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February 22, 2003 Auction Highlights Totaling just over $2 million dollars, Pook & Pook, Inc.’s February 22, 2003 Winter auction, which took place during a torrential, freezing rain storm, warmed the hearts of many bidders who were able to take home one or more pieces of the vibrant 220-lot spatter collection that served as one of the focal points of the day. The wide variety of red, blue, yellow, green, and rainbow cups, saucers, plates, sugar bowls, pitchers, and creamers, sold in ranges from several hundred dollars to several thousand to a high of $25,875 for a rare 5-color rainbow pitcher and bowl set. This breadth of sale prices provided opportunities for the novice as well as the advanced collector to add to their spatter assortments. The spatter was offered from Franklin and Marshall College of Lancaster, PA, which received Dr. Robert L. Schaeffer, Jr.’s entire collection in 1987. These items were deaccessioned from the Franklin and Marshall’s Phillips Museum and the proceeds from the sale are being placed in the Robert L. Schaeffer, Jr. Endowment Fund for the maintenance of the Museum’s permanent collection, with preference given to acquisition and conservation. The selection offered at this February sale represents the first of two groups to be sold from Schaeffer’s ceramics collection with the second grouping of 420 lots to sell on April 26, 2003. Both catalogues will become good reference material for spatter collectors. The balance of the 696-lot sale reached a high point mid-day as three paintings by Philadelphia painter, Francis Martin Drexel, crossed the block. A massive three-quarter length, self-portrait of the artist sitting at his easel, while his wife and young daughter posed behind him was illustrated on the front cover of the catalogue and was expected to exceed the $15/20,000 pre-auction estimate due to heavy local interest. With all the phone lines taken the painting sold to a bidder on the floor for an outstanding $225,000. The same bidder also purchased the other two smaller, less detailed portraits of the artist and his daughter for $2,990 and $3,162, respectively. On a smaller scale, a fine American miniature portrait on ivory of a little girl wearing a blue dress and holding a bouquet, was framed in a gutta-percha case and sold for $4,600. An oil on canvas portrait of a Dr. Wolcott, by British artist, John Opie, retained its Royal Academy exhibition label verso and received much interest from overseas as Opie and Wolcott were friends who socialized with the Royal family. The painting sold to an out-of-state phone bidder for $4,600. Titled "Summer with Cattle", an oil on canvas riverscape with a sailboat off shore by Edmund Darch Lewis was dated 1886 and brought $4,830. Another sailing scene titled "St. Yacht Susquehanna" was by Thomas Willis and brought $6,037. A John Van Minian fraktur drawing dated 1801 for Suzanna Beidelman was adorned with a central cartouche enclosing script, oval profile portraits, and elaborate red diamond borders within additional vines, tulips, hex signs and sun faces sold for $20,700 against an estimate of $7/9,000. An assortment of the finest Pennsylvania furniture offered during the sale came from a prominent Philadelphia collector and author. A Philadelphia Queen Anne walnut armchair, ca. 1775, with carved shell crest, shaped skirt, and cabriole legs terminating in trifid feet sold for $41,400. A Philadelphia Queen Anne walnut candlestand, ca. 1765, with a dish top, suppressed ball standard, and cabriole legs terminating in pad feet made $28,750. An extremely fine pair of Delaware Valley Chippendale walnut 3-shell dining chairs, ca. 1770, realized $29,900. A Chester County, Pennsylvania Chippendale walnut dropleaf table with a scalloped skirt supported by cabriole legs terminating in bold ball and claw feet represented an extremely fine example of its form and as such sold for $18,400. A rare Philadelphia mahogany music stand, ca. 1770, with an adjustable reading surface, 2 retractable round candleholders, a suppressed ball pedestal, and cabriole legs terminating in bold pad feet provoked some fierce competition before it sold to a collector on the floor for $12,650. A Philadelphia Chippendale mahogany tea table, ca. 1770, with a suppressed ball standard and cabriole legs terminating in ball and claw feet was sold together with an alphabet sampler wrought by "Annie E. Forney 1848". As the table was originally owned by General Forney of Revolutionary War fame and the sampler was wrought by his granddaughter, the two remained together for a hammer price of $14,950. Among the other items of note were a New England William & Mary oak blanket chest, ca. 1720, which sold for $4,887 despite some alterations. A Maryland painted dower chest, dated 1791, with 6 tulips, trailing vines and diamonds, all within a black and yellow sawtooth border made $5,175. An English mahogany folio stand, ca. 1830, with adjustable lattice leaves resting on scrolling legs with shaped returns sold for $4,600, while a George II mahogany sofa with 3 acanthus carved front legs terminating in pad feet made $12,650. Folwell School needleworks sold well with a picture depicting central young couple flanking a basket of fruit, and a farm scene in the background reaching $4,887 and a picture depicting a garden scene with a maiden holding garland standing beside a seated soldier napping under a tree made $9,775. A Queen Anne mahogany veneered mirror, ca. 1740, with pierced and scalloped crest, parcel-gilt foliate carving, and a Joseph Kindig provenance made $5,750. A Philadelphia Chippendale mahogany mirror, ca. 1800, bearing the full label of "Wayne and Biddle" verso reached $3,450. A carved giltwood girondole mirror, ca. 1780, with a recumbent stag crest soared to $10,925. A neo-classical cast brass and ormolu mounted mantle clock with a figure of Washington by Dubuc fell within estimate at $12,075. Among the rarer items in the sale were three signed lighting devices by Peter Derr. A gimbaled kettle lamp was especially nice sold for triple its estimate at $12,650. Two “betty” lamps sold for $3,910 and $3,680 and the two doughscrapers made $1,495 and $1,840. Of the 15 lots of brass candlesticks, the English trumpet forms sold for the highest prices at $3,737 and $2,185, each for a single, and $3,450 for a pair. A large, 46” high bronze architectural element representing the Seal of the City of New York was a piece of particular interest selling for $7,475. Another sculptural piece was a 75” high, late 18th century marble figure of a classical maiden, which sold for $13,800. A Strasburg, Virginia redware wall pocket, late 19th c., attributed to the workshop of S. Bell & Son, with overall cream, brown and green glazing and a Marshall Goodman provenance sold for $7,475. A unique 19th century redware bank in the form of a beetle with wings, 8 legs and protruding eyes and snout, and overall black manganese splash decoration on an orange glazed body was found in Shepardstown, West Virginia and as it was a singular example of folk art, it reached a sale price of $9,200. Another surprising price came from a painted pine and tin candlemold with the name "J. Walker" stenciled on the side and the original red painted surface. The 11” high mold brought $3,450. An American mahogany dresser box made by H.R. Taylor, Portland, Maine, with a mirrored lid, fitted interior, a plinth support, and ball feet sold for $3,737. A grouping of over 40 oriental rugs sold for a wide range of prices as well with a room-size Serapi reaching $9,775, a Gendje rug making $5,750, several Kazaks selling for $4,255 and $4,600, and small throw rugs averaging $345 to $1,725. For further information on Pook & Pook, Inc.’s April and May sales, please call (610) 269-0695 / (610) 269-4040, write PO Box 268, Downingtown, Pa. 19335, or visit the web site www.pookandpook.com.
February 22, 2003, LOTS 471-497 SOLD for prices ranging from $460 to $23,000
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Recent Auctions Prices only (printer-ready): 2003 2002
2004 2003 Highlights: 2002
by Francis Martin Drexel February 22, 2003, LOT 200 SOLD $225,000
SOLD for $12,075
Chippendale 3-shell dining chairs February 22, 2003, LOT 100 SOLD for $29,900 American hooked rug February 22, 2003, LOT 75 SOLD
for $2,875
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