The top lot of the sale was this folk art paint-decorated wall or candle box, late Nineteenth-early Twentieth Century, which achieved $17,200 ($300/600).

Review by Andrea Valluzzo

COLUMBUS, OHIO — Americana and folk art are often at the heart of Amelia Jeffers Auctions & Appraisals and its Great Estates Auction on March 19-20 was no exception, boasting an abundance of objects with desirable form and surface from fine-grained wood pieces that showed off simple elegance to those painted with fancy flourishes.

The auction, comprising more than 900 lots, proved it was aptly named, featuring several lifetime collections of collectors. Several items had solid provenance through some of the country’s best-known antiques dealers specializing in Americana.

The top lot of the sale, crossing the block in the first session, was a folk art box with colorful decoration — without being over-the-top — and fine construction. The paint-decorated wall or candle box, late Nineteenth-early Twentieth Century, achieved $17,200, well over its $300/600 estimate. The box, retaining its original mustard-yellow paint with green, red and white floral decoration, had formerly passed through the hands of Maine antiques dealers Jim and Nancy Glazer. A bouquet of five flowers flanked by the initialas “LB” graced the front panel, which was enhanced by a white-dotted border against red paint. The form of the box and its construction mimicked larger blanket or dower chests.

This New England folk art birdseye maple and pine dovetailed box had exuberant floral decoration and realized $4,920.

By comparison, a New England folk art birdseye maple and pine dovetailed box had exuberant floral decoration. Selling for more than double its high estimate at $4,920, this first quarter Nineteenth Century box had large red and blue flowers on the front panel and both sides; its lid was red allover. It came out of the Susan and Raymond Egan collection and had provenance through Olde Hope Antiques, New Hope, Penn.

Schoolgirl samplers remain desirable, and a rare needlework example by Susan Tilton (Danville, Vt., b 1813) dated “1827,” more than doubled its $5,000 high estimate to bring $11,685. The alphabet sampler had the typical decoration of houses, lawn, flowering urns, trees and bushes along the bottom, but the sawtooth and zigzag stylized floral border along the sides and top made the sampler quite notable. Further squiggle and line borders on the top and sides added even more interest. A family history was also included in an envelope affixed to the back of the frame. Another sampler crossing the block for far over estimate was one by Sophia Pulsipher (Massachusetts, b 1798) with rows of alphabets and numbers, a poetic verse, baskets of flowers and white doves. Dated “1811,” the sampler sold for $3,997 ($500-$1,000). It had a full genealogy report for its maker and both were bought from the noted Philadelphia antique needlework dealer M. Finkel & Daughter.

This grain-painted poplar and pine youth-size blanket chest, second quarter Nineteenth Century, soared over its $1,5/2,500 estimate to attain $3,997.

American furniture today can be a challenge at times in auctions, but this sale’s offerings featured quality craftsmanship in desirable forms. A grain-painted poplar and pine youth-size blanket chest went past its $2,500 high estimate to close at $3,997. Measuring 12½ by 20¾ inches, the second quarter Nineteenth Century chest had a lid with applied moldings, a deep beveled edge, drawers and dovetailed feet with an interior lidded till. Decoration was in the form of old vinegar graining and sponging with block moldings over drawers and bracket feet with boldly shaped aprons. The drawer fronts were red and had lacy glass knobs. On the front was a green wreath frame, a red triangle painted panel and the date “1837.”

Also among day one’s highlights was an American folk art tempera painting of a farmhouse with a railroad crossing (noted on the painting in French and English handwriting) that chugged past its $300/600 estimate to realize $2,304. The painting was dated “1914” in one corner.

The second session opened with books and segued into early Americana and a diverse range of collecting categories. The top lot in this session was a Harriet Whitney Frishmuth bronze titled “Allegra,” which was cast in 1929 at the Gorham foundry. Standing 12¼ inches tall, the nude female sculpture, depicted on her tiptoes with her right arm outstretched, brought $9,600. She was created to be a companion piece to “Desha,” another well-known sculpture by Frishmuth — both works featured the artist’s favorite model.

Topping the second session was Harriet Whitney Frishmuth’s bronze “Allegra,” cast in 1929 at the Gorham foundry, which sold for $9,600 ($3/6,000).

Outsider art collectors could find things to their liking in this auction, and a highlight was a large Woodie Long wood panel depicting musicians that realized $3,200.

A collection of carved sculptures by the late Ohio artist Ernest “Popeye” Reed (1919-1985) was led by a folky carved stone sculpture of Venus that bested its $800 high estimate to go out for $2,829, while a large mid Nineteenth Century grouping of mourning jewelry, including brooches, hair memorials, earrings, hair pins and necklaces made of materials such as jet, celluloid, Bakelite and gutta percha, took $2,048 ($300/600).

Prices quoted include the buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. Amelia Jeffers’ next auction will be the Spring Fabulous Finds Auction on April 23-24. For more information, www.ameliajeffers.com or 740-362-4771.