The China Trade painting of the ship “Empress D.R. Lecraw, Entering Hong Kong Harbor by Lgemon Passage, 1862” was the top lot of the auction selling at $29,900.

Eldred’s kicked off its annual summer schedule of auctions last month with a sale of Marine and Oriental Export Art. The popular auction was well attended with a large and lively crowd bidding actively throughout the day.

Auctioneer Robert Eldred commented that he was pleased with the results posted during the sale, especially the prices achieved for the vast selection of marine paintings.

Eldred’s always begins its marine auction with a selection of books and ephemera relating to local history, expeditions, whaling and other nautical themes. Among the 140 lots offered was a large cache of family papers from two local families, including Captain Seth Wheldon, which spanned the years from the late Eighteenth Century to the late 1870s. Items in the lot included account books dealing with a variety of ships, letters, broadsides, indentured servant documents and inventories. Bidding was brisk with several in the gallery competing for the lot, although the local Dennis Historical Society ultimately claimed it for $2,415.

Other lots of interest included a sketchbook and letters thought to have been executed by a Marine officer that sold for $575, a large lot of photographs of ships and various marine views, $575, and a whaling journal from the ship City of New Bedford that was hammered down at $920.

Watercolor portraits of ships entering the port of Palermo by the Filiberti family attracted strong attention. Four were offered with the 1850 depiction of the “Barque Eutaw of Boston entering the Port of Palermo 1854,” selling at $19,550.

The selection of artwork attracted serious bids throughout the auction with the top lot of the sale coming as a framed China Trade painting of the ship “Empress D.R. Lecraw, Entering Hong Kong Harbor by Lgemon Passage, 1862” was offered. The painting depicted the ship under full sail with an American flag flying off the gaff and the Chinese Chippendale-style frame appeared to be original to the work. Bidding on the lot opened with crossing absentee bids at $20,000 and several in the gallery got in on the action on the way to a selling price of $29,900.

A painting of the three-masted schooner Tamos by William Pierce Stubbs had an interesting provenance. The painting had been consigned from a family that had received the painting as a gift from the captain of the ship in 1917. The attractive painting had three phone bidders chasing the lot with it eventually selling at $12,650. The same price was realized for the following lot, a portrait of the tugboat Nellie by Charles Sidney Raleigh.

Watercolor portraits of ships entering the port of Palermo by the Filiberti family attracted strong attention. Four examples were offered with the top lot coming as a circa 1850 depiction of the “Barque Eutaw of Boston entering the Port of Palermo 1854” was offered. The watercolor, estimated at $5/7,000, featured the fully rigged ship underway in the port and flying the American flag. Figures also appear on the deck. Bidding on the lot was active with it selling to a phone bidder for $19,550.

The portrait of the tug boat Nellie by Charles Sidney Raleigh sold for $12,650.

Other Filiberti watercolors included a ship portrait inscribed “Brig Niger of Boston, P.T Jenkins Cptn. Entering and leaving the Port of Palermo, A Filiberti Fecit.” This lot was also actively bid with it also selling to the phones at $17,250. Two other ships portraits attributed to the Filiberti family realized $9,200 and $4,600.

Two watercolor ships portraits attributed to Petrus Weyts also attracted serious bouts of bidding with the first selling at $8,050, while the second faired slightly better bringing $8,625.

The top lot of the smalls came as a sailor’s double valentine that proclaimed “Home Sweet Home” was offered. The rare and colorful piece had a provenance of ex Flayderman collection and it sold after active bidding for $7,820.

Other items of interest included a framed nautical chart of Boston Harbor that had been signed by the owner, Josiah Sturgis, commander of the US revenue cutter Hamilton. The chart dated from 1800 and it tripled the presale estimates, bringing $3,162. A nautical chart titled “Vineyard Sound Lt Ship to Chatham” also elicited a burst of bidding on its way to a selling price of $1,552.

Auctioneer Robert Eldred with the top lot of the smalls. A sailor’s double valentine that proclaimed “Home Sweet Home,” ex Flayderman collection, sold after active bidding for $7,820.

A shadowbox diorama with two fully rigged ships sailing in front of a shoreline with lighthouses and a fortress did well selling at $5,750. A small pond boat model of a sailing yacht was bid to $2,520, a small diorama with ship and lighthouse $1,495, and a small rigged model of a ship realized $1,610.

A brass Waltham ship’s clock with a banner on the dial marked “Star Brass Mfg. Co., Boston” was actively bid with it selling at $4,887, a Chelsea brass ship’s clock more than tripled estimates bringing $4,312, and an English banjo barometer with broken-arched top and inlaid pinwheel sold for $2,070.

The selection of whalebone artifacts did well despite Federal regulations that prohibit items under 100 years old to be sold to anyone out of state. “If I don’t think it qualifies, we are not going to sell it to anyone that does not reside in Massachusetts,” commented Eldred. There were several pieces that were amended as they crossed the block as the auctioneer was not 100 percent sure of the age and was not “taking any chances” with the Feds.

Leading the group was a wonderful antique wood and whalebone rolling pin with diamond and rectangular-shaped inlays all across the body. Estimated at $700-$1,000, the ornate lot was actively bid to $3,450.

A hexagonal antique whalebone basket comprised of six joined panels with a heart cut into each one attracted quite a bit of attention with the lot selling for $2,300.

Numerous ship models were offered with a large cased model of the warship USS Essex by Robert Innis selling at $7,360.

A wooden tray with inlaid whalebone starburst was a questionable lot regarding the Federal law and as it crossed the block Eldred announced it would only be sold to a Massachusetts resident. While phone and Internet bidders were forced to sit idly by, buyers in the gallery pushed the piece to $1,495.

A selection of Chinese Export included a reticulated Rose Medallion fruit basket and undertray that sold for $1,200, a large pair of porcelain mugs with duck decoration brought $2,070 and a large Export bowl with urn reserves and floral bouquet decoration went out at $2,530.

Numerous ship models were offered with a large cased model of the warship USS Essex leading the group. This example, created by Robert Innis, whom Eldred called the “most talented one-armed ship builder in the world,” was in exceptional condition. The detail was amazing and the price realized reflected the quality as several bidders in the gallery competed with a phone bidder, who eventually claimed the lot at $7,360. A cased model of the steam ship Erin also did well as it hammered down at $3,795.

Prices include the buyer’s premium charged. For further information, contact Eldred’s, 508-385-3116 or www.eldreds.com.