Catalog (971)

An extremely fine hallmarked 18K gold button featuring a watercolor painting on natural wafer, under glass. Black enamel surrounds the vignette. The scene is very charming, depicting two figures dressed in 18th c attire, appearing to be a man and woman. However, upon closer examination, one notices that the faces and body form are those of children. It seems that the artist was attempting to capture the first blush of young courtship, hence the shy downcast look of the maiden. A wonderful piece....

A fine and small mahogany tea caddy with inlaid scallop shell, crossbanding and chequering; key; 4 1/4" by 4 5/8" by 4 1/2"

A well proportioned baluster glass featuring a trumpet bowl raised on a drawn stem with a large annular medial knop. A virtually identical glass is classified in Bickerton's "Eighteenth Century English Drinking Glasses" as a heavy baluster. Conical folded foot with a rough snapped pontil.

Excellent condition with no chips, cracks, hazing, or restoration. The height is 6 1/2", with a bowl diameter of 2 5/8" and a foot diameter of 2 3/4". Ex collection of Tony Stout.

A beautifully limned still life of flowers on a table. Done in oil on copper, with a silvered back. Excellent condition with no issues. Quite large, with a diameter of 1 1/2".

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 particular type.

A fine and early Worcester patty pan, painted in underglaze blue with the "Bare Tree and Speared Bird" pattern, with trailing leaf sprays on the exterior and a painter's mark on the bottom. This pattern appears to only have been used on patty pans, and is also the only other pattern, aside from the full "Mansfield" pattern, that has a "Mansfield" pattern border.

More important is that the patty pan with this pattern, uncommon in itself, was made in two forms. The more common is shallowe...

A miniature painting displaying the work of Walter Stephens Lethbridge at its finest. The sitter, according to family records of the former owners, is H.B. Lott, a Member of Parliament from Honiton, Devon. Lott, a handsome blue-eyed curly-haired gentleman, is posed against a clouded blue background, and is wearing a bluish gray jacket with gold buttons, a gold weskit, and a white ruffled shirt with a white stock.

The reverse of the gold case deserves special mention, having a tailed circlet of...

A well painted miniature portrait done by Charles Robertson. The subject is a bewigged blue-eyed gentleman of striking visage, posed in a blue and gold jacket. The miniature is presented in a silver case with silver scrollwork. The reverse of the case has the impressed mark "L.V".

The condition of the painting and the case is excellent. Sight size is 1 1/2" by 1 1/4", with an overall case size of 2 1/4" by 1 1/2".

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE: Charles Robertson (c1760-1821)was born in Dublin and ...

A beautiful multiple series air twist (MSAT) wine glass with a flared bell bowl. The shoulder and basal collars make this a highly uncommon and superbly proportioned piece. Perfect condition. Conical foot with rough, snapped pontil.

6 1/4" tall, 2 1/2" bowl diameter, 2 1/2" foot diameter

A heavily jeweled Austrian jewelry box, lined in deep green velvet, unusual in that there are even jewels on the legs; 5 1/2" by 4 1/4" by 3 1/4". Excellent condition.

A rare Bow chocolate cup of slightly flared form with the painted Koto Player pattern. Interior painted with Oriental motifs. Excellent condition, with one tiny footrim chip, no cracks, or restoration. There is an in-the-making glaze disturbance on one side. Painter's number 2 on the bottom. 4 inches tall, 2 3/4 inches in diameter.

A wonderful example of southern American folk art. Southern folk art is very desirable and highly collected. This piece is quite unusual for several reasons: it is done on blue paper, and has the name of the artist (Sarah M. Daye), the location it was done (Charlottesville Seminary), and the date (1851). It depicts a young girl outdoors, feeding treats to her two dogs as a method of training them. The title, "Who Speaks First," is done in calligraphy at the bottom.

The sight size is is 12 1/2...

An extremely rare triple series opaque twist (TSOT) English glass wine goblet. The capacious round funnel bowl is above a stem that has a pair of 8 ply spiral bands outside of a central solid spiral core surrounded by a spiral gauze. This configuration, with 3 distinct twists, is so uncommon that L. M. Bickerton, in his classic book, did not even address the question of triple series opaque twists.

The glass stands 7 1/4" tall, with a bowl diameter of 3 5/16" and a foot diameter of 3 3/8". The...

This is a superb English MSAT wine glass with a vermicular collar. It is a pair with item g1252 and matches g1251, though that glass is considerably and uncommonly larger. The glass for sale in this listing is shown on the right in the first photo.

The bell bowl is finely engraved with a band of fruiting vines below the rim. The stem is a multiple-spiral air twist (MSAT) with a nicely fashioned central vermicular collar. The conical foot has a rough, snapped pontil.

The glass stands 7 1/4" t...

A fine miniature painting, attributed to Jeremiah Paul, of a handsome brown-eyed man in a black coat and waistcoat, white shirt and cravat. The reverse of the gilt metal pendant case has a glazed aperture containing a wreath and plait of hair, one of which is most likely the sitters and the other of a loved one. E. Grosvenor Paine provenance.

Condition of the painting and the case are both excellent, without problems. Sight size is 2 5/8" by 2 3/8" and the case size is 2 7/8" by 2 5/8".

NOTE...

One of the best incised twist glasses you will find, superb in its simple elegance and craftsmanship. The hammered trumpet bowl leads into a stem with tight and beautifully fashioned twists. Conical foot with a rough, snapped pontil.

Wonderful color, tooling marks, and striations. No condition problems at all. Added to this is the unusual height of the glass, at 7 1/4". The bowl diameter is 2 1/2", and the foot diameter is 2 7/8".

A rare and beautiful sweetmeat with a double ogee bowl with an everted rim. The bowl is atop a set of 3 merises, below which is an opalescent stem with a double series opaque twist (dsot) composed of a 17 ply spiral band around a lace twist. At the bottom of the stem is a nicely domed and folded foot.

The glass is in overall excellent condition with no chips, cracks, or restoration. There is a tiny 1/16" inclusion in the side of the bowl, not at all uncommon and truly of no importance. Excel...

A fine and rare Chelsea porcelain figure of winter. The subject is an older man, obviously in distress, wearing only a wrap, and standing beside a brazier. This is a classical representation of "Winter", part of the Seasons group.

Beautifully modelled, painted, and glazed, the condition is excellent, with only a small invisible professional restoration to the thumb area. The height is 4 1/2".

A fine miniature of a handsome gent with strawberry blond hair, painted by Henry Jacob Burch. Adding to the desirability of this example is the Burch trade card that was fitted to the back of the painting, rarely seen in his works.

Excellent condition, with an overall size of 2 3/4" by 2 1/4".

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE: Henry Jacob Burch was born in London in 1763. He entered the Royal Academy Schools at the age of 16, and exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1787 to 1834. Examples of his wor...

A portrait miniature done by Moses B. Russell and I wish I could say more about this painting or the sitter, but the original backing paper, where Russell signed and often threatened people (incorrectly) not to remove the paper, has been removed. However, the painting was clearly done by Russell and closely mirrors one in the Metropolitan Museum. Excellent condition (any apparent problems in the photo are due to reflections) and presented in a 2 3/4" by 2 1/4" gilt metal case with a lock of hair...

A wrythen molded wine or ale glass made in the Netherlands in the Venetian style that was popular in the 17th century. The elongated bowl ends in a merise, below which is a hollow knop with applied pincered vertical ridges above the hollow stem, which terminates in a domed foot; soda glass

6 1/2" tall, 2 1/2" bowl diameter, 2 1/2" foot diameter

A pair of watercolor on natural wafer paintings of a nice looking couple, set against a clouded blue background, a motif often used by the artist. Each miniature is signed, in the lower right, with the conjoined initials HB, for Henry Jacob Burch. The paintings are set in period ebonized wood frames.

Condition of the paintings and frames is excellent. Sight size of each is 2 3/4" by 2 3/16", and the framed size is 5 1/8" by 4 3/8".

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE: Henry Jacob Burch was born in London in 1...

A strikingly limned portrait miniature painted in watercolor on natural substrate. Because of the framing, the artistic technique used, and the pose, there are very strong indications that this is a China Trade piece. The sitter is clad in a deep navy jacket with a striped vest, and a masonic pin adorning his shirt.

The painting is in excellent condition, with no issues. The period and probably original gilt metal frame has wear to the green velvet border between the inner ands outer metal su...

A wonderful Barr Flight Barr Worcester porcelain coffee can painted by Thomas Baxter or William Doe, the two Worcester decorators who did the finest feather painting. This beautiful example features 4 glorious feathers, a gilded Greek key border, and a gilded ring handle. The bottom is marked with an impressed crown above "BFB".

The condition of this little gem is superb, looking fresh from the factory with absolutely no issues. The height is 2 3/8" with a diameter of 2 1/2"

For several reasons, this is a very unusual basket. To start with a basic description, it is a very large (17" by 17" by 15 1/4"), square, covered splint basket from the Maine area, most probably made by the Penobscot Indian tribe. Many baskets of this type are of splint, colored with vegetable dyes. Some have the added design of potato stamped patterns on the splints.

This particular basket is done in vibrant tones of green, yellow, and natural brown. A sun motif was then potato stamped in...

A large Saxon (German) hunting glass with a thistle bowl, beautifully engraved with a castle, a mounted horseman, 4 dogs, and two geese and with a facet cut lower section. The stem is facet cut with a large facet cut stepped angular knop. Folded foot.

Despite what it might seem in the poor photos, the glass is in excellent condition, with no chips, cracks, clouding, or restoration. The height is 8 1/4", with a bowl diameter of 3 1/8" and a foot diameter of 3 5/8".

A watercolor on natural wafer, painted by John Cox Dillman Engleheart. The sitter is a handsome gentleman dressed in a black jacket, white shirt, and gray tie. The glazing on the fron of the case has an eglomise border, with the glazed reverse of the case having opalescent glass on top of which is hairwork fastened with a pearl band and gold threads.

The condition of the painting is excellent, as is that of the case. The hairwork on the reverse has some disturbances. Sight size is 2" by 1 5/8...

An elegant and beautiful English ratafia DSOT (double series opaque twist) glass. Ratafia glasses are quite uncommon, and this is a particularly fine example. The elongated conical bowl is has molded flutes in the lower three quarters and leads into a stem with a 14-ply spiral band outside of a pair of spiral tapes.

This glass is in perfect condition with no chips, cracks, or restoration. The proportions are excellent, with a height of 6 7/8 inches, a bowl diameter of 1 9/16 inches, and a f...

A beautifully painted miniature by Enrichetta Koelman, nee Narducci. Done in watercolor on organic material, it depicts a nice looking gentleman attired in a brown coat and black tie. It is carefully signed along the left edge "1850 Enrichetta Koelman f(ecit)". The painting is mounted in a 14k or 18k gold surround with a wide filigreed depth at the sides, a pin on the reverse, and a mother-of-pearl backing.

The condition is excellent, with no flaws. The size is 2" by 1 1/2" The depth is 1/8"....

A charming miniature portrait of two beautiful children, painted on natural material by William Egley. Housed in what is probably the original bronze frame.

Both the painting and the frame are in excellent condition, with no issues. The painting is 1 3/4" in diameter, and the frame is 2 7/8".

Biographical Note: William Egley (1798–1870), was born in Doncaster, England, and moved shortly after to Nottingham. Originally working in a publishing house and bookshop, he had developed an interes...

A fine miniature portrait painted on natural wafer by Alexander Gallaway. The sitter is a distinguished gentleman with a white wig, and attired in a tan jacket, cream vest, and white shirt. Framed in a 15 karat gold case with half moon and dot work on the border of the reverse side.

The condition of the case and painting is excellent, with no flaws. (The white area at the right of the painting is due to light reflection in the photo.) The case size is 1 1/2" by 1 1/4".

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE: ...

A finely painted portrait miniature of a young girl, presented in its original gilded case, the reverse with woven plaits of hair under glass. The sitter, who has a slight smile playing on her lips, has blue eyes and brownish-blonde hair, and is simply dressed in a white top.

The painting and the case are both in excellent condition with no issues at all. The case size is 1 5/8" by 1 3/8".

A miniature portrait by M.E. Mynerts (also referenced as W.E. Mynerts). Glazed and housed in a cast foliate case measuring 2 3/4" by 2 3/8", with an unglazed aperture on the reverse containing a braid of hair. The overall condition of the painting is excellent, with no cracks, chips, bowing, or restoration. The case is also in excellent condition.

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE: Very little is known about Mynerts, and his miniatures are quite rare, with only one signed example found. However, his style...

A superbly painted miniature portrait by the important American miniaturist Anson Dickinson, originally in a heavy wooden frame that was damaged, but now housed under glass in one half of a dag case. The reverse of the original frame has quite a bit of information on it, indicating that the sitter is Ambrose Dickinson, one of Anson's nine siblings. (It might be appropriate at this point to briefly pause in sympathy for Anson's mom, even though she was an underachiever compared to the wife of Th...

A perfect example of a waisted bucket bowl wine glass, with superb proportions; the bowl sits atop a stem with a mercury twist (a wide, refractive air twist).

Lead glass with rough pontil, 5 7/8" tall, 2 1/8" bowl diameter, 2 1/2" foot diameter. No condition issues.

A large and striking carnival gambling wheel, painted in vibrant yellow, red, black, and blue. In overall excellent condition, and has a support post and spinner. All divider nails are present. 35 inches in diameter.

A superb double silhouette on natural organbic material, in a cast foliate locket, by John Field. One side is of a woman, the other of a man, wearing spectacles (highly unusual) and both are signed "John Field 111 Strand" along the lower edge of the bust line. These paintings display the finely executed bronzed work that was a hallmark of Field's.

The sight size is 1 1/2" by 1 1/4". The condition of the paintings and case is excellent, with no apologies needed.

NOTE: The following are excerp...

A nicely done watercolor, on natural organic material, miniature painting by William Massey Stroud Doyle, signed and dated "1814" center left. The sitter is wearing a black coat, red-striped yellow vest, and white shirt. E. Grosvenor Paine provenance.

The painting is is excellent condition, with no chips, cracks, bowing, or other problems. The black lacquered frame does have crackling. The sight size is 2 5/8" by 2 1/8", and the framed size is 4 1/2" by 3 7/8".

NOTE: Doyle (1769 - 1828) was...

An unusually large and beautiful wine glass or small goblet with a deep and crisp honeycomb molded ogee bowl. The stem features an uncommon multiple spiral air twist (MSAT) corkscrew cable. Conical foot with a rough, snapped pontil.

Superb condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or other problems. 6 3/4" tall, 2 1/2" bowl diameter, 3" foot diameter.

A large, decorated, Navajo coil basket; 13 1/2" diameter, 4" tall Excellent condition with no flaws.

A beautiful and unusual English double series opaque twist (dsot) wine goblet, the large ogee bowl with honeycomb molding above a stem containing a solid multi-ply spiral band outside of a pair of heavy spiral threads. A substantial conical foot with rough, snapped pontil.

This fine example has wonderful color, striations, and tooling marks, and is in excellent condition with no flaws. The height is 7 1/2", with a bowl diameter of 3 3/8" and a foot diameter of 3 3/5".

A beautiful and rare bucket shaped cup made by the Bow porcelain factory and decorated in gilt, iron red, green, and blue in the kakiemon "Two Quail" pattern. The arrangement of the pattern is also unusual on this piece, with the birds placed directly opposite the handle.

This piece is in superb condition, with no chips or restoration, and showing bright enamels, with a truly minor in the making glaze split at the top of the handle (shown in extreme magnification in the 6th photo). The cup is...

A very finely drawn miniature of an extremely handsome man, done en grisaille on organic material by H.M.S. Stuart.

The sitter is Sir Dugald Stuart, 2nd Baronet of Ardmaleish and Bute and the painting is signed, dated and inscribed on the reverse: "From a drawing on/Vellum of Sir Dugald/Stuart, father of the first Earl of Bute;/in the possession of/the Marquess of Bute/at Mount Stuart/by H M. S. Stuart/Decbr 1841".

Presented in a rectangular ebonized frame, both the painting and ...

A heavily jeweled Austrian jewelry box lined in velvet; 4 3/4" by 3 1/4" by 3 1/4"

A beautiful antique wine glass with a bell bowl above a double series opaque twist stem (DSOT) with collar, medial, and basal knops. Knops on opaque twists are much less common than straight stem opaque twists, and the more knops, the rarer. The opaque twist has a pair of 3-ply spiral bands outside of a central gauze.

6 1/8 inches tall, 2 3/8 inch diameter bowl, 2 5/8 inch diameter foot

A tall and elegant toasting glass with a drawn trumpet bowl leading into a stem with a multiple-spiral air twist. A nice gray metal, good striations, and tooling marks, with two small inclusions in the bowl. Rough, snapped pontil. Excellent condition with no chips or restoration.

7 5/8 inches tall, with a bowl diameter of 2 3/4 inches and a generous conical foot diameter of 3 1/16 inches.

An unusual double sided miniature by Frederick Buck. One side is painted using watercolors on ivory, and shows a young man with an upswept hair style, dressed in the usual black coat and white stock of the period. The reverse of the case shows an older man in profile, also in a black coat and white stock, but limned in watercolor on card. The paintings were probably done at somewhat different times, and then framed together.

The condition of the full face painting is excellent, with no issues...

An American miniature portrait painting, on natural organic material, of a very attractive boy with gray-blue eyes, wearing a red velvet jacket. The painting is 2 3/4" by 2 1/4" and is in excellent condition.

An unusual double series air twist (DSAT) short cordial glass; the ovoid bowl above the stem consisting of 3 spiral threads surrounding a vertical cable; conical foot with rough, snapped pontil

5 1/16" tall, 1 5/8" bowl diameter, 2 1/2" foot diameter

A superb and beautifully engraved German glass wine goblet of friendship or marriage significance and extremely large size. The capacious pointed round funnel bowl is elaborately decorated with crowned hearts below clasped hands. There are flowers and foliage and an inscription in old German, roughly translated as "No matter where in the world we are, our friendship will last forever." The stem has a faceted shoulder knop, and a hollow faceted inverted baluster medial knop leading into a basal ...

A beautiful and well executed Dr. Wall Wall First Period Worcester tankard of rare size and pristine condition. This pattern, named the "Telephone Box", is derived from the Chinese, and is one of those designed specifically for upright pieces. It also is one of the very few patterns that occur both on polychrome and underglaze blue. It features two single figures and two groups of two figures each.

The identical pattern and form is shown on page 153 in "Worcester Porcelain 1751-1790 The Zorens...

A beautiful Dr. Wall First Period Worcester coffee cup and saucer in the Jabberwocky pattern, one of the most sought after polychrome patterns done by Worcester. Both the cup and saucer are fluted, placing it in the earlier period of this pattern. The color palette used includes turquoise, reds, deep blue, greens, and rich gilding. The interior border of the cup is also lavishly decorated. Both pieces have the blue fretted square mark on the underside.

The condition of these pieces is superb, ...

A fine miniature portrait painting, done in watercolor on natural organic material, by Hugh Bridport. The sitter is a gentleman, purportedly John Trigg. On the reverse of the painting is a preliminary sketch of the subject, which Bridport is known to have done. Only a portion of the sketch is shown, as I did not want to peel back all the paper.

The condition of the miniature is excellent, with no flaws at all. It is housed, with a cover glass, in a red leather wallet-type case. Sight size is 2...

A watercolor on natural material done by Nathaniel Plimer. The sitter is a somewhat older woman, with a pensive and somewhat sad mien about her. Set against a background with gradations of blue, she is simply dressed in a white gown and bonnet, accented with a pendant medallion on a black ribbon, and a gray belt.

The painting and the original bronze frame are in excellent condition with no flaws or restoration. Sight size of the miniature is 2 3/4" by 2 1/4", with an overall size of 3 3/4" by ...

A fine and very uncommon opalescent stem double series opaque twist (DSOT) Georgian wine glass. The round funnel bowl is engraved with leaves and a budding rose on one side, and a shrub on the other. The stem has a pair of 11 ply spiral bands outside of a central corkscrew. Conical foot with rough, snapped pontil.

There are no condition issues or flaws in this glass. The height is 6 1/4", with a bowl diameter of 2" and a foot diameter of 3".

NOTE: The opalescent color is produced by i...

An unusual balustroid short cordial (rarer than a standard wine) glass with a round funnel bowl; an annular knop under the bowl, a central annulated knop above a hollow stem section, and a basal knop; 5.2" tall

A fine and stately Dutch armorial wine goblet engraved with the arms of Hohenlohe. The thistle bowl of this glass shows two leopards passant within a crowned shield surrounded by fronds. A narrow band of engraving encircles the rim. The heavy bottom of the bowl has an enclosed tear, as does the huge inverted baluster knop below the bowl. The foot is domed and folded, with a rough snapped pontil.

The goblet is quite large, standing 7 5/8" tall, with a bowl diameter of 3" and a foot diameter of...

A fine miniature painting of a handsome young man attired in a dark blue jacket with black velvet lapels, a white stock and gray vest. Signed lower right "J.T." for John Turmeau. The miniature is in a gilt metal case, the elaborate reverse of which has a lock of hair with a faux pearl circlet and a cobalt glass shield, the whole displayed on a worked foil background, all under glass.

The condition of the miniature is quite good, with some craquelure showing on the jacket. The case has a raised...

A large 4 sided jar in sea-green glass, having a wide ridged strap handle and folded lip. The base is decorated with a segmented circle in the center of which is another circle. Smaller circles are at each corner of the base. This is NOT a reproduction, but an original period piece.

The jar is in excellent condition, with no cracks, chips, or repairs. It is 9 1/2" tall, and 3 1/4" on each side of the square base.

NOTES: 1. For similar examples see "Italian Blown Glass by Giovanni Mariacher f...

A beautiful and stately lead metal English Georgian two knop wine goblet with an MSAT (multiple-spiral air twist) stem. The large pointed round funnel bowl sits atop the stem which has an inverted baluster shoulder knop and a medial knop.

This impressive glass is 8 3/8 inches tall, and has a bowl diameter of 3 13/16 inches. The conical foot, which has a rough, snapped pontil, is a large 3 5/8 inches in diameter. Although the rim flares out to be slightly larger than the foot, glasses of this ...

This charming miniature, done in watercolor on natural wafer, shows a little girl who obviously just spent time working diligently picking enough berries to fill her basket. Judging by her slight smile, she either had fun doing that, or is anticipating enjoying the (literal) fruits of her labors.

Note how the artist, as naive as was his style, took care to magnify the use of certain features by highlighting them in various areas, such as using the blue background and the blue bow to go w...