March 3rd, 2025, Auction - Press Release
An intricately carved corn-on-the-cob ivory okimono by Nakagawa Ryuei (Japanese, Meiji era) will be offered in Winter Associates’ March 3rd auction, a fine example of the artist’s work. The life-size kernels and husk appear to be just pulled from the stalk, a testament to Ryuei’s skills and why his work is in demand by collectors. Another featured Asian item, notable for its size, is a 30” Meiji era cloisonne enamel charger handsomely decorated front and back. Other Asian offerings include netsukes of playful animals and figures at work, 18th/ 19th C. Armorial Chinese Export porcelain, woodblock prints by Saito and others, carved hardstone censors and a gold mounted pendant, other cloisonne and jewelry.
Early American furniture from Connecticut collections include an 18th C. splay leg tavern table, with similar examples shown and discussed in “The Furniture of Charleston, 1680-1820” by Rauschenberg and Bivins Jr, pg. 42 & 43, making it likely to be from the Southern US. A good selection of 18th and 19th C. century chests from Pennsylvania and New England with early painted finishes include an 18th C. tall chest with mustard paint that has never had hardware, a Litchfield (Connecticut) c. 1797 blanket chest inscribed on back “AD 1797, January 28 in Litchfield County”, two Pennsylvania blanket chests, one somewhat diminutive with colorful painted compass decoration and one with two drawers and sponge decoration, other chests include one blue/ grey, and two 18th C. NE blanket chests with old reddish brown paint, one of these having turnip feet. A New England Federal flip top secretary desk and a charming portrait of a young girl have the same provenance of a Hartford family. The portrait is accompanied by pages copied from a family diary describing when it was painted, identifying the sitter as Anna Newton Coleman Hawley, and attributing the work to Edward Sheffield Bartholomew. Fine reproductions include a Stickley mahogany double pedestal banquet table with rich contrast banding, a set of ten Maitland-Smith Chippendale style dining chairs, a D. R. Dimes tavern style dining table with ebonized base, and a Cherrystone king-sized bed in cherry.
Historical document/ manuscript collections from a New England Institution and a New Haven County estate span from 1400- 1903, from Continental antiphonal music to Connecticut store ledgers. Items of interest include John Marshall’s original 1807 printing of “The Life of George Washington. Maps and Subscribers’ Names”, Philadelphia, with subscribers’ list, it features ten engraved maps/ plans depicting major battles of Washington’s Revolutionary War campaigns, including Boston, New York, and Charleston. Other notable items include seven 15th C. illuminated manuscripts and a series of birds-eye Flemish town plans c. 1600 – 1650. Also for those with naturalist tastes, four elephant folio Audubon prints “Raccoon”, “Eider Duck”, “Little Harvest Mouse” and “Muskrat”.
Two portraits by Loretta Lux, a 20th century photographer known for her hyperrealist and surreal creations of young subjects are some of the Contemporary art that will play a prominent role in the March 3rd auction. Lux techniques include sophisticated lighting, simple backgrounds and combining photography, painting and digital work. Other Contemporary works include “Decay of an Angel” by Alex Gross (he has won recent acclaim for his work with Marvel characters); two mixed media portraits by Aaron Holz “Michelle” and “Chet”, 2005, using overlapping layers of oil, resin, and acrylic to create a three dimensional effect; a sculptural collage “Red Velvet” by Addie Herder; a serigraph by Karel Appel; oils by James P. Kerr, Linda Nelson Stocks (3), David Bareford (2), Ted Davis (2), etc.
From a lifelong collector of toy soldiers, a collection of lead soldiers spanning Medieval to Modern including Richard Courtenay knights and a scarcely seen executioner and kneeling lady will be offered to bidders. Other items from local estates include a large selection of Southwestern jewelry including squash blossom necklaces (6), concho belt, rings, cuffs and other bracelets, etc., some signed, along with Native American tribal carvings and pottery; bronze sculptures with many after Continental masters; Continental and Asian miniature portraits; early glass bottles; coins, currency and copper banknote printing plates; sterling hollowware and serving pieces, etc.
This sale will be live at the Plainville CT gallery starting at 5:30pm on March 3rd. Winter Associates’ auction catalog is available online at www.AuctionsAppraisers.com as of Wednesday, February 21st. Winter Associates, Inc. is located in central Connecticut at 21 Cooke Street in Plainville, CT. Previews are Friday, February 28th from 12:00 – 4:00 p.m.; Sunday, March 2nd from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m.; and on Monday, March 3rd from 12:00 – 5:00 p.m. Previewers are welcome at other times, please call to schedule an appointment. (860) 793-0288.
Absentee bids can be submitted prior to the sale and bidders are welcome to actively bid during the sale online or by phone bid. Pickup will be by appointment only, please call the office and we will do our best to accommodate you.