A 750-lot Labour Day weekend auction of fine Americana will be led by a late 18th century Chippendale chest of drawers on August 31-September 1.
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As the Ohio auction house correctly states, "furniture attributed to a specific cabinetmaker or school of cabinetmakers adds interest and value". Unfortunately, this spectacular chest of drawers is not a Chippendale original, but is instead attributed to the Dunlap school - an illustrious New Hampshire family of cabinetmakers that began making furniture around the same time as Chippendale published his The Gentleman and Cabinet Maker's Director in 1754.
Measuring 80 inches in height, the stately chest of drawers is decorated with fan and pinwheel carved drawers, with cabriole legs and ball and claw feet. An excellent display of the school's celebrated craftsmanship, it will be sold with a $15,000-25,000 pre-sale estimate.
Following this will be 17 further Chippendale, Hepplewhite and Sheraton chests. Paul Fraser Collectibles also has some beautiful English-made furniture currently on offer, including this antique John Linnell demi-lune commode.
Among the Americana on offer, a presentation lantern inscribed for Philip Sheridan provides one of the auction's most interesting lots. Sheridan was one of the most noted generals during the American civil war, and his career was noted for both his rapid rise to the rank of major general and his close association with President Ulysses S Grant.
A similar lantern, one that bears an inscription to General Grant, is currently housed in the West Point Museum's collection. The example at auction will sell for $5,000-7,000.
For US militaria collectors, we have the rare autograph of the famed general George Armstrong Custer.