Chippendale desk hits $41,400 at Leland Little Auction A gorgeous late 18th century Pennsylvania Chippendale tiger maple desk sold for $41,400 at a multi-estate Historic Hillsborough Auction held Sept. 19 by Leland Little Auction & Estate Sales, Ltd.
News-Antique.com - Sep 28,2009 - (HILLSBOROUGH, N.C.) – A gorgeous late 18th century Pennsylvania Chippendale tiger maple desk, probably Lancaster County and crafted from strikingly figured tiger maple with poplar secondary, sold for $41,400 against a pre-sale estimate of $5,000-$10,000 at a multi-estate Historic Hillsborough Auction held Sept. 19 by Leland Little Auction & Estate Sales, Ltd. The desk was the top achiever of the more than 700 quality lots that changed hands.
It was just the second major auction held at Leland Little Auction & Estate Sales, Ltd.’s new, state-of-the-art gallery facility, located at 620 Cornerstone Court in Hillsborough. Sold were hundreds of lots of fine art, period furniture, decorative accessories and more. Featured was the estate collection of the late W. Samuel Tarlton, the former respected art dealer and co-owner of an antiques shop in Raleigh.
“This was quite simply the best sale we’ve ever had,” said Leland Little of Leland Little Auction & Estate Sales, Ltd. “I feel a renewed freshness and energy in the auction business I haven’t experienced in some time. The mid-range market items, especially, such as jewelry and decorative accessories, did extremely well, much better than in previous sales. This is all very encouraging to us and the industry.”
Mr. Little added, “Our decision last year to build a new facility, which gives us greater access and visibility near the interstate, was a timely and prudent one. The new location is equipped with specialized gallery lighting, greatly expanded exhibit space and green building components. This building is a major asset to our business.”
The auction, which grossed a little under $1 million, attracted a standing room only crowd of more than 300 people. In addition, 752 bidders were registered online and over 700 pre-bids were posted via LiveAuctioneers.com. Phone and absentee bidding was active, as 1,200 pre-absentee and phone bids were lined up prior to sale. In all, close to 1,000 people registered to bid live, by phone and through absentee bids.
Additional highlights from the sale follow. All prices quoted include a 15 percent buyer’s premium.
The Chippendale desk came out of the Tarlton collection. Other furniture pieces from his estate included a set of six Knoll & Saarinen white tulip chairs (circa 1960) and pedestal dining table ($3,336, pre-sale est. $800-$1,500); a mid-18th century American Queen Anne maple center table, possibly from the North Carolina Chowan River Basin ($4,830); and an 18th century Massachusetts Chippendale oxbow slant lid desk ($4,600, pre-sale est. $2,000-$3,000).
Also from the Tarlton estate: a New Hampshire Federal bowfront chest of drawers (circa 1800-1810), 12-panel form ($5,750, pre-sale est. $2,000-$4,000); and an American miniature Hepplewhite inlaid chest, early 19th century ($2,530). Mr. Tarlton’s artwork featured a bronze by Anna Hyatt Huntington (Am., 1876-1973) titled Yawning Tiger ($12,075, pre-sale est. $3,000-$5,000); and a still life oil on board by Jacques Blanche (Fr., 1861-1942, $4,140).
Staying in the fine art category, the sale also included many pieces acquired in the 1960s and ‘70s by the Mead Corporation of Richmond, Va. Top earners included an
