A dynamic woodcut print by Escher.

A Sum of $222,500 Sews up a Shaker Sewing Cabinet

CANTERBURY, N.H. – On October 7 a phone bidder won a diminutive Shaker six-drawer sewing cabinet for $222,500 at Ron Bourgeault’s Northeast Auctions; the cabinet was the featured lot in the sale of the Jim and Nola Stokes collection of Shaker antiques.

Bourgeault told correspondent Bob Jackman, “[It] is the finest example of Shaker furniture that we have sold in a long, long time. It has great design, condition, and surface.” The case of the lot was in fine original red paint, and remnants of red paint were visible on the edges of the drawer fronts. The cabinet was created using pine, cherry, and butternut, and bore two inscriptions inside the top full drawer that read, “Received this table January 7, 1846, Joseph Wilber.” The cabinet is attributed to the Hancock community.

Total sales topped $750,000 with all 325 lots finding buyers. A full review of this auction will be included in an upcoming issue of Antiques and The Arts Weekly.