| Press Contact: | Catherine Riedell | Stephen Fletcher |
| Director of Marketing | Director, Americana Department | |
| Skinner, Inc | Skinner, Inc | |
|
978-779-6341, x231 |
978-779-6241 | |
|
criedel@skinnerinc.com |
SKINNER JUNE 9TH AMERICANA AUCTION
TO BE HELD IN BOSTON
BOSTON, Mass. – May 24, 2002 -- www.skinnerinc.com-- Skinner, Inc., one of the nation’s leading auction houses, will move its flagship department, American Furniture & Decorative Arts, to its Boston gallery for the upcoming June 9 auction. The sale will begin at 10 a.m., with previews held June 5 and June 6, 2-5 p.m., June 7, 2-7 p.m., June 8, 12-5 p.m., and June 9, 8-9 a.m.
Many of the distinguished objects being presented in the sale have been out of public view for 50-75 years. They include a Federal mahogany inlaid gentleman’s secretary labeled by its Salem cabinetmaker, Edmund Johnson. The attached printed paper label, the same as most of Johnson’s identifiable work bears, reads: “All Kinds of Cabinet Furniture Made and Warranted by Edmund Johnson Federal Street Salem.” This rare form, dating between 1790 and 1810, always included a central desk concealed by the veneered ovals within rectangles used repeatedly on its highly veneered form. This is one of the 12-15 known examples. It was referred to by the furniture scholar, Charles Montgomery, in his book on Federal furniture as belonging to Walter Wright in 1926. It has remained in that family until this sale. Another piece, a Boston Chippendale mahogany chest with ball and claw feet and a desirable 32” wide case, has been in a Canadian’s home since 1860.
The portrait of the famous colonial political leader of Massachusetts Bay, James Otis, “The Patriot,” has remained in the Otis family since it was painted in the late 1750s by the Boston artist, Joseph Blackburn. Blackburn, a London portraitist, was the premier painter for New England society until 1760. James Otis, a leading lawyer of the Massachusetts province, represented Massachusetts in the Stamp Act Congress in New York and made the significant speech against the Writs of Assistance which authorized custom officials to search for smuggled goods. He was made head of the Massachusetts Committee of Correspondence and is credited with the substance of the phrase “No taxation without representation.” James Otis was a major figure in setting the stage for the American Revolution. Unfortunately, he received a blow to his head during a political quarrel, resulting in insanity which ended his defining and defending colonial rights.
Another rare piece of furniture has been in a Massachusetts family since its 1950 purchase for $100. This 1660-1680 six-board chest from the Guilford, Connecticut area was referenced in the major exhibit from the 1970s: “The Seventeenth Century Style” by Patricia Kane. The great rarity of this chest comes from the patterned and contrasting inlays used on the facade of this piece which was originally found in the Douglass Pump Factory in Middletown, Connecticut.
The remarkable 75-inch molded copper steam locomotive and tender car weather vane from the third quarter of the 19th century has been in storage in a Massachusetts museum for decades – ever since its removal from its top mount on a now razed railroad station in southern Massachusetts. Its size, detailing, verdigris and excellent condition make it truly noteworthy.
This Americana sale has great quality and breadth in its naïve paintings. Two portraits of sisters wearing red dresses painted by William Matthew Prior have been in a private Massachusetts collection since the 1930s. Another portrait entitled “Twins in Green” was consigned by the woman who bought it in 1950 from the most influential of early folk art dealers, Edith Gregor Halpert of New York City. Other artists represented in this June 9th presentation include Zedekiah Belknap from Ward, Massachusetts, whose stylistic changes are illustrated in the offerings. “Child in White with Doll” represents Belknap’s bold later style, which incorporates decorative costuming and accessories, while the Belknap portraits of “Pamela Stone with Daughter Susan” and “John Stone” from Belknap’s birthplace, incorporate his naturalistic style. Other important portraits of a family are William Jennys’ “Israel Jones” and “Mrs. Althea Todd Jones,” originally of Weston, Massachusetts.
A rare silk needlework and watercolor attributed to the Misses Patten School, Hartford, Connecticut 1800-1810 includes the highly raised and padded metallic embroidery favored by the sisters’ school.
Additional highlights include fifty pieces of glazed pearlware in a variety of forms from the Brainerd and Elizabeth Macomber Collection, that will attract the enthusiasts of this material, often called mochaware. The sale also features ship portraits, and a rare Liverpool creamware jug with “Boston Fusiliers” transfer printed and painted on the obverse. This piece, referring to the military organization formed after the Revolutionary War, was exhibited at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts in the 1940s. A number of clocks will be sold, highlighted by a Simon Willard patent banjo timepiece with a mahogany crossbanded case, and a Federal mahogany banjo timepiece by J.L. Dunning, both in fine condition. Also offered is a Federal mahogany inlaid tall case clock made by Isaac Brokaw of Bridgetown, New Jersey, and a selection of shelf clocks.
About Skinner:
With galleries in Boston and Bolton, Mass., Skinner is a one of the nation’s leading auction houses. As a full-service auction house, Skinner provides auction and appraisal services for all manner of antiques and fine art, and its appraisal experts are regularly seen on the PBS series, The Antiques Roadshow. 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 & Ethnographic Art, and Discovery. For more information on upcoming auctions, visit Skinner’s web site www.skinnerinc.com.