Catalog (971)

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 very fine twig basket, dating from the late 19th or early 20th century. It was found in Pennsylvania, and is painted black, with the border and edge decoration painted in green, yellow, and orange over the black. The interior central portion of the basket is painted in green.

The basket is 8 5/8" in diameter and 4" tall. Condition is terrific, with no breaks. There is the normal amount of scattered paint flaking which is not really apparent and does not affect the impact of this little ...

A fine American tinsel or foil painting depicting a wreath of flowers, with a bird, around a grouping of fruit and foliage. The wreath is on a variation of the relatively rare "snowflake" type of background. This technique appears to have been done primarily in the 1870's period. The frame and wooden backboard are original.

There is a crack in the glass at the top left, and a small piece of glass is missing. The frame is in good condition with a number of very small scattered flecks of paint ...

An unusual pair of large iron shears with a wonderful surface. Excellent condition and movement. 16 inches long by 5 inches wide.

A simple but elegant brandy warmer with beaded lid and base rims, the thumb rest on the lid molded as a scallop shell, the angled handle of aged wood with a nice patina.

The piece is 3 3/8" tall, and 2 7/8" wide, 5 1/8" wide including the handle. Excellent condition.

A sentimental Bohemian souvenir or memento flashed red glass mug, with a nicely curved handle. Etched with flowers and the saying "Remember Me." In superb condition, standing 4 1/8 inches tall, with a diameter of 2 3/8 inches.

This glass is a companion piece to g1218, identical except for the floral arrangement on top of the cartouche surrounding the saying.

A sentimental Bohemian souvenir or memento flashed red glass mug, with a nicely curved handle. Etched with flowers and the saying "To My Son." In superb condition, standing 4 1/8 inches tall, with a diameter of 2 3/8 inches.

This glass is a companion piece to g1217, identical except for the floral arrangement on top of the cartouche surrounding the saying.

Some examples from the various singles, pairs, and sets of colored wine glasses we have. Many others in our inventory are in different colors, sizes and bowl shapes. Prices are per glass and depend on the specific items chosen.

An interesting pair of miniature portraits, painted on organic wafer. Framed in a slightly different manner, there is no question these were done by the same artist at the same time.

Fairchild is an obscure artist, with very few, if any, signed works. This attribution is based on the similarity in technique to an example in a book by Bolton, and information that the pair came from a couple living in CT who are purportedly descendants of the artist.

No condition issues to speak of, with...

This fine miniature portrait was painted in watercolor on organic material by Henry Shumway. Depicting the attractive blue-eyed sitter in a white gown and adorned only with an earring, he chose to present her with a simple classical elegance.

The condition of the miniature is excellent, with no issues, as is the gilt metal case with a glazed aperture on the reverse. The case size is 3 1/8" by 2 5/8".

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE: Henry Colton Shumway (1807, CT - 1884, NY) studied, probably with T...

A fine miniature portrait by Augustus Fuller, done on natural material. The sitter is an attractive hazel-eyed woman sporting sausage curls and wearing a white lace bonnet, a white lace fichu with a centered brooch, and a black dress. Fuller took pains in this painting to the extent of showing details of the dress design with faint white highlights, shown in the second photo.

The condition of the painting is excellent, and viewed in person the miniature is far better than the photo shows. The...

A fine miniature portrait, attributed to J.V. Sturgeon, of a gent posed in front of a green curtain with blue skies visible through the window. This type of setting is uncommon in American minis, but has been done by Sturgeon in some of his works.

The miniature is set in the original gilded copper pendant with a glazed aperture on the reverse containing plaited dark hair. Excellent condition with no issues to speak of. The sight size is 2 1/2" by 2", with an overall size of 2 5/8" by 2 1/8".

A rare Worcester coffee cup with a slightly flaring rim, a grooved loop handle, and incurving toward the base. Painted in the famille verte palette and displaying chrysanthemums growing from a large triangular rock in a landscape which also features other flowers. This wonderful piece has a panelled green diaper border and a red flower sprig on the inside base.

An identical cup sold as lot 586, Watney II, Bonham's 5/10/2000 for 4500 pounds ($6893) including premium. As far as has been de...

A charming and unusual Continental portrait miniature, painted in watercolors on natural wafer. Except for a very small number of miniaturists, and occasional examples by other miniaturists, the full profile format is quite rare. In this example the sitter is wearing a blue dress, gold earring, and a pearl necklace. Of obvious impression on the viewer is a very large white head covering, with yellow decoration, of a type that cannot quite be called a bonnet or hat.

The painting is presente...

A wonderful miniature by Daniel Dickinson of a handsome gentleman. The sitter is dressed in the height of fashion for the time, wearing a blue jacket with velvet lapels. Note the broadness of the brush strokes and chiseled modeling of the face, both characteristics of Daniel's style, contrasting with his brother Anson's work.

The frame deserves special mention, being gilt silver with a 14K gold back and central plaque with "AM" initials. It is quite thick and weighs about 3 1/2 ounces. The...

A striking c1790 miniature by Richard Cosway. The subject, a blue-eyed infantry officer with his hair en queue, is wearing a red jacket with a white epaulet, white trim, and cravat.

This portrait is a good study example as many of Cosway's techniques and style characteristics are present: use of floating transparent paints to allow the luminosity of the substrate to show through, enlargement of the pupils, massed hair as opposed to finer individual strands, a sky background using a stro...

A scent bottle, enameled and gilded by James Giles, the most famous and important English decorator of glass and porcelain in the 18th century. The bottle was purchased immediately after its sale at Christies in the mid 1980's and has been in a private collection, unseen and not offered to anyone, until the present time.

The glass bottle is a translucent deep blue color (the third photo shows the bottle with a light source behind it), of flattened faceted form, with the original gold moun...

A wonderful watercolor on natural wafer, painted by Robert Field. The sitter, a very pretty young woman with brown hair and eyes, is posed in front of a red drapery, and is wearing a black jacket over a white dress with a neck ruffle. The ebonized frame appears to be original, as is the cover glass which has a black and eglomise border.

The condition of this rare gem is excellent, with no cracks, chips, paint loss, or bowing. Except for a discolored area in the top right, the frame is also in ...