Review by Madelia Ring, Antiques and The Arts Weekly COLUMBUS, OHIO – Two Ohio collections – that of the late Chris Powell and his wife, Christine Powell of Zoar, and one belonging to James W. Gibbs of Salem – made up approximately half of the 427 lots offered in Garth’s Auction’s May 15 sale titled “Americana featuring Ohio Valley Items.” Several works from both collections featured among the top prices realized in the sale, which was more than 96 percent sold by lot. It was

Review by Madelia Ring, Antiques and The Arts Weekly COLUMBUS, OHIO – Leading Garth’s Auctions’ May 15 425-lot sale was a paint decorated trunk attributed to the Checkerboard artist that achieved the sale’s top price of $81,000. The piece related to another slightly smaller example Garth’s sold for $63,000 in November 2015. The trunk was attributed to Somerset County, Penn., and featured two facing birds, a decorative motif known on no other examples and which helped spark co

Above: This piece was produced during the 1920s, as the Kenton-based company began making toys alongside its functional cast iron products In the 19th century, cast iron became a type of wonder material. The raw ingredients were cheap, and molds could be used to readily produce objects in nearly any shape imaginable. It was used to create items as simple as hinges, as complex as bridges and as conventional as skillets. During the late 19th century and into the mid-20th centur