The sugar bowl and cover was the top lot of the sale. Other auctions were also held on April 28 & 29.
(MT. CRAWFORD, Va.) – A pattern-molded and engraved sugar bowl and cover, attributed to Bakewell, Page & Bakewell and made circa 1820-1835, soared to $8,625 at an auction dedicated to 18th and 19th century glass and lighting held May 19 by Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates, in the firm’s gallery located at 2177 Green Valley Lane in Mt. Crawford. The bowl and cover were the top lot of the 882 items sold.
Bakewell pattern-molded and engraved sugar bowl and cover, colorless, circa 1820-1835 (May 19 sale, $8,625, Lot 171).
The firm also held sales on back-to-back days in April. The April 28 event featured 18th and 19th century lighting (headlined by the second half of the Meyer lighting collection), while the April 29 auction saw the sale of the Phillip Sullivan lantern collection. All three sales were successes, as Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates specializes in 18th-20th century glass and lighting, Southern decorative arts, Americana, art and antiques.
The May 19 sale – the annual early glass and lighting auction – was particularly special this year because it combined with the National American Glass Club’s 2012 seminar that Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates hosted in neighboring Harrisonburg. Two days of historic and private collections tours, a day of lectures at the company gallery plus the auction kept attendees busy and enthralled all weekend.
“The seminar turnout was fantastic,” said Jeffrey S. Evans. “Members flew in from California, New England, Florida, Canada and England.” He added, “The auction performed as we expected. The market for bottles and flasks continues to be very hot, as is the demand for free-blown wares, especially when a strong attribution can be made. Also hot are open salts from the early pressed and lacy periods.”
Mr. Evans cautioned other categories of glass collecting are “off probably by 50 percent from the pre-recession market, which is pretty much in line with most other types of antiques today.” But he said it’s a situation that presents an opportune time to acquire quality 19th century glass at wholesale prices. “Collectors are beginning to recognize the great values out there. Now is a great time to buy.”
The April and May auctions were all absolute, meaning everything sold, regardless of price. The May 19 sale had 66 bidders in attendance, plus 223 people registered to bid online (through LiveAuctioneers.com). Internet activity accounted for 1,912 submitted bids. There were 1,696 total alternate bids (including phone, absentee and online left bids) and absentee bidders totaled 137 people. In all, the auction grossed right at $228,500.
Following are additional highlights from the May 19 auction. All prices quoted include a 15 percent buyer’s premium.
A free-blown saucer-base whale oil lamp, colorless, made circa 1825-1830 by the Boston & Sandwich Glass Company (and others), with a folded rim and rough pontil mark, with just a hint of wear to the font, went for $6,325; and a blown-molded creamer (GIII-24), with a deep cobalt blue body and colorless handle, also made by Boston & Sandwich Glass Company (circa 1820-1840), changed hands for $5,750.
A medium sapphire blue one-pint scroll flask (GIX-18), with an ill-defined center star only, made by an unknown United States glass house (circa 1840-1860), standing seven inches tall, coasted to $4,888; and a colorless lead glass pressed Horn of Plenty rectangular undertray, one of only two known, made to accompany an extremely rare rectangular covered casket/dish and made circa 1845-1855, topped out at $3,738.
An extravagant, blue to colorless cut overlay chalice, a deep bowl cut with tiny stars and upright ferns, probably made in France by Saint-Louis or Baccarat, circa 1880-1900, 12 ¼ inches tall, 5 inches in diameter, topped out at $3,220; and an advertising ironstone covered dish, octagonal footed form, for Sweeny & Son in Wheeling, Va. (now West Virginia), circa mid-19th century, 7 inches tall, wowed the crowd for $3,105.
As stated, the star of the April 28 18th and 19th century lighting auction was the second half of the Meyer collection. A large number of the lamps in the first Meyers auction were purchased by a new museum being formed in the western U.S., while most lamps in this auction were captured by private collectors throughout North America. The appeal of the collection was the complete nature of each lamp (including the period burner, chimney and shade).
“The Western museum found these features especially attractive, considering the difficulty of acquiring complete period set-ups in today’s market,” Mr. Evans observed. “The Meyers spent more than 30 years carefully assembling their collection, piece by piece, and their efforts were rewarded, both monetarily and in terms of historical significance. This was truly a museum-quality collection.”
About 76 people were bidding live, at the gallery, for the April 28 event, while 81 registered absentee and phone bidders submitted 812 bids. The 139 bidders who were approved to bid through Live Auctioneers placed a total of 1,746 alternate bids. All 497 of the lots that came up for bid changed hands. There were zero passes. When the receipts were tallied, the auction grossed $162,455.
Following are highlights from the April 28 auction. All prices quoted include a 15 percent buyer’s premium.
A wood and glass candle lantern with square soft-wood frame and worn red paint and three full glass panels with a hinged door fitted with a small glass window with guards (circa 19th century), 15 ½ inches tall, rose to $3,335; and a swirled marbrie loop stand lamp, ruby with opal pulled and swirling loops, its thumbwheel marked “E. F. Jones, Boston” (circa third quarter 19th century) realized $2,760.
A Blackberry stand lamp with brilliant teal green font and alabaster/clambroth Baroque base, made circa 1870, achieved $2,300; and a cut overlay star and quatrefoil stand lamp, with a white cut to starch blue pyriform font, earned $2,185.
A 19th century sheet iron Rumford type stand lamp having the original green paint with traces of yellow pinstriping, and with a square weighted base and hinged refill cap and sleeve for a detachable shade, climbed to $2,070; and an opaque pale green Coolidge Drape stand lamp with matching patterned chimney-shade (circa 4th quarter 19th century) garnered $1,955.
“We could not have had a more memorable way to end our lighting auction weekend on April 29 than with the Rushlight Club seminar and Sullivan lantern collection,” Mr. Evans said. “Phil Sullivan was a past president and active member of the club, and he and his wife Carolyn were friends with many of the club’s New England constituents. All who participated in the auction commented on the breadth and fine quality of the Sullivan collection. Bidding was spirited throughout the auction.”
Winning bidders included two United States museums, private collectors and dealers from across North America and around the world. “Our lighting cataloger, Barbara Morris, was thrilled to have the opportunity to handle such an important and specialized collection,” Mr. Evans said. “It offered her a crash course on the history of the lantern within the overall narrative of historic lighting.”
The April 29 auction actually comprised just half of Phil Sullivan’s 900-piece lantern collection. The second half will be sold by Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates on Friday, Oct. 19, at 1 p.m., in Mt. Crawford, Va. The final numbers for the April 29 auction were: 78 in-attendance bidders, 120 registered LiveAuctioneers.com bidders (placing 1,567 bids), 99 absentee and phone bidders (296 bids) and a final gross of $87,782.
Following are highlights from the April 29 auction. All prices quoted include a 15 percent buyer’s premium.
A pair of brass cold-blast tubular signal marine lanterns, ring-handled, one of them embossed with “Perkins 17 Mld No. 2 Anchor Fig. 61,” made circa 4th quarter 19th century and each standing 25 ¾ inches tall, brought $2,185; and a third quarter 19th century New England Glass Company pierced sheet iron whale oil lantern with bail handle and fixed colorless globe, 15 inches tall, fetched $1,380.
A pierced sheet iron “P.W.R.R.” whale oil lantern with traces of japanned decoration and a strap ring handle, having a fixed colorless globe and removable base with bayonet mechanism (circa mid19th century) reached $1,380; and a C.T. Ham sheet iron and brass “New York Central” conductor’s railroad lantern with bail handle, vertical wire guards and removable base, circa late 19th century, made $1,150.
Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates’ next big auction will be held on Saturday, June 23. Offered will be hundreds of examples of Americana and Fine Antiques. A preview will be held June 20-22, from 10-6, with a free appraisal day on Wednesday, June 20, from 1-4 p.m. As with all Jeffrey S. Evans auctions, this one will be held in the spacious Mt. Crawford, Va., gallery, at 2177 Green Valley Lane.
The full-service auction house conducts monthly catalogued auctions in a wide range of categories, all of which are available for in-house, absentee and live Internet bidding (facilitated by LiveAuctioneers.com). Live telephone bidding is also available. Within two business days of each auction, the past-sale catalogue is available on the firm’s website, with prices realized for each lot.
Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates is always accepting quality consignments for future auctions. To consign an item, an estate or collection, you may call them at (540) 434-3939; or, you can e-mail them at [email protected]. For more information on the company, and its schedule of upcoming auction events and seminars, to include the June 23 auction, please log on to www.jeffreysevans.com
