Old World charm and New World wealth were fully on display in last week’s auctions. Landscapes from American artists were complemented with an Eighteenth Century British portrait. Other offerings included thick gold chains and a diamond-encrusted sapphire ring, cushioned by a Chesterfield sofa. Read on for more.
Chesterfield Sofa Finds Comfortable Price At Nadeau’s
WINDSOR, CONN. — A George Smith leather upholstered Chesterfield sofa realized $4,160 at Nadeau’s Auction Gallery’s August 19 sale. It had rolled arms with brass tack accents throughout the frame, along with a brass George Smith tag to the underside, height 26 inches, length 86 inches, width 4 inches. Furniture lore has it that the Chesterfield sofa derives its name from Lord Phillip Stanhope, the 4th Earl of Chesterfield (1694-1773). He reportedly commissioned the first sofa of this style, with a low seat, deep buttoning and quilted leather upholstery. Popular in the Victorian Nineteenth Century, the sofa remains a staple design feature for exclusive gentleman’s clubs. For information, 860-246-2444 or www.nadeausauction.com.
Frederick Church’s Grand Hudson River View Sells At Brzostek Auction
BALDWINSVILLE, N.Y. — Mountains, waterfalls and especially sunsets were the preferred subjects for Frederick E. Church (1826-1900), the Hudson River luminist. The American landscape painter was born in Hartford, Conn., and became a central figure in the Hudson River School of American painters, renowned for painting sweeping landscapes bathed in light. At Brzostek’s August 20 auction, a bidder secured an oil on canvas of one of these landscapes, housed in a gilt frame and measuring 28½ by 39½ inches for $4,800. Signed lower right, this painting was acquired more than 90 years ago by the consignor’s New York City relative from a Manhattan gallery and had been in the family ever since. For information, www.brzostek.com or 315-678-2000.
Santa Fe Art Auction Saves Best For Last In Three-Day American Indian Sale
SANTA FE, N.M. — A 900-lot sale conducted over three sessions greeted bidders at Santa Fe Art Auction from August 15-17, with Session 1, the American Indian – Classic to Contemporary, conducted on August 15, coinciding with the prestigious Santa Fe Indian Market. The final session on August 17 featured a collection of historic and contemporary pottery vessels broken down by pueblo, featuring pieces from the Acoma, Santa Clara, San Ildefonso, Zia, Santo Domingo, Hopi, Jemez, Laguna, Dine and San Juan pueblos. Tammy Garcia’s carved redware jar with yucca design was the highlight of this session, garnering high bidding interest and selling for $17,080, more than 240 percent above asking price. For information, www.santafeartauction.com or 505-954-5858.
Christmas Comes Early At Wiederseim
CHESTER SPRINGS, PENN. — Wiederseim Associate’s Christmas In July auction on August 18 brought a treasure chest of jewelry, watches, dolls and other goods in approximately 250 lots. At the top of the sale was a Van Cleef & Arpels sapphire and diamond ring set in 18K yellow gold that more than doubled its $15/20,000 estimate to achieve $53,125. The glowing sapphire weighed 8.75 carats, surrounded by 2.48 carats’ worth of pave diamonds, amounting to a total weight of 6.4 grams. For information, 610-827-1910 or www.wiederseim.com.
Massive 18K Necklace & Bracelet Fill The Vintage Bill At Kodner Galleries
DANIA BEACH, FLA. — A massive link 18K necklace and bracelet sold for $12,402 at Kodner Galleries on August 22 in the firm’s estate jewelry, art and collectibles sale. The necklace featuring oval links and weighing approximately 278.72 grams converts to a shorter necklace and bracelet and measures 37 inches long or 29½ inches long with 7½-inch-long bracelet. Its condition was deemed “very good vintage condition.” For information, www.kodner.com or 954-925-2550.
Harvey Joiner Woodland Road Scene Leads To Good Sale At Michaan’s
ALAMEDA, CALIF. — Michaan’s August 18 gallery auction featured many great names like Georg Jensen, Olga Fisch, Swarovski, Don Kingman and Ansel Adams just to name a few. Not so well known in the general art circles, Harvey Joiner (American, 1852-1932) made a name for himself among the sale’s top selling lots with “The Road Through the Beeches” going out at $4,612, nearly twice its high estimate. The oil on board depicting a sun-dappled path through a lush woodland measured approximately 11¾ by 21½ inches, signed lower left, titled and named on a plaque. The Kentucky artist created simple compositions, which were repeated in hundreds of paintings that depicted tree landscapes and river genre scenes. For information, 510-227-2505 or www.michaans.com.
Palissy Basin Leads Strawser’s Flower Majolica Collection
KULPSVILLE, PENN. — On August 23, the Strawser Auction Group offered 190 lots from The Flower Majolica in a sale it billed as “one of the finest majolica collections ever offered at auction.” Topping the selection at $49,200 against a $2/3,000 estimate was a Palissyware rustic basin by Charles-Jean Avisseau that was dated 1856. The basin, which measured 21½ by 18 inches, had provenance to Nicholas Boston Antiques and relates to an example in the collection of Metropolitan Museum of Art. For information, www.strawserauctions.com or 260-854-2859.
Inness Landscape Is Grandest At Thomaston Place
THOMASTON, MAINE — Thomaston Place Auction Galleries’ August Grandeur sale, conducted August 25-27, saw more than 1,300 lots offered in all manner of categories. Bringing the top price of $72,000 against a $40/60,000 estimate was George Inness’ (American/Scottish, 1825-1884) “Banks of Tin Brook,” an oil landscape depicting the brook winding towards the town of Walden, N.Y., where it flows into the Wallkill River. Despite being cleaned and relined and housed in a replica frame, the 17½-by-29-inch painting was accompanied by an original copy of the catalog of the 30th Annual Exhibition of the National Academy of Design, in which the painting was listed. For information, 207-354-8141 or www.thomastonauction.com.
Merrill Earns Top Dollar For Eighteenth Century Portrait
WILLISTON, VT. — Of the nearly 650 lots Merrill’s Auctioneer’s & Appraisers presented in its Continental Antiques, Doll & Toy Auction on August 25, an Eighteenth Century portrait of John Gray Elmslie earned one of the highest prices of the day, selling to a phone bidder for $11,800. Painted by British artist Nathanial Hone (1718-1784), the oil on canvas measured 31 by 26 inches and exhibited some craquelure and minor wear; it had been estimated at $2/4,000. For information, 802-878-2625 or www.merrillsauction.com.
