The highest price of both days of the sale went to “Schoolteacher Lifting her Skirt” by William Edmondson (Tennessee, 1874-1951), carved limestone, 15½ inches tall by 6 inches wide by 8 inches deep, which sold on the first day for $393,600 ($80/90,000).
Review by Kiersten Busch
KNOXVILLE, TENN. — Two days and more than 1,300 lots made up Case Auctions’ 2026 Winter Fine Art & Antiques Auction, conducted between January 31-February 1. Vice president of fine and decorative arts, Sarah Campbell Drury, commented, “Overall it was a phenomenal sale — 98.5 percent sell through rate and a high total that exceeded the presale estimate by a whopping 53 percent! Art, jewelry and silver accounted for most of the highflyer highlights but there were strong performers in all categories across this diverse sale.”
Despite a snowstorm hitting Knoxville on auction weekend, Drury explained, “There were over 5,500 registered bidders, most online and on the phones of course, but several dozen in person. And we had large numbers of people previewing in person in the weeks leading up to the sale. We are celebrating our 20th year in business this year and had planned some special in person- elements for this auction including a speaker on Tennessee samplers. The weather forced us to change some plans at the last minute (including moving the auction start time back one hour), so we now look forward to having a special birthday party at our Summer Auction.”
Four world art auction records were set during the sale, two on each day, with three of them for art by members of the Knoxville Seven, best known for being among the first modern artists in East Tennessee. On day one, an oil on canvas by Robert Birdwell eclipsed its $600/700 estimate more than 30 times to earn $24,000. The 1957 expressionist painting depicted two stylized figures, both of whom held chickens, against a background full of geometric shapes and intersecting planes. Birdwell’s painting was followed close behind by Carl Sublett’s “Beach, II,” a 1961 abstract oil on canvas rendered primarily in white and shades of blue and earned $19,200.
The new world art auction record was set for Carl Sublett (Tennessee, 1919-2008) at $19,200, for “Beach, II,” 1961, oil on canvas, 50¾ by 44¾ inches framed ($1,2/1,400).
Day two’s Knoxville Seven world art auction record — at $3,360 — was set by Richard Clarke’s “Bloom.” The oil on canvas abstract expressionist painting was a “vivid, gestural composition with passages of heavy impasto — including paint applied directly from the tube” which was “set against a dark background and suggests the form of a bouquet of flowers,” according to catalog notes. It was signed and dated “Clarke 60” and included the inscription “1622 Maury St. / Alcoa, Tenn.,” on its reverse. “New Growth” by Anton Weiss also set a new artist auction record at $5,412 ($1,4/1,800). Hailing from a private Nashville collection, the abstract oil on canvas was signed lower right and dated “2001.”
Day one of the sale recorded the highest price overall — $393,600 — for “Schoolteacher Lifting her Skirt,” a carved limestone sculpture by William Edmondson. The 15½-inch-tall work depicted a woman with medium-length hair, raising the hem of her long dress to reveal a slip or undergarment underneath. “We had intense interest in this sculpture,” said Drury. “There were seven phone bidders on this item from the East and West Coast and the Southeast. It was one of the finest Edmondson female figures we have ever offered.”
Eanger Irving Couse’s (American, 1886-1936) “Moonlight, Indian Lake,” oil on board, 21½ by 28¾ inches framed, had extensive provenance and shone for $84,000 ($50/75,000).
Nearly 150 paintings were offered on the first day, led by Eanger Irving Couse’s “Moonlight, Indian Lake,” which was purchased by an anonymous buyer for $84,000. The oil on board painting depicted a Native American man kneeling and gazing into a pool of water in the moonlight. According to catalog notes, “A scan of Couse’s 1926 photo study for this painting is included in our photograph sequence. The photo study features Juan Concha AKA Eagle Star, one of the artist’s recurring models.” Having provenance to the San Diego Museum of Art, Findlay Galleries (Chicago), Fine Arts Gallery (San Diego) and the collection of Mr and Mrs EJ Campbell, the work will be included in the Couse-Sharp Historic Site’s forthcoming catalogue raisonné of the artist’s work.
“Hospices de Beaune,” an oil on canvas of a fox hunt scene by Claude Grosperrin, was “One of the art highlights from the [Elisabeth] Hardin [Gadsden, Ala.] collection,” explained Drury. “We had a lot of equestrian related art in this auction, and our buyers love it. This painting gave a lighter, fairy tale feel to the traditional hunt scene.” With provenance to The Eric Galleries (New York City), the painting more than quintupled its $4/5,000 estimate to make $27,060.
Selling to a couple bidding on the floor for $72,000 was this platinum engagement ring set with a central oval brilliant-cut diamond, 5.04 carats ($40/44,000).
Jewelry on day one was topped at $72,000 by a platinum engagement ring with one oval brilliant-cut diamond, 5.04 carats, accented by two crescent-cut diamonds, approximately 1.02 carats total. “The ring sold to a local couple bidding in the room. It came from the estate of an Alabama heiress, Elisabeth Hardin, whose mother was the first female Piggly Wiggly grocery store franchisee. There was heavy interest in the jewelry collection from this estate, and this ring was the crown jewel,” Drury shared.
Just about 100 lots of silver and vertu crossed the block. Of the selections, Drury commented, “Although silver took a sharp dip in the commodities market the Friday before the auction, we still saw healthy demand for silver. Although undoubtedly some of our silver sold to investors, we do have a number of collectors who bid on silver at our auctions. It’s the South. We love silver here, and we still use it.” Lots ranged in price from $600 for a collection of eight East Tennessee flatware items, to $29,520 for a sterling silver tea and coffee service by International in the Richelieu pattern, which was consigned from the local estate of Josephine Ralston Binns (Mrs Douglas Binns). The set included a tray, tea kettle with stand, coffee pot, tea pot, sugar with lid, creamer and waste bowl.
Other silver highlights included an “exceptional” and “rare” antique 288-piece Chinese multi-motif .900 silver flatware service for 12, which dated from the late Nineteenth to early Twentieth Century and realized $27,060 ($4,8/5,200) and a pair of Hunt and Roskell sterling silver candelabra made in London in 1867, which lit up for $26,400. The pair were “from another high-end estate, this one in Nashville,” commented Drury. “Excellent maker and incredibly elegant form.”
Pouring out at $29,520 was this seven-piece sterling silver tea and coffee service by International in the Richelieu pattern, American, early Twentieth Century ($12/14,000).
A unique find on the first day came in the form of an untitled double-lobed and multi-colored murrine art glass sculpture or vase by Stephen Rolfe Powell done in 1997, which had provenance to a Kentucky corporate collection. “Powell is a desirable Kentucky artist, and we have many fans of his work here in the south, which may explain why this large, vibrant vase outperformed even the Chihuly sculptures,” explained Drury of the work, which realized almost triple the high end of its $8/9,000 estimate at $23,370.
The top lot on day two, a “Macchia” art glass sculpture by Dale Chihuly, also came from the same Kentucky corporate collection as the Powell sculpture. “Everyone loved the bright colors,” said Drury of the piece’s purple and pink exterior and aqua blue and white interior with a yellow lip. It was signed and dated “1985” on its base and was raised to $9,840.
Close to 175 lots of jewelry were offered on day two, with a 14K white gold ring centered with a round brilliant diamond colored “intense yellow” leading the selections. The center diamond, which weighed 1.21 carats, was accented by 14 round brilliant and baguette-cut diamonds. It slipped onto its new owner’s finger for $9,000. Another ring followed behind at $5,760, this one a platinum Art Deco band featuring a Euro-cut diamond, 1.39 carats, accented by six round brilliant-cut melee diamonds.
This 14K white gold ring set with a central round brilliant yellow diamond, 1.21 carats, sparkled for $9,000, just about tripling its $2,8/3,200 estimate.
Additional jewelry that attracted bidder attention was a 14K gold and diamond tennis bracelet ($5,658), a 14K gold and diamond bangle bracelet ($4,320), a lot of three Tiffany sterling cuff bracelets ($4,320) and a ladies’ Mikimoto pearl necklace with an 18K gold clasp ($4,182).
Of those paintings on day two that did not set new world auction records, Robert Noble’s oil on canvas landscape depicting a river with figures walking on a walkway earned the highest price, far surpassing expectations to make $4,560. The painting had provenance to the Kentucky collection of Charles R. Ragan and had a partial Glasgow, Scotland, fine art gallery dealer label on its reverse.
Six lots of paintings by Sterling Strauser (American, 1907-1995) also attracted bidder interest, ranging in price from $840 for an oil on board depicting a leaning nude woman, to $3,240 for a still life of three red flowers in a clear glass vase against a pale yellow or tan ground.
When questioned about additional standout lots, Drury called back to the first day of the sale, mentioning a Revolutionary War era map of the British Colonies had had provenance “by descent in the family of President John Tyler, and likely belonged to his father, Virginia Governor John Tyler, Sr.” The map sold for $21,600 “to a private Southern collector, underbid by a Southern institution.”
Case’s next auction will take place August 1-2. Prices quoted include the buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. For information, 865-558-3033 or www.caseantiques.com.
