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February 22-23 Auction Highlights Of the 20 American and English needlework samplers offered during Pook & Pook, Inc.'s February 22-23, 2002 antique sale, the most spectacular example was illustrated on the front cover of the catalogue and brought the correspondingly high price of $57,500(including the 15% buyer's premium). The elaborate Burlington County, New Jersey needlework sampler, wrought by Rachel Haines 1830, is referenced in Girlhood Embroidery by Betty Ring in a discussion of a very similar sampler(figure 535), which is itself identified as one of the most famous New Jersey samplers. Not surprisingly, the Haines example, which similarly depicted a Federal brick house and a gentleman in a top hat with a long rifle hunting a fox on a fenced green lawn, as well as additional images of ducks, chickens, goats and trees, all surmounted by verse within additional birds, animals, baskets of flowers, spread winged shield breasted eagle and trailing floral border, created quite a stir among auction previewers. Ultimately, it became the subject of a battle between two phone bidders selling to a private collector. While the sampler was the high ticket item of the weekend, the 844-lot sale held at the Ludwigs Corner, PA facility, also featured more moderately priced items being sold to benefit the Children's Crisis Treatment Center of Philadelphia. Generously donated by approximately 20 respected dealers such as Diana Bittel, David Wheatcroft, Gregory Kramer, M. Finkel & Daughter, Olde Hope Antiques, Frank Gaglio, Inc., and the benefit organizer, Phyllis Sauter, items such as an English child's scalloped crest cupboard, a folk art carved cane, quilts, and several windsor chairs were sold without reserve or auctioneer's commission. Auctioneer Ronald Pook often reminded the audience that the proceeds, which totaled just under $10,000, would be benefiting the non-profit Center, which provides assistance to Philadelphia children and families in need. As such, many generous bidders joined in the spirit of the event and picked up items outside of their fields of regular interest in order to assist the children. The two-day event also included an array of hunt and horse racing material
out of the estate of the owners of a Chester County, Pennsylvania racing
stables includes bronzes, paintings, prints, riding apparel and boots,
silver trophies, and more. The local crowd appreciated the decorative
accessories which reflected the interests of the area, but it was the
out-of-state and even several overseas buyers who purchased the more expensive
items. Two horse and jockey bronzes by well-known British artist John
Rattenbury Skeaping were among the more popular items in this category
selling for $4,600 and $4,888. A large watercolor of race horses thundering
down the straight-away by the same artist made $3,163. A late 19th century
English oil on canvas interior scene depicting a hound studying a fox
head mounted on a wall above a hunt painting fetched $2,875 despite being
unsigned. Assorted silver plated figures of seated and recumbent foxes
often doubled and tripled pre-auction estimates selling for $431, $1,035,
and $1,093. An oil on canvas portrait of a recumbent fox in a landscape,
signed lower right by Danish artist, "P.T. Tax", surprised the
room selling for $4,025. A lot including twelve pair of leather riding
boots, eight bowler hats and three top hats went to a new home for $1,150. A selection of furniture and accessories descending in the Peirce-Nichols family of Salem, Massachusetts was sold with good results. A Massachusetts Federal mahogany tall case clock, ca. 1810, with an 8-day works and painted dial inscribed "Warranted by John Holbrook Medway" went to the phone for $18,400. A Connecticut Chippendale mahogany low chest, ca. 1775, with bold ogee feet and a central shell carved drop sold to a private collector for $10,925. A Connecticut Federal cherry inlaid candlestand, ca. 1800, with line and fan inlaid square top, urn turned shaft, and modified cabriole legs sold for $3,450. A Connecticut cherry hanging pipe box, ca. 1770, with a pinwheel carved drawer front made $2,875. A New England painted pine chair table, ca. 1760, with a large circular batten top tilting over a chair form base with drawer on shoe feet achieved a selling price of $7,590. An English William and Mary oak dressing table, ca. 1680, with a molded rectangular top over a boldly scalloped skirt with drawer, supported by baluster and ring turned legs joined by shaped flat stretchers and terminating in ball feet also sold above estimate at $4,715. Some of the other spectacular prices of the day came from the sale of several wonderful architectural pieces being sold by the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village of Dearborn, Michigan. With all the phone lines taken on almost every lot in the category, an elaborately carved pine mantle from the Whitehall Plantation outside of Charleston, South Carolina was the piece in greatest demand selling for $14,950 to an out of state dealer. A Maryland paneled room end with mantle piece and two cupboard doors with reeded decoration came close to the top lot making $12,075. A pair of Philadelphia Federal mantels, ca. 1820, for $3,450 and a group of French carved interior shutter panels, 18th c., with carved decoration for $7,475 also sold well. Of the fine art in the sale, a folk art painting by Jacob Maentel drew the highest price. The watercolor on paper full-length frontal portrait of a young Elizabeth Preston flanked by her nephew, Frank Crumb, and her niece, Elizabeth Ann Crumb, with a dog in the foreground was executed in Palmyra, Illinois and descended in the family to the present owner($28,750). Unsigned American folk art items faired well too. An American oil on canvas scene of Blackville Park($4,025), an American oil on canvas of Mount Vernon($4,025), a small American pastel portrait of three children with toys and birds($5,463), and an elaborate silhouette picture of 8 people and dog in a complete landscape($9,775) all exceeded expectations. A grouping of American miniature portraits on ivory garnered high prices to with a family group of 3 portraits making $6,038 and an individual portrait by Moses B. Russell selling for $1,323. Among the other items deaccessioned from the Henry Ford Museum in this auction, an oil on canvas portrait of a woman in a silk dress holding a flower attributed to the Pollard Limner commanded a final sale price of $18,400 from a phone bidder. A late 17th century British oil on canvas half-length portrait depicting Charles V, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire dressed in full military uniform was also offered via the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village selling to the same phone bidder as the Pollard Limner for $5,175. The selection of fine art also included two works from a Wilmington, De. corporate collection. An oil on canvas landscape titled "Canterbury Meadows" by Thomas Sidney Cooper, RA, depicting a flock of sheep in a meadow with a herd of cows in the background made $12,650. An oil on canvas titled "By Rushy Banks", depicting 2 swans, by British artist A.E. Bailey prompted a final bid of $6,325. An oil on canvas western scene of Indians camped beside a rushing waterfall with snow capped peaks in the background by German/American artist Hermann Herzog went for $9,775. A pastoral oil on canvas landscape of cows beside a tree lined rushing waterfall and river by Edmund Darch Lewis, dated 1871, realized $8,050. A colorful landscape scene with boats on the water before a row of cottages by Anthony Thieme went well past its estimate making $13,225. An elaborate oil on canvas marine scene of the pilot boat "Enchantress" flanked by the American sidewheeler "Alaska" and other vessels in the background off a rocky shore by Conrad Freitag retained its original elaborate carved gilt frame with nautical embellishments, which propelled the work to a final price of $13,800. A small, but wonderful collection of American Indian items brought interest from both collectors and dealers, but it was often the dealers who fell a bit short in the bidding. A large Apache tightly woven tray, ca. 1885, woven in willow and devil's claw, with 6 human figures and 6 animal figures made $4,830. A rare Apache olla basket, ca. 1890 with 5 human figures and 10 "rolling logs" was the highlight at $5,175. A Cochiti jar, early 20th c. with orange and black bird motif made $4,600, while a Blackfoot or Crow Indian doll, ca. 1900-1910, sold for $2,070 and a Sioux Indian doll, ca. 1880-1890, reached $4,600. A large German KPM porcelain dinner service for 12 with an abundance of serving pieces was a last minute entry in the sale selling for $3,738. Two Federal giltwood girondole mirrors reached $7,475 and $8,050. An American Federal mahogany mirror, ca. 1810, with a gilded broken arch crest with carved rosettes flanking an urn form finial with floral spray above an eglomise landscape panel sold for $6,900. A George III Chinese Chippendale carved giltwood mirror, ca. 1770, with overall c-scroll and foliate carved decoration enclosing a looking glass soared to $,9775 despite some losses. "Ethan Allen" and "Dexter" running horse copper weathervanes sold for $4,600 and $2,875, respectively. A New England carved pine eagle, early 20th c., with spread wings over a banner and draped flag, retains a later gold, red, white and blue painted surface fell within estimate at $2,530. A vibrant Pennsylvania appliqué quilt, ca. 1840, with a red and green rose wreath with tulip pattern, within a red double swag border, on overall crisp quilted white ground was unusually large which helped it along to a sale price of $3,680. For further information on Pook & Pook, Inc.'s next sales scheduled
for April 26-27 and May 10-11, please call (610) 269-0695 / (610) 269-4040,
write PO Box 268, Downingtown, Pa. 19335, or visit the web site www.pookandpook.com.
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Recent Auctions Prices only (printer-ready): 2003 2002
2004 2003 Highlights: 2002
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