January 11th and 12th 2019 - Americana & International Auction at Pook & Pook, Inc., Downingtown, PA

Downingtown, PA -Pook & Pook’s first auction of the New Year will be an important, two-day Americana & International auction with a spotlight on significant pieces of early American furniture. Bidding for day one of the sale will begin at 6pm on Friday, January 11^th and day two will commence at 9am on Saturday, January 12^th. Over 700 lots are set to cross the block over the two-day auction and bidders are welcome to bid in-house, via absentee or phone bid, or online on bidsquare.com.

Pook & Pook, esteemed for their remarkable results for early American furniture and folk art, have collected a great deal of high quality antiques to fill January’s sale, with several pieces hitting the market for the first time in over half a century. Day one of the sale draws its strength from four well-established single-owner collections, and includes exceptional antiques from Titus Geesey, a consignment of fine jewelry from a prominent Delaware family, international items from the Estate of Kenneth & Elizabeth Johnson, and New England furniture and antique firearms from the Collection of Bruce & Edie Smart. Day two will be a mix of Fine Art, American and international antiques, and decorative arts from the Estate of Charlene Sussel.

Lot 1, Chester County, Pennsylvania walnut spice chest, ca. 1755; Estimate $20,000-$40,000

Titus Geesey was an astute collector and personal secretary to Pierre S. DuPont, and would go on to have his name be become practically synonymous for his first-rate collection of Pennsylvania Dutch Folk Art. Having passed in 1969, his legacy lives on with the outstanding pieces he amassed during his lifetime, many of which have been donated to major museums. Four items have remained in his family, until now, and include a Chester County, Pennsylvania walnut spice chest, ca. 1755, with line and berry inlay ($20,000-$40,000), an important Reading, Pennsylvania Chippendale cherry tall case clock, late 18th c., with floral carved tympanum and columns ($20,000-$30,000), a Soap Hollow, Pennsylvania painted poplar two-part Dutch cupboard, ca. 1870, retaining its original stencil decoration, ($4,000-$7,000), and a New England painted pine chair table, ca. 1750, with shoe feet, ($4,000-$6,000).

To follow in sale is a collection of fine jewelry, from a prominent Delaware family. Seventeen pieces of sculptural gold jewelry by local American sculptor André Harvey are an exciting addition to the sale. Harvey lived and worked in the Brandywine Valley and his works were inspired by his childhood in Chadds Ford. Each piece exhibits Harvey’s remarkably intricate detailing and have been specially cast, signed and numbered by the artist. Jade pieces from Gump’s San Francisco are also on offer, as well as fine gold Tiffany & Co. and Schlumberger pieces.

Next in sale is the Collection of Kenneth & Elizabeth Johnson, of York, Pennsylvania. The Johnsons were lifelong collectors, with an enthusiasm for international antiques and fine pottery. In this sale, a large selection of Historic blue Staffordshire will cross the block, alongside Delft, mocha, lustreware, Canton, and Meissen pieces, with English miniature watercolors and bronze sculptures smattered between. American pieces include a Jacob Eichholtz portrait ($800-$1,200) and a Pennsylvania Federal tiger maple tall case clock ($1,500-$2,500).

Fine antiques from the Collection of Edie & Bruce Smart, of Richmond, Virginia will close day one of January’s sale. The Smart’s, avid collectors for over fifty years, honed their taste through long association with experts like Peter Eaton and Joe Kindig. Presented in this sale are some of the finest antiques New England has to offer. These include a Connecticut Chippendale cherry tea table, ca. 1775, ($5,000-$10,000), a Rhode Island Queen Anne mahogany compass seat dining chair, ca. 1750, ($3,000-$5,000), a Connecticut Chippendale cherry dressing table, ca. 1770, ($5,000-$10,000) and a Connecticut Pilgrim Century joined oak sunflower chest, ca. 1700, attributed to the shop of Peter Blin, Wethersfield ($5,000-$10,000). The Smart Collection also includes a masterful Eric Sloane landscape ($5,000-$10,000) and eight exceptional Pennsylvania full stock flintlock long rifles. Rifles include examples by Nicholas Beyer of Lebanon County, Pennsylvania ($15,000-$25,000), Frederick Sell of Littlestown, Pennsylvania ($15,000-$25,000), and Jacob Haeffer of Lancaster County ($6,000-$9,000).

Day two of the sale will commence with an assortment of antiques from various consignors with many one-of-a-kind items crossing the block. For example, an important Charles Dickens presentation brass inkwell, with the top inscribed Charles Dickens Esqre., bearing a secondary inscription reading A token of Esteem and Admiration June Swinburne, Ventnor, Isle of Wight, 1840 ($2,000-$4,000). The rare Mt. Lebanon, New York Shaker stained pine folding ladder ($3,000-$5,000), the pair of bronze bells from the Snow Hill Nunnery, ca. 1835, ($400-$800), and the remarkable, massive New England burl bowl, with a 23 ¼” diameter ($4,000-$7,000) will surely attract the attention of treasure seekers. Pennsylvania folk art items of note include the Lancaster County Weber box, in yellow ($8,000-$12,000), the Chester County Westtown School sampler, early 19th c., ($1,500-$2,500), and the Joseph Lehn painted sugar bucket, ($1,000-$2,000).

Pook & Pook is particularly eager to present the important, museum-worthy Philadelphia Chippendale mahogany easy chair, ca. 1750. With a pre-sale estimate of $100,000-$150,000, this exceptional example of early American furniture features an arched crest rail, graceful outward scrolling arms above a compass seat, boldly carved front legs with ball and claw feet and dramatically curved rear cabriole legs with pad feet. This exquisite chair has been stripped of its upholstery and examined by professionals to establish its legitimacy. Other superb pieces of early Pennsylvania furniture include a pair of Philadelphia Chippendale walnut dining chairs, ca. 1760 ($15,000-$25,000), a Lancaster County painted poplar schrank, ca. 1780, ($20,000-$40,000), and a Berks County painted pine dower chest, dated 1769 ($3,000-$5,000).

Eighty-five works of fine art include those by Isaac Nuttman ($15,000-$25,000), Emile Albert Gruppe ($2,500-$3,500), a portrait attributed to Sir Joshua Reynolds ($8,000-$12,000), an Arthur Meltzer landscape ($7,000-$9,000), three works by Levi Wells Prentice, and half a dozen works by Ben Austrian.

January’s two-day sale will continue with a selection of International offerings. Noteworthy furniture includes a French marquetry and ormolu mounted wine table, labeled by Paul Sormani & Sons, Paris ($1,000-$1,500), the large George I oak gateleg table, ca. 1730, ($500-$1,000), and the Adams style painted cane seat settee ($1,000-$2,000). Excellent Chinese export porcelain on offer will include a porcelain punch bowl, ca. 1780, one side depicting the British Navy, the reverse with a popular satirical print of the day depicting John Bull and his French counterpart scowling at one another ($3,000-$5,000), a blue Fitzhugh bowl ($300-$500), a miniature tea service ($400-$800), a turquoise ground jardinière ($400-$600), and an assembled tea service ($500-$1,000). Also of note are the four pieces of Chinese Qing dynasty porcelain ($500-$1,000), the first edition William Lewin’s Birds of Great Britain With Their Eggs, ca. 1790 ($3000-$5000), and a late addition to the sale, the Mermod Freres coin op cylinder music box with carved oak case ($2,000-$3,000). Finally, as is typical with Pook& Pook’s Americana and International sales, the international portion will end with a diverse offering of fine rugs, including an excellent Heriz carpet ($7,000-$9,000).

The auction will conclude with items from the Estate of Charlene Sussel. Charlene Derge Sussel was an expert in field of art and antiques, as well as daughter-in-law of the legendary antiquarian Arthur J. Sussel. As a generous philanthropist, Sussel donated much of her extensive collection to museums. The collection presented in this sale represents those items that Charlene chose to live with for the remainder of her life. A large portion of Sussel’s collection includes extraordinary fraktur, with examples by Munch, Krebs, Moffly, Peterman, Zinck and Spangenberg. The collection also includes an elaborate Pennsylvania watercolor and cutwork fraktur scherenschnitte, early 19th c., ($4,000-$7,000), two Auguste Edouart cutout silhouettes of Philadelphia gentlemen ($500-$1,000), and a portrait by William Merritt Chase ($4,000-$7,000). The majority of Ms. Sussel’s collection is fine Philadelphia furniture, to include the Philadelphia Chippendale mahogany serpentine chest of drawers, ca. 1765, attributed to Jonathan Gostelowe ($4,000-$6,000), the Pennsylvania Chippendale cherry tall case clock, ca. 1800 ($20,000-$25,000), the extraordinary Philadelphia Queen Anne tiger maple dressing table, ca. 1755 ($15,000-$25,000), and the Philadelphia Chippendale mahogany easy chair, ca. 1765 ($20,000-$30,000). Country Americana from the Sussel Estate will feature a Peter Derr wrought iron, copper and brass betty lamp, ca. 1854 ($1,000-$1500), and a painted Indian cigar store figure, ca. 1900 ($1,000-$1,500).

 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 January 5^th from 9am to 1pm, Wednesday, January 9^th from 10am-4pm, Thursday, January 10^th from 10am-4pm, and Friday, January 11^th from 10am-6pm, and Saturday, January 12th from 8am-9am. Bidding will begin on Friday evening at 6pm. On Saturday, January 12^th bidding will open at 9am. Online bidding will be available on Bidsquare at www.bidsquare.com. Pook & Pook is located at 463 E. Lancaster Avenue, Downingtown, Pennsylvania 19335.