(Hyannis, Mass.) – Nearly 300 lots of items from local estates in a broad range of categories will be offered at a Summer Antiques & Nautical Auction to be held Saturday, July 26, at the Courtyard Marriott Hotel on Route 132 in Hyannis, next door to the Cape Cod Mall. The sale will be conducted by MV Auctions / Auctions of Cape Cod and the Islands. The opening gavel will pound promptly at 5 p.m.
Ed Tessier of MV Auctions says, “There will be many interesting items offered and I had a lot of fun accumulating them. It was exciting to visit and explore “The Mill” — the one-time summer home of Lillian Hellman, on Martha’s Vineyard. Other consignments came from homes on Nantucket, Cape Cod and in Duxbury.”
Lillian Hellman (1905-1984) was a playwright and left-wing activist who lived in New York City but summered at The Mill, so-named because there was an antique windmill on the property that Ms. Hellman eventually had moved adjacent to the main house. It became the residence of her lover Dashiell Hammett, the mystery and crime writer, with whom she had a tumultuous 30-year romance.
Some, but not all, of the items from “The Mill” belonged to Ms. Hellman. Mr. Tessier said it was difficult to say for sure which of the items in the house were Ms. Hellman’s, but he added, “It is a wonderful waterfront home, filled with some great period furniture and decorative accessories. ‘The Mill’ is reflective of the sale overall.”
Furniture pieces certain to spark bidder interest include a Newburyport Queen Anne side chair with pierced ribbon back in original finish (circa 1780s); five camphor trunks, all in good condition; a North Shore Hepplewhite birch tall clock with 8-day works and moon dial; an 18th-century American Chinese Chippendale wing chair; and an ox-bow serpentine desk with ball-and-claw feet (circa 1785).
Other noteworthy furniture pieces include a North Shore inlaid card table (circa 1800); a Sheraton two-part desk with inlays; a Tiffany mahogany tall clock (circa 1900); a Silas Hoadley tall clock; a George III Chippendale slant lid desk; a Rhode Island Chippendale six-drawer chest; a New York carved pedestal drop-leaf table (circa 1830); and a lovely pair of French upholstered arm chairs.
From the fine art category, several important works will be offered:
Two original paintings by James Gayle Tyler (New York, 1855-1931). Mr. Tyler was a maritime painter and illustrator who became quite well known, so much so that while he was still alive forgeries bearing his signature appeared on at least 100 works. He personally (and successfully) took legal action against the forgers in the courts of New York, where he lived his entire life.
Two original paintings by Charles Henry Gifford (Massachusetts, 1839-1904). Mr. Gifford was a marine, landscape and portrait painter who worked in watercolors and oils. His pictures over the years have found a ready audience around the world, not just the United States. He is especially popular in Europe. His father was a ship’s carpenter who handed down to his a son a love of the sea.
“Autumn in the Adirondacks” by James McDougal Hart (Scottish-born American artist, 1828-1901). Mr. Hart was born in Kilmarnock, Scotland. His family emigrated to Albany, N.Y., when he was two. He took up painting at 15 and became a leading figure in the second generation of Hudson School painters. Hart was known for his idyllic landscapes (especially featuring cows).
Other works of art to be sold include a Nantucket oil rendering by Anne Ramsdell Congdon (American, 1873-1958); a Nantucket carving by James Walter Folger (Massachusetts, 1851-1918); a still life work by John C. Spencer (Rhode Island, 1861-1919); an oil painting of Naples, Italy, dated 1828; and three etchings by the hunting and bird artist Frank W. Benson (Mass., 1862-1951).
Nautical, marine and whaling items – staples at many MV Auctions events – will be offered at this sale, too. Star lots will include several blubber knives and spades; about ten whaling harpoons; a collection of over 35 antique canes (including baleen, whale bone and fist examples); a rare skimmer with original handle; a Brand harpoon gun with projectile; and a five-foot-long half-hull of whaler.
Also from the category: an 82-inch narwhale tusk from the Crocker expedition of 1911; brass quadrants; several boxed compasses; three whaling-era jagging wheels; 19th-century scrimshawed whale’s teeth; a 10-inch diameter Chelsea ship’s clock and barometer set; cased 19th-century whale oil; an assortment of antique whale bone; antique shipbuilder’s tools; and a 19th-century Eldridge chart.
Smalls and decorative accessories will feature some nice sterling silver pieces (including an Austrian coffee pot and coffee urn on stands, spoons, demitasse, cups and saucers); a Faberge bell push; a covered Nantucket purse by Jose Reyes; several historic samplers; doorstops; a pair of whale oil lamps; blown glass bottles; Sandwich glass; colored hobnail gas shades; Fulper; and Amphora.
Also from the category: Nantucket baskets and purses; brass clocks (including French and skeleton); a Moser punch bowl and cups; a classical Vidal Dubray bronze; a Martin ukulele; a Kentucky rifle; a Swiss music box; a large collection of Oriental porcelain in Canton; Rose Medallion (including baluster vase and garden barrel, sacred bird and butterfly); and Imari chargers.
The sale will also feature decoys (to include several shorebirds and a selection of examples in old paint, including Evans, Mason and Lincoln); around 20 antique Oriental rugs (including a stunning 14′ x 14′ roomsize Agra, Bidjar, North West Persian and a nice selection of Turkomans); and fine estate jewelry (to include an 18kt.gold Tiffany necklace, 18kt gold cross with emeralds, rings; and several other pieces.
A preview will be held on Friday, July 25, from 2-6 p.m., and on Saturday, July 26, from 2 p.m. until the start of sale. The auction catalog will be available online at www.mvauctions.net.
MV Auctions / Auctions of Cape Cod and the Islands is always accepting quality consignments for future sales. To consign an item, an estate or a collection, you may call them at (508) 771-1722. Or, you can e-mail them at [email protected].
MV Auctions / Auctions of Cape Cod and the Islands has over 35 years experience in the antiques and decorative arts field. The firm handles merchandise from one piece to an entire estate. For more information about the upcoming July 26 auction, and to learn more about the company and its calendar of upcoming auctions, click on www.mvauctions.net. Directions to the July 26 sale are posted.