Rare Rossetti Verses Book “Leaps” to Lead Schwenke February 29th Leap Day Auction

Posted March 10th, 2020

Christina Rossetti, Verses, Signed Private Ed., 1847 Wormley Dunbar Trapezoidal Desk Tiffany 18K Gold Mesh Necklace Gibson Acoustic Guitar Fine Quality Persian Heriz Room Size Carpet

Woodbury, CT – On Saturday, February 29th Schwenke Auctioneers held its “Leap Day” Fine Estates Auction which comprised over 350 lots of estate and collector items, featuring over one hundred lots of mid-century modern furniture and modern art from the Westchester County, New York collection of Audrey G. Poole; fine art and modern sculpture from the Estate of Sol Stein, nationally known prolific novelist and playwright, publisher and visionary editor from Tarrytown, New York; four musical instruments originally owned by Larry Marsala, a Vaudeville musician known as the “king of strings”; fine Asian decorative arts from three Connecticut collections; English and Continental furniture and decorative arts; English & other sterling silver, jewelry, Native American decorative arts, fine art, miscellaneous decorative arts, and estate oriental rugs.

Top lot of the sale was a very rare first edition of Christina Rosetti’s first book “Verses”, a signed edition, privately printed at her grandfather's press, G. Polidori, London 1847. Inscribed "E.H. Polidori from Christina Rossetti, July 1847", with bookplates for Charles Plumptre Johnson and Dr. Samuel Sieglar. The work was bound in a fine art nouveau binding in green and gilt by Zaehnsdorf, with edges gilt. 8vo, 6 1/2" high, 4" wide. The lot drew strong competitive interest and sold to a phone bidder at $13,200.

The Audrey Poole collection of modern furniture and art contributed the next high selling lot, an Edward Wormley for Dunbar architectural drop-leaf desk with a trapezoidal walnut top floating above a bank of drawers, with open shelving on the back, suspended within a painted metal frame and brass feet, with original Dunbar label. The desk, measuring 29" high, 54" wide, and 30" deep, sold to a phone bidder at $4,575 winning out over absentee and internet bidders.

The next top selling lot was a Tiffany & Co. 18K gold mesh necklace 17" long, gold weight 42.2 DWT which went to an in-house absentee bidder at $3,965 against competition from phone and internet bidders.

The fourth high value lot was a 1930’s Gibson sunburst acoustic guitar, descended from Larry Marsala who was a Vaudeville musician in the 1930’s, known as “king of strings”. The lot drew amazing pre-sale interest, with over ten in-house bidders and dozens of internet bidders. The rare guitar was won by one of the internet bidders at $3,555.

A very fine Persian Heriz room size rug took the last top lot honors, selling to an internet bidder at $3,048.

The sale was broadcast on Live Auctioneers, Invaluable, Bidsquare and Auction Zip, and also offered in-house absentee and phone bidding.

The firm’s next auction is tentatively scheduled for Sunday, May 17th at 11:00am. To discuss consignments, or for additional information please call Schwenke Auctioneers at 203-266-0323.