Leading the sale at $24,570 was this circa 1845-60 Prospector “Tippler” eagle flask, possibly from the Zanesville Manufactory in Zanesville, Ohio, ($10/20,000).

Review by Carly Timpson

WOODSTOCK, CONN. — Norman C. Heckler & Company’s 249th auction, which closed on July 16, featured “an eclectic mix of 74 lots featuring early glass, pottery and antique objects.” Items on offer included selected pieces deaccessioned from the Suffield (Conn.) Historical Society to benefit its collections fund; a Rochester, N.Y., collection; and the Jay and Maxine Jacobs collection. While Norm Heckler, Jr, chose not to disclose a sale total, he noted that with only two lots passing, the sale boasted a 97 percent sell-through rate.

Due to the varied consigning parties, the merchandise was more diverse than the firm’s typical auctions. As a result, Heckler told us that bidder participation responded in turn. “People participated that I might have heard of from afar — or never heard about — due to the variety in merchandise. As they say, ‘If you build it, they will come.’ We are certainly well-known for our bottles and glass, but we were commissioned to sell these other things for the Suffield Connecticut Historical Society and a pioneer collector in Rochester, N.Y., so other material was presented that we don’t always present at auction. We like the diversity and enjoy the material, and we were happy to present this stuff at auction — it was a lot of fun!”

This 4½-inch-tall medicine bottle, marked “Tom’s / Russian / Liniment,” was made in America circa 1840-60; bidders took it to $9,945 ($5/7,000).

Reaching $24,570 — the sale’s top price — was a historical (circa 1845-60) Prospector “Tippler” eagle flask, possibly from the Zanesville Manufactory in Zanesville, Ohio. This quart-sized example, in shades of yellow and olive, had an applied mouth with ring and an iron pontil mark. Cataloged as “A new discovery, recently found outdoors in a rural setting,” the bottle had minor scuffs and abrasions but was a wonderful example with bright color. Heckler said, “That particular mold and color is sought after. We sold one just like it a while back. It was a new find, and the people actually found it outdoors — a lot of historical flasks were put aside and forgotten about. Serious flask collecting started in the 1880s or 1900s; a lot of things were found and excavated or dug, but sometimes you find them on the surface just randomly in the woods. Miraculously they didn’t get broken…sometimes. In pottery, people are a lot more forgiving if there’s a chip out of a handle or rim, but they care much more about condition with the glass bottles. This one was in good condition. It had more use than some of them and had scuffing from that, but, by and large, it was in good shape in a good state of preservation considering it was outdoors.”

Another eagle flask, this one having a round body with concentric rings around the central raised eagle, achieved the sale’s fourth-highest price — $5,850. Likely made by the New England Glass Company in Cambridge, Mass., around 1820-30, the clear green flask had a tooled mouth, pontil scar and came from the Jacobs collection.

Probably from the New England Glass Company in Cambridge, Mass., this concentric ring eagle historical flask, 1820-30, achieved $5,850 ($4/6,000).

While some collectors are drawn to particular motifs or imagery, others take a liking to the bottle’s original purpose. Such was the case with the second- and third-highest priced lots. These, each reaching $9,945, were both medicine bottles. The smaller of the two, measuring just 4½ inches high, had a rectangular body and was a deep olive green. Marked “Tom’s / Russian / Liniment,” the mid Nineteenth Century bottle was cataloged as “extremely rare” and in “fine condition.” The other, standing 7-3/8 inches high, was rectangular with beveled corners and in a bright amber/olive color. Made at a Stoddard (N.H.) glasshouse, this example was originally made for “Howard’s / Vegetable / Cancer And / Canker Syrup” and came from the collection of Roger Long.

Bitters bottles also did well, with the category being led at $5,265 by a medium orange amber “Travellers Bitters” bottle with a full figure of a man with a cane. The catalog description identified it as “A scarce bitters bottle from the Civil War era possibly depicting Robert E. Lee as his horse’s name was ‘Traveller.’” Additionally, a golden amber log cabin-form bottle marked “Kelly’s Old Bitters” made $4,680.

While bottles are a specialty of Heckler Auctions, pottery items made an impression on bidders. Leading the selection was a Nineteenth Century American redware creamer with green and brown mottled decoration on a yellow ground. Possibly from the Colonel Nathaniel Rochester Pottery in West Bloomfield, N.Y., serious collectors were drawn to its bold colors, fine condition and its label from the George S. McKearin Collection of American Pottery; it went out at $4,095.

Leading the pottery lots was this Nineteenth Century redware creamer, possibly from the Colonel Nathaniel Rochester Pottery in West Bloomfield, N.Y. Measuring 4¾ inches high by 3½ inches in diameter, it realized $4,095 ($1/1,500).

Heckler also noted several surprises and interesting lots. “Something that continues to surprise us and others is the high prices for freeblown glass witch balls.” Two were included in this sale — a maroon and white example and a blue, green and clear example; they achieved $2,457 and $1,989, respectively.

Also notable was “An interesting child’s mug in the canary color. It was a political mug, so that was fun. We usually see ABC cups for kids, but they must have wanted to introduce political figures to kids while they were sipping.” The 1824 mug with cartouche portraits of Lafayette and Washington brought $1,053.

As for what’s next, Heckler told us, “There’s actually more material from the Historical Society and the lady in Rochester — we might call it a part two. That’ll probably be at the end of the year. Mocha ware is really popular in the field of Americana collecting, and there will be even more of that in the next auction.”

Prices quoted include the buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. For information, www.hecklerauction.com or 860-974-1634.