KNOXVILLE, TENN. — Case Antiques’ top lot at its July 13 auction was “Miss Amy,” a William Edmondson sculpture that sold for $240,000, with buyer’s premium, to an anonymous phone bidder. The estimate was $60/65,000. The sculpture came from the estate of a former Nashville resident, and was a companion sculpture to “Miss Lucy,” which sold in Case’s January 2019 auction.

In 1937 Edmondson (Tennessee, 1874-1951) became the first African American artist to have a solo show at the Museum of Modern Art; he is regarded as one of the most important self-taught artists of the Twentieth Century. “Miss Amy,” circa 1930-35, is carved limestone and depicts a standing woman wearing a dress with square neckline; her bountiful hair is tied back, creating negative space between her back and her hair, and she holds a book in her left hand; her long skirt reaches all the way to the integral base. Standing 14½ inches high by 4¾ wide and 7-3/8 deep, it is thought that she was kept indoors as a doorstop, so her exterior remained in excellent condition. For more information, 615-812-6096 or www.caseantiques.com.