Turner Auctions + Appraisals Presents the Estate of Marian Hymel on October 21

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, CA, October 3, 2023 – Turner Auctions + Appraisals is pleased to present The Estate of Marian Hymel on Saturday morning, October 21. Offering over 150 lots, the auction features the personal collection of Mrs. Hymel, who was a popular antiques dealer in Los Gatos, California, whose focus was Early America. Her high-quality antiques were sourced throughout the United States over more than 35 years. The collection in this sale includes furniture, fine art, decorative arts, rugs, jewelry, and silver.

Lot 8: Serapi Carpet. Late 19th/Early 20th Century. 118in x 166in. Estimate $3,000-$5,000.

Highlights include a Queen Anne Maple Wing Armchair, a Serapi rug, a Queen Anne carved maple flat-top high chest, a set of Regency carved fruitwood chairs, a Chippendale mahogany inlaid oxbow-front desk, and several antique gold bangle bracelets. Among the noteworthy artworks are an oil portrait of a young woman attributed to William Matthew Prior/Hamblin School, an early 19th-century oil painting from the American School, and a watercolor by Gerrard R. Hurdenberg.

Lot 11:  Gerrard R. Hurdenberg (1855-1915). Wrens with nest. Signed l/l, dated 1892. Watercolor on paper, mounted on board. 25in x 18 1/2in. Estimate $2,000-$4,000.

Turner Auctions + Appraisals begins its online auction on Saturday morning, October 21, 2023, at 10:30 am PDT; sale items are available for preview and bidding now. The online auction will be featured on Bidsquare.

Note that a separate auction will also be held on Saturday, October 21, beginning at 2:30 pm PDT. The afternoon sale presents over 120 lots of The Reed Applegate collection, featuring California contemporary art from San Francisco Bay Area artists.

About Marian Hymel & Her Collection

Marian Hymel (1932-2023) was born and raised in New York. She studied nursing at Bellevue Hospital’s Training School for Nurses, the first U.S. school to be run according to Florence Nightingale's nursing principles. After her marriage, she and her family moved to Los Gatos, California, where she lived much of the rest of her life.

Marian Hymel’s interest in collecting began in California with pewter pieces. Over time, her interests expanded to collections of other “smalls” (that is, not large furniture), including bentwood boxes, shell work, brass candlesticks, and hooked rugs. As years passed, Mrs. Hymel’s home reflected her creativity and pleasure in decorating, in which she took particular pride, as the modern furniture of the 20th-century began to be replaced by special Early American items. 

As her interest and expertise in antiques grew, she joined an antique collective in Los Gatos, then launched her own shop, which was open for several years. Coupled with a good eye, a love of beauty, and knowledge and proficiency in Early American antiques, she insisted on offering authentic, high-quality pieces that she carefully curated. An Early American purist, her items were sourced over three decades from all over the U.S., including antique shows and shops, private collectors, and industry friends with whom she traded.

Now, with Marian Hymel’s passing, her family is sending her personal collection out into the world, in hopes that others will appreciate and find pleasure as she did in these distinctive Early American items.

Here are some highlights on the upcoming online sale (please see online auction and lot details in the online catalog):  

Lot 6: Queen Anne Carved Maple Flat-top High Chest. Connecticut, Third quarter 18th century. 74in h x 38 1/2in w x 21in d. Condition: Retains a later refinished and stained surface; brasses replaced. Estimate $2,000-$3,000. (Photo, top left)

Lot 105: American School (Early 19th Century). Portrait of a young child holding a flower and apple. Oil on canvas. 33in x 23in. Condition: Some spot restoration to the child's neck, and area in the tree to the left. Estimate $1,200-$1,800. (Photo, lower right)

Lot 57:  Carved and Stained Wood Eagle Figure. 20th century. After a model by Wilhelm Schimmel. 16in h x 21in w. Material/Technique: Wood. Estimate $300-$500.

Lot 19:  Chippendale Mahogany Inlaid Oxbow-front Desk. Late 18th century. Attributed to Ebner Toppen, Newburyport, Massachusetts. 44in h x 43in w x 23in d. Condition: Brasses possibly original; shrinkage crack to left side panel; rubbing, wear, and abrasions to talons on feet. Estimate $1,500-$2,500.

Lot 40:  Attributed to William Matthew Prior/Hamblin School (First Half 19th Century). Portrait of a Young Woman. Oil on board. 13 1/2in x 9 1/2in. Condition: A few small spot inpainting areas to the background. Estimate $800-$1,200.

Lot 145:  An Antique Diamond, Ruby and 14k Gold Bangle Bracelet. Engraving and collet-set with 4 old mine-cut diamonds and 2 oval-cut rubies; estimated diamond weight: 0.40ct.; weighing approximately 17.6 grams; size: 8in. (denting and oxidation commensurate with age). Estimate $600-$800.

Lot 66:  A George II Silver Cann. Samuel Whitford I, London, 1761. Height 5in. Estimate $500-$700.

Lot 43: English Silk and Linen Needlework Sampler. Signed: Helen Maria Scott. Dated: 1837. 17in x 9 3/4in. Condition: A few small pulls and separations to linen background and silk threads. Estimate $200-$400.

Lot 15:  Set of Regency Carved Fruitwood Chairs. Early 19th century. The group of eight consists of six side chairs and two armchairs. 34 1/2in h x 23in w. Estimate $1,000-$1,500. 

Lot 55: Four Lidded Bentwood Storage Boxes. 19th century. Greatest height 4in x 9 1/2in width. Estimate $300-$500.

Lot 32:  Queen Anne Maple Wing Armchair. New England, 18th century. 47in h x 32in w. Condition: Small chip losses to pad feet; crewelwork upholstery worn. Together with hand needlework measured panels. Estimate $800-$1,200.

Lot 133:  Horn Cup with Engraved Hunting Scene. Probably English, c. 18th century. The horn cup/beaker is engraved with scenes of hunters in top hats, a bugle player, and hounds following a fox toward a house. 4 1/16in tall; 2 5/8in diam. at top. Condition: Interior crack near rim, and old added metal rim. Estimate $500-$700. 

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ABOUT TURNER AUCTIONS + APPRAISALS

Based in South San Francisco, Turner Auctions + Appraisals was founded by Stephen Turner to expand and complement the capabilities of Stephen G. Turner Associates, an auction and appraisal consulting firm founded in 2004. Turner Auctions + Appraisals presents online auctions in diverse categories of personal property (www.turnerauctionsonline.com). Among them are Fine Arts, Decorative Arts, Asian Arts, Toys, Jewelry, Militaria, Ethnic Arts, and others. The company offers a range of auction and appraisal services for buyers, sellers, and collectors. Online auctions are held several times a month. Working with leading live and online auction houses on the West Coast since 1991, Turner is a professional appraiser of personal property and seasoned auctioneer. His areas of expertise include fine art, decorative arts, antiques & residential content. The company welcomes consignments and appraisals.

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