– Christie’s took to the stage on January 15 and 16, realizing $12.5 million on the sale of 490 lots of important Americana, including furniture, folk art, silver, prints and Twentieth Century self-taught and outsider art.

The Townsend family Chippendale mahogany block and shell bureau table, made in Newport circa 1790, fetched a record price for the form of $1,911,500 ($600/900,000), selling to dealer George Samaha.

Other rdf_Descriptions of interest included the Moses and Elizabeth Hays miniature chest going to New Hampshire dealer Mark Allen for $141,900 ($50/80,000); the Pennsylvania walnut Chippendale chest of drawers went to Pennsylvania dealer Harry Hartman for $186,700 ($60/90,000); and the Gansevoort Limner’s “Portrait of Elizabeth Van Dyke Vosburgh,” sold to a young couple in the room for a record price for the artist at $175,500 ($100/150,000).

Antiques and The Arts Weekly will bring a complete report in an upcoming issue.