Andy Williams Folk Art Collection, Commemorative Woolworth Presentation Bowl to be Auctioned by Skinner
BOSTON, Feb. 21, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Skinner, Inc.'s upcoming American Furniture and Decorative Arts auction (Sunday, March 3rd, Boston) will offer outstanding examples of Americana and features the Andy Williams Folk Art Collection. The silver Tiffany punch bowl presented by F.W. Woolworth to architect Cass Gilbert at the dedication of the Woolworth building in New York City in April 1913 will also be offered.
The Andy Williams Folk Art Collection
Known the world over for his smooth voice and timeless charm, Andy Williams entertained generations through his music, television, and theater. Following an extraordinarily successful performing and recording career, Williams built a focused collection of American folk art. Gathering prime examples of weathervanes, shop carvings, and paintings, Williams collected examples of uniquely distinctive and striking American popular and untrained art.
Paintings from the collection include portraits by Ammi Phillips: a double portrait of the Ten Broeck twins estimated to sell between $300,000 and $500,000, and a portrait of a child in a pink dress with a spaniel ($200,000 to $300,000). One of John Rasmussen's Berks County Almshouse paintings ($100,000 to $150,000) will also be offered.
The collection counts a number of decorative objects among its offerings, including a carved and polychrome-painted race-track tout tobacconist figure ($150,000 to $250,000), likely the work of figure carver Charles Parker Dowler. Weathervane lots include the J. Howard gilt cast zinc and molded copper "Index" Horse weathervane ($15,000 to $25,000), and gilt molded copper and cast zinc pig weathervane ($15,000 to $25,000).
Commemorative Tiffany Presentation Bowl
A fine group of American silver spanning 300 years includes an important Tiffany & Co. presentation punch bowl, commissioned by F.W. Woolworth to commemorate the completion of the Woolworth building in Manhattan. The auction estimates for the bowl range from $30,000 to $50,000. As the 100th anniversary of the Woolworth building nears, Skinner is pleased to offer this piece, which Woolworth presented to the building's architect, Cass Gilbert, during a legendary dinner that took place when the building first opened in April 1913. The bowl, which descended through the Gilbert family to its current owner, captures Gilbert's architectural magnum opus by reproducing selected elements of the building's neo-Gothic ornament for the bowl's rim. These details combine with the clean, modern lines of the bowl's silhouette and surface to create a magnificent effect. The interior bears an engraving of the Woolworth building, transforming the image of monumental structure into a beautiful scale model that has the delicacy of a portrait miniature.
The Skinner website allows users to view all lots in the auctions, leave bids, order catalogs, and bid live in real-time through SkinnerLive!. Visit and "like" Skinner on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/skinnerauctions.
About Skinner
Skinner auctions draw international interest from buyers and consignors alike, with material regularly achieving record prices. The company's auction and appraisal services focus on fine art, jewelry, furniture, and decorative arts from around the globe, as well as wine, fine musical instruments, rare books, clocks, Judaica, and more. Monthly Skinner Discovery auctions feature a breadth of estate material. Widely regarded as one of the most trusted names in the business, Skinner appraisers have appeared on the PBS-TV series, Antiques Roadshow, since the show's inception. Skinner has galleries in Boston and Marlborough, Massachusetts with an international audience of bidders participating in person, by phone, and online through the SkinnerLive! online bidding platform. For more information and to read our blog, visit the website at www.skinnerinc.com, find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/skinnerauctions, or follow us on Twitter @Skinnerinc.
SOURCE Skinner, Inc.
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