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Leading the sale was this Aesthetic Movement carved teak armchair designed by Lockwood de Forest (American, 1850-1932) and manufactured by the Indian Ahmedabad Wood Carving Company. For $24,400, it will head to the Art Institute of Chicago ($20/30,000).
Review by Kiersten Busch
PETERBOROUGH, N.H. — Peterborough Auctions closed out September with its Fine Art and Antiques auction, which took place on the 22nd of the month. The sale offered 366 lots featuring fine art, paintings, prints and various antiques from local estates.
“We feel like the sale did well overall, and are satisfied with the results,” shared Nick Prior and Molly Williams, co-owners of Peterborough Auctions. “We had some nice surprises with the prints and a few of the eclectic antiques and sold the top lot to a major American museum.”
The top lot in question was one of two pieces of Aesthetic Movement furniture offered, this one designed by Lockwood de Forest in December 1881 and manufactured by the Ahmedabad Wood Carving Company in India around 1882-86. The armchairfeatured a carved folate trailing vine motif on all surfaces, among other details. The chair may have previously been owned by Alfred de Forest, the son of Lockwood de Forest. Finishing at $24,400, it will head to its new home with the Art Institute of Chicago.
Finishing second in the sale was this Aesthetic Movement hexagonal carved parlor table, manufactured by the Ahmedabad Wood Carving Company and attributed to Lockwood de Forest (American, 1850-1932). It was most likely made between 1885-1900 and achieved a $5,185 finish ($6/9,000).
Of the important purchase, Prior and Williams shared, “The museum will be conserving, restoring and reupholstering the chair before installing it into their permanent collection. We are thrilled that this historic piece will be available for the public to see and learn from at one of the country’s top art museums.”
The second Aesthetic Movement item earned the second-highest price of the sale. This example, also manufactured by the Ahmedabad Wood Carving Company, was a hexagonal parlor table with elaborately carved edges and panels; it was attributed to de Forest. The auction catalog estimated that the table was made between 1885-1900 and was possibly assembled in New York. For $5,185, it was purchased by a local collector with direct family connections to de Forest.
The two top lots were both, according to Prior and Williams, “nice surprises for our consignors who didn’t realize the historic and monetary value of these pieces that were in their uncle’s house. They were nice surprises for us as well — we knew they were interesting and potentially quite valuable when we went on the house call, but didn’t see the full scope until we brought them back to the gallery and started researching.”
Rounding out the top three lots of the sale was “Unloading, Normandy Coast” by William Henry Howe (American, 1846-1929), oil on board, 14¼ by 17¾ inches, signed lower left with partial date, which wheeled off for $2,562 to a collector with direct family ties to the artist ($500/700).
Oil landscapes were popular with bidders, with many taking top spots in the sale. “Unloading, Normandy Coast” by William Henry Howe rounded out the top three-highest prices, with the oil on board earning $2,562 against a $500/700 estimate. Described by the auction catalog as “an incredibly detailed, atmospheric Norwegian landscape of a small cabin at the edge of a fjord,” “Cabin by the Fjord,” an oil on panel by Georg Anton Rasmussen, realized $1,500.
The only lithograph to enter the top 10 best-selling lots was an example by Pablo Picasso, titled “Bouquet of Peace.” The original color lithograph was purchased by the consignor’s parents in the early 1960s from a Hungarian art dealer in New York City, who brought the work from Paris. The lithograph began with a pre-sale estimate of $300/500, but after 31 bids, the buyer took home the work for $1,464.
Prior and Williams mentioned, after the sale’s conclusion, “All the other top lots sold to private collectors around the United States. We had some overseas bidders and buyers, but the bulk of the activity came from American bidders, including many bidding directly on our website for the first time, including many New England locals who also came to our preview. In general, we’re finding that bidders are more and more comfortable previewing and bidding online.”
Peterborough Auctions’ next sale will take place on Gold Sunday, December 1. The sale will focus on estate, designer and antique jewelry, watches, coins and silver.
Prices quoted include buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. For information, 603-933-9947 or www.peterboroughauctions.us.
