Eldred’s – Marine Art
Feb. 27-28
www.eldreds.com

EAST DENNIS, MASS. — A John Stobart oil depicting the clipper ship Thermopylae, a rare therianthropic scrimshaw pie crimper and an authenticated Admiral Lord Nelson signed letter highlight Eldred’s two-day winter marine auction, scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, February 27-28. The sale also includes an array of ship models and navigational instruments in addition to maritime objects and decorative art from the estate of Peter A. Goldstein, a keen sailor and longtime collector. The 400-lot sale will take place at Eldred’s headquarters. Both sessions begin at 9:30 am Eastern.

The wide-ranging Goldstein collection includes almost 150 lots of significant paintings, utilitarian scrimshaw, Nineteenth Century Sheffield and contemporary American exhibition pocketknives, orotone photographs by Edward Sherriff Curtis and a variety of ship models.

An anticipated top lot from the collection is the Admiral Lord Nelson signed letter, written in Nelson’s own hand aboard the HMS Victory and dated “Jan.ry 17th 7 pm.” Based on the paper watermark and other notations, it is assumed the letter was written January 1804 or 1805 to Admiral Sir Richard Goodwin Keats, captain of the Superb and one of Nelson’s confidants. Nelson commanded Victory from May 1803 until his death in October 1805 during the battle of Trafalgar. The letter is estimated at $5/10,000.

The Goldstein collection includes nearly 50 lots of scrimshaw, notably a polychrome panbone panel attributed to whaleship physician William Lewis Roderick (British, 1826-1874), estimated at $8/12,000, a whalebone handled basket ($5/7,000) and a fist-handled cane ($10/15,000). Goldstein’s passion, however, was for pie crimpers and jagging wheels, which he appreciated for being both functional and beautiful. The centerpiece of his collection is the therianthropic crimper, in the form of a serpent-headed nude woman. With provenance, including the Armstrong, Flayderman and Cohen scrimshaw collections and a vast publication history, it carries a $20/30,000 estimate. Several eagle’s-head, looped serpent and unicorn crimpers are also included.

Goldstein also prolifically collected pocketknives, amassing more than 50 examples from George Wostenholm & Son (IXL), Joseph Rodgers & Sons and many leading contemporary American makers. Most have exotic grips, gold and silver fittings, precious gemstone accents and engravings, and range in estimate from $300/500 for a simple fixed-blade example to $15/20,000 for a Nineteenth Century Joseph Rodgers & Sons mother-of-pearl and 14K gold multi-tool knife with 16 elements.

Eight Curtis orotone photographs, all of Native Americans, including “The Oath – Apsaroke” and “Flathead Camp on the Jocko River,” are included, with estimates ranging from $800-$1,200 to $8/12,000. A circa 1780 dockyard scale model of a French first-rate 128-gun ship of the line, about 8 feet in length ($10/15,000), is expected to fetch the highest bid among the 10 ship models from the collection.

Other highlights from Goldstein’s collection include “A Frigate Offshore,” a seascape by John Ward of Hull (British, 1798-1849), ($30/40,000); a monumental W.&A.K. Johnston globe ($12/18,000) and a luminist view of a quiet coastal inlet by Charles Henry Gifford (American, 1839-1904), ($5/7,000).

“While the core of the Goldstein collection is maritime art, the inclusion of the Edward Curtis orotones and his world-class knife collection adds a different flavor to our usual fare, making this the most diverse marine sale we’ve ever had,” said Joshua Eldred, president of the firm.

“We were able to complement the Goldstein collection with fine material culled from a variety of other sources,” Eldred continued. “I really think there is something for everyone in this auction.”

The sale also features a Connecticut collection, with noteworthy lots to include a cast iron ship’s wheel bracket helm in the form of a mermaid ($50/70,000), a Nineteenth Century ship’s figurehead in the form of a running dog, ($25/35,000) and a lighthouse Fresnel lens light with rotating mechanism and pedestal stand ($15/20,000).

Highlights from outside the collections include a scrimshaw whale’s tooth with whaling scenes ($18/25,000), a rare Eighteenth Century backstaff quadrant ($5/7,000) and five early whaling logbooks ($8/12,000).

Stobart’s “Victoria, View from Songhee Point” is an oil study for a larger work on which a 1996 print is based. A classic Stobart composition, this view features the famed clipper Thermopylae having just arrived home to Victoria, capital of British Columbia, after a voyage to Asia. Alongside her at dock are rival ships of the China Trade, Cutty Sark, Titania and Taeping. It carries a $25/35,000 estimate.

Eldred’s marine sale is a live auction with in-person, online, absentee and phone bidding available. A sale preview will be conducted Monday, February 26, from 10 am to 4 pm, and by appointment.

Eldred’s is at 1483 Route 6A. Satellite offices are located in Mystic, Conn., and Hanover, Mass. For information 508-385-3116 or www.eldreds.com.

Featuring The Property of a Gentleman
Live auction with in-person, online, phone and absentee bidding available
At our Cape Cod Headquarters, 1483 Route 6A, East Dennis, Mass.
Preview February 26-27 from 10 am to 4 pm and by appointment
John Stobart oil of Victoria, B.C.
Panbone plaque attr. William Lewis Roderick
John Ward of Hull “A Frigate Offshore’
W. & A.K. Johnston 30” terrestrial globe
Exceptional cast iron ship’s wheel bracket helm
Authenticated signed Lord Nelson letter written aboard the Victory
More than 100 lots of scrimshaw, many with Armstrong, Flayderman and Johnson provenance
Ship’s figurehead from an important Connecticut Collection
Collection of rare Sheffield and contemporary American exhibition knives
Circa 1780 dockyard scale model of a French gunship

Feb. 27-28 MARINE ART
Mar. 13 WOMEN IN THE ARTS
Mar. 14 THE ESTATE OF A LADY
Mar. 21 BRITISH + CONTINENTAL ART
Apr. 4 THE SPRING SALE
Apr. 24 20th/21st Century ART + DESIGN
INVITING CONSIGNMENTS
Last chance to submit items for the WOMEN IN THE ARTS and the SPRING SALE, or consign early for our summer auctions to receive maximum exposure of your material
more than 100 Paintings and other Artworks
CAPE COD, HANOVER, MA + MYSTIC, CT
508-385-3116
CONSIGN + BID AT ELDREDS.COM