Catalog (971)

This is an extremely uncommon Irish cordial or wine glass with a domed helmet foot. The round funnel bowl sits atop a multiple spiral air twist stem (MSAT). The glass is quite heavy and substantial, with a good dark metal, and the weight and thickness of the stem all lead to the Irish attribution.

In perfect condition with no problems whatsoever, the glass is 6 3/8 inches tall, with a bowl diameter of 2 1/8 inches and a foot diameter of 2 15/16 inches.

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 1" to...

A spectacular and huge English baluster goblet with a mushroom knop. The thistle-shaped bowl, with solid base, sits atop a short section over a wide (2 1/4 inches) mushroom knop with a tear extending into a basal ball knop above a folded foot.

This work of beautiful craftsmanship is distinguished by its rarity, mammoth size, and pristine condition. It stands 9 1/8" tall, has a bowl diameter of 4 1/4", a foot diameter of 4 3/8", and weighs an astonishing 1 pound 14 ounces. The metal is a wond...

A tall, 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 molded and leads into a stem with a pair of spiral threads outside of a lace twist.

This glass is in perfect condition with no chips, cracks, or restoration. The proportions are excellent, with a height of 7 1/2 inches, a bowl diameter of 1 5/8 inches, and a foot diameter of 2 9/16 inches.

No...

A rare and early baluster champagne glass featuring an everted lip cup bowl over a hollow inverted baluster knop. Finishing the stem is a basal knop over a high domed and folded foot. The height of this gem is 4 1/4 inches, and it has no condition issues whatsoever.

Although this type form was also made slightly later, the thinly blown dark metal strongly suggests a late 17th century date.

A wonderful and rare southern folk art small watercolor on paper portrait of a gentleman, identified as Mr. Bunning on the reverse, along with the date of 1824. Examples of southern folk art are quite uncommon and highly sought after. This fine example was found in Florida, and the presence of a palm tree and water in the background, along with a classical style column, indicates that it was done, in fact, somewhere along the southeastern coast of the U.S

The figure of the man is very nicely r...

A beautifully rendered watercolor and pencil portrait of a woman done by Jane Anthony Davis, more commonly known as J.A. Davis. The sitter, as was usual with Davis' portraits, is dressed in black, with color being reserved for decorative objects, such as books, flowers, or jewelry, as in this case. What is highly unusual is that Davis signed very few of her works, and on this piece, on the cardboard insert behind the painting, is written "Caroline Mathilda Brown Wife of Nicholas Brown". Beneath ...

A wine glass rinser, rare because of the deep and beautiful red color. Wine rinsers or wine washers were used to cool or rinse wine glasses between courses of meals. Red was, by far, the least common color of glass in this period because of the expense in making since gold had to be added to the molten metal to achieve the color. This is a wonderful example in excellent condition. The height is 3 3/4 inches and the diameter is 4 5/16 inches. Polished pontil.

A rare and elegant first period Dr. Wall Worcester cream boat. This thinly potted superb example is of vertical faceted form with a double C-scroll handle with a raised thumb rest, and is painted in blue in the Prunus Root pattern. The gnarled root depicted has flowering branches trailing around the rim and small insects, the bottom with workman mark "IH".

Pristine condition with no issues at all. Clear, non-blurred painting. The length is 3 3/4 inches and the height is 2 1/4 inches.

A...

A fine miniature portrait painting, strongly attributed to Samuel Broadbent. The sitter is reputedly Michael Butler, founder of the Union News Company. The attribution is based on the heavy coloring used in the sitter's face, the positioning in the painting of the sitter, the background technique, and the similarity to the example in the Manney collection.

The painting is in excellent condition, with no cracks, bowing, or restoration. It is housed in what appears to be the original locket fram...

A charming and beautifully rendered watercolor portrait, of a very attractive young woman, painted by Emanuel Reynolds. The sitter is dressed in the height of fashion for the period, around 1837, with a spangled diaphanous blue shawl over a low cut, pleated, black dress highlighted with a central blue brooch. Long blue and purple earrings, and a fine gold chain woven through her elaborate hairdo complete the picture of a wealthy member of the elite society.

What makes this piece truly spe...

This is an unusual, wonderful, and beautifully done tinsel or foil painting. It depicts a large bouquet of flowers in a an urn. The urn has been painted to look like it has a mica or quartz type surface, with the stand being done in the same manner. Colors are very vibrant, and include deep blues, purple, pink, various shades of yellow and green, white, reds, and others.

Tinsel paintings of this type are almost a completely American form, becoming highly popular around 1870, and continuing ...

A beautifully limned miniature portrait painting by Elkanah Tisdale. The sitter, though unknown, is a handsome young man dressed in a black coat. The painting measures 3" by 2", and is in superb condition, with no chips, cracks, bowing, paint loss, or restoration. It is housed in a later metal case.

Few miniatures by Tisdale are known to exist, and with very rare exception, are, as is the case here, unsigned.

Tisdale was born in CT around 1771, then moved to and worked in NYC from 1794 to ...

A striking oil on canvas portrait of an attractive young woman painted by William Matthew Prior. The woman is sitting in front of a window draped with red fabric, trees seen through it in the background. She is holding a book and sits on a chair which has a red shawl over the back. Use of the highly lit face and hands against a dark background exemplify characteristics of Prior's and Prior-Hamblin works.

The painting is 25 1/2" by 21 1/2" sight size, while what appears to be the original paint...

This is a spectacular and huge English wine glass with a vermicular collar. 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 8 1/2" tall, an amazing and rare size for this form. The bowl diameter is 3 5/8" and the foot diameter is 3 11/16". Good color, tooling marks, and striations, with no condition proble...

This is an unusual, wonderful, and beautifully done folk art example of a tinsel or foil painting. The vast majority of tinsel paintings are of flowers. This rarity depicts a bluebird hovering over a basket filled with pears, a melon, and apples. A cluster of cherries, and bunches of grapes and foliage surround the basket. Colors are deep and very vibrant, and include blues, purple, brown, various shades of yellow and green, white, reds, and others.

Tinsel paintings of this type are almost ...

This is a rare and striking folk art example of a tinsel or foil painting. The vast majority of tinsel paintings are of flowers, but this one, as does item a1175, focuses instead on fruit. This particular gem shows a rose colored glass compote with plums, cherries, strawberries, pear, etc. Colors are deep and very vibrant, and include blues, purple, orange, yellow, greens, etc.

As mentioned in other listings, tinsel paintings of this type are almost a completely American form, becoming h...

A finely done miniature portrait painting by Joseph Wood. Although unsigned, there is no question that this fine rendering of a young woman was done by Wood.

Sight size of this nice example is 2 1/4" by 1 13/16", and the period case is 2 1/2" by 2 1/16". The condition of the painting is excellent, with vibrant coloring, and no chips, cracks, or restoration. The period case (and glass) is in excellent condition, but it is missing the back, a replacement for which which can be made.

Joseph...