Date: Fri 14-May-1999

Publication: Ant

Author: LIZAM

Quick Words:

Frank-Kaminski-Jackman

Full Text:

Kaminski Sells Boston Clock For $132,00

By Bob Jackman

ANDOVER, MASS -- Rather than running in the Boston Marathon, Frank Kaminski

celebrated Patriot's Day with an exciting auction at the Rolling Green Inn in

Andover.

The six hundred lots included many interesting items from America, Europe, and

Asia. Total sales topped half a million dollars.

Eighteenth Century

Advanced Technology

The star lot was a circa 1750 Gawen Brown japanned tall clock that sold for

$132,000 to clock expert Robert Cheney of Brimfield, Mass.

Gawen Brown was born in England in 1719 and died in America in 1801. His

earliest known clocks were made in Edlingham, England. The earliest document

of his arrival in America was a 1749 Boston advertisement. He made a tower

clock for the Old South Meeting House in Boston, which he installed in 1766.

Two other known examples of Brown's japanned tall case clocks are in the

Winterthur Museum and the Henry Ford Museum.

Cheney was elated to win this third example. "This is a rare clock," he

commented. "Few surviving clocks of this era are known, and many decorative

arts authorities consider the japanned tall clock to be the premier form of

its day. Brown was among the first generation of clockmakers in America, and

his simple, dome-topped clocks with Japanned cases date to the earliest of his

work in America. Yet this clock has survived in a remarkable state considering

the fragile nature of the decoration."

Cheney believes the clock's excellent state of preservation is due to the fact

that it had descended in the Breed family from the time it was made until

1972.

"The original case is wonderfully preserved. Other than a new roof board, all

the original wood remains intact and is bound by its original joinery. There

have been no structural changes, including the bracket feet."

"The clock works appear to have been made by Brown," he continued. "In

England, there is a clock marked Gawen Brown, Edlingham. The works of that

clock are identical to the works on this clock marked Gawen Brown, Boston

except for the rocking ship found on the Boston example.

"It is not clear whether the clock face was made by Brown or whether he

acquired it through the trade. There were trade sources in England from whom

he could have imported dial plates, spandrels, numeric rings, and hands.

However, Brown's memorandum book indicates that he also could have made these

components.

"In his 1749 ad, Brown stated that he made clocks with plain cases, black

walnut cases, mahogany cases, and Japanned cases. The ad also stated that

Brown was located at the Brattle Street shop of Mr Thomas Johnston, the

japanner. Since he was living with a japanner, it is most likely that clock

was japanned by Johnston. Most japanning in Boston was done on pine, and that

is done with this case.

"Japanned furniture surfaces are very delicate, and in general they have not

survived well. In comparison to other japanned clocks, furniture, and looking

glasses, this japanning has survived rather well. There are very few surviving

examples of japanned clocks by any Boston maker.

"This has everything that a great piece of furniture has, but more," Cheney

concluded. "It has a mechanical element made 250 years ago that continues

doing the job for which it was designed. This is an example of the most

advanced technology in mid-Eighteenth Century America."

A Dennis Chest

Another highlight was a Thomas Dennis workshop joined chest from Ipswich,

Mass., that sold for $44,000 to a phone bidder. The piece was sold with

documentation of its authenticity written by scholar Robert Trent. It had also

been discussed and illustrated in Robert Taule's 1992 thesis The Joined

Furniture of William Searle and Thomas Dennis .

The chest was thought to have been made during the 1670 to 1710 period. It

resembled other chests from the school in construction and overall design, but

differed in carved decoration in the three front panels. The left and right

panels were carved in a severe geometric manner with an hourglass motif. The

carving of the center panel combined the hourglass motif with oak leaf

clusters motif. The leaves were inserted to either side of the hourglass.

Other Dennis chests are more often illustrated with oak leaf clusters.

The Sleeper

The sleeper of the auction was a lot catalogued as a pair of country

Chippendale chairs. After winning the lot for $275, collector Greg Lang

commented, "Cedar was the preferred wood for the Caribbean furniture. There is

native cedar there, and we shipped substantial cargoes of cedar from New

England to Bermuda and the Caribbean. I think insects do not attack cedar.

"These chairs are definitely clunky. The Colonial cabinetmakers drew upon

Chippendale's style, but they modified it to create a distinctly local

interpretation. I believe these are rare."

Folk Art

The top folk art lot in the auction was a ship figurehead that depicted a lady

in a blue dress. This authentic figurehead with the extensive weathering in

all the proper places sold for $3,850.

A humorous folk art lot was a weathervane from atop the studio of Folly Cove

(Rockport) artist Nicola D'Ascenzo. D'Ascenzo (b 1871) is more often

considered a Philadelphia stained glass designer and muralist, but he summered

and painted at Folly Cove. At one end of the vane an artist sat on the ground

with a stretcher mounted canvas in one hand and a paintbrush in the other. At

the opposite end, the artist's paint box, with palette and brushes hanging out

the sides, sat on the ground. A long billed shorebird had alighted atop the

box. The bird's open bill indicated that he whistled repeatedly as his

portrait was hastily sketched. The vane was a good buy at $825.

The success of the auction was bolstered by a week-long preview at the

Kaminski office and barn in Beverly. The office is located in the former

carriage house that was restored several years ago. The barn is in its final

stage of restoration. When exterior work is completed, it will be wired with

state of the art lighting.

Prices quoted include a ten percent buyers premium.