On Wednesday, October 10th Schwenke Auctioneers will conduct its October Fine Estates Auction with a diverse offering of 502 lots consigned from several separate estates and consignors from Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. The auction includes a broad selection of Asian decorative arts, American, English and Continental furniture and decorative arts, folk art and American country furniture, early English & other sterling silver, jewelry, fine art, miscellaneous decorative arts, and estate oriental rugs.

Special items of interest among the Americana lots being sold are a rare set of twelve gothic influenced “Lincoln White House Chairs”, Joseph Meeks & Sons (American, active 1797-1868), c. 1840, upholstered in brocade fabric. During the Polk Administration (1845-49), as many as twenty-four black walnut Gothic Revival chairs by J & W Meeks were purchased for The White House, four of which are still in The White House collection. They were used in the dining room during the Lincoln administration and have been referred to as "Lincoln White House Dining Chairs." Measuring 34" high, 18 1/2" wide, 17" deep, the set sold at Carlsen Gallery, 2014 for $6000 plus premium, and are being offered now on behalf of a Massachusetts Collector.

Also of interest is an Italianate style carved and gilded marble topped low table with an elaborately carved apron and scroll carved legs, composite marble top with molded edge detail, formerly from the collection of Michael Jackson, and measuring 26" high, 51" wide, 43" deep. The marble top is laminated construction, with multiple fissures and repairs to one corner. The table is being sold on behalf of a Woodbury, CT Collector.

The auction is a live online sale with absentee and phone bidding, plus live internet bidding on Live Auctioneers, Invaluable, Bidsquare and live bidding on the firm’s own software. The auction begins at 11:00 am on Wednesday, October 10th.  Preview times are Friday, October 5th from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm, Sunday, October 7th from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm; Monday, October 8th from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, and Tuesday, October 9th from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, and Wednesday, October 10th from 9:00 am to 10:00 am. Preview is also available at other times by appointment. The gallery is closed from 10:00 am on auction day.

Fine Art

Many lots of fine art are being offered, including a work by Eric Sloan entitled “August in Connecticut”, consigned by a Warren, Connecticut estate. Sloan (Connecticut, 1905-1985), signed the oil on board depicting barns and silo and titled verso. Frame size is 26 1/2" high, 38" wide. Other fine art works include a Charles Wesley Nicholson, O/C desert scene; Norman Conn modernist W/C; Frederick Svendsen, O/C docked boats, (Danish, 1885-1975), signed, frame size 18 1/2" high, 22 1/2" wide, from the Estate of Gloria Samowitz, Stratford, CT; a Frank Weston Benson Etching, "Redheads #2"; V. Olbert, pair old master style O/C scenes; and an old master possibly Thomas Hendrick De Keyser (Dutch 1596-1667), bust length portrait of a woman in lace cap and ruff, oil on canvas, bearing signature lower right "T D Keyser", in a 19th century giltwood frame bearing plaque "Theodore De Keyser". The frame size is 25" high, 22" wide, and provenance is property of a New Haven CT collector.

Sterling Silver

Sterling silver lots on the block include a Gorham seven piece sterling tea and coffee service, comprising coffee pot, teapot, sugar, creamer, hot water urn on stand with burner, waste bowl and tray, bases marked Gorham (Lion, Anchor, G) Sterling Queen Charlotte, date symbol for 1928, 1929 and 1932. The form is lobed bodies with chased floral/scroll designs, bone finials and ferrules on both pots, oval tray with cut out handles. All pieces monogrammed "CFE". Total weight is 252.25 ozt, and consigned by a Warren, CT Estate; an International sterling three piece coffee service, comprising a coffee pot, sugar bowl and creamer, weight 28.270 ozt, and also property of a Warren, CT Estate; and a J.E. Caldwell & Co. sterling tea and coffee set, monogrammed, comprising teapot, coffee pot, sugar, creamer, waste bowl, gross weight 70.715 ozt, provenance is Estate of Gloria Samowitz, Stratford, CT.

Mid-Century Modern

Several lots of Mid-Century Modern are hitting the block in this sale, including a pair of modernist aluminum upholstered club chairs; a mid-century round glass and lucite coffee table, 14 1/2" high, 45" diameter, the property of a Farmington, Connecticut estate; a Whitmore Boogaerts kinetic oak/wrought iron chair; a mid-century twig form iron upholstered bench; and a Vaclav Vytlacil, watercolor on paper modernist work, framed, under glass, frame size: 22" high, 18" wide, and property of a Farmington, Connecticut Estate. Vaclav Vytlacil was an American artist and art instructor, and was among the earliest and most influential advocates of Hans Hoffman's teachings in the United States. He was born in New York City, on November 1, 1892. At an early age he moved with his parents to Chicago. In 1906, he began studies at the Art Institute of Chicago, returning to New York on a scholarship to the Art Students League in 1913. While there, he studied under portraitist John C. Johansen. Vytlacil left the League to take a teaching position at the Minneapolis School of Art. He also spent time in Europe, working as an assistant to Hans Hofmann and studying the Cubist movement.

During the late 1930s and early 1940s, Vytlacil taught at a variety of places, including the Art Students League of New York City, Queens College in New York, Black Mountain College in North Carolina, the College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland, California, and other art schools. In 1946, he rejoined the faculty of the Art Students League and remained there until his retirement in 1978. He successfully helped get his acquaintance Jan Matulka a job at Art Students League of New York. Among his students were artists such as Louise Bourgeois, Willem de Kooning, Knox Martin, Frank O'Cain, Robert Rauschenberg, James Rosenquist, Cy Twombly, and Tony Smith among others.

He was also known for being one of the founders of the American Abstract Artists group. He died in New York City, on January 5, 1984. After his death, his daughter Anne bequeathed his estate in Rockland County to The Art Students League of New York City. He has been ranked alongside top modernist painters including Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Georges Braque, Ben Shahn, and others by a variety of critics, including Howard Devree of the New York Times.

Vytlacil's artworks are in the collections of many museums, including The Museum of Modern Art, The Whitney Museum of American Art, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Among his pupils was the sculptor Dorothy Rieber Joralemon. His student Frank O'Cain continues to teach painting, design and color composition according to Vytlacil's theoretical principals at the Art Students League of New York.

Asian Decorative Arts

This sale has a large selection of Asian decorative arts on offer, including a fine Northern Wei pottery horse, with traces of polychrome and gilt decoration, old repair to one ear. Oxford authentication T.L. test report indicates firing between 1,000 and 1,600 years ago, consistent with suggested period of manufacture. Two samples taken #C101g43. The horse measures 16" high, 13" wide, 8" deep, consigned by a New York estate. Other Asian items include a warring states period Hu form stoneware vessel; several Chinese Ming dynasty plates; several Chinese hardwood marble top stands; a pair of Chinese cloisonné enamel pricket candlesticks; a pair of Chinese incised lidded pewter tea canisters; a Chinese bronze incense burner; a Chinese Export porcelain a New York coat of arms plate; a Tang dynasty earthenware figure of a groom; a Qing dynasty Chinese famile rose bowl; an early Ming crackle glazed bottle vase; and a Chinese interior painted glass perfume bottle.

Continental and English Decorative Arts

The sale includes many fine pieces of formal Continental and English furniture and decorations from several New York and Connecticut estates. Among the offerings are a set of six continental carved walnut Queen Anne side chairs, with upholstered backs, upholstered in linen with cut velvet backs and linen slipcovers, measuring 43 1/2" high, 22" wide, 17" deep, and consigned by a New York City Collector. Other English lots of interest include an English Chippendale style decorated bird cage on stand; a Cypriot carved cedar and walnut dowry chest; a Continental baroque carved and gilded console table; a George II inlaid walnut bachelor chest; a pair of Regency style round wine carts; several period upholstered wing chairs; an early English mahogany stick barometer; a George III carved mahogany chest on chest; an oval George III mahogany dining table; a diminutive George III mahogany server; a French two part carved chestnut vaisselier; a George III mahogany commode table; and a Louis XVI marble top galleried bouillotte table with pierced brass gallery and marble top on fluted tapering legs, 29" high, 24" diameter, provenance property of a New Haven, CT Collector.

Americana, Formal/Country Furniture and Folk Art

This large auction includes a sizable group of American formal and country furniture, decorations and folk art consigned from several estate sources.  American lots of interest include a Chippendale Cherrywood tall chest; a highly figured tiger maple Sheraton bonnet chest; an American country pine blue painted chimney cupboard; a New York classical carved, gilt and verte paw footed sofa; an early Queen Anne country maple tavern table; a New York classical stenciled mahogany marble top pier table; an American country red painted blanket chest; a New York State federal pine and poplar grain panted kas; a Boston classical mahogany library bookcase; a Massachusetts swell front mahogany chest; a New England painted corner cupboard; and a Sheraton mahogany Canterbury.

From the same collection as the Lincoln chairs is a very fine Connecticut cherry bonnet top highboy, having a broken arch top over fan carved central drawer flanked by two smaller drawers, four graduated drawers, base with one long drawer over central fan drawer flanked by two deep drawers, shaped apron on pad feet, measuring 82 1/2" high, 38 1/2" wide, 19" deep.

One of the finest lots of American folk art is a large oxidized copper weathervane, with scrolled banner ornament, large directionals and set on a conical fluted base. The impressive vane measures 93 1/2" high, and approximately 40" diameter, consigned by a Connecticut collector.

Also on offer is a fine Jose Formosa Reyes Nantucket friendship basket, (Philippine, 1902-1980), top with intricate carving of heron among cattails, owner's name plaque on lid interior, signed and marked "Made in Nantucket." Measuring 7" high , 10 1/4" wide, with handle 11 1/2" high, the basket comes from a Warren, CT Estate.

Oriental Carpets

 The sale also includes over 35 fine estate oriental carpets including Persian, Caucasian and Turkoman room and scatter sized rugs, and other regional and modern rugs of varying sizes. One example of interest is a fine Persian Heriz room size rug, measuring 11’ 5” long, 9’ 5” wide.

The catalog for the sale is viewable at www.woodburyauction.com. Internet, absentee and phone bidding are available for this live gallery auction by registering directly with Schwenke Auctioneers. The sale will be broadcast live through Live Auctioneers, Invaluable and Bidsquare. Pre-sale absentee bidding and live sale bidding is also provided on the firm’s own Hibid platform. For information please call Schwenke Auctioneers at 203-266-0323.