Highlighting Sotheby's Americana Week offering was the McMichael-Tilghman family Chippendale carved and figured mahogany "Acme of Perfection” tea table, the carving attributed to the "Garvan carver,” Philadelphia, circa 1755, which sold for $1,833,000 to a bidder over the telephone.
:Sotheby's 2008 Americana Week, including furniture, folk art, silver, prints and other decorative works of art, totaled $13,879,446. Highlighting the offering was the McMichael-Tilghman family Chippendale carved and figured mahogany "Acme of Perfection" tea table, the carving attributed to the "Garvan carver," Philadelphia, circa 1755, which sold for $1,833,000 to a bidder over the telephone. The two-day series of sales also included property from the collection of Mr and Mrs George Fenimore Johnson, which brought $3,470,253 and was highlighted by an important Chippendale carved mahogany easy chair, Philadelphia, circa 1770, which sold for $505,000.
American Furniture And Folk Art
The top lot of Sotheby's two-day series of sales, the McMichael-Tilghman family Chippendale carved and figured mahogany "Acme of Perfection" tea table, is a tour de force of Philadelphia rococo craftsmanship. It was called "The Acme of Perfection in American Piecrust Tables" by William MacPherson Hornor in
Blue Book Philadelphia Furniture
(plate 223), published in 1935.
Also commanding a strong price was a Chippendale block and shell carved and figured mahogany kneehole dressing table, attributed Edmund Townsend, Newport, R.I., circa 1760, originally owned by William Ellery (1727–1820), a signer of the Declaration of Independence, son of the deputy governor of Rhode Island, and prominent Rhode Island politician during the late Eighteenth Century, which sold for $937,000.
Chippendale block and shell carved and figured mahogany kneehole dressing table, attributed Edmund Townsend, Newport, R.I., circa 1760, sold for $937,000.
From the estate of Phoebe Wetzel was an important Chippendale carved and figured mahogany chest-on-chest, attributed to Thomas Affleck, Philadelphia, circa 1775, originally owned by Abel James (1726–1790), a prominent Quaker Loyalist merchant in Philadelphia, which sold for $337,000. Also among the top selling lots were a rare Chippendale carved and figured mahogany five-legged games table, shop of Marinus Willett and Jonathan Pearse, New York, circa 1765, representing a signature New York form, which brought $277,000, and a rare Federal inlaid and figured mahogany breakfront, Salem, Mass., circa 1805, which sold for $205,000.
Highlighting the offering of American folk art was a set of four nautical paintings by George Ropes Jr of Salem, Mass., dated 1813 ("The
Constitution
and the
Guerriere
Sighting Each Other"; "The
Constitution
and
Guerriere
Firing on Each Other"; "The
Constitution
and
Guerriere
Dismasted"; and "The
Constitution
and
Guerriere
Burning") offered by the Woburn Public Library to defray the costs of construction for the facility's expansion, which more than quadrupled their high estimate, selling for $229,000.
A charming scene of the "Patrick Homestead, Homer Patrick, Proprietor" by Fritz Vogt was sought after by several collectors, finally selling to a bidder in the room for $145,000, more than double a high estimate of $60,000. Additional highlights included an historic ship's figurehead from the prow of the clipper
Nightingale,
depicting the famed Swedish opera singer Jenny Lind (1820–1887), which sold for $121,000 to a bidder on the telephone, and a rare pair of hen and drake pintail decoys, Midwestern, circa 1920, with elongated necks and superb original paint, which brought $169,000.
Silver, Prints & Ceramics
Property from the collection of Mr and Mrs George Fenimore Johnson, which brought $3,470,253, was highlighted by this important Chippendale carved mahogany easy chair, Philadelphia, circa 1770, which sold for $505,000.
Leading off the sale of important Americana was an offering of silver, prints and ceramics. The top lot of the opening session was a Tiffany silver centerpiece and plateau, owned by Mary Francis Hopkins, widow of California Railroad King Mark Hopkins, and her much younger second husband, Herter Brothers decorator Edward Searles, which achieved a price of $301,000. Other silver highlights included a massive American silver punch bowl, Gorham Mfg Co., Providence, R.I., Martelé, .950 Standard, 1902, which fetched $121,000, and an American silver "Bacchus" punch bowl, the design attributed to Eugene J. Soligny, Tiffany & Co., New York, circa 1873, which sold for $121,000.
A selection of prints was highlighted by "The Bloody Massacre" (Brigham, Plate 14) by Paul Revere, achieving a price of $301,000, a record for the print at auction. John James Audubon prints were also highly sought after, with "Snowy Owl" (Plate CXXI) selling for $115,000 and a record being set for "Virginia Partridge" (Plate 76), fetching $97,000.
Property From The Collection Of Mr And Mrs George Fenimore Johnson
The offering of property from the collection of Mr and Mrs George Fenimore Johnson brought a total of $3,470,253 and was highlighted by the important Chippendale carved mahogany easy chair.
Other highlights included an important Chippendale carved and figured mahogany bombé chest of drawers, Boston, circa 1770, which sold for $241,000; an important Queen Anne carved mahogany concertina-action turret-top games table, the carving attributed to John Welch, Boston, circa 1750, which brought $205,000; and a rare Chippendale carved and figured mahogany card table, Boston, circa 1750, which surpassed a high estimate of $120,000 to sell for $205,000.
Prices reported include the buyer's premium. For information, 212-606-7000 or
www.sothebys.com
.
