J.P. Beck (John Philip Beck) is widely considered among the finest early American gunmakers. His name is mentioned when discussing the Golden Era of the American long rifle, and his rifles today are viewed as much as a work of fine art as they are a weapon. Born in 1752, he died in 1811 in Lebanon Township, Dauphin County, Pa. One of his flintlocks, relief carved curly maple stock; normal wear, mechanically; lock working, trigger not; a fine example, yet not exemplary as one sale goer put it, sold to an out-of-state absentee bidder for $33,000 at Horst Auction Center on Oct. 21. I think it could have brought double if the barrel was in better condition, mentioned another person in the salesroom. The marketplace for J.P. Beck rifles is healthy thanks to the craftsmanship and top tier name recognition/desirability. His long guns have sold for over $100,000. The 918-lot multi-consignor sale at Horst in Ephrata, Pa., was held Oct. 20 and 21. The total gross was $351,170. Horst does not charge a buyers premium for in-house bidders. Online buyers premium is 14 percent, reduced to 10 percent for cash or check. An absentee bid is charged 10 percent. Another highlight was a scrimshaw decorated powder horn, ca. Revolutionary War, map type decoration, with scenes along the Hudson River reading John Fitzpatrick, which sold for $13,750 to an online bidder. A Compass Artist small paint decorated dome-top box, blue ground, some restoration, sold for $8,200. It previously sold for $19,250 at Conestoga Auction Co., in 1999. I think the difference speaks to there being a smaller pool of currently active buyers for certain specialized categories and current buyers being less accepting of restoration. Another paint-decorated early wooden box, a slide-lid with tulip decoration and dot stippling, possibly Southeastern Pennsylvania in origin, realized $6,400. Ten lots came from the late Don and Trish Herr. The two Lancaster, Pa., veterinarians, antique dealers, authors, scholars, and collectors were well-known in the area. Among those lots was a large mounted cross stitch wool rug, 50-by-40 inches, with names Leah Gingrich and Kate Lingle, very colorful star, floral and bird decoration on dark ground, probably Mennonite origin and through research likely from the Elizabethtown area near the Lancaster and Dauphin County border, late 19th century, which sold for $4,900 to a local private buyer. The Herrs bought it for $5,175 at Christies sale on behalf of Richard and Joanne Flanders Smith in 1995. The work was shown in the Pennsylvania Folk Art exhibit held in 1974 at the Allentown Art Museum. At the time, this was a major show with many categories, noteably fraktur, textiles, pottery, and furniture, with lenders including Ralph Esmerian, Chris Machmer, Howard Feldman, and Fred Weiser, just to name a few. The rug was loaned for the exhibit by Paul and Rita Flack. It was also in an exhibit at the William Penn State Museum in Harrisburg. It sold for $1,250 at Paul and Rita Flacks auction held at Pennypackers in 1976. A related example sold for $1,386 on June 9, 2022, at Pook & Pooks sale for the Herrs (See: Antiques & Auction News Vol. 52, No. 26). The Herrs authored several books and articles in their fields. Trishs was American textiles. She authored The Ornamental Branches: Needlework and Arts from the Lititz Moravian Girls School Between 1800 and 1865. A Lititz, Pa., Moravian silk on silk embroidery, dated 1817, inscribed Ellen B. Hawkins on obelisk, with image of Moses in the Bulrushes painting, sold for $30,240 at Pook & Pooks sale for the Herrs in 2022. A Lititz Moravian silk on silk memorial embroidered sampler, ca. 1833, sold for $4,960 at the same sale. Both are illustrated in the book. A Lititz Moravian Girls School silk on silk work, 1825, with central figures representing Palemon and Lavinia from the poem Autumn, also pictured in the book sold for $35,100 at the blockbuster Dr. and Mrs. Donald Shelley sale at Pook & Pook in 2007. At Horst, two examples from the Herrs were sold. The first depicted Palemon and Lavinia with date and Litiz (early spelling) on pediment head. All of these are rare, and no one studied them more than the late Trish Herr. In overall good condition with minimal sagging to silk, minor water damage in lower left corner, and the frame in some need of restoration, it sold to a local buyer for $7,600. The same buyers bought the other example for $7,000. It was a ca. 1828 memorial fine embroidery with urn and monument with young girl at memorial urn, a second young girl to the left of the urn surrounded by a wreath of roses, piece of painted silk with dyed silk, yarn embroidery. See caption for more. Were still looking at dates but will hold the next catalog sale shortly after the new year, mentioned Brent Horst. To learn more, call 717-738-3080 or visit www.horstauction.com.