Held in New York on January 25, Sotheby’s Important Americana sale featured American furniture, folk art, ceramics, silver, stoneware, prints and photography from the 18th and 19th centuries, as well outsider art from the two consecutive centuries.
The sale included the Warwick Collection, the American furniture and folk art collection of Peter and Leslie Warwick, collectors and contributors to the scholarship of folk art, stoneware and needlework. Important Americana also featured folk art and furniture from the Peacock & Bryenton Collection.
A Very Fine and Rare Classical Eagle-Carved Games Table, attributed to Duncan Phyfe (1768-1854), New York, ca. 1825. Ormolu-mounted, giltwood and verte antique, inlaid satinwood, rosewood and mahogany, 30½ x 355⁄8 x 18 in. Courtesy Sotheby’s. Estimate: $12/18,000 SOLD: $156,000
The Important Bush-Snader Family Queen Anne Dressing Table, ca. 1750, case attributed to the Shop of Henry Clifton (ca. 1725-1771) and Thomas Carteret, carving attributed to Samuel Harding Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 297⁄8 x 32½ x 20¾ in. Courtesy Sotheby’s. Estimate: $400/1,000,000 SOLD: $900,000
The top lot was the Bush-Snader Family Queen Ann dressing table from circa 1755, which sold for $900,000, close to its high estimate of $1 million. The catalog describes the dressing table as “a masterpiece of 18th-century American artisanry.” Following that lot was a 1770 Chippendale desk and book case that achieved $480,000, just short of its high estimate, and a silver coffee pot by American historical figure and renowned silversmith Paul Revere that sold for $440,000.
There were two welcome surprises during the auction. The first occurred when a very fine and rare classical eagle-carved games table, attributed to Duncan Phyfe (1768-1854), New York, circa 1825, sold for $156,000 against a high estimate of $18,000. The stylish game table has the three-dimensional winged creatures that were popular among New York City cabinetmakers in the early 19th century. A Tiffany & Co. English silver-gilt bird cage, from 1985, also far surpassed expectations when it achieved $90,000 over its high estimate of $18,000.
An American Silver Coffee Pot, Paul Revere II, Boston, 1770-75. Courtesy Sotheby’s. Estimate: $500/700,000 SOLD: $440,000
Ann Stockton (1793-1828), A Very Rare and Important Needlework Sampler, 1804, Upper Springfield Township, Burlington County, New Jersey. Silk and chenille threads and watercolor on paper on linen, 16¼ x 16¾ in. Estimate: $150/200,000 SOLD: $180,000
The sale also notably featured Rhode Island furniture, birds of America from the Guennol collection, and important furniture from Pennsylvania, the birthplace of American democracy.
“Important Americana demonstrated that the market is quite alive and there is a demand for fresh-to-market works that are conservatively estimated,” says Eric Gronning, head of the Americana department at Sotheby’s. “Americana collectors are extremely passionate. Their love of early American design and history keeps them coming back; sometimes for 60-plus years.” —
Top 10 LOTS
Sotheby’s, Important Americana, January 25, 2025 (including Buyer’s Premium)
Title Low/High ESt. SOLD
The Bush-Snader Family Queen Anne Dressing Table $400/1,000,000 $900,000
The Corlis-Bowen Family Chippendale Desk-And-Bookcase $300/500,000 $480,000
An American Silver Coffee Pot, Paul Revere II $500/700,000 $440,400
A Rare and Important Needlework Sampler $150/200,000 $180,000
An American Silver Martelé Ewer and Plateau $80/120,000 $168,000
A Classical Eagle-Carved Games Table $12/18,000 $156,000
The Ranlett-Rust Family Chippendale Bombé Slant-Front Desk $100/200,000 $126,000
Needlework Sampler $150/200,000 $108,000
The Reynell-Coates Family Queen Anne Bonnet-Top High Chest of Drawers $80/160,000 $96,000
A Pair of British Silver Candlesticks $80/120,000 $72,000
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