Catalog (971)

A fine example of a Longton Hall porcelain tea bowl and saucer, hand painted in the "Windswept" pattern. The scene features an oriental type interpretation of tall trees, rocks, and foliage with a small flock of birds flying above.

Beautifully and thinly potted, the condition of both the bowl and saucer is excellent, with bright, clear colors and no issues at all. The saucer has a 4 1/2" diameter, while the bow has a 3" diameter and a height of 1 5/8". Each piece with a workman's mark on t...

An exceedingly rare portrait miniature, done in watercolor on organic wafer, by John Miers (1756–1821) who was the most famous profilist or painter of silhouettes in Britain. (Actually, the term “silhouette” was not used until the 1830’s. Prior to that, black silhouettes were known as “shades,” “shadow portraits,” or “profiles.”) Although Miers was known to have done tens of thousands of shades, only a very few full color portrait miniatures are thought to exist.

The p...

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. ...

Nicely painted on organic wafer, this miniature portrait is of a handsome gentleman set against a bluish-gray background. Housed in a low karat gilded cast foliate pendant case with an empty glazed aperture verso. The miniature is in a specially made leather case that opens and props open to allow the miniature to be displayed or removed.

The condition of the miniature and case are excellent, with no issues to speak of. The white areas along the top edge and at the lower left are due to re...

A beautiful decanter set composed of 3 barrel shaped decanters, each heavily cut and retaining the original target stoppers. The stand is electroplate silver and of elegantly molded trefoil form, with rings to hold the stoppers.

Both the stand and decanters are in excellent condition, the glass without chips, etc., and the stand with little to no bleeding. The height is 10" and the width is 9".

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.

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 sweet tinsel (foil) painting of a large bouquet of flowers. The painting itself is in very good condition, with no chips, breaks, or image loss. The period or earlier gilded wood frame has normal expected wear. Period wood backboard. The sight size is 11 1/4" by 9 5/8", and the overall size is 12 3/4" by 11".

NOTE: Between September 12, 2012 and January 13, 2013 the American Folk Art Museum held an exhibit on this art form. The following is excerpted from the catalog of that exhibition: "T...

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.

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...

An endearing small English or continental miniature of an attractive young woman with reddish-brown hair with a pearl clip, and wearing a blue and white gown with pearl decorations at the shoulders. The glazed reverse of the frame features hair in a basket weave pattern.

No condition issues to speak of. The length is 1 1/2" with a 1 1/4" width.

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 exceptional and uncommon William Reid porcelain coffee cup, with an oriental figure beside a table, flanked by a dragonfly and birds flying over a leafless tree, the whole painted in bright colors. The handle is of the angular loop type.

The condition is excellent, with no chips, cracks, fading, paint loss, or restoration. Height is 2 3/8" with a diameter of 2 1/8".

NOTES: 1. Because the factory was in business for so short a period (1756-1761), and its output was quite limited, porcela...

A beautiful handmade tablecloth and napkins set of Italian needle lace of Pointe de Venice type, with the characteristic scrolling floral patterns with additional floral motifs worked in relief (embroidered).

The condition is excellent, with no tears or other flaws of anything but minor note. The tablecloth is 106" by 70" and the 12 napkins are 21" by 21".

A large elaborate and beautiful patch mark Derby porcelain figure group of "Music" from the Muses series. Some sources refer to a very similar group as "Poetry". However, this particular group is somewhat different and is a rare variant.

The group shows a woman, holding a lyre, standing in front of a reeded column on top of which is a book and a sheet of music. Atop the base is a standing putto holding a music pipe in one hand and some type of instrument in the other. A second putto is seated ...

Signed "Inman 1842" along the right edge, this fine miniature portrait is purportedly of Theodore Roosevelt's grandmother. Painted with watercolors on organic material, it shows the sitter simply attired in a black dress with a lace collar, with the only other adornment being a brooch on that collar.

A later note on the back of the bronze frame states that the sitter is Mrs. Cornelius Van Schaack Roosevelt (nee Margaret Barnhill). Margaret was the mother of Theodore Roosevelt Sr., the grandmo...

A wonderful exemplar of an Italian voided velvet textile, done in a deep red. Similar examples are shown in "European Textiles in the Keir Collection 400BC to 1800AD".

The overall condition is excellent, and the sight size is 21 3/4" by 8 1/2".

Provenance: The Spinx Collection

A truly lovely and engaging portrait miniature, on natural wafer, of a beautiful young woman. The subject, attired in a green velvet dress with a black cape and a white fichu, is seated in front of an orange drapery with a view of a landscape. The framing of this gem is of fine construction, with an inner gold plated frame that is easily removable (and replaced) if a smaller overall size is desired. Both frames are in very fine order.

The condition of the painting is excellent, with bright col...

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, ...

A fine multicolored velvet ikat from Uzbekistan, carefully mounted on acid free fabric. The condition is quite fine with one very small area with some thread separation, and the sight size is 20 1/2" by 15 1/2".

NOTE: This sample can be shipped on the board, or removed with its backing and shipped rolled up.

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 very early Bow porcelain coffee cup with the "Cross-Legged Chinaman" pattern. Adding to the rarity of this cup, in addition to its age, is the crabstock handle.

he condition of the cup is excellent, with no cracks, chips, staining, or restoration. The height is 2 1/4" and the diameter is 2 1/8".

An incredibly charming portrait miniature brooch of a young child, painted on natural material. The subject is beautiful, wearing a coral necklace and a pale lavender gown, and with brown eyes that were so finely and realistically painted with such depth that it is almost hard to believe when seeing this gem in person.

The condition is excellent, with no issues, and the overall size is 1 3/8" by 1".

A group of Penobscot Maine baskets of small size. Each features the use of sweetgrass and various natural dyes. The condition of each is excellent, with good color and little or no splits, etc.

The baskets are as follows:

m1007: a lidded amphora shaped basket with blue dye 5 1/4" height, 6 1/2" diameter
m1008: a lidded round basket with orange and blue dyes 1 3/4" height, 3 7/8" diameter
m1009: a lidded thimble case with orange dye 1 1/8" height, 1" diameter

A miniature portrait, done in watercolor and gouache on organic wafer, of a young man, well portrayed by the artist to capture his power and possible arrogance. The hazel-eyed sitter is shown in a casual pose, wearing a dark jacket and white ascot.

The condition is excellent, with no cracks, bowing, or paint loss. Presented in a cast bronze frame without glazing the sight size is 2 1/8" by 1 5/8", with an overall size of 4 1/2" by 3".

A finely potted Vauxhall porcelain saucer, painted in the highly desirable "sticky blue". The scene features an Oriental person waving, amidst a landscape with buildings, trees and hills, with birds flying overhead.

This wonderful example is in excellent condition, with no chips, cracks, paint loss, stains, or restoration. The diameter is 4 1/2".

A fine miniature portrait by Jeremiah Meyer, painted in watercolor on organic wafer. The sitter, an attractive woman with long brown hair, is simply presented in a teal gown, with no jewelry or other distractions from her natural beauty.

The painting has no cracks, chips, bowing, or restoration. The brass case is in fine condition with an unimportant dent in the back. The overall size is 1 7/8" by 1 5/8".

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE: Born in Germany, and brought to England in 1749, Jeremiah Me...

Two baskets are being offered here and both are from the Northeast, most probably from the Penobscot of Maine. They are lidded, made of splint ash, and use natural dyes of green and orange.

Basket 1, although it has a square base, is 14 3/4" in diameter and 11 1/2" in height. They are about 3 smallish splint breaks as shown in the photos, but the basket is structurally sturdy. Basket 2 has a medial sweetgrass braid and a dyed interior. The 4 3/4" in diameter and 2 1/2" in height.

Two paintings are offered here for the price of one! The first done in India ink on prepared cardboard, this finely limned profile shows a man facing left with his right hand tucked into his jacket. It is presented in a gilded, stamped sheet metal frame.

The condition is quite good with several unimportant white streaks, mainly in the jacket. The sight size is 3 1/2" by 2", with an overall size of 5 1/4" by 4".

The second piece is a watercolor and ink on cardboard of a young man n...

An 18th century coffee cup painted in blue and white. Nicely potted, the decoration features an oriental scene of a garden structure on a promontory, and trees, flowers, and foliage. Excellent condition, with no issues, and a height and diameter of 2 3/8".

A beautiful silver compact with the exterior sides inlaid with natural organic material. Opening this gem reveals a mirror and a heavily filigreed lid to the interior compartment which contains powder and a puff. Superbly crafted and with no damage or restoration, the compact measures 3 1/4" by 2 7/8", and is 1/2" thick.

A fine example of an English lead metal antique air twist glass. The ogee bowl is above a multiple spiral air twist (MSAT) stem above a conical foot with a rough pontil.

The condition is excellent, with no chips, scratches, or restoration. Good color, striations, and tooling marks. The height is 6 1/8", with a bowl diameter of 2 1/8" and a foot diameter of 2 1/2".

A beautiful and uncommon Bow porcelain coffee cup done in the famille verte style, loosely depicting flowers in green, red, and blue. A workman's mark is on the bottom.

The condition is superb, with bright clear colors, and with no chips, cracks, paint loss, or restoration. The cup height is 2 3/16" and a diameter of 2 1/8".

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.

An English antique ale glass with an elongated ogee bowl raised on a double series opaque twist (DSOT) stem containing a pair of corkscrews outside of a pair of heavy spiral threads.

The glass stands 7 7/8 inches tall, with a bowl diameter of 2 1/8 inches and a very wide stance foot diameter of 3 1/8 inches. Good color, striations, and tool marks, with a conical foot with a rough snapped pontil. Wonderful condition with no flaws or restoration.

An uncommon and fine Chaffers saucer and teabowl in the "Two Men on an Island" pattern. A workman's mark of three dots is on the reverse on the saucer.

This finely potted blue and while porcelain is in superb condition, with no chips, cracks, staining, or restoration. Any apparent paint losses in the photos are due to reflections. The saucer is 4 7/8" in diameter and the cup has a 2 3/4" diameter at the rim and is 1 1/2" tall.