MT. CRAWFORD, Va. – The Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates Summer Americana and Variety Auction held Aug. 24-25 was a highly successful event and produced strong prices – along with a few surprises – in multiple categories. The two-day sale consisted of 1,380 lots of diverse material that generated robust levels of participation for the firm, a strong indication of vigor in several segments of the marketplace. Bidding was intense throughout each day with over 3,000 registered bidders from 26 countries participating in house and online. Absentee and Internet live bidding was available through LiveAuctioneers.
Session II on Saturday consisted of the firm’s usual diverse selection of antiques and collectibles and produced strong results with numerous categories demonstrating signs of renewed energy. Several surprises were in order for Saturday as well, most notably a fine Native American, probably Navajo, rug/blanket (above) that was fresh from the estate of Nicholas de Belleville Katzenbach, Princeton, New Jersey. The weekend’s top lot at $25,740, the weaving, despite imperfections, sparked a tremendous amount of presale interest and was purchased after heated bidding by a New York gallery on the phone.
Session I on Friday consisted of selections from the 50-plus year collection of the late Joan Wentz of Germansville, Pennsylvania. Starting the weekend off with a bang, the Wentz Collection included an array of fresh-to-the-market antiques and collectibles that were well received, with most examples meeting or exceeding expectations. The 506-lot offering on Friday featured a good selection of miniature lighting, fine rabbitware (below) and spatterware, American folk art and pottery, and an assortment of vintage holiday toys and decorations. The select grouping offered in the Friday session sparked significant presale interest and produced strong results overall.
Top lot from Friday was a bisque figural skeleton miniature lamp that garnered $11,115. (All prices include a 17 percent buyer’s premium).
Other noteworthy results from the Friday session included a Rene Lalique perfume bottle (below) at $5,557; a miniature hanging cast-iron Fire Fly triple-arm chandelier at $5,265; and a Pennsylvania paint-decorated tole chamberstick at $4,095.
Another surprise in the Native American category of the sale was an Apache woven-coil basket that soared past its estimate with heavy Internet bidding and finally landed at $7,605. Other noteworthy results from the Saturday session include a mid-19th century Shenandoah Valley store ledger at $4,387; and an important Civil War archive of documents pertaining to the United States Colored Troops at $3,276.
Company president and auctioneer Jeffrey S. Evans commented, “This sale generated robust interest across the board, from bidders near and far. The overall excitement and strong sales results reflect the freshness and quality of the merchandise offered. In addition, the auction was 100 percent unreserved, so the results are a true and honest gauge of the current market.”
For details email info@jeffreysevans.com or call 540-434-3939.
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