Hindman plans superlative Americana sales, Sept. 30-Oct. 1

Andrew Clemens portrait sand bottle, est. $100,000-$150,000

CINCINNATI – On September 30 and October 1, Hindman Auctions will present its American Furniture, Folk and Decorative Arts auction. The sale will offer property from the Dean Lower estate of Lanark, Illinois; the estate of a collector from Milwaukee, Wisconsin; a prominent midwest estate; the Wes and Shelley Cowan collection; the estate of Paul Thomas Griffith of Dayton, Ohio; and the collection of Dr. James Dawson of Manchester, Kentucky. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

Standout Lots

Among the highlights is an Andrew Clemens portrait sand bottle estimated at $100,000-$150,000. This large bottle dates from the late 1880s and depicts a portrait of a young boy, and includes “O.T. Fuller” in script on the front side and an elaborate floral urn on the opposite. Of the more than 100 documented Clemens bottles, this is the only known example exhibiting a portrait, and the high quality of the item is demonstrated through the almost photographic depiction of Fuller.

Historical portraits attributed to Gilbert Stuart, est. $30,000-$50,000

Another noteworthy item is a pair of portraits of American banker, merchant and philanthropist Moses Michael Hays and Rachel Myers Hays, the sister of famed New York silversmith Myer Myers. This pair of historical portraits, attributed to Gilbert Stuart and estimated at $30,000-$50,000, descended to the Hays’ eldest daughter, descending in that family line to the current owners. A two-foot carved marble bust of Benjamin Franklin possibly by Giuseppe Ceracchi and modeled after the original by Jean-Jacques Caffieri, is another exceptional lot. It is estimated at $15,000-$25,000. Additionally, the sale will include a George III drop-leaf dining table that was likely given as a gift to Lord Fairfax by George Washington; it carries an estimate of $2,000-$4,000.

Notable Collections

The collection of James Dawson of Manchester, Kentucky includes Queen Anne, Chippendale and Federal furniture of remarkable form and surface, hailing from New England, Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Tennessee. The selection also includes carved wood and stone figures by Edgar Tolson and Ernest “Popeye” Reed and notable 19th-century scrimshaw whale’s teeth, medical oddities and advertising signs.

Property from the Dean Lower estate of Lanark, Illinois highlights the vibrance of American grain-painted furniture, early lighting, folk art and early children’s toys, featuring collections of Bliss houses and McLoughlin Bros. games. A prize in Lower’s collection is a large German-made Noah’s Ark, circa 1840, estimated at $10,000-$15,000, that is nearly identical to the example in the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum at Colonial Williamsburg.

The collection of Wes and Shelly Cowan of Cincinnati, Ohio includes strong examples of painted furniture such as a Jacob Werrey poplar blanket chest, which has retained most of the original, vivid decoration. The Cowan collection also features works by Ferdinand Brader and Carl Freigau and an excellent assortment of stoneware in various glazes.

Paul Thomas Griffith of Dayton, Ohio was a lifelong collector with broad collecting interest and a keen eye. His Colonial-style home was filled with early English and American furniture, delftware, brass candlesticks, embroideries and fine pewter.  He bought from local antique shops and some of the major auction houses around the world to assemble his collection.

View top auction results on LiveAuctioneers here: https://www.liveauctioneers.com/pages/recent-auction-sales/