The top lot overall was this important Jackson (Mahoning County), Ohio step-back cupboard, Nineteenth Century, with original paint decoration that made $76,875 ($25/45,000).
Review by Andrea Valluzzo
COLUMBUS, OHIO — Americana has always been at the heart of Amelia Auctions & Appraisals’ three-day extravaganza summer auctions but the July 30-August 1 extravaganza was exceptionally memorable. Comprising 1,123 lots, the auction kicked off day one with Ohio Valley followed by America 250: American Material Culture and winding up day three with Holidays and Toys. In all, the sale totaled $1.6 million.
Designed to be a celebration of collecting, American history and craftsmanship, the auction was in honor of the country’s semiquincentennial anniversary. “The concept of an America 250 auction first started percolating with me last summer,” said owner and auctioneer Amelia Jeffers. “When we announced it, I had grand plans to allocate time each month to assemble interesting and appropriate material for it. However, running a small business through explosive growth takes up a lot of my time, so I wasn’t able to work with as much intention as I’d hoped.”
She continued, “Yet, our clients responded enthusiastically to the idea, and it came together pretty organically. So, I was most pleased with the overall quality and variety of categories represented across the three days. I believe that in today’s market, auctions featuring an interesting variety of material, organized strategically, will draw a huge number of bidders and elicit significant excitement and bidding. I would say that this has been our secret sauce. We had something like 12,000 registered bidders. We talk a lot about eyeballs — it’s my job as an auctioneer to get a lot of eyeballs.”
Stoneware offerings were led by this early Roseville, Ohio, cobalt-decorated Odd Fellows Lodge presentation pitcher that sold for $46,125 ($8/16,000). Its extensive brushed decoration included large text reading “Docter Lisle Roseville Ohio” on the body and a lattice and dot design on the collar. Jeffers described this lot as “super unusual as a presentation pitcher with the Odd Fellows imagery, condition, and size. Neat thing!”
Safe to say, Jeffers succeeded as all three sessions attracted robust interest and competitive bidding with many notable and important lots selling at or well over estimate. As the sale got underway, the action quickly heated up. About an hour into bidding, a lavishly decorated piece of furniture crossed the block to become the top lot of the overall auction — a two-piece Jackson, Ohio, step-back cupboard with original paint decoration dated to the Nineteenth Century and was of pegged construction. The craftsmanship was first-rate, but what distinguished the cupboard was the enthusiastic paint decoration throughout in ochre, mustard, green, red and black in several styles, ranging from grained and combed to dotted and sponged. Estimated at $25/45,000, the piece drew competitive bidding and ultimately sold for $76,875.
Besides its paint, it was pictured on the cover of the well-known reference book Ohio Furniture Makers, Volume Two, by Jane Sykes Hageman and Edward Hageman, which Jeffers said contributed to its value. “In that photo, the piece was sitting in the exact spot from which we moved it to sell it at auction. The paint is incredible — every surface was covered in paint, and I can’t say there was ten percent loss of paint overall. The exuberance of the paint, the condition and the fact that it was fresh to market — really the first time it had ever been offered publicly — and it is well-documented and from a legendary collection… That is just about everything you could want in a piece.”
This large carved sandstone beehive garden sculpture more than doubled its high estimate to achieve $10,455 ($2/4,000).
“Just a week before, at a show in Zoar, Ohio, there were whispers that I was crazy for listing it with an estimate of $25/50,000,” she said. “Again, knowing the market and understanding the significance of an object so that we can contextualize it for bidders is part of my job. That realized price was hard-fought by the winning bidder. I could see the pained look — and I would guess he might not have had more than another bidder or two left. Both the buyer and the underbidder are friends and regular buyers with me. I knew how much each of them wanted it — and I hated that only one could end up with it!”
Including this cupboard, several of this season’s standouts came from the lifetime collection of the late Don Watkin formerly of Washingtonville, Ohio. Among them was an early and important early Roseville, Muskingum County, Ohio cobalt-decorated Odd Fellows Lodge presentation pitcher for “Doctor Lisle, Roseville Ohio” that made $46,125, easily surpassing its $8/16,000 estimate.
Also from the Watkin collection were a “Poland Is My Dwelling Place” needlework sampler, 1808, hailing from Mahoning County, Ohio, wrought by Lucretia Kirtland, aged ten, that sold within estimate for $12,915 and a Long family, Ada, Hardin County, Ohio paneled blanket chest with exuberant original painted decoration that retained brown over red and yellow graining as well as three panels with dark blue backgrounds and large vases of colorful flowers, selling for $12,300.
This Long family paneled blanket chest from Ada, Hardin County, Ohio, second quarter Nineteenth Century, retained its lavish and original painted decoration. It sold for $12,300 ($8/16,000).
Nancy Goff, whose collection was largely featured in a May auction was also well represented in this sale with Ohio pieces like a miniature blanket chest signed “J. Shipley” with original painted decoration and labeled “Ella” on the lid that brought $10,455 ($2/4,000). This chest is part of a small known group of miniature chests having nearly identical form and decoration.
Goff was also an ardent collector of holiday antiques and her keen eye accounted for strong prices in that session as evidenced by two lots tying for top-lot status in the auction’s final day: a large store display witch candy container, made in Germany in the early Twentieth Century ($4/8,000) and a large standing Santa candy container, late Nineteenth or early Twentieth Century, Germany, wearing a dark gray papier-mâché coat and carrying a feather tree sprig ($3/6,000). Both attained $30,750 apiece.
“The holiday and toy session was comprised primarily of two collections. When those collections came in, it just made sense to me to expand the America 250 theme to include them. I hope it is the first of many future sessions of both!” Jeffers said.
Asked about a Halloween lot sharing centerstage with Santa, she commented, “In the holiday collectibles world, Halloween objects tend to be more valuable because there are fewer of them around. They just were not saved as much as Christmas items, for example.” Of the witch candy container, she said that “the size is so impressive and exceedingly rare, and her condition is outstanding.”
Tied for top-lot status in the third session was this large store display witch candy container, made in Germany in the early Twentieth Century. Hailing from the Nancy Goff collection, it sold for $30,750 ($4/8,000).
Given its location, Ohio Valley material is near and dear to Jeffers and was well received in the first session but the second session, featured diverse material — folk art in particular such as a Pennsylvania bird tree with unusual surface and a Bellamy eagle banner. Offerings were far-ranging and a standout was an important pipe tomahawk. “Day two was the highest grossing day and it carried the majority of the high-powered material. I loved the bird tree. It is atypical – generally they are polychrome painted. That turned a lot of folks off, but from a folk art perspective, I feel it is a masterpiece. I described it as lyrical to someone — the birds were carved with a center of gravity that naturally oriented them to look upward; and the consistent overall black paint emphasized the sculptural quality,” she said.
“The ‘Goddess of Liberty’ is a wonderful and scarce figure. And the Bellamy eagle — my first one since my days at Garth’s years ago. From a tomahawk perspective, we have handled some great ones in the last two and a half years. This one had great inlays and a strong provenance. We had four to five phone bidders and a lot of internet interest. Western Pennsylvania stoneware is a strong category for us. Regionally it just makes sense. The small group we offered were well-known pieces that bidders had been waiting years to buy.”
Prices quoted include the buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. Jeffers’ next auction will be a summer specialty sale August 20 followed by the Fall Great Estates Auction September 17-18. For information, www.ameliajeffers.com or 740-362-4771.
