Important English Portrait Brings $54,625 At Fairfield Auction

Thousands of antique dealers and collectors throughout New England anxiously await their auction brochures every six weeks. Peering in on the auction company’s most recent auction March 14 was an enlightening experience.

As the auction was about to begin, everyone in the gallery seemed to know the auction staffers standing with telephones to their ears were all awaiting the same item: a Laguna Pueblo Indian pot dating to the 1880s.

The first few lots seemed quite reasonable, with a nice Victorian banquet lamp selling at $100 and a Roseville pottery basket bringing $150, but soon up came the Indian pot.

The bidding opened at $12,000 and quickly bounced between various phone bidders and a gentleman on the floor who in the end prevailed, buying the pot for $32,200, making it one of the most expensive pieces of Pueblo pottery ever sold at auction.

But the highest price was yet to come. A large portrait consigned by a Heritage Village resident would be the top lot. The portrait by Sir Peter Lely depicts Lady Ann Dashwood, a voluptuous young noblewoman. Lely was a Dutchman who came to London in the mid-17th Century and became its leading portrait painter for over two decades, painting for the court of Charles II.

The large captivating portrait opened at $8,000 and raced quickly upwards as five telephone bidders from both sides of the Atlantic battled for lady Ann. A London dealer finally prevailed at a final price of $54,625.

Other items attracting a great number of bidders included an extensive collection of baseball tobacco cards accumulated by a Newtown lady’s father in Philadelphia about 1910. As a boy he befriended the men of a local firehouse, who gave him the cards as they purchased cigarettes.

A partial T206 set earned a total price of $12,650, a partial set of T205 cards made $5,750, and a baseball signed by Babe Ruth went to a New York buyer at $7,762.

A silver tankard presented in 1905 to the crown prince of Germany, Frederich Wilhelm, and weighing in at nearly ten pounds sold just above $8,000 while a pair of Louis XV armchairs by Louis Delanois went over $10,000.

With over 30 Persian carpets, the best sold for over $8,000 but several good room size pieces sold under $800.

A group of eight Waterford crystal glasses went under $150 and an Empire chest in good shape dating to the 1820s was purchased for $345.

An impressive Chippendale mahogany slant front desk dating to the late 18th Century was a nice buy at $805.

In the middle of the sale a large floral centerpiece was sold to benefit Kevin’s Community Center of Newtown, which provides medical care for Newtown residents in need. Petal Pushers of Newtown created the centerpiece and a generous local woman paid $750, which was donated entirely to this worthy local cause.

The audience was a mixture of seasoned antique dealers, sophisticated collectors and familiar faces from Newtown. Many were simply looking for the attractive and practical at bargain prices, with some success.

Fairfield Auction is at 53 Church Hill Road in Newtown. The company offers free auction estimates of up to five items every Tuesday from 10 am to 1 pm. Its next scheduled auction is April 24. Further details can be found at www.FairfieldAuction.com or by calling 364-1555.