:Sporting art pumped up the $3.3 million tally at Northeast Auction's annual summer tent sale at Treadwell House on August 15–16. Estimated at $100/200,000, Sunday's sleeper was Arthur Fitzwilliam Tait's oil on canvas "A Check — Keep Your Distance," reproduced as a print by Currier & Ives in 1853. It went to a phone bidder for $381,000. A larger version of this Western icon brought $2,841,000 in 2007.
Ron Bourgeault lowered the reserve on an A. Elmer Crowell black duck decoy originally estimated at $150/250,000. After passing it on Saturday, Northeast's auctioneer negotiated a private sale on Sunday for $105,300. A magnificent Chinese Export goose soup tureen, estimated at $80/120,000, sold in the room for $93,600. Competition was heated for a Manigault service brown Fitzhugh armorial plate, sold to Colonial Williamsburg for $29,250.
Ex-collection of the New Bedford Whaling Museum, a full-length ship's figurehead attributed to John Rogerson crossed the block at $183,000. There was strong interest in collections of historical creamware and sailors' woolworks.
Prices include the premium.
Look for a complete report in a later edition of Antiques and The Arts Weekly. —DSS
