Catalog (971)

A wonderfully done naïve portrait of an older woman identified on the reverse as Almira Coolidge of Boston. The 3/4 length depiction shows the sitter holding a handkerchief and wearing a lace trimmed white bonnet, white lace fichu, and a red scarf over a black puff-sleeve dress with gold buttons. The background is nicely done in a striated and shaded blue-gray. Presented in a gilt metal frame.

This painting was part of the important and well-known Gregory collection offered at Sotheby's on 1/...

A very fine twig basket, dating from the late 19th or early 20th century. It was found in Pennsylvania, and is painted black, with the border and edge decoration painted in green, yellow, and orange over the black. The interior central portion of the basket is painted in green.

The basket is 8 5/8" in diameter and 4" tall. Condition is terrific, with no breaks. There is the normal amount of scattered paint flaking which is not really apparent and does not affect the impact of this little ...

A fine American miniature painting on natural wafer of a hazel-eyed woman, dressed in a white bonnet and fichu. Original locket gilt metal case has a plait of hair in the aperture on the back of the case.

Superb condition with no problems. The locket is 2 3/8" by 2", and the sight size of this little gem is 2 1/4" by 1 7/8".

A beautifully painted and gilded English jug, probably Minton, of large size. Done in shades of blue, greens, and reds, it depicts a large lotus tree on one side, and foliage and flowers throughout. The main items in the painting are outlined with gilding, which is also prominent of the handle and spout.

Condition is superb, looking factory fresh, with no cracks, chips, restoration, or paint or gilding loss. There is a pattern number on the bottom. Height is 7" and the widest part of this pie...

A fine enameled button showing a young girl with an elaborate hat and a pink dress with a rose-adorned white jabot. The portrait is surrounded with ruby and white pastes set into openwork brass.

The condition is excellent, with no issues, and the diameter is 1 1/4".

PLEASE NOTE: We collected buttons for many years, but have decided to sell our collection. The buttons shown on our site represent but a small sample on what we have, so please do not hesitate to ask if you are looking for a p...

Vibrant yellow with black freehand decoration. All original with very, very minor touchups to black. Signed Charles(?) H. Blanders, Putnam, NY?. 10 7/8" by 5" by 4 1/2". Excellent condition.

A fine painted gameboard painted with red numbers on black squares on a brown background. This type of gameboard was supposedly used for playing checkers games by mail, using the numbers to describe the piece positions; also possibly used for teaching checkers; size is 29 1/2" by 21" by 1 1/2". Excellent condition.

A nicely done watercolor on organic material portrait miniature, depicting a half-length view of a young woman. In a black dress with a lace-edged neckline, she has accessorized with gold drop earrings and a triple strand gold necklace.

Of interest is the backing of the painting, which shows a portion of a finely drawn ink portrait of a man's head. The miniature is in a velvet lined leather case with a brass mat and glazing, with the two halves having separated, but which could be taped back t...

An early Worcester patty pan with everted rim, carefully painted in blue with the "Bare Tree and Speared Bird" pattern. The pattern features an oriental landscape with a turreted single story building between a figure and a tree, within a diaper pattern pendent husk and scroll border. Workman's mark on the exterior base.

The condition of this piece is excellent, with crisp deep colors and no cracks, chips, or other flaws. The diameter is 4 3/16" (10.5 cm).

A beautifully worked quilt with the "Star of Bethlehem" design, surrounded by stuffed-work flowers and vines; 87" by 81". Excellent condition.

A superb transfer printed blue and white Staffordshire soup dish in the "Birds and Fruit" pattern. Unmarked but attributed to John Hall & Sons, Burslem, England. The central scene features two birds amidst a panoply of fruit, including pears, strawberries, blackberries, grapes, etc. The cavetto and wide rim has a border of flowers and foliage.

The color of this dish is a deep, clear blue, with no blurriness, and with the desired ripple glaze. Condition is excellent, with no cracks, resto...

A wonderfully rendered pottery Staffordshire portrait bust of the philosopher John Locke. The name is incised on the back of this piece. Raised on a faux marble socle, the figure is effectively modelled and strongly colored. The condition is superb, with no chips, cracks, restoration, inpainting, or enamel loss. The whitish lines on his robe were intentionally done to highlight folds. The figure is 7 1/2 inches tall and 3 1/8 inches in diameter.

Note: The round dark spots on the underside rim ...

A very good antique English enamel twist wine glass, having a round funnel bowl with a fluted lower half. The stem contains a single series opaque twist with a pair of spiral gauzes. Conical foot with snapped pontil.

No condition issues, and the glass is 5 7/16" in height, with a bowl diameter of 2" and a foot diameter of 2 9/16".

Note: Because of the extreme closeups of the photos, and the non-ideal lighting conditions, there might appear to be spots, discolorations, or hazes in the glass, ...

This is an elegant SSOT, or single series opaque twist English antique drinking, or wine, glass. It has a drawn trumpet bowl and the stem has a beautifully fashioned enamel spiral gauze. Single series opaque twists are considerably rarer than double series twists. The conical foot has a rough, snapped pontil.

The glass has good height at 7 1/8 inches, a bowl diameter of 2 5/8 inches, and a foot diameter of 2 7/8 inches. There are no repairs or condition problems.

Provenance: Harry and ...

A beautiful Spode porcelain plate painted with a variety of motifs. The pattern number is not listed in any of the Spode pattern books, nor have I been able to find examples of the decoration. A reasonable assumption might be that this was produced as a "one-off" sample for a larger service that was not completed.

The decoration on the plate includes an exotic bird, shells and feathers, and fruits, an interesting combination to say the least. An abundance of gilding and a border with feather-...

A beautiful creamware tureen and lid, probably Leeds, but possibly a Staffordshire factory. Of oval, quatrefoil shape with molded shell borders, scrolled handles, and a pomegranate finial, painted with turquoise and black enamel trim. An identical, undecorated example is shown in "Creamware and Other English Pottery at Temple Newsam House Leeds", item 331.

The overall condition of this wonderful example is excellent, with no cracks or chips. There was a highly professional and invisible restor...

A wonderful example of a pastel painting on sandpaper. The scene shows a man in 18th century garb, holding a fawn that his daughter is feeding. They stand on a dirt path lined with a wooden fence. Other deer are in the foreground and near the lake that occupies the mid-ground of this work. In the immediate background is a fantasy type building on a hill, with mountains in the background. Above all this is is the sky at dusk, rendered in a beautiful array of colors.

As with other types of 19th...

A totally charming box from, and decorated in the style of, Snyder County, Pennsylvania; grain painted with gilt and gray highlights; polychrome stencil painting of fruit on top; terrific painted keyhole escutcheon; 9 1/2" by 6 1/2" by 5 1/4"

Top has scrapes and scratching, but 99% of the paint is still intact, and the uncommon nature of the overall decoration on this piece far outweighs the damage