Top-lot status was awarded to this Nineteenth Century painting of the Montezuma rescuing survivors from the French brig Saint Bernard by James Fulton Pringle (British, 1788-1847), 32 by 43 inches framed, which sailed to $70,400 ($7/9,000).
Review by Kiersten Busch
REHOBOTH, MASS. — Americana Auctions started off the New Year with its 543-lot Superb January Estates Auction on January 4, which featured property from the David B. Vietor estate of Edgartown, Mass., as well as select items from other local Massachusetts homes. Although a sale total was not disclosed, the auction achieved a 94 percent sell-through rate.
A selection of four ship portraits led the sale. Sailing straight past its $7/9,000 estimate to achieve the highest price was a Nineteenth Century ship portrait of the Black Ball Line packet ship Montezuma, captained by Alfred Dowber. The painting depicted the ship rescuing survivors from the French brig Saint Bernard on April 2, 1843, and was signed “J. Pringle,” identifying the painter as James Fulton Pringle. After nearly 100 bids back and forth, the painting sold for $70,400. The work had a label for Kennedy Galleries and provenance to the Vietor estate, “passed down from Alexander Vietor, former Yale University curator of maps from 1943-78,” according to catalog notes.
Following close behind at $32,000 was an unattributed Nineteenth Century oil on canvas work depicting a naval battle from September 19, 1777, during the Revolutionary War. The two ships in question were the American brig Lexington, captained by Henry Johnson, and the British ten-gun cutter Alert, captained by John Bazely. It had the same provenance as the Pringle painting.
This unsigned Nineteenth Century oil on canvas, 20½ by 28 inches framed, depicted a naval battle during the Revolutionary War, where the American brig Lexington was captured by the British ten-gun cutter Alert; it was bid to $32,000 ($2/3,000).
The remaining two ship portraits both earned $17,920. The first, dated “1850,” depicted an American three-masted clipper and was signed indistinctly on its lower right corner. The second was an oil on board by ship portraitist Antonio Jacobsen depicting the American Black Ball Line ship Charles H. Marshall. The Jacobsen piece sold with a copy of Painted Ships in Painted Oceans by Harold Sniffen, a book detailing the artist’s work.
Also of maritime interest was a small selection of naval accessories. Shooting down a $3/5,000 estimate to earn $8,320 was a circa 1800s French bronze naval swivel canon with a flintlock firing mechanism. According to catalog notes, “It would have been mounted on the deck rail of French Man-O-War ships.” Stamped by its maker, Brezin Paris, and impressed with the maker’s engraved star logo and “EX,” the canon was mounted on an antique wooden pedestal display base. A vintage Russian marine telescope produced in 1995 with additional accessories ($5,120) and a Nineteenth Century bronze naval swivel canon ($4,352) also found new homes.
Silver also dominated the top-earning lots of the sale, led by an English sterling silver presentation ewer with repoussé floral and foliate designs and a hinged top. Noted in the auction catalog as a companion piece to the top lot, the ewer was engraved with a cartouche that read: “Presented to Alfred B. Dowber, Commander of the Packet Ship Montezuma.” Another cartouche detailed that the piece was given to Dowber for his rescue of the passengers of the Saint Bernard, the scene depicted in Pringle’s painting. Eclipsing its $2/3,000 estimate, the ewer topped off at $16,640. An additional presentation ewer, given to Captain Thomas Sutton of the Pocahantas, sold for $8,320.
Pairing nicely with the top lot was this English sterling silver presentation ewer, 10½ inches high, which was awarded to Captain Alfred B. Dowber of the packet ship Montezuma, for his rescue of crewmen from the French brig Saint Bernard. The piece crossed the block for $16,640 ($2/3,000).
A solid silver swan centerpiece bowl made by CJ Vander also did well, flying past its $5,5/6,000 estimate to make $11,520. It was stamped “England” and dated to 1987.
The silver trend continued with several sterling flatware sets earning top prices. The highest, $8,832, went to a 97-piece set by Lunt in the Eloquence pattern, which weighed 126.4 troy ounces. Additional services that exceeded expectations included an 81-piece set by S. Kirk & Son in the Repousse pattern ($6,400), a 91-piece set by Wallace in the Grand Colonial pattern with a “W” monogram ($5,248) and a 53-piece set by Wallace in the Grand Baroque pattern ($5,120).
Gold was also present in the sale in the form of several US coins, led by a 2002 one-ounce $50 Gold Eagle coin in its original US Mint packaging, which earned $4,864. Made of solid 22K gold, the coin had Lady Liberty on its front and a bald eagle on the reverse. Gold also led jewelry, with an 18K yellow gold ladies’ wristwatch signed “Universal Geneva Automatic” ticking to $5,440. The watch had a Swiss movement and was engraved “JMA” to the back of its case.
Prices quoted include buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. For information, 508-771-1722 or www.americana-auction.com.
