As tiny green buds appear on tree branches and stalks of flowers begin to sprout, the time for spring antiquing draws near. A great way to kick off the season is with Pook & Pook’s Americana and International Auction. The sale will begin on Saturday, May 4, at 9 a.m., with over 400 lots set to cross the block. Bidding will be in-house, via absentee or phone bid, and online on Bidsquare.com.
Located in Downingtown, Chester County, Pa., Pook & Pook’s sale will feature an excellent variety of Pennsylvania and New England furniture, with a few remarkable Chester County examples. These pieces include a Chester County Queen Anne walnut tall chest of drawers, with inlaid drawers, dated 1764 (est. $4,000-$6,000), and a Chester County Queen Anne walnut tall chest, ca. 1760, with a rare fitted desk interior (est. $8,000-$12,000). Other pieces of furniture include a New England Sheraton mahogany and flame veneer bowfront chest of drawers, ca. 1810, retaining its original General Washington brass pulls (est. $8,000-$12,000), and a New England Chippendale mahogany drop-leaf dining table, ca. 1770 (est. 8,000-$12,000), from the collection of Bruce and Edie Smart.
The first lot will be a 1930 Ford Model A slant windshield Tudor (est. $6,000-$8,000) with three-speed manual transmission and an odometer reading just over 1,000 miles. Twenty lots of fine red wines follow from a Berwyn, Pa., estate, with a special lot of six bottles from the Bourdeaux winery Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou (est. $600-$900). A cast-iron rooster garden statue, ca. 1900, standing at 34 inches high (est. $800-$1,200), will also be sold.
Extraordinary clocks in the sale include a Baltimore, Md., Federal mahogany tall case clock, ca. 1800, signed Charles Tinges Baltimore (est. $10,000-$15,000), and a Boston, Mass., Federal mahogany shelf clock, ca. 1810, the painted dial inscribed Aaron Willard Boston (est. $10,000-$15,000). Of special note is a rare Philadelphia Federal mahogany bracket clock, ca. 1815, with a painted face inscribed David Weatherly Philadelphia, and corners depicting a woodworker and blacksmith (est. $12,000-$18,000).
Small decorative arts worthy of mention include a number of important pieces of pewter. On offer will be a Philadelphia pewter tankard, ca. 1780, attributed to William Will (est. $20,000-$30,000). With beaded edges and an engraved cartouche with a monogram, this item represents one of the finest American tankards known. Originally sold in 2016 as part of the collection of Bernard B. Hillman, Pook & Pook is proud to present it again for sale. Offered alongside this exceptional tankard is another Philadelphia pewter tankard, ca. 1780, this example bearing an obliterated mark of William Will (est. $8,000-$12,000). A third piece of pewter, a Philadelphia sugar bowl and cover, is also attributed to William Will and will follow in the sale (est. $3,000-$5,000). Other pieces of pewter bearing the touches of Nathaniel Austin, Samuel Hamlin, Peter Young, and Samuel Danforth will also cross the block.
Works of art include over a dozen works by American painter David Y. Ellinger (1913-2003), an oil-on-canvas Jacob Eichholtz portrait (est. $3,000-$5,000), a pair of Jacob Maentel watercolor portraits (est. $7,000-$9,000), and a Walter Emerson Baum landscape (est. $8,000-$12,000).
Pennsylvania folk art items of note include many pieces of redware, including a Jacob Medinger sgrafitto redware plate with bird decoration (est. $400-$700), and an excellent redware shallow bowl, early 19th century, decorated with central floral sprig and outer yellow and brown slip leaves (est. $6,000-$9,000). A number of lovely quilts in fine condition are also featured in the sale and include a late 19th-century Lone Star quilt with Princess Feather corners (est. $3,000-$4,000), an Amish Sunshine and Shadow quilt (est. $1,500-$2,500), and a Pennsylvania album quilt with appliqué and trapunto work (est. $1,600-$2,000). Some unique folk art birds include a 19th-century carved and painted owl decoy with Titus Geesey provenance (est. $2,000-$3,000) and a large copper eagle weathervane, ca. 1900, with a 36-inch wingspan (est. $800-$1,200).
Pook & Pook is particularly eager to present an important Mahantongo Valley, Pa., turned and painted sugar bowl. This example, dated 1861, and inscribed Jared Stiely, stands as the most ambitious of the known group of these lidded wooden canisters that by tradition are believed to have been turned by Jared and decorated by his wife, Elizabeth. All made for the Stiehly family, Jared clearly chose to make a more dynamic example for himself. At 9.25 inches high, it stands taller than the others, and the large bulbous body is a departure from the more neoclassical urn form. In addition, Elizabeth has filled the ivory ground with red and yellow flowers, a fruit tree, and a large strawberry bunch. Remaining in near pristine condition, the estimate for this exceptional piece of folk art stands at $80,000-$120,000.
May’s sale will include a selection of International offerings. Noteworthy lots include an 18th-century Herman Moll engraved map of North America (est. $3,000-$5,000) and a 16th-century engraved map of Virginia by Dutch cartographer Willem Blaue (est. $800-$1,200). Small decorative arts include a pair of late 17th-century English brass trumpet candlesticks (est. $3,000-$5,000), a tortoiseshell singing bird music box (est. $1,800-$2,200), and a Byzantine triptych (est. $400-$600). Exceptional English furniture includes a George I oyster veneer chest of drawers, ca. 1730 (est. $1,500-$2,500), and a set of seven George II mahogany dining chairs, ca. 1760 (est. $1,500-$2,500). Excellent Chinese export porcelain on offer will include a rare Chinese export porcelain Petrus De Wolff plate, ca. 1740, with a central depiction of Lord Burghley (est. $800-$1,200), eight Chinese export porcelain Nanking platters (est. $1,000-$1,500), and a lot of Chinese export silver (est. $800-$1,200).
Finally, as is typical with Pook & Pook’s Americana and International sales, the auction will end with a diverse offering of fine rugs, including a 14-foot Serapi carpet, ca. 1900 (est. $8,000-$12,000), and a 6-foot Bidjar Kilim carpet, ca. 1910 (est. $1,500-$2,000).
Interested bidders are encouraged to contact Pook & Pook Inc. at info@pookandpook.com or 610-269-4040 with questions regarding condition reports; online, in-house, phone or absentee bidder registration; or to purchase a printed catalog for the sale ($40). Gallery exhibitions for the Americana and International sale are scheduled for Saturday, April 27, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, May 1, 2, and 3, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Preview will continue on Saturday, May 4, at 8 a.m., and bidding for the sale will open at 9 a.m. Online bidding will be available on Bidsquare at www.bidsquare.com. Pook & Pook is located at 463 E. Lancaster Ave., Downingtown, Pa.