Catalog (971)

A nicely done watercolor in natural material portrait of a young woman. Complementing the blue background, the sitter is presented with blue eye shadow and a blue ribbon and bow in her hair. The glazed reverse of the gold filled case is covered with a nice display of woven hair plaits.

Condition is excellent, with a case size of 1 7/8" by 1 5/8".

A charming miniature portrait by Susan Penelope Rosse, executed in gouache on gesso-washed vellum or card. The sitter is a sweet looking girl with long hair, wearing a blue gown with white lace edging at the bodice. The case for the miniature deserves special mention, being a flip type made of testudines shell with gold mounts.

The painting is in quite fine condition, with no issues, as is the clever case. The sight size is 1 3/8" by 1 1/8".

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE: Susan Penelope Rosse (or Rose) ...

A well painted watercolor on natural wafer, signed on the backing paper by Louisa Freeman. The sitter, a gentleman of aristocratic bearing, is arrayed in the height of fashion for the period, sporting a black jacket, yellow vest, and white stock. Housed in an ebonized wood frame.

The condition of the frame and painting is excellent, with no issues to speak of. The sight size of the portrait is 2 5/8" by 2 1/8", with a framed size of 5" by 4 3/8".

An absolutely charming painting, done in watercolor and gouache on organic wafer, of a male toddler. A label on the reverse states "J.C. Holt/at 1 yr./1831".

Housed in its original gold case, neither the painting or the case have any condition problems at all. The size is 1 3/4" by 1 1/2".

A fine miniature, painted in watercolor on natural material, by George Place. The subject is a rather jowly hazel-eyed fellow in liturgical garb. Housed in its original gold plated case.

The painting is in excellent condition with no issues. The black or white specs in the photo are only in the photograph. Size of the cased painting is 2 3/8" by 2".

NOTE: George Place (c1760 - 1805) was born in Ireland and studied there under F.R. West. By 1791 he was living in London and exhibited at t...

A naïve miniature watercolor on wafer painting of a gentleman with a piercing gaze and a neatly trimmed beard. Set against a darkish green background, he is wearing a black jacket, vest, and tie with a stickpin. In a cast foliate case with a coil of plaited hair in the glazed window on the reverse.

Condition is excellent, with no issues. Sight size is 2 1/8" by 1 3/4", and the overall size is 2 3/8" by 2".

Painted in watercolor on organic material, this fine example of Wood's work depicts an older man with blue eyes and pigtailed hair dressed in a black jacket with gold buttons, and a white vest and stock. Housed in its original case, with the glazed reverse having fancy hairwork over a on a white glass backing.

The painting is in excellent condition, with no cracks, bowing, or paint loss. the white area to the right of the sitter's head is intentionally done that way, and is not uncommon in som...

A fine Georgian wine glass with a multiple-spiral opaque twist (MSOT) stem below an ogee bowl. The stem has a flattened shoulder knop and a basal knop. This knop configuration, combined with an uncommon twist type, makes this glass quite unusual. Conical foot with a rough, snapped pontil. Good color, tooling marks, and striations.

The condition is excellent, with no chips, cracks, hazing, or restoration. Any streaks, spots, or other disturbances in the photos are due to dust or light reflectio...

A watercolor portrait, on natural wafer, of a handsome gentleman attired in a black jacket and vest with a pale pink cravat. Housed in a very heavy and well-made brass case with the reverse side being fully glazed over fabric.

The condition of the painting and the case is excellent, with no flaws. The white dots and background color variations are just due to exterior dust and light reflections. Overall size is 2 7/8" by 2 3/8".

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...

A fine pair of miniature portraits, done in watercolor on wafer, by Ozias Humphry. They are mounted back to back in a gold case which has black and gold eglomise work on the cover glasses. The sitters are, purportedly by descent within the family, a Mr. and Mrs. Poole. The woman is attired in a white classic white gown and wears a bone comb in her hair. The man is in a blue jacket with gold buttons, and sports a white ruffled shirt and stock.

The condition of the paintings is excellent, with g...

A nicely made English wine glass featuring a conical bowl with "hammering" on the lower two thirds of the bowl. The stem is a double series opaque twist with a central lace twist and an outer pair of 6-ply spiral bands. Conical foot with rough snapped pontil. Good color, tooling marks, and striations.

The condition is excellent, with no chips, cracks, restoration or other problems. Height is 7", with a bowl diameter of 2 3/8" and a foot diameter of 2 7/8".

A fine double series opaque twist (DSOT) wine glass with a conical bowl leading into a stem with a central gauze surrounded by two heavy spiral threads. The bowl has molded fluting in the lower three quarters.

The glass is in very good condition with no cracks, hazing, or restoration. There is a tiny shallow chip under the foot rim, which can be discerned at around 1:30 in the last photo. There is an unimportant small inclusion in the upper section of the bowl shown in the first photo. Height ...

A classic example of a Moses B. Russell portrait on natural wafer, fully signed and dated on the backing card. The sitter is a young woman with brown sausage curls and blue eyes. Obviously from a well-to-do family, she is wearing a blue dress with lace edged sleeves, a cameo brooch at the bodice, a gold ring, and a long gold chain, and has a mink wrap on her lap. The colors are vivid, with the dark mauve chair contrasting nicely with the blue dress. This is an uncommon Russell in that it is a 3/...

A tall and fine ale glass of lead metal. The elongated round funnel bowl sits atop a double series opaque twist (DSOT) stem that contains a 9-ply spiral band outside of a pair of heavy spiral threads. Alongside each of the threads is a air strand. This in not that uncommon and generally referred to as an incidental thread. However those are generally much thinner than here and do not follow the entire length of the enamel twist. It is not clear if this was intentional, but it does add to the att...

A fine portrait miniature by William Charles Ross, executed in watercolor on natural organic material. The subject, a gentleman with receding brown hair and blue eyes, is fashionably attired in a brown jacket, white collar, black vest, shirt, and ascot, which sports a turquoise and gold stickpin. Ross' superb skill is evidenced by, among other things, the way he has limned the hair tones, the lifelike quality of the skin, eyes, and lips, the texturing of the different fabrics, and the jewel-like...

A nicely painted portrait miniature on natural organic wafer. The sitter is a gentleman dressed in a black jacket and stock, with a white shirt and vest, set against a background which shades from light blue to a darker blue hue. Housed in its original cast foliate case with a glazed rear aperture containing a circlet of hair.

The condition of the painting is excellent with no cracks, chips, paint loss, bowing, or restoration. The case is in good condition with the back of it showing wear and ...

A fine mid 19th century watercolor on organic wafer of a good looking young man. The sitter, with blue eyes and brown hair, is wearing a black coat and tie with a white shirt.

This painting is in its original A.P. Critchlow thermoplastic velvet lined case, an item which, in and of itself, is often sought after by collectors. Note that this case was produced even before a patent was granted.

Condition of the painting is excellent, with no issues whatsoever. The case condition is also excellen...

A portrait miniature of a good looking young gentleman, well painted in watercolors on organic wafer. This fine piece is enclosed in a bronze surround.

The sight size is 2 3/4" by 2 1/2", and the overall size is 3 1/4" by 2 3/4". The condition of the miniature and the surround is excellent, with no problems or restoration at all.

A wonderful example of a rare Dr. Wall Worcester tea canister of fluted oval "French shape." There are several variations of the Hop Trellis pattern, with this one being less common. All versions of the pattern are highly collected. In the case of this variety, the upper border is a deep blue, while the lower border is a turquoise cailloute (a lacy network of oval or circular outlines, from the French, meaning "pebbled"). The main body of the caddy has iron-red trellises with gold bands twining ...

A large and beautifully painted portrait miniature by Aimee Thibault. Done in watercolor on organic wafer, the work shows a distinguished older gentleman of serious mien, set against a dark background, in a black tie and jacket with a white shirt and collar. The size of the miniature is due to Thibault having worked in France for a large part of her life, where such portraits were often done on a much grander scale than miniatures in the U.S. The portrait is signed Aimee Thibault along the righ...

A very fine miniature of a young lady, done in watercolor on organic wafer. Signed lower right "Becker Px". The sitter is a wearing a gown with elaborate bows along the neckline and sleeves, and a pink sash. The glassless gilded wood frame is original to the painting.

There is a good amount of information on the back, some of which is missing or hard to make out. However, what can be determined is that this is a portrait of Julie von Haller, who was a member of the court of the Homburg Landg...

A strong oil on wood portrait of a gentleman sporting a long ponytail, and wearing a large black hat, a ruffled white shirt, a brownish-gray jacket. Cleverly executed to look like the painting is oval and in a mat, in actuality the entire surface is painted and is not a mat.

The condition of this work is excellent, with no issues or restoration. The frame, which is modern, nicely complements this work sight size is 6 1/2" by 4 1/2", with the framed size being 8 3/4" by 7".

A fine example of a triple knopped double series opaque twist (DSOT) antique wine glass. The bell bowl is over a stem with a pair of 3-ply spiral bands outside of a central gauze, and with a flattened shoulder knop, a medial knop, and a basal knop. Conical foot with rough, snapped pontil.

The vast majority of opaque twist glasses have straight stems, and the addition of even one knop adds substantially to the difficulty of making them, and to the value. Each additional knop increases these f...

A beautifully made antique drinking glass with a round funnel bowl. A merise separates the bowl from the stem which features a multi-spiral opaque twist and shoulder and medial knops. Lead metal, conical foot with rough, snapped pontil

The height of the glass is 6 5/8", with a bowl diameter of 2 1/4" and a foot diameter of 2 5/8". Fine condition with no chips, cracks, scratches, hazing, etc.

A strongly painted portrait miniature of a gentleman, rendered in watercolor on organic wafer. The sitter is a good-looking chap with blue eyes and fulsome sideburns, attired in a black jacket and cravat, a white collar and ruffled shirt, and a gold chain. He is identified by engraving on the reverse of the case as J.A. Reed.

Aside from being a fine example of miniature portraiture, the cast foliate case, which tests as gold, is highly unusual in that it hinges from the bottom, allowing easy...

A beautiful example of an English drinking glass of the double series opaque twist (DSOT) type. The round funnel bowl sits atop a stem with a 14-ply spiral band around a central pair of heavy spiral threads. Conical foot with rough, snapped pontil.

By far, most opaque twists are straight stems. In contrast, this one has a medial knop. However, what makes this glass highly unusual is that the knop, which is quite large, is a bladed knop. Practically all knops on opaque twist glasses are of the...

A striking antique wine glass with a solid base bell bowl engraved with a grape vine, leaves, and bunches of grapes. The stem has a multiple spiral air twist (MSAT) extending into the base of the bowl, and features a medial bladed collar. Conical foot with rough, snapped pontil. Fine color, striations, and tooling marks.

Condition is excellent with no problems, flaws, or restoration. The height is 6 5/8", a bowl diameter of 2 1/2", and a foot diameter of 2 3/4".

NOTE: On the relatively rare...

A large drawn trumpet bowl leads to a double series opaque twist (dsot) stem comprised of a pair of heavy spiral threads outside of a central gauze. The bowl is engraved with a rising sun, a well-known masonic symbol. In all, this item has a wonderful and strong presence to it. Thick firing foot with a rough snapped pontil.

The glass is in excellent condition, with no chips, cracks, other flaws, or restoration. The height is 4 5/8", with a bowl diameter of 3" and a foot diameter of 2 3/4".

A striking and nicely painted oil on canvas pair of American portraits. The sitters (by family repute) are Hendrick Henry Lasher (1788 - 1843) and Hannah Sharp (1793 - 1851) of New York.

Painted in a straightforward, stark style, the artist has deftly used dark tones for the clothing the background, focusing the light and the viewer's attention on the faces.

Condition is very good, with no holes or large amounts of restoration. The paintings having been relined and the period frames touched ...

An antique Georgian balustroid drinking glass featuring a bell bowl over a shoulder annulated knop. Further, there is medial teared inverted baluster knop and a basal knop. The foot is domed and folded with a rough snapped pontil.

No condition issues and standing 5 3/8" tall, with a bowl diameter of 2" and a foot diameter of 2 1/4".

An elegant lead metal wine glass of balustroid type, having a round funnel bowl over a shoulder angular knop over a straight stem with an extended tear and basal knop. High conical folded foot. A well-fashioned and tall example of this form.

Overall excellent condition, with no restoration or cracks. Wonderful color, striations, and tooling marks. There is a small potstone inclusion near the rim (showing as the white spot in the main photo), and an in-the-making sliver slice under the foot, ju...

An 18th c French yellow silk underdress front, beautifully and heavily embroidered with metallic threads. The overall size is 27 1/2" by 19". The condition is good, with some scattered wear and pulls. It could highly benefit from a careful pressing.

A charming petit point on silk purse, done in the tiniest of stitches, and showing a different scene on each side. On the front is a young woman feeding a chicken, the other side showing a swan in a lake with a fountain and castle in the distance. Both sides have a line of flowers surrounding the scenes, the whole against a pale gray lavender background. The gold colored frame is enhanced with interrupted sections of silver.

Displaying vibrant colors, the purse is in excellent condition, with ...

A beautiful pair of Georgian multiple spiral air twist drinking glasses. The drawn trumpet bowls are finely engraved with a grape vine, leaves, and bunches of grapes. Conical feet with rough, snapped pontils.

Condition is excellent, with no chips, scratches, or restoration. The glasses stand perfectly straight, although it does not seem so in the photograph of the two of them together. Good color, striations, and tooling marks. Standing tall at 6 3/4", of hefty weight, and with bowl diameters ...

A beautiful English wine glass with a bell bowl. The stem contains a multiple-spiral air twist (MSAT) extending into the solid base of the bowl. What makes this a truly special glass is the applied medial vermicular collar. The foot is conical with a rough, snapped pontil.

The condition is excellent, with no chips, cracks, blooming, or restoration. The marks and discolorations shown in the pictures are due to dust, reflected light, or photographic artifacts. Fine color, striations, and tool ma...

An unusual family grouping of three miniature portraits on organic wafers. All pieces, clearly done by the same hand (as yet unidentified), have a wonderful "feel" to them and are cleanly executed. The reverend in his black non-liturgical clothing, his wife in her black dress with white lace and cap, and their beautiful daughter, posed beside a tree and attired in a high-waisted gown with a blue ribbon and wearing a tortoiseshell comb in her hair, are set against a blue sky background. An old in...

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 fine Dr. Wall Worcester sauce boat in the "Two-handled Sauceboat Landscape" pattern, with the oval body modelled with two shell shaped lips and applied with two double-scroll handles with thumb-rests. Exterior is embossed with garlands of leaves which form four circular reserves, each with an Oriental scene. The interior also displays a large Oriental scene. A workman's mark is on the underneath of the base.

Condition of this piece is excellent, especially for this particular form. The moldi...

A fine pair of miniature portrait paintings, on natural organic material, housed in a 1/6 plate daguerreotype case, which is embossed in a cartouche on the front and back "M.B. Brady Case Maker NY". Cases by Brady are highly desirable and avidly collected.

As to the wonderful portraits, the first is of a bewhiskered gentleman in a black jacket, vest, and stock, and a white pleated shirt. The woman is attired in a black pleated dress with lace edging, and a white lace cap. It is highly probabl...

A fine double series opaque twist (DSOT) wine glass with a widely flaring waisted bucket bowl, the bowl atop a stem containing a pair of spiral threads outside of a central gauze. Conical foot with rough snapped pontil. Lead glass with good color, striations, and tooling marks.

Condition is excellent, with no chips, cracks, scratches, or restoration. Height 6", bowl diameter 2 3/8", foot diameter 2 5/8".

A fine set of four wine glasses in the desirable emerald green color, of cup bowl form, each with a collar knop and a basal knop above a flattened knop. Lead glass, polished pontil.

No condition issues or restoration. 5 1/8" tall, with bowl diameters of 2 9/16" and foot diameters of 2 9/16".

An uncommon and striking bowl in a deep Bristol blue color. The top rim is scalloped, the sides are step and panel cut, and the underside of the foot is radial cut. Excellent condition with a 5" bowl diameter and a 4" foot diameter.

A beautifully painted miniature by Jeremiah Meyer. The sitter is a blue-eyed older woman wearing a lace cap, a white gown and scarf with a large ribbon at the neck, and a taupe shawl. The 15K gold case is another extraordinary work of art, blue foil backed glass, and the same on the reverse surrounding and centering an oval woven plait of hair.

Condition of the painting and case is superb, with no issues. Sight size is 2.4" by 1.8", while the case size is 4" by 2.8".

NOTES:
1. The photo...

A fine and unusual French lame silk shawl. Black shawls are considerably more common than the cream and silver of this example. Multicolored flowers at the corners and a silver medallion in the center combine in this striking design, which is enhanced by the silk ombre fringe on all sides.

The shawl is in excellent condition, with no holes, tears, stains, or missing fringe. There are some creases which can be removed with care. The size is 48" on all sides, with 18" fringes.

A Canton hand embroidered silk piano shawl with a vibrant design of large red flowers and a vine and leaf motif with multicolored smaller flowers set against a black background. The embroidery is of a superb and dense quality silk floss. On each of the four sides is a black elaborately knotted net "bridge" between the scarf and the long fringes.

This fine example is in excellent overall condition and measures 50" square with an additional 14" fringe on each side.

A fine John/Jane Pennington Liverpool porcelain creamer of helmet form painted in blue with a bird and floral motif. The elaborate handle and the leaf-molded lower half of the body add to the appeal of this charming piece.

The condition is excellent, with bright, clear color, and no chips, cracks, staining, or restoration. The cream jug is 5" in length, 4" in height, and 2 1/4" in width.

A pair of black papier mache wine bottle coasters, each beautifully hand painted with a colorful bird within a red and gilt cartouche. The form is quite rare, with more common versions made of silver or silver plate. Because of the date, and the quality exhibited in these, it is quite probable that they were made by Jennens and Bettridge (fl. 1815-1864), the English firm most respected for this type work.

The coasters are 6 1/4" in diameter and 1/2" in depth. Overall condition is excellent, wi...

A beautifully limned tinsel, or foil, painting, reverse painted on glass. The subject matter is a white urn, filled with a an array of various flowers, including a large rose and a lily. The period and probably original frame is of high quality.

This good-sized painting is in overall excellent condition, as is the frame. The sight size is 14 5/8" by 12 3/8", and the framed size is 19 5/8" by 17 1/4".

NOTE: Foil paintings were done primarily in the second half of the 19th century, and ...

A fine antique English hollow stem wine glass with a domed and folded foot. Dating around the middle of the 18th century, few glasses of this type were made.

This example has a very strong presence, with a goodly sized round funnel bowl. Condition is excellent, with no chips, cracks, or restoration. Good tool marks, color, and striations, and of substantial weight. The height, at 6 3/4", is also greater than is usually found, adding to the desirability. The bowl diameter is 2 5/8" and the foot...

An uncommon, beautiful, and elegant baluster drinking glass, with a bell bowl engraved on the top half with fruiting vine decoration. The bowl has a solid base and surmounts a stem with a collar knop and a large drop knop atop a basal cushion knop.

The glass is in excellent condition, with no chips, cracks, blooming, or restoration. This fine example is 6 3/4" in height, with a bowl diameter of 2 7/8" and a foot diameter of 3".

A pair of oil on card paintings, each signed lower left, by C. Ph. Weber. The first is of a church and churchyard behind a rock wall. The second depicts fishing along the Delaware river. Typical of the artist's work is the fine use of light and color, rendering an almost impressionistic feel.

Condition of the paintings is very good, with no damage or restoration. There are some scattered minor areas of surface dirt on the fishing scene, which could easily be cleaned without harming the painti...

A colorful Uzbeki velvet Ikat textile fragment in a striking plethora of colors. In good overall condition and mounted on linen. The sight size is 20" by 16" and the overall size is 23 1/2" by 19 1/4".

Purchased in Istanbul in 1996 for a private collection.

NOTES: 1. Ikats are the oldest known patterned textiles in the world. Though existing for thousands of years, these fabrics garnered fame in the nineteenth century, when the finest examples of them from Central Asia were used as a for...

A very nice watercolor painting on natural wafer. The sitter is a beautiful young girl with hazel eyes and brown hair, simply dressed in a bluish gray gown with lace edging at the bodice.

The painting is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, bowing, or restoration. The original pressed brass frame with wood backing, and has some dents and a crease, which do not take away from the appearance. Sight size is 2 3/8" by 1 7/8", with the framed size being 3 3/4" by 3".

A striking and extremely rare hooked rug featuring a peacock displaying its beautiful plumage. This is a very graphically strong depiction, striking in its design.

One of the factors that contributes greatly to the rarity is the use of silver metallic threads circling the "eyes" of the peacock's feathers. The color range in the rug is beautiful, with no jarring clashes. All dyes are natural, with no use of artificial coloring.

The condition is excellent, with virtually no worn spots, tear...

An elegantly proportioned and executed Georgian wine flute, of lead metal. The drawn trumpet bowl sits above a double series opaque twist (DSOT) stem which is comprised of a pair of spiral threads around a central gauze. Conical foot with rough, snapped pontil. The condition of the glass is excellent, with no cracks or chips. Good color, striations, and tool marks. There is a very small pot stone at the rim and foot rim. Any discolorations, specks, or streaks are due to the photos. The height o...

An elegantly proportioned and executed Georgian wine flute, of lead metal. The drawn trumpet bowl sits above a double series opaque twist (DSOT) stem which is comprised of a pair of spiral threads around a central gauze. Conical foot with rough, snapped pontil.

The condition of the glass is excellent, with no cracks or chips. Good color, striations, and tool marks. There is a very small pot stone at the foot rim. Any discolorations, specks, or streaks are due to the photos. The height of this ...

A bold and beautiful tinsel, or foil, painting, reverse painted on glass. The subject matter is a yellow and white urn, filled with a bountiful array of various flowers, done in a rainbow of colors. The period and probably original frame is of high quality mahogany, which is very rarely found on this type of work.

The painting is in overall excellent condition, and the frame itself has some scuffing and wear, which could easily be touched up. The sight size is 12" by 10 3/4", and the framed si...

A nicely done miniature, on natural wafer, of a gentleman in a black. The reverse of the case is a beautiful example of repousse work, and has an aperture with hairwork within.

The painting is in good condition, with no chips, cracks, or inpainting. The case is in excellent condition and measures 2 1/2" by 2".

A charming and beautifully painted landscape done by George W. Drew (signed lower right) in the early 20th century. The scene depicts a country path following beside a river and wending around a wooden house. Adding to this idyllic scene are ducklings on the path and a woman in front of one of the cherry trees surrounding the house, The wonderful luminosity that Drew is well-known for is apparent in this work.

The painting is 36" by 24", and the fine period frame is 43" by 31". Both the paint...