Sotheby’s will hold its fall sale Important Americana comprising seventy-five lots of furniture, folk art, and silver, on September 26. The sale is expected to bring $2.3/4.8 million and will be offered alongside Property of Rear Admiral Edward P. Moore and Barbara Bingham Moore. Both collections will be on view in Sotheby’s New York galleries beginning September 20.

The centerpiece of the sale is The Van Pelt-Robb Family Important Chippendale Carved and Figured Mahogany Dressing Table, Attributed to Henry Clifton and Thomas Carteret, Carving by Nicholas Bernard, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, circa 1760, estimated at $800,000/2 million.

Highlighting the Folk Art offerings is an Extremely Fine, Rare and Important Engraved Scrimshaw Sperm Whales Tooth, circa 1837, engraved by William A. Gilpin, a scrimshaw artisan previously dubbed “Ceres A” for the vessel, Ceres, on which he sailed. Historically, few scrimshaw whales’ teeth were signed and thus attribution has been difficult. With the landmark discovery of the signed Gilpin tooth and the confirmation of its relationship to the body of work previously attributed to “Ceres A”, scholars have been able to affirmatively name Gilpin as one of four identified master engravers from the golden age of whaling. The Gilpin tooth is estimated at $40/60,000 and will be offered alongside a Fine Carved and Painted Pine Cigarstore Indian, Probably Thomas V. Brooks, estimated at $100/150,000.

Posted: 08|25|08 at 11:21 am. Filed under: US News.