American Windsor chair by E.B. Tracy, $9,350.
Shaker four-finger pantry box, $9,075.
CHESTER, N.Y. – William J. Jenack Auctioneers, Inc. held its grand opening sale on Sunday, January 20. The inaugural event was conducted at the auctioneers’ new facility in the historic village of Sugar Loaf, N.Y., 62 Kings Highway-Bypass, some two miles south from their old location on Orange County 13A.
The sale featured Eighteenth to Twentieth Century American and European works of art; Eighteenth to Twentieth Century furniture, including Americana; silver; Orientalia, and collections of Shaker and antique and decorative accessories.
The top lot was an American Windsor chair with brace back and 14 spindles branded by cabinetmaker E.B. Tracy (Libson, Conn. 1744-1803). The chair climbed steadily to $9,350, sold to a phone bidder from Massachusetts.
Following close behind was a Shaker ochre painted four-finger covered pantry box. After opening at $1,500, the bidding rose quickly with the participation of the audience and absentee/phone bidding. The box was hammered down for $9,075, selling on the phone to an Illinois collector.
The surprise of the day was an oil on oak panel by Ferdinand Brutt, depicting an arrangement of kettles. This 20 3/4- by 273/4-inch work brought $6,875 over an estimate of $2/3,000.
An oil on canvas, “Spearing Fish Watkins Glen [NY],” signed J. Hope ANA (American, 1818-1892) from the artist’s estate, sold for $7,150. Local dealers and collectors were interested in an oil on panel of a primitive Hudson Valley house in Blooming Grove/Washingtonville, N.Y. by Albert G. Owen (1810-1888). It was discovered that this structure still stands with additions and improvements, which explained the interest at $3,080.
An oil on canvas titled “Spanish Grandee,” signed Rafael Coronel (Mexican, born 1932) sold for $1,980. An American bronze by Caspre Buberl of a newspaper boy brought $1,650, and a French bronze figural grouping of fighting parrots, signed by Edouard Delabriere, cleared $1,320.
The hammer price of $4,400 settled the debate over a Rhode Island Chippendale tiger maple slant-front desk circa 1789. As soon as the ads hit the press, a Federal tiger maple three-drawer chamber table with bold stripes drew the most attention, brought in the most calls, and reached at $4,180.
Several examples of early American furniture from the Benjamin Baldwin family of South Orange, N.J., included a Queen Anne rush-seat, splat-back armchair with red wash, selling for $4,840; a Windsor sack-back, saddle-seat armchair for $1,540; and a set of six country Sheraton painted and stenciled side chairs with rush seat reached $880.
A Victorian carved walnut high S-roll desk, with deep paneled sides and fitted interior, went directly from auction gallery to the home of a local Orange County customer for $2,310. An Eighteenth or Nineteenth Century Bergen County carved and painted mantel fireplace frame reached $1,210.
An early Shaker cherry spider-leg candle stand, circa 1820, found a new home in East Chatham for a price of $1,430, while a Mount Lebanon Shaker mustard painted side chair with woven seat reached $1,045. A single Windsor bow-back armchair with saddle seat brought $880.
A Ming pottery tomb attendant with old restoration garnered the top spot in the Orientalia category for $1,870. Other examples included two Ming Dynasty tomb figures for $935; four Chinese peach bloom glazed scholar’s vases for $930; a pair of Meiji bronze lobed vases with gilt bird mounts in relief for $770 and a pair of Chinese ochre glazed pear-shaped bottle vases for $660. A fine example of Japanese workmanship was seen in a silver repousse teapot decorated with Japanese irises, selling for $770.
American Art Pottery included a large and rare Rookwood floor vase with Limoges glaze and raised dragon motif that was decorated by Maria Longworth Nichols and had restoration to the base. Even with the condition issue, the piece held its own, reaching $6,050. A Royal Vienna Empire style portrait vase reached $1,540.
A pair of zinc figural cherub corbel ornaments that measured 51 inches brought $3,020. A rare one-gallon Charleston salt glazed stoneware milk pitcher with incised codfish sold for $1,760.
A New York silver tea set signed G. Boyce circa 1814, weighing 70.9 troy ounces, sold for $2,750. Whiting Manufacturing Company of Providence, R.I. was one of the important silver companies in the Nineteenth Century and a sterling engraved Whiting 3 ½ -pint pitcher, weighing 31.0 troy ounces, was a good buy at $660. A paint decorated document box decorated with a basket of flowers sold for $1,870.
A wrought iron folk art painted finial of a bird flew away for $1,210. A pair of art glass table lamps with signed L.C. Tiffany pulled feather shades were a good buy for $715; while a pair of Quezal threaded marigold art glass shades sold for $522.50.
All prices quoted included the 10 percent buyer’s premium.
