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Vibrant Colors & Whimsey to Lead GARTH’S March 11-12 Americana Auction

Vibrant colors and whimsical creations should warm up the saleroom and beat the winter doldrums at Garth’s March 11-12, 2011 Americana auction. With over 800 lots offered in two sessions, the spectrum of colors and amazing designs will shine throughout the display of American formal and painted furniture, folk art, fine art, decorative accessories and more.

One of the top lots of the sale is certain to be a finely, decorated blanket chest attributed to Johannes Rank of Dauphin (now Lebanon) County, Pennsylvania. Dated 1791, the poplar case is adorned with its original blue paint decoration and three tombstones, each with pots of flowers. Though similar to the work of other members of the Rank-Selzer families of makers and decorators, this chest is most closely related to the signed chests of Johannes Rank and carries an estimate of $ 16,000-22,000. Lively blue hues are always popular with the Americana set; two particular pieces in this auction should command the attention of bidders. An American one-piece corner cupboard, 19th century, has four paneled doors and the original dry, robin’s egg blue paint. The 72 1/2″ high cupboard it expected to reach $3,500-5,500. A slightly earlier, late 18th century corner cupboard is also one piece with shaped shelves in the upper section flanked by decorated columns with angel spandrels. The 90″ high cupboard should sell for $1,500-2,500. An American decorated bed estimated at $1,000-1,500 is not only to be appreciated for the colorful surface, but also the pronounced scrollwork on the headboard.

Of the decorative accessories, a late 19th century Massachusetts painted pine painter’s box has its original surface and folk art appeal. Consisting of a harbor scene on the lid with an eagle holding a banner reading “William L. Talbot Painter & Glazier” and a landscape vignette on the front, the details are set against a faux oak-grained ground. The small 16 1/2″ wide box estimated to bring $500-1,000 appears to have belonged to William L. Talbot, who was born in New Hampshire in 1821 and was listed in the 1880 Federal Census as a painter in Dracut, Middlesex County, Massachusetts. An American chip carved, dome-top box is distinguished by the compass stars, wrought iron hardware, and blue paint with faint traces of salmon paint. The delicate 7” wide box was previously part of the Estate of Ann Hargrove Fertile of Iowa and should sell for $800-1,200.

The rainbow of color in the sale is epitomized in the collections of Whieldon and spatter to be offered. Thomas Whieldon of Stoke-on-Trent, England developed the tortoiseshell glaze on his creamware in the 18th century. During this time both Josiah Spode and Josiah Wedgwood I worked for Whieldon. Of the twenty-eight lots of Whieldon creamware to be sold the best pieces have molded edges & tortoiseshell glaze which includes multiple shades of green, blue, amber sometimes on a speckled brown ground. There are several plates with good colors in this sale including both scalloped edge and octagonal examples each estimated in the $400-800 range. A lot of two Whieldon tea caddies are each of oblong form with molded columns and panels. At 4 1/2″ and 3 ¾” high and each displaying green embellishments in the glaze, they should easily make $350-450.

Of the thirty lots of spatter, pieces in red, blue, green, yellow, purple and rainbow combinations will be sold. A spatterware handleless cup and saucer with parrot is expected to reach $500-800, while a blue paneled plate with red and yellow schoolhouse is estimated at $900-1,200. A blue teapot with dove decoration has some repairs but will still be sought after at $500-900. Additionally, a banded mocha pitcher with rows of cat’s-eyes above and below a central band with tulips will draw the eyes of many bidders (est. $1,500-3,000), while an historic blue Staffordshire cup plate with transfer decoration of the Holiday Street Theater in Baltimore is special at 3 1/2″ diameter and an estimate of $600-900.

The warm colors found in a fine collection of thirty-five lots of Bennington & twenty-six lots of Rockingham are being offered from a lady in Delaware. They represent signed pieces and some unusual forms giving both the novice and seasoned collectors an ample selection of lots to pursue including a washboard, hanging flower pots, pitchers, spittoons and more. As only one-fifth of all Bennington produced was marked, finding them is often a challenge, but most of the items to be sold have the most common mark Type A which also may appear on Rockingham pieces. The marks were on pieces produced between 1849-1858 & can be seen in Bennington Pottery and Porcelain by Barret. Of the special Bennington forms to be sold, the finest are a poodle with fruit basket (est. $900-1,600), an impressive 20” long foot bath in colors of blue, amber and green (est. $600-1,200 ), two similar candlesticks with one ex G.W. Samaha ($900-1,600), a 10 ½” high coachman bottle in shades of amber and some green (est. $300-500), and a wash bowl and pitcher set in an alternating rib pattern with good colors (est. $800-1,200). All are impressed with the Type A label.

Whimsey in the world of academia may be defined as “a fanciful or fantastic device, object, or creation”. That is certainly an apt description in the world of antiques as well and for the 30-lot collection of bottle whimseys to be sold during Garth’s two-day event. Depicting everything a bottle can hold from wool winders, logging tools, ships and crucifixion scenes to detailed bars and stores in miniature, the creative, bottle whimseys are an affordable way to acquire folk art with most examples estimated in the $100-300 range. It is the rarer, signed examples by known makers which command higher prices. As noted in Genius in a Bottle by Jones, German born Carl Worner was in America in the 1880’s and created over sixty bottles, most of saloons. An unsigned, 11 ½” tall example of a bar in the classic Worner style will be sold with an estimate of $800-1,200. The carved and painted details include a landscape painting under the “Jim Cave” bar sign, bottles on the back shelf, food on the table, and a farmer in a straw hat. A signed 1915 example by Daniel Rose (Johnstown, Cambria County, Pennsylvania ) is special with its wooden squirrels, rabbits, and hanging fish. It carries an estimate of $1,500-3,000 since Rose, crippled by arthritis by the age 19, was nevertheless nationally recognized for executing highly detailed bottle whimsey.

What is thought of as whimsical can transcend categories from folk art to the more traditional as well. The forms and decorations from a collection of late 19th-early 20th century American Indian pottery to be sold certainly qualify as fanciful. Of the approximately twenty-five lots of effigy figures and vessels from the collection of Charles Shanafelt (b. 1855), who was the senior member of the brickmaking firm of Shanafelt and Keurt, most were collected around 1900 and 1915. Originally placed in the “relic room” of an Ohio county courthouse, they remained there until later in the 20th century when were transferred to a local historical institution. That institution has deaccessioned this collection and is selling it to further its mission. A monumental Cochiti earthenware effigy figure with outstretched arms and polychrome paint measures 18″ high and will stretch some bidder to the $4,000-8,000 range even with one finger missing on the left hand. An owl-form Cochiti effigy jar with molded eyes and beak, as well as a painted surface is a practical choice for some collectors at $800-1,200, while a large Cochiti figure of a deer with handle and painted designs may cause others to stretch their budgets to the $2,500-5,000 range.

Those bidders seeking a horse weathervane should race to the Americana sale for the large full-bodied copper running example with a cast zinc head. The verdigris patina retains traces of gilt and coupled with its 45″ long size, a price of $10,000-15,000 should take a lucky bidder to the winner’s circle. Figural items in many other forms will also be sold including an American carved burl butter paddle with good figuring and a bird-form handle (est. $1,000-1,500).

The artwork in the sale is not to be missed. An oil on canvas by American artist Ben Austrian is signed and dated 1904. It is a finely detailed image of a mother hen and her fifteen chicks. The 20″ x 26″ canvas retains an ornate frame and carries an estimate of $20,000-30,000. Of the portraiture to be sold a double portrait of a father and his daughter may be unsigned, but the fact that it is ex Deanne Levinson( Georgia ) will tempt more than a few along with an estimate of $1,800-2,400. A portrait of a seated man attributed to the Prior-Hamblin School bears a Baltimore preparer’s label on the canvas and an estimate of $1,000-2,000. A large group of silhouettes will be sold including two examples of distinguished men by Auguste Edouart estimated in the $300-500 and $400-700 ranges, as well as multiple examples of families including a scene with cutout images of a seated man wearing a hat, and two children, a boy with hoop and girl with flowers (est. $800-1,200).

As always at Garth’s Americana sales, there is a fine choice of formal furniture as well. An inlaid walnut schrank from Montgomery County, Pennsylvania with stars on the doors and “Geo.R. 1765” for George Rahn on the cornice, was purchased from the Rahn family at a George Merril Auction (Maine) in 1987. Subsequently sold at a Pennsylvania auction in 2003, it is now estimated at $5,000-10,000. An American spice cabinet dating to the late 18th-early 19th century is curly maple and although it has been refinished, the diminutive size and appearance will garner bids in the $2,500-3,500 range. A ball and claw foot mahogany and maple Chippendale wing chair dates to the late 18th century. Accompanied by a 1945 letter referencing the inheritance of this chair as well as several photographs of this chair stripped to the frame, it is estimated at $2,500-3,500. A Simon Willard and Son banjo clock from Boston, Massachusetts, of typical form with faux grain-painted tablets should reach $1,000-2,000.

A group of jewelry including some special pocket watches and fobs will sell during the Satruday session. A Swiss Tourneau chronograph pocket watch is the nicest to be offered. Contained within a “18K” yellow gold hunter’s case, the face has black enamel Arabic numerals, phases of the moon dial and month and day (est. $ 2,000-3,000). Another hunter’s case watch with white enamel face with roman numerals is marked “Tiffany & Co” on the face (est. $ 600-1,200). Of the six lots of Masonic watch fobs, one enameled example is particularly fine with a knight’s helmet finial with bale, six diamonds and nine red stones, possibly rubies (est. $ 400-800).

For further information about this auction, or to request a catalog, contact Garth’s at 740-362-4771 or visit www.garths.com.

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