The collection of Eugene and Dorothy Elgin attracted serious buyers at Pook and Pook’s auction on April 15 with serious prices paid throughout the day. The Adams County collectors amassed a great assortment of local antiques over the years with Gene, who passed last June, focusing on furniture, redware and decorated tole, while Dorothy always had her eye on painted whimsical items, such as chalkware, hooked rugs and cookie cutters.
The Elgin Collection was part of a two-session auction at Pook and Pook, selling on Friday evening, followed by a Saturday sale featuring Americana. Top lots from the Elgin Collection included a Chester County linen cupboard that went out above estimates at $28,440, a large chalkware cat at $20,145 and a painted cast iron doorstop in the form of a giraffe that blew past the $1,5/2,500 presale estimates to bring $15,405.
A Schtockschnitzler Simmons carved and painted parrot was actively bid to $26,070, a two-part Pennsylvania Dutch walnut cupboard at $22,515 and a paint-decorated hanging seed cupboard realized $23,700.
The top lot of the session came as a mint condition tole tray with vibrant red, blue and yellow floral decoration with green foliate accents and a gold crystallized center panel. Estimated at $5/10,000, bidding on the tray was brisk, with it selling at $42,600. A rare tole “lighthouse” form coffeepot in vibrant red with yellow, green and red floral decoration sold at $18,960.
Highlights from the Saturday session included a painted pine seed chest decorated by Joseph Lehn that exceeded the $15/30,000 estimate to sell at $52,140. The surprise of the auction came as a 6-by-11-foot Oriental carpet was offered. Estimated at $500․1,000, the Nineteenth Century Khotan carpet with three medallions on a red field surrounded by a sea-foam green border was bid to $63,990.
A complete review of the auction will appear in a future issue. ⁄SS
