18th-century carved sunflower chest heads Nadeau’s auction Oct. 21

chest

Important early 18th-century sunflower chest attributed to Peter Blinn (1640-1725), with some additional objects that will also be in the Oct. 21 auction. Nadeau’s Auction Gallery image

 

WINDSOR, Conn. – An important early 18th-century sunflower chest attributed to Peter Blinn (1640-1725), a Colonial-era artisan who moved to Wethersfield, Conn., in the late 17th century, is an expected highlight in Nadeau’s Auction Gallery’s annual fall antiques, fine art, sporting and Asian auction on Saturday, Oct. 21. Absentee and Internet live bidding is available through LiveAuctioneers.

The auction will feature American and European antiques, paintings and works on paper, folk art, primitives, silver, Chinese and Japanese, Oriental rugs and carpets and more, including property from Part 21 of the Credit Suisse Americana collection on Madison Avenue in New York; the estate of Arthur C. Pinto M.D.; property from a fine home in St. Joseph, Mich.; a deaccession from the Litchfield (Conn.) Historical Society; and items from surrounding homes.

The sunflower chest, believed to have been crafted circa 1703-1704, features a lift top over sunflower carved panels, flanked by turned applied ornaments over two long drawers, with molded fronts and applied ornaments, all set in plain legs, oak and hard pine. The piece measures 38 ¾ inches high by 45 inches deep.

The chest’s provenance is lengthy and impressive, dating back to well before the birth of the nation and recalling prominent Connecticut names and families. It was originally purchased by Israel and Elizabeth (Kimberly) Foote of Colchester for their daughter, Mary Foote, who married Nathaniel Otis of Colchester. later descended to Asa Otis of New London, Conn.

It was then inherited by Mr. Otis’s niece, Mary Huntington of New London, then inherited again by Lucy Abigail Brainard of Hartford, who gifted it to her niece Lucy Morgan Brainard of Hartford. Most recently, the chest was owned by the Olcott Smith family, which consigned it to Nadeau’s. It was mentioned in the July 1970 C.H.S. Bulletin (Volume 35, No. 3), on page 75.

Nadeau’s was chosen to handle the sale of part of Credit Suisse’s Americana collection, Part 1 of which was held in Nov. 2015. The balance of the collection has been progressively offered in 20 subsequent sales leading up to the present day and Part 21 of the collection, in the Oct. 21 sale.

That initial auction featured original oil paintings by renowned marine artists, large important portrait paintings by Daniel Huntington and Thomas Hicks, Asian items, American antiques and more. Credit Suisse’s Americana collection was formerly housed at the firm’s opulent U.S. headquarters on Madison Avenue in New York.

For more information, contact Nadeau’s at 860-246-2444 or email them at info@nadeausauction.com.