An ‘Auction Of Collections’ At Stanton’s 500-Lot Sale

Hampden, Mass.

:Stanton Auctions' spring sale was filled with well-known names such as Frederick S. Church, Tiffany, Wave Crest, Daum Nancy, Galle and Mettlach. "We had an auction of collections," said Peter Stanton Imler, owner and auctioneer.

Indeed, there were many different collections, from paintings and letters by Church, to paintings found in a basement in a nearby institution, reference books for every subject a collector might find interesting, Part I of an enormous collection of Wave Crest (which did very well and bodes well for Stanton's next auction), a collection of Tiffany, models made for patent applications, mechanical banks, decoys and … the list goes on to well over 500 lots offered on April 28.

Top honors were tied between the Church paintings and Tiffany, but it was a beautiful signed Tiffany Favrile green wave shade on an original bronze harp with a signed base that was carried away for top dollar when it sold to a phone bidder for $9,040. Close behind was a red parrot tulip Daum Nancy vase that went to $8,475.

The Church paintings were offered early in the unusually hot evening (thermometers were nearing the century mark) and were started off by his 17-by-23-inch oil on canvas "The Love Song," when a phone bidder picked it up for $4,237.

"Most of the Church items went to the phone," Imler said, "from all over the country." Frederick Stuart Church (1842–1924), American painter and illustrator, wrote letters to friends and relatives and some of the documents offered were signed, "Fred" or "Grandpa Church." These often went to collectors or scholars who are working on books on Church. The competition was often fierce, and most often from the phones.

Two oil on canvas works featured blue birds and Church's iconic beautiful woman in profile. "The Blue Bird," 1911, sold for $6,215, as did an oil on canvas of a woman with wings in her hair and blue birds. These were followed closely a 12-by-21-inch oil on canvas with a woman and two tigers that realized $5,085.

The Church letters sold in the $425 area — lots usually contained more than one letter, and several featured colored drawings with the text. The book that Church both wrote and illustrated, The White Tigress, caught the attention of several floor bidders, but ended up going to the phone for $1,073. Other Church items included etchings and drawings. His pastel and pencil work titled "The Song," dated 1905, was dedicated "To Maurice Rice from the artist" and sold for $1,017.

Part I of a collection of Wave Crest items was designed to "whet the collector's appetite," according to Imler. The taste buds were activated, and so were the bid cards. A cigar humidor went for $423, a letter box brought $254, a round dresser table box with a lid realized $226 and a square box went to $197. A tiny Nakara handpainted dresser box, "just right for Brimfield," said Imler, brought $169.

Art glass was also a deep and beautiful collection. Each piece was sold separately and included Daum Nancy items, such as an acid cut and enamel tumbler, which brought $2,034. The same price was achieved by both a miniature summer scenic oval salt and a pinch bowl. A miniature rectangular vase, a rare form, sold for $2,260.

Other cameo art glass included a 9¾-inch teardrop vase on a shaded peach ground for $1,356, and an 8-inch chalice with maple leaf decoration that brought $1,695. A tall, 22½ inches, Galle wheel polished French cameo glass vase with floral decorations sold for $3,672, after Imler chided the crowd for taking too long to start the bidding. "Don't make me start at $500," he said.

Tiffany art glass had four or five phone lines light up, which surprised no one. A floriform vase with beautiful green hooked feather decoration and extra wide rim sold quickly for $7,910. A 6½-inch-tall pitcher with very strong green maple leaf and wine decoration sold for $2,825; a lovely deep blue iridescent bowl/vase went to $2,825, and a small ruffled rim vase realized $1,073.

Other Tiffany items included a desk set with the Bookmark pattern. Each piece was sold separately for good prices. The four pieces all had original blue enameling; the letter rack realized $1,013, note pad and stamp box brought $649 and the pen tray $367. An important, 6-branch bronze candelabrum sold for $6,780, and a personal favorite of Imler's, a double candlestick on a jeweled base with blown out green glass candleholders, caused the auctioneer to stop and say, "Look at the glass, it's beautiful!" Bidders agreed, and sent it out at $2,712.

"Think of these as salesman samples," Imler said, as he started the collection of 16 patent models. The bidders needed no urging to start off these rare examples of early machines from the 1850s to the 1880s, made when the inventor was applying for a US patent. One of the earliest was patented June 9, 1857, by Hiram Tucker. The 12-inch "Spring Bed Bottom" patent model sold for $452; a "Spool Exhibitor" patent model, patented April 18, 1871, by J.D. Cutter was 11½ inches tall and brought $565; a strange machine, patented July 20, 1875, by C.H. Denison, was for stretching paper collars. "Who even remembers what a paper collar is?" Imler asked. Bidders seemed to like the 12½-inch machine model as it sold for $537.

The top model was a patent model from April 20, 1869, by J.D. Blaisdell for an "Extension Table" that stood 7½ inches long by 53/8 inches tall and finally sold for $847 after some competition.

Larger furniture also had some interesting lots that sold well, although Imler noted that furniture and Oriental rugs are not as strong as in years past. That said, a fine early Eighteenth Century New England trestle table with a one-board top in old paint sold for $3,616. A circa 1770 cherry candlestand with porringer top and snake feet went to $1,695.

Several smaller side tables also brought good prices: a North Shore, Mass., mahogany Hepplewhite one-drawer stand went for $1,130; a two-drawer, drop leaf pine and cherry stand brought $1,017; and a Sheraton one-drawer, cherry and pine example with turned legs sold for $395.

The most fun was had when a large and wonderful collection of mechanical banks began crossing the block. Small, most with original paint and in amazingly good condition, the banks were topped by a rare Monkey and Coconut cast iron model by J.E. Stevens, circa 1886, which cracked at $1,808. This was followed by a rare Dark Town Battery cast iron mechanical bank, also by J.E. Stevens, circa 1888, at $1,695; and a Bad Accident cast iron mechanical bank by J.E. Stevens, circa 1890, that realized $1,356.

Some noncollection items did well, such as an Eighteenth Century New England pipe box with some original red paint and a dovetailed single drawer that sold to the floor for $2,260. A large folk art view of "Boston 1826" hung on a side wall at Stanton's, and was taken home by a bidder in the audience for $3,390. Although unsigned, the 3-by-5-foot panel was thought to be by Albright for the 1939 World's Fair.

Stanton's is planning an auction for May 28, which will include more of the Wave Crest collection, as well as more Tiffany, art glass and some surprises, for which this longtime, family-owned auction house is best known.

All prices given include the 13 percent buyer's premium. For information, 413-566-3161 or www.stantonauctions.com .