This dairy cow weathervane by A.J. Harris and Company (Boston, 1862-1882), copper body and iron head, 25½ by 38 by 7½ inches, earned the top price of the day at $22,300 ($5/7,000).
Review by Carly Timpson; Photos Courtesy Soülis Auctions
LONE JACK, MO. — Offering nearly 200 lots of Mid-Americana art, décor, furniture and accessories, the December 10 auction conducted by Soülis Auctions was an overall success. Dirk Soülis shared that the sale had around 800 registered bidders with about 65 participating in-house and realized $240,000 in total.
Spearheading the sale’s highlights was a Nineteenth Century cow weathervane made by the A.J. Harris and Company, based in Boston from 1868 to 1882. This weathervane, a 25½-by-38-inch copper and iron dairy cow, came from a private collection in Denver, Colo., and was in very good condition. The head, made of iron, was intentionally heavier than the rest of the copper body so that the cow would always be facing the direction the wind was blowing. As expected with outdoor use and age, the cow had some verdigris and oxidation, but the original gilt surface is still visible in some parts. The weathervane finished at the top, selling to an in-house bidder from Iowa, for $22,300.
Two other cow weathervanes from the same collection finished among the top lots of the sale. One, with a zinc head, may also be from Harris and Son in Boston, though it has no markings. Slightly smaller than the first-place cow, this one measured 21¼ by 34 inches and had some repairs and reinforcements. This Nineteenth Century weathervane earned $12,000 ($2/4,000). The other cow, a copper weathervane from Cushing and White, was in excellent condition and still had much of its original gilt intact. Some areas show verdigris as expected with time, but the only flaw to the 16½-by-28-inch figure is a small hole at one nostril. The Cushing and White cow found a buyer at $10,800 ($3/5,000). Both cows will be going to collectors on the East Coast.
Whirligig of a gentleman in top hat and tailcoat holding paddles, mid-Nineteenth Century, painted pine, 28½ by 17½ by 9 inches, sold for $20,700 ($3/4,000).
The second-highest lot of the day was a mid-Nineteenth Century folk art whirligig which sold to the same buyer as the leading Harris weathervane for $20,700. Carved from pine, the whirligig depicts a gentleman wearing a black-painted top hat, a mustard yellow tailcoat and brownish-red trousers. The primary motion of the whirligig is its rotating arms which are mounted through forged iron and rivets and the entire figure is standing on a sheet metal vane.
Shooting gallery targets was another hot category for Soülis bidders. The biggest hit was a cast iron whippet target by C.W. Parker circa 1900. The whippet, often seen “chasing” rabbit targets, was common in C.W. Parker’s mechanical shooting galleries. Despite the prevalence of these targets, it is uncommon to find one in such condition as this: covered in a single thin layer of black finish and without any indication of park paint. The 9-by-27-inch whippet shows signs of use with pockmarks and oxidation, especially around the bull’s-eye. The lucky bidder scored this for $19,200 ($6/9,000).
Other popular targets included a sheet iron cowboy silhouette and a never-before-seen “fishing boy.” The 35½-inch-tall cowboy gunfighter was painted with red, blue and yellow park paint and had a mechanical bull’s-eye and original signal apparatus. Made as an homage to a similar target by William F. Mangels of Coney Island, this target features a bull’s-eye in the center of the figure’s chest and has extensive dimpling from lead bullets. It was bid to $7,800 ($6/9,000). The “fishing boy,” which may have been missing identifying parts, seemed to have an apparatus on one hand that caused it to drop whatever it was holding when successfully shot. Soülis believes this was likely a fishing rod or maybe even a flag of sorts. The single-sheet target depicts a boy in overalls and a hat seated on top of the bull’s-eye. The thick, heavy iron target was in very good condition with craquelure and minor oxidation from age. A buyer scored this one for $6,600 ($2/3,000).
The arm of iron mechanical shooting gallery target depicting a fishing boy would drop with a successful shot. It is 46½ inches tall and brought $6,600 ($2/3,000).
An unassuming New York folk art pull toy with great provenance wheeled its way to the top of the category. This circa 1880 wooden toy features a horse and rider with a dog on top of a walnut platform with iron-spoked wheels. When the wheels turn, the horse’s and dog’s legs move in strides and the rider’s head and arms move. This toy, once in the personal collections of Joseph B. Martinson and Harvey Kahn, was also at Kennedy Galleries, N.Y. It was exhibited and featured in publications for the Museum of American Folk Art in 1975, the Brooklyn Museum in 1976 and the Museum of American Folk Art and New York Historical Society in 1980. The toy, in very good condition, barring a missing handle, was pulled to $7,995.
Prices quoted include buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. Soülis Auctions will present a single-owner living estate sale of military history and firearms on January 20. For additional information, www.soulisauctions.com or 816-697-3830.
