Catalog (971)

A fine silhouette done in black and bronze gilt, of an older woman. Although unsigned, the work was unquestionably done by John Field. The reverse of the gilt metal case, which comes with its silk lined red leather travel case, has elaborate and tightly woven hairwork of two colors, indicating that one of them was hers, while the other was of a loved one.

Both the miniature and the case are in excellent condition. Sight size of the piece is 2 3/8" by 1 7/8", with the case size being 2 9/16" b...

A superb pair of miniature portrait paintings done by Joseph Dunkerley. Labels on the reverse of each case identify the sitters as Joseph Packwood and Denise Wright Packwood, and are dated 1780.

Mrs. Packwood is wearing a large white hat with a blue ribbon and accents, a light blue gown with flowers embroidered on it and with dark lace edging at the bodice. Her husband is wearing a blue jacket and waistcoat, and a white cravat.

Excellent and scarce examples, and in fine condition. The gold...

A beautiful and highly desirable Dr. Wall Worcester salt in the form of a scallop shell, the interior painted with an agitated bird amidst foliage with red berries, the rim shaded with pink, and the whole supported on a raised trefoil base applied with a variety of shells, seaweed, and coral in vibrant colors. The underside of the rim of the base marked with an impressed "T" for John Toulouse.

The overall condition is excellent, with a small, very tight, hardly visible hairline, about 3/4" whi...

A beautiful Newcastle Light Baluster wine glass. Superbly Dutch engraved, as the best of these are, with the coat of arms of the province of Holland, the pointed round funnel bowl is on a stem with a teared baluster knop above a central annulated knop above a teared inverted baluster knop. Folded conical foot with a rough, snapped pontil.

The glass stands 7" tall, with a bowl diameter of 2 15/16" and a foot diameter of 3". Good color and tool marks, in excellent condition with no chips, cracks...

A beautifully rendered miniature painting, on natural organic material, by John Barry. The sitter is an attractive and stately woman with the mass-like appearance of her hair that is one of the characteristics of Barry's work. The casework is as fine as the painting, with the miniature set in a gold bezel, and the reverse with foil backed blue glass surrounding a display of tightly woven hair.

Both the painting and the case are in excellent condition, with no losses or restoration. Overall siz...

A wonderfully painted miniature portrait, on natural organic material, of a young gentleman in a brown coat. The miniature is housed in its original gold bezel and brooch, with an elaborate monogram in gold on the reverse. The overall size is 2" by 1 5/8", and the painting and case are in excellent condition, with no problems. The discoloration in the photos is due to light refraction during scanning.

This piece was sold in 1966 by Charles Woollett, a highly respected London art dealer, and wa...

An extremely fine enamel on copper miniature portrait painting done by William Prewett (Prewitt). The sitter is an older gentleman, of quite aristocratic bearing, wearing a powdered wig, white shirt and stock, and a reddish-brown jacket. The painting is in its original gold bezel case.

Condition is excellent, with no issues. The discoloration at the top is due to scanner reflection. The sight size is 1 7/8" by 1 1/2", while the overall size is 2 1/4" by 1 5/8".

IMPORTANT NOTES:1. This piece ...

A wonderful Bow porcelain factory tea bowl painted in the "Jumping Boy" pattern. Although this pattern is occasionally found on Chaffers porcelain, and is not common, it appears to occur even much less frequently on Bow porcelain pieces. The potting is extremely thin and light. The painting, done in shades of dark and lighter blues, is extremely well done, and features a seated Oriental woman holding a sprig of flowers. To her left is the jumping boy, suspended in mid-air with a Chinese emblem a...

The group of small porcelain items known as "toys" is composed of scent bottles, bonbonnieres, etuis, and seals. These were produced from the early years of Chelsea through to the Chelsea-Derby period. (The most comprehensive work on these items is "The Chelsea Porcelain Toys", by G.E. Bryant, published in 1925.)

Seals were carried by members of the upper class and used to imprint a uniquely identifiable mark in the wax used to sign or secure documents or letters. They were generally 7/8" t...

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 fine and unusual antique English drinking glass of Jacobite significance. The round funnel bowl is beautifully engraved with a rose, a bud to the right, a butterfly, and foliage. The stem is of the double series air twist type, quite uncommon because of the configuration of a pair of mercury corkscrews outside of a central cable. Conical foot with a rough snapped pontil. Lead metal with good color, striations, and tooling marks.

The condition is excellent, with no chips, cracks, or restorat...

A beautiful and elegant Dr. Wall First Period Worcester tankard, or mug, painted with the "Walk in the Garden" pattern, showing a "Long Eliza" figure holding a basket and a ruyi sceptre, the boy at her side with a speared bird, and birds in the branches of a fine tree on the reverse. The inside of the footrim has a workman's mark which appears to be IH or JH.

The mug is of quite a goodly size, being 4 3/4" in height. The condition is remarkable, looking factory fresh with crisp painting and n...

A fine Derby porcelain dish painted by Zachariah Boreman, marked on the reverse with a blue crowned "D" and pattern number 343. The kidney-shaped dish has a beautiful soft green wide border with a gilded edge. The white ground within the green border has elaborate drape and swag gilding on the outside edge, and gilded foliage surrounding the kidney shaped cartouche in the center. The cartouche has a scene identified on the reverse as Solfatara, Italy. This central painting displays mountains, s...

The most common type of air twist found in mid-18th century English glasses is the multiple spiral air twist (MSAT). Double series air twists are occasionally found, but triple series twists are incredibly rare, with very few still in existence. This particular example has an ogee bowl leading into a stem with a central air core surrounded by a two ply heavy thread which is in turn surrounded by a three ply heavy thread. Because of the complexity of this, the third photo is a very large close...

A beautifully painted watercolor on natural wafer, with a very strong attribution to John Barry as the artist. The sitter is an attractive woman with brown eyes and gray-brown hair cascading down her shoulder. She is wearing a dark blue velvet bow in her hair, a gauzy white fichu, and a blue dress with fine white lines and small white dots.

The painting is in superb condition, with no chips, cracks, bowing, or restoration. The sight size is 2" by 1 1/2" and the gold case is 2 3/16" by 1 3/4"....

A spectacular and rare 18th century Chelsea porcelain teabowl and saucer, each piece very finely and thinly potted and fulsomely painted with exotic birds and insects in landscapes, with a thin reddish-brown edge to the rims. The interior of the bowl has a flower sprig. Examples of this pattern are almost unheard of, and because of the superb technique, the painting was very probably done by Jeffrey Hamet O'Neal or William Duvivier. I cannot stress enough how striking these pieces are, and how ...

This beautiful miniature portrait, painted in watercolor on natural material, is signed "SH 1786" on the right center of the painting, and also on the reverse as "Sophia Howell 1786". The sitter, a woman wearing a white gown with a lace-edged black overpiece, and holding a salmon colored muff, is posed in front of a blue drape and a stone column and plinth.

The artistic quality of this work is evident in so many ways, from the colors and textures in the drapery, to the painting of the hair, t...

A tall and beautiful antique English ale glass with a DSOT stem. The elongated ogee bowl is engraved below the rim with meandering branches of barley and hops. Midway down the bowl is a finely engraved bee. The stem contains a double series opaque twist comprised of a multi-ply band outside of a pair of spiral tapes. Conical foot with a rough, snapped pontil.

The glass is in excellent condition, with no chips, cracks, or restoration. Good color, tool marks, and striations. The height is 8 1/4"...