: - More than 700 items crossed the auction block during an
exciting two-day Summer Americana sale at Knotty Pine over the
weekend of July 26-27. The sale featured a huge collection of
fire related material on Saturday, including fireman's helmets,
fire buckets and toys, and a large assortment of Americana on
Sunday.
Auction gallery owner John Pappas commented that he was extremely
pleased with the outcome of the sale and said that the gallery
was subject to an enormous amount of phone and absentee bidding.
The auctioneer stated that a crowd of roughly 150 was on hand for
Saturday's specialty session, while a standing-room-only crowd
made its way to the gallery for Sunday's Americana session.
The top lot of the fire memorabilia was a 14-inch sterling
presentation trumpet from Dorchester, Mass., that was engraved
and dated 1855. The lot was subject to numerous absentee bids and
heavy phone action with it selling after stiff competition from
the gallery at $5,720.
Fire buckets attracted a great deal of attention with a nice pair
of leather buckets marked "Varrell" and dated 1812 commanding the
top price. The buckets, decorated with swags and stars sold after
active bidding for $4,675. A paint decorated bucket from the
State House did well selling at $2,750, an early bucket from
Lexington, Mass., brought $2,530, and a bucket from Ipswich sold
at $1,650.
Fire related toys also brought strong prices with a large
handmade ladder truck selling for $2,200, a smaller and more
elaborate ladder truck also brought $2,200, a cast-iron,
horse-drawn pumper $1,540, and a squirrel-tail hand-pumper fire
engine realized $1,925.
A pair of brass fire engine side lamps with ruby glass did well
at $1,100, a brass presentation trumpet dated 1851 brought
$1,825, and a an oil cloth duck-bill, hand painted parade cap
went out at $1,100.
Other top lots included the beaver-front shield holder from a
helmet that was hammered down at $1,760, a child's wooden sled
with hand pumper painted decoration $1,595, a fire trumpet marked
"Charlestown," $1,760, a fireman's belt and helmet $990, and a
six-inch Gamewell fire bell sold at $1,017.
Knotty Pine owner John Pappas with a folk art painting that
sold for $18,150 and a Federal tiger maple slant front desk
that realized $8,800.
The crowd began to roll into the gallery bright and early for
preview on Sunday morning and it was not long before the parking
lot was filled to the brim and an overflow parking area across the
street was ultimately utilized. The second session of the Americana
weekend featured a good selection of country merchandise and smalls
ranging from tavern tables to early portraits.
The top lot of the session came as a surprise to many in the room
as a Native American basket or tray with swirling pinwheel
decoration was offered. The basket, measuring 18 inches in
diameter, was thought by the gallery to be Apache in origin.
Pappas commented that as soon as the ads broke, the phones
started ringing regarding many of the pieces, but especially the
basket. The auctioneer stated that calls came in from all around
the country with requests for images and to reserve phone lines.
Numerous absentee bids caused the lot to open high, but active
bidding from the telephones and the gallery saw the price pushed
to $22,000.
Another item in the sale that attracted quite a bit of attention
was a Nineteenth Century folk art portrait of a young child and a
dog that was signed on the reverse "Pt. By H.J. Tyler, 1833." The
good-looking portrait had been consigned from a private
Connecticut folk art collection and provenance stated that it had
originally been purchased directly from a local home 12 years
ago. The painting opened with crossing absentee bids at $13,000
and moved rapidly in $500 increments between New Hampshire dealer
Betty Willis, seated in the front row of the gallery, and a
bidder on the telephone. Bids bounced back and forth between the
two with Willis eventually claiming the lot at $18,150.
The selection of furniture was led by a nice Federal tiger maple,
slant front desk with fan carved interior that sold after active
bidding at $8,800. A small tavern table with single drawer and
stretcher base also did well hammering down at $3,630, while a
continuous arm Windsor in old black paint realized $1,980.
A country Sheraton swing leg, drop leaf table went for $1,650, a
two-door jelly cupboard with cutout base in blue paint brought
$1,650, a Hepplewhite mahogany card table $1,265, and a Sheraton
dressing table realized $2,035. A nice Sheraton three-drawer over
two-door jelly cupboard was actively bid with it selling for
$2,200, a blind front, step back cupboard in old paint $2,200,
and a Pennsylvania kitchen table with tapered legs realized
$1,100.
A silver presentation horn was the top lot of Saturday's sale
at $5,720.
Several nice pieces of artwork were offered with a primitive
watercolor of a gentleman in a top hat, in the manner of Jacob
Maentel, selling for $3,685, a miniature on ivory portrait of a
lady realized $1,320, and an oil on canvas of haystack signed
"LaValley" went out at $1,125.
A nice Eighteenth Century presentation silver creamer attracted
the attention of several dealers. The piece, presented to Lt
Richard Brown of the New York State Artillery, was hallmarked by
William Farris, Annapolis, Md., and sold for $2,530. A nice small
early American tea pot signed "Curry and Preston, Philadelphia,"
also did well bringing $495.
Other items of interest included an early tin wall sconce with
three candleholders that was actively bid to $1,275, a painted
Parcheesi board with hearts $1,320, a carved Bellamy-style eagle
$1,760, a watercolor family register from Vermont $1,100, and a
cast-iron mechanical bank of a mule in a barn realized $1,402. A
large Staffordshire soup tureen with Boston State House
decoration did well despite a professional repair at $1,210,
while a Staffordshire covered vegetable bowl with "City of
Canterbury" decoration realized $660.
Prices include the ten percent buyer's premium charged. The next
auction at Knotty Pine will be a general estate sale on August
11. For further information contact John Pappas, Gallery at
Knotty Pine Auction Service, Route 10, West Swanzey, NH 03469, or
call 603-352-2313.
