January 17th & 18th, 2020 – Americana & International Auction - Pook & Pook, Inc. - Downingtown, PA

There is one New Year’s resolution Pook & Pook can help you keep this year, filling your home up with beautiful antiques. This winter, just as folks finish up counting down from ten and singing Auld Lang Syne, Pook & Pook will be offering almost 700 lots of antique furniture, fine art, and decorative accessories from around the globe. Bidding both live in-house and in cyberspace will happen on January 17th & 18th. 

Lot 14, The Captain James Mugford, Massachusetts Chippendale mahogany diminutive drop-leaf table, ca. 1770; Estimate $10,000-$15,000

Session one will begin at 6PM on Friday, January 17th, following a special extended preview and reception. The Collection of Jean and Eugene Jacobsen from Englewood, New Jersey will start the auction with 49 lots. According to the Jacobsen’s daughter, their home was a “living, breathing example of Early American furniture and art” and “every family gathering was embraced by the warmth of the history of Early American life and the skilled craftsmen that artfully created the pieces”. Some highlights from the collection are several pieces of well crafted furniture including a Pennsylvania Queen Anne walnut dressing table, ca. 1765, that is of a very desirable small size with drake feet (est. $7,000-10,000), the Captain James Mugford, a Revolutionary War hero from Marblehead, Massachusetts, Chippendale mahogany diminutive drop leaf table (est. $10,000-15,000), and a diminutive Massachusetts Queen Anna walnut high chest, ca. 1765, with petite cabriole legs and pad feet (est. $10,000-12,000).

Lot 8, Large China Trade oil on canvas view of Whampoa Anchorage from the South, ca. 1840; Estimate $15,000-$25,000

Of important note from the collection are several large China Trade oil on canvas paintings including one of the view of Whampoa Anchorage from the south, ca. 1840 (est. $15,000-25,000), one of the view of the Hongs at Canton, ca. 1840 (est. $12,000-18,000), and one of a naval engagement on the Boca Tigris, ca. 1840 (est. $4,000-7,000). The sale on Friday night continues with 110 lots of Historical Staffordshire from a New York Collection. This collection includes several interesting pieces such as the Esplanade & Castle Garden New York platter (est. $2,000-3,000), the Capitol Washington centerpiece bowl (est. $2,000-3,000), the Dix Cove on the Gold Coast Africa fruit bowl (est. $2,000-3,000), and the rare four medallion platter with Jefferson, Lafayette, Clinton, and Washington over a view of Tunbridge Castle Surry and the Aqueduct bridge at Rochester (est. $5,000-10,000). Fine art follows the Staffordshire with artists such as Antonio Jacobsen, Stephen Etnier, Donald Mosher, Peter Sculthorp, Andrew Wyeth, Richard Evett Bishop, Hobson Pittman, William Winner, Will Henry Stevens, David Brumbach, and John Pope. Of interest to a number of buyers will be the two pieces by Laurence Campbell (American b. 1939) including an oil on canvas titled “Winter in New Hope” (est. $6,000-9,000) and “New Hope Train Station Winter” (est. $6,000-8,000). An unusual signed print titled “Signs” by Robert Rauschenberg is expected to fetch $3,000-5,000 at Friday night’s session. An interesting oil on canvas of circus performers by Heinrich Schlitt shows a clown and a ballerina trying to coax a pig to jump through a hoop. Friday night ends with the property of William E. and Anne H. Lewis of Columbus, Ohio. This lovely collection includes a number of mid-Atlantic and New England area pieces of furniture, folk art, redware, pewter, a sampler, glass, porcelain, brass, and silver.

Lot 269, Pennsylvania William and Mary spice chest, ca. 1750; Estimate $50,000-$80,000

Session two starts at 9AM on Saturday, January 18th with a lovely Pennsylvania William and Mary spice chest, ca. 1750 with a herringbone and sprig and berry design on the door (est. $50,000-80,000). Second up is a wonderful watercolor fraktur birth certificate by Johann Conrad Gilbert ($4,000-7,000) sure to grab the interest of fraktur lovers far and wide. The start of day two is filled with pieces from the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Furniture highlights include shranks, tea tables, dower chests, tall chests, corner cupboards, Dutch cupboards, dressing tables, miniature furniture, tall case clocks, etc. A fabulous Pennsylvania Queen Anne walnut dressing table with an unusual arcaded and heart cutout skirt is expected to bring $7,000-9,000. A Berks County, Pennsylvania black unicorn dower chest that retains its original decoration of rampant unicorns flanked by panels with riders on horseback would make an incredible addition to anyone’s collection (est. $12,000-18,000). One of the more incredible furniture pieces on day two is a rare Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Hepplewhite cherry tall case clock by Martin Shreiner, ca. 1830 (est. $25,000-45,000). The musical works of this clock play seven tunes. The unusual case includes an upper section with a short door over a lower section with a longer door. The last Shreiner musical clock sold at Pook & Pook brought $204,000.

Day two also boasts an assortment of the usual decorative accessories including stoneware, toleware, whirligigs, folk art, trade signs, baskets, chalkware, tinware, portraits, weathervanes, stoneware, fraktur, butter prints, firkins, wallpaper dresser boxes, wrought iron, powder horns, butterprints, carved birds, mirrors, tiebacks, glass bottles, spatter, etc. Several stunning quilts in a rainbow of colors will cross the auction block. An engraved bronze sundial dated 1689 with a face etched into it is sure to catch the eye of a few eclectic bidders. 

Lot 407, Historically important appointment of Anthony Wayne to Major General of the Legion of the United States of America, dated the 19th day of March, 1793; Estimate $100,000-$150,000

Probably the most exciting lot up for auction in both sessions is the appointment of Anthony Wayne to Major General of the Legion of the United States of America, dated the 19th day of March, 1793 and signed by President George Washington. The Legion was formed after the Revolutionary War as a standing army of professional soldiers rather than state militias. The Legion was reduced in size and rechristened the Army of the United States in 1796. This document could possibly be considered the birth of the United States Army. A beautifully designed Tiffany Studios turtle back table lamp includes a patinated air root design base (est. $12,000-18,000). Also included are a number of folk art carved canes as well as a number of Victorian canes with carved terminals.

The sale continues with a large number of items from the New England area. Furniture from the area set to cross the block includes high chests, dining chairs, chests of drawers, tall case clocks, dressing tables, slant front desks, tavern tables, card tables, Pembroke tables, etc. A New Hampshire Queen Anne flame maple high chest is expected to fetch $4,000-6,000. A Federal tall case clock from Massachusetts is heavily inlaid with line, paterae, and fan inlays (est. $5,000-7,000). Accessories include New England samplers, andirons, Staffordshire, mirrors, watercolors, burl scoops and bowls, baskets, silver, etc.

The sale finishes with a variety of exciting consignments that come to us from abroad. A set of six George III carved mahogany dining chairs carries an estimate of $2,000-3,000. An interesting cutwork silhouette by Elizabeth Cobbold of Queen Bess is sure to garner some interest with its unique form and reasonable estimate of $400-700. Other English pieces include a George III wing chair, two George II easy chairs, two George III sofas, and a George III chest of drawers. Three pieces of English redware will also cross the auction block. A small but lovely collection of nice pieces of Wedgwood fairyland lustre is included at the end of the sale. Each piece is unique, but the hummingbirds footed bowl is sure to be a favorite among bidders. Also included in this overseas collection are a variety of other pieces of furniture, Delft, steins, a French mantel clock, Royal Copenhagen Flora Danica plates, and a couple pieces of Chinese export. The sale will conclude with a selection of carpets, including several excellent Serapi, Senna Ferraghan, and Baktiari examples.