Date: Fri 23-Apr-1999

Publication: Ant

Author: SARAH

Quick Words:

Cobbs

Full Text:

Cobbs Estate Sale

with 9 cuts

By Dick Friz

PETERBOROUGH, N.H. -- Cobb Auctioneers held a top shelf cataloged auction of

paintings and furniture on Saturday, March 27, as Part II of the high-wattage

Wellington Wells holdings, as well as significant entries from a nearby Wilton

Center estate.

By a convincing margin, the top closer of the day, a 12 by 13« foot described

in the catalog as "Oushak Oriental rug with floral pattern on brick red

ground," went to the phones at $38,500 after a prolonged bidding dual with a

consortium of rug dealers in the hall. Later we were told by a specialist in

Oriental rugs that it perhaps was not an Oushak, but more likely, a Zeigler

Mahal, a highly desirable rug commissioned by an Anglo Swiss firm in the late

Nineteenth Century and loomed in Iran.

A slightly smaller nine by twelve foot entry, this time unquestionably an

Oushak, in stylized flower design against cream ground, made a strong $8,800.

Rating the most estimable entry among dozens of museum quality prints,

watercolors and oils by distinguished members of the national Academy, was an

oil on canvas, "Houses Along Country Lane" by Paul King. This superb image in

period gilt frame at $16,050 set a new auction record for an example by King,

a noted landscape artist and First Altman Prize winner from Buffalo.

Other exemplary images included a William Preston Phelps "Shepard & Sheep,"

$5,500 (Phelps is quite popular in the Peterborough area for his numerous

renderings of Mt Monadnock); harbor dock scene by Ray Brown, $2,585; a

highlands snow scene, $3,300; a snowy hillside oil signed Gustave Wiegand,

$4,400; and an oil of a house by a mountain stream by Hartford-born Chauncy

Forest Ryder was rated a nice buy at $1,925.

The late Nineteenth Century standouts in furniture included an English

Hepplewhite mahogany bowfront sideboard with inlaid oval panels at $7,150.

This fine specimen had several things going for it, including old color and

desirable 58-inch wide size. Also in the more coveted small size, an English

mahogany corner cupboard with a pierced and carved broken arch crest and

glazed doors was bid to $3,300. A number in the crowd were much taken with a

small country Chippendale mahogany settee or window seat from the New York

area with unusual brass inlay and brass applique. It peaked at $5,500. A

stately New Hampshire 94« inch tall eight-day brassworks case clock in great

old cherry finish advanced to $4,400.

If there was a crowd favorite in the furniture genre, many votes would be cast

for a small size 28 inch long mahogany Pembroke table from the Philadelphia

area in old color. A left bid commandeered it at $3,960.

An outstanding early sampler stitched by Elizabeth K. Hartshorn, New Egypt

(New Jersey) and dated 1826, with whimsical birds, animals and floral motif ad

still boasting strong colors, attracted a host of bidding card wavers at

$2,530.

The Cobb's probably received the biggest number of e-mail and phone queries

over a wonderful folky sailor's duffel bag depicting two sailing ships, two

Washington monuments, American flags and multi-colored signal flags. There

were those who dated it from the late 1860s and possibly a Lincoln memorial

item, although the family history included with the bag gave no real clues as

to dating. Despite some edge damage, the sailor's bag took leave at $6,600.

Cobb Auctioneers will stage a significant Sporting Auction, including over 225

decoys, firearms, a large collection of sporting books including Derrydales,

fishing items, game trophies and art work on Saturday, May 1, at the Holiday

Inn, Nashua, N.H. For information, Cobbs Auctioneers, 83 Grove Street,

Peterborough, NH 03458; 603/924-6361.