East Dennis, Mass. – Seven phone bidders chased an exquisite needlework sampler to a sale price of $28,800, more than 50 times its pre-sale estimate of $500/1,000, at Eldred’s annual Fall Americana, Paintings & Maritime Art Auction, held November 19-21. Also selling at the same price was a Circa 1805 Aaron Willard tall-case clock that retains its original paper label from the Boston clockmaker; the clock had a pre-sale estimate of $10,000/15,000. Nearly 600 bidders took part in this eclectic auction that included more than 1,300 lots of paintings, fine furniture, sporting art, collectibles, folk art and much more.  

The sale kicked off on Thursday with a 94-lot private Massachusetts collection of cast iron mechanical banks. Garnering quite a bit of pre-sale interest, the collection saw lively competition from audience, phone and Internet bidders, driving most lots to sell within or above estimate. Bidding was most competitive on the “Cupola” bank by J.&E. Stevens Company, which sold far above estimate for $12,000 to a floor bidder. “We were pleasantly surprised by several results,” said Eric Mulak, head of the Collectibles department at Eldred’s. “It was a nice clean collection with a lot of variety.”

Other highlights from the auction’s first session included a rare life-size decorative sanderling carved by A. Elmer Crowell, which sold for $9,000, and a California presentation gold and quartz-mounted cane, which brought $9,600.

The needlework sampler was the star of Friday’s auction session. The piece, wrought by 13-year-old Lydia Gilman and believed to be a Deerfield, Massachusetts example, featured multicolored alphabets and numerals, as well as extensive floral and bird decoration. “The colors were really strong,” said Bill Bourne, an Assistant Vice President at Eldred’s and a director of the Americana department. “It was probably kept folded in a drawer and not framed until recently. We put a very conservative estimate on it but thought it would do well. It was a very strong price for a really nice sampler.”

Friday also included lots of silver, folk art, ceramics and maritime art. Standouts include a carved wooden eagle by Peter Libbey, which sold for $7,800, a Parcheesi game board in original paint, which brought $4,500, a Joseph Rice coin silver tankard, which sold for $1,750, and a sailor’s shellwork picture, which brought $1,320.

Two of the highest grossing paintings in the sale were by maritime-themed compositions by contemporary artists Joseph McGurl, whose “Rippled Waters” brought $19,200, and Richard K. Loud, whose “Two Yachts Racing” sold for $7,500. Other notable paintings included “Wall Street in Winter” by Johann Berthelsen, which sold for $6,875, a portrait of a Massachusetts militia officer by William Matthew Prior, which brought $6,600, and a scene of fishing shacks on the Saugus River by Charles Edwin Lewis Green, which sold for $6,250. A self-portrait by Provincetown artist Henry Hensche, part of a private collection of works by Hensche and his wife Ada Rayner Hensche, sold for $7,500, triple the pre-sale estimate. A Provincetown-based collection of works by local artists, primarily Nancy Whorf and Carol Whorf Westcott, consistently sold within or above pre-sale estimate.

Furniture lots, primarily sold during Saturday’s auction session, saw rollercoaster results. Highpoints came from an outstanding Sheraton work table, possibly from the shop of Thomas and John Seymour, which sold for $18,000, and an 18th Century New England pine tavern table under green paint, which sold for $8,400, while a Hepplewhite chest with flame birch drawer facings and a curly maple Chippendale tall chest sold for bargain prices of $2,100 and $2,000. “In today’s market, furniture sales are really driven by private buyers,” said Bill Bourne. “Dealers aren’t buying big furniture unless they know they’ve got a client for it.”

Still, the firm remains encouraged by increased interest in the furniture market over the past year, particularly from first-time buyers and new collectors. Across the board, online bidder participation increases significantly with each auction.

Eldred’s fall auction season will conclude with the Fall Asian Art Auction, being held December 3 and 4 at the company’s main facility, located 1483 Route 6A, in East Dennis, Massachusetts. Interested bidders can visit www.eldreds.com for a complete sale listing and to register to bid via phone, absentee bid or online. Those wishing to bid live in the audience may register at the offices the day of the auction.

The Robert C. Eldred Co., New England's oldest established antiques and fine arts auction house, holds approximately 25 auctions per year encompassing Americana, paintings, Asian art, European decorative art, maritime antiques and collectibles. It was recently named one of the top worldwide auction houses by Art + Auction. For more information please call (508) 385-3116 or email info@eldreds.com.