STURBRIDGE, MASS. — Think spring, said David Straight, as his firm conducted its Americana and folk art auction on March 5 offering nearly 500 lots of estate antiques and Americana. Leading the sale was a rare Newport, R.I., desk attributed to Job Townsend Sr (1699-1765) or his school, which ended up at $4,000, including buyer’s premium. The slant lid desk in old surface featured a shell-carved interior and a bold original bracket base. The selling price was a marker of how the market values such material these days, as this desk was purchased in 2006 from Woodbury, Conn., dealer Wayne Pratt for $27,000. It was accompanied by a full condition report and documentation and measured 36 by 19 by 44 inches. According to Chipstone, the Townsends and Goddards were best known for their blockfront, shell-carved case pieces and dominated the furniture industry in colonial Newport.

Watch for further highlights from this sale in a future issue.