Leading the sale for $1,500 was this set of 18K gold French sewing objects complete with an Orientalist black lacquered and hinged case with abalone designs.
Review by Kiersten Busch
LARCHMONT, N.Y. — On August 21, Clarke Auction Gallery auctioned the collection of Jo Anne Rath Shepherd, a lifelong digitabulist (collector of thimbles), member of Thimble Collectors International (TCI) and author of Antique and Unusual Thimbles (New York City: A.S. Barnes & Company, 1979). The 240-lot sale included a wide array of thimbles and other sewing materials. All lots were estimated at $100-$1,000, and, although the sale total was not divulged, only four lots went unsold, resulting in a 98 percent sell-through rate.
“The sale did great; we’ve never held a thimble-specific auction before,” shared auctioneer Whitney Bria in a post-sale phone call from the UK. “I did plenty of research prior, and there have not been any thimble-specific sales for years. I think they are one of those items people collected in the past that lost popularity in the closer years, but they’re these little, intricate objects that have been used for so long; they are so interesting. I was at the V&A earlier today, and I saw several examples there that reminded me of my research.”
Bria also gave us some insight into what bidders were looking for in this auction. “People gravitated towards the Palais Royal objects, because they are mother-of-pearl and French-made. Mother-of-pearl isn’t particularly sturdy, so a lot of these items were in pretty great condition considering their age. It was also such a large collection of that subject matter, and to see it all in one place brought a lot of buyers. Additionally, people are always looking for condition, regardless of what you’re gravitating towards. In my research, I learned about what thimbles are prone to experiencing in their lifetime, which is pinholes.”
This monogrammed silver sewing etui included a hinged thimble case, a dual-sided blue velvet pincushion and a hinged scissors case with scissors inside; considered “museum quality” by some bidders, the accoutrements realized $1,031.
Stitching up a first-place finish at $1,500 was an 18K gold French sewing kit in its original Orientalist black lacquered hinged case, complete with an abalone inlaid scene of a seated drummer. The kit included a needle case, thimble, pair of scissors, needle and a bodkin with a gold ribbed finial. “These were beautiful,” added Bria. “They did go above the gold value itself and were overall in very good condition, which is unusual. I also believe that all the accoutrements are original.”
Also attracting bidder attention was a lot of three Seventeenth Century silver sewing accoutrements connected on what was reminiscent of a modern-day keychain. “It had great age to it,” said Bria. “A lot of people who were specifically interested in these materials that came to the auction referred to it as a ‘museum-quality sale,’ and said that this piece was a perfect example of that.” Including a Seventeenth Century silver sewing etui (a hinged thimble case set atop a tubular needle case), a silver mounted dual-sided blue velvet pincushion with scratch-engraved detailing and a silver scratch-engraved hinged scissors case which still housed said scissors, the lot snipped its way to $1,031. According to catalog notes, “Similar examples have been attributed to John Alright, circa 1680-1685.”
“It’s so impressive to me, to make something that’s to be used, not just for decoration. They have a sturdiness to them; they are made to withstand the test of time, to be used, and not just to look pretty,” Bria saod of the thimbles on offer, led by a lot of 11 silver and enamel examples sporting various flower decorations. Several of the thimbles were made in Germany and were marked “9 Sterling Germany” and “Germany Sterling,” while another was stamped “Norway Sterling DA” for maker David Andersen. The group of 11 sold for $1,375, the second-highest price of the sale. “These were just plain popular,” added Bria. “I found that enamel and silver thimbles were selling for more than I imagined, which was a pleasant surprise in the sale.”
With some stamped “9 Sterling Germany” and “Germany Sterling,” this lot of 11 silver and enamel thimbles all had flower designs on them and sold together for $1,375, the second-highest result reported.
A few additional lots of silver and enamel thimbles performed well, including a group of seven that featured small landscape designs ($875) and a group of ten with images of assorted fauna and birds ($719).
Thimbles were not just sold in multiples, however. Some select examples were unique enough to be auctioned off as their own lot, as was the case with an antique 14K gold and pearl thimble, which came in its original hinged leather case marked “Collingwood & Co To The Royal Family 46. Conduit Street.W.” The gold thimble displayed a border of six bezel-set pearl accents and weighed approximately 3.4 pennyweights. Despite a few light scratches, it earned a shining $1,375. “Several of these thimbles I put by themselves just because I liked them,” Bria said with a laugh.
Such was also the case with a silver and enamel thimble with two illustrations of a white cat against a blue ground. “The Persian cat on this thimble looks like my cat. Personally, I’m happy that it did well,” Bria explained. Made by the English company James Swann & Son, the thimble had a “JS&S” maker’s mark, was stamped with the number “4” and earned $688.
With a feline design resembling auctioneer Whitney Bria’s own cat, this silver and enamel thimble by James Swann & Son was marked with the company’s “JS&S” maker’s mark and sat pretty for $688.
Cats were not the only animals represented in the sale. Items featuring dogs were also popular, with an English silver dog-form thimble case by Richard Comyns earning $781. Made in London in 1975, the case had a hinged opening and a gold washed interior. “This piece had great attention to detail; individual linework for the fur, and the collar was beautiful,” Bria added.
Palais Royal objects were led by a lot of four opaline glass hinged egg-form etui suspended from a chain and ring. Including two blue and two pink eggs, the set sold for $938; only one of the pink examples did not house any sewing accoutrements inside. “These were so beautiful,” said Bria. “It’s unusual to find them in such good condition, and in a grouping. I felt like they were stronger paired together than they would have been individually.”
Additional Palais Royal objects that performed well were a collection of mother-of-pearl thimble holders, including two in the form of horse carriages ($938), a Nineteenth Century mother-of-pearl and gilt metal egg-form necessaire ($844) and a gilt metal and mother-of-pearl bird-form necessaire ($719), which Bria reported was “the most viewed lot on Live Auctioneers. People liked the figural form and the good condition.”
Clarke’s next sale will be an online-only, no reserve fine art sale om September 26. Prices quoted include buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. For information, 914-833-8336 or www.clarkeny.com.
