The June 20-22 event will be preceded by a benefit preview opening for the Great Plains SPCA, scheduled for Thursday, June 13, from 3-8 p.m. Admission to the benefit preview opening is $20.
(KANSAS CITY, Mo.) – Hundreds of centuries-old antiques and examples of modern art from the estate of George Potter, Jr., a Renaissance man who traveled the world with his wife to gather the finest furnishings and appointments for his replica castle home, will be sold over the course of three days, June 20-22, by Soulis Estate Sales, at the Potters’ Kansas City residence. The address is 1239 West 61st Terrace in Kansas City.
The sale will be preceded by a benefit preview opening of the Great Plains SPCA, slated for Thursday, June 13, from 3-8 p.m. Admission to the benefit is $20. Great Plains SPCA is based in Merriam, Kan., with a new campus in Independence, Mo. It is metro Kansas City’s most comprehensive no-kill animal welfare organization, serving over 30,000 needy pets annually, more than any other agency in the area. With the new campus, it is now a region-wide entity.
The Potter event will be a tagged estate sale, not an auction, with all items priced as marked. However, items tagged at $100 or more that don’t sell may be purchased through a “silent auction” that will be ongoing throughout the sale. Bidders will have the option of purchasing the item at its marked price, or submitting a silent bid for an amount they would like to pay that’s under asking.
The unique home is adorned with 16th, 17th and 18th century architectural elements, furniture, fine art and more. Sale hours are June 20 from 2-6 p.m., June 21 from 10-4, and June 22 from 10-3.
“Mr. Potter was considered a prominent cultural figure in Kansas City and a significant collector of outstanding items,” said Dirk Soulis of Soulis Estate Sales, based in Lone Jack, Mo. “It is unusual for a collection of this breadth and scope, with so many high-quality items, to be offered in Kansas City. This is a rare opportunity for serious bidders to add to their collections.”
Not only did Mr. Potter reside in the stunning home, he used his artistic skills to help fashion it. He created the castle-like entrance, painted the stained-glass windows, made the needlepoint carpet for the front hall stairs and carved the coats of arms for the living room walls. Potter was an artist (pen-and-ink drawings), author (mystery novels) and musician (the piano).
The house comprises three floors (plus a garage) that are packed from top to bottom with merchandise, all of it marked for sale. Some of the furniture dates back 300 years. Featured will be a cabinet and lap desk in the style of the renowned French cabinetmaker Andre Charles Boulle (1642-1732), 19th and 20th century fine wood vitrine cabinets, and 17th and 18th century cabinets and coffers.
Also offered will be hundreds of pieces of 17th and 18th century dark oak architectural elements and panels, including gothic motifs, gothic figures, linen folds and more. From the Potters’ book collection is a library of 19th century leather-bound books and a huge group of art books and reference material. Antique maps and 18th and 19th century prints will also be sold.
Decorative accessories will feature 300-year-old pewter, 18th century patch boxes, Lalique and other French crystal and opalescent pieces, ivory and semi-precious stone boxes, wonderful 18th century altar sticks, Wedgwood Queen’s ware, Roman glass (replicas and otherwise), nearly 100 pieces of horse brass and 18th century whale bone and silver toddy lifters.
From the fine art category will come a pencil-signed etching attributed to the renowned French Impressionist Henri Matisse (1869-1954) and paintings from the 19th and 20th centuries, including a work in the style of Sir Godfrey Kneller (Br., 1646-1723), a 1975 oil on panel by Bob Byerley (Am., b. 1941), and original oil paintings by Mamie Withers Wintermote (Am., 1885-1945). Ms. Wintermote is related to Mr. Potter’s wife, the former Emy Lou Withers.
Also from the fine art category is a collection of modern torso sculptures, a repaired 19th century carved ivory bust on a plinth, a 19th century carved stone 29-inch figure of a lion with heraldic shield, marble and stone carvings, hundreds of 17th century carved wood elements, a huge set of KPM porcelain plaques (“Arkadia”) and an oil painting by Jack Garver (b. 1921).
Glass and crystal pieces will include a selection of Pittsburgh pillar mold bottles, very fine English and Irish cut glass, Steuben (teardrop martini), Waterford and Swarovski crystal and more. Also sold will be table lamps in bronze, marble, gilded wood, porcelain and more. Silver will feature 19th and 20th century sterling trays and other pieces by British makers and Tiffany.
Returning to decorative accessories, offered will be 18th and 19th century English silver-mounted coconut cups, fine French porcelain, wine funnels, a 19th century Mandarin robe, a collection of Halcyon Days boxes, Horse Brass and carved Welsh love spoons and a large Anri nativity. Also sold will be a Civil War tintype image of a soldier, textiles and draperies, mink coats and capes, cookware, clothing, bedding, tools, house wares, appliances, pottery and china.
George William Potter, Jr., attended the University of Kansas City (now the University of Missouri-Kansas City), where he majored in music. But he was proficient in many disciplines. He had at least seven books published, most of them mystery novels, written under a pseudonym he borrowed from his wife: E.L. Withers. He also composed symphonies, concertos and sonatas.
Soulis Estate Sales is always accepting quality consignments for future auctions. To consign an item, an estate or a collection, you may call them at (816) 697-3830, or toll-free at (800) 252-1501. Or, you can e-mail them at [email protected]. To learn more about Soulis Estate Sales and their June 20-22 auction, you may log on to www.DirkSoulisAuctions.com