A rare stoneware honey or sugar pot by Emanuel Suter [Lot 1], from the collection of Rudolph Evers, sold for a record-breaking price of $ 86,250.00 at Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates’ auction of Americana & Fine Antiques on June 22. The pot is important because it bears a stenciled mark, “Emanuel Suter” known on this and only two other examples. Emanuel Suter (1833-1902) is widely recognized as the preeminent Mennonite potter of the American South during the second half of the nineteenth century. For more information on Suter see “A Great Deal of Stone & Earthen Ware” – The Rockingham County, Virginia School of Folk Pottery by Jeffrey S. Evans and Scott Hamilton Suter. The pot broke the previous record of $82,250.00 for Virginia pottery, held by an Anthony Bacher earthenware figure of a goat sold in 1995 as part of the Dr. Henry Deyerle collection.  The Suter pot was purchased by private collectors from Maryland who have ties to the Shenandoah Valley. 

There were many other strong prices achieved during the auction. An important Wythe County, Valley of Virginia paint-decorated blanket chest, sold for $34,500 to private collectors in the area [presale estimate $20,000-$30,000, lot 603]. A rare coin silver covered fruit bowl with elaborate Rococo Revival repousse decoration, marked for retailers Mitchell & Tyler of Richmond, Virginia and maker Peter L. Krider of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that descended in the Dooley family of Richmond, sold to a Virginia institution for $31,050 against an estimate of $5,000-$8,000. [Lot 880].  

Purchases by the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley included an extremely rare Frederick County, Virginia fraktur, one of only six known by the same hand. This example featured a spread-wing eagle and two heart-form leaves above "MARY E. / JONES / Died July 29th 1849 Aged 49.y 4m. 20d." executed in gold leaf, watercolor and ink. Estimated at $10-15,000, the fraktur sold for $29,900, against strong bidding. [Lot 527]. The catalogue entry for the lot included a possible identification of the artist of this group based on research conducted by Jeffrey S. Evans and William McGuffin.

A rare pair of circa 1775 Southside Virginia Chippendale black walnut side chairs [Lot 607] was also hotly-contested, realizing $26,450 against a pre-sale estimate of $8,000-12,000. They are identical to an example in the Colonial Williamsburg collection that is illustrated on p. 108, fig. 24.1 of Southern Furniture 1680-1830 by Ron Hurst and Jonathan Prown and carried a Milly McGehee provenance.

Among the fine art sold at the auction, a Southern genre painting by William Aiken Walker, also from the Evers estate, sold for $17,250.00 against a pre-sale estimate of $10-15,000. The estate collection of Betty and Richard Robertson of Waynesboro, VA yielded two miniature portraits signed by members of the famous Peale family of artists. A Raphaelle Peale portrait of a gentleman, realized $9,200, while a James Peale portrait of a woman, realized $8,625.00. [Lots 815 and 816]. Both had pre-sale estimates of $2-4,000.

The mammoth 1010 lot auction realized slightly more than $870,000. (all prices include a 15% buyer’s premium). Bidders from over 23 countries participated in the sale and the auction house received thousands of on-line and left bids.

COMMENTS from Jeffrey S. Evans:

The demand for well documented, fresh Southern material continues to be strong. Institutional interest in this auction was tremendous with several museums successfully adding important objects to their collections of Southern decorative arts. As for the antiques market as a whole, we are seeing a significant increase in the number of bidders and bids which is resulting in an uptick in prices. Buyers are recognizing the great values available in the current market and are taking advantage of some great deals.

Jeffrey S. Evans’ next Americana and the South auction will take place on November 16. The auction house has already lined up two important Shenandoah Valley estate collections that were formed primarily in the 1980s and 1990s. The firm’s next auction consists of more than 2,000 Victorian glass salt, pepper and sugar shakers from the collection of the late Richard and Mary Ann Krauss of Clyde, OH.   

 For further details email jfenichell@mac.com, or call 917.302.1757, or call Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates, 540.434.3939. ###