Catalog (971)

A beautifully executed miniature portrait painting by Andrew Plimer, done on natural organic material. The sitter, an attractive woman with strong features, short curly chestnut hair, and gray eyes, is simply dressed in a white gown, and is shown against a beautiful blue sky and white cloud background. As is often the case with Plimer's miniatures at this period, it is somewhat idealized, and the strong nose and elongated neck are typical.

The miniature is in excellent condition, with no pr...

A striking and strongly limned Andrew Plimer miniature portrait of Edward Buller Hicks, of the Royal Navy. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1812, and this portrait was most likely done at that time. In a later ebonized wood frame which nicely complements the piece. Both the painting and the frame are in excellent condition with no issues. Sight size is 2 7/8" by 2", and the framed size is 6 3/4" by 5 3/4".

Provenance: Elle Shushan and then to a NY collector.

Notes: 1. Edward Buller Hicks wa...

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 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...

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 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...

A Bow porcelain coffee cup of very rare beaker, or bucket, form. The scene is "The Koto Player", depicting a woman seated under a tree, playing the koto. The other side shows a table with a few fronds in a vase. Labels on the base show the provenance as the Bonham's Billie Paine sale, and Rod Jellicoe, a highly respected English porcelain dealer.

The condition of this piece is excellent, with no flaws, and deep clear colors. The height is 2 1/4", with a top diameter of 2 1/2" and a base diamet...

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...

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 ...

An extremely rare and striking Derby chocolate cup and saucer of very unusual form. The bell-shaped cup has an undulating rim and a flat ear-shaped pierced handle. It is painted in famille verte enamels with leaves and flowers positioned in compartments bordered in an iron red. The saucer is decorated in a similar fashion.

As rare as the cup is, according to several sources the saucer is much more so, and has rarely been offered at auction. A cup alone has appeared a very few times in the la...

A superb Derby porcelain coffee can displaying a wrecked ship and rescue efforts. This can was painted by George Robertson, whose depictions of ships and maritime scenes are among the most highly sought after and collected items of Derby porcelain. This particular scene, named on the bottom in blue script, is "A Shipwreck After a Storm."

The gilding on the cup, both in the interior leaf and berry border, and throughout the exterior of the can, is of the high quality that Derby was known for. I...

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 charming watercolor on paper painting depicting a young woman holding a note or book in her lap while her pet dog begs for attention. The dress, feathered hat, and hairdo, as well as the construction style of the house show this to be a woman of means, as well as placing this work in the 1800-1803 time period. This is likely a schoolgirl painting, done in freestyle rather than the more common stenciling. Presented in a period giltwood frame.

There are no folds or creases in this example. The...

An uncommon c1840 miniature by Richard Morrell Staigg, signed lower right. The sitter is a blue-eyed young woman, simply posed in a black dress with lace edging at the bodice. Presented in 1/2 of a dag case. The sight size is 3" by 2 1/4".

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE: Richard Morrell Staig was born in England in 1817 and moved to the U.S. in 1831, first settling in Newport, RI. While there, Staigg studied under Jane Stuart, Gilbert Stuart's daughter. He then moved to Boston where he maintained a stu...

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...

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 Bow porcelain factory wine coaster of deep circular form. This elegant and pleasing form, although it is very rarely seen, is also described as a potted meat dish. Painted in shades of blue with vignettes of oriental symbols and the "Koto Player" in a landscape, the interior also painted with a scroll. Retains labels from Klaber & Klaber and the Barbara Leake Collection.

Overall condition is quite good, with some minor scattered kiln speckling and a little slight blurring to one wavy line (s...

A wonderful offering of a c1758 Vauxhall porcelain coffee can, very finely potted and painted in the highly sought after and uncommon "sticky blue". The scene is of two figures on a hill with a tree and a pagoda.

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 viewed in person. The can is 2 9/16" tall, with...