Our next major auction, scheduled for January 30th and 31st in Knoxville will feature fine art, decorative arts, jewelry, silver, and historical ephemera from several Southern estates and fine collections. A few items from the upcoming auction are below. Watch for more items to be added to this page in the coming weeks and our full catalog in December. Join our email list and we’ll notify you when the catalog is live.
Henry Kirke Brown (New York, Massachusetts / Italy, 1814 – 1886) bronze cabinet-size bust depicting the American attorney and statesman, Senator Henry Clay Sr. (Kentucky, 1777-1852). Signed on the left-back shoulder “H. K. Brown Sculptor Sept. 1852”. 16 1/4″ H x 9 1/2″ W x 6″ D. Another example of this bronze bust is on display in the U. S. Senate. Artist biography: Born in Massachusetts, Henry Kirke Brown (1814 – 1886) displayed an early talent for portrait art and began with Chester Harding at the age of 18. During this period, he began modeling with clay and developed an interest in this medium. He subsequently worked as an engineer on Illinois’ first railroad to earn enough money to study sculpture in Italy for four years. Brown was the creator of the first western-themed bronze, “The Choosing of the Arrow” that was distributed by The American Art Union. In addition to western bronzes, Brown also created portraits for the National Statuary Hall in the U. S. Capitol Building and several notable equestrian statues including one of George Washington, Andrew Jackson, and Winfield Scott. He became a member of the National Academy of Design in 1851. Provenance: The estate of Senator John Marshall Butler of Maryland, by descent to the consignor.
Rare 1778 Engraved map of Colonial Philadelphia after George Heap (1714-1752) and Nicholas Scull (1687-1761), published by Carington Bowles, London, 1778: AN EAST PERSPECTIVE VIEW OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA IN THE PROVINCE OF PENSYLVANIA [sic] IN NORTH AMERICA, TAKEN FROM THE JERSEY SHORE. Copper plate engraving on laid paper with original hand color, 1778, First state. Watermarked “_aylor”. Matted and framed under glass in a narrow ebonized frame with gilt beading. Image – 9 1/2″H (excluding text) x 16″W. Sheet- 10 7/8″ H x 16 3/4″W. Frame – 17″ H x 22″W. Note: This is one of the first engravings made from the original and important Heap drawing of Philadelphia, requested by Thomas Penn. It depicts the mile long waterfront from present day South Street to Vine Street. A key below the image identifies 14 locations including Christ Church, the State House, Academy ___(unspecified), Presbyterian Church, Dutch Calvinist Church, The Court House, the Quakers Meeting House, High Street Wharf, Mulberry Street, Sassafras Street, Vine Street, Chesnut Street, Drawbridge, and the floating Corn Mill. Various ships crowd the busy port area. Old previous labels preserved en verso of frame backing for Kennedy & Co. Rare Prints and Schramm Galleries, Fort Lauderdale. Provenance: the estate of William Pursell, Nashville, Tennessee.
VIEW OF NORFOLK FROM COSPORT, VIRGINIA, John Hill, engraver, after John Shaw (U.K., 1776-1832), from the book “Picturesque Views of American Scenery,” published by Mathew Carey & Son, Philadelphia, c. 1820. Hand tinted aquatint on wove paper. Depicts trees and a partially submerged dock the foreground; a building with flags across the water and a dock with several boats; across the bay in the distance are white buildings with red roofs and a windmill. This scarce print is based on a painting or drawing by Joshua Shaw. Shaw was born in England in 1776 or 1777, came to Philadelphia in 1817, and traveled throughout the South making sketches and taking subscription for a series of American views. Another example is in the collection of the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts. Housed under glass in a narrow ebonized frame. Image – 9 3/4″ H x 13 1/2″ W. Sight – 12″ H x 15″ W. Framed – 21 1/2″ H x 24″ W. Provenance: the collection of Raymond White, Nashville, Tennessee.
Harriet Whitney Frishmuth (American, 1880-1980) bronze sculpture titled, “The Star”, depicting a nude female, standing and reaching up with one arm. Stamped on top base of sculpture “Harriet Frishmuth 1918” and stamped along the edge of base “Gorham Co. Founders 0504 #115”. Mounted onto a black square marble base. Sculpture measures: 19 1/8″ H. 20″ total H w/ base.
George Washington “Linked States” Inaugural Brass Button, 1789. Depicts the script initials “GW” surrounded by the inscription “LONG LIVE THE PRESIDENT” with an exterior linked ring of script letters representing the original thirteen colonies. Does not retain shank. 1 7/16″ dia.
Joanna Higgs Ross (Nashville, TN, born 1934) oil on canvas expressionist landscape painting titled “Cades Cove No. 9” depicting a field and a line of trees, fore and middle ground, against a hazy blue mountain range, background. Signed and dated “Joanna Higgs Ross, 1985″ with title and additional signature, en verso of stretcher. The Annual Tennessee All-State Artist Exhibition, Parthenon Galleries, Centennial Park, Nashville, TN label with artist’s name, title, medium, and additional information and a blue Purchase Award ribbon from the same exhibition, en verso. Housed in a grey painted wooden frame. Sight – 36″ H x 48″ W. Framed – 36 3/4″ H x 48 5/8” W. American, late 20th century. Biography: Joanna Higgs-Ross was born in Nashville and is associated with the “Knoxville Seven”, a group of progressive artists connected to the University of Tennessee which included Richard Clarke, Robert Birdwell, C. Kermit Ewing, Walter H. Stevens and Carl Sublett. She majored in art at UT Knoxville, and received a B.F.A. in 1956 and received her M.F.A. from the University of Illinois in Urbana in 1961. She taught art at Lambuth College in Jackson, TN, 1961-1982. Paintings in public collections include Tennessee State Museum, Knoxville Museum of Art, and Memphis Museum of Art. Recent exhibitions include the Tennessee Arts Commission and Knoxville Museum of Art. (Source: the Tennessee Arts Commission).
George Ayers Cress (Alabama/Tennessee, 1921-2008) oil on canvas expressionist painting titled “Seawall” depicting an abstract rendering of a seawall in shades of yellow and brown with a stretch of blue across the top. Signed and dated “George Cress 1970″ lower right. All-State Artist Exhibition, 1970 label with artist name, title, notation that this painting won the 1st Purchase Prize in Oil, and list of judges name inlcuding Lamar Dodd, Ferdinand Warren, and Marshall Boudin, III, en verso. Housed in a wooden frame with gilt trim. Sight – 36 1/8″ H x 44″ W. Framed – 37″ H x 44 3/4” W. American, third quarter 20th century. Biography: George Cress was born in Anniston, Alabama and studied at Emory University, American University, and the University of Georgia, where he studied under fellow Southern contemporary artist Lamar Dodd. He was a central figure in Chattanooga’s arts community and served as President of the Tennessee Arts Council and sat on the board of the Hunter Museum of Art. From 1951-1984 he was painter in residence at the University of Tennessee in Chattanooga; the Cress Gallery of Art at UTC is named in his honor. (courtesy Tennessee Historical Quarterly Vol. XLIV No. 2: “Landscape and Genre Painting in Tennessee 1810-1985”)
Carl Sublett (Tennessee, 1919-2008) watercolor on paper depicting the Gay Street bridge located in Knoxville, TN. Signed lower right “Sublett”. Housed in a modern giltwood frame with linen weave mat. Painting – 17 1/2″ H x 23 5/8″ W. Sight – 17 3/4″ H x 24 1/4″ W. Framed – 26 1/2″ H x 32 1/2″ W. Biography: Carl Sublett studied Art History at the American Academy in Florence, Italy, after serving as a sergeant in World War II. He moved to Knoxville in 1954 where he studied with Kermit Ewing and eventually became a Professor of Fine Art at the University of Tennessee. Sublett was a founding member of the art group, The Knoxville Seven, a progressive group working from 1955-1965, which produced some of the first abstract expressionist art in Tennessee. In 1982 he retired from teaching and in 1984, he opened the Sublett Gallery in Knoxville. In 1991, “The Unseen Carl Sublett” was the first exhibit at the new Knoxville Museum of Art (built on the site of the 1982 World’s Fair). Sublett won numerous awards for his paintings and was a member of the National Academy of Design. His works are in the collections of the National Academy of Design, The Tennessee State Museum, and Cheekwood, Nashville. (Source: The Tennessee Arts Commission).
Burton Harry Callicott (Tennessee/Indiana, 1907-2003) abstract oil on canvas painting titled “Outpouring No. 2” depicting a white central circle with radiating bands rendered in the primary, secondary, and tertiary shades of the color wheel. Signed and dated “Callicott ’85” lower right. Title, date, artist’s name, and additional information en verso. Housed in a white wooden frame with gilt trim. Sight – 59 1/2″ square. Framed – 6 5/8″ square. American, late 20th century. Biography: “Born in 1907 in Terre Haute, Indiana, Burton Callicott spent much of his childhood and his seventy-year career as an artist and educator in Memphis. Callicott graduated in 1931 from the Cleveland School of Art, where he began an exploration of the use of light and dark that would follow him throughout his life. He is perhaps best known regionally for his set of three large murals in the Memphis Pink Palace Museum titled The Coming of De Soto. Completing his training in sculpture at the Cleveland School of Art in the midst of the Depression, Callicott returned to Memphis, where his mother and stepfather, Michael Abt, resided. The director of the western division of Tennessee’s Federal Works of Art Project, Abt played a major role in launching Callicott’s career. He put Callicott to work immediately on Memphis Cotton Carnival floats and displays for other Memphis festivals while also helping him secure a commission for a Public Works of Art Project mural in 1933. Installed in the Memphis Museum of Natural History (now the Memphis Pink Palace Museum), the three-panel mural depicts Hernando De Soto’s arrival in West Tennessee. Another of Callicott’s most recognized works, The Gleaners (1936), was completed during the early years of his career and received much attention at the 1939 New York World’s Fair. These early projects set Callicott off on a long and successful career in Memphis. Callicott became a founding faculty member of the Memphis Academy of Art (now the Memphis College of Art) in 1937. Callicott became professor emeritus in 1978. Callicott’s works have been exhibited at various museums across the state and region, including the Cheekwood Museum of Art and the Tennessee State Museum in Nashville, the West Tennessee Regional Art Center in Humboldt, the Knoxville Museum of Art, the Carroll Reece Museum at East Tennessee State University, the Arkansas Art Center in Little Rock, and the Morris Museum of Art in Augusta, Georgia. Samples of his artwork are on permanent display at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art and the Memphis Pink Palace Museum. The Tennessee Arts Commission chose to honor the work of Callicott in 2000 with a specialty license plate for which he designed a rainbow with the caption, “art is…a rainbow.” Callicott continued to live in Memphis until his death in 2003″. (source: “Burton Callicott” by Elizabeth H. Moore, originally published October 8, 2017, https://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entries/burton-callicott/).
Carroll Cloar (Tennessee, 1913-1993) signed graphite drawing on paper depicting a male figure with a slightly tilted head and one closed eye, surrounded by butterflies, and with a butterfly resting on his head. Signed lower left “Carrol Cloar”. Unframed. 12″ H x 16″ W. More information in the coming weeks.
Joseph Delaney (Tennessee/New York, 1904-1991) watercolor on cream paper depicting a nude female figure reclining with arms crossed behind her head and right knee slightly bent. Signed and dated with inscription lower left corner “In Solemn Friendship to Marie Woods From Joe Delaney, 1941”. Float mounted onto cream cardstock and housed in a simple painted wood frame. Paper: 19 3/4″ H x 29 7/8″ W. Sight: 22 7/8″ H x 32 3/4″ W. Framed: 24 3/8″ H x 34 3/8″ W. Note: In the book THE LIFE, ART, AND TIMES OF JOSEPH DELANEY 1904-1991, author Frederick C. Moffatt, notes that Marie Woods was a lifelong companion who assisted Delaney in editing and typing his hand written notes and texts (page 44). A watercolor portrait of Marie Woods by Delaney was featured in the 2016 exhibit “Life in the City: The Art of Joseph Delaney” at the Ewing Gallery of Art & Architecture at the University of TN Knoxville. Artist’s Biography: Biography (By Frederick C. Moffatt) – Joseph Delaney was born in Knoxville in 1904, the ninth of ten children born to a Methodist Minister. He and his older brother, Beauford, discovered their interest in art by drawing on Sunday School cards. In 1930, Joseph left Tennessee for New York where Beauford was also working as an artist, and enrolled in the Art Students League under the tutelage of Thomas Hart Benton and Alexander Brooke. The subject matter he found there, including the city’s landmarks and its people, are the images for which he is best known. In 1986, Delaney returned to Knoxville to live and was artist-in-residence for the University of Tennessee Art Department until his death in 1991. Delaney’s works are included in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Chicago Art Institute, The Knoxville Museum of Art, and The Smithsonian American Art Museum. Provenance: Estate of Russell McAdoo, Murfreesboro, TN.
Michel J. Cazabon (France, Trinidad and Tobago, 1813-1888) Caribbean watercolor landscape depicting an adult and child figure standing at the edge of a body of water, with trees and hut in background and cattle in the foreground, under a hazy gradient sky. Faint signature “Cazabon” lower left. 10 5/8″ H x 14 1/2″W. More information in the coming weeks.
Edwin Maximilian Gardner (Tennessee, 1845-1935) oil on canvas Black Americana painting titled “Hoe in Hand” depicting an adolescent African American male holding a hoe and a basket and standing on a dirt road in the shadow of a tree. Signed and dated “Edwin M. Gardner 1903″ lower left. Typed artist’s information label and conservation label, en verso. Housed in a giltwood frame with reeded and lamb’s tongue running patterns. Sight – 29 5/8″ H x 21 5/8″ W. Framed – 35 5/8″ H x 27 1/8” W. American, early 20th century. Note: This painting is the illustration provided for the artist biography in the Tennessee Encyclopedia by Madeline Reed. Biography: Edwin M. Gardner, illustrator, portraitist, and cartographer, was born near Pulaski in Giles County, but while still a young boy, he moved with his family to Mississippi, where he probably had some formal training in art. While in his teens, Gardner fought in the Civil War as a member of Nathan Bedford Forrest’s cavalry. Following the war, he began his formal art education in Memphis, then moved to Europe to train at the Royal Academy in Brussels, with later studies in France and Italy. Upon his return to the United States, Gardner resumed study at the National Academy of Design in New York. Afterward, he moved to Aberdeen, Mississippi, where he taught art at a female academy. He next moved to Winchester in Franklin County, where he spent five years on the faculty at Mary Sharp College. Gardner made his last home in Nashville, where he had his greatest artistic influence. He made the first woodcuts and pen portraits for photoengraving used in the local daily newspapers, including the first published pen portrait of Sarah Childress Polk. Although Gardner was listed in the catalogue of the 1885 Watkins Institute Art Show as a teacher there, he actually taught under the auspices of the Nashville Art Association in the art room which Watkins provided. His first official association with Watkins’s Night School probably came in September 1910, when he was hired to teach industrial art. (School commissioners were perhaps still uncomfortable with the term “fine” art.) Gardner’s presence on the Watkins Institute faculty gave the school a teacher trained in commercial and fine arts. He encouraged his students to draw by taking casts and using live models, and this laid the foundation for the school’s Department of Fine Art. (source: “Edwin M. Gardner” by Madeline Reed, Tennessee Encyclopedia, originally published October 8, 2017, https://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entries/edwin-m-gardner/).
Gilbert Gaul (American, 1855-1919), oil on canvas landscape depicting a country road with two wooden structures painted red, one possibly a barn with weathervane, obscured by leafy trees, under a mostly cloudy sky. Titled “Tennessee Back Road” on previous sales label en verso, along with artist information. Signed “G. Gaul” lower left. Housed in a gold leaf cove molded frame with carved acanthus leaf ornaments at corners. Canvas – 12″H x 18″W. Frame – 20″H x 26″W. Provenance: Private Southern Collection.
Washington Girard (Tennessee, 1873-1931) oil on board landscape painting depicting a stream flowing between several beech trees. Signed “Girard.” lower left. Original Art Deco period carved giltwood frame with projecting corners. Sight – 26 3/8″ H x 23 5/8″ W. Framed – 34″ H x 31″ W. American, early 20th century. Biography: William Washington “Wash” Girard was born on Sycamore Creek in Cheatham County, TN and after high school traveled to New York to study under marine painter Edward Moran. Following the death of his girlfriend, he returned to Nashville, where he continued painting and was a prolific writer. “His paintings of beech trees, his favorite theme, were often small and painted on Sycamore Creek or Brown’s Creek in the Nashville area. Not overly sentimental, these paintings were praised for their romanticism while remaining realistic.” (source: Weesner, “William Washington Girard”, Tennessee Historical Quarterly, Spring, 1986).
Robert Loftin Newman (Tennessee/NY/ France, 1827-1912), “Mother and Child,” oil on board painting depicting a woman closely holding a very young child in a dark, dense landscape setting. The dark haired woman wears a dress with light blouse and full red skirt, and the unclothed child stands on her lap with one arm outstretched. Signed “R.L. Newman” lower right. Exhibited, the National Collection of Fine Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C. retrospective of Newman’s work, October 26, 1973 – January 6, 1974, and pictured in the catalog on page 158 (#109). Exhibition label en verso identifies the lender to that exhibit as Victor Spark; catalog also lists Graham Gallery, New York in the provenance line. Molded giltwood frame. Sight – 16 1/2″ H x 12 3/4″W. Frame – 23″H x 19″W. Biography: Born in Richmond, Virginia, Robert Newman grew up in Clarksville, Tennessee. He is sometimes associated with Albert Pinkham Ryder, with whose work he shared thematic and stylistic affinities. Mothers and children were frequent subject matter, along with Old and New Testament themes. He studied briefly with Thomas Couture in Paris in 1850, and on a second trip to Paris in 1854, William Morris Hunt introduced him to J. F. Millet and to Barbizon. Newman served with the Confederate forces during the Civil War before moving to New York. He returned to Tennessee in 1872 and tried to establish an academy of fine arts in Nashville, but by 1873 he was back in New York, where he resided the rest of his life. He rarely exhibited his work. Source: Matthew Baigell, “Dictionary of American Artists” ; Peter Falk, “Who Was Who in American Art”; The Smithsonian American Art Museum.
Lloyd Branson (Tennessee, 1861-1925) panoramic oil on cardstock fall landscape painting depicting a rock lined stream flanked by fall trees foreground and a meadow with trees and mountains visible background. Signed lower right “Branson”. Housed in a gilt carved frame with oak leaf and anthemion decoration. Sight: 5 1/2″ H x 12 1/2″ W. Framed: 12″ H x 19″ W. Early 20th century. Biography: Enoch Lloyd Branson was best known for his Southern portraits and depictions of East Tennessee history. He moved to New York in 1873 to study at the National Academy of Design, where he won a first prize in 1875. In a partnership with Frank McCrary from 1885 to 1903, Branson became a leader in the East Tennessee arts community. He was a mentor to Catherine Wiley and is credited with discovering Beauford Delaney. (Research courtesy of James A. Hoobler, Tennessee State Museum).
Adelia Armstrong Lutz (American/Tennessee, 1859-1931) pastel on cardstock portrait of a young girl with long red hair, attired in a white dress with an upward gaze and with a pink rose lower center. Signed lower left “A. A. Lutz”. Inscription en verso partially reads “Artist —– Given to Charles & Annette Harris in frame by Mrs. Bill Colqueth —— Circle Knoxville TN 37920”. Housed in a molded gilt wood frame with gilt wood liner. Sight: 7 3/4″ H x 6 1/4″ W. 13 1/2″ H x 12″ W. 20th century. Framed: Biography: Adelia Armstrong Lutz was known for painting portraits, landscapes, and still lifes. She was born in Jefferson County, Tennessee. She studied art at the Corcoran Gallery in Washington, D.C., at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, and abroad. Upon her return to Knoxville in 1887, she was a director of the Knoxville Art Club and co-organized the Nicholson Art League. She married John Edwin Lutz in 1885 and they built their home, “Westwood”, on Knoxville’s Kingston Pike in approximately 1890.
Lamar William Dodd (Georgia/New York, 1909-1996) oil on canvas impressionist Southern landscape painting titled en verso upper stretcher “The Peaceful Valley”. Depicting an Alabama valley scene with animals visible to the center within split rail fencing and a lake to the left with rolling blue hills in the background. Paper label en verso reads “This painting Alabama Valley is the property of the artist LAMAR DODD ON permanent loan to Mrs. F. J. Dodd LaGrange, GA”. Housed in a textured gilt wood frame. Sight: 24 3/4″ H x 35 3/8″ W. Framed: 30 1/2″ H x 41 3/4″ W. Biography (courtesy Askart: The Artists’ Bluebook and The New Georgia Encyclopedia): Lamar Dodd is known for modernist-leaning landscape, genre, and still life painter, and as an educator. He had a career centered in his home state of Georgia, although his education at the Art Students League in New York City, and some of his painting assignments, such as being an official artist for the National Aerospace Program, took him far beyond his home town of Athens. Dodd was head of the art department at The University of Georgia (UGA) from 1938 until 1973, when he stepped down. He remained chair of the Division of Fine Arts until he retired in 1972. In 1963 a new art building was dedicated on UGA’s north campus. The Department of Art was renamed the Lamar Dodd School of Art in a dedication ceremony in 1996, just months before Dodd’s death later that year.
Carl Christian (Charles) Brenner (Kentucky/Switzerland/Germany, 1838-1888) oil on canvas landscape painting depicting a grove of trees at the edge of a body of water, with luminous pink sunset in the background. Signed “Carl C. Brenner” lower right. Canvas is backed with (but not adhered to) a board bearing a partial late 19th century catalog listing. Period Label en verso of stretcher, “From James S. Eaple & Sons 1831-1890”. Painting has descended in the consignor’s family with the oral title “Beech Woods” (one of the titles from the catalog listing). Period floral-molded giltwood and composition frame with gold-brown velvet liner. Canvas – 10″ H x 8 1/4″ W. Framed – 21 1/2″ H x 19 1/2″ W. Provenance: Private Southern Collection. Biography: “A native of Lauterecken, Bavaria, Carl Christian Brenner is noted for his landscapes and genre paintings. As a youth, he demonstrated sufficient artistic talent to be offered admission to the Munich Art Academy. However, Brenner’s father insisted he decline the offer and instead be trained as a glazier. At the age of fifteen, Brenner immigrated to the United States, landing first at New Orleans in 1853. He worked as a sign painter and glazier in that city for a few years, but then moved to Louisville, Kentucky, where he made his home for the remainder of his life. Working from his adopted city, Brenner painted a panoramic view of Civil War scenes for the Masonic Hall of Louisville in 1863. In the 1870s, Brenner began to devote his energies to landscape painting, creating many detailed views of the parks, rivers and forests in Louisville and the Cumberland mountains, for which he became well known and especially beloved locally. He also traveled to the West to paint views of the Plains states, Colorado, California, Washington, and Oregon. Brenner exhibited landscapes in the Louisville Industrial Exposition of 1874 and Philadelphia Centennial Exposition of 1876. He participated regularly in annual exhibitions of the National Academy of Design from 1877 to 1886 and in those of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts from 1881 to 1885. His work is in the collections of the Corcoran Gallery of Art, St. Louis Museum of Art, Speed Art Museum, Cheekwood Botanical Gardens and Museum of Art, and Morris Museum of Art.” (Source: The Johnson Collection).
Maude or Maud Kaufman Eggemeyer (American/Indiana, 1877-1959) oil on canvas portrait of a nude woman, seated across a sheet-draped chair with her back to the viewer, her long brunette hair flowing across her open arms. Signed lower right “Maud K. Eggemeyer.” Additionally signed en verso. Later giltwood molded frame. Canvas – 30″ square. Framed – 33″ Square. Provenance: by descent from Louise Whisenhunt, former director of the Art Association of Richmond, Indiana.
William Oliver the Younger (France/United Kingdom, 1823-1901) oil on canvas painting depicting a smiling, dark haired young beauty, seated upon a bench and attired in a white dress with an elaborate black lace wrap, with a pink rose behind her left ear and a holding a fan in her left hand; a man attired in a black hat and brown cloak leans on the edge of the bench behind her, gazing attentively. Signed and dated “W. Oliver 1878″ lower left. Housed in an elaborate and possibly original gilt carved and gesso rococo style frame. Sight – 17 3/4″ H x 14 1/2″ W. Framed – 24 3/4″ H x 21 1/2” W.
Umberto Brunellechi (France/Italy, 1879 – 1949) large oil on canvas rendered in bright colors and impasto technique. Depicting a country European landscape scene with a male and female musician performing as a mother with her baby daughter watch, with a village in the center background beneath a bright blue sky. Signed in stylized lettering “Brunelleschi” and dated “1906” in Roman numerals lower left. Housed in a scrolled and oak leaf carved gilt wood frame under glass. Sight: 36 1/4″ H x 44 3/4″ W. Framed: 44 1/2″ H x 53″ W.
Emile Albert Gruppe (American/Massachusetts, 1876-1978) oil on canvas maritime painting titled “Gloucester,” depicting a harbor scene with figures clustered on a dock where two sailboats are moored. Other boats sail in the distance, with the opposite shore visible in the background and a cloudy blue sky overhead. Signed “Emile A. Gruppe” lower left. Typed gallery information label, en verso of foam board. Housed in a 22K gold leaf hand-carved frame. Sight – 24 1/2″ H x 29 1/2″ W. Framed – 34 1/4″ H x 39″ W. Provenance: Estate of Russell McAdoo, Murfreesboro, TN. Biography: The son of landscape artist Charles Gruppe, Emile Gruppe became a renowned artist in his own right and one of the most important Rockport School artists. In addition to being raised by an artistic father, he was also educated in art at The Hague in the Netherlands and in New York City at the National Academy of Design and The Arts Students League. He also received instruction from artists George Bridgman, Charles Chapman, Richard Miller and John F. Carlson, with whom he would later establish the Gruppe Summer School in Gloucester, Massachusetts (1942). He made his permanent studio in Gloucester. Gruppes’s prolific career brought him many awards and memberships. He was a member of the Allied Artists of America, the Connecticut Academy of Fine Arts, the North Shore Art Association, the Gloucester Society of Artists, the Rochester Art Association, the Sarasota Art Association, the St. Augustine Art Association, and the Salmagundi Club of New York. His paintings are in numerous private and public collections, including the White House.
18th century English school oil on canvas half length portrait, in the manner of William Hogarth (British, 1697 – 1764) depicting a young dark haired woman seated and attired in a Colonial style dress with lace cap, neck wrap and bell sleeves against a dark backdrop. The Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota gallery label en verso of stretcher. Housed in an ornate gilt carved and gesso Louis XVI style frame. Placard fixed to lower inner edge of frame reads “Wm Hogarth – Portrait of Mrs. Hogarth”. Sight: 30″ H x 24 5/8″ W. Framed: 43 1/2″ H x 38 1/2″ W.
Flemish Old Master oil on board, school of Marten de Vos (1532 – 1603), titled en verso “Le Christ et la Vierge” or Christ and the Virgin. Depicting Christ seated and teaching from the Holy Scriptures to a female, the Virgin Mary. Latin inscription to the upper center, the Latin word “Eccfefia” (Crowns) to the left of the bride, monogram signature to the right of Christ. Three old paper labels en verso, one partially illegible but attributes painting to Marten de Vos, one French label with artist name, title and medium and one German label with artist name, title and medium. Verso additionally with incised initials “FH and EW” together with an incised crown and an old wax seal. Housed in a modern carved gilt wood frame with foliate corners. Sight – 25 1/4″ H x 34 1/8″ W. Framed – 31 1/2″ H x 40 1/4″ W. 16th/17th century.
Pietro Testa (Italy, 1611-1650) pen and ink drawing on paper depicting multiple portrait sketches of males in various poses, both young and old. Unsigned but bearing the collection black ink stamp of the Earl of Dalhousie lower left. Float mounted onto cardstock within a gilt and black drawn frame and with pencil inscriptions lower left of cardstock reading “Pietro Testa” and lower right “Coll. Earl of Dalhousie”. Additionally pencil inscribed en verso ” Pietro Testa, Coll. Earl of Dalhousie”. Kennedy Galleries NYC label on the back of frame. Housed in a giltwood frame. Drawing: 7 3/4″ H x 5 3/4″ W. Sight w/ Matte: 8 3/8″ H x 5 7/8″ W. Framed: 15″ H x 13″ W. Note: The Earl of Dalhousie collection stamp was discovered in two 18th century albums of Italian drawings dating from the 16th and 17th centuries. These were acquired by P. and D. Colnaghi & Company, London in 1922. The first album was sold in individual sheets by Cassirer of Berlin and the second album was transferred to the Frits Lugt collection. Remnants of the two albums were sold in 1955 by Sotheby’s London.
Yeu-Qua or Yeuqua (Chinese, fl. 1860-1885) miniature watercolor portrait of young Kate Freeman Clark, in original studio paper and silk frame and case with Yeu-Qua label, Hong Kong. Miss Clark, depicted at about 6 years of age, is posed standing next to a short column with green plant, and is dressed in a white lace dress with blue sash and matching headband. Original label is pasted to silk covered case and includes cleaning instructions along with the painter’s studio address. A faint pencil inscription notes this painting was copied from a “photo” of the little girl. Portrait: 5″H x 3 1/4″. Case: 7″ x 5 3/4″. Circa 1880.
Chinese School, circa 1853 oil on linen portrait of a clipper ship flying the American flag, in a Chinese harbor. The ship is titled “the Challenger” on the side of both the bow and the stern. Several smaller boats (with figures in them) surround the main ship, while buildings dot the hills rising in the background. Unsigned. Stained and ebonized wood frame with parcel gilt decoration. Sight- 25 1/2″ Hx 35″W. Framed- 31″H x 41″W. Note: the ship pictured here may be The Challenger, an extreme clipper ship built by Robert E. Jackson in East Boston in 1853. She sailed in the San Francisco trade and later in the guano trade in Peru. In 1863, she was sold to the Peruvian government and renamed Camille Camour. She was damaged and abandoned off the coast of Mexico in 1875. Source: Bruzelius, Lars: the Maritime History Visual Archives.
Rolex Medium Datejust, Ref, 6827, Serial # 5803181. Automatic movement, 31mm 18K yellow gold case and buckle (stamped 750), fitted with the original Rolex crocodile leather strap. Retains the original box and warranty papers.
Ladies 14K white gold 2.93 carat diamond ring featuring 1 round brilliant cut diamond, Clarity VS2, Color-J, stone measures 8.91 – 9.16 x 5.69 mm. Excellent polish, good symmetry and no flourescence. GIA number 2215196788. Size 7.
Ladies 18K yellow gold cross pendant featuring blue, green, red, and white enamel with 4 natural pearls approximately 5 to 5.5mm each, accented by 18 mine cut diamonds approximately 1.08 carats, Clarity-SI2, Color-H. The pendant is marked “750” and has a bust hallmark. The pendant is 3″ x 1 1/2″. Gross weight of the pendant is 31.71 grams.
Ladies Platinum 3.19 carat diamond ring, GIA certified, featuring 1 emerald cut diamond weighing 2.61 carats, Clarity-SI1, Color-L measuring 9.53 x 6.87 x 4.30 mm, good polish and symmetry and no flourescence. Accented by 2 half-moon cut diamonds approximately 0.58 carats, Clarity-VS2, Color-G. 6 3/4 size. GIA Report number 5212183856.
Ladies antique diamond bar pin, containing one round old European brilliant cut diamond, 7.13 – 7.18 x 4.41 mm, weighing 1.40 carats, color E, clarity VS1 with large open culet and very thin girdle. Diamond is set in a six prong round yellow head installed in the center of bar pin. Pin measures 50 mm L, 2.5 mm W, tapering to knife edge at top of pin. Mounting is 14K yellow gold, tested not stamped. Gross weight is 5.6 grams. GIA # 2215197006.
Ladies custom diamond and colored stone bar pin containing: one (1) synthetic red corundum, 7 x 7 mm square step cut color, medium strong, vivid violet red; fourteen (14) very well matched rectangle step cut natural blue corundum sapphires. 3.7 x 2.3 mm, color medium dark slightly grayish blue, type II clarity VS; four (4) very well matched rectangle step cut natural green beryl emeralds 3.4 x 2.0 mm, color medium dark moderately strong yellowish green, type III clarity VS; six (6) round European and modern cut diamonds, average dia. 2.80 mm, average weight 0.08 ct. each, average color H-I-J, average clarity SI 2-1, estimated total weight 0.46 carats; twelve (12) round, European full and single cut round diamonds, average 0.02 ct. each, average color H-I-J, average clarity SI 2-1, estimated total weight 0.25 carats; forty eight (48) round full cut diamonds, average 0.02 ct. each. average color G-H, average clarity VS 1, estimated total weight 0.96 carats. Ruby center stone is prong set. Large side diamonds are bezel/tube set in two units of three diamonds each. Small side diamonds are flush/bead set in four units of three diamonds each, surrounding center. Forty eight small diamonds are channel set in two units of twenty four diamonds each. Baguette sapphires are channel set in two units of seven sapphires each. Baguette emeralds are channel set in four one emerald units. Mounting is hand constructed from cast components with an applied pin hinge and catch findings, 18K yellow gold, tested – not stamped. Overall dimensions are 52.25 x 25.50 mm. 20.8 total grams.
Ladies 18K white gold brooch or pin featuring a mine cut diamond approximately 0.83 carats, Clarity-VS2, Color-K, accented by 22 round brilliant diamonds approximately 1.98 carats, Clarity-VS1, Color-G, & 32 single cut diamonds approximately 0.32 carats, Clarity-VS1, Color-H. The pin is marked “750” and is 1 1/2″ x 1 1/4″ in size. Gross weight of the pin is 10.54 grams. Note: Center diamond of brooch descended through the consignor’s family, dates to 1850.
Andre Harvey (American 1941 – 2018) and Donald Pywell designed 18K yellow gold and cabochon natural tourmaline shell and sea turtle figural necklace and earrings set. Necklace comprised of figural sea turtles and shells and 6 oval cabochon tourmalines. Signed and numbered on large center shell en verso “Harvey * Pywell 18K 21/100”. Set also includes a pair of figural shell and cabochon natural tourmaline earrings stamped en verso and numbered “HP 18K 14/250”. Original box and necklace tag included with the lot. Necklace measures: 18″ L. Earrings measure: 1 1/4″ L. Gross weight of the lot is 131.8 total grams. Original box included.
Cartier diamond eternity ring, containing seventeen (17) round full cut diamond, average diameter 3.6 – 3.7mm, average weight (by diameter) 0.15 – 0.16 ct. each, estimated total weight (by diameter) 2.75 T. W. Average color F-G, average clarity VS 2. Diamonds are bar set in a single row. Heavy cast construction with “CARTIER 804236” trade stamps, 18K yellow gold, tested not stamped. 4.8 grams.
Ladies 14K yellow gold tennis bracelet featuring 38 round brilliant diamonds approximately 5.7 carats, Clarity-SI1, Color-I. The bracelet is marked “14K” and is 7 1/4″ L. Gross weight of the bracelet is 46.38 grams.
French Empire bas relief cameo carved chalcedony miniature plaque, possibly a Grand Tour souvenir. Rectangular with canted corners, decorated with a procession of lovers in a classical chariot, accompanied by Bacchanalian figures including animals and cherubs. Set in a 18K yellow gold (tested, not marked) foliate mounting with a blue enamel border, and housed in a giltwood frame with a silk-covered matte. Plaque: 1 7/8″ H x 3 1/4″ W. Overall: 4 1/2″ H x 6″ W. 19th century.
7 Piece Sterling Silver Tea Service with Sterling Tray, Pompeiian pattern by Mount Vernon Silver, retailed by Ayre & Taylor, New York. Includes 28″ x 18″ oval sterling tray with guilloche banded rim and rectangular vermeil medallions depicting four cherubs, together with a hot water urn with detachable stand and burner, teapot, coffee pot, creamer, sugar and waste bowl, all of Neoclassical urn form with guilloche banded rims and reeded handles, the bodies adorned with engraved swags and vermeil repousse medallions depicting a Greek goddess on one side and monogram reserves on the other (monogrammed W), raised on square bases with guilloche banding. Urn stand features four caryatid legs with ram masks and hoof feet. Hot water urn with stand measures 17″H. Combined weight 307.41 oz troy. Note: a demitasse or “bachelor” service in this same pattern is also being sold in this auction.
Large Dominick & Haff Art Nouveau Sterling Silver Loving Cup, Tyg, or presentation trophy, bulbous form with three handles in the form of sinuous, intertwining vines and branches, the rounded bowl engraved “Should Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot, and Never Brought to Mind?”. One side with partially illegible engraved inscription “Hranris(?) Hendricks.” Gilt washed interior. Marked on bottom with symbol for Dominick & Haff, and STERLING / 1165 9 PINTS. 10 1/2″ H x 12″ dia. (including handles). 78.15 oz troy. Circa 1890. Provenance: Private Nashville collection, ex-Isaacs Gallery, Louisville, KY.
English sterling silver serving tray, oval form with beaded edge and handles and an elaborately engraved border and center. Hallmarks to the underside for Walter & John Barnard, London and date mark for 1881. Additionally stamped “876”. 25 3/4″ L x 15 3/4″ H. 85.360 troy ounces.
New Orleans three piece coin silver tea service by Anthony Rasch (working New Orleans, Louisiana 1820 – 1858, working Philadelphia 1805-1820) comprised of a teapot, creamer and covered sugar bowl, each with a rounded body on a round pedestal base with palmette decorated bands to the rim, shoulders, pedestal and base and S-shaped handles. the teapot with a shell thumb piece and acorn finial and the sugar bowl lid with an acorn finial. All stamped to the base “A. Rasch”. Ranging in size from 6 3/4″ H x 6 1/2″ dia. to 9 3/4″ H x 10 1/2″ dia. Teapot weighs: 32.46 troy ounces, sugar bowl 25.36 troy ounces and creamer 11.16 troy ounces. 68.97 total troy ounces. Lot also includes an associated Mappin & Webb W347 handled oval serving tray with chased foliate decoration to the center, an egg and dart border and scrolled handles. 27″ W x 17 1/4″ H.
Ball, Tompkins & Black (1839-1851) coin silver water pitcher in the Chinese taste, mid 19th century. Repousse decoration depicting figures in a landscape, engaged in various activities including smoking pipes with trees and buildings in the background. The baluster shaped pitcher features a stylized and notched handle with figural scholar mask at the top. Base stamped BALL, TOMKINS & BLACK SUCCESSORS TO MARQUAND & CO., SUCCEEDED BY BALL, BLACK & CO. with WF in rectangle. 11″ H X 7″ D. 28.875 oz troy.
Large European silvered bronze figural centerpiece with cut crystal center bowl, supported on a naturalistic branch and leaf support with scrolling arms terminating into caryatid handles on a shaped naturalistic ground, the footed base with figural animals including stags, a boar, and a mountain goat. Bowl measures: 5 3/4″ H x 15 1/2″ W x 10″ D. Base measures: 14 3/4″ H x 28″ W x 10 1/4″ D. 19th century.
Civil War era Massachusetts Arms Company 2nd Model (Model 1863) Maynard Patent Breech Loading Percussion Carbine, .50 caliber, serial number 16301, visible to trigger guard tang. Right side of frame marked “MANUFACTURED BY / MASS. ARMS CO. / CHICOPEE FALLS” left side of frame marked “EDWARD MAYNARD / PATENTEE / MAY 27, 1851 / DEC. 6, 1859” left side of butt stock near receiver stamped with two government cartouches, inspector marks to sling bar, barrel near breech, and rear sight. Black walnut stocks, round barrel transitioning to an octagonal section at the breech, slightly curved iron butt plate, sling bar and saddle ring on the left side of the breech frame, checkered hammer, iron folding three-leaf rear sight marked “1”, “3”, and “5” and blade front sight. Barrel length – 20″. Overall length – 36 1/2″. Manufactured circa 1863 to 1865. Note: These carbines were issued to Union cavalry units during the Civil War, among those regiments were the 9th and 11th Indiana and the 11th Tennessee.
Two-piece bullet proof vest or body armor. By oral history, belonged to a Union Soldier from Columbus, Ohio. Each piece comprised of sheet iron, worked to fit across the wearer’s chest, with two shoulder straps, the right shoulder strap with canvas coating. Unsigned. Includes a photocopy of the title page and two pages regarding body armor from THEY FOUGHT FOR THE UNION by Francis A. Lord, Ph.D., published by Bonanza Books, New York, 1989. Armor – 18 1/4″ H x 9″ W. Note: This example is similar in design to the James S. Smith, New York, patent, nicknamed “Monitor” in reference to the Union iron clad ship.
Confederate, possibly Georgia, D guard bowie knife comprised of a one-piece oak wood grip, brass ferrule, iron D guard terminating in a high quillon, spear point blade. Unmarked. Includes the original, hand stitched brown leather sheath with belt loop. Blade length – 11″. Overall length with scabbard – 15 3/4″. Provenance: private Nashville collection, by oral history descended from a CSA soldier from Georgia.
Traveling Doctor’s Saddlebag belonging to Dr. William Steptoe Reid of Williamson County, Tennessee (1813-1899). During the Civil War, Reid was held briefly as a prisoner by Union forces. Lot also includes a photograph of Dr. Reid. Leather double saddle bag, top stitched, with buckle straps. Contains approximately 3 dozen medical and surgical tools including lancets and knives, some with tortoise or bone handles, and several glass medicine vials. Each side of saddlebag measures 12″ H x 8″ W x 4″ D. Provenance: descended in the family of Dr. William Steptoe Reid to current consignor. Reid was born (and buried) at Treelawn Plantation in Williamson County, Tennessee. He attended West Point at the the urging of family friend, President Andrew Jackson (whose letter to Reid’s grandfather, detailing his intervention on young Reid’s behalf at West Point is also being offered in this auction). William Steptoe Reid roomed for awhile at West Point with the writer, Edgar Allan Poe, who would be expelled in 1831 but go on to earn international fame. Reid left the institution the same year as Poe and pursued a career in medicine at the Medical School of the University of Pennsylvania. He practiced medicine for several years in Holly Springs, MS, but returned to Tennessee following the death of his first wife, Agnes. He then married his first cousin, Sarah Claiborne Maury, and they moved to Warren County. Reid did not enlist during the Civil War due to being over age, and did not render active aid to the Confederacy. However, he was captured by the Union Army in 1862 and held briefly before being released on the order of General W. Nelson. Reid also practiced in Lafayette, Alabama for several years before returning to Williamson County, where he lived the rest of his years at Treelawn Plantation.
1942 U.S. Navy Morse Dive Helmet, copper and brass, manufactured by the Morse Diving Equipment Company. Plaque on front of helmet reads “US Navy Diving Helmet/Mark V/ Morse Diving Equipment Co. Inc./Boston, Mass/No. 668/Date 4/6/42”. Collar marked “DROP 311 USN 018528”. 18 1/2″ H X 16 1/2″ W. Provenance: Owned by the consignor’s ancestor, Francis J (Johnny) Fernandez, born on January 1, 1909 in Taunton, MA. He enlisted in the Navy when he was 31 years old. He died in 1966 in Taunton, MA.
Ten (10) political pinback buttons and stick pins, including one (1) Theodore Roosevelt “Welcome” button, one (1) William McKinley and Roosevelt “A Full Dinner Bucket” button, and one (1) Roosevelt and Charles Warren Fairbanks jugate pince-nez stickpin. 1st item: Roosevelt “Welcome” button, 1910, issued to commemorate his return from Africa and desire for him to run again for President in 1912, depicting Uncle Sam in a landscape setting and lifting his hat in welcome to Roosevelt’s radiant portrait as it appears like the sun above snow capped mountains with a river, forest, and settlement in the middle ground, red lettering centered above. Maker’s marks, left edge. Retains Whitehead and Hoag, Newark, NJ back paper. 1 1/4″ dia. 2nd item: McKinley and Roosevelt “A Full Dinner Bucket” presidential campaign button, 1900, depicting jugate bust portrait vignette of the candidates set into a dinner pail with black lettering reading “EMPLOYMENT/FOR/LABOR/A FULL DINNER BUCKET/PROSPERITY/SOUND MONEY-GOOD MARKETS” against a blue background. Retains Whitehead and Hoag, Newark, NJ back paper. 1 1/4″ dia. 3rd-4th items: Two (2) Roosevelt presidential campaign stick pins, 1904, including one (1) rendered in the shape of Roosevelt’s pince-nez, a style of glases, containing jugate bust portrait photographic images of Roosevelt and Charles Warren Fairbanks in each lens with mother of pearl backing, and one (1) comprised of a photographic bust portrait of Roosevelt housed in a brass tone metal from with an American flag bow. Ranging in size from 2″ to 2 1/4″ L. 5th-9th items: Five (5) Roosevelt presidential campaign buttons, 1900 and 1904, including three (3) depicting jugate bust portrait vignettes of Roosevelt and Fairbanks against patriotic background, and two (2) depicting bust portrait vignettes of Roosevelt against patriotic background. Three (3) retain back papers. Ranging in size from 13/16″ to 1 1/4″ dia. 10th item: William Howard Taft presidential campaign button, 1908, depicting a bust portrait vignette of Taft set against a patriotic cartouche and a blue background. Retains Shapiro and Karr, Philadelphia, PA back paper. 1 1/4″ dia.
Four (4) political ephemera items, including one (1) Henry Clay “Mind Your Own Business” Whig Convention, 1844, and three (3) Benjamin Harrison related ephemera items. 1st item: Henry Clay “Mind Your Own Business” Whig Convention off white silk ribbon, 1844, depicting a central bust portrait of Clay surrounded by black lettering reading “HENRY CLAY/’Mind Your Business.'” above and below, with the image of a patriotic American eagle and a shield holding a banner reading “PROTECTION” in its beak and surrounded by symbols of commerce, above, with a vignette of Clay behind a team of plow horses on his Ashland farm in Lexington, Kentucky, below. 6 1/2″ L x 2 7/8″ W. 2nd item: Benjamin Harrison and Levi Parsons Morton presidential campaign off white silk ribbon, 1888, depicting a jugate bust portrait vignette of the candidates set in a patriotic cartouche with images of factories with brown lettering reading “PROTECTION” and “FREE TRADE” with additional purple ink stamp lettering reading “T. O. KEATOR./GUNSQUAD. OF ACCORD.” centered below. 6 7/8″ L x 2 7/8″ W. 3rd-4th items: Two (2) Benjamin Harrison presidential campaign ephemera items, 1888, including one (1) ribbon badge depicting a photographic bust of Harrison, and one (1) token medallion with bezel depicting jugate bust portrait of Harrison and Morton. Ranging in size from 1 1/2″ to 2 1/4″ L.
President John Fitzgerald Kennedy, 35th President of the United States, TLS, one-page typed letter on The White House, Washington, D.C., stationary to John Marshall Butler, Senator from Maryland, dated January 17, 1963. Addressed to “The Honorable John Marshall Butler,” lower left, Kennedy remarks upon Butler’s retirement from the Senate, writing “Dear Senator: I am sorry that I cannot join personally with you this evening for the testimonial dinner marking your retirement from the United State Senate. I know that this occasion is one of both regret and satisfaction for you. After a most successful career in law, you worked most effectively over two terms as a Senator from Maryland. During that time, you were also an influential member of three of the most important legislative committees of the Congress. I am confident that in the days ahead you will continue to take an active interest in public affairs, and I wish you and your family all happiness. Sincerely” with signature below. Housed and matted under glass in a black painted wooden frame with gilt wood fillet. Sight – 8 3/4″ H x 6 5/8″ W. Framed – 13 1/4″ H x 10 3/4″ W. Provenance: The estate of Senator John Marshall Butler of Maryland, by descent to consignor.
President Andrew Jackson signed one page folio letter on vellum, Washington, November 16, 1830, to Major Nathan Reid of New London, Virginia, detailing Jackson’s intervention with Lt. Col. (Sylvanus) Thayer of West Point on behalf of Reid’s grandson, William Steptoe Reid, at the Military Academy after a disciplinary incident, and encouraging the younger Reid to continue his education there. Note: The Reid family were personal friends of President Jackson. Nathan Reid’s son, Major John Reid, served as Jackson’s aide de camp and died in 1816 when his son, William Steptoe Reid (the subject of this letter), was only 3 years old. According to a privately published family history, it was Jackson who persuaded young William to enter West Point despite his desire to become a doctor. While at West Point, William Steptoe Reid’s roommate was another reluctant military student: the future author, Edgar Allan Poe. Ultimately, President Jackson’s encouragement was not enough to keep William at the Academy. He left West Point in March of 1831 (the same year Poe was expelled), entered medical school, and became a prominent doctor in Middle Tennessee. His medical saddlebag with contents is also being sold in this auction. Both lots have descended in his family to the present consignor.
Scarce Nashville, Tennessee schoolgirl needlework sampler stitched by Eliza Folwell and dated October 16, 1836. Silk and wool on linen, checkered outer border surrounding a wide floral border, with upper and lowercase alphabet and numbers over a large basket of flowers and a cartouche containing signature, “Nashville Tennessee,” and date. Old (but not original) framing label en verso for the Memphis Photo Supply Co., Peabody Hotel. Sight – 16″h x 16 1/2″W. Frame – 18 1/2″ square.
North Carolina Daniel Seagle (1805-1867) alkaline glazed stoneware pottery jug, ovoid form with brown alkaline glaze, strap handle, incised lines below the neck rim. Upper shoulder beneath spout with incised initials “D S” for Daniel Seagle and a “5” denoting capacity. Marked on bottom “DWB” for the Daisy Wade Bridges collection. 16 1/4″ H. Mid 19th century. Provenance: Private Southern Collection.
Leroy Almon Sr. (Georgia, 1938-1997) autobiographical bi-fold painting, mixed media, signed en verso and dated 1990. This assemblage is comprised of scenes from the outsider artist’s life, rendered in paint and markers on paper and applied to a painted and hinged pair of plywood boards with applied rope edging. Scenes include his birthplace in 1938, his childhood, his sales career with Coca-Cola, his move to Atlanta and, on the final panel, a list of events including his Governor’s Award for the Arts in 1985, in 1986 “Anointed Preacher of the Gospel by Jesus Christ,” and 1990 “Established Artist and Preacher.” 32″H x 48″ W x 1/2″ D. Provenance: Estate of Carl Klein, Brentwood, TN.
Raymond Coins (American/North Carolina, 1904-1998) folk art carved river stone stele or plaque depicting Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. Eve is extending an apple to Adam and both are standing below the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil. Inscribed on the back “W.R. Coins”. 14 1/2″ H x 9 3/4″ W. Provenance: Private Southern collection.
Framed oval black marble plaque with carved decoration depicting a seated male wearing an apron and hat sawing through a slab of stone. Partially legible presentation inscription en verso. Housed in a giltwood frame with a foliate spandrel, the back with a partial paper label reading M. BARRETT & BRO / CARVER & GUILDER/ No. 82 Howard Street, Cor. Saratoga, Baltimore, / MANUFACTURER OF /LOOKING GLASS/ PORTRAIT/ PICTURE FRAMES AND GILT WORK/ PLAIN AND FANCY WOOD FRAMES AND IMPORTED FRENCH & GERMAN LOOKING GLASS PLATES. Stone and frame held in place by wood lattice and iron brace. Stone measures: 2″ H x 14 5/8″ W x 12″ D. Wood frame measures: 16 7/8″ H x 19″ W. Circa 1855.
PLAN DE LA VILLE DE MEMPHIS (ETATS-UNIS) 40,000 HABITANTS pen and ink with watercolor hand drawn drainage system map, circa 1870. Depicts a grid street plan of the city of Memphis with labeled street names and bodies of water and lines delineating drains, conduits, and reservoirs. Title, lower center under image, key, lower left of image. Unsigned. Sight – 13 5/8″ H x 20 1/4″ W. Framed – 21 1/2″ H x 27 3/4″ W.
John James Audubon (American, 1785-1851) hand-colored aquatint engraving, “Yellow-billed Magpie, Stellers Jay, Ultramarine Jay and Clark’s Crow”, Plate Number CCCLXII, engraved, printed, and hand-colored by Robert Havell (English, 1793 – 1878) from the double-elephant-folio first edition of The Birds of America (London: 1827-1838). All birds depicted upon branches and titled below. Paper watermarked J WHATMAN 1837. Engraving dated 1837 and housed in a paint and giltwood frame. Sight: 38 1/4″ H x 24 3/4″ W. Sheet: 38 7/8″ H x 25 3/8″ W. Framed: 41 1/2″ H x 28″ W.
Southwest Virginia or East Tennessee two-piece corner cupboard, walnut primary and poplar secondary. Stepped cornice with vertical contrasting line inlay, star and flower inlaid frieze above two arched doors having 14 glass panes with molded mullions, surrounded by line and heart inlay with vertical inlaid stiles and returns simulating columns. Interior fitted with three scalloped shelves. Base with stepped medial molding above two inlaid doors, vertical inlaid stiles and returns simulating columns, two interior shelves, all resting on bracket feet with returns. Rosehead nail construction visible on backboards. Top measures: 61″ H x 55 1/2″ W x 28″ D. Base measures : 38″ H x 59 1/2″ W x 29″ D. 99″ total H. Circa 1810.
Southern Hepplewhite sideboard form with a Richmond, Virginia area history, figured maple primary and yellow pine secondary. Comprised of a molded rectangular top above three cockbeaded and dovetailed drawers over a central deep compartment with breadboard doors flanked by two deep drawers. Case transitions to a scalloped skirt and tall tapered legs. 43″ H x 68″ W x 23 3/4″ D.
Rare Middle Tennessee Sheraton huntboard or slab desk, cherry with tulip poplar secondary wood. Rectangular top over a large single drawer with plain hinged front, which drops down to reveal a writing surface and fitted interior with seven pigeonholes and two small drawers. Turned and tapered legs are continuations of stiles, with cup and ring turnings at top and ring and double ball turned feet. Circa 1830. Provenance: descended in a Williamson County, Tennessee family.
Middle Tennessee cherry sugar chest, Giles County. Poplar secondary. Square top with breadboard ends and molded edge above a case with one interior divider and medial molding over one dovetailed drawer with wooden pulls, all resting on turned Sheraton legs. 33 1/4″ H x 26 3/8″ W x 17 1/4″ D. Circa 1830. Note: Photograph of two females, the original owners, included with the lot, pencil signed on the back “Zucarello Sisters, Giles County”.
George Nakashima hanging wall cabinet, cherry, c. 1960; overhanging at front and right with canted side; exposed dovetail joinery at left flush side; two sliding doors concealing one adjustable shelf on the left and an open storage compartment on the right. 14 1/2″H x 70 3/4″ W (back of cabinet) and 65″ (front of cabinet) x 13 1/2″D (overall). Provenance: Private Nashville, TN Collection; consignor’s mother acquired this cabinet directly from Mr. Nakashima circa 1960.
Philip (1908-1988) and Kelvin LaVerne (active 1960/1970) Chan coffee table, patinated bronze and pewter circular top with etched Chinoiserie designs, atop a hexagonal base with enameled accents. Raised signature to lower mid edge, below figures. 17 7/8″ H x 47 5/8″ dia. Circa 1960/1970.
Anthony Quinn (Mexican/California, 1915-2001), “Song of Zorba,” bronze sculpture, signed (c) “A. Quinn 84” on base and mounted on a green marble base. Sculpture 21 1/2″H. Base 2″H x 6 1/2″W x 8 1/2″W. Biography: Anthony Quinn, best known to many as an Oscar winning actor, was also a professional artist. He was born in Chihuahua, Mexico and his family moved to Los Angeles when he was a child. At age nine he began sculpting and at age 12, entered a California statewide competition, which he won with a plaster bust of Abraham Lincoln. Another art competition prize in his late teens earned Quinn the opportunity to study with Frank Lloyd Wright. Although his career as an actor propelled him to national recognition, Quinn continued to draw, paint and sculpt, often between takes while working on various films. He occasionally exhibited his sculpture in galleries, including a one-man sell-out exhibit at a gallery in Honolulu, and sold works to celebrity friends.
Mid Century Knoll Industries rosewood credenza, designed by Florence Knoll Bassett, rectangular form having ten fitted drawers with chrome hardware and legs. 25 1/2″ H x 75″ L x 18″ D.
Mid century Knoll Industries 2544 Credenza, likely rosewood, designed by Florence Knoll Bassett in 1961 as a variation of her classic 1954 “Credenza 4 position” with drawers instead of cupboards. Rectangular form having ten drawers opening to fitted interiors with chrome hardware and legs and a conforming marble top. Underside with “Knoll Associates 320 Park Avenue New York, NY 10022″ label including the Knoll Industries trademark. 25 1/2″ H x 75″ L x 18” D. Manufactured in the 1960s.
Set of four (4) Mid Century steel wire molded frame and red upholstered lounge chairs, attributed to Warren Platner (1919-2006) for Knoll Industries Platner Collection. 30 1/2″ H x 37 1/2″ W x approx. 24 1/2″ D. New York, circa 1980’s. Provenance: The Guardsmark Collection, Lipman Holdings International, Memphis, Tennessee.
A pair of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (German, 1886-1969) designed Barcelona chairs by Knoll. Original light orange tufted leather cushions with leather support straps, polished steel X-form legs. 29 3/4″ H x 29 1/4″ W x 30 1/4″ D. Mid-20th century. Provenance: Private Florida collection.
William Scott (Ireland/England, 1913-1989) screenprint on paper titled “Bottle and Bowl, Blues on Green,” numbered 69/100, depicting a grey bottle form and a blue bowl against a green background, and part of a round, grey object in the lower right quadrant. Numbered in pencil, lower left under image, signed and dated “W. Scott 70” lower right under image. Label en verso for Waddington Galleries, London, England with artist name, title, and additional information en verso. “K” watermark with ink stamped letters reading “7532,” lower right, en verso of sheet. Housed and matted under glass in a silver metal frame. Image – 23 1/4″ H x 30 1/2″ W. Sight – 24″ H x 31″ W. Framed – 28 1/4″ H x 40 1/8″ W. Note: A print from this edition, numbered A/P, is in the collection of the Tate Modern Museum, London.
David Lloyd Blackwood (Canada, b. 1941) colored etching and aquatint, Artist’s Proof edition, titled “The Messenger.” Depicts three figures in an outdoor barren setting. Pencil titled “The Messenger Artist Proof” lower left, pencil signed and dated “David Blackwell 1965″ lower right. Housed in a gilt painted wood frame. Plate: 19 7/8″ H x 24 7/8″ W. Sight – 20 1/2″ H x 25 3/4″ W. Framed – 30 3/4″ H x 35 1/4” W.
Joan Miro (Spain/France, 1893-1983) color lithograph on paper titled “L’Oiseau Solaire, L’Oiseau Lunaire, Etincelles” (The Solar Bird, the Lunar Bird, Sparks), numbered 95/150, printed by Arte Adrien Maeght, published by Galerie Maeght, Paris, 1967. Depicts abstract shapes in shades of blue, red, yellow, green, and black against a wash of brown, with “MIRO” in the center. Numbered in pencil, lower left under image, signed “Miro” in pencil, lower right under image. Typed artist label, en verso. Hinge mounted and floated under glass atop a black mat with white border in a silver metal frame. Sheet – 25 3/4″ H x 19 1/4″ W. Framed – 33 3/8″ H x 26 1/4″ W. Provenance: Estate of Carl Klein, Brentwood, TN.
Clyde Singer (Ohio, 1908-1999) oil on canvas painting titled “Masterpiece at the Met” depicting two women and an elderly man viewing an old master painting in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Signed “C. Singer” lower right. The Bonfoey Company, Cincinnati, OH label with title, artist’s name, and date “1969” en verso. Housed in a wooden frame with gilt paint, an off white linen liner, and a giltwood rabbet edge. Sight – 17 5/8″ square. Framed – 25″ square.
Elaborate late 19th century gilt bronze 30-light gasolier or chandelier, now wired for electricity, from a historic Middle Tennessee mansion (the companion chandelier is also offered in this auction). Acanthus canopy with scrolling tendrils and acanthus overlaid branches supporting 12 candle arms, with leaf and fruit drop ornaments and prisms. 39″H x 55″ Diameter. Circa 1885. Provenance: property of a Middle Tennessee historic home.
Large American cast iron lawn or garden model of a recumbent greyhound dog or large whippet, attributed to the J.W. Fiske foundry, New York. 21″ H x 16″ W x 50 1/2″ L. Fourth quarter of the 19th century.