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32-D Maine Antique Digest, April 2015
- AUCTION -
This 1850-70 carved, painted, and
polychrome-decorated cigar-store
Indian is attributed to John L.
Cromwell (1805-1873), New York.
Overall, it is 79" high x 22½" wide
x 22½" deep and sold to a phone
bidder identified as “U.S. Trade”
by Christie’s for $93,750 (est.
$30,000/50,000). According to the
catalog, John Cromwell moved in
1831 from Massachusetts to New
York, where he set up his shop at
179 Cherry Street. For approx-
imately 20 years, he ran a suc-
cessful business filling orders for
figureheads and other carvings
to adorn ships. With the decline
of the maritime industry, Crom-
well turned to carving shop fig-
ures in the 1850s, predominantly
cigarstore Indians. This model
(known as the Scout, hunting
chief, or Captain Jack) was called
“a Mohawk warrior” by Freder-
ick Fried, who wrote the pioneer
book on American wood carv-
ings
Artists in Wood
. It was from
the collection of Allan Stone, who
had bought it from New York City
dealer Harris Diamant in 1977.
Attributed to Jacob Maentel (1763-1863),
the portrait of a young lady, graphite, ink,
and watercolor on 10¼" x 8" paper, sold for
$10,000 (est. $2000/4000) to Steven Weiss of
Gemini Antiques, Oldwick, New Jersey. At
Sotheby Parke Bernet on April 1, 1978, Jane
Supino had paid $2000 (no buyer’s premium)
for the picture from the collection of Edgar
William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch.
A View of the Conflagration of Part of the U.S. Armory, Springfield,
Mass., March 2, AD. 1824
by Roswell Park, in ink and watercolor
on 19½" x 27½" paper, sold for $11,875 (est. $10,000/20,000). Jane
Supino had bought it from the William E. Wiltshire III estate
at Sotheby Parke Bernet in April 1981 for $18,700. It shows the
townspeople rescuing the rifles housed in the building that is
burning. The building was rebuilt and functioned until 1968 and
is now a museum. A similar picture, but signed by the artist, sold
at Sotheby’s for $22,500 (est. $15,000/25,000) two days later.
At the Stewart E. Gregory sale at
Sotheby Parke Bernet in January
1979, Jane Supino paid $1650 for this
molded, gilt copper tuna weathervane,
attributed to A.L. Jewell of Waltham,
Massachusetts. It dates from the 19th
century, the overall height on stand is
50½", and it is 39" wide. It sold this
time for $10,000 to an absentee bidder.
Fritz Vogt (1842-1900),
The Residence of Mr. John Kilts, Stone
Arabia, N.Y.,
signed and dated June 27, 1894, graphite and crayon
on 20½" x 28½" paper, sold for $21,250 in the salesroom to dealer
David Wheatcroft of Westborough, Massachusetts. Vogt was born
in Germany and came for a life in America where he worked as a
farm laborer and itinerant artist from 1890 to 1900.
This white-painted
egret, 50" high x 16"
wide, sold to a phone
bidder for $8125 (est.
$5000/10,000). It had
been one of Jane Supi-
no’s favorites in her folk
art collection, according
to her daughter’s essay in
the sale catalog.
This cigar-store “Indian princess” was
carved, painted, and polychrome deco-
rated in the 19th century. Overall (with
base) it is approximately 84" high x
23¼" x 29" deep. From the collection
of the late art dealer and collector
Allan Stone, it sold on the phone for
$43,750 (est. $30,000/50,000). Stone
had bought it from Gerald Korn-
blau, who always had a memora-
ble stand at the Winter Antiques
Show.
This portrait of a gentleman is attributed
to Jane Anthony Davis (1821-1855). The
rendering in pencil and watercolor on
5" x 4 1/8" paper sold to an absentee
bidder for $1500. At Sotheby Parke
Bernet in January 1979 Jane Supino
bought it from the Stewart E. Gregory
collection and paid $1210 for it (when
the artist was known as J.A. Davis and
no one knew her name was Jane). The
hammer price 36 years later was $1200.
Back to square one! On the other hand,
a portrait (not shown) by Joseph H.
Davis (1811-1865), inscribed “Jeremiah
Jones, Aged 6 years 1835/ Born June
21st 1829,” a pencil, ink, and watercolor
on 7½" x 5¼" paper, sold for $6875 (est.
$1000/2000). Two collectors wanted it,
and their dealers competed.
The portrait of Cornelia T. Newell Miller,
attributed to Ruth Henshaw Miles Bas-
com (1772-1848) and in pastel and graph-
ite with foil accent on 17¼" x 12¼" paper,
sold for $15,000 (est. $15,000/30,000) to
dealer David Wheatcroft of Westbor-
ough, Massachusetts, who thought it sold
“under the money.” It was from the estate
of Jane Supino, who had bought it at a
Sotheby Parke Bernet auction on April
27-29, 1978, for $1500.
Black Mule
by Bill Traylor
sold to Susan Baerwald of Just
Folk, Summerland, California,
in the salesroom for $52,500
(est. $20,000/40,000).