Kasten: “One is a kas, two are kasten,” explains Levy. “They are cupboards with cornices — top pieces that step out from the body—and balled feet. They were based on Dutch forms, but the ones I have were made in the Hudson Valley in the 18th century. The Elting-Beekman workshop in Kingston was the premier producer. Country versions were made by people who wanted them for their houses, but their cabinetry skills were lesser, so they made an interpretation, not quite as formal.” Dating from 1750 to 1820, kasten can range in price from $12,000 to $175,000.
Statuette: Posed like a pensive Degas bather, a figurine by Woodstock artist Eugenie Gershoy is about twelve inches high and weighs almost nothing because it’s made of papier-mâché. The Ukrainian-born Gershoy developed her own sculptural material composed of wheat paste, plaster, and egg tempera. Also a watercolorist, she was among the many local artists involved in the Federal Art Project, the visual arts arm of the Depression-era Works Progress Administration (WPA). Cox expects the graceful yet earthy figure to sell for $300 to $500 at his gallery’s Collector’s Exchange Auction on May 25.
Catskill Mountain House plate: Views of the Hudson Valley were imprinted on Staffordshire china plates made in England in a style called transferware, developed in the mid-1800s. “The English sent artists to do sketchbooks of spots people wanted to see,” explains Levy. The scenes were engraved, printed on tissue paper, and transferred through a wet-ink process to china plates and bowls, then fired. Hudson River views were among the most popular subjects. Catskill Mountain House plates are rare and can run up to $1500. A view from the Ruggles House in Newburgh sold for $225.
Shamrock andirons: In the mid-19th century, Troy, an industrial city next to Albany, was known for its production of iron goods. The Burden Iron Works was powered by the world’s biggest water wheel, while the Rensselaer Works made plates for the Civil War battleship Monitor, as well as rails for train tracks. Another product of the iron industry was andirons to hold logs in fireplaces. Luciano recently came across a pair of andirons decorated with shamrocks, emblematic of the Irish families who were drawn by jobs in the Troy iron works. The set is priced at $1500.
Joseph Tubby landscapes: Like many modern-day artists, Tubby maintained a presence both in New York City and in the Catskills, and he had a day job. To support his family, he resorted to sign painting, wallpapering, and house painting, working both in his hometown of Rondout and in the metropolitan area, where he shared an apartment. Some of Tubby’s finest landscapes, executed in the 1870s and 1880s, feature scenes of Kingston, the Hudson River, and Rondout Creek. Nestled into many of these landscapes are buildings that are still standing today. Tubby painted a view of the Stony Clove railroad line that once went from Phoenicia to Greene County; fragments of its rails persist in several Phoenicia back yards. Prices for Tubby’s work range from $2000 to $35,000 and up. l
For information on the dealers quoted in this article, visit their websites at timeandmaterialsantiques.com (Tom Luciano), jamescoxgallery.com (Jim Cox), and jenkinstownantiques.com (Sanford Levy).
