Date: Fri 24-Sep-1999

Publication: Ant

Author: SHANNO

Quick Words:

Bourgeault-Maritime-Jackman

Full Text:

Maritime Auction Tops $3 Million At Northeast

By Bob Jackman

PORTSMOUTH, N.H. -- On August 21 and 22, Northeast Auctions by Ron Bourgeault

presented the highest grossing Maritime and China Trade auction ever conducted

in North America with total sales of $3.01 million. Most sections of the sale

included exceptional examples and true rarities. The air beneath the tent was

a rich blend of the ecstasy of winners, the sour disappointment of

underbidders, and the stunned excitement of overwhelmed consignors. Ninety

eight percent of lots sold.

China Trade Paintings

Three of the major spenders in the auction had an acute interest in China

Trade paintings, and bidding was extremely aggressive. At $189,500 the top lot

for the entire sale was a China Trade painting that depicted the Hunt family

boatyard anchored off Whampoa. The moored landmark enabled the Hunt family to

enjoy an opulent lifestyle and operate an effective business while observing

Chinese prohibitions against European residency. The cluster of boats

functioned as an artificial island more than as a vessel. A phone bidder won

the painting.

The underbidder was a collector from the Massachusetts South Shore. She

commented, "I could have gone higher, but you have to use good judgment. Above

the $170,000 bid, the real price with the premium is over $200,000. That was

starting to get expensive." However she did fill another niche in the

collection when she won Spoilum's portrait of the merchant Chung Qua for

$71,250.

The collector then volunteered, "I've been wanting to get a portrait by

Spoilum for several years. I'm very happy with this one. It's well-painted, in

excellent condition, and the merchant is handsome. If you're going to have a

portrait on the wall, it might as well be handsome."

One Cape Cod couple with additional homes in Maine and Florida were aggressive

buyers throughout the auction, but particularly pursued China Trade paintings.

As successive lots were offered they won an 1850 view of the hongs at Canton

($40,250) and the Shanghai bund with Western shipping ($68,500). She

commented, "I've been collecting China Trade paintings for a long time. I've

chosen examples that go well with my collection."

Northeast's China Trade consultant Carl Crossman found great consignments. One

lady remarked, "I invited Carl to my house to consign the painting of the

foreign cemetery at Whampoa. Walking down the hallway to leave, he glanced at

another painting and stopped in his tracks. He said, `I have never seen a

painting of that section of the Pearl River before. I've read about it in

diaries, but I've never seen it pictured. We could do very well with that.' So

I consigned it. I hope it makes the $12,000 reserve."

An hour later the lady was awash in tears. She gushed, "I just can't believe

it. I collect China Trade, and I know the field. I never thought much of that

painting, and never guessed it would sell for so much ($58,600)." Her tears of

joy were so profuse that Carl Crossman left the stage to hand her some

tissues.

Other China Trade Lots

Hyannisport dealer Alan Granby won the top Chinese Export porcelain lot when

he paid $63,000 for a punch bowl decorated with the hongs of Canton. He then

commented, "It's one of the great hong bowls. These were made in a narrow

period of time, and therefore only a small number were produced. A smaller

number survive, and only half of those are in private hands. It had one

imperfection, but others on the market have more imperfections."

Kennebunkport dealer Richard Oliver purchased a unique ephemera lot associated

with the China Trade porcelain. For $5,750 he won the Turkish velvet and

needlework purse of Thomas Fitzhugh. This was the English merchant after whom

the Fitzhugh pattern of Chinese porcelain was named.

Another rarity of the China Trade was a silkwork scene with raised figures

that sold for $7,188. A couple of other examples are known, but these are

extremely rare on the market.

American Paintings

The American painting that stimulated the most discussion was William

Bradford's (1823-1892) luminous work "Sunset on the Labrador Coast," which a

phone bidder ultimately won for $63,000.

Northeast's art consultant Carl Crossman commented, "This is one example of

Bradford's work which most nearly retains his pink, luminous quality. That is

why there has been so much interest in it. In his luminous works like this,

Bradford mixed pink in his varnish and applied it. Consequently, his luminous

paintings are difficult to clean. Somebody began to clean the lower left area,

but apparently discovered the luminous pink could be removed and quickly

stopped. Like Church and Lane, Bradford used a lot of oil in his paints and

that has produced some vertical striations."

An hour after the Bradford sold, the underbidder lamented, "Maybe I should

have gone further. I set a limit and stuck to it. Now I think I made a

mistake. It was a great work, and now it will probably be in some gallery for

$120,000. I could have gone for more, and the more I think about it, the more

I regret not going further."

A Nantucket couple who are major collectors of Americana were spotted just

before the auction. At auction, they usually bid by phone, but she explained,

"This morning I decided auctions are having so much trouble with phone bidding

that we should attend in person." They had jetted to Portsmouth, and

limousined to the auction. The limousine remained waiting for six hours in the

parking lot.

When the couple was leaving, she opined, "They really do a great job with the

phone bids here. I'll continue bidding on the way home." And she did. Among

other items won from the jet was an Audubon print of Icelandic falcons for

$48,300.

The couple won many of the top selling American maritime paintings. These

included Antonio Jacobsen's depiction of the 1887 America's Cup race

($51,750), and his 1895 portrait of the yacht Dauntless ($49,450). They also

won a portrait of a young captain having ship's rigging in the background.

This particularly handsome painting was estimated at $3/6,000, but sold for

$41,400.

The couple's most emotional purchase of the day was an exquisitely carved

juvenile mermaid won for $18,975. Asked if she would hang the mermaid next to

her Cahoon paintings that have mermaids, the woman responded, "I haven't

decided where to hang it yet. However I think it will be in a different room

than any of the Cahoons." This 20 inch-long Twentieth Century carving was

splendidly sculpted from the innocent juvenile face to the Neptune forked

tail. This was the only work that flew back to Nantucket with the couple.

Scrimshaw And

Other Folk Art

Nina Hellman won a scrimshawed tooth with a whaling scene ($34,500) and

another whale's tooth decorated with a Scottish couple by William Lewis

Roderick ($25,300). She then stated, "I think the Roderick was a very

significant scrimshander. He usually did scenes but he did a few figures. His

teeth are rare on the market, and this is a particularly fine example. The

Kendall Museum and Mystic Seaport have examples of his work, but I can't

remember when I have seen another work by him for sale."

Another important example of sailor's art was a whalebone and ivory walking

stick that a Cape Cod collector won for $16,100. He then stated, "The Turk's

head knot is exceptional, and large inlays accent a strong design."

The auction featured quality wood carvings. One was a period ship's figurehead

of a sailor that sold for $10,350. Carving was consistent with the finest

Nineteenth Century examples. Major elements were boldly sculpted so that they

could be clearly seen from 100 yards away. Elements were boldly delineated and

omitted details that could not be seen from a distance. The figure had a

swagger and bore a resemblance to Elvis Presley.

One rare lot featured a pair of 9-inch figures depicting a sea captain and his

wife. They featured papier-mache foundations covered with tiny shells. They

appeared fragile, and if others were made they have not survived. A Cape Cod

collector won them for $19,550. She then stated, "Originally I'm a Floridian,

and I've been a sheller all my life. I've never seen anything like these. I

think they are absolutely charming and unique. It's exciting to get them."

The late Frederick Bartlett would have delighted in a fine assortment of

American eagles. These included a 38-inch Bellamy ($21,850), a 62-inch carved

and gilded plaque ($12,075), a 33-inch pilot house eagle ($5,405), and a two

headed Masonic eagle ($3,450).

Historical Pottery Auction

And Whaling Talk

Saturday's auction featured 220 lots of historical pottery and 130 assorted

lots. The pottery was consigned by the estate of Roger T. Powers. Mr Powers

was a Baltimore stockbroker who died in 1994 at the age of 55 years. A dozen

rival collectors from Maryland were among the 200 people who attended this

segment of the auction.

Ron Bourgeault commented, "This is probably the finest collection of

Anglo-American pottery relating to the War of 1812 ever to come on the market.

Roger was a very serious man. When I was a dealer, I sold to him at the

Washington show and Baltimore show."

The most expensive portion of the collection featured Liverpool jugs. Top lot

was a Liverpool jug featuring Thomas Jefferson. Estimated at $4/6,000, it sold

for $16,100. Other jugs sold in the $3,000 to $6,000 range.

Most lusterware lots sold between $500 and $4,000 depending upon rarity of

form, subject, and color. A New England collector explained, "I'm looking for

strong images with several colors. Pieces have to be in fine condition." He

won a large pitcher featuring Pike in a black transfer surrounded by a splash

luster ground for $8,625.

One Rochester collector commented, "I arrived on Wednesday and spent two days

studying the collection. I got six lots including one of the General Brown

jugs. Brown was one of the heroes of the ground war in the Niagara Neck area.

I was particularly glad to get that one."

On Saturday evening author Kenneth Martin presented a talk entitled

"Portsmouth Whalers: From Confidence to Calamity 1832 to 1848." As Mr Miller

pieced together the history of local whaling, he proved to be a consummate

storyteller. His tale of naive confidence, remarkable bad luck, and carnal

temptation made for a witty and informative evening. Recently the Portsmouth

Athenaeum published Ken's book about Portsmouth's whaling industry entitled

Heavy Weather and Hard Luck , and the talk was held as a benefit for the

athenaeum.