Thomaston Place Auction Galleries will kick off the 2021 summer season with a sale on July 9-11 featuring a splendorous collection of Old Master paintings, carousel figures, and decorative rarities. With its exciting inventory of New England estate finds, and the return of live, in-house bidding (first time since last March!), this auction promises to arouse the passions of collectors, curators, dealers and decorators alike.

Thomaston Place owner and auctioneer Kaja Veilleux said: “We’re excited to welcome live bidders back into our gallery with this amazing sale that includes a fabulous inventory of paintings from major estate collections, plus important American historic and decorative treasures.”

A group of 15 Old Master paintings will headline the sale, many from the estates of composer Hugo Weisgall (1912-1997) and his wife Nathalie, and Howard Hibbard (1928-1984), professor of art at Columbia and Oxford universities. These include: a monumental 17^th century Flemish work depicting a Court of the Inquisition trial, and a pair of scenes from the Great Turkish War of 1683-1699 by a follower of Jacques Courtois (France, 1621-1676).

A beautiful still life of fruit by Severin Roesen (PA, 1816-1872), an abstract work by Willem de Kooning (NY/Netherlands, 1904-1997), a monumental stormy coastal scene by Harrison Bird Brown (CA/ME/UK, 1831-1915) and five works by Early Cunningham (ME/FL, 1893-1977) will be among other featured paintings in the sale.

The sale will also present artwork by: Aiden Lassell Ripley (MA/NY, 1896-1969), Frederick Judd Waugh (NJ/MA, 1861-1940), Waldo Peirce (NY/ME/MA, 1884-1970), Frank Henry Shapleigh (NH/ME, 1842-1906), Emile Gruppe (MA, 1896-1978), Childe Hassam (NY/MA, 1859-1935), William Trost Richards (PA/RI, 1833-1905), William Matthew Prior (MA/ME, 1806-1873), Wesley Elbridge Webber (MA/CA/ME, 1841-1914), and many others.

An extremely rare circa 1905-10 sea-horse form carousel figure by E. Joy Morris for the Philadelphia Toboggan Company will be offered, along with a circa 1900 giraffe figure by Charles Looff and a circa 1900 standing lion figure in original paint. There will be a diverse selection of folk and marine art, led by seven early weather vanes, an important French Napoleonic prisoner-of-war ship model, plus fine carved birds and unusual painted furniture pieces.

The sale will present several estate vehicles, such as: a 1994 Mitsubishi 3000 GT automobile, a Kubel T-82R Kubelwagen replica, a John Deere Model 1023 tractor, and 1924 Ford Model T touring car. Also, of interest will be a circa 1910 Maine homemade pedal kiddie car in wood and iron.

Among the many important decorative arts items will be: a Georg Jensen silver five-light candelabrum in the “Grape” pattern; four early 20^th c. Tiffany Studios table lamps; a Vistosi Murano blown glass bird sculpture; plus Royal Copenhagen Flora Danica porcelain and silver items by Tiffany & Co., Cartier, and others.

Antique furniture will include: a circa 1800 figured mahogany secretary desk attributed to John & Thomas Seymour, a green painted country store dry goods cabinet, a circa 1930 Steinway Model M medium grand piano, a Maine Federal period maple and birch gent’s tall chest, and a circa 1930 Steinway Model M medium grand piano.

Featured from the 121-lot Asian group will be: a Chinese Tang Dynasty terracotta bull figure, and a Ming Dynasty Zhangzhou Swatow iron red and cobalt blue dragon vase. The sale will also offer collections of Russian, Middle Eastern and Inuit items.

Other highlights will include: 106 lots of fine estate jewelry & watches, a rare 1888 leather-bound Bowdoin college yearbook containing 77 original albumen photos, a group of 19^th Century U.S. patent models, fine tea caddies, clocks, and oriental carpets.

The auction will begin at 11 a.m. EST each day. All lots can be viewed at Thomaston Place Auction Galleries’ website, www.thomastonauction.com The gallery will be open for previews on Monday through Saturday, June 28-July 3, and Monday through Thursday, July 5 to 8, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. Previewing will also be available on Friday, July 9, Saturday, July 10 and Sunday, July 11 between 9 and 11 a.m.

Masks will be required for in-house bidders, and seating will be limited. Please call 1-207-354-8141 to reserve seats. Telephone, absentee, and live online bidding on three internet platforms will also be available. Please visit our website or call 1-207-354-8141 for more information.

Thomaston Place Auction Galleries is Maine’s premier international auction company located on U.S. Route 1 in Thomaston. Thomaston Place is a leader in discovering Maine’s antique and fine art treasures by offering Free Appraisals each Tuesday at the gallery, creating fundraiser events for civic and charitable organizations, and providing house call appraisal services. Their expertise in researching and marketing antiques and fine art has earned Thomaston Place the respect of buyers, collectors and experts worldwide.