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The Most Widely Read Collector's Newspaper In The East Published Weekly By Joel Sater Publications www.antiquesandauctionnews.net
VOL. 45, NO. 7 FRIDAY FEBRUARY 14, 2014
The Ralph Esmerian Sale Highest-Ever Total For An Auction Of American Folk Art and that hurt some of the redware and also he noted American folk art collec- fraktur,” said one advanced collector. Nonetion of Ralph O. Esmerian was sold the-less, record prices were realized in severon Jan. 25th at Sotheby’s al categories, including carvings and portraiNew York headquarters. Titled ture, and it was the highest-ever total for “Visual Grace: Important This wooden paint-decorated pedestal base Folk Art from the Collection lidded cup with the name and of Ralph O. Esmerian,” the date on the lid “Isaac Stiely, sale had 228 lots of exemMay 1861” sold for $245,000 (est. plary painted furniture, $80,000-$120,000). It stands 7.75 ceramics, fraktur, carvings, inches tall. The Rev. Isaac Stiehly weathervanes, needle(1800-1869) was an itinerant work, watercolor minister who served a portraits, trade number of German Reformed churches figures, canes, in the Mahantango, and more. The also referred to as the pre-sale estimate Schwaben Creek was $6.4 million Valley in central to $9.5 million. Pennsylvania. The total gross Cataloged as a (including the “spice” cup, it may buyer’s premihave been turned by ums) was his son Jared and decorated by Jared’s wife, $12,955,943. It was Elizabeth Mayer Stiehly, 82.5 percent sold by possibly as a gift on Isaac’s lot and 93.7 percent sold 60th birthday. A small number of by value. Of the 228 lots, 188 these cups are known to have sold, and 40 failed to survived. The condition sell. on this example is excel“I think there lent. One dealer in the were buyers who salesroom thought it were intimidated was a shocking price and with some of the estimates, also probably the best of the small group to By Karl Pass
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an auction of American folk art. The previous record was the Little collection, sold at Sotheby’s in January and October of 1994. The buyer’s premium at Sotheby’s is 25 percent of the hammer price up to $100,000, and 20 percent of any amount in excess of $100,000, up to and including $2,000,000, with the premium increasing to 12 percent for any amount over that. All prices in this report include buyer’s premiums. The highest priced lot in the sale was a Samuel Robb (18511928) wooden carved and painted figure of Santa Claus, standing nearly 39 inches tall, made in New York in 1923. It sold for $875,000 (est. $150,000(Left) This paint-decorated hanging cupboard attributed to John Drissel (Milford Township, Bucks County, Pa.) reading “Abraham Stauffer/1800” sold for $45,100 at the Austin and Jill Fine sale held at Sotheby’s on Jan. 30, 1987. This time, as part of the Esmerian collection, 27 years later, it sold for $209,000 (est. $80,000-$120,000) to a Philadelphia collector seated in the salesroom.
exist. It was bought by Todd Prickett of C L Prickett Antiques of Yardley, Pa., underbid by Pat Bell of Olde Hope Antiques of Solebury, Pa.
Measuring 2.25-by-7.50-inches, the pine and maple round lidded painted box by George Robert Lawton (1813-1885) of Scituate, Providence County, R.I., circa 1845, sold for $209,000 (est. $30,000-$40,000) to David Schorsch bidding by phone. “I bought the Lawton box for stock and have since sold it,” stated Schorsch following the sale. “It was once in my own personal collection and I sold it to Ralph (Esmerian) for $18,000 in 1985 with the two birds in it. The two small carved and painted pine birds by Lawton sold as a separate lot at the Sotheby’s sale. The birds sold for $5,938 (est. $4,000-$6,000). “It is an iconic American painted box and in the same elite league as the one I bought several years ago at Freeman’s,” stated Schorsch. This minature wooden painted lift-top box measuring 8.50The paint-decorated bellows, inscribed on by-19-by-10-inches, with a yelbackboard “Conrad Kistler/1847,” sold low and red checkerboard patfor $7,500 (est. $6,000-$8,000). It tern, was cataloged as probably brought $11,500 at the Deyerle sale Schoharie County, N.Y., circa in 1995. A related bellows inscribed 1800, but the cognoscenti felt it with “Conrad Kistler” and the was from Somerset County, Pa. “The date “1851” sold August 4, 2012, marketplace recognized what it at the Rick and Terry Ciccotelli was,” stated David Schorsch. It sold sale held at Northeast for $377,000 (est. $50,000-$75,000) to a Auctions for $7,670. Philadelphia private collector in the David Schorsch and salesroom and was underbid by Schorsch bidEileen Smiles ding on behalf of a customer. bought both.
The Leah Young needlework sampler from Western Pennsylvania dated “1847” sold for $25,000 ($25,000-$35,000). It previously sold for $2,900 at the second Garbisch sale held through Sotheby’s in May of 1974.
This Wilhelm Schimmel carved and painted lion sold for $40,000 at the Wetzel sale in 1980. This time, 34 years later, it sold for $341,000 (est. $80,000-$120,000) to a Philadelphia private collector.
A wooden paint-decorated lidded sugar bucket by Joseph John Lehn (1798-1892) of Elizabeth Township, Lancaster County, Pa., and dated “1888” sold for $28,125 (est. $8,000$12,000) to David Schorsch and Eileen Smiles of Woodbury, Conn. It is a record for a Lehn sugar bucket and was once owned by dealers Gary Brooks and Michael Rizutto. A similar example sold one week earlier at Pook & Pook, Inc. in Downingtown, Pa., for $3,840.
This carved pine bird weathervane cataloged as a pheasant hen, probably Connecticut in origin, circa 1875, with traces of paint, sold to a private collector for $449,000 (est. $200,000$300,000).
$250,000). The buyer was Woodbury, Conn., dealer David Schorsch and his business partner Eileen Smiles. “I bought the first Santa for a customer and the second one for stock,” stated Schorsch. Schorsch bought roughly one quarter of the sale, spending around $4 million dollars. He had handled a large number of the objects This rare and finely wrought iron pie crimper, likely southeastern Pennsylvania in origin, was purchased from the late dealer Chris Machmer of Annville, Pa., in 1977. It sold for $11,875 (est. $8,000-$12,000).
from the collection in the past, having been a one-time advisor/agent for Esmerian. Who is Ralph Esmerian and why did this collection go to auction? Esmerian was a successful fourth generation dealer in rare antique jewels. He resided in Manhattan and collected various categories of American folk art beginning in the 1960s. He was also the former chairman emeritus of the American Folk Art Museum in New York City (AFAM). In 2010, he pled guilty to a three-count indictment of wire fraud, bankruptcy fraud, and concealment of assets. He is currently midway through serving a six-year prison sentence. The once-promised gift to AFAM, published in the 2001 book “American Radiance: The Ralph Esmerian Gift to the American Folk Art Museum,” included material ensconced in a scheme that involved the collection being doublepledged as collateral. He had taken out loans in the hundreds of millions associated with his retail jewelry business, with much of the collection as security. A negotiated agreement was met in the courts for AFAM to keep 53 items while 212 once-promised items were awarded by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court through a liquidation trustee in March of 2013 to be sold by Sotheby’s. The sale generated $10.5 million for his creditors, which included both Sotheby’s and Christie’s. “By and large, the museum did a very (Continued on page 2)
This 38.75” tall wooden standing figure of Santa Claus dated “1923” and paint-decorated was the top lot of the sale. It sold for $875,000 (est. $150,000-$250,000) to David Schorsch and Eileen Smiles. The figure was done by Samuel Anderson Robb (1851-1928) in New York and according to the catalog it was a Christmas present to his daughter Elizabeth in 1923. Robb was an accomplished shipcarver who created shop and cigar store figures.