DOWNINGTON, Pa. — Bringing together estates and pieces from several institutions set the stage for Pook & Pook’s two-day April auction. With a sale total pushing the $2 million mark, buyers wanted what Pook & Pook was selling.

The two-day sale started on April 19 with the collection of Jack and Mary Louis Krumrine. “The Krumrines lived in the State College area of Pennsylvania for most of their collecting career, purchasing from local auctions and private parties in that area,” said Deirdre Pook Margarelli, Vice President of Pook & Pook. “Their collection focused primarily on decorative Pennsylvania folk art, including fraktur, stoneware, redware and furniture.”

A watercolor and ink on paper birth certificate, done for Elizabeth Buck in 1827, Lycoming County, Pa. by Henry Young (Pennsylvania, 1817-1861) more than tripled its high estimate of $6,000 by earning $18,960.

Prices include an 18.5 percent in-house buyer’s premium or 21.5 percent online.

The upper script of the birth certificate was flanked by red and blue stars over birds perched on tulip stems and the profile of a woman wearing a yellow dress holding a bouquet of flowers, all in red, blue, pink and yellow. The certificate measured 10 1/2 inches by 7 1/4 inches.

Another watercolor and ink on paper by Young, a Certificate of Birth and Baptism for Michael Wagnor in 1856, Snyder County, Pa., featuring figures of a husband and wife with a candlestand between them and a vase on top sold for $17,775.

A watercolor and ink on paper taufschein, done for Johannes Becktolf, 1829, by Abraham Huth (Pennsylvania, 1807-1830) that was taken to $21,330; surpassed its $8,500 pre-sale estimate. Having a central rectangular panel with a yellow, red and green border enclosing script, surmounted by a yellow, red and green starburst flanked by birds and flowering vines, and above a yellow and green lawn with a house and trees done all in vibrant colors, this watercolor was 13 by 16 inches.

And then there was the Virginia family record book consisting of seven double pages and one triple page of watercolor and ink on paper frakturs. The artist of these works is thought to have been from Frederick County, Va., and was active 1795-1825. The first work dated 1811 is a record of the marriage of Daniel Ferneau and Catharine Ridenour of Virginia with intricate scrolls, flowers and birds, and the facing page with a Temple and Masonic symbols, is done all in red, yellow and sepia. The other seven pages are records of six children born to them, one of those including a death record of Joseph Ferneau. All the pages are profusely decorated with fanciful designs, birds, wild flowers, and leaves in red, yellow, and sepia color. Each page is approximately 7 1/4 inches by 6 1/4 inches. The book sold for $54,510.

It was known going into this auction that the circa 1800 Alamance County, N.C. redware charger was going to make a statement. With its three central tulips within a dotted border, and its swag and fern decorated rim, this 15 inch in diameter piece did not disappoint when it brought $65,175.

Also selling on Friday night was a cased pair of James Purdey & Sons side lock, double hammer, 12 gauge shotguns. Having 30-inch nitro proofed barrels with finely engraved receivers, triggers, latches and breeches and checkered English walnut stocks, the guns wore the serial numbers 8899 and 8900 and sold together for $26,070.

Concluding Friday’s session was the selling of more than 30 Oriental rugs with a circa 1900 Serapi palace size carpet, 21 feet, 8 inches by 14 feet, 10 inches making $19,440 and a circa 1900 Agra carpet with overall floral pattern on a red ground, 12 feet, 6 inches by 12 feet, 11 inches coming in at $17,775.

Saturday saw the selling of many fine works of art. An oil-on-board of nine chicks, by Ben Austrian (American 1870-1921), signed lower right, dated 1905, 8 inches by 18 inches sold for $15,795. Trouncing its pre-sale estimate of $2,500 was the Edmond Darch Lewis (American 1835-1910) oil-on-canvas landscape, signed lower left and dated 1870, 24 inches by 38 inches which realized $15,405. The Joan Miró (French/Spanish 1893-1983), watercolor and crayon on paper, titled Femme Dans la Nuit, signed lower right, 9 3/4 inches by 11 3/4 inches did well at $33,180.

Of the decorative arts that sold, the circa 1770 Georgian ebonized and ormolu mounted bracket clock was a show-stopper. With a revolving figural bell ringer under a portico finial, an 11-bell musical works, and an enameled dial with an automated musician and a black minstrel, this 31-inch tall timepiece brought $40,290.

Another stellar clock of a completely different type was the circa 1800 Berks County, Pa. Federal mahogany tall case clock that sold for $77,025. Having a broken arch bonnet with sunflower rosettes, the clock also had three inlaid panels of flowers in urns, encasing a painted metal dial, inscribed Benjn Witman Reading, with an eight-day movement, over a waist door with an inlaid oval panel of an eagle with a shield chest perched on a branch with a banner in its beak. This was then over a lower case having an inlaid panel and a repeating urn of flowers, all resting on flared French feet. The clock stood 103 inches high.

Furniture offered was of the highest quality like the Lehigh County, Pa. painted dower chest, inscribed Salame Gaumerrin 1809, which made $22,515. Having two hearts on the lid which repeat on the front panel, and centering a six-pointed star over two stippled drawers, the end panels had three color philphlots, all resting on ogee bracket feet.

A circa 1765 Pennsylvania Queen Anne walnut dressing table with a rectangular top having notched corners, overhanging a frame with a single drawer and a scalloped skirt, supported by cabriole legs terminating in trifid feet, with the piece measuring 28 1/2 inches high by 36 inches wide sold for $30,810, while a circa 1830 Philadelphia classical mahogany secretaire a abattant attributed to Anthony Quervelle saw $20,655.

With a gilt decorated pediment and fall front enclosing a bird’s-eye maple interior, above two doors flanked by grapevine-carved styles, this secretary was 68 inches high by 41 3/4 inches wide.

Pook & Pook, Inc. will host its next auction June 11-12 featuring everything from early American furniture and decorative arts to more than 50 lots of jewelry, a collection of 21 Russian icons, and a 1971 MG Roadster.

Contact: (610) 269–4040

www.pookandpook.com