Washington portrait flask garners $60,840 at Heckler's Internet-only auction A portrait flask showing George Washington and a classical bust (possibly Henry Clay) soared to $60,840 to take top honors in an Internet-only auction held Jan. 27-Feb. 6 by Norman C. Heckler & Co.
design with multi-color decoration by the Mt. Washington Glass Company (New Bedford, Mass.), 8 ½ inches tall, changed hands for $9,360; and a deep yellow-olive, cylindrical medicine bottle (“Prepared by William Coe, Worcester, Mass.”), made by a Stoddard glasshouse (N.H.), commanded $8,775.
A sealed English wine bottle (“Robt. Fulton, 1775”), cylindrical in shape and colored a deep yellow-olive, 9 ½ inches tall, in excellent shape with fine original surface, rose to $7,605; and a rectangular-shaped bitters bottle (“Dr. Stephen Jewett’s / Celebrated Health / Restoring Bitters,” Rindge, N.H.), brilliant light-to-medium yellow-olive, with beveled corners, hit $5,265.
An early drinking vessel from Europe (circa 1750-1850), conical in form and colored a brilliant sapphire blue with white fern-like loopings, 2 ¾ inches tall, in fine condition, climbed to $3,510; and an American “Highland Bitters and Scotch Tonic” figural bitters bottle, barrel-form, made circa 1850-1870, medium amber in color, 9 ¾ inches tall, hammered for $3,218.
Rounding out the top lots, a shield form early scent bottle, probably made around 1820-1830 by Keene Marlboro Street Glassworks (Keene, N.H.), colored a brilliant medium amethyst, 3 ¼ inches tall, breezed to $2,808; and a cylindrical, bright blue-green half-pint soda bottle (“John Cable / 1848”) with applied sloping collared mouth and iron pontil mark, brought $2,223.
Norman C. Heckler & Company’s next big Internet sale is being billed as a diverse Opportunity Auction. Bidding begins Monday, Mar. 18, and closes on Mar. 27. Previews will be held through Mar. 26 at the firm’s show room. Featured will be early glass, flasks, bitters, sodas, pressed glass, blown glass, medicines, utilities, black glass, whiskeys, inks, scents and more.
Following the March sale, Opportunity Auctions will be held in May and September, with a major catalog auction slated for October (check the website for firm dates and times, at www.hecklerauction.com). The firm will conduct six live monthly auctions from April through October that will feature 100 or more lots each.
Norman C. Heckler & Company was founded in 1987 as a full-service auction and appraisal firm. Today it is the foremost auction house in the U.S. for antique glass. In Oct. 2010, the firm set a record for an antique glass bottle at auction when a General Jackson eagle portrait flask went for $176,670. In addition to glass, the firm also offers early American antique items.
Norman C. Heckler & Company is always accepting quality consignments for future sales. To inquire about consigning a single piece or an entire collection, you may call them at (860) 974-1634; or you can e-mail them at info@hecklerauction.com. To learn more about the company’s calendar of upcoming auction events for 2013, visit www.hecklerauction.com.
