New Ownership and Strong Victorian Sales for Farmer

December 6th, 2014


The high lot of Will Farmer’s sale was this elaborately carved parlor table by John Henry Belter. The mid-19th-century table is in the Victorian Rococo Revival style and features what appears to be its original turtle-form marble top. The base is heavily carved and pierced laminated rosewood. The skirt features a bold grape and vine pattern; the cabriole legs are decorated with flowers and grapes at the knees; and the scrolled stretcher features a large carved basket of peonies, roses, and carnations. The Belter table sold to the phone for $29,900 (est. $8000/12,000).


This three-piece parlor set was consigned by the same individual who consigned the Belter table. These chairs are by Charles Baudouine and display the elaborate Victorian Rococo Revival style. They are constructed of laminated and carved rosewood in the “Bird” pattern. Consisting of one arm and two side chairs, the set sold to the phone for $16,100 (est. $3000/6000).


This little French carriage clock was not marked with a specific maker’s identification, but it generated considerable interest. The 6½" x 5" x 5" clock, circa 1900, is housed in a gilt brass case with beveled glass panels. The dial displays Roman numeral hour marks and Arabic minute indicators. The strike is a double gong. The lot included the clock’s original leather case. A telephone bidder won the clock for $3162.50 (est. $300/400).

Farmer Auctions, Salem, Virginia

Photos courtesy Farmer Auctions

In October 2012, Ken Farmer and Paul Quinn joined forces to create a regional auction firm, Quinn & Farmer Auctions, in Charlottesville, Virginia. During the months that followed, one of the changes that was made while configuring the new enterprise was to close Ken’s auction house in Radford, Virginia, and move that business to the Roanoke, Virginia, area.

After locating a suitable venue and dealing with various zoning issues, the old Ken Farmer auction held its first catalog sale in September 2013 in Salem, Virginia.

Now, further evolution has occurred. On October 30, 2014, Ken’s son, Will, purchased the Salem, Virginia, business in its entirety from Paul Quinn and Ken Farmer. His business is completely separate from any of the previous iterations, although he will retain the Salem location and virtually all of the staff. The name of Will Farmer’s firm is simply Farmer Auctions.

Will Farmer conducted his first catalog sale on December 6, 2014. The sale was a very manageable size of 430 or so lots, including 45 coin lots. There was a very nice mix of English and American antiques, folk art, Americana, fine art, jewelry, and glassware. Will Farmer is a veteran auctioneer, and along with fellow bid caller Steve Culver he moved the sale along very quickly.

The high lot of the sale came from a category that we are now beginning to see come to life—Victorian furniture. A John Henry Belter parlor table with its original marble turtle top sold for $29,900 (includes buyer’s premium) against a presale estimate of $8000/12,000. This particular piece had been consigned back to the Farmer family by an individual who had purchased it at the Radford location in January 1998.

In addition to the Belter table, six other Belter and Belter-attributed lots sold. Among those lots, a single parlor chair carved in the “Tuthill King” pattern brought $2300 (est. $1000/1500), and a four-piece parlor suite, consisting of one armchair and three side chairs, carved in the “Rosalie” pattern, made $7475 (est. $2000/4000).

In an e-mail following the sale, Will Farmer commented on this first sale, “My first observation would be that Victorian furniture is alive and well in southwest Virginia.” He went on to attribute some of that success to the on-line bidding platforms that are now available. Bidders do not have to go to New York, Baltimore, or New England. They simply pull up a chair and turn on their computers.

The ongoing uncertainty surrounding the sale of antique ivory, however it may be defined, emerged center stage at this sale. A consignor had sent a Georg Jensen sterling silver tea service to be sold. The set had ivory handles. The consignor had personal knowledge as to the age of the set and even supplied documentation as to its having been purchased sometime around 1930. The set had been shipped to the Farmer gallery. Upon arrival, the shipping company representative informed Will Farmer that he felt uncomfortable shipping the set to any international buyer and would agree to ship only within the U.S. The catalog noted this, and the sale was completed to a presumed U.S. telephone bidder. See the photo and caption for more details.

This series of events highlights the dilemma facing auction houses and antiques dealers. While one person’s understanding of regulations and documentation requirements may seem sound, there is always concern that a customs official or postal inspector may have a quite different understanding of those same regulations. Many potential buyers, dealers, and auction houses are not willing to risk having a valuable, or at least pricey, purchase languishing in an airport’s contraband locker or set on fire because of various vague interpretations of the laws, thereby leaving everyone empty-handed.

Will Farmer’s first catalog sale was a treat. In his e-mail he went on to summarize his thoughts about the future. He clearly regards the Internet as a big part of his business. It “has really made me examine our traditional auction business model and look to continue to push to on-line availability. My goal is to have a regional auction house that serves the needs of our community while continuing our family legacy of making national collections available at public auction.”

For additional information, contact Farmer Auctions at (540) 384-0100 or visit the Web site (www.farmer-auctions.com).

This Georg Jensen sterling silver tea service might have been a contender for the high lot of the day had it not been for a catalog note indicating that only U.S. bidding would be accepted. It seems that although the consignor was able to provide clear documentation as to the age of the service, the shipping company was concerned that since the set has ivory handles it could be caught in customs. At least one international bidder was left unable to compete.

The set is in the Cosmos pattern and consists of five pieces: a kettle with burner and swinging stand, a teapot, a creamer, a covered sugar, and a tray. The pieces are ovoid, with hammered surfaces and reeded bases. The set is marked with a “JR” touchmark for Johan Rohde, as well as the Georg Jensen hallmark. This tea set sold to a telephone bidder for $21,850 (est. $9000/12,000).

This distinctive desk clock is by Swiss clockmaker LeCoultre. The clock features a clear Lucite pyramid with a brass tip and is mounted on a dark blue faux lapis base. It is marked with a small “8” on its face, indicating that it has an eight-day running time. The clock is 4¼" high x 7½" square. The clock did not come with its case. It sold to the phone for $1265 (est. $600/800).

This little traveling automaton alarm clock with case caused quite a stir. The clock stands only 5¾" in overall height and is marked on its face with “8 Days/ Swiss.” The base is marked “430 Depose.” Both the clock face and the base are decorated with blue guilloche enamel, overpainted with some small floral designs. The automaton mechanism features a bird that emerges from a decorated hinged disk in the center of the top. The clock itself is supported by two gilt reeded columns. The automaton appears to be in working order. The clock and columns are not secured to the base, and the case of leather over wood shows significant wear and cracking. Still, the little clock attracted several determined bidders, ultimately selling to the phone for $11,500 (est. $1400/1800).

These fire screens likely date from the late 19th century and are cataloged as being in the Beaux Arts style. They stand 49" high overall, and the circular screens are 18" in diameter. The screens feature bright crewel embroidery, one with a parrot and the other with a flower cluster. The frames are heavily carved. There is some fading to the images, and there is separation to the glue joints of the frames. An Internet bidder won these two fire screens for $1380 (est. $200/300).

This set of six dining side chairs, circa 1790, is attributed to John Shaw (1745-1829) of Annapolis, Maryland. The chairs are mahogany and in the Hepplewhite style, with tapered legs and an H-stretcher. The back splat is finely carved. The seats are upholstered in a modern lemon-color fabric. The set is in overall good condition, with one chair having a break in the back splat. Active bidding for the chairs pushed the final price to $18,400 (est. $6000/8000), and they sold to one of several telephone bidders.

The Classical design breakfast table is likely English. The table features a rectangular top, with corner-cut drop leaves and a single molded drawer. The paw feet rest on what appear to be original casters and feature gilt carved acanthus leaves at the knees. The medial pedestal features four turned supports, with a central reeded basket-like element. The table sold to a telephone bidder for $4312.50 (est. $300/400).

 

This high-post bed is attributed to Thomas Day. The bed is constructed of walnut and poplar, with walnut veneers. The posts are square, transitioning to octagonal, and topped with four-element turnings. The headboard is a drop-in, featuring a carved crest above three arch-top panels. The bedposts measure 78" in height. The piece is in overall good condition, with portions of the headboard displaying joint separation. A telephone bidder won this Thomas Day bed for $1725 (est. $600/1000).


Originally published in the March 2015 issue of Maine Antique Digest. © 2015 Maine Antique Digest

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