Packed Crowd Produces Strong Prices At Jsea Americana Auction

The Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates November 15 & 16 Americana Auction was a highly successful event and produced robust prices – along with a few surprises - in multiple categories. The two-day format consisted of 1,734 lots of high-quality material, much of which was fresh to the market, and, in a number of cases, had descended directly in the families of the original owners. Bidding was intense throughout each day with thousands of registered bidders from numerous countries participating online in competition with a standing-room-only gallery crowd eager to acquire something rare and desirable. 

Session I on Friday featured an excellent selection of 18th and 19th century glass, lighting, and ceramics, including rare blown three-mold articles; early lighting devices; colored candlesticks and vases; rare pressed lacy glass; flint EAPG; and an extensive selection of Staffordshire transferware including many rare American historical views. Top lot for Friday was a cut-glass presentation compote with finely engraved steam train, circa 1860, probably made by C. Dorflinger. The striking object with cross-over appeal drew much pre-sale interest and went to private Philadelphia, Pennsylvania collector on the phone at $9,360 (Lot 2 – all prices include 17% buyer’s premium). Other noteworthy results from Session I included a free-blown whale oil stand lamp with rare cobalt blue saucer base at $6,435 (Lot 411); an important “J. & C. Ritchie” lacy glass window pane at $4,095 (Lot 311); and an English Black Americana transfer-printed ceramic pitcher at $3,276 (Lot 593).

Session II on Saturday consisted of the firm’s usual diverse selection of Americana and fine antiques, highlighted by important American and Georgian silver from the estate of Commander Buryl and Nelwyn Kay, McLean, VA; an exciting group of American folk art from the collection of Jean and Robert Vogel, featuring fraktur, painted furniture, textiles, and ceramics; and an excellent selection of American needlework from the collection of Helen Sutton, Dallas, TX. Saturday’s offerings included a diverse range of rare 18th- and 19th-century objects that generated tremendous presale excitement from collectors and institutions eager to acquire fresh material of the highest quality, some of which retained historical provenance. Top lot for Saturday at $64,350 (Lot 1316) was an important pair of Sturtevant Hamblin folk art portraits of a brother and sister from a Bath, Maine family. A fine early example of the artist’s work, the highly coveted pair drew much attention during preview and went to a determined collector on the phone. Other noteworthy results from the Saturday session included a recently discovered Stirewalt family paint-decorated yellow pine box at $38,025 (Lot 1199); a Native American Plains Indian beaded pipe bag at $23,400 (Lot 1151), the biggest surprise of the day; a rare Myer Myers silver sauceboat at $16,380 (Lot 1407); and, another recent discovery, a fine Charles Burton profile portrait of a girl at $22,230 (Lot 1317). Furniture offerings in Session II also produced strong results overall, demonstrating some signs of vigor in what can be an unpredictable segment of the market. Top performers in this category of the sale were a Jacob Fry (Woodstock, Virginia) inlaid cherry tall-case clock at $14,040 (Lot 1559); an extremely rare Shenandoah Co., Virginia inlaid walnut hanging spice box at $12,870 (Lot 1563); and a desirable Valley of Virginia punched-tin-paneled walnut sideboard safe at $9,360 (Lot 1581). 

After the sale, company president and auctioneer Jeffrey S. Evans commented, “We were very pleased with the strong interest across the board in this auction. The gallery was packed for Session II on Saturday, resulting in a level of robust, sustained bidding that produced very strong results across all categories of the sale. A key part of that success was the fresh nature of most of the material offered. It was an honor to work with the Vogel Collection and the Sutton Collection, for instance, and we certainly hope to continue to attract more like consignments as they come to market.” Evans added, “Our multi-session June 2020 Americana Auction will feature several important collections of early glass, a fine group of material from a California collection, and several choice selections from collectors and estates across the country, so we are looking forward to another exciting sale.”

The firm is currently accepting consignments for upcoming auctions. Please email [email protected] for a complimentary evaluation of your property. For complete auction results, a schedule of 2020 sales, or more information, visit www.jeffreysevans.com, email [email protected], or call 540.434.3939.