Americana & International Auction at Pook & Pook, Inc., Downingtown, PA, January 13th & 14th, 2022

On January 13th-14th 2022 Pook & Pook continued to demonstrate its Midas touch. The Americana & International sale did well across all categories, with a total realized of $1,778,145 and a sell-through rate of 98.8% on 588 lots. Total hammer price came in at $1,429,516, which was 13.84% above high estimate. Individually, 80% of lots came in at or above estimate, with nearly 50% selling above high estimate. Reserved seating was full both Thursday evening and Friday, with 1,848 registered bidders distributed across three internet platforms, telephones, and audience. 

Lot 1, Berks County Pennsylvania painted pine dower chest, dated 1806. Sold for $42,160

Day One started the new year off with a bang as four telephone and multiple floor bidders competed for Lot 1, an especially fine Berks County, Pennsylvania painted pine dower chest dated 1806, retaining its original lid decoration and in a remarkable state of preservation, estimated $12/18,000. It was the top furniture lot of the auction, selling to the floor for $42,160. The audience had no time to catch its breath as Lot 5, a Christian Alsdorf (Southeastern PA active 1789-1821) Lancaster County ink and watercolor fraktur birth certificate for Judith Alsdorf, b. 1799, estimated $6/9,000, pitted phones against the floor, finally selling to a private Pennsylvania  collector for $37,200, the top fraktur of the sale. Not skipping a beat, phones wrestled the floor again for Lot 14, a Pennsylvania painted poplar hanging wall box, mid 19th c., retaining its original decoration and closely related to the work of Samuel Plank of Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, provenance James and Nancy Glazer, estimate $12/18,000, with a private collector winning at $27,280 on the phone. A bidder on our new in-house bidding app PookLive! won Lot 18, a lovely pair of oil on canvas still life paintings of fruit by Severin Roesen (American 1815-1872) in original oval gilt frames, provenance from The Collection of Jack and Mary Louise Krumrine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for $47,120. A fine series of fraktur paintings, spatterware, and pearlware followed, leading up to Lot 35, a rare blue spatter pineapple plate, which sold to the floor for $10,540. Lot 49, a Daniel Otto “Flat Tulip Artist” (Southeastern Pennsylvania late 18th/early 19th c.) Centre County ink and watercolor fraktur birth certificate for Jacob Brunngart, b. 1814, also from the Krumrine Collection, involved multiple floor bidders and three phones, selling to the floor for $22,320, well above its $8/12,000 estimate. Time stood still for the evening’s highlight, Lot 86, an important Charleston, South Carolina ebonized fruitwood bracket clock, ca. 1790, the face signed Jas Jacks Charlestown No513, estimate $8/12,000, which brought all seven phone lines plus floor and internet bidders to the action, finally selling the trade for $59,520. Few clocks by Jacks survived. He initially worked in Jamaica about 1777 and subsequently moved to New York, Charleston and eventually Philadelphia. Whether a bidder desired a carousel horse, cat fraktur, Bucher box, fire helmet, or a haircutting trade sign, obtaining it was going to be a close shave on Thursday night.

Lot 207, Rare tiger maple shelf, mid 18th c. Sold for $17,360

The morning of Day Two bidders were on time for Lot 175, an exceptional Philadelphia Chippendale cherry tall case clock, late 18th c., signed John Wood Philadelphia, provenance The Estate of Charles Wilson, Red Lion, Pennsylvania, estimate $8/12,000. As with many lots in the sale, the clock was ticking as bids were counted from all directions: internet platforms, three telephones, and audience; selling to a private Pennsylvania collector for $39,680. This exceptional clock previously sold for $11,000 in 2016, when Wilson acquired it. Lot 207, an instant collection of highly desirable Pennsylvania German wallpaper boxes, pincushions and carvings arranged on an 18th c. tiger maple shelf, came with a notable provenance including Mr. and Mrs. Paul R. Flack, Barry Cohen, David A. Schorsch, and Joel and Kate Kopp of American Hurrah, was won by a trade buyer for $17,360. Lot 218, a Tiffany Studios table lamp with signed leaded lemon leaf shade and patinated bronze footed library base lit up six phone bidders, finally selling for $17,360. The race was on for Lot 224, a copper horse and sulky weathervane, 19th c., with cast zinc head and retaining an old verdigris surface, from a New York collection.  Estimated at $2/4,000, it went under the wire for $44,640 to a trade buyer and was the top folk art lot of the sale.

Lot 274, Albert Pinkham Ryder oil on panel Moonlit Cove. Sold for $25,200

Traditionally an Americana powerhouse, Pook & Pook continued its current string of successes in the category of fine art. Several museum deaccessions were rounded out by fine private collections, generating a great deal of interest and making fine art the top performing category. Lot 274, an Albert Pinkham Ryder (American 1847-1917) oil on panel Moonlit Cove, provenance Ferargil Inc., New York, estimate $6/9,000, was coveted by phone and internet bidders alike, won by a private collector on Bidsquare for $24,800. Lot 284, a John Stobart (American b. 1929) oil on canvas of the packet ship Margaret Evans sailed away with dueling phone bidders for $19,840. Lot 301, a Clara Elsene Peck (American 1883-1968) oil on canvas illustration of figures with floral garlands against a background of blue sky and blooming branches, in its original Art Nouveau frame, provenance from a Pennsylvania Educational Institution, estimate $1,500/2,500, inspired two phone bidders to $16,120. Lot 311, the second of two Severin Roesen lots in the sale, an oil on canvas Still Life with Fruit on a slab table, estimate $10/15,000, was won for $22,320. The highest price achieved in the sale was Lot 325 by Vasilii Vasilievich Vereshchagin (Russian 1842-1904), an atmospheric oil on canvas scene of a Russian priest studying scripture near a window. Property deaccessioned from the Reading Public Museum and bearing a stamp verso A.A.A. Verestchagin Collection, November 17th 1891, the painting’s bona fides brought worldwide attention. Exhibited in the Vassili Verestchagin Collection, November 1891, American Art Association, New York. After a two-year tour of American cities that had opened to great fanfare in New York City in 1888, Vereshchagin’s exhibition returned to New York and was sold, mostly to private collectors. This painting sold for $80,600 to a trade buyer. Lot 338, a Dame Elisabeth Frink (British 1930-1993) patinated bronze, Midas Head, was in high demand, going to a trade buyer with the golden touch for $47,120. 

Lot 415, Pennsylvania Queen Anne walnut candlestand. Sold for $10,080

The remainder of the day brought a great deal of variety and another provenanced highlight, Lot 347, a Robert Wellford Philadelphia Federal carved pine mantel, early 19th c., which was removed from White Hall Farm mansion near Churchtown, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and documented in Utility and Beauty, by Mark Reinberger. The mantel sold for an elegant $9,920 to a PookLive! Bidder. Two small lots from The Estate of Fred Eyster, York, Pennsylvania, brought big prices, as Lot 391, four carved butterprints, 19thc., estimate $5/600, sold to the floor for $3,720, and Lot 404, two miniature Pennsylvania redware pie plates, 19th c., also for $3,720. Lot 415, a lovely Pennsylvania Queen Anne walnut candlestand, ca. 1800, with an inlaid top and provenance from the Collection of Jack and Mary Louise Krumrine, Philadelphia, sold for $9,920. Lot 463, a silk on linen needlework coat of arms of the Pratt family of Connecticut, ca. 1800, labeled The Pratt Arms and initialed E.P., was typical of the raised and padded metallic embroidery work executed at the Patten School. With provenance from Stephen and Carol Huber, the needlework sold for $9,300. A collection of highly decorative silver, ranging from Egyptian revival to Georgian to zoomorphic, performed well. The top item was Lot 490, a Bailey & Co sterling silver berry bowl with intricate wirework strawberry design which brought $9,300. Bidding was strong right to the end, with Lot 578, a Chinese export brown Fitzhugh tureen and undertray of Philadelphia interest, early 19th c., the tureen initialed RRT for Richard Renshaw Thomson (1799-1824), and the undertray JRT for his brother John Renshaw Thomson (1800-1862). The Thomson family’s involvement with the China trade began with Edward Thomson (1771-1853), a wealthy Philadelphia ship owner and merchant. Both sons were appointed as U.S. consul in Canton. A floor bidder won the tureen for $7,440.