Americana and International Auction – Pook & Pook, Inc. - Downingtown, PA

Downingtown auction house Pook & Pook, Inc. is gearing up for this year’s autumn auction season with a vast and varied two-day Americana and International auction, slated for Friday September 14th and Saturday September 15th. Over the summer months, the folks at Pook & Pook have been working hard, traveling up and down the East coast gathering items for September’s sale. A cross-country road trip even drew items from as far away as Las Vegas, New Mexico. This sale draws its strength from items taken from these various estates, with thanks to the keen eye of experienced collectors across the country. The sale features 660 lots and will include everything from opulent Early American furniture, to vibrant folk art, to intriguing International surprises. Bidding for the sale will be offered in-house, over the phone, and on bidsquare.com.

Lot 260, Wilhelm Schimmel, Carved and painted rooster; Estimate $10,370

With this sale, the Downingtown auction house will continue to set market trends for fraktur, with many pieces by well known makers crossing the block. Early 19th century artists from across Southeastern Pennsylvania will be well represented including Johann Conrad Gilbert, Christian Mertel, Christian Strenge, Daniel Peterman and more. One exceptional example of fraktur includes a four-paneled metamorphosis depiction of the stages of man from Adam to death, with leaves that open to reveal further parts of the narrative ($3000-$5000). Other well-known Pennsylvania folk artists featured in the sale include two carvings by Wilhelm Schimmel, including an example of his well-recognized rooster ($5000-$10000) and a lesser-seen example of a squirrel ($3000-$4000). A spectacular wooden bird carving by Schtockschnitzler Simmons is right at home in this sale, carrying an estimate of $6000-$8000.

Other noteworthy figural items in the sale include a Gorham patinated bronze of George Washington ($800-$1200) and a French patinated bronze of Henry IV as a young boy ($1500-$2500). A selection of figural weathervanes will also be on offer, including the standard fare of eagles, horses and roosters alongside more rare and fantastical models, including a hippocampus ($1000-$1500) and a squirrel with agate eyes ($3000-$5000).

Lot 275, Attributed to Isaac Nuttman, Oil on panel still life; Estimate $10,000-$15,000

An assortment of textiles fills this sale with color and warmth, with many options to choose from. Stunning quilts to cross the block including several 19th century New England linsey-woolsey quilts, a Kingston, Massachusetts pieced friendship quilt dated 1887 ($300-$500) and a rare early 19th century broderie perse quilt ($500-$1000). An assortment of penny rugs bolsters the sale, with a unique folk art penny style rug with a stag and deer surrounded by colorful embroidered woodland creatures garnering particular interest ($2000-$4000) and adorning this catalog’s cover!

A sampling of the outstanding International items on offer in this sale include a palace-sized Northwest Persian carpet ($12,000-$18,000), a large Chinese Qing dynasty urn ($400-$800) and a pair of elegant French parian table lamps ($500-$1000). Items with German provenance are plentiful and include a German porcelain teapot ($400-$800), a German silver teacup and saucer ($150-$250), and a whimsical collection of twenty-four delicate German blown glass tulips ($800-$1200). Adding interest and appeal to the sale are plenty of paintings, with an impressive number of Ben Austrian examples, multiple unique velvet theorems, and dozens of delicate pocket-sized portraits. From Tiffany silver, to toleware, to tea caddies - the first Pook & Pook auction of the Fall auction season impresses with quality and quantity.

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. Catalogs for all sales can be viewed online at www.pookandpook.com or www.bidsquare.com. Phone, absentee, live salesroom, and online bidding will be available. Online bidding will be exclusively through Bidsquare at www.bidsquare.com.