Celebrating Earth Day, Pook & Pook, Inc held its spring auction on April 23′4.
Evidence that new buyers are coming into the field was seen by the increased number of people registering to bid online (2,266) as well as in-house (611). The sale overall was deemed very successful and reflected the steady improvement of the economy and the field of antiques.
The auction showcased a wide array of American and Continental furniture, paintings, Oriental rugs and all ranges of accessory items from several important collections and educational institutions, including the National Clock and Watch Museum, the estate of Bernice Cramer, the Chester County Historical Society, the Dixon Family Trust and others.
Kicking off the sale were more than 100 lots of fine art and sculpture. The first four lots, from the estate of Robert J. Young, included a vibrant floral still life by Hobson Lafayette Pittman that started the sale on a high note, bringing $25,740, and an oil on board interior scene, also by Pittman, sailing to $12,870.
The top lot of the auction, however, was a work by Daniel Garber depicting the woodlands and landscapes of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. His brilliant autumn landscape titled “Brinton’s Mill” brought $128,700 after intense bidding.
A portrait of Helen Velasquez Chase by her father, William Merritt Chase, was an enchanting piece at $46,800. It was originally sold at the Chase estate sale in May 1917. Other works include a courtyard scene by French artist Theodore Levigne for $12,870, a John Dare Howland buffalo hunting scene for $5,148, a Ben Austrian of chick and puppy for $8,775 and a watercolor of ducks landing in a marsh by Frank Weston Benson for $49,140.
The Joseph Townsend family Samuel Malkin slip decorated charger dated 1726 was sold Friday evening. The large plate had a dotted border surrounding three arched panels, the center one inscribed in raised press molded lettering “Remember Lot’s Wife Luke 17:32 1726,” surmounted by an image of Lot’s wife flanked by trumpeting angels and the maker’s initials “SM” in raised relief.
The extensive notes and genealogy that accompanied this plate suggested that it may be one of the earliest pieces of English tableware used in the colonies. For $81,900, the plate found its new home at the Winterthur Museum in Delaware, adding a very important object to its collection.
A pair of Delaware Valley Chippendale shell carved dining chairs made $9,945, an unusual Pennsylvania alphabet quilt fetched $5,382, while a Pennsylvania Federal tall case clock by David Gobrecht took $8,190 and a Baltimore Hepplewhite mahogany card table brought $14,040.
Pottery standouts included a vibrant stoneware jug with fanciful eagle decoration impressed “Wm E. Warner West Troy” at $4,680 and a redware charger from the Titus Geesey collection with slip decoration of a leaping stag for $8,190. Two rare Reading, Penn., stoneware water coolers were sold; one impressed “Wells & Richards, Reading Berks Co. PA” soared to $17,550.
Pennsylvania dower chests brightened up the sale. Originally sold in the George Horace Lorimer collection in 1944, a Mahantongo dower chest attributed to the fraktur artist and cabinetmaker William Otto presented a great opportunity for a buyer to add a rare item to their collection. The chest sold over the phone for $56,160.
Rounding out the chests were a Berks County unicorn dower chest at $3,744, a heart and star decorated chest for $10,530 and a Lebanon County chest for $3,978.
A rare double portrait watercolor from the Reading Artist drew a lot of attention and set an auction record at $23,400. Several Philadelphia fire hats garnered local interest, bringing $6,435, $4,914 and $2,223. An American carved and painted pine whirligig, circa 1915, depicting a gentleman wearing a bowler hat and black jacket crossed the block at $14,040. After intense bidding, a portrait of a young woman by Ammi Phillips raced to $35,100.
Several clocks deaccessioned by the National Watch & Clock Museum interested buyers. A Chester County, Penn., tall case clock by Chandlee brought $6,435, and a French Louis XV kingwood and tulipwood ormolu mounted tall case clock faired very well at $10,530.
Three unusual pieces of Wharton Esherick furniture, purchased from the Esherick workshop, included a coffee table for $28,080 and a set of library steps for $32,760.
Russian standouts were the five-piece silver tea service stamped K. Faberge in Cyrillic that drew a final bid of $64,350 and a lot of three silver enamel kovsh that went for nearly triple the high estimate at $5,616.
An intricate Italian micromosaic estimated at $800-$1,200 surprised everyone by bringing $19,890.
A Civil War standout was an important Confederate flag for the Second Louisiana Cavalry, captured at Henderson, La., March 21, 1864, by William Ayers, second sergeant of Company H, 35th Iowa Volunteers, Fifth Infantry. The flag was recently deaccessioned from the Southern Oregon Historical Society, where it has been since the 1950s. It sold to a private buyer for $51,480.
Saturday’s session concluded with a selection of firearms ranging from a British Long Land pattern Brown Bess flintlock musket for $12,870 to a Springfield Model 1816 flintlock for $1,755 to an English Hawker percussion blunderbuss for $3,042.
All prices reported include the buyer’s premium.
For more information, www.pookandpook.com or 610-269-4040.
