What would you expect to be included in an auction from a home such as the one depicted in the photo to the right?
Well if you read below, you'll see a price report of just what went on at that auction.
OUTSTANDING
4-PIECE PARLOR SUITE BY J.H. BELTER IN THE ROSALIE WITH GRAPES PATTERN
BRINGS $11,550 AT AN ON-SITE AUCTION HELD AUG. 1 BY STEVENS AUCTION
(MACON, Miss.) – A beautiful four-piece parlor suite by the 19th-century
New York furniture maker John Henry Belter, in the Rosalie with Grapes
pattern, sold for $11,550 at an on-site auction held Aug. 1 at Belle
Oaks, one of the most prominent old antebellum homes in Mississippi.
Macon is located 30 miles south of Columbus, on Rte. 45. The sale was
conducted by Stevens Auction Co. of Aberdeen.
“It
was a real hot day out there, but the people came to buy and they
definitely went home happy,” said Dwight Stevens of Stevens Auction
Company. “All the contents of this grand old mansion were sold on the
premises, under large tents. People braved the pounding July sun for a
chance to own some fine quality antiques. And quality antiques will
always be a great investment -- no matter what.”
Belle
Oaks was built in 1844, for Judge Hampton Lee Jarnigan. Subsequent
owners included Zach Brooks, a successful oil and cattleman who also
became one of the largest landowners in the region. The home now
belongs to Gene Penick, who consigned its contents for sale. Items
included fine period furniture, original artwork, rugs, lighting, china, cut glass, antique guns, collectibles and more.
The
parlor suite, crafted around 1855 and comprising a settee, two armless
chairs and an armchair, was the top lot of the auction. Around 300
people were present to bid on approximately 550 lots. There was no
online bidding component, but phone bidding was active (especially for
the bigger furniture pieces and artwork) and some left bids were
submitted, too (on about 80 pieces of cut glass).
Following are additional highlights of the sale. All prices quoted include a 10 percent buyer’s premium.
The
only other lot to top the $10,000 mark was a monumental rosewood half
tester plantation bed signed by C. Lee, 9 feet 6 inches tall, queen
size (circa 1855). With the buyer’s premium, it brought $10,450. Also a
set of 12 mahogany Chippendale chairs (2 arms, ball and claw feet)
realized $605 each (or $7,260 for the set); and a very rare flamed
mahogany Empire baby cradle (circa 1845) made $2,420.
A
mahogany three-seater Chippendale settee with original needlepoint seat
and claw feet (circa 1860, 80 inches wide) climbed to $1,980; a
high-style bronzed Aragon lamp with original shades (circa 1840, by J.
& I. Cox of New York City, 25 inches tall) went for $2,420; and a
period Empire pier table with marble columns, bronze trim and marble
top (circa 1830, New York) changed hands for $3,080.
Dozens
of pieces of beautiful cut glass – some of it offered in multiples and
a good bit of it the American Brilliant Cut Glass (ABCG) so coveted by
collectors – came under the gavel. One piece of note was an ABCG bowl,
signed in the Hawkes pattern (10 inches wide); it brought $412. An
unusual lot that piqued the interest of bidders was an antique harp in
need of restoration. It topped out at $1,980.
A
bronze double-arm Aragon lamp with pink porcelain in the base (circa
1830, 19 inches tall by 17 inches wide), with 10-inch-tall shades,
commanded $2,200; a three-piece Old Paris mantle set, blue with
figurals, achieved $1,870; a gold Victorian mirror with a lady’s head
in the crown (circa 1850, 61 inches tall) rose to $5,940; and a pair of
Victorian wrought iron garden benches sold for $2,310 each.
A
gorgeous high-back Renaissance Revival bed with a lady’s head in the
crown (circa 1870, 8 feet 6 inches tall by 76 inches long) found a new
owner for $3,300; a pair of blue Old Paris-style mantle vases, each one
17 inches tall, topped out at $1,100 each; a pair of Victorian bronze
gas wall sconces (circa 1870) fetched $522 each; and a spectacular
89-piece set of Old Paris china hammered for $2,860.
Original
works of art did very well. An oil on canvas portrait of a Victorian
family in the original frame garnered $6,160; a 19th-century
oil on canvas painting of Madonna and Child with the original gold
frame went for $2,200; an oil on canvas Dutch farm and figural scene
(circa 1840), signed Laren, hit $2,090; and an oval oil on canvas
painting of a child and his dog in an ornate gilt frame made $1,760.
Beds
and bedroom suites seem to be a staple at most Stevens auctions, and
this one was no exception. A handsome rosewood half tester plantation
bed, signed C. Lee and crafted around 1855 (queen size, 9 feet 4 inches
tall) coasted to $7,700, while a walnut high-back Victorian full-size
bed, lovingly crafted around 1860 and regal at 7 feet 9 inches tall,
went to a determined bidder for $2,200.
The
Belle Oakes mansion itself was not part of the auction, but its owner,
Mr. Penick, has listed the property for sale at a very reasonable
asking price of $295,000. The 5,500-square-foot mansion sits on about
three acres of manicured grounds. It was built on a grand scale, with
14-foot ceilings, 20-foot square rooms and an unusual stairway that
dominates the entrance hall. Interested parties may contact Southern
Realty & Management Company, at 662-369-7061, or Mr. Dwight
Stevens, at 662-369-5257.
Stevens
Auction Company’s next big sale will be another on-site affair, this
one scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 15, at 104 Pinecrest Drive in Union,
Miss. Union is located about 15 miles south of Philadelphia, Miss., on
Hwy. 15 (watch for the big yellow signs). The auction will start
promptly at 10 a.m. There will be an open house preview Friday, Aug.
14, from 10-7, and on Aug. 15, from 8-10 a.m.
Sold
will be the lifetime antique collection of Mrs. Sue Harrington who,
over a period of 45 years, traveled the country in search of rare and one-of-a-kind pieces.
Offerings will include American Brilliant Cut Glass (ABCG), Moser,
Hummel figures, estate jewelry, a large collection of guns, Choctaw
Indian collectibles, Coca-Cola items, fine French furniture, old clocks
and hundreds of rare collectibles.
Stevens
Auction Company is always accepting quality consignments for future
sales. To consign an item, estate or collection, you may call them
directly, at (662) 369-2200, or you can e-mail them at stevensauction@bellsouth.net.
To learn more about Stevens Auction Company, and the upcoming on-site
estate auction of Sue Harrington of Union, Miss., on Aug. 15, click on
www.stevensauction.com.
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Take
a look at the prices reported here, and if you'd like, make an offer on
this beautiful Belle Oaks antebellum home in Macon Miss.
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