Earning the highest price of the sale — $16,250 — was this signed, dated and book-matched George Nakashima live edge slab walnut trestle base dining table, 1978, 28¾ inches tall by 59¾ inches long by 41½ inches wide ($8/12,000).
Review by Kiersten Busch
PLAINFIELD, N.H. — William A. Smith Auctions’ celebration of America250 took place in the form of its July 1 auction, titled Folk & Form: Twentieth Century Art and Design. The sale offered 414 lots and featured the collection of folk artist, historic home restorer, American antiques collector and community leader in Brandon, Vt., Warren Kimble, who was present during the sale’s preview for an in-person meet-and-greet. Additional property from other New England estates made up the rest of the sale.
“We were extremely pleased with the results of the Warren Kimble auction,” explained owner William Smith of the sale, which achieved a 98 percent sell-through rate and earned $572,400. “The collection performed exceptionally well and demonstrated the continued strength of the market for Kimble’s work. There was significant demand for his paintings, with strong participation from both in-person and online bidders. The sale reaffirmed that high-quality Twentieth Century American folk art, particularly works by Kimble, continues to attract an enthusiastic and competitive audience.”
Smith added, “Having Warren Kimble attend the auction preview was truly one of the highlights of the event. During the preview the day before the sale, approximately 75 visitors came through the gallery, many specifically to meet Warren in person. At 93 years old, he remains full of life, remarkably sharp, quick-witted and genuinely engaged with everyone he met. He spent time speaking with collectors, signing books and sharing stories, making the experience memorable for longtime admirers of his work. His enthusiasm and eagerness to embrace the next chapter of his life were evident throughout the event.”
The Kimble collection was led by a painted wooden work by the artist made from a repurposed antique sorting tray. Depicting the top half of the Statue of Liberty’s head, the painting was labeled “Liberty” and was signed lower right. Realizing $5,400, it far surpassed its $1/1,500 estimate. “Because of the present times, this piece needs to have the addition of a tear to express the confusion about liberty,” shared Kimble via the auction catalog notes on the piece.
Leading the collection of folk artist Warren Kimble was the artist’s work “Liberty,” painted wood made from a repurposed antique sorting tray, 21 by 30 inches, which realized $5,400 ($1/1,500).
Several animal portraits by Kimble attracted bidders, including a carved and painted wooden tavern sign depicting a large cow and a small red barn ($5,313); a painted wooden work depicting a prized pig in a landscape, in the tradition of early American folk art ($4,063); and another painted wooden tavern sign, this example labeled “Kennel Inn” and depicting a black dog on a peach-colored background ($2,625).
Kimble also painted in acrylic, and a work on an aged wood board titled “Angel Ballet” flew to $3,500 against a $2/3,000 estimate. Depicting four angels on a blue ground, the painting was signed by the artist and included the work’s original label on its reverse. Also finding new homes were three acrylic on canvas paintings: “The Mill, Johnson VT” ($2,625), “The Horse Barn, Shelburne VT” ($2,375) and “Chris’s Barns” ($1,875).
Also in the folk art fashion, Kimble painted wooden game boards, and several were a hit during the sale. Going for $3,250, just surpassing its $3,000 high estimate, was a Parcheesi board in bright yellow, blue and pink paint. It was inscribed “Home” on its center and signed “Warren Kimble” on its reverse. “I loved to play Parcheesi as a kid, and this is my way to express some of my childhood,” Kimble explained. A painted wooden Chinese checkers board followed at $2,625, inscribed “Games” on its front and “Chinese Checkers” on its reverse.
Kimble also painted furniture, exemplified by an antique country cabinet he had hand painted; it realized $1,875 in this auction. The two lower paneled doors of the cabinet featured a painted landscape with villages in the distance against a red and black sponge-painted ground. Of the piece, Kimble noted “These two doors were painted around 1987 as an expression of my appreciation for the beauty in early folk art paintings.” Also finding a new home was a painted pedestal, decorated on all sides with six landscape panels featuring trees and hills, which earned $1,125.
Warren Kimble signed one of his early works, an 1820 jelly cabinet that he painted in 1987 and never signed, at the preview party. Photo courtesy Bill Smith.
The top lot of the sale, which bested its $8/12,000 estimate to make $16,250 and was not from Kimble’s collection, was a 1978 signed and dated George Nakashima live edge slab walnut trestle base dining table that was book-matched. The table was inscribed “Simonds” on the underside of its top, the original name for the commission build, but the consignor puchased it in the early 2000s.
Another table that performed well was a custom Edo solid cherry trestle dining table by Thomas Moser Cabinetmakers of Auburn, Maine. The 107-inch-long table, which was signed on its underside, was made in 2010 and brought $5,625, surpassing its $2/4,000 estimate. Also from Thomas Moser Cabinetmakers was a set of six custom Edo cherry dining chairs, also made in 2010, which carved out a $6,250 finish.
Several pieces of upholstered furniture interested bidders, led by a Papa Bear chair by Hans Wegner that realized $11,685. The Midcentury Modern chair had a teak wood frame with blue checked upholstery and was structurally sound despite some wear to the fabric. Following at $5,938 was a vintage Vladimir Kagen [sic] serpentine sofa in lime green velvet upholstery, which measured 135 inches long.
A more unique piece of furniture on offer was a circa 1960 Hans Wegner cube bar, which more than doubled its $2/3,000 estimate at $6,875. The bar had a hinged, fold-out top, an interior with a frosted glass shelf, one small drawer in its lower case and stood on chrome legs. It was signed “Andr. Tuck Hans J Wegner design Made in Denmark” on its underside.
This circa 1960 Hans Wegner cube bar, 19½ inches tall by 19½ inches wide by 21 inches deep, was made in Denmark and signed to its underside; it changed hands for $6,875 ($2/3,000).
Garden items were led by an antique two-part white painted cast iron fountain consigned from a private New Hampshire estate. Featuring swan motifs and a large lower bowl with a fanciful border and frog and turtle motifs, the 72-inch-tall fountain changed hands for $14,400, eclipsing its $2/3,000 estimate by nearly five times. Other outdoor decorations included a pair of white painted cast iron garden urns mounted with cornucopia and seated putti ($3,000), a cast cement statue of a reclining putti on a Rococo motif ($500) and a mosaic sink with a spiraling bowl and Romanesque figure decorations ($63).
Sterling silver, steadily popular in the market right now, also made an appearance, as a 130-piece Tiffany & Company flatware service in the Salem pattern set the table for $10,800, besting its $7/9,000 estimate. The set, which weighed 235.5 troy ounces, was sold in its original Tiffany & Company blue satin-lined oak box. A large set of various .800 silver flatware, 189 pieces in total, also sold above estimate, earning $8,750 ($2/4,000).
Gold was also in the favor of bidders, mostly in the form of jewelry. The category was led by a vintage 18K yellow gold “chunky” double oval link bracelet marked “Italy,” which shone for $7,800. Following was a 14K yellow gold dual-textured, woven, flexible bracelet which measured 7⅜ inches long and crossed the block for $5,313. Also selling well was a vintage flexible 18K yellow gold bracelet set with single-cut round, natural diamonds, which landed within its $5/6,000 estimate at $5,313.
Gold lots on offer also took the form of coins, attracting the bids of enthusiastic numismatics. Flipping to $5,400 was a 1821-1921 50-peso coin set in a 14K yellow gold coin pendant frame, which was marked “Oro Puro” and weighed 37.5 grams. A second pendant, this example featuring a 1970 South African Krugerrand marked as 1 ounce of fine gold, was bid to $5,000, meeting its high estimate. Another Krugerrand, a 1975 bullion coin without a pendant frame, matched the $5,000 finish of its pendant partner, exceeding its $3/4,000 estimate.
Prices quoted include the buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. For information, www.wsmithauction.com or 603-675-2549.
