Sotheby's Americana Sale

The Winter Antiques Show and Americana week in New York City is quickly approaching.  Sotheby's recently posted a press release on the sale.  In addition to the usual property which includes a sale of antique silver, prints, and furniture there will also be a sale of the late Elinor Gordon's personal collection of Chinese export porcelain.

The furniture sale includes The Important Ranlett-Rust Family Chippendale Figured Mahogany Bombé Slant-Front Desk, Probably by Francis Cook, Marblehead, Massachusetts, circa 1770 with an estimate of $400,000/1 million (see image). 

From the Sotheby's press release.

On 22 and 23 January, Sotheby’s will begin the sale season with Important Americana, including furniture, folk art, silver, prints, decorative arts and carpets and will be led by The Important Ranlett-Rust Family Chippendale Figured Mahogany Bombé Slant-Front Desk, Probably by Francis Cook, Marblehead, Massachusetts, circa 1770, An Important American Silver Punch Bowl, Cornelius Kierstede, New York, 1700-1710, and a Fine and Rare Molded Copper Figure of an Indian with Bow and Arrow, Probably Harris & Co., Boston, circa 1880. The two-day sale will begin on Friday 22 January with a 2pm session offering silver, and prints, and conclude on Saturday 23 January with a 10am session of furniture, folk art and carpets. Chinese Export Porcelain from the Private Collection of Elinor Gordon will be offered at 2pm on Saturday 23 January. Works from the sale will be on exhibition at Sotheby’s New York galleries alongside the Private Collection of Elinor Gordon beginning 16 January.

Leading the Saturday morning session of Important Americana comprising Furniture, Folk Art and Carpets is The Important Ranlett-Rust Family Chippendale Figured Mahogany Bombé Slant-Front Desk, Probably by Francis Cook, Marblehead, Massachusetts, circa 1770 (est. $400,000/1 million). The desk is one of the rarest surviving examples of the esteemed bombé form; only twelve additional examples are known. The present example has never before been offered on the market, and is among the most original of all known examples. Extensive research suggests the desk was made north of Boston, in Marblehead, Massachusetts and through careful comparison with extant signed pieces, the desk has been attributed to Francis Cook.

Another highlight is the Captain Samuel Morris Pair of Queen Anne Carved and Figured Walnut Rounded-Stile Compass-Seat Side Chairs, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, circa 1745 (est. $200/500,000). Standing as superior examples of the Philadelphia Queen Anne style, these side chairs display a unified sculptural design, extremely fine construction and high-quality carving rarely matched on other seating furniture in the era. The delicate legs are punctuated by carved claw-and-ball feet, a rare feature among Queen Anne seating furniture.

An Important Chippendale Carved Mahogany Bedstead, Attributed to
John Townsend, Newport, Rhode Island, circa 1770 (est. $40/100,000) is one of only six known bedsteads with claw-and-ball feet to have been produced in Rhode Island.

To read the full Sotheby's press release, click HERE.