognized the watch as a quality piece and after further
investigation cataloged the chronograph watch with an estimate of
$8/12,000. "We had a ton of phone calls," said the auctioneer
regarding presale interest. "Some of them left some fairly strong
absentee bids. We had several phone bidders, including one from
Toronto, and we also had a couple agents in the room on personal
cellular phones with European clients."
Bidding on the 23-jewel watch opened at $20,000 with conflicting
absentee bids and moved quickly in $2,500 increments with two
private buyers on the floor doing virtually all the bidding. The
crowd, and telephone bidders, grew silent as the piece progressed
to a selling price of $46,750, going to a private collector.
Other pieces of jewelry in the auction included a three-carat
diamond and platinum ring selling at $5,500, a one-carat diamond
and ruby ring at $4,400, a Victorian yellow gold and diamond
brooch at $4,125, and a "plain" gold Patek Phillipe watch, circa
1980, which realized $3,575.
The Americana portion of the auction got off to a brisk start
with a Victorian cast iron urn selling above the $300/500 presale
estimate as it realized $1,045. A couple of lots later a
Staffordshire platter with full-masted ship transfer exceeded
estimates at $2,420, and a couple of lots after that a
Staffordshire cow figurine with repaired ear brought more than
ten times the $200/350 estimate as it realized $4,070.
As the first 49 lots were auctioned, an air of anticipation grew
in the gallery and rumors circulated regarding lot 50, a rare
Connecticut Queen Anne highboy in original finish. Due to the
impeccable character of the piece, conversations seemed confined
merely to what price the rare case piece would achieve, although
eventually all predictions would prove to be dwarfed by the final
price realized.
Nadeau had cataloged the piece as a "rare Queen Anne red painted
poplar highboy" and further stated that it was in a "remarkable
state of preservation." In fact, the circa 1745 highboy was in
virtually untouched condition, retaining the original crusty red
paint and etched brasses. It was missing only a couple of pieces,
such as 2 bails, one escutcheon, the drop finials, and two knee
brackets.
Also circulating throughout the gallery were rumors as to the
provenance of the piece, although Nadeau would merely comment
that it had been "picked from a home and had been consigned by
the picker." One story indicated, although it would be neither
confirmed or denied by Nadeau, that the piece had been found in a
rural Connecticut home south of Hartford and had been shopped by
the picker to a couple of dealers for less than half of the
eventual opening bid. When it failed to sell quickly, fearing
overexposure, the picker, who reportedly had the piece on the
market for only one day, was said to have gotten nervous and the
highboy was subsequently consigned to Nadeau.
Nearly everyone that examined the piece had a differing opinion
as to where it had been made, although most concurred it was of
Connecticut River Valley origin, while others pointed more
directly towards the southeastern Connecticut shoreline. The
buyer of the highboy confirmed those beliefs, stating that its
construction clearly indicated that it was of Stonington origin.
Construction was also described as being unusual and some felt
that the piece had been partially made from "found" wood and was
somewhat over-constructed in a manner suitable "to withstand a
hurricane." There was also a sentiment expressed, from one
prominent dealer examining the piece, that its maker, while a
woodworker by trade, may not have been a cabinetmaker, but
perhaps a shipbuilder. Another dealer, the eventual buyer, did
not dispute the shipbuilder theory, but countered that due to the
exquisite lines and the use of the highest quality etched brasses
available from that period, that it was built by a person that
"truly understood highboys and design."
Although estimated at $20/30,000, Nadeau asked for an opening bid
of $50,000 and quickly got it from one of the five active phone
bidders. Bids came at a rapid pace, moving in $2,500 increments,
with Massachusetts dealer Elliott Snyder banging away at the lot
from the rear of the room. Nadeau increased the advances to
$5,000 at the $75,000 mark, with three phone lines still in hot
pursuit, and once again at $100,000 he increased the increments
to $10,000. Bidding slowed somewhat and became methodical
bouncing back and forth between two telephones. A bid of $150,000
came slowly, although it was followed quickly by a $160,000 bid
and was hammered down to Woodbury, Conn., dealer Wayne Pratt.
The price, including the ten-percent buyer's premium, of $176,000
established a high-water mark for Nadeau's with the highboy
becoming the most expensive item ever sold by the gallery.
The highboy has since been exhibited at the prestigious
Philadelphia Antiques Show, appearing in Pratt's booth, and as
indicated in last week's coverage of the show, it is thought to
have been sold. Pratt has since confirmed that a "hold" has been
placed on the important case piece by a client who inspected it
in Philadelphia.
Auctioneer Ed Nadeau.
Pratt commented that the highboy was one of the "top two or
three" pieces of furniture that he has ever owned and stated that
it was one of only a couple of pieces that he had ever considered
keeping for himself. The dealer's excitement was apparent as
adjectives such as "spectacular," "amazing," and "wonderful" were
perpetually used to describe the highboy.
"The lines, design, and proportions are amazing," stated Pratt.
"When you stand in front of it and look at it, it's exquisite."
"Everything about this piece indicates that it was constructed by
a very fine craftsman," said Pratt. "The moldings are wonderful,
the returns are the nicest I've ever seen, the oak legs swing in
perfectly. It was made to be painted and the surface is
spectacular, with no overpaint whatsoever. Of all the highboys
that I have owned," he continued, "this is the best one from that
period."
While the highboy was certainly the talk of the town, several
other furniture lots also brought substantial prices. A
Connecticut River Valley Chippendale cherry chest on chest with a
broken arch pediment and carved fan drawer also exceeded
estimates. The case piece, estimated at $14/18,000, had been
consigned from a West Hartford estate and was said to have
descended in the same family for the last 100-plus years. Aside
from the old, but unoriginal, finish, the case piece was
described as being intact, still retaining the original brasses
and finial. Bidding on this lot was also brisk, with it selling
to a phone bidder for $36,300.
A set of six early Queen Anne chairs with yoke backs, vasi-form
splats, and strong lower turnings had been consigned by a private
collector who had moved to smaller quarters and no longer had
room for the chairs. The chairs, described as being of
Connecticut origin, circa 1765, were sold with all proceeds
donated to the Connecticut Historical Society. Estimated at
$10/15,000, the chairs realized $24,750.
Other furniture included a pair of Victorian upholstered sofas
with heavily carved eagle form legs with outstretched wings
extending back down the arms of the sofa selling at $8,800, a
Classical Revival carved mahogany pedestal dining table bringing
$3,575, and a Federal inlaid mahogany game table realizing
$2,970.
Nadeau's has established a solid reputation over the years for
offering prime examples of art by Rockville, Conn., artist C.E.
Porter (1848-1923). Seven Porters crossed the block this time
around, grossing $104,500, with six of the examples reportedly
collected more than 30 years ago and consigned from a Rockville
home. Porter, a black artist, had a career that fluctuated over
the years, with his popularity and financial status dwindling in
the later portion of his life. Interestingly, one of the
paintings offered had been executed on an old window shade.
Nadeau reported calls from throughout the country on the Porters,
with a Beverly Hills buyer claiming a still life of roses at
$18,150, while a New York buyer bought four others. "It's not
just a local thing anymore," said Nadeau, referring to Porter's
popularity. "We had two bidders from California, bidders from
Arizona, Missouri, Florida, and New York, in addition to the
local collectors."
The top lot of the Porters was a large still life depicting a
basket on its side with a mass of ripe cherries spilling out. The
auction gallery described it as "one of the best and largest
fruit still life paintings by Porter to have ever been offered at
auction." The oil, measuring 20 by 28 inches, opened for bidding
at $9,000, against a presale estimate of $8/10,000. Bidding
bounced back and forth between the gallery and an absentee bid to
$14,000, then between the gallery and a phone bidder, with the
telephone taking the lot at $25,300, a record price paid at
auction for a Porter.
Other paintings by Porter included a framed oil on canvas
depicting peonies at $17,600, a small bowl of cherries at $7,700,
a still life of apples and grapes at $5,500, and a still life
depicting a vase filled with flowers realizing $12,100. Also sold
was a 24 by 20 inch still life, oil painted on a window shade,
depicting a vase of mountain laurel blossoms, that rocketed past
the $4/6,000 presale estimate as it brought $17,600.
Several E. Howard clocks, consigned from the same home as the
Patek Phillipe watch, also brought substantial prices, with a
banjo clock bringing $3,080, a regulator $4,290, a #1 banjo
$3,575, and a regulator with circular housing and red and black
eglomise panel realizing $4,290. Also offered was a Seth Thomas
carved Victorian walnut architectural double dial calendar clock
with some missing parts that brought $6,050.
Two tall case clocks were also sold, with a Federal example with
birch case and arched bonnet bringing $5,500, while a restored
Phineas North Connecticut Chippendale clock brought $3,410.
Other items of interest included a Neo-Classical figural gilt
bronze mantel clock selling at $5,500, a Classical gilt wood and
gesso convex girandole mirror with eagle crest bringing $14,300,
a Percy Moran oil on canvas depicting a Revolutionary War scene
garnering $17,600, and a pair of limestone carved garden figures
bringing $7,700.
Prices include the ten-percent buyer's premium.
