:When Michael R. Corcoran runs an auction, people come from all
over to crowd into his Newport County Auction Gallery in search
of fine estate material as well as for the colorful show Corcoran
presents. The March 8 sale was no exception. Offerings from a
Newport estate and others around the state piqued bidders'
interest and Corcoran was in fine form.
The top lot was an 1874 alpine view by German artist Joseph
Jansen that sold for $9,775 to a phone bidder undeterred by a
puncture of the top left of the canvas. The picture came from the
Newport estate Castle Hill, now a public inn but built in 1874
for Harvard marine biologist and oceanographer Alexander Agassiz.
Agassiz once maintained a marine research facility at Castle Hill
where his students studied during the summer. The facility was
later relocated to Wood's Hole, Mass.
Auctioneer Mike Corcoran lies on the floor as one of his
colleagues elicits bids on the Sheraton sofa that realized
$6,042 without the auctioneer's assistance. It went to a phone
bidder who couldn't see how the auction was unraveling.
Corcoran didn't hesitate to wield a 1745 Scottish sword at
his audience, also from the Agassiz collection, that sold for $920
but he drew the line at donning the brass fire helmet from the New
South Wales (Australia) Fire Brigade that sold for $287. A brass
cuspidor from Castle Hill was $115.
As more paintings came up the crowd seemed to pay attention. A
curious landscape by Dutch artist Jacob Maris, co-founder of The
Hague School, sold for $2,645 while a view of a Dutch lighthouse
by Scottish painter William Raymond Dommerson went for $1,265.
The artist of an unframed oil on canvas of a misty seascape
beneath a bluff was unknown but bidders expressed some confidence
in the picture as they drove it to $2,357.
A Wayne Morrell Rockport scene drew $1,265 and a pretty seascape
in a nice gilt frame by Rockport artist Gabrielle DeVeaux
Clements was $1,150. An unidentified Impressionistic painting of
a hayrick sold for $1,150 and an Anton Schoth alpine scene drew
$1,265.
A garden view with iris and other flowers with Second Beach,
Newport, R.I., in the distance was painted by Newport artist
Helena Sturtevant from St George's School in Middletown, R.I. It
sold for $1,495. A pleasing still life with milkweed sold for
$1,365.
A pair of large Regency mirrors sold to a dealer for $2,300.
An early William Trost Richards seascape sold for a modest
$690 and an interesting ship painting that was nicely executed and
appeared to have been signed "C Cassey" sold for $345. A small oil
on canvas landscape by English artist Patrick Naysmith brought
$920. A Nineteenth Century pair of portraits whose subjects were
connected to the Naval War College at Newport sold for $1,035. A
pair of watercolors by Italian artist Eugenio Benvenuti realized
$575.
A landscape with a stream by Samuel R. Chafee brought $575 and a
theorem was $230. A monoprint by Rolph Scarlett realized $690.
Among the Continental furniture that came across the block, those
with some Newport provenance fared the best. A French-style gilt
settee and two side chairs from a Newport house realized $1,265,
but a handsome French fireplace screen went to the trade for
$2,530. A Massachusetts dealer bought an impressive pair of
Regency mirrors for $2,300. While a French three drawer chest
with a curved front brought $1,265; an Arts and Crafts hall stand
fetched $460 and a figure of a pig sold for $402.
Some auctioneers will do anything to liven up the proceedings. As
a fine Sheraton sofa with a curved back came up, Corcoran lay on
the floor as his staff drew bids. It sold without his assistance
to a phone bidder for $6,042. A Federal pineapple top bed was
quite handsome and brought a strong $3,450 while a candlestand
drew $1,840.
A colorful four-piece majolica jardinière from a Narragansett,
R.I., house sold for $862.
A bit later Corcoran must have become bored. As he opened bidding
on one painting at $1,000 from a phone bidder, he took bids from
the back of the room. Nearly everyone twisted in their seat to
see who was bidding. Corcoran drove the bidding up to $1,700
before he admitted to the phone bidder and the audience in the
gallery that the painting had sold for $1,000 but he just wanted
to see how high the buyer would go. Everyone laughed; his
auctions are never dull.
The early Rockport scene by Wayne Morrell realized $1,265.
Interesting silver attracted interesting money. A pair of
wine coasters drew $3,450 from a dealer who is a regular at
Corcoran's sales. The same buyer also took an early two-piece
Gorham silver fish service for $3,450 and a set of early Kirk
flatware for $3,162, after he defeated the New York trade on the
phone. The same buyer took a tray lot of mother-of-pearl handled
knives for $1,265. Two other tray lots of silver flatware sold on
the phone for $2,530 and $2,415.
A still bank in the form of a fishing shack with a banjo on the
side wall drew $805 as did a cast-iron figure of a boy holding
the American flag. Two polychromed religious figures were $1,035.
A three-piece garniture set sold for $519. The clock had a
broken, but repairable, foot.
A lot of carved birds sold for $2,300 and an interesting African
granary door drew $144.
Two sextants with Agassiz provenance sold: a cased example was
$920 and another, without a case, was $287. A pair of boar tusks,
also from the Agassiz family, was $345.
Two Little Orphan Annie telephones, one with its box, brought a
very strong $345 but as hard as he tried, Corcoran couldn't
connect with anyone on them.
A plot plan for the area around the Newport Country Club and the
old polo grounds sold for $345 and a chart of the locations of
whales taken, issued by the US Navy, fetched $287.
All prices reflect the 15 percent buyer's premium. For
information, 401-841-5780 or www.gustavewhiteauctions.com.
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