Leading the sale was Emile Pinedo’s bronze nude of a woman with a mirror. It realized $2,640 ($600-$1,200).
Review by Madelia Hickman Ring, Photos Courtesy Applebrook Auctions
NEW MILFORD, CONN. – The nearly 210-lot sale offered by Applebrook Auctions on Thursday, January 30, was nearly 80 percent sold and featured property from many estates and collections, as well as what was advertised as “A Kent, Conn., Estate From A Renowned Antique Dealer’s Personal Home.” With no name to identify the estate, Antiques and The Arts Weekly asked Mitchell Borenstein, who said that the estate did not want to use the name and confirmed that it made up just some of the sale.
Leading the sale was a bronze figure of a nude woman by Emile Pinedo that bore a foundry mark and realized $2,640 against an estimate of $600-$1,200. It had been consigned by a Southington, Conn., antique dealer. Making several times its $200/400 estimate was an Art Nouveau bronze and Favrile glass table lamp that closed at $1,800. The lamp was intended to be placed at the edge of a table or piano so it could shed light over the edge.
Two of the top ten highest selling lots in the sale were portraits. Exceeding expectations was an oil on canvas portrait of General Ulysses S. Grant that had been consigned from the estate of a direct descendent of Grant. Estimated at $600-$1,200, it realized $1,920. Realizing $1,020 was an oil on board portrait of a Nineteenth Century sea captain that had a modern tag that read “Whaling ship / “Eve” / Capt Jo-Spring? / 1833.”
A Pennsylvania tall case clock with a moon-phases dial and patriotic shields in the spandrels had been consigned by a “long-time” clock restorer. It sold within estimate, for $1,560. Finishing just short of that was a German “Elite” Westminster chime tall case clock, the dial inscribed “JA. Merrill & Co., Portland, ME” that also hit the midpoint of the estimate range, at $1,440. A Jaeger LeCoultre Atmost aquarium clock that had been cataloged as “rare” brought the low estimate and a little bit more, selling for $1,080. A disappointment among the clock offerings was a Seth Agar Wisbich grandfather that had been estimated at $800-$1,600.
Of lots that were advertised prior to the sale, some of the following highlights include an Irish sterling silver wine pot that topped off at $1,500 and -for a budding reader – a complete 100-volume set of Franklin Library’s “The 100 Greatest Books of All Time,” that brought $1,200.
Bringing the second highest price in the sale was this portrait of General Ulysses S. Grant, which was not dated but was consigned from the estate of the great niece of Grant and was represented to have descended in the family. It found a new home for $1,920 ($600-$1,200).
The sale included a few porcelain services, led by an approximately 65-piece set of Haviland Limoges in the “Imperatrice Eugenie” pattern that finished at $960, and a group of vintage Dansk enamel ware, cataloged as “generous,” that topped off at $840. A few lots of Blue Onion for Meissen were on offer, with the highest price of $780 realized for a small set of 20 luncheon and bread and butter plates.
Applebrook sales always include jewelry and this was no exception. Heading that category was a 14K white gold, diamond and emerald ring with 1.5-carat emerald and two diamonds each weighing .45 carats that found a new home for $1,020. Among whimsical jewelry offers were an 18K gold, diamond and gemstone lion pin that finished at $600; an 18K gold diamond and ruby panther pendant that bidders pursued to $480; and, for $180, a 14K gold and diamond poodle pin.
Prices cited include buyer’s premium as specified by the house.
Applebrook Auctions’ next sale is scheduled for March 5. For additional information, www.applebrookauctions.com or 203-740-0944.
