The Spring Estates Auction held Saturday, April 5th, 2003 at Neal Auction Company attracted considerable interest from a large salesroom crowd and numerous phone bidders. Among the highlights were two armoires from historic Houmas House in Burnside, Louisiana. A very fine American inlaid cherrywood armoire, c. 1800, (lot 408) sold for $35,650 (est. $10,000-$15,000), and an American classical mahogany armoire, c. 1820, (lot 258) which brought $8,625. Other highlights included a pair of American Gothic carved oak hall chairs, (lot 262), that brought $20,700. Two pier tables, (lot 125 and 251), a classical mahogany and gilt bronze pier table and an American Late classical mahogany pier table, attributed to Anthony Quervelle, brought $4,600 and $7,187 respectively. An American Rococo rosewood etagere/cabinet, attributed to Alexander Roux, (lot 291), realized $6,900, while an American Rococo carved mahogany half-tester bed, (lot 406), brought $18,400 (est. $8,000-$12,000). A fine American Rococo rosewood breakfront-bookcase, (lot 423), sold for $13,800 and two Victorian giltwood window valences, (lot 570), realized $5,175.

Continental furniture highlights included a fine suite of twelve antique George III-style carved mahogany dining chairs, (lot 142) sold for $36,800. Both an antique Anglo-Irish crystal sixteen light chandelier (lot 456), and a fine Regency giltwood and ebonized convex mirror (lot 140), exceeded estimates, selling for $12,650 and $11,500, respectively. A fine Irish William IV mahogany console table, (lot 466), sold for $14,950 and an Italian Neoclassical giltwood console table, (lot 468) brought $11,500. A fine antique French provincial two part bookcase, (lot 163), realized $7,762.
Southern regionalist and American paintings included Thomas Moran’s “Grand Canal, Venice,” (lot 220), that sold for $25,300; and a Frank Boggs painting (lot 222), sold for $10,925. Two Walter Inglis Anderson watercolors “Mallard Ducks,”(lot 313), and “Blue Jays,” (lot 314), realized $7,475 and $7,590 respectively. Dale Nichols’ “Fort Gaines, Dauphin Island, Alabama,” (lot 332) fetched $6,325. A small John McCrady (lot 338) sold for $9,775 (est. $10,000-$15,000). A Cullen Bryan Yates, N.A. (lot 341), realized $7,360, and a Charles Wellington Boyle (American/New Orleans, 1861-1925), “Rice Girls,” (lot 346), brought $7,762.

European paintings included the sale of a Paul Desire Trouillebert, “Au Bord de la Riviere” (lot 174), for $20,700, a Rudolf Jordan (German, 1810-1887), “The Sailor’s Wife with Her Sleeping Baby,” (lot 191), sold for $5,175, and a Hans Dahl (Norwegian, 1849-1937), “Spring Time,” (lot 192), realized $10,350.

Also of interest were a unique group of decorative objects comprising a rare polychromed wooden trade store figure of Napoleon, (lot 422) which brought $13,800, and a French Dragoon helmet (lot 60) realized $2,415. Silver lots included a rare Elkington silverplate and bronze table garniture, (lot 133) selling for $8,050, a Gorham sterling silver five piece coffee and tea service in the Egyptian revival taste, (lot 252) brought $4,255, and a fine George III sterling silver entreé dish and cover by Paul Storr (lot 136) fetched $4,140. An elaborate six-piece Majolica planter and jardiniere, (lot 152) went for $1,955 and a pair of antique rose medallion porcelain vases (lot 9) sold for $3,335. Several lots of Newcomb art pottery received substantial interest, with two high glaze vases, (lot 320) realizing $25,300, and (lot 322), selling for $18,400.

Neal Auction Company is pleased to announce the May 17th and 18th, 2003 on-premises auction in of the historic property and the entire contents of Houmas House, the noted collection of the late antiquarian Dr. George B. Crozat. An hour’s drive from New Orleans, the collection to be offered is particularly distinguished by an important assemblage of very rare early 19th century poster beds, a unique group of Louisiana armoires, which have been studied by various scholars and antiquarians for many years. Historical paintings, prints, maps, rare American mirrors, French decorative arts, and much more will be offered from this Burnside, Louisiana plantation estate.