Possum trot doll fetches $92,000 at Nov. 10 Slotin sale
A carved and painted possum trot doll, executed by the renowned folk artist Calvin Black (1903-1972), and mounted on a stand with a homemade tag that says, “Miss Sherion Rose Possum Trot,” sold for $92,000 at a folk art sale held November 10 by Slotin Auction in Buford, Ga.. The sale drew over 200 people.
[USPRwire, Wed Nov 21 2007] A carved and painted possum trot doll, executed by the renowned folk artist Calvin Black (1903-1972), and mounted on a stand with a homemade tag that says, “Miss Sherion Rose Possum Trot,” sold for $92,000 at a folk art sale held November 10 by Slotin Auction. The sale drew a standing room only crowd of over 200 people and was held at the Historic Buford Hall in Buford, Ga.
“We weren't quite sure what to expect, what with the price of gas continuing to climb and news of the economy being less than great, but this sale exceeded all our expectations,” said Amy Slotin of Slotin Auction. “The crowd was great, plus we had over 250 absentee and phone bidders and a very active Internet component, with about 700 people registered to bid online, through eBay Live.”
By the time the day was over, about 880 lots had changed hands in the cataloged sale, which grossed a little over $1 million. “It was our second highest grossing sale ever,” Ms. Slotin said, “after the Atlanta History Museum auction of 2005, which was an exceptional event. But this sale was just as exciting, with many lots far exceeding their high estimates. The market for folk art is very hot.”
Indeed, the Calvin Black possum trot doll (the sale's top lot) carried a high estimate of just $12,000. “We really thought that was a reasonable expectation, since another Calvin Black possum trot doll sold at Christie's in 2003 for $13,145,” Ms. Slotin said. “But it came down to two very determined phone bidders, who slugged it out for the longest while. The crowd gasped at the final hammer price.”
The sale's cache was boosted by the self-taught and international folk art collection of the noted Hollywood film director Jonathan Demme (“Silence of the Lambs,” “Philadelphia”). Demme's exhibition and accompanying book, titled “Island on Fire: Passionate Visions of Haiti From the Collection of Jonathan Demme,” underscore one of the largest collections of Haitian art in the world.
About 300 of the sale's 880 lots were consignments from Demme. A few of the highlights from his collection follow. All prices quoted include a 15% buyer's premium.
A pair of works by William Blaney (1917-1986), both depicting multi-headed beasts, sold for over $27,000 combined. One, titled “Seven Headed Lion Beast With Ten Horns” (oil on canvas, circa 1960), went for $15,755, and was a visual interpretation of the scripture (Revelations 13). The other, titled “Beast With Ten Horns” (oil on canvas, circa 1959-1960), fetched a respectable $12,075.
An oil on Masonite work by the artist Ellis Walter Ruley (1882-1959) titled “Hippos” and depicting just that – a family of hippos in or near a small wading pool -- realized $12,650. Ruley was an African-American artist who lived in a mostly white suburban Connecticut neighborhood. He came into money, thanks to an insurance settlement, married a white woman, and died a suspicious death.
The Calvin Black possum trot doll was not from the Demme collection. It had been purchased by the consignor from the late Larry Whitely of Los Angeles many years ago. The doll had silk fabric clothing, a crochet knit hat, wig hair and a necklace with stone pendant. Mr. Black lived in California's Mojave Desert, where he created over 80 life-size moving dolls, which he used in theatre.
In other highlights from the sale:
A large (71.5” w x 51.5” h) oil on canvas work by Ralph Fasanella (1914-1997), titled “Marcantonio for Mayor or Campaign Lucky Corner” (circa 1964-1972), rose to $69,000. The piece was featured in the book “Fasanella's City,” by Patrick Wilson. Mr. Fasanella's star has been on the rise since he appeared on the cover of New York magazine in 1972. It catapulted him to national fame.
A storage jar, signed and dated (April 25, 1861) by “Slave Dave,” was bought by a museum for $40,250. The best guess as to the date of birth for the accomplished former African-American slave is around 1800. Over the course of his rich and colorful life, Dave was bought and sold by several families, one of which taught him pottery. He signed and dated over 100 jars, many 25-40 gallons.
A fantastic acrylic on paper creation by Sister Gertrude Morgan (1900-1980), titled “The Shepherd's Voice” (unframed, 19” x 21.5”), achieved $28,750. The work was signed and included a long poem incorporated into the work on the front. The final sale price sailed past the high estimate of $20,000. “This pretty much confirmed that Sister Gertrude is a top-tier folk artist,” Ms. Slotin said.
A house paint and pine straw work on found tin, with applied conch shell, by Sam Doyle (1906-1985), titled “Dr. Buz,” changed hands for $23,000. The consignors purchased the painting directly from Mr. Doyle and asked him to sign it twice, and he happily complied. The work depicts Dr. Buzzard, a favorite subject of Doyle's and a voodoo doctor who received inspiration from conch shells.
A paint on wooden panel work by the renowned folk artist Howard Finster (1916-2001), titled “Daniel Boone and Wolf Dogs” (circa 1982), went for $20,700. Mr. Finster's work is always a huge draw at any folk art sale, and the Slotins have sold many of his paintings over the years. This example, large at 48” x 48”, was contained in a wood-burned frame personally decorated by the artist.
A paint on Masonite rendering by William Hawkins (1895-1989), titled “Dinosaurs,” also gaveled for $20,700. And, like the Finster piece, this one was large (44” x 34”). It was housed in an artist-decorated frame. Mr. Hawkins was one of the finest self-taught artists of the 20th century. He had one-person exhibitions at the Museum of American Folk Art and the Columbus Museum of Art.
A carved wood, three-dimensional depiction of a tiger, done in Latex paint with jeweled eyes, by Elijah Pierce (1892-1984), garnered $18,400. The work, done in 1979 and simply titled “Tiger,” was 19.5” long x 12” high. “There are 500 woodcarvers working today in the U.S. who are as technically proficient as Pierce,” a critic wrote, “but none can equal the power of his personal vision.”
A heavy mud and paint on wood panel painting by Jimmy Lee Sudduth (1910-2007), titled “Wild Hog” (48X w x 24” h), realized $7,188. The folk art world was saddened with the recent passing of Mr. Sudduth, who died this summer at age 97 and whose paintings today are prized by collectors worldwide. He applied a mixture of mud and paint (“sweet mud”) to scrap board and found metals.
A nearly lifesize carved and painted wood sculpture of a donkey, by the noted Navajo artist Felipe Archuleta, had to endure guffaws and off-color jokes from the crowd before finally hammering for $12,650; and a pair of creations by Clarence Woolsey, made from old bottle caps covering a wooden frame – one depicting a kachina, the other a rabbit -- went for $9,430 and $5,750, respectively.
Slotin Auction has two sales already planned for early next year. The first, scheduled for February 9, will feature wild and quirky items from the folk art world; items from the American Folk Art Museum's Latin Collection; and more items from the Jonathan Demme Collection. Then, a sale slated for April 26 will be dedicated to self-taught art masterpieces. It's typically a huge industry event.
Slotin Auction hosts 3-4 major sales a year, all of them specializing in self-taught art and Southern folk pottery. To learn more about the company and its upcoming auctions, you may visit them online at www.slotinfolkart.com. The firm is always accepting quality consignments for future sales. To consign an item, estate, or collection, call (404) 403-4244; or e-mail to auction@slotinfolkart.com.
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