The state of the American decorative arts market is strong. We saw this at Christie’s. Our annual January Americana sale exceeded $9 million, more than doubling the total value of this sale in 2023. The recent auction was buoyed by a return to the live sale room post-Covid, and an influx of new bidders. We are fortunate to have a strong community of seasoned and established collectors, but are also seeing a surge in new buyers to our category. More than one in four participants in our recent sale was new to Americana at Christie’s. Here, I’d like to address some enduring areas and newer trends in the area of American decorative arts collecting, using the results of our recent sale.

Gilbert Stuart (1755-1828), George Washington (Vaughan Type), 1795. Oil on canvas, 29 x 23¾ in. © Christie’s Images Limited 2023. Estimate: $1.5/2.5 million SOLD: $2,833,000

Some works and themes have an evergreen appeal. Presidents and Founding Fathers are one of these areas that are always of interest. In our recent sale, a remarkable Gilbert Stuart Vaughan-type portrait of George Washington, sold to benefit the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s acquisition fund, achieved $2,833,000, indicating enduring interest in our first president.

Our community is consistently drawn to the intersection of history and art. Remarkable objects are sought after, but those with exceptional provenance—such as works owned by Founding Fathers or great institutions—are even more so. We sold a pair of pocket pistols owned by Alexander Hamilton and deaccessioned by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, for $819,000, showing that collectors’ fascination with Founding Fathers is not limited to their likenesses, but extends to objects associated with these early leaders and to the material culture of America.

Jean-Louis Jalabert (1766-1846), the General Alexander Hamilton pair of flintlock pocket pistols, Saint Etienne, France, ca. 1798-1804. 99⁄16 in., lock plates engraved ‘Jalabert/ Lamotte/ a St Etienne’; trigger guards engraved ‘A.H.’. © Christie’s Images Limited 2023. SOLD: $819,000Excellent examples of Chippendale furniture are always desirable. In our sale, a wonderful bombé chest-of-drawers from Marblehead, Massachusetts, earned $168,800 and a Deshler Family mahogany side chair made $126,000. While auction prices for American Chippendale furniture often remain off their all-time high levels achieved in the mid-2000s, the private sale market for top material is booming, and many premiere pieces are now handled through this channel.

  Chippendale has long been king, but we’ve been seeing surging interest in classical decorative arts and furniture. A mahogany armchair commissioned by President James Monroe for the White House made $107,100 in our sale, far exceeding our $12,000 to $18,000 pre-sale estimate, and showing that results can soar when works are of both classical and presidential interest.

The Crowninshield Family Chippendale mahogany bombé chest-of-drawers, Marblehead, Massachusetts, ca.1770, 33¼ x 40 x 22 in. © Christie’s Images Limited 2023. Estimate: $100/$150,000 SOLD: $163,800

Folk Art represents a dynamic and evolving area of the Americana market, as it allows for diverse, ingenious and idiosyncratic views into early American society. Over the past five to 10 years, we’ve seen increasing interest in works by African American artists, and Joshua Johnson, the country’s first known Black professional portraitist, has been an excellent barometer of this development. His works have been steadily increasing in value, and his 1804-1805 portrait Mrs. Martha (Hall) Dorsey and Mary Ann Dorsey earned $1,134,000 in January, setting a world auction record for the artist and catapulting Johnson into an elite group of folk artists whose works transact in the $1million and more range.

Attributed to William King, Jr. (1771-1854), the President James Monroe classical carved mahogany armchair, Georgetown, Washington D.C., 1818, 40¾ in. © Christie’s Images Limited 2023. Estimate: $12/18,000 SOLD: $107,100

Of course, this market is constantly evolving. I look forward to seeing how these current trends develop over the coming years. I can’t wait to see how American decorative arts are increasingly incorporated into homes alongside works from other collecting areas. I am sure the American folk art market will continue to thrive and increasingly promote the works of previously marginalized artists and artisans. I am sure the way these historical works are appreciated will continue to evolve—organically, beautifully—along with the American experience.

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