American Furniture and Decorative Arts

Christie’s American Furniture and Decorative Arts auctions offer exceptional pieces from the most notable makers in the history of American craftsmanship and design, such as Robert Crosman, John Townsend, Charles-Honoré Lannuier and James Symonds. Having held auctions for four decades, Christie’s is the market leader in this category. Auctions are staged annually every January in New York.

Our team has a strong track record of million-dollar results and has set world auction records for important pieces from the 17th to 19th century. Our specialists are unrivalled in both experience and expertise, and are always available for free and confidential valuations. Please do not hesitate to get in touch to discuss buying or selling within this category at Christie’s.

Please also explore our American Folk Art department.

An elegant wooden antique cabinet with decorative shell carvings and brass handles.

Upcoming auctions

VIEW PAST AUCTIONS

13 - 27 Jan
Online
The American Collector
New York
23 Jan
Live
We the People: America at 250
New York

The American Collector auction at Christies

13 - 27 Jan

Online

The American Collector

New York

We the People: America at 250 auction at Christies

23 Jan

Live

We the People: America at 250

New York

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Contact us

From free valuations to market advice, our specialists are here to answer your questions.

Cara Zimmerman
Head of Americana and Outsider Art
+1 212 636 2230
CZimmerman@christies.com
New York
Cara Zimmerman is a Vice President, Head of Americana and Outsider Art. Since joining the company in 2014, Cara has developed and expanded Christie’s Outsider Art sales, creating stand-alone auctions for the category and achieving world auction records for important Outsider artists including William Edmondson, William Hawkins, Bill Traylor, and Carlo Zinelli, among many others. She has also been instrumental in highly successful Folk Art sales, which have achieved top prices for works by artists including Edward Hicks, Ammi Phillips, Wilhelm Schimmel, and Samuel Addison and Ruth Whittier Shute.

Before joining Christie’s, Cara worked for the Philadelphia Museum of Art and served as Executive Director for the Foundation for Self-Taught Artists in Philadelphia. She has edited and written for catalogues published by the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Ackland Art Museum at UNC Chapel Hill, San Jose State University, and the University of Delaware University Museums. Cara received her AB from Harvard University and her MA from the University of Delaware. She is a PhD Candidate at the University of Delaware.
Julia Jones
Head of Sale
+212 974 4474
jjones@christies.com
New York
Since joining Christie’s in 2018, Julia Jones has been instrumental in the successful sale of works of important American furniture and paintings, Outsider art and Decorative arts. Julia has worked on landmark sales such as the Collection of Anne and Gordon Getty, La Rêverie: The Collection of Sydell Miller and the Collection of Henry Ford II. She oversaw the white glove sale of High Style in Highland Park: The Collection of Mr. & Mrs. Edwin L. Cox. Julia graduated with B.A.’s in Art History and Anthropology from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., and went on to receive her Master’s degree in History of Art at the Courtauld Institute of Art in London.
Martha Willoughby
Specialist
+1 212 641 3181
mwilloughby@christies.com
New York
Martha Willoughby is a specialist consultant in the American furniture and folk art department at Christie’s. A graduate of Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, Martha earned her M.A. from the Winterthur Program in Early American Culture at the University of Delaware. She has worked at several museums, including the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford, the National Portrait Gallery in Washington D.C. and the Museum of the City of New York. She joined Christie’s in 1996 and since has worked there as specialist, department head and most recently, consultant. At Christie’s, Martha focuses on the research and catalogue essays for important works, such as the Fisher-Fox tea table that remains the record for Philadelphia furniture, Charles Willson Peale’s full-length portrait of George Washington, a record for any historical American portrait and in January 2022, Ammi Phillips’ Lady in Green with Pink Ribbons, a record for American folk art.
Annie Roddy
Sale Coordinator, Cataloguer
+1 212 636 2145
aroddy@christies.com
New York