The antique collections of three prominent old family estates from across the Deep South will be sold Saturday, May 2, by Stevens Auction Company, at 10 a.m. The auction will include rare antique furniture, fine clocks, lighting, china, silver, glassware, rugs and fine porcelains. The event will take place in the Stevens Auction showroom, at 609 North Meridian Street in Aberdeen.
“Most auction houses would be thrilled to have any one of these fabulous consignments,” said Dwight Stevens of Stevens Auction Company. “To have all three in one day is kind of like hitting the trifecta for fans of quality antiques and collectibles. These estates – from homes in or near Savannah (Ga.), Baton Rouge (La.) and locally here in Mississippi — are packed with the very best of everything.”
The estate located just south of Savannah boasts about 20 furniture pieces by John Henry Belter (to include a rosewood laminated three-piece bedroom suite in the Milwaukee pattern); and another dozen or so by J. & J.W. Meeks (to include an unusual Rococo wash stand with dressing mirror); as well as rare and vintage clocks, monumental bedroom suites, fine art and outstanding decorative accessories.
The bedroom sets include a pair of half tester beds (one rosewood and one mahogany); a full tester plantation bed; and a six-piece rosewood Victorian bedroom suite. The clocks include an R.J. Horner grandfather clock with signed Tiffany works; a French clock with bronze ormolu and cupids; and a porcelain clock signed by Jacob Petit. The giant mantel mirrors are truly huge, up to 8 feet tall.
Fine art will include some wonderful original oil on canvas paintings, plus small paintings on ivory and porcelain (typically 6 inches by 12 inches, and marvelously detailed). Decorative accessories will feature fantastic light fixtures (“the best we’ve ever had,” Mr. Stevens remarked); Sevres vases; a KPM painting on porcelain (9 inches by 11 inches); and an 8-piece cobalt Sevres Napoleon tea service.
Also from the Savannah area estate: a bronze student lamp, 29 inches tall with a 10-inch shade, attributed to Tiffany; an 80-piece Royal Vienna hand-painted china dinner set; a 130-piece Kirk & Son repousse pattern sterling service, with extra pieces; a Sevres table with 19 plaques (one in the center and 18 others surrounding it); a parlor grand piano, mahogany, in playing condition; and many other items.
The estate located just outside of Baton Rouge also contains many original oil paintings, fine period furniture and antique accessories for the home. Offered will be a Federal mahogany tester bed; a Federal mahogany banquet table, 10 feet long, attributed to Querelle; a cellaret up on legs (circa 1790); a mahogany Empire mint julep marble-top cabinet; and a rare rosewood Belter vanity stool (circa 1850s).
Also from the Baton Rouge area estate: numerous lamps and light fixtures, certain to get paddles wagging; a mahogany Rococo marble-top server (circa 1855), with Sienna marble; a Federal-style mantel mirror with egliomiese and bulls-eye (circa 1820); a bronze Art Nouveau lamp; a 6-piece J. & J.W. Meeks laminated rosewood parlor set in the Hawkins pattern; and other quality estate merchandise.
The Mississippi home will feature a burl walnut parlor cabinet, attributed to Potter & Stymus (62 inches tall, circa 1870); a marble clock with bronze statue on top (36 inches tall, circa 1880); a large collection of American Brilliant Cut Glass (about 35 pieces); several nice astral and aragon lamps; a 1939 Seeburg jukebox with records; and a walnut Victorian bedroom suite attributed to Thomas Brooks.
Also to be sold on May 2 will be a 2002 Mountain Air motor home by Newmar, 36 feet long, in excellent condition and with just 55,000 miles on the odometer. Features include a Chevrolet V8 360hp engine; custom chassis; electric door step; King Dome satellite system; washer and dryer; rear view camera; three TVs and a DVD player; new Bilstein shocks; full body paint; ice maker; and a CB radio.
On Saturday, June 13, also at 10 a.m. in Aberdeen, sold will be the living estate of Katherine Creamer of Mobile, Ala., to include the contents of her mansion and beach house. The mansion – a 9,000-square-foot colossus, with 11-foot ceilings and huge rooms – was constructed specifically to house her many wonderful, high-end antiques, including a spectacular pre-lamination Belter collection.
Also from the Creamer estate: a rosewood 5-piece Victorian bedroom suite; a C. Lee half tester rosewood plantation bed; a rosewood full tester plantation bed; a nice collection of Victorian cranberry glass (30-40 pieces); a large étagère by Daniel Pabst; great light fixtures, lamps, mantel mirrors and gasoliers; a Tiffany grandfather clock, with Westminster chimes; and a nice selection of antique rugs.
Other offerings from Mrs. Creamer’s estate: a large rosewood Victorian baby’s cradle; a two-piece bedroom suite by Elijah Jones (Cincinnati, circa 1855), with 9-1/2-foot-tall bed and 9-foot-tall dresser; a marble-top étagère by Belter; and several pieces by Prudence Mallard, to include a wardrobe, bed and dressing table. The mansion and beach house will also be sold in property sales on another date.
On-site auctions will be held on Saturday, July 11, in Oxford, Miss., and Saturday, July 25, in Macon, Miss. Both will comprise fine furnishings and antique items from the living estates of two prominent interior decorators. The July 25 auction will be held in a huge antebellum home, built in 1844 for Judge Jernigan and later owned by prominent landowner Zack Brooks. The home will also be sold.
Stevens Auction Company is always accepting quality consignments for future auctions. To consign an item, estate or collection, you may call them directly, at (662) 369-2200; or, e-mail them at [email protected]. To learn more about Stevens Auction Company, and the upcoming sales (to include photos of many of the lots described here) you may log on to www.stevensauction.com.