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News Article
Southern furniture brings strong prices at Brunk
By Carole Deutsch

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Brunk Auctions is proving the expressio “Success builds upon success,” as evidenced by the stellar performance of their auctions over the past year, which have set record prices and, just as importantly, achieved consistently high results sale after sale.

Prices that harken back to the heydays have been routinely recorded. In November 2013, Brunk sold an 1808 Virginia Federal walnut desk, made by John Shearer, for the hammer price of $300,000. A Jesse Needham walnut tall chest on frame Piedmont, N.C., circa 1810, brought $230,000 in January 2014, and a serpentine chest of drawers from Charleston, S.C., circa 1790-1800, hammered in March 2014 for $84,000.

Important Southern antiques have been commanding impressive prices in the market. In part this is because they are scarcer than other American antiques, and also that Southerners are deeply connected to their heritage.

“The fact that we received record prices for several important pieces has generated an influx of exceptional articles into our auction house,” said Aaron Edwards, public relations director for Brunk. “It has sparked an interest from collectors that are interested only in that top 10 percent of high quality objects.”

The July 11-12 sale of 762 lots yielded $1,335,318 and achieved consistently strong prices for early American furniture across the board. Virtually every genre performed well, with many individual items commanding “over-the-top” prices.

Southern antique furniture once again outperformed other similar American period pieces. A Jesse Needham walnut pitch-pediment tall chest on frame, from Piedmont, N.C., circa 1810, brought $35,400. The triangular pediment had fan and fleur-de-lis appliqués, and the original frame had a scalloped skirt, cabriole legs and slipper feet. The 78 1/2-inch-tall 9-drawer chest had replaced brasses, some patches and restorations, and surface wear consistent with age. The piece was documented by MESDA (The Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts) and came from a private collection.

A rare Virginia Federal mahogany sofa from the early 19th century had a reeded tablet back, scrolled arms, and turned and reeded legs and arm supports. It opened at $2,500 and sold past the high estimate of $10,000 to achieve $14,160. A fine Piedmont, N.C., Federal walnut blanket chest, circa 1825, was mounted on a frame with two drawers and a peaked skirt on cabriole legs with slipper feet. It was in good condition overall and sold for $8,260. Another early Southern piece, that of a Chippendale walnut side chair, circa 1780, had a pierced splat and claw and ball feet, brought $9,450.

Outstanding Americana was represented by an important Philadelphia, circa 1810, carved gesso and giltwood figural spread eagle sculpture attributed to William Rush (1756-1833). Rush, America’s first sculptor, created two other eagles that are now at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. The carving portrayed the Peace eagle, with the head facing right, a symbol of peace. It was intricately carved of elm and was depicted standing on an orb that was mounted on a metal base. The catalog gave a lengthy and informative description that stated the use of elm was unusual in carvings of this period, both in America and Britain, because it was a difficult wood to carve and was hard to obtain, the results of deforestation and demand for elm for shipbuilding. It was also interestingly noted that the eagle may well have been carved out of wood from the Treaty Elm, under which William Penn is thought to have signed his famous treaty with the Indians at Shackamaxon in 1681. It fell in a great gale in 1810, and wood from the tree became so prized that the Vandusen family, who owned the land where it stood, had to have a guard posted to protect it. Select individuals were granted the right to use wood from the Treaty Elm to make special objects, and it is speculated that Rush’s close connections would have made him a likely candidate to receive the wood. The rare and historic Peace eagle commanded $21,240, against a high estimate of $12,000.

Highlighting a fine selection of sporting art was a work signed by John Emms (British, 1843-1912), titled Run to Earth, 1893. The 36-inch by 28 1/2-inch oil-on-canvas depicted a fox hunting scene with a huntsman and hounds that had run the fox to ground. The Master of the Hounds is shown in a classic Pink coat, which actually is the color scarlet red that is traditionally associated with huntsman. The name Pink refers to the original tailor, who is credited with the first and highest quality red hunting coats. The work was included in the John Emms – Paintings of The Sporting Life exhibit held in 2014 at William Secord Gallery in New York. It was mounted in a giltwood and composition frame and achieved $59,000.

Firearms were represented by a Purdey Best Quality 12-gauge shotgun, which was described by Purdey as a “12 bore Purdey best quality double barrel hammerless self-opening ejector gun no.25233. Completed in 1937 for Mr. J. H. Fattorini.” It sold with copies of communications from Purdey to the purchaser, who bought it from Purdey as a used reconditioned gun, and a copy of a photograph of the owner with the gun for $23,600.

Appropriate to the high quality of the auction was the sale of a 1960 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud II Saloon. The left hand drive classic had original wood trim and picnic tables, power steering, air conditioning, carpets, and leather upholstery, with approximate mileage of 39,000, and is listed on the Rolls Royce Club Register. It was purchased from the estate of the original owner in 1986 and sold for $34,220.

Prices include an 18 percent buyer’s premium.

8/8/2014
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