The Property of Dr. and Mrs. Henry C. Landon III New York, New York – On the morning of January 24, 2009, Sotheby’s will offer a single-owner sale of The Property of
Dr. and Mrs. Henry C. Landon III as a highlight of its Americana Week sales. The s
Leslie Keno, Senior Vice President and Director of Sotheby’s American Furniture and Decorative Arts Department said,
“We are delighted to be offering the Landon collection, which includes many very fine and rare pieces. Hank and Barbara
are passionate collectors for whom the sole criterion for purchase has always been to love what they buy.”
Press Release New York For Immediate Release
New York | +1 212 606 7176 | Lauren Gioia | Lauren.Gioia@Sothebys.com | Blair Hance | Blair.Hance@Sothebys.com
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They began collecting soon after their marriage, and were among
pioneer collectors in North Carolina at the time, living in Dr.
Landon’s hometown of North Wilkesboro. In the mid-1960s they
met Jim Craig and Sam Tarlton, Raleigh antiques dealer who
quickly became their friends and closest advisors as they gradually
formed their esteemed collection, often cycling through several
generations and upgrading pieces until they found the best example.
Dr. and Mrs. Landon’s collection has been profiled by numerous
publications, and in both 2006 and 2008 they were named among
Art & Antiques’ list of top collectors. In 2005 their collection was
the subject of a dedicated exhibition at Dr. Landon’s alma mater, the University of Virginia Art Museum, entitled A
Jeffersonian Ideal: Selections from the Dr. and Mrs. Henry C. Landon III Collection of American Fine and Decorative Arts,
which included many of the works to be offered in January.
The Francis P. Garvan Important Rococo Carved and Figured Walnut Scroll-Top High
Chest of Drawers, the carving attributed to Nicholas Bernard, Philadelphia, circa 1755-60
will be among the highlights of the sale (est. $200,000/1 million). The finely carved highchest
represented the height of wealth and status in 1760 America with Rococo flourishes such
as the three detailed carved shells, executed by the accomplished carver Nicholas Bernard. In
emphasizing the control of line over the sculpting of mass, the techniques were well integrated
and skillfully articulated. Remarkably, this chest retains its original cartouche, which represents
Bernard’s most sculptural work and follows the patter of those found on several other case
pieces with carving attributed to him. The chest was included in the landmark 1929 Girl
Scouts Loan exhibition, which led the way
for the creation of the American Wing at
The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Also featured will be a Very Rare Federal Ornately Inlaid and Carved
Cherrywood, Mahogany, and Maple Serpentine-Front Sideboard,
attributed to Nathan Lombard, Springfield, Massachusetts, circa 1795
(est. $80/160,000).
