| Press Contact: | Cindy Tashjian | Stephen Fletcher | Martha Hamilton |
| Assistant, American | Director of American | Specialist, American Furniture | |
| Furniture & Dec. Arts | Furniture & Dec. Arts | & Dec. Arts | |
| 978-779-6241 |
978-779-6241 |
978-779-6241 | |
SKINNER'S FEBRUARY AMERICANA AUCTION FEATURES FOLK PORTRAITURE, RARE 18TH CENTURY NEW ENGLAND FURNITURE, MARINE PAINTINGS, AND UNUSUAL 19TH CENTURY "HERRON" WEATHERVANE
BOSTON, Mass. - February 4, 2003 – www.skinnerinc.com - Skinner, one of the nation's leading auction houses, will hold its first Americana auction of 2003 on Sunday, February 23rd in its Boston gallery at 63 Park Plaza in Boston. The sale will begin at 11:00 a.m. and features a fine selection of 18th and 19th century American furniture, paintings, and decorative arts, as well as a variety of Oriental carpets and rugs.
Distinguished portraiture including folk, academic and marine paintings may be found in the auction. Highlights include a double full-length mid-19th century portrait of William Stoughton Conant and his sister Gertrude Cornelia Conant, standing in a verdant landscape with a hoop and flower basket, done by John Carlin, a New York City artist well known for his miniatures, portraits and landscapes ($30,000-50,000). The portrait will be accompanied by a copy of the family tree, and Gertrude's certificate of marriage as well as many other similar materials from the family that consigned this portrait.
The leading folk art portraits depict James Howard painted by John Brewster c. 1800 and his wife Sarah Chaplin Howard painted by Joseph Steward c. 1790, Hampton, Connecticut ($30,000-50,000). These portraits, which descended in the family, have an exhibition history. Sarah Chaplin Howard sits in a chair with her son, James Howard, Jr., in front of a windowscape with fringed and tasseled drapery, beside a table. The buyer of these portraits will receive a leather-encased daguerreotype of these portraits, and the 1811 household inventory of James Howard, mill owner and partner in a stagecoach line, as well as the small Bible Sarah's mother presented to her after her wedding. Other folk art portraits included in this Sunday sale are a pair attributed to Milton W. Hopkins of New York State ($8,000-12,000).
The marine portraits include a depiction of the cutter Melvina in a yacht race near New York City, signed "William G. Yorke" ($2,000-3,000). Another marine painting in untouched condition is a primitive depicting the bay of New York done by the folk artist Thomas Chambers ($800-1,200). Other ship portraits include work by a Liverpool artist, a Chinese School artist who depicted the clipper ship the Nancy Pendleton launched from Belfast, Maine, and a Chinese Export painting of the clipper ship, the J. Peabody c. 1855 attributed to the recognized Chinese "Typhoon" artist ($3,000-4,000). This painting descended in the family from Captain John Bradshaw of Beverly, Massachusetts who was captain of the ship the J. Peabody and one of the wealthiest ship owners in Salem, Massachusetts during the first half of the 19th century. Two additional China Trade paintings which descended in the family from the China Trade sea captain of Salem, Massachusetts, Nathaniel Kinsman, include one of the Canton factories c. 1840 ($12,000-15,000) and another oil on canvas of the ships at anchor in Hong Kong Harbor, done in the 1860s ($4,000-6,000). Kinsman commanded the Australia, the Fanny, and the Trent, all of Salem, Massachusetts.
One of the two Simon Willard tall case clocks being offered includes an original framed bill of sale dated "Salem July 5 1802" and addressed to General Stephen Abbot ($20,000-30,000). It reads "Bot of Simon Willard one warranted eight day clock …now at Mr. Sanderson's $60." A Federal "Ezekiel Reed, Bridgewater" (Massachusetts) tall case clock in original surface and condition is also being sold ($8,000-12,000).
Two rare early walnut veneer North Shore, Massachusetts furniture forms, both with family descent, are being presented. The earlier is a beautiful William and Mary walnut veneer and tiger maple inlaid tall chest of drawers from 1700-30 in excellent condition ($40,000-60,000). The other is a Queen Anne beaded and walnut veneered dressing table from the 1730s with book matched quadrants on the top, herringbone veneers and cockbeaded deeply cut-out skirt ($25,000-35,000). This piece descended from the Gould family of Topsfield, Massachusetts. A pair of Federal mahogany inlaid card tables in original surface are attributed to Langley Boardman, the Portsmouth cabinetmaker ($20,000-30,000).
A wealth of other material relating to the 18th and 19th century Howard family of Hampton, Connecticut will be presented in six lots in the sale. In addition to the folk portraiture, there is a naïve watercolor landscape with their homestead, and three needleworks accomplished at Miss Balch's needlework school. Numerous supporting documents accompany the lots. An example is a letter to Lucy Howard addressed to her "in 1806 at the boarding house of Mary Balch Providence" written to her by her brother, James Howard, Jr., from Yale, where he was then a student. Captain John Howard's printed internment discourse accompanies the mourning embroidery done in his memory by Lucy Howard.
For the discerning folk art collector, there is a double-sided painted and decorated late 18th/early 19th century wood tavern sign which reads "1773" and "M. Wright" ($15,000-25,000). The sign has baluster-turned posts flanking the oval center, which depicts an eagle with an American shield on one side and a leopard amidst foliage on the other.
The late 19th century copper molded heron weather vane ($15,000-20,000) may be the rarest example of a vane that Skinner has ever offered. Its flattened full-bodied figure with natural verdigris surface is mounted on a rod. It came to Skinner from the Squirrel Island, Maine summer residence of Albert Henry Davenport (1845-1906), who headed one of the most important decorating firms in the United States between 1875-1910. His Boston-based firm designed and manufactured luxurious furniture, textiles, woodwork, and wallpaper for customers in Europe and America. This well-known interior decorating firm produced furnishings for royal palaces and the White House, as well as elegant public and private buildings. In 1886, Davenport and his wife bought and developed several properties on Squirrel Island. A photocopy of a 1921 article about this home shows the weather vane on the house. This facsimile will accompany the lot.
Another unusual weather vane being sold on the 23rd is the carved wood example shaped like an ear of corn with four splayed lightning rod tips ($10,000-15,000). This came from the First Parish Unitarian Church of Kennebunk, Maine. Among the running horse weather vanes is a late 19th century Boston example impressed, "J. Harris" ($3,000-4,000).
The whimsical art form of notch-carved wood in the form of furniture, table and wall items will be offered from the Tramp Art collection of Sam and Myra Gotoff. The thirty-six lots will include a large mirrored sideboard, a breakfront, a rocking chair and an end table, with several lots of frames, wall pockets, boxes, decorative and utilitarian items.
A large selection of colored and colorless early American pressed and blown glass items, including many made by the Boston & Sandwich Glass Company, and consigned by a private collector, will be offered. Featured will be vases, candlesticks, fluid lamps (some with cut overlay designs), cup plates, salts, and paperweights.
A collection of Vermont-made Bennington Pottery also will be offered, featuring several flint enamel glazed pieces including a lion figure, covered sugar bowl, book flasks, a cuspidor and a large footbath. Additional highlights include several lots of Rockingham glazed items, among them Toby jugs and bottles, pitchers, book flasks, pie plates, and bowls.
Catalogue, Preview, and Event Information
Skinner is pleased to offer a complimentary gallery walk on Thursday, February 20, at 6:30 p.m., featuring Stephen Fletcher, director, and Martha Hamilton, specialist, of Skinner's department of American Furniture and Decorative Arts, who will discuss highlights of the upcoming auction. The event, part of Skinner's ongoing Connoisseurship Series, is open to the public. To R.S.V.P., please call 617-350-5400..
Previews for the sale will be 2 to 5 p.m. Wednesday, February 19, 2 to 8 p.m. Thursday, February 20, 2 to 8 p.m. Friday, February 21, 12 to 6 p.m. Saturday, February 22, and 8 to 10 a.m. Sunday, February 23. Illustrated catalog #2144 is available for $32 ($39 for foreign requests) from the subscription department at Skinner/Bolton (978-779-6241 ext. 240). It is also available at the gallery at $29. Prices realized at the auction will be available in real-time at www.skinnerinc.com during and after the sale. For more information, call 978-779-6241, fax 978-779-5144, or visit www.skinnerinc.com.
Note to Editors: Photos available upon request. Contact Catherine Riedel at 978-779-6241 x 231.
About Skinner:With galleries in Boston and Bolton, Mass., Skinner is a full-service auctioneer and appraiser of antiques and fine art. Regularly seen on the PBS series, Antiques Roadshow, Skinner is one of the nation’s leading auction houses. Skinner conducts auctions year-round and has received world-record prices for many pieces sold at auction. Departments include American Furniture & Decorative Arts, Paintings & Prints, English & Continental Furniture & Decorations, Fine Ceramics, Jewelry, Couture, 20th Century Furniture & Decorative Arts, Fine Musical Instruments, Asian Art, Fine Judaica, Toys, Dolls & Collectibles, Science & Technology, Oriental Rugs & Carpets, American Indian & Ethnographica, and Discovery. For more information on upcoming auctions, visit Skinner’s web site www.skinnerinc.com.