January 18th & 19th, 2024 Americana & International Auction at Pook & Pook

By: Cynthia Beech Lawrence

 On January 18th and 19th, 2024, Pook & Pook will hold an Americana & International auction featuring several fine collections. With many rare and exceptional items, there will be much to choose from for trophy hunters. There are thirty-four lots of early American glass from New York and New Jersey containing important and rare examples with provenance. From a New Jersey Collection comes a lily pad sugar bowl on pedestal, ca. 1840 Redfield Glass Works, Clinton County, New York-attributed, of which only a few are known to exist. The same can be said for a mid-19th c. Lancaster Glass Works, New York-attributed lily pad salt cellar, one of the rarest salt cellars known, and an exceedingly rare ca. 1840 New York Lily pad glass compote, possibly Redford Glass Works. From another New Jersey Collection comes an exceptionally rare New York State olive yellow lily pad sugar bowl and cover, ca. 1840, possibly Redwood or Lockport Glassworks. It is described in its accompanying 1946 McKearin receipt as “one of the rarest sugar bowls known.”


From a Pennsylvania collector comes a parade of carved carousel animals from the G.A. Dentzel Company, Philadelphia, ca. 1900-1905, with a rare giraffe leading the way, followed by a running stag, a horse, and an exceptional goat, all with excellent painted surfaces.

 The Collection of Mr. & Mrs. Bruno Widmer of Zurich, Switzerland consists of over twenty Amish quilts assembled over the course of decades from communities in Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Ohio.

An Ohio Collection features a wide variety of Americana including gameboards, painted furniture, and folk art.

From one of two St. Louis collections are four excellent 15th/16th century brass candlesticks and an extremely fine Pennsylvania paper cutout, one of the most ambitious cutouts extant. Also from this collection is and what may well be the top lot in furniture, a rare Pennsylvania painted poplar open pewter cupboard, ca. 1760, with scalloped sides.

A very rare Lancaster County Chippendale walnut schrank, late 18th c., features a possibly unique double broken arch pediment and an interesting history with Carnegie Museum provenance. Another fine schrank offered is a Chester County tiger maple example, ca. 1780. A Pennsylvania Queen Anne walnut high chest, ca. 1765, was, according to family history, once owned by Pennsylvania Governor and Civil War General John Hartranft (1830-1889). Another historic Pennsylvania lot is the Jacob Hoestedler family, of Lancaster County, painted pine corner cupboard, ca. 1830. Probably made in Harleysville, Lower Salford Township, Montgomery County, it retains an original bold red and salmon grained surface. A vibrantly painted Berks County tall case clock, ca. 1810, hails from the Machmer Collection. A variety of Philadelphia, New England, and Georgian chairs are represented. A New York Chippendale mahogany easy chair, ca. 1770, is of special note. Among the exceptional offerings from New England is a rare Massachusetts Pilgrim century joined oak chest, ca. 1665-1690, probably Newbury, with provenance. Other New England furniture includes a Queen Anne tiger maple high chest, ca. 1765, a Boston Chippendale mahogany slant front desk, a Rhode Island corner chair, and a Massachusetts Queen Anne mahogany easy chair, both ca. 1765.

 Another item with intriguing history is a rare Confederate States of America Civil War brass cannon patent model, complete with original Confederate States patent papers no. 84, dated 21st day of March, 1862. Most patent models and records were burned as the Confederates abandoned Richmond in 1865.

Artworks featured are a pair of portraits by Jacob Eichholtz (1776-1842) portraying Charles and Frances Blair Pierce of Germantown, Philadelphia. A Massachusetts oil on canvas folk portrait, attributed to Joseph Goodhue Chandler, depicts a lively scene with three children from the Slater family of Webster and their pets. Two other works from Massachusetts are colorful scenes by Elizabeth Mumford. A winter street scene by Hobson Pittman and a Walter Emerson Baum oil on canvas “Grey Day Winter” capture the current weather, while another Baum landscape depicts a fine temperate day. A fine portrait by Sir John Hoppner (1758-1810) is possibly of Henry Wilson. The highlight of the art collection will be a small John Constable oil on panel of a timber and thatch mill above a race, with provenance from the Lady Lever Gallery.

Last but not least, the highlights that sparkle the most brightly are a spectacular La Belle Epoque Ceylon sapphire and diamond necklace and earrings.

 For more information about the upcoming auction, visit www.pookandpook.com. For questions about specific items, please email conditions@pookandpook.com. To consign to an upcoming auction at Pook & Pook, please send photographs to info@pookandpook.com or call (610) 269-4040 to speak with an appraiser.