NEW YORK – A circa-1880s shoofly quilt, a Karl Adleff tramp art box with a secret opening, and a circa-1940s New England trade sign in the shape of a key could well earn top lot status at Jasper52’s New Hampshire Antiques Dealers: Americana auction, which will take place Thursday, April 14 at 6 pm Eastern time. Other offerings in the 361-lot sale include an applique picture of a cat; a pair of mocha ware covered urns, dating to circa 1800-1820; a wood carving of a Snow Bunting bird by Frank Finney; a circa-1810 needlework picture of Mount Vernon, George Washington’s estate; a white-glazed stoneware pineapple teapot; a limited-edition bronze of a moose diving into a swamp, sculpted by Dr. Jon Ruehle; a circa-1950, 37in New England copper weathervane shaped like a sperm whale; a folk art whiskey jug with the name “BEN” in red letters outlined in yellow on its shoulder; and original illustrations and artwork by Barbara Shermund. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.
Leading the selection of antique quilts in the April 14 sale is a circa-1880s cotton shoofly quilt with a double X pattern and a cadet blue background, estimated at $600-$800. Hand-pieced and hand-quilted, it came out of Pennsylvania and is probably a Mennonite work. It measures 70 by 78in and the lot notes describe it as being in “excellent, never washed condition, with a couple of small, faint spots and no wear.”
Another standout is a Karl Adleff tramp art box with a secret opening, signed on the bottom by Adleff under the phrase “Made for the One I Love The love Shall Never Fade Away.” The lot notes wryly observe, “He did fade away and married another woman.” The unpleasant turn of events prompted its recipient, Esther Magid, to place both the box and a Hammerhill Bond employee magazine with a 1927 date inside a burlap sack, where both stayed for more than 60 years. The box appears on page 38 of One Notch at a Time, a book on tramp art boxes co-authored by auction curator Clifford Wallach, and it carries an estimate of $2,500-$3,000.
The final highlight is a circa-1940s New England trade sign in the shape of a key. While trade signs are generally delightful, those that resemble oversize versions of symbols from their trade might be the most fun of all. This tin double-sided sign is emblazoned with the words “Lock and Key Products Independent Lock Co. Fitchburg, MASS.” and measures 32 by 14in. It is estimated at $675-$800.
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