Hindman American Furniture, Folk & Decorative Arts
Live and Online
Thursday & Friday, September 30 – October 1
Cincinnati, Ohio
312.280.1212
benfisher@hindmanauctions.com
www.HindmanAuctions.com

CINCINNATI, OHIO — On September 30-October 1, Hindman Auctions will present its American furniture, folk and decorative arts auction. The sale will offer property from the Dean Lower estate (Lanark, Ill.), the estate of a Midwest collector (Milwaukee, Wisc.), a Midwest estate, the Wes and Shelley Cowan collection, the estate of Paul Thomas Griffith (Dayton, Ohio) and the collection of Dr James Dawson, (Manchester, Ky.).

Standout lots to be offered include a rare Andrew Clemens (1857-1894) portrait sand bottle ($100/150,000). This large bottle dates from the late 1880s and depicts a portrait of a young boy and includes “O.T. Fuller” in script on the front side and an elaborate floral urn on the opposite. Of the more than 100 documented Clemens bottles, this is the only known example exhibiting a portrait, and the high quality of the item is demonstrated through the almost photographic depiction of Fuller.
Another noteworthy item is a pair of portraits of American banker, merchant and philanthropist Moses Michael Hays and Rachel Myers Hays, the sister of famed New York silversmith, Myer Myers ($30/50,000). This pair of historical portraits, attributed to Gilbert Stuart (1755-1828), descended to the Hays’ eldest daughter, descending in that family line to the current owners. A 2-foot carved marble bust of Benjamin Franklin ($15/25,000), possibly by Giuseppe Ceracchi (1751-1801), modeled after the original by Jean-Jacques Caffieri (1725-1792), is another lot. Additionally, the sale will include a George III drop-leaf dining table that was likely given as a gift to Lord Fairfax by George Washington ($2/4,000).

The collection of James Dawson includes Queen Anne, Chippendale and Federal furniture from New England, Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Tennessee. The selection also includes carved wood and stone figures by Edgar Tolson and Ernest “Popeye” Reed and notable Nineteenth Century scrimshaw whale’s teeth, medical oddities and advertising signs.
Property from the Dean Lower estate highlights the vibrance of American grain-painted furniture, early lighting, folk art and early children’s toys, featuring collections of Bliss houses and McLoughlin Bros. games. A standout of Lower’s collection was a large German-made Noah’s Ark, circa 1840 ($10/15,000), that is nearly identical to the example in the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum at Colonial Williamsburg.
Wes and Shelly Cowan’s Midwest-focused collection also includes examples of painted furniture, including a Jacob Werrey poplar blanket chest, which is painted in a style acknowledged to be the best preserved and has retained most of the original, vivid decoration. The Cowan collection also features rare works by Ferdinand Brader and Carl Freigau, and an assortment of stoneware in various glazes.

Paul Thomas Griffith was a lifelong collector with broad collecting interest and a keen eye. His Colonial-style home was filled with early English and American furniture, delftware, brass candlesticks, embroideries and pewter. He bought from local antiques shops and some of the major auction houses around the world to assemble his collection.
Bidding for the September 30-October 1 auctions begins at 10 am ET. Bidders will be able to participate via absentee bid, by phone or live online.

Private preview of the auction will be available at Hindman’s Cincinnati office by appointment only. For information, 513-871-1670 or www.hindmanauctions.com.Featuring Property from the Dean Lower Estate, Lanark, Illinois

Contact
Ben Fisher
Director and Senior Specialist,
American Furniture, Folk and Decorative Arts
312.280.1212
benfisher@hindmanauctions.com