CINCINNATI – On March 9 and 10, Cowan’s, a Hindman company, saw tremendous engagement in its American Furniture, Folk and Decorative Arts auction and realized more than $790,000. Online bidding was provided by LiveAuctioneers.com; click for March 9 results; click for March 10 results. Prices include buyer’s premium. The sale featured the private collections of Noel and Kathryn Dickinson Wadsworth of Atlanta, Paul M. Bentley of Oostburg, Wis.; Karen Tosterud of Bellaire, Mich.; and the estate of James A. Sanders, formerly of Evansville and New Harmonie, Indiana.
The Wadsworth collection saw excellent engagement, including Alonzo Chappel’s historically iconic George Washington at Princeton, 1777, one of the artist’s most noteworthy works which led the auction and realized $35,200 against a presale estimate of $5,000-$7,000. The artwork was previously exhibited at the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art at Auburn University in Alabama.
A bronze bust of George Washington after a model by Jean-Antoine Houdon’s was another top performer from the Wadsworth collection, which soared past its pre-sale estimate of $1,000-$2,000 and ultimately realized $9,000.
Every Paul Bentley collection lot sold and realized more than double the group’s pre-sale estimate. The highly coveted collection included carved wood figures, carnival games, trade signs, and several other rare and unusual folk art. Lots that saw extremely strong interest from the collection included a sternboard portrait bust of Daniel Webster, previously from the collection of Stephen and Petra Levin, which ultimately realized $15,000 against a presale estimate of $6,000-9,000.
A cut and colored glass mounted lighted apothecary sign also sold for far above its estimate, realizing $8,125.
Other highlights included a painted wood tobacco store “Leaner” figure, New York, circa 1860s and from the estate of James A. Sanders which sold for $21,760 against a pre-sale estimate of $4,000-$6,000. A carved and polychrome painted pine Native American maiden cigar store figure, in the manner of Samuel Anderson Robb, realized $20,000, more than six times its pre-sale estimate.
On March 10, a Federal fan and fylfot inlaid cherrywood chest of drawers sold for more than triple its pre-sale estimate and realized $15,360. Other brown wood furniture that saw strong interest was a Federal marquetry decorated mahogany walnut veneered serving table and a modern Chippendale-style, shell-and-block carved mahogany chest-on-chest by master cabinetmaker John Gaar Jr. after the examples by Goddard and Townsend, selling far above their estimates, and realizing $8,750 and $9,600 respectively.
View complete results of the Cowan’s two-day sale at LiveAuctioneers.com:
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