Avid collectors and dealers have always sought to discover special items during their forays to thrift stores, yard sales and, now, the big online auction venues. The probability of stumbling across something that everyone else missed may be small, but it energizes the hunt. On May 23, Garth’s Auctions, Inc hosted its third annual Ohio Valley auction and displayed a wonderful selection of antique furniture and decorative arts, and it was the scene of just such a discovery.
Among the assortment of offerings was a whimsical ovoid form stoneware bank with a bright cobalt glaze and incised decoration of a child, flowers, a bird and the inscription “Barberton Ohio Earma L. Cox Was born Dec 25 1908.” The town of Barberton, Summit County, is in the heart of Ohio’s Nineteenth Century pottery district. The small size, wonderful folksy design and town of its origin all contributed to an outstanding sale price.
The consignor of the bank purchased it on eBay †purportedly for $500 †a fraction of the final $5,875 the diminutive 4½-inch-high bank realized.
Furniture with good painted surfaces included a fresh-to-the-market eastern Ohio or western Pennsylvania decorated pine cupboard. The one-piece cupboard had four doors, two drawers and an old brown and yellow graining over the original red on the exterior. The interior retained an old blue-gray paint as well. Purchased 25 years ago at a farm sale in Canfield, Mahoning County, Ohio, the 67-inch-high piece sold for $5,993. A decorated poplar wardrobe, possibly from Lancaster County, Penn., circa 1820‵0, with a single door and ball feet retained its original, brown over yellow, faux curly and bird’s-eye maple decoration; it realized $3,173.
As is typical with many collectors, the smaller the object, the greater the bidding. A 36-inch-wide, decorated Windsor arrow back settee with its original faux curly maple graining, scrollwork and floral decoration served as case and point when bidders pushed the sale price to $4,583 against an estimate of $500/700.
A mid-Nineteenth Century decorated miniature blanket chest attributed to Coshocton County, Ohio, with ball-turned feet and its original brown over yellow sponge decoration measured only 13¾ inches high and 21½ inches wide. Recently discovered in a Coschocton County attic, this chest related to several other decorated Coschocton County chests, one of which is in the collection of the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Arts Center, Williamsburg, Va. The chest sold for $2,233, more than double its presale high estimate.
A 25¼-inch-high painted apothecary with 21 drawers and what appeared to be its original orange and yellow paint and original painted pulls, realized $2,233. Condition issues did not stop the audience from appreciating an American carved spoon rack. Dating to the late Eighteenth to early Nineteenth Century, it was determined to be poplar and likely of New Jersey origin. The shaped tulip crest, chip carved and compass star designs, and an old crusty red surface all contributed to the robust sale price of $7,344.
Textiles in the forms of quilts, coverlets and samplers performed well. An outstanding Ohio appliqué quilt was by Mary Ann Kepler, Green Township, Summit County, and dated 1856. The bright design of diagonal lines and feathered wreaths within a sawtooth inner border and bold outer border with red binding attracted many bidders. The quilt was shown and discussed in Ricky Clark’s Quilted Gardens , pages 34″7, and it brought $3,525.
From the wonderful collection of samplers, which exceeded almost all estimates when sold, one of the standouts was a rare Vermont sampler by Tirzah Biglow, Guilford, Windham County, dated 1804. The sampler was filled with many motifs, including a red, white and blue eagle, pairs of facing birds, hearts, baskets and footed urns. With good colors and a bird’s-eye frame, the sampler fetched $2,585.
A New Hampshire sampler by Elizabeth K. Hunt, Stoddard, Cheshire County, dated 1825, exhibited alphabets and numbers over a moral verse all within a strawberry border and realized $2,115.
A group of belongings owned and carried by Civil War soldier, William Walworth (1823‱864) of Cleveland, Ohio, were also offered. Walworth’s important identified bowie knife was made by Edward Barnes and Sons, England, mid-Nineteenth Century. With a double-edge blade and stag grip, marked “U*S” on the ricasso and leather sheath, the 12½-inch-long knife reached a price of $2,585. An M1840 heavy cavalry saber marked for N.P. Ames, Cabotville, Mass., and marked “US” with inspector’s stamp “WD” and “1848,” also descended in Walworth’s family, sold for $1,528. Walworth fought at Gettysburg and later committed suicide in a camp hospital.
Rounding out the sale were an assortment of decorative items, each with strong prices, including a fine cut glass lidded compote. Throughout the preview and sale there were whispers from some that the compote was early Bakewell of Pittsburgh and general “oohs and aahs” from others about its impressive size and form. The 13-inch-high blown bowl with diamond band realized $5,288.
Showing that antique black memorabilia continues to be gathering momentum, a Nineteenth Century African American doll figure, anatomically correct with needlework hair and face, applied fingernails and wearing period clothing, achieved a price of $2,468.
All prices given include the buyer’s premium.
Garth’s catalog auction featuring Asian, English, Continental and American Decorative Arts will be July 25. For information www.garths.com or 740-362-4771.
