Catalog (971)

A beautiful and unusually decorated porcelain teacup and saucer. This piece, made by one of the Staffordshire manufactories, features birds on the saucer and the cup interior, along with wonderfully painted morning glories, roses, and other flowers. Simply a charming item in superb condition, with no apparent wear.

Another wonderful offering of Vauxhall porcelain, this one a tea bowl and saucer, finely potted and painted in the highly desirable "sticky blue". The scene on both pieces features a pagoda and houses in the background, with a large rock in the foreground.

The condition is excellent, looking factory fresh, with no chips, cracks, paint loss, staining, restoration, etc. Any apparent shadows, white areas, streaks, or other issues are only due to photographic flaws and are not present when vie...

A fine transfer printed dark blue and white Staffordshire plate in the "Birds and Fruit" pattern. 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 platter is a deep, clear blue, with no blurriness, and with the desired ripple glaze. Condition is excellent, with no cracks, restoration, ...

A beautiful and very early 18th century bizarre silk fragment, from a chausable of the period. Vegetal and flower motifs in polychrome silk, silver and gold thread on a salmon ground, the entire piece mounted on cotton. Excellent overall condition, with some expected oxidation of the metallic threads. The panel itself is 28" in length, and 9 3/4" at its widest. The mounted size is 30 1/4" by 11 1/4".

Note: Bizarre silks are a style of figured silk fabrics popular in Europe in the late 17th a...

A Bow porcelain creamer featuring three oriental figures. There is a small bruise on the inside of the spout, some kiln roughness to the rim, and the body has rubbing in the white undecorated areas. The height is 3".

A nice Bow patty pan of tapered form with a ridged lip. Painted in a bright blue with flowers and leaves, the exterior with three twig motifs.

Excellent condition, with no problems. 3 7/8" diameter at the top, 2 3/16" at the foot. 1 5/16" in height.

A rare crusie lamp with hanger, dating from the 1st quarter of the 19th century or earlier. The bowls of these lamps were filled with fish oil or mutton fat with wicks of peeled rushes. Crusie lamps were the precursors to Betty lamps and were generally made of iron or tin. To find one made of brass, and with its original hanger, is extremely uncommon.

The condition of the lamp and hanger is quite good, with normal evidence of wear. There is a 1/2" by 3/16" piece broken out of the very end of ...

A true tour de force of the use of pastes in buttons. This fine example is of large size at 1 1/4", and features a sprig of flowers in a circlet mounted on cobalt glass. Visible beneath the glass is guillochet worked metal. The back of the button is either silver or a base metal.

In excellent condition with no issues. Any whiteness or flecks in the photo are either light reflection or dust.

Provenance: Private purchase from the Speights Button Collection.

PLEASE NOTE: We collected buttons...

A nice English double series opaque twist (DSOT) wine glass, c 1765. This glass features a flared bucket bowl over a stem containing a 12 ply spiral band ouside of a pair of spiral tapes. The conical foot has a rough, snapped pontil.

The height is 6 1/2 inches, the bowl diameter is 2 3/4 inches, and the foot diameter is 3 1/16 inches. No repairs or condition problems.

A fine example of an English porcelain coffee can, made by the Richard Chaffers & Co. manufactory in Liverpool. As to be expected, and as it should be, the soapstone based body resembles that of Worcester.

This particular piece is decorated with a variation of the "Scarlet Japan" pattern, and shows bright colors and careful painting. The condition is excellent, with no chips, cracks, restoration, or other problems. The height is 2 1/4" and the diameter is 2 1/8".

An extremely rare Chaffers porcelain hexagonal beaker, painted in pale and dark tones of blue. The sides depict a scene of a seated lady holding a bunch of flowers, a rock out of which grow similar flowers, a child jumping into the air, and two bare trees on a hill. The interior has a lattice and root border, while the underneath of the beaker has 4 pseudo Chinese characters. Retains the label of Rod Jellicoe, a highly esteemed London ceramics dealer.

The condition of the beaker is excellent, ...

An elegant form Chaffers Liverpool porcelain coffee can, decorated with a landscape scene, the interior rim bordered.

The can is 2 9/16" in height, and 2 3/16" in diameter. Excellent condition with no chips, cracks, or restoration, although the painting is blurred, but not to the extent shown in the photos.

A lovely and rare Chaffers Liverpool porcelain miniature tea bowl, hand painted with three sprigs of flowers, the interior with a pair of leaves, the rim painted with a puce color. Condition is excellent, with no chips, cracks, or restoration. The enameling is vibrant with no loss. Apparent losses in some spots are due to lighting in the photos, and are not present in person. The height is 1" and the top diameter is 1 5/8".

A rare and signed portrait miniature by Charles Byrne. Done in an almost impressionistic style, the sitter is a blue-eyed woman simply presented in a white gown with fur trimming along the top edge. She is posed against a gauzy white background with blue tints to complement her eyes.

The miniature has a sight size of 2 1/2" by 2" and is in excellent condition. The backing paper of the painting has the following artist and sitter identifications: "Painted by / Ch Byrne / 1801 / Mary Lambor...

An extremely fine depiction of an older woman, attributed to Charles Jagger, done in watercolor on natural wafer. Jagger was known to draw with a high degree of accuracy and talent, especially in the faces of his subjects, and that is certainly the case here. Also note the way the lace edges and the satin dress are highlighted. The condition of this 3 1/8" by 2 1/2" work is excellent, as is that of the period 5 1/4" by 4 5/8" wood frame.

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE: Charles Jagger (c1770 - 1827)...

A nicely done American folk art watercolor on paper profile portrait. The young man is wearing a blue-gray jacket and a white lacy cravat. Housed in an old gilded frame with a newer interior velvet liner. Framed size is 7 1/4 " by 7 1/4", and the sight size is 2 5/8" by 2 5/8". Excellent condition with no problems.

A beautiful enamel on copper tiny coin purse in the form of a watch; marked Paris, and with a scene of the Place de la Concorde; 1 3/8" diameter

A wonderful pair of miniature portraits of two young near identical twin boys, painted on organic material. Although it might often be a decent bet that any attractive English portraits of young children done in this time period were by William Egley (joking, sort of) I cannot, in good conscience, make that attribution, so the artist will, at least for now, remain unidentified.

Possibly Scottish, and in excellent condition, each portrait has a sight size of 1 7/8" by 1 1/2". They are mou...

A c1753 rare and highly desirable Chelsea Raised Anchor Period octagonal tea bowl painted by Jeffrey Hamet O'Neal (also spelled Jefferyes Hammett O'Neale and other variations). Highly detailed and beautifully decorated with a man standing by a barrel, and two other men with some kind of measuring stick. A building and foliage are in the background. There are 4 insects arrayed around the exterior of cup while the interior has a central flower spray, leaves and a butterfly.

Raised Anchor war...

A wonderful double sided smalt trade sign for D.M. Woodward, Doctor of Chiropractic. The gilded letters and the black smalt background are virtually intact and vibrant. The frame is original, and measures 28 3/4 inches by 14 inches by 2 inches deep. There is a small sliver out of the frame at one upper edge, and a small gap in the frame at the corner. Aside from these very minor flaws, the piece is in excellent condition.

A nicely decorated Christian's Liverpool coffee cup with a grooved loop handle and featuring a large rose and other floral motifs. Interior with a flower sprig on the bottom and an iron red border at the interior rim. The condition is excellent with bright colors and no chips, breaks, or paint loss. 2 1/2" in height and having a 2 3/8" diameter. ...

A nice miniature painting done by Christopher Greiner. The sitter is a gentleman in a black coat and tie, but Greiner emphasized the somber feel of the painting by using a background of black and dark green.

The painting has no condition flaws, and is housed in a cast foliate pendant case with hair in the glazed aperture on the back. The size is 2 1/2" by 1 3/4".

Note: Not much seems to be known about Christopher (or Christian) Greiner (died 1864), other than that he was a painter and min...

A deep cobalt blue salt or sweetmeat, probably of German origin. The bowl has a silvered everted rim with silver leaf decoration and is above an inverted baluster stem. Rough pontil. No condition problems, and with a maximum diameter of 4" and a height of 3 1/2".

An interesting painting of a rather ruddy-faced gent, in a dark jacket with a striped yellow waistcoat, holding a book at the bottom center. The reverse of the case has blue and yellow striped fabric and a lock of hair, all under beveled glass which has worn reverse painted gilding. The gilded metal case is 2" by 1 7/8".

The standard reference book for this type figure is "Staffordshire Portrait Figures of the Victorian Era" by P.D. Gordon Hugh. The figure offered here is so rare that the book does not even show an example, although it does have information about the history underlying it. The same model is shown as figure 49, page 32, in Schiffer's "Victorian Staffordshire Figures 1835-1875."

The figure, known as the "Death of the Lion Queen," is modeled as Ellen Bright standing with a leopard to her l...

An exceptional ladder back Delaware Valleycahir with 4 slats, original red wash and splint seat, and well developed turnings.

The chair is in excellent original condition and structurally sound. As to be expected there are some losses to the splints. The height is 43", with a width of 20" and a depth of 18". The seat depth is 16" and 18 1/2" high.

A rare and fine early English Derby porcelain miniature tea bowl and saucer, painted with roses and other flower sprigs, the rims of both in puce. Overall excellent condition, with good colors and paint integrity, no cracks or restoration, and only a tiny chip to the footrim of the bowl. The height of the bowl is 1", with a top diameter of 1 5/8". The saucer is 2 1/2" in diameter.

A charming and early Derby diminutive basket form sweetmeat, with delightful floral painting by the Cotton Stem Painter. This form, which is uncommon in blue and white, is almost unheard of in polychrome, with virtually no examples having been offered at auction in the last 10 years. An example is shown as illustration 44 in Gillespy's book on Derby Porcelain.

In overall very good condition, with a very old repair to one of the handles. The basket is 3 1/2" in length, 2 1/2" in width, and 1 3...

This extremely rare and very early Derby enameled wine taster is of circular shape with gadrooned sides, and has a pierced scroll handle in puce with the exterior handle ends with applied leaves in green. The exterior has puce foliate sprays, and the interior has a circular central panel edged with black and red lines containing an insect.

While the form itself is uncommon, they are usually done in blue and white, and polychrome examples are of the "utmost rarity." It is for this reason that ...

The graphic impact of this blanket box with paint decoration is absolutely stunning. It is swirl decorated in black over a yellowish-putty color, and virtually all the paint is intact. Adding to the special nature of this piece is its dainty size, measuring 31 inches long by 15 1/4 inches deep by 13 1/2 inches tall. Further, the box has a molded base, and an ogee molded edge around the top. The wood is poplar, often used in Pennsylvania and Ohio. The construction shows wonderful dovetailing with...

A fine and relatively early example of the popular Prunus Root pattern done by Worcester between 1752 and 1770.Hand painted in blue and white, with a workman's mark on the bottom.

The bowl is in excellent condition, with no cracks, restoration, or paint loss. 4 3/4" in diameter, and 2" in height.

A wonderful Dr. Wall First Period antique English porcelain ovoid vase, painted in the Mandarin style with Chinese figures in interior scenes, within wide red and gilt borders. The pattern is called "The Telephone Box" when appearing on blue and white wares, where it is considerably more common. The style of painting, using elongated figures, originated in China and then was adapted for Dutch Delftware which then gave rise to the term "Long Eliza." The form originated in the 1750s.

This partic...

A fine and rare Dr. Wall First Period Worcester porcelain coffee can in the "Warbler" pattern. Painted in deep shades of blue, the can has a slightly flaring top and base, and a grooved handle. There is a workman's mark of "7" on the bottom.

Superb condition, with no cracks, chips, restoration or paint loss. This pattern is very often blurred, sometimes quite badly. This example has only a faint and small amount of blurring in areas. The height is 2 3/8" and the diameter is 2 1/8".

A beautiful early 17th century silk floss textile embroidered with a variety of flowers in a panoply of colors. The central section has larger and more elaborate examples, while the borders have smaller meandering flora. Most probably of Italian origin.

The condition is quite fine, and the dimensions are 67" by 16". This wonderful piece has been part of my collection for 25 years and has not been previously shown or offered.

A rare Worcester porcelain coffee can, tapering slightly toward the base and molded with corrugated ribs above a finely scalloped foot, the lobed rim with a slight flare, and the double scroll handle with a pointed thumbrest. Painted in the Chinese style with flowering plants, the border with half-flowerheads linked by a red line above leafy tendrils.

Excellent condition with vibrant colors, no chips, cracks, or restoration. A slight paint skip is on one petal of one half-flowerhead, shown in...

An early pale yellow-green mold blown bottle of mallet shape. The conical neck with two narrow rings at the top and a knop-like bulge at the bottom. At the shoulder of the bottle is a molded brown tinted circle. The bottle body is decorated with three raised circular reserves, each with a flower within, and surrounded by radiating leaves.

This very rare bottle has survived its long burial without damage. It is also remarkable in that most of the outside retains its original fire finish while t...

A fine and early Bow porcelain Blanc de Chine thinly potted coffee cup with raised prunus blossoms and an angular crabstock handle.

Excellent condition with no cracks, losses or restoration. Slight and scattered tiny spots of kiln spitting as to be expected. The height is 2 9/16" and the bowl diameter is 2 7/16".

An early and rare c1754 Bow porcelain sparrow beak creamer painted with oriental scenery. This fine piece had been part of the important Watney collection, and then was shown at the Amor exhibit . The underside has the 3 dot mark and retains the label from Amor. It has been part of our collection for 20 years.

Excellent condition with no issues, the jug is 3 1/4" tall.

A fine and early Bow porcelain pickle dish with a serrated rim and short stalk, painted in shades of blue with bamboo and peonies issuing from rocks, all surrounded by a low fence. Workman's marks in blue on the underneath.

The condition of this gem, which was part of a private collection for over 15 years, is all that one could possibly hope for and rarely finds, with no flaws whatsoever, and vibrant colors. Any skips or dullness in the photos are due to reflections. The width is 4" and the ...

A beautiful and uncommon Derby basket-molded stand, or undertray, with a scalloped rim and a basket-weave border, The center is painted with fruit in shades of yellow, iron-red, puce, green, and brown. Surrounding the center, and on the border, are insects painted in a variety of colors. The underside of the stand has 5 patch marks.

Frequently, when referring to Derby, the literature, or catalogs, have references to "the moth painter," or the "principal fruit painter," or the like. In realit...

A fine and early Dr. Wall Worcester sauce boat, of cos lettuce leaf form. This uncommon and molded example has a looped stem handle, and is decorated inside and out with scattered flower sprigs and insects, finished with raised fruit near the handle juncture. A similar example is shown in S. Spero and J. Sandon, "Worcester Porcelain 1751-1790, The Zorensky Collection", 1996, p. 120, no. 88. This form and decoration is based on pieces done at the Meissen factory.

There is some minor wear at so...

This is a wonderful early glass sugar bowl, in a deep cobalt blue color, from Scotland or Northern England. It is delightfully gilded with the saying "Be Canny with the Sugar". The rim is also gilded.

The bowl is on a stem with two flattened knops, above a folded foot with a rough, snapped pontil. It stands 4 1/8" tall and is 4 5/8" in diameter. The condition is excellent, with no chips or restoration. The gilding itself is in very good condition, with less rubbing than the majority of gi...

A beautiful French embroidered brocaded and woven textile piece, composed of 4 segments sewn together, edged with an attached border of metallic threaded textile, and backed with yellow silk.

Overall condition is excellent, with vibrant colors and no holes or repairs. The overall size is 43 1/2" by 36".

A fine watercolor on vellum painting of an aristocratic woman. The sitter, a blue-eyed blonde powder haired woman who is coquettishly toying with a long lock of her hair, is gloriously decked out in a very low cut white gown with a red shawl. The gown is partially held up by a long strand of diamond and gold jewelry with a matching bracelet on her left arm. Farther up that arm the sleeve of the gown is cinched by a diamond and pearl brooch. A pearl bracelet circles her right arm.

A label on p...

An early 19th c silk damask vestment with a floral and crown motif. The orphrey portion dates from the 17th century. Actually in quite good condition, with some scattered wear. 46" in length.

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.

An exceptional and rare Italian cut and voided velvet panel, probably Genovese, done in a dark green on a beige foundation. The motif features mythological animals and urns, all surrounded by foliate scrolls.

The condition is quite fine, even for a textile 250 years younger. The length is 64 1/2", with a width of 10 1/2".

A superb piece for display or use as an accent, and should appeal to collectors and decorators.

A fine cotton exemplar textile fragment from Perugia, Italy, dating back to the 16th century. Foliage and mythological figures, distinctive themes used in Perugia, cover the piece which has been carefully mounted on a cotton covered board.

Overall condition is very fine, with some minor and easily cleaned surface dirt. The size is 21" by 9".

A rich golden background to a continuous vine motif entwined around alternating blue and white stripes; 25 1/2" by 22"

A superb example of a Worcester pickle dish with the "Two Peony Rock Bird" pattern with formal plant scrolls around the edge. The pattern is classified as uncommon, and the leaf form pickle dish is less common than the shell form. A workman's mark is on the underside.

The piece offered here is as fine as it could be, with no chips, cracks, paint loss, or restoration. The colors are vibrant with good contrast. Any areas of white, paint skipping, or faintness are due to reflections in the photos...

A superb and beautiful Zwischengold wine glass with a slightly flared conical bowl with a solid base. The bowl sits atop a stem with a shoulder merise over a cushion knop, below which is an inverted baluster section above a basal knop. The bowl has a gold and red medallion pressed within 2 layers of glass. The glass is 5 3/4 inches tall, with a bowl diameter of 3 1/8 inches and a foot diameter of 3 1/16 inches.

Zwischengold is a technique where thin layers of gold foil are trapped in a double ...

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 in the making dip at one point on the rim. Any discolorations, specks, or streaks are due to the photos or d...

A fine English wine glass with an ogee bowl with 16 flutes in the lower half. The stem features an unusual single series opaque twist (SSOT) configuration of 4 spiral tapes, making for a very pleasing appearance. Conical foot with a rough pontil. Good color and tool marks, with no condition issues. The height is 5 3/4", with a bowl diameter of 2" and a foot diameter of 2 3/4".

A spectacular and beautiful circa 1730 English silk embroidered apron front, exquisitely embroidered in polychrome silk and metallic threads with garlands and sprays of flowers urns. Scalloped edges are finished with embroidered metallic trim. A somewhat later but very similar example is shown in The Lotus Collection.

There are some scattered unimportant splits and very very minor and small spots of discoloration, all to be expected in such a delicate piece. The textile size is 41 3/8" by 17 ...

A nice balustroid wine glass with a flared bell bowl having a plain stem with enclosed tear and a basal knop; conical folded foot.

6 1/8" tall, 2 1/2" diameter bowl, 2 3/4" diameter foot

A very tight single series opaque twist (SSOT), multi-spiral opaque twist (MSOT) glass with a round funnel bowl above a medially knopped stem. This is one of the most beautiful twists you will encounter. 5.8" tall, 2 1/8' diameter bowl, 2 3/4" diameter foot. Excellent condition.

A very nice English Georgian wine glass with a round funnel bowl, the lower half being molded with flutes. The stem is of the double series opaque twist type (DSOT) and is comprised of a pair of multi-ply corkscrews outside of a pair of spiral threads. Conical foot with a snapped pontil.

Excellent condition with no chips, cracks, or repairs. Good color, striations, and tool marks. Normal and expected wear to foot. The height is 5 5/8", with a bowl diameter of 2" and a foot diameter of 2 7/1...

A beautiful sweetmeat dish with a single series, multiple spiral opaque twist (SSOT, MSOT) stem with a central knop; ogee bowl with everted lip, radially molded foot; 3" tall, 3 1/2" bowl diameter, 2 1/2" foot diameter

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".

A fine and elegant double knopped multiple spiral air twist (MSAT); bell bowl, conical foot; 6.1" tall