Maine Antique Digest, December 2016

Maine Antique Digest, December 2016 31-C

AUCTION -

31-C

The 239-lot sale moved

along smoothly. Fine art

dominated the sale, with

few dramatic surprises.

Quinn’s Auction Galleries—Central Virginia, Louisa, Virginia

Chinese Teacups Soar at Quinn’s

by Walter C. Newman

Photos courtesy Quinn’s Auction Galleries

uinn’s Auction Galleries—Central

Virginia held its fall fine and

decorative arts auction at the firm’s

galleries in Louisa, Virginia. The sale

on September 17 offered a good mix of

American and Continental antiques, fine

art, ceramics, modern three-dimensional

art, and Asian items.

There was a great deal of anticipation

regarding the sale’s featured lot, the

catalog’s cover image, a “fresh-to-the-

market” oil on canvas by Lucy May

Stanton (1876-1931). Stanton, who was

born in Georgia, was a formally trained

artist whose works can be found at the

Metropolitan Museum of Art in NewYork

City, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston,

the National Portrait Gallery, Washington,

D.C., and the Philadelphia Museum of

Art. While Stanton painted many portrait

and landscape canvases, she is best known

for her portrait miniatures. One of her

miniatures won the blue ribbon in 1906

at the Paris Salon de la Société Nationale

des Beaux-Arts.

The painting offered at Quinn’s was a

full-length portrait,

Uncle Jesse

. It depicts

an elderly African-American man dressed

in heavy clothing, standing in a somewhat

stooped position and holding his cap.

The gentleman is staring at the viewer

over dark wire-rim glasses. In Stanton’s

notes, this painting was listed under the

heading “Exhibitions for 1910-11” to be

shown at the Paris Salon. It is unclear

whether it was in fact exhibited. Several

decades after her death, the painting was

discovered under a cabin where Stanton

had lived, in remote Andrews, North

Carolina. The painting subsequently

underwent extensive restoration. During

the conservation process, the words

“Uncle Jesse” were discovered on the back

of the canvas in what is believed to be the

artist’s hand.

Uncle Jesse

was presented

in a modern gilt and black frame. The

consignor was Dr. Marion Garber, great-

niece of the artist. The portrait failed to

meet its reserve and was passed. Quinn’s

Central Virginia managing director, Skip

Usry, stated that there was some post-

sale interest in the painting, but for now it

remains unsold.

A second auction lot of considerable

note was a small circa 1780 English

inlaid Neoclassical demilune console

table. This table, referred to as the Tayloe

table, was originally owned by the

Tayloe family of Mount Airy Plantation,

located on the outskirts of the town of

Warsaw, Richmond County, Virginia, and

overlooking the Rappahannock River.

The Tayloe family was one of the most

prominent and influential in the Virginia

colony. In addition to their land holdings,

members of the Tayloe family were

soldiers, business leaders, and politicians.

They were counted among the friends and

confidants of George Washington.

In 1882 Phoebe Ogle Tayloe bequeathed

her estate, including the table, to the

Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington,

D.C. In 1950 the Corcoran deaccessioned

the table, at which time it was purchased

by the consignor. Following that

purchase, the owner had lent the table

to George Washington’s Mount Vernon,

The high lot of the sale was this pair of 18th-century teacups. The white porcelain

cups exhibit a blue glaze design of stylized Chinese characters. There is a blue glaze

Chinese mark on the bottom of each cup, and each has a paper label “Chia Ch’ing

/ (1796-1821)” on the bottom. The cups measure 3¾" and 3¼" diameter and were

offered in a fitted box. The tea bowls sold to an Internet buyer for $46,875 (est.

$300/500).

This Tiffany Studios table lamp with a green

Colonial pattern leaded glass shade stands 22"

tall overall with a 16" diameter shade. The

base is bronze with a repeating double-scroll

pattern on the base and at the upper end of the

shaft. There are two cracked glass panels. The

lamp sold to a telephone bidder for $7800 (est.

$8000/12,000).

This late 18th-century Virginia slant-front desk is constructed

of walnut with yellow pine secondary wood. The interior is fitted

with ten valanced pigeonholes over a stepped section consisting

of eight document drawers. Below are four graduated drawers

with molded edges. It is raised on bracket feet. The case features

mortise and tenon construction, and all of the drawers are

dovetailed. The desk sold to a telephone bidder for $960 (est.

$400/600).

The walnut Neoclassical demilune

console table, probably English,

circa 1780, features a figured walnut

top overhanging an inlaid satinwood

apron, raised on square tapered

legs, terminating in boldly carved

spade feet. The legs are decorated

with string inlay on all faces. When

opened, the table measures 28" high

x 36" diameter. The table has direct

line provenance from the original

owners, the Tayloe family, to the

consignor. The Tayloe table was

passed on auction day but sold the

next day for $9600 (est. $6000/8000).

This large one-piece walnut corner cupboard is from

Pennsylvania and dates from the late 18th century. The

cupboard features amolded cornice with an accent band

of what appears to be vertically figured maple. The two

eight-pane doors open to reveal four shelves with plate

grooves. The lower fielded-panel doors enclose two

shelves. The waist and base have an applied decorative

strip. The feet are replaced. The 85¼" x 50½" x 21½"

cupboard sold for $1800 (est. $2000/3000).

These three single-armwall sconces are by the Duffner &Kimberly

Co. of New York City, which existed with that name from 1906

to 1910. The geometric leaded glass shades, each 4¾" diameter,

suspend from an arched base. These sconces sold to an Internet

buyer for $3750 (est. $2000/4000).