Catalog (971)

A wonderful example of this well-known and highly collected historical Staffordshire scene. This plate is 6 3/4" in diameter, with the impressed Clews mark on the reverse. The condition is superb, with deep color, high clarity, sparkling glaze, and no chips, cracks, scratches, or restoration. It is as fine an example as one could hope for.

The full title of the scene is "Landing of Gen. Lafayette at Castle Garden New York 16 August, 1824", and was produced for the American market to commemorat...

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"...

A nicely painted and early miniature portrait of a man done in watercolor on natural organic material. The blue-eyed sitter is a nice-looking gentleman fashionably attired in a full, long wig, a blue loose fitting robe, and white ruffled shirt.

One of the interesting things about this piece is that the original gold case is of a type known as a "slide case". The top protuberance is attached to a small sheet of metal (in this case gold), and when a little knob is pushed, the sheet can slide com...

A wonderful and charming pair of portrait miniatures by Moses B. Russell, housed in their original matching gold-filled engine turned cases, each with the sitter's hair in the reverse aperture.

The beautiful young woman, with blue eyes and dark brown hair, is wearing a royal blue dress trimmed with lace at the bodice. Signed on the backing paper "Painted by MB Russell 1843 This Paper to Stay On," and in pencil "Susan E. Cushing Taken When 17 years of age". The painting is in superb conditi...

A striking miniature portrait painting on organic material, finely painted by John Ramage. The sitter, a gentleman elegantly attired in the height of late 18th century fashion, is wearing a white shirt with a ruffled white cravat and a brick-red coat over a brown-striped vest.

The condition of the painting is superb, with no flaws whatsoever, as is that of the later case. Sight size is 1 5/8" by 1 1/4", and the case size is 1 3/4" by 1 1/2". The case has the original pin on the back for use a...

A beautiful and finely painted miniature portrait painting, done in watercolor on natural material, by Thomas Seir Cummings. The sitter is a very attractive woman wearing an academic or possibly a cleric gown, and a white lace and blue material cap. The frame, which is later, is a beautiful burl wood.

The sight size is 4" by 3", and the framed size is 6 1/2" by 5 1/2". Condition is excellent, with no cracks, chips, paint loss, bowing, or restoration. The slight disturbance along the botto...

A fine baluster wine glass with a solid base funnel bowl atop a stem with a teared acorn knop and a basal knop. Acorn knops are one of the least common formations in baluster glasses. The glass has a conical folded foot with a rough, snapped pontil.

The condition is excellent, with no chips, cracks, or restoration. There is a small enclosed pot stone at the rim, of no particular importance. This is shown, greatly enlarged, in the second photo. The height of the glass is 5 1/4", with a bowl dia...

A nicely limned portrait miniature painting on natural wafer. The sitter is a young gentleman with brown eyes and curly brown hair, attired in a black tie and jacket, white shirt, and yellow vest. The background is a pleasing bluish-gray. Set in a gilt metal case engraved on the reverse with "G.A.H." and the date 1836. The glazed aperture on the reverse contains a circlet of hair.

The sight size of the painting is 2 1/8" by 1 3/4". The painting is in excellent condition, with no cracks, bowing...

A beautifully painted miniature portrait, on natural organic material, with an attribution to Pauline Augustin. The sitter, a young gentleman of strong presence with brown eyes and long flowing brown hair, is attired in a black coat, with white stock, vest, and shirt. The photograph does not do any justice to the quality of this piece.

The sight size is 4 5/8" by 4" and the framed size is 7 1/4" by 6 5/8". The condition is excellent with no issues or flaws. Housed in a later burlwood and ebon...

A wonderful portrait miniature, painted on organic wafer, by Andre Larue, known as Mansion. The sitter is a beautiful young woman wearing an off the shoulder dress with lace trim and bows and holding a black shawl as she leans against a red pillow on red sofa. Displayed in a later, but very nice, wood frame with a bronze liner.

The condition of this stunning piece is superb, with no cracks, paint loss, bowing, or restoration. The sight size is 4 5/8" by 3 5/8", while the framed size is 6 7/8" ...

A large and exceptional example of fine American tinsel or foil painting featuring a pair of pheasants on branches, surrounded by a wreath of flowers. The scene has the rare "snowflake" type of background. Although tinsel painting was at its height in America from 1850 to 1890 the snowflake technique appears to have been done primarily in the 1870's period.

The sight size is 19 5/8" by 15 3/4", with a framed size of 23 1/4" by 19 1/4". The condition is excellent, with no cracks or breaks, nor...

An extremely rare firing glass of drawn trumpet form. The bowl is engraved "The Friendly Hunt". The condition is excellent, with no chips, cracks, restoration or other problems. Lead glass with good color, striations, and tool marks. The height is 3 1/2", with a bowl diameter of 2 1/8" and a foot diameter of 2 1/4".

The Victoria and Albert Museum has a virtually identical piece, their catalog number C.2571925, and described the engraving as most likely referencing a Jacobite hunting club.

This beautiful example of an 18th century English cordial features a round funnel bowl engraved with a flowering rose on a leafed stem with thorns. The stem is a double series opaque twist (dsot) composed of a multi-ply spiral band around a pair of heavy spiral threads. The foot is of the uncommon domed helmet form with a rough snapped pontil. Lead glass with good color, striations, and tooling marks.

Condition is flawless, with no chips, cracks, scratches, or restoration. The pinkish tone in ...

A watercolor on organic wafer, painted by John Smart, and initialed lower left, along with the date of 1797. The sitter is a young woman with brown curls and eyes. She is attired in a green and blue feathered cap, a white gown with lace on the collar, and a green sash.

The brushwork is impeccable, the texture and blush of the skin, the details of the eyes, the clarity of each hair, and the overall luminescence of this painting are stunning. Even when compared to the vast majority of Sma...

A wonderful English watercolor miniature on natural wafer, painted by Ozias Humphry. The gentleman depicted is clearly of the upper class, dressed in a dusty rose colored jacket with a lace collar, a style worn in England specifically in the 1765 to 1770 period. The case, which is probably original and of gold, comes with a 28" long gold chain attached through the bale, and is also most likely to be original.

The condition of the painting is excellent, with no flaws to speak of, and no restora...