Goodman Collection Makes a Splash at Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates

MT. CRAWFORD, VA, September 25, 2023 ---- The Important Collection of H. Marshall Goodman Jr., a special single-owner auction held at Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates on September 22nd – 23rd , was a landmark event that produced robust prices in multiple categories, along with a few noteworthy surprises.

Mr. Goodman has been a fixture in the antiques and fine art community for the last half century, having helped to place numerous important objects and works of art in private collections and institutions throughout the country, all the while advancing scholarship in several areas of study and amassing an extraordinary collection of his own.

The Goodman Collection, offered in a two-day format consisting of nearly 1,000 lots of exceptional material from start to finish, generated very strong levels of participation for the firm, a solid indication of continued vigor in the diverse antiques and art marketplace. With a busy gallery on each day, competition was intense throughout each session with several thousand registered bidders participating online, by phone, in house, and through absentee. 

Day One on Friday, September 22nd featured an excellent selection of fine art, including works by Guy Wiggins, Anna Hyatt Huntington, De Scott Evans, Martin Lewis, Conrad Wise Chapman, Ralston Crawford, Alfredo Zalce, Jean-Baptiste Robie, and Mary DeNeale Morgan; 18th & 19th century silver, including American and English examples; rare 18th & 19th century English ceramics, including many unusual Whieldon-type forms; Oriental rugs and carpets; British & Continental furniture and decorative accessories, including tea caddies, desk articles, and a fine group of early brass candlesticks; 18th & 19th century glass, including English & Continental drinking vessels; plus more.

Top lot for the day was an important Classical brass-inlaid rosewood, mahogany, and figured maple miniature sideboard.

The elegant form, probably made in New York City around 1825, generated much pre-sale interest from private individuals and the trade, ultimately selling to a private collector online against the phones at $24,000 (Lot 289 - all prices include the 20% buyer’s premium).

Other highlights from the day included a classic Manhattan snow scene by Guy Wiggins (1883-1962) at $19,200 (Lot 27); a very fine genre scene of children playing with a bagpipe by Francois Louis Lanfant De Metz (1814-1892) at $13,200 (Lot 7); a fine Georgian brass six-light chandelier at $12,000 (Lot 212); and a very rare pair of 18th-century English bronze wool weights at $8,400 (Lot 246).

Day Two on Saturday, September 23rd featured an exceptional group of stoneware and earthenware, with a heavy emphasis on Virginia folk pottery, including many iconic examples having exhibition and publication history; fine folk art of all types, including rare carvings, canes, works on paper, and a large group of portraiture, along with over 20 miniature portraits, many with identified sitters; important Shenandoah Valley material, including three Stirewalt-School paint-decorated boxes and three Barb-School paint-decorated bentwood boxes; rare fraktur and related drawings; 18th & 19th century American furniture, including many important regional examples, with a special emphasis on Virginia; Civil War and other historical material, including a fine identified Confederate Bowie knife with scabbard and a good selection of early photographic images; country accessories, including several fine burl bowls and an outstanding selection of baskets, many by the Shelton Sisters; rare ephemera, antiquarian books, and other printed materials; textiles, including samplers and needlework pictures; Native American objects, including beadwork and a large group of Apache baskets; plus more.

Top lot of the day was an important Henry Lowndes (d. 1842, Petersburg, Virginia) stoneware pitcher.

The rare form, with rare molded patriotic decoration, captivated both an institution and a private collector, who pushed the figure all the way to $156,000 (Lot 1009) before selling to the latter.

Other noteworthy results from the Saturday session included an extremely rare pair of British Colonial Surry Co., Virginia official bronze sealer’s weights at $78,000 (Lot 1095); a rare Gilbert Hunt (c.1780-1863, Richmond, Virginia) freed slave photographic portrait at $42,000 (lot 1121); an important Shenandoah Valley Stirewalt School paint-decorated child’s blanket chest at $54,000 (Lot 1162); an exceptional Charles Henry Saunders (North Carolina, 1901-1984) folk art carved figure at $42,000 (Lot 1207); and a fine Shenandoah Valley of Virginia inlaid cherry valuables cabinet at $42,000 (Lot 1286).

After the auction, company president and principal auctioneer Jeffrey S. Evans commented, “This was an important sale for us and generated robust interest across the board, from bidders near and far. The caliber of the material offered across multiple categories was very appealing to a broad swath of collectors, and the strong results reflect pent-up demand for high-quality objects. Levels of online participation in our auctions continue to grow for us – a real indication that there is sustained market demand for a diverse range of art and antiques. What’s more, the overall excitement and strong sales results are a testament to Marshall Goodman’s keen vision and range of knowledge. We have always believed that the single-owner model at auction is, in almost all cases, the format with the most potential for a successful outcome, and that definitely proved true this past weekend.” Evans added, “We have two great auctions coming up in October and November of this year, and several collections lined up for 2024, including another single-owner auction in February, so we are looking forward to more exciting sales ahead.” 

The firm is currently accepting consignments for upcoming auctions. For additional auction results, a schedule of upcoming sales, or more information, visit www.jeffreysevans.com, email info@jeffreysevans.com, or call 540.434.3939. 

Photo Captions

Photo 1: Fine Manhattan snow scene by Guy Wiggins (1883-1962), Lot 27, $19,200.
Photo 2: Important Henry Lowndes (Petersburg, Virginia) stoneware pitcher, Lot 1009, $156,000.
Photo 3: Important pair of British Colonial Surry Co., Virginia official sealer’s weights, Lot 1095,
$78,000.
Photo 4: Fine and rare Shenandoah Valley of Virginia Stirewalt School paint-decorated child’s blanket
chest, Lot 1162, $54,000.
Photo 5: Rare Gilbert Hunt (c.1780-1863, Richmond, Virginia) freed slave photographic portrait, Lot 1121, $42,000.