Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, May 27, 1995 TAG: 9505300047
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: Medium
The New York auction house Sotheby's relocated to Charlottesville on Friday for the rare two-day estate sale, which is expected to be its largest house sale in 15 years. Deyerle died in October at the age of 77, just a few months after the death of his wife, Mary. Their three children decided to auction the 800-piece collection, keeping only a few items for themselves.
The collection contains 18th- and early 19th-century painted furniture, paintings and decorative arts from Virginia's Shenandoah Valley, New York, New England and Ohio. Many of the Virginia furnishings and artwork are particularly rare because they were the types that often were destroyed during the Civil War, experts said.
``We're seeing an auction of the largest body of folk material that's ever been offered,'' said Roddy Moore, director of the Blue Ridge Institute and Museum at Ferrum College. ``I don't think we'll see the quality of this stuff again.''
Pre-auction estimates of the collection's worth ranged from $2.8 million to $4.1 million, said Kate Drury, a Sotheby's spokeswoman. She said Deyerle probably paid only a total of several hundred thousand dollars for the items, which he began collecting in the 1950s with his sister.
``He collected as a hobby,'' Drury said. ``He probably had no idea that his collection would generate this excitement.''
The auction house decided to hold the sale at Boar's Head Inn in Charlottesville because of the collection's Southern focus, she said.
On Friday, collectors bid on Deyerle's collection of porcelain, spatterware, books, prints, silver, carpets and some furnishings. The rest of the furnishings, clocks, decorations and folk art will be sold today.
Deyerle was passionate but modest about his collection, said Bob Crawford, a dealer who worked with him for 20 years.
``He was a Virginia gentleman,'' Crawford said. ``For someone who had the wealth he had, he never bragged about it.''
In fact, Crawford said, Deyerle never insured his collection, relying only on his homeowner's insurance policy. Virtually all the items were used or displayed in the Deyerles' three homes, not locked away in a vault, Crawford said.
Liza Gusler, curator of museum education for the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, remembers visiting the Deyerles and sleeping on an antique bed with an appliqued chintz quilt from the early 19th century. Both items are expected to draw thousands of dollars at today's session.
Gusler said Colonial Williamsburg is interested in about 20 pieces, including a painted pine dower chest that is considered one of the collection's highlights. Johannes Spitler, a Shenandoah Valley cabinetmaker, is believed to have crafted the chest around 1800. Bidding will begin at $40,000.
``This is sort of a Metropolitan Museum collection of Shenandoah Valley material,'' Gusler said. ``We've been talking about some of these pieces for months.''
Bidders were invited to inspect the collection before the auction began.
Bill and Leah Pollard of Loudoun County were looking at Virginia fraktur, gaily decorated birth and death certificates from the early 19th century.
Pollard, a retired restaurant designer, said recent repair expenses at his house have made him scale back his bidding at this auction. But, he said, he would still like to buy something.
``I'm not going to spend $100,000 for a chest,'' he said, eyeing a painted wood furnishing, ``but I might spend $15,000 or $20,000.''
by CNB