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A cossack, his woman and his horse are grouped in this Russian bronze by L. Gratchev. Marked ‘Fabr. C. F. Woerffel St. Petersburg,’ the bronze has an $8,000-$10,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Carl W. Stinson Inc.

Prominent Mass. families figure in Stinson’s auction Jan. 17

Tom Hoepf
Tom Hoepf
A cossack, his woman and his horse are grouped in this Russian bronze by L. Gratchev. Marked ‘Fabr. C. F. Woerffel St. Petersburg,’ the bronze has an $8,000-$10,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Carl W. Stinson Inc.
A cossack, his woman and his horse are grouped in this Russian bronze by L. Gratchev. Marked ‘Fabr. C. F. Woerffel St. Petersburg,’ the bronze has an $8,000-$10,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Carl W. Stinson Inc.

NORTH READING, Mass. – Antiques and art from the estate of former Massachusetts Governor Frank G. Allen and the estates of other prominent families will be sold without reserve by Carl W. Stinson, Auctioneers and Appraisers on Jan. 17. The 500-lot auction will range from a fireplace mantel made by renowned Salem architect Samuel McIntire to an important Russian bronze figural group. LiveAuctioneers will provide Internet Live bidding.

“Virtually every piece has a story behind it and we’ve tried to relate the information in the catalog,” said Doug Stinson of Carl W. Stinson Inc. “There is substantial interest in the Russian bronze. We’ve had calls from across the country and around the world,” said Stinson. “It’s a nice original, not a restrike or recast.”

The bronze is signed in Cyrillic “L. Gratchev” and is marked “Fabr. C.F. Woerffel St. Petersburg.” It depicts a cossack embracing a peasant woman while standing next to his horse. The bronze is 12 1/2 inches and rests on a separate marble base. While the estimate is $8,000-$10,000, Stinson noted that last year the auction company sold a Russian bronze for $65,000.

The fireplace mantel featured in the auction is from the estate of Katharine Whittier, who pictured it in her book titled Catching Shadows: Ancestors from North and South -Who They Were, Where They Lived (1999: Newbury Street Press). The fireplace was salvaged in the late 1940s from an 18th-century house in Beverly that was being demolished. The carved wooden McIntire mantel has a $4,000-$6,000 estimate.

An important Aaron Willard shelf clock from the former residence of Gov. Allen dates to about 1815. The stately clock is in a mahogany case that stands 34 inches high. The estimate is $10,000-$15,000.

“It’s a wonderful shelf clock – a rare example and fresh to the market,” said Stinson.

The governor’s Patek Philippe repeater pocket watch, which was estimated to bring $1,000-$2,000, had already generated 15 bids three days before the start of the live auction. The 31-jewel watch, serial no. 238106, is in an 18K yellow gold case marked “Shreve Crump & Low, Co. Boston.” It is monogrammed “FGA” for Frank G. Allen, who served as Massachusetts governor from 1929 to 1931.

A tall clock in a cherry Chippendale case by David Goodell of Pomfret, Conn., with works by Peregrine White, a silversmith and clockmaker from Woodstock, Conn., is considered a highlight of the auction. The case has elaborate fan, swag, bellflower and patarae inlay. The clock descended in the Grosvenor family of Pomfret, Conn. The clock’s provenance was written in 1910 by John P. Grosvenor and attached to inside of door. The clock, which has a $10,000-$15,000 estimate, stands 85 1/2 inches tall.

Fine art will include a beautiful portrait by Eastman Johnson (1824-1906) of young brothers William Watson Caswell and John Caswell of Prides Crossing Mass. The signed and dated 1878 oil on canvas measures 63 1/2 inches by 46 1/2 inches. The painting descended directly in the Caswell family from the estate of William Watson Caswell Jr., former head of the First National Bank of Boston, Havana Cuba. It has a $20,000-$30,000 estimate.

The auction will begin Sunday at 12:30 p.m. Eastern. For details phone 781-259-3200.

To view the fully illustrated catalog and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet during the sale at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

Click here to view Carl W. Stinson, Inc. Auctioneers & Appraisers’ complete catalog.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

Maine native Eastman Johnson (1824-1906) painted this large portrait of William Watson Caswell and John Caswell in 1878. In excellent condition except for yellowed varnish, the painting is estate fresh. It has a $20,000-$30,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Carl W. Stinson Inc.
Maine native Eastman Johnson (1824-1906) painted this large portrait of William Watson Caswell and John Caswell in 1878. In excellent condition except for yellowed varnish, the painting is estate fresh. It has a $20,000-$30,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Carl W. Stinson Inc.

Famed Salem, Mass., architect and carver Samuel McIntire crafted this mantel, which measures 55 3/4 inches high, 84 inches wide and 14 1/2 inches deep. It has a $4,000-$6,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Carl W. Stinson Inc.
Famed Salem, Mass., architect and carver Samuel McIntire crafted this mantel, which measures 55 3/4 inches high, 84 inches wide and 14 1/2 inches deep. It has a $4,000-$6,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Carl W. Stinson Inc.

Frank G. Allen, a Republican who served one term as Massachusetts governor during the Great Depression, owned this mahogany Aaron Willard shelf clock. It is expected to bring $10,000-$15,000. Image courtesy of Carl W. Stinson Inc.
Frank G. Allen, a Republican who served one term as Massachusetts governor during the Great Depression, owned this mahogany Aaron Willard shelf clock. It is expected to bring $10,000-$15,000. Image courtesy of Carl W. Stinson Inc.

Capt. John Work, a Revolutionary War soldier from Ashford, Conn., was the original owner of this Peregrine White tall case clock. The inlaid cherry Chippendale case was made by David Goodell. It has a $10,000-$15,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Carl W. Stinson Inc.
Capt. John Work, a Revolutionary War soldier from Ashford, Conn., was the original owner of this Peregrine White tall case clock. The inlaid cherry Chippendale case was made by David Goodell. It has a $10,000-$15,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Carl W. Stinson Inc.