On a fine September day, there was only place to be for the biggest Shaker dealers in the country. They could either be found in Jon Lee’s upstate auction house or on the phone to the gallery, bidding on a number of special Shaker pieces.
At $22,550, the top lot of the day was a Watervliet Shaker eight-drawer tall chest in original finish that is attributed to Brother Freegift Wells and was purchased from the Loudonville Antiques Exchange in the 1940s.
The 350-lot sale of antiques and Shaker items from a local estate brought a full house, Lee said. “Everybody thought it was a great, refreshing sale because the stuff was so pure and untouched.”
A pair of New York Federal pier tables, attributed to Charles Honore Lannuier, with marble columns and marble top realized $22,000.
Finishing up second among the Shaker offerings but attracting more excitement was a rare Shaker child’s desk in an unusual red paint that realized $13,750. “The most interesting bidding on items, according to the Shaker dealers, was not only were they in ‘as found’ condition but the Shaker desk was a rare piece and a surprise in that condition and color,” Lee said.
Shaker lots that did well included a set of four Shaker tilter chairs at $1,650; a three-drawer chest in original finish at $2,860, a small Shaker three-drawer lift top sewing box for $2,200, a Shaker seed box with original color at $907, and two Shaker wood boxes that brought $880 and $990 each. A Shaker infirmary bed in green paint fetched $550. A large Shaker oval box achieved $1,485.
Fine art offerings were led by an oil on canvas attributed to M.W. Hopkins, a full length Nineteenth Century folk art oil painting of a young Ella Bitty, holding a rose, that sold for $12,375, and a full folio, “Regina Partridge,” by John Audubon at $7,040. Four A.B. Frost prints from The Old Print Shop sold between $550 and $880 each.
Firearms highlights included a Parker shotgun for $1,045 and two Winchester Model 21 shotguns at $2,750 and $2,860.
Furniture included a period Queen Anne tea table at $5,280, a painted secretary desk for $880, a period Pembroke table for $825 and a tiger maple stand in old finish for $1,210.
Several tea sets crossed the block. A J&L Cox, New York, 1844 large sterling covered tureen with sterling insert sold for $3,630. The 1839 Jones Lows and Ball, Boston three-piece sterling tea set fetched $2,750 while an Adams tea set went for $1,375 and a five-piece sterling Gorham tea set sold for $1,072. A Hutton Albany sterling bowl took $880 and a Tiffany sterling asparagus server realized $632.
Other offerings included a large pair of Bennington Potters poodles for $3,410, a pair of Sheffield hurricane lamps at $852 and a small Currier Nineteenth Century hunting print at $577.
All prices include the ten percent buyer’s premium. For more information, www.auctiongallery2.com or 518-785-1221.
