Walter Biggs painted “Mambas Daughters II,” one of Peg Braford’s prized possessions, after the publication of Mamba’s Daughters by Charleston’s Dubose Heyward. The 47½-by-42-inch work depicting a young woman under the live oaks of Charleston, S.C., was signed lower right and led the auction when it sold for $26,400.
Review by W.A. Demers
CAMDEN, S.C. — “It was one of the best sales we’ve had since starting out 13 years ago,” said Jeremy Wooten about Wooten and Wooten’s sale of the Braford collection on October 19. The sale total was $400,950, posting a sell-through rate of 85 percent. Registered bidders, both online and in-house, numbered 3,402.
The sale featured the collection of noted decorative arts dealers Peg and Lloyd Braford of Natural Bridge, Va., and offered items as well from collections in South Carolina, Georgia and the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Peg, who died on August 6, 2023, was born in Fort Smith, Ark. As an adult, she moved with her parents to Beaumont, Texas. While on an ocean liner vacation crossing the Atlantic, she met Lloyd, the love of her life. They married and established Antiques by Braford in Natural Bridge Station, where Peg developed a great love of antiques. The Brafords traveled the world together, visiting China three times, to Europe several times, to Southeast Asia and to India. She was preceded in death by her husband, Lloyd, but not before the couple had amassed a notable collection of antiques and decorative arts.
An oil on canvas by Walter Biggs (1886-1968) titled on the reverse, “Mambas Daughters II” took top honors at $26,400. One of Peg Braford’s prized possessions, holding a special place in her home, the large work depicted a young woman under the live oaks of Charleston, S.C. It was completed in relation to the publication of Mamba’s Daughters by Charleston’s Dubose Heyward and was issued for the Ladies Home Companion in 1928. The 47½-by-42-inch work was signed lower right.
This Nineteenth Century bronze sculpture of Mercury, ancient Roman messenger of the gods, was rendered in mid-stride. Standing 76 inches tall, he beat the $2/4,000 estimate and stopped at $14,300.
The second best performing lot was a Nineteenth Century bronze sculpture of Mercury. The circa 1880 figure of the ancient Roman messenger of the gods, rendered in mid-stride, was deemed excellently sculpted and boasted a fine patina. Standing 76 inches tall, “Mercury” raced past its $2/4,000 estimate and stopped at $14,300.
Sculpture was favored by bidders. Fetching $10,000 was a Russian bronze by Abraham C.F. Woerffel, who was active and lived in the Russian Federation of the Nineteenth/Twentieth Century. His exceptionally large bronze sculpture of a horseman in a snowy setting with a trapper passing by doubled its high $3/5,000 estimate. The sculpture was signed by the artist both front and back and bore a St Petersburg foundry mark. It measured 10 inches high by 21½ inches wide.
An unusual Chinese Republic vase captured $8,125, four times expectations. An example of what is called a “rotating vase,” the center of the piece rotates and reveals a picture at the interior. The circa 1910 vase exhibited brilliant form with excellent decoration and yellow accents in the imperial style. It was marked at the underside with a character and was 8-7/8 inches high.
An unusual Chinese Republic “rotating vase” earned $8,125, four times expectations. The vase’s center rotates and reveals a picture at the interior. Made circa 1910, it was well decorated with yellow accents in the imperial style, marked at the underside with a character and was 8-7/8 inches high.
More figural highlights found favor. A Nineteenth Century bronze Quan Yin figure from the Braford collection was described in the catalog as “brilliantly sculpted and cast with excellent detail,” Standing 48 inches high, it more than doubled its high estimate to bring $5,750.
And a Virginia MetalCrafters Federal Eagle wall hanger also more than doubled its high estimate, clutching a final price of $4,800. It was an early to mid Twentieth Century piece made of a heavy aluminum alloy and measuring 72 inches.
A fine art highlight was an Old Master School tempera on board of the Madonna and Christ Child. Dated Seventeenth Century or earlier and housed in period frame, it left the gallery at $6,000 against a $2/4,000 estimate. Framed, it measured 25½ by 20-1/8 inches.
Our Elizabethan period ancestors, having no bank boxes or bank safes at their disposal, had valuables boxes and chests for their important objects. From the Braford collection came a Sixteenth or early Seventeenth Century Elizabethan period royal bronze and iron hard box or valuables chest that found a buyer at $4,800, more than twice expectations. The locking valuables box had the royal crest at its top and the center of front with iron handles at left and right of the case centered by a North Wind face. A bonus: it was accompanied by its original key.
An Elizabethan period royal bronze and iron hard box or valuables chest came from the Braford collection and performed more than twice expectations, selling at $4,800. Sixteenth or early Seventeenth Century, the locking box had the royal crest on its top and the center of front with iron handles at left and right of the case centered by a North Wind face. It was accompanied by its original key.
Three lots each achieved a final price of $4,750. The first was a rare Gorham Aesthetic Movement sterling water pitcher. From the collection of an Eastern Shore of Maryland family, it displayed brilliantly formed fish surrounding its body, measuring 7¼ inches high and weighing 554 grams.
The second was an antique Chinese porcelain table landscape plaque from the Qing period or Nineteenth Century. It was decorated with scholars under pine trees and bore a poem and chop at upper right. Framed nicely and housed in a screen base, it was 18¼ by 12-5/8 inches.
The third was a rare Hermès Toucan pattern porcelain dinner service sold from the collection of a North Carolina lady. The Twentieth Century French service included dinner plates, salad plates, bowls, cups and saucers, a large circular serving platter and two smaller handled serving platters along with a teapot, cream pitcher and covered sugar bowl with its base.
A rare antique fire light lantern for duck boat hunting survived from the early Twentieth Century and lit up $3,600 against a $400/600 estimate. It was from Maryland’s Eastern Shore and was accompanied by a photograph from 1969 of the light as it was used on its boat.
A pair of antique Chinese cloisonné enameled censers modeled as foo dogs earned $2,625. From the Nineteenth or early Twentieth Century, they exhibited nicely gilded accents and handsome, colorful cloisonné bodies.
Prices given include buyer’s premium as stated by the auction house. The next sale is scheduled for January 11. For information, 866-570-0144 or www.wootenandwooten.com.
