ABERDEEN, MISS.- Beautiful carved and root built Thai furniture from a Texas estate, antique furnishings from an estate home in Eutaw, Alabama, and items decommissioned from a private museum in New Orleans will all come up for bid the weekend of January 14th and 15th by Stevens Auction Company, online and live in the Aberdeen gallery at 609 North Meridian Street.

The Friday, January 14th session, starting at 4 pm Central time, will feature items from the estate of Philip Parker (1946-2000), who dotted his east Texas Greek Revival home with antiques and other pieces. Mr. Parker owned an oil field services company in Iraq and became a world traveler. He made frequent trips to Thailand, where he purchased wonderful furniture items.

These will include highly detailed carvings on a teakwood tree trunk that have to be seen to be believed. Carved animals, birds and flowers cover every inch of this 48 inch by 96 inch creation (estimate: $5,000-$30,000). A companion piece is the large, carved teakwood stump with detailed monkeys, elephants, alligators, water buffalo, deer and more (estimate: $5,000-$10,000).

What Dwight Stevens of Stevens Auction Company described as “the most unbelievably carved teakwood bench we’ve ever seen” – with an eagle, an elephant, a monkey, snakes, deer and more, 9 feet long – has an estimate of $5,000-$10,000, while a large carved teakwood bench with elephants on all sides, 36 inches tall and 77 inches in length, should command $3,000-$6,000.

Speaking of elephants, a solid teakwood, life-size baby elephant, 64 inches tall, is expected to finish at $2,500-$5,000. Also, a fantastic framed teakwood Thailand village scene, all carved from one piece of wood, 90 inches in length, should bring $5,000-$10,000. Mr. Parker planned to install these and other pieces in a large retirement home, but his life was cut short by cancer.

Day 2, on Saturday, January 15th, has a start time of 10 am Central and will contain an eclectic mix of merchandise in a wide range of categories. The Chillcutt home was filled with gorgeous antique furnishings, including many fine 19th century Old Paris porcelains. Also offered will be cast iron benches, tables, large garden pots, clocks, chandeliers, 19th century lighting and more.

The day’s two expected top lots are both vehicles, very different from one another. The first is a vintage 1935 Ford fire engine, completely restored, with everything intact and running perfectly (estimate: $15,000-$30,000). The other is a lovely 2006 Mercedes Benz SL hardtop convertible, white with a panoramic roof and just 75,000 miles on the odometer (estimate: $15,000-$20,000).

A spectacular and truly palace-size antique Persian rug from a prominent antebellum home in Columbus Mississippi, 14 feet 8 inches by 24 feet 8 inches, in good condition with even wear, has an estimate of $10,000-$20,000. Also, an antique Persian hand-knotted rug in fabulous condition, woven circa 1920, 9 feet 8 inches by 12 feet 10 inches, should hit $2,000-$5,000.

Clocks will be led by a clean, original shelf clock made by Alexander Fleig, circa 1880, with a rare and unusual hunting scene and 8-day brass movement (estimate: $5,500-$8,500). Also sold will be a circa 1880 George III style gilt bronze mounted triple fusée mahogany musical bracket clock, very heavy, made by J. W. Benson of Ludgate Hill in London (estimate: $2,000-$4,000).

Grandfather clocks will feature a mahogany clock signed Waltman with reeded column front, 91 ½ inches tall (estimate: $2,000-$3,500); a circa 1930 5-tube hall clock by Herschede, Model 524, 87 inches tall, with three weights, tubular chime movement and a mahogany cabinet (estimate: $1,500-$2,500); and a circa 1820 cherry grandfather clock with hand-poured weights, 93 inches tall, in good condition (estimate: $1,500-$2,500). Other clocks, large and small, will also be sold.




The furniture category will be abundant and will feature a circa 1800 walnut French cabinet with display hutch, mortised together in great condition, 91 inches tall by 57 inches wide (estimate: $2,500-$5,000); and a walnut rococo secretary with beautiful carving all over and a pull-out fitted desk in drawer, impressive at 101 inches tall by 46 inches wide (estimate: $2,000-$4,000).

Just a few more of the many fine furniture pieces in the auction include the following:

• A walnut Victorian one-drawer wardrobe with barley twist, a beveled mirror, carving on the door, a nice birds-eye maple interior and original brass pulls (estimate: $800-$1,500).

• A period flame mahogany Empire sideboard with column front, claw feet, 11 drawers and two doors, in fine condition, 62 inches tall, 64 inches wide (estimate: $1,500-$2,500).

• Carved walnut Victorian etagere with marble top and carved heads, 102 inches tall and an early 19th century Sheraton sideboard-desk combination (both estimated: $1,500-$2,500).

Decorative accessories will feature a pair of astral lamps with prisms, original shades and bronze base, signed Cornelius (estimate: $1,500-$3,000); an early 19th century Oriental vase with minor chips, 18 inches tall and 9 inches in diameter (estimate: $1,000-$3,000); and a pair of Old Paris figural mantel vases with some loss of gold paint, 19 inches in height (estimate: $500-$1,000).

Mirrors will include a large European Victorian pier mirror with heavy carving and gargoyles, and a base with a marble top, 9 feet 4 inches tall by 55 inches wide (estimate: $1,500-$2,500); a walnut Victorian over-the-mantel mirror with gold sizing and other gold decorations, 83 inches tall by 68 inches wide (estimate: $1,200-$2,000); and a Victorian over-the-mantel mirror in a gold gilded frame with original mirror and gesso work top and bottom (estimate: $1,000-$2,000).

Interesting and unusual items will include an all-original doctor’s buggy from 1890, in storage for the past 85 years, with pin strip and new canvas retractable roof (estimate: $2,000-$2,500); and two mechanical horse rides, both in working condition, one a white horse with black spots, the other a one-cent ride on a horse named “Sandy” (both carrying estimates of $1,500-$2,500).

Returning to furniture, beds and bedroom suites will feature a beautiful three-piece walnut Victorian bedroom suite with white marble tops and grapes carved into the crown (estimate: $2,000-$3,500); a queen-size mahogany poster bed with carved crown that bolts together, in fine shape (estimate: $1,000-$2,000); and a burl walnut Victorian Lincoln-style bed, 85 inches tall.

Tables will include a rococo rosewood turtle-top table with laminated insert and original sienna marble attributed to Meeks, in excellent condition (estimate: $1,200-$2,000); a unique and visually striking horn table made from cow horns (estimate: $2,500-$5,000); and a walnut Victorian marble-top parlor table made by Thomas Brooks (N.Y.) (estimate: $1,000-$2,000).

Sofas and chairs will feature an exceptional seven-piece rococo rosewood parlor set with an ornate crown, curved legs and new upholstery (estimate: $1,500-$2,500); ten Chippendale dining chairs with ball and claw feet (estimate: $1,500-$3,000); and a gold gilded French salon set with tapestry upholstery, comprising two arm and two side chairs and sofa (estimate: $1,000-$2,500).