Sometimes called “Connecticut’s Quiet Corner,” Winter Associates’ auction gallery was anything but quiet on Monday, April 6, when a 305-lot multi-estate auction attracted some 125 floor bidders, 66 absentee, many phone and unnumbered Internet bidders. “Monday’s auction was a reflection of times,” said Linda Stamm of Winter Associates. “The best was still drawing good attention.” It was a good sale, overall, she thought, with a mixture of floor, absentee, phone and Internet buyers competing for good estate items.
Several of the top lots came from the same Farmington, Conn., house. A Wallace Nutting court cupboard received much attention before the auction. “We got calls and many people came to check it out in the gallery,” Stamm said. When it came up for auction, there were several phone bidders competing. One, from New Hampshire, won the Nutting “Sunflower” cupboard for $7,475, making it the top lot of the night.
Honors also go to an unsigned tall clock with internal movements manufactured by Silas Hoadley of Plymouth, Conn., about 1820. The rare, eight-day wooden movement appeared to be all original and complete; it had the original stamped steel hands and painted wooden dial. Clock collectors ignored some condition problems with the original case, and possibly original finish, pushing the final price well beyond the high estimate of $2,000. From an Old Lyme, Conn., home where the clock had been for as long as anyone could remembered, it sold to a determined bidder for $5,750.
Each Thursday Winter has a “show and tell” session for people to bring in their treasures for an auction estimate. “We don’t give them an insurance appraisal, but just tell them what they have and how much it might be worth, or tell them where to go to find out more about it,” according to Stamm.
A couple of months ago a young woman brought in a painting for her mother. “I noticed how very well painted it was right away,” Stamm said. The daughter had taken it out of the frame, as the 24-by-20-inch oil was too big to carry otherwise. Close scrutiny showed it was signed and in good condition, albeit in need of some TLC.
The artist, Joseph Oriel Eaton (American, 1829‱875), signed and dated it, 1870. After some phone and floor competition, it sold to the floor for $4,025.
Another painting of a young man with a dog proved to have an interesting history. From the same Farmington family, and thought to be a distant relative, research discovered that the sitter was John Coffings Holley (1837‱865), son of Connecticut governor, Alexander Hamilton Holley. He was a Yale graduate who died in San Francisco where he was recovering from ill health after campaigning for Lincoln. The painting went to an Internet bidder in California for $690.
A local family brought in a letter written by Samuel Colt to Edward Wesson (of Smith & Wesson fame). The letter was a folded sheet with the mailing address on the outside. The intact, two-sided manuscript letter was dated April 12, 1847, and addressed to Northboro, Mass. What made this so unique was the content of the letter that read, in part, “Dear Sir I send you today by Express a box containing two Rifle barrels which I would like to have you bore and Rifle, for me as soon as you can. &• The letter sold to the floor against two phone bidders for $3,910.
Internet bidders were very interested in ivory items on offer. A lot that contained a bone carved covered cylindrical jar, 5½ inches tall, a carved ivory brush holder, a barrel-like bone piece with mice, 1¾ inches long and an open base carved bone figural scene, 4 inches high, sold as a group for $1,955.
A single carved ivory figure, more than 12 inches high, thought to be German, possibly Nineteenth Century, had some minor condition problems but caught two phone bidders’ fancy, selling at $3,680.
Other furniture that sold solidly included an attractive American bookcase desk, Connecticut, late Eighteenth Century in cherry and pine with terrific ogee bracket feet with a beaded edge and return scroll that sold for $4,312. “It would have gone much higher,” Stamm speculated, “except for an early refinish.” A blue-painted Nineteenth Century pie safe brought $977, and a four-drawer American Federal chest, circa 1800, in cherry and pine realized $1,035.
Prices include the 15 percent buyer’s premium. Winter is preparing for two auctions in June. On June 1, it will have a regular estate sale and on June 29, Winter will offer paintings deaccessioned from the New Britain Museum of Art, which is selling from its collection to raise funds for future acquisitions.
For more information, 860-793-0288 or www.auctionsappraisers.com.
