Litchfield Antiques Sizzles With Activity Despite Heat

Litchfield Antiques Sizzles With Activity Despite Heat

"They should have left the ice intact, it might have helped," one of the exhibitors at the annual Litchfield County Antiques Show said during the June 25-26 weekend at the Springs Center, Kent School, where the show was set up in space that at other times serves as an ice rink.. Karen DiSaia, Antiques Council liaison, agreed, noting, "We were hammered by the heat and we all felt like we were just sitting there melting."

Despite the heat, "We had a steady stream of visitors on Saturday, a much lighter gate on Sunday, but some buyers came out and a number of the dealers did quite well," Karen said. High-end furniture, including a secretary, Chinese cupboard and settle, sold over the weekend, and "garden objects proved to be very popular and the dealers with that inventory seemed to do well."

A leaping fish fountain in zinc, dating from the early Twentieth Century, was on a pedestal and in the company of a collection of weathervanes in the booth of Norma Chick, Autumn Pond, of Woodbury, Conn. Water spouted out of the mouth of a lion in a working fountain that featured a child holding a jug, about four feet tall, and furniture included a Queen Anne table in maple, New England, circa 1760, turned legs with button feet.

The booth of Jeffrey Tillou, Litchfield, Conn., featured a portrait of George Washington, signed verso R. Street, 1841, that was painted for the founder of the Washington University Medical School, oil on canvas in period frame. It hung over a Federal four-drawer bow front chest, bird's-eye maple drawer fronts, cherrywood banding top and sides, resting on tall French feet. It was probably North Shore, New Hampshire or Massachusetts. Other furniture in this booth at the front of the show included an oversized tap table with pine top, breadboard ends, turned legs with traces of red wash over birch. It dated circa 1780--800 and was from either Maine or New Hampshire.

George Subkoff Antiques, Westport, Conn., offered a pair of New York child's chairs in rosewood, grained and gilt stenciled, circa 1825, with the original rush seats. A Spanish library table in walnut with raised turned legs, two drawers, Seventeenth Century, measured 331/2 inches high, 59 inches wide and 23 inches deep. On it was an English terrestrial globe by Thomas Malby & Son, London, mahogany stand with spider legs and original compass, dated 1859 and measuring 42 inches high and 23 inches in diameter.

All kinds of timepieces were offered from the booth of Kirtland H. Crump, Madison, Conn., including a tall case clock in cherrywood by David Wood, Newburyport, Mass., circa 1790. It had an eight-day brass weight powered movement and the case retained an old surface. A French gallery clock in mahogany, with a face 24 inches in diameter, Nineteenth Century, had an eight-day spring powered movement with a strike gong. Mooney of New York City was the maker of a circa 1865 walnut barometer with timepiece movement.

A large Georgian pine dresser with hanging rack, English, circa 1800, 57 inches wide, was against the back wall in the booth of King-Thomasson Antiques, Inc, Asheville, N.C. The base, on bracket feet, had three drawers over two doors. Also of English origin was a "X" frame table in pine with painted base and angled braces, 7 feet long, 29 inches wide and 29 inches high.

Many pieces of furniture were offered from the booth of Thomas Schwenke of Woodbury, Conn., including a Hepplewhite serpentine sideboard in figured mahogany, mid Atlantic states, circa 1790-95. It had one long drawer above a recessed cupboard section and measured 721/4 inches long, 261/4 inches wide and 41 inches high. On top of it was a set of four round-base Sheffield candlesticks, gadrooned bobeches, ten inches tall and of English origin. They dated circa 1820-40 and were attributed to Matthew Bolton. A George III serpentine front dressing mirror in figured mahogany, three drawers and supported on bracket feet, shaped mirror supports, dated circa 1765-75.

Two Rhode Island pieces in the booth of Nathan Liverant & Son, Colchester, Conn., included a Chippendale tall chest of drawers with scrolled base, figured maple, circa 1775-90, with the original bail brasses, and a Chippendale chest of drawers in the original red/orange painted surface, scrolled bracket feet and the original stamped brass hardware. It dated circa 1780-1810. A Chippendale chest of drawers in mahogany with figured drawer fronts was attributed to Richard Fosdick who was active 1790-1815 in New London, Conn. Holding a corner of the booth was a carved pine and gilt decorated architectural eagle, American School, circa 1830-55.

A selection of Pennsylvania furniture was shown by Christopher T. Rebollo, Inc, Bucks County, Penn., including a Philadelphia lowboy in walnut, circa 1770, attributed to David Evans, and a Chester County high chest with dry finish, bracket feet, circa 1750, with three short drawers over four long ones. A pastel portrait of Sarah Wilson (1753-1800) of Germantown, Philadelphia, by Saint Memin, circa 1798, was on pink paper and in the original frame.

Copper and brass pieces glittered in the booth of Michael J. Whitman Antiques, Fort Washington, Penn., and among the larger pieces was a Dutch wine flagon, dovetailed, circa 1800, with unusual flapover spout. Another Dutch piece was a large brass swing handle tea kettle, no seams, circa 1850, and of English origin was a pair of brass pulpit sticks with side ejectors, circa 1875, measuring 161/2 inches high.

Either four of six people could enjoy a meal comfortably from an English gate leg table, circa 1690, shown in the booth of Fiske and Freeman, Belmont, Vt. The table had ring and baluster turned legs united by molded stretcher and measured 191/2 inches high. Six ladder back side chairs with curved splats, country square cabriole legs, was ex collection of Timothy D. Wallace.

A portion of the booth of Cunha-St John, Essex, Mass., was devoted to garden things including a pair of American cast iron benches, circa 1860, from a Richmond, Va., foundry, and a set of four cast stone rococo-form urns filled with fruit and flowers, circa 1925, Continental origin.

In a nearby booth The Finnegan Gallery of Chicago had all kinds of decorative pieces for the lawn or garden, including an early Nineteenth Century cast iron French urn by J.J. Ducel Foundry that, with its swaged garlands, would grace the landscape either planted or not. Also of French origin was a pair of carved stone gatepier caps, angel heads with Art Nouveau attributes.

From Wellington, Fla., Christine Crossman Vining offered a pair of French armchairs in walnut, Seventeenth Century, the arms terminating in carved scrolls, 461/2 inches to the top of the backs, and a mid Nineteenth Century Oriental trade console table, probably made in Java of Oriental hardwood. A late Nineteenth Century four-tier alabaster compote was 27 inches high, 11 inches in diameter.

Passport Garden Antiques, Salisbury, Conn., showed a Nineteenth Century cast iron American urn, overflowing with flowers; a pair of large Nineteenth Century American wood finials or gate piers on solid wooden bases, old white crackle painted surface; and an early Twentieth Century American settee in while painted wicker, complete with colorful cushions.

A Hepplewhite chest of drawers in cherrywood and curly maple, Vermont origin, old finish and original brasses, two short drawers over four long drawers, was among the furniture in the booth of Stephen Garner American Antiques, Yarmouth Port, Mass. Over it hung a fine Federal overmantel mirror, New York State, dating circa 1830. A pair of portraits showed Lewis and Levina Howes of Barnstable, Maine, a couple who married in 1822. These oils on canvas were in the original frames.

A very rare Sanderling, probably Nantucket, circa 1890, peep with fluttened lower tail design, baleen bill, small carved eyes and delicate black and tan colored feather spotting, four inches tall, was shown among the decoy carvings in the display of Stephen B. O'Brien Jr, Fine Arts, of Boston. A rig of four challenge grade bluebills by the Mason Decoy Factory, Detroit, each 14 inches long and 71/2 inches high, was in the original paint, and among the paintings was "A September Day," an oil on canvas by Philip Little, signed lower left, and measuring 30 by 30 inches. Little (1857-1942) was born in Swampscott, Mass.

Charles L. Washburne of Chappaqua, N.Y., brought to the show a collection of English Majolica that included many rare and different forms. Among the offerings was a large fish platter, a toad, a heron with fish in its mouth, lobster plaques and a pair of vases decorated with cherubs hanging from the rim.

A boltless bed of poplar, Pennsylvania origin, circa 1850-60, was in the center of the booth of Melinda & Laszlo Zongor, Bedford, Penn., and used for the display of a pair of figured coverlets, circa 1845, with star design that is often the trademark of Mathias Mann. Hanging against one wall was an 1839 coverlet by Gilmour Bros, Dunlapsville, Union County, Ind., blue wool and natural cotton. Four houses were pictured across the bottom, with a sailboat in each corner.

Jeff R. Bridgman American Antiques, Dillsburg, Penn., was again all red, white and blue with a fine selection of old and historic American flags on every wall. Sandwiched in between was a Prior-Hamblin School portrait of a sea-faring gentleman, probably a ship's captain complete with telescope on his arm. It dated circa 1820-40, paint decorated frame, and was probably from the Boston area. More wall space was taken by a large sign, "James Bradley, Country Produce," black with red shadow lettering on white ground, with black molded frame. A Salem, Mass., settee, circa 1820-40, was in yellow paint with decoration on the back splat and measured 581/2 inches long.

Two pieces of furniture of the Queen Anne period were shown by Hanes and Ruskin, Old Lyme, Conn. One was a drop leaf table in mahogany, circa 1725-40, with cabriole legs, while the other was a tilt-top candlestand in grained mahogany, one board top, Rhode Island, 281/2 inches high, dating circa 1780.

A Hepplewhite secretary in mahogany with curly maple, satinwood and crotch mahogany veneers, whale ivory escutcheons, was shown in the booth of Brian Cullity of Sagamore, Mass. "This piece possibly relates to the work of Reuben Swift of New Bedford, Mass.," Brian said. It dated 1790. Other furniture included a Seventeenth Century Continental coffer with deer, flowers and bird carving, as well as a Rhode Island paint decorated blanket chest with reeded corners and bracket feet, circa 1820. About 20 whale oil lamps, part of a large collection just purchased, was displayed on the top shelf of a case.

Running Battle Antiques of Millbrook, N.Y., offered a nice selection of English furniture and several ship paintings, including a William Pierce Stubbs, American (1842-1909), of the schooner Martie L. Perry off Twin Lights, Thatcher Island, Gloucester, Mass. This oil on canvas, 221/4 by 36 inches, was signed lower left. A rare piece was a miniature watercolor of a naval officer of the East India Company, attributed to Foiequa, circa 1810. This work measured 71/4 by 61/2 inches and was in the original China Trade frame. Among the furniture was an Eighteenth Century oak dresser, three drawers below a two-plank top, measuring 32 inches high, 74 inches wide and 20 inches deep.

Taking up the best part of the front of the booth of Artemis Gallery, North Salem, N.Y., was a three-part dining table, New York State, circa 1800-1810, with slender legs and measuring 9 feet long and 481/2 inches wide. It went well with an assembled set of eight Hepplewhite mahogany dining chairs, one arm, circa 1790, probably from Hartford, Conn. A Hepplewhite bow front chest of drawers, mahogany, with rosewood crossbanding, circa 1790-1800, was from Baltimore.

Peter H. Eaton/Joan R. Brownstein of Newbury, Mass., offered a large collection of early furniture and handsome paintings. A country Chippendale card table with rectangular top, breadboard ends, drawer in frame, was in birch with molded legs and wonderful untouched grunge surface. It was probably from New Hampshire and dated circa 1785. A William and Mary gate leg table in maple had crispy turned legs and stretcher, deep oval leaves, circa 1740-60, and was from either Massachusetts or New Hampshire, and an Eighteenth Century Chinese cabinet with the original painted surface, lacquered interior, was sold on Sunday.

Paintings included a pair of folk art portraits in the original grained frames, oil on panel, circa 1820, sitters unknown, that were exhibited at the American Folk Art Museum in 1965, Eckley Collection. A portrait of a man holding a book is inscribed on reverse "Mr Frederick A. Hand, age 22, J.G. Chandler Artist, April 1842." The portrait is in the original crotch mahogany veneer frame.

Saje Americana, Short Hills, N.J., offered a Pembroke table in mahogany, small size, circa 1800, of Connecticut origin. It retained its old surface, had bellflower inlay, and measured 31 inches deep, 19 inches wide and 28 inches high. A cupboard in the original blue painted surface, circa 1820-30, was from Maine, a carved wooden whale model with good surface dated from the late Nineteenth Century and was of New England origin, and a pair of Hessian andirons was offered complete with the fire tools.

A birch and pine chair table with breadboard ends, New England, circa 1800, was shown by James McClafferty of New Canaan, Conn., and an oil on canvas depicted Storm King Mountain with the Hudson River busy with sailboats and steamships. The usual large collection of Staffordshire included poodles, jumping horses and plates of all sizes.

Without question, this good-looking show has everything including an easy to follow layout, a top selection of exhibitors, variety in the objects offered and knowledgeable dealers with whom to do business. Oh yes, there is one thing missing - air conditioning.

"We are looking into taking care of that for next year and exploring the way to cool down this large area," Karen DiSaia said after the show. Normally dealers are looking to decrease the cost of exhibiting at a show, "but everyone seems willing to pay a bit more to cool the facility as it is good for business," she said. With "air" in place, this summer show should "pack them in."