Miller & Miller Auctions Ltd., New Hamburg, Ontario
Photos courtesy Miller & Miller Auctions Ltd.
All prices in U.S. dollars
Quebec arbalète (crossbow) butternut commode, 32" x 46" x 24", with the unusual feature of a serpentine paneled door on each side and scrolled brackets on the front posts, sold for $49,656 (est. $21,041/35,068). As documented from oral history in The Early Furniture of French Canada (1963) by Jean Palardy, this commode originated in the presbytery of Notre Dame Church in Montreal, which was demolished in 1830 during construction of the larger Notre Dame Basilica. The commode was acquired by the Langlois family, eventually moving to the Seigneurie Langlois in Portneuf (Baronnie-de-Portneuf).
Jean Palardy called it “A bizarre and rococo commode.” The three-drawer commode has carved front feet, but rather than the traditional ball-and-claw form, these are in the form of a human hand with long fingers reaching down and gripping the ball. There is openwork carving above the ball, so half the weight of the commode rests on the fingers gripping each ball. According to the cataloger, the style of the commode with its dramatic curves, carved details, and sophisticated construction suggests the work of a highly skilled sculptor/cabinetmaker such as François Baillargé (1759-1830). Son of Jean Baillargé (1726-1805), architect and sculptor, François studied mathematics at the Seminary of Quebec, and at the age of 18 went to Paris, where he studied painting, sculpture, design, and architecture. He returned to Quebec in 1781 with innovative ideas and new skills.
The February 8 sale held by Miller & Miller Auctions Ltd., New Hamburg, Ontario, showcased antique furniture, textiles, pottery, and accessories. It is rare in today’s auction arena that furniture leads an event, but this sale was different, and the top lot was a great example. Selling for $49,656 (including buyer’s premium) was a Quebec arbalète (crossbow) commode made of butternut with an unusual serpentine paneled door on each side and scrolled brackets on the front posts. Equally unusual were the carved feet: rather than the traditional ball-and-claw feet found on other furniture of the period, these feet were in the form of a human hand with gnarly long fingers reaching down and gripping the ball.
According to Miller & Miller’s online catalog, as documented from oral history in The Early Furniture of French Canada (1963) by Jean Palardy, this commode originated in the presbytery of Notre Dame Church in Montreal, which was demolished in 1830 during construction of the larger Notre Dame Basilica. The commode was acquired by the Langlois family, eventually moving to the Seigneurie Langlois in Portneuf (Baronnie-de-Portneuf).
Walnut chest of drawers from Waterloo County, Ontario, commissioned by Samuel Bricker (1776-1868) as a wedding gift to his eldest daughter, Mary (1805-1883). The chest is initialed “MB 1826” on the matchstick frieze under the cove-molded cornice. The quarter columns are reeded, and the two top outside drawers have secret locks. Bricker was one of the first settlers in Waterloo County, and in 1801 he married Rebecca Eby; in 1803 he was instrumental in founding what was known as “the German Company” after selling lots in Pennsylvania to raise funds to rescue Waterloo County from a foreclosure situation. The chest is illustrated in A Provincial Elegance: Arts of the Early French and English Settlements in Canada (1982) by Henry and Barbara Dobson. With mostly original Hepplewhite brasses (two handle bails missing), the chest is in very good condition; the Chippendale ogee feet had been professionally replaced a few decades ago. Measuring 70½" x 43¾" x 23½", it sold for $24,828 (est. $4208/5611). Gerald and Marlene Fagan collection.
A 70½" tall walnut chest of drawers from Waterloo County, Ontario, that was commissioned as a wedding gift by Samuel Bricker (1776-1868) for his eldest daughter, Mary (1805-1883), made a statement when it sold for $24,828 (est. $4208/5611). The chest was dated and initialed “MD 1826” on the matchstick frieze under the piece’s cove-molded cornice. The catalog listing detailed Samuel Bricker’s importance to Canadian history, noting that he was one of the first settlers in Waterloo County. In 1803 he was instrumental in founding what was known as “the German Company” after selling lots in Pennsylvania to raise funds to rescue Waterloo County from a foreclosure situation.
Ontario pine schrank, 88" x 74½" x 24¼", by John Philip Klempp (1857-1914) of the village of Neustadt, Grey County, Ontario, sold for $18,207 (est. $12,624/17,534). It is in untouched original condition, with original paint and the original knobs, lock, escutcheon, and key. The upper panels on the doors bear the initials “J” and “K” within black circular garlands. On a Baroque-inspired scalloped base with dovetailed drawers, a center drop, and a carved shell-like cartouche, it has a painted red/brown grain-painted surface with black borders and black stencil decoration. The center stile has applied diamond panels and an oval panel. The interior has two rows of wooden cloak hooks. The schrank is illustrated in Canadian Folk Art to 1950 by John A. Fleming and Michael J. Rowan (2012).
A major draw of this auction was a schrank made by John Philip Klempp (1857-1914) of the village of Neustad, Ontario. Klempp, a hotel proprietor, was also a cabinetmaker known for creating inlaid furniture as well as smaller objects in Bruce County from about 1870 to 1890. The schrank was made of pine with a Baroque-style scalloped base having a center drop and carved shell-like cartouche. The case retained its original red/brown grain-painted surface. The 88" x 74½" x 24¼" schrank sold for $18,207 (est. $12,624/17,534).
A variety of outstanding textiles were offered. They included a charming Eastern Ontario embroidered sampler dated “October 29th 1848” that stunned the gallery when it sold for $22,759 with a $701/1052 estimate. Drawn and stitched by Agnes Wallace, eight years old, this piece featured multiple images of animals placed around a red brick house. The sampler retained the pencil marks of the drawings showing how young Agnes had planned the composition. She spelled “giraffe” as “gerif,” and she seemed to realize that she had forgotten the “th” after the numeral “29” in the date, so she placed it above the number.
Quilt top, 192" x 192", Ontario, late 19th century, depicting Adam and Eve at the center standing on either side of the tree with the forbidden fruit, two birds above, and a serpent below. The central scene is encircled by a blue undulating border and has four birds, a crown, butterflies, and a laurel branch. The main body of the quilt is a random pattern of linked hexagonal blocks interspersed with stitched images, including butterflies, fish, fruit, vegetables, and beetles, each with different stitching. Mounted on a black backing with a hanging sleeve, it sold for $13,242 (est. $1403/2104). Gerald and Marlene Fagan collection.
A late 19th-century Adam and Eve quilt top from Ontario that sold for $13,242 (est. $1403/2104) was a masterpiece of stitchery. At the center Adam and Eve were depicted on either side of the tree with the forbidden fruit and with two birds above the tree and the serpent below, all encircled by a blue curving border with four birds, a crown, butterflies, and a laurel branch. The remainder of the quilt was made up of linked hexagonal blocks stitched with images of butterflies, fish, fruit, and vegetables using a variety of stitching.
Star of Bethlehem quilt, 81" x 84½", in four shades of blue and orange, with peacocks, a central star, a fabric-covered button at the star’s center, and squares with hearts and a floral motif in the corners, all within a broad border of linked flower baskets, sold for $7035 (est. $2104/3507). Gerald and Marlene Fagan collection.
A hand-stitched Star of Bethlehem quilt featuring peacocks and using four shades of blue and orange material sold for $7035 (est. $2104/3507), while a 19th-century Ontario bed rug, 65" x 69," came in at $6207 (est. $1403/2104). Its design featured a blue bird at the center surrounded by a circle of oak leaves in blue and cream, bordered by vining green leaves and red thistles.
Monumental Adirondack-style hooked rug, 84" x 96", Quebec, 1890-1920, with a large central image of two stags facing out with turned heads and appearing to be standing on a bed of leaves, framed within a red branch or twig border surrounded by a background of variegated color squares. In good condition with strong colors and minor repairs, the rug sold for $7035 (est. $8416/10,520). Brian Reid collection.
Equally eye-catching not only for the subject matter and artistic quality but also because of its size—a whopping 84" x 96"—was a monumental hooked rug that sold for $7035 (est. $8416/10,520). This Adirondack-style rug depicted two central stags facing out with their heads turned and standing on a bed of leaves, all framed by a red branch or twig-like border and with the remainder of the rug composed of variegated color squares.
“The textiles were incredibly strong,” stated Ben Lennox, head of sales for Miller & Miller. “The textile market has had its ups and downs the past ten years, but these were incredible pieces, generating interest across North America, and their final sale prices reflected this.”
Attributed to the Huron Pottery in Egmondville, Ontario, during Ferdinand Burgard’s tenure as owner/operator, this earthenware advertising stein, 11¾" x 8", for Herman Andrew Krafft (1876-1926), a cigar maker who was in Waterloo, Ontario, from about 1897 to 1899 and in Berlin (now called Kitchener), Ontario, from 1900 until 1916, sold for $9104 (est. $5611/7014). Krafft (later anglicized to Kraft) manufactured a variety of cigars, including the three identified on this stein’s script accented in a dark blue/green color and marked in sgraffito: “Smoke / Daisy Cigar / Kraffts Special / Berlin Choice / Mfg by H. Krafft / Berlin Ont.” Ex-Alvie Doernish collection; and ex-Gerald and Marlene Fagan collection.
An earthenware advertising stein attributed to the Huron Pottery in Egmondville, Ontario, made for Herman Andrew Krafft (1876-1926), who later anglicized his last name to Kraft, sold for $9104 (est. $5611/7014). Krafft, a cigar maker, worked in Waterloo, Ontario, from about 1897 to 1899 and then in Berlin (now called Kitchener), Ontario, from 1900 until 1916. The stein was inscribed “Smoke / Daisy Cigar / Kraffts Special / Berlin Choice / Mfg by H. Krafft / Berlin Ont.”
Amethyst and green three-mold blown decanters, circa 1830, American, each having a quilted pattern with a central ribbed section, one with a pontil scar to the base, 6¾" x 3½" and 8" x 3½", sold for $7448 (est. $210/351).
Copper wine measure from Upper Canada, 5¼" x 4¼", with brass rims, marked “Q. T. WINE” with a crown and “U.C” (Upper Canada), marked on the other side “HOME • DIST / U • C / 1826,” sold for $5793 (est. $701/1052). Steve Acken collection.
Other small items that sold included a pair of three-mold blown decanters—one in amethyst, the other in green glass—that brought $7448 (est. $210/351); a burl bowl with upturned ends and open handles that sold for $7035 (est. $491/631); and an 1826 Upper Canada wine measure made of copper with brass rims that sold for $5793 (est. $701/1052). The measure was part of a set used by district inspectors to ensure that farmers and merchants were adhering to government standards.
“The sale had tremendous energy,” Lennox stated. “It was great for Canadiana. Great for the industry. People are looking for new-to-the-market pieces, items that have been buried in collections for years. That is what this auction brought to the buyers, who were excited and appreciative of the material offered.”
For more information, call (833) 662-4800 or check the website (www.millerandmillerauctions.com).
Ontario 19th-century bed rug, 65" x 69", with a prominent blue bird at the center within a circle of oak leaves surrounded by a border of red and green thistles, all hooked in relief on a black homespun backing. The rug was found being used as a horse blanket in Elma Township (Perth County), which was populated by Mennonite, Amish, and Scottish Presbyterian settlers, and it sold for $6207 (est. $1403/2104). Gerald and Marlene Fagan collection.
Ontario Regency country armchair, 1825-40, original brown paint, with a single shaped medial slat with a carved roundel at the center, sloping arms, turned arm posts, and tapered legs with a box stretcher base, found in Kingston, Ontario, 39" x 20½" x 16¾", sold for $3724 (est. $491/631). Gerald and Marlene Fagan collection.
Sailor’s valentine, with a heart surmounted by a rose and fan on the left side and “Ever Thine” at the center of an eight-pointed star on the right, the 14" x 14" x 3¼" octagonal wooden case with its original surface, glass cracked on the right side, loose shells inside, a pencil inscription on the top, “Miss McKenzie,” sold for $3103 (est. $561/842).
Stahlschmidt rolltop desk, 42½" x 59¾" x 34¾", a Canadian desk similar to Wooton desks, made in Preston, Ontario, walnut with burl panels and original brass hardware. When the desk is closed, the kneehole appears to have a traditional door on each side; however, both sides pivot open to reveal multiple small drawers on the left and slots for filing larger items on the right. William Stahlschmidt (1844-1928) attended school in Berlin (now called Kitchener), Ontario, and eventually became principal of Preston Public School in 1868. While there, he realized the poor quality of the available school desks and launched his own company manufacturing desks for schools, banks, offices, etc. With a brass plaque that reads “Manufactured by / W. Stahlschmidt & Co. / Preston, Ontario, Canada,” the desk sold for $18,207 (est. $2104/3507).
Dated “October 29th 1848,” this Eastern Ontario embroidered sampler, 12" x 17" (sight size), made by eight-year-old Agnes Wallace, sold for $22,759 (est. $701/1052). It is illustrated in Folk Treasures of Historic Ontario by Terry Kobayashi, Michael S. Bird, and Elizabeth Price (1985) and Canadian Folk Art: Old Ways in a New Land by Michael Bird (1984).
Early Mi’kmaq quilled dome-top pine box, 4" x 6" x 5", covered with birch bark with applied quillwork, with vertical chevron motifs on the front and sides and an interesting pattern of motifs on the top, high arched sides on the lid, and early natural dyes. The lid is tight, and the interior is clean. The box sold for $3518 (est. $491/701).
Nova Scotia, Canada, corner cupboard, 78" x 52" x 33", in white overpaint, with a prominent multi-layered cornice with rope carving and with linked arches along the lower edge. The two upper glazed doors are flanked by a vertical line of linked oval motifs. The interior retains the original shelves and blue paint. The lower section resting on a simple bracket base has two doors with fitted beaded-edge panels. It is in one-piece construction, although the top section was cut below the cornice at some point and reattached. The oval motif is also found on a hanging cupboard from Pictou County illustrated on page 206 in Spirit of Nova Scotia: Traditional Decorative Folk Art, 1780-1930 by Richard Henning Field (1985). The cupboard sold for $6207 (est. $2805/4208). Tom and Cliff Stanton collections.
Indigenous carved burl bowl, 4" x 11" x 10½", with thin walls and upturned ends having open handles, sold for $7035 (est. $491/631). Tom and Cliff Stanton collections.
Two-piece stepback cupboard, 89" x 62" x 21", second quarter of the 19th century, in old yellow paint, sold for $9104 (est. $2805/4208). The upper section has the original green-painted interior with two glazed doors flanking a vertical three-pane glazed window, and the upper panes all have arched top rails. Below the open pie shelf are three dovetailed drawers over two raised-panel doors flanking a central raised panel. Gerald and Marlene Fagan collection.
Originally published in the May 2025 issue of Maine Antique Digest. © 2025 Maine Antique Digest
