Catalog (181)

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...

Nothing less than superb would describe the quality of this c1835 American portrait miniature. The artist, as yet to be identified, even went so far as to show the shadow cast on the cheeks of the sitter by the lower rims of the glasses. The sight size is 2 7/8" by 2", with the size of the modern black painted wood frame being 5 1/2" by 5".

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 striking American rendering of a handsome gentleman, nattily attired in a black jacket and tie, and with a patterned vibrant blue vest. In a 2 3/4" by 2 1/4" gilt metal cast foliate frame with a glazed aperture on the reverse.

An American portrait miniature of a woman with strong features and striking presence. Excellent condition, although the photo came out somewhat blurry. A card with illegible writing was inside the traveling case which measures 4" by 3 1/8" when closed. The sight size is 2 5/8" by 2".

A powerful watercolor on wafer miniature, where the artist decided to show the sitter staring head-on and almost directly at the viewer. The unusual crisscross tie is used to further enhance the strength and immediacy of the handsome subject.

The simple gilt metal case is 2 3/8" by 2", and is in excellent condition, with a missing cover glass to the aperture on the reverse, which is of no import.

An incredibly sweet miniature done in watercolor on organic wafer. Posed against a background of a blue sky with clouds, foliage on the right, and a body of water on the left, the subject is a beautiful young girl with large eyes, golden curls, and rosy cheeks. The artist used her red lips and the sash of her embroidered dress to provide "pops" of color.

The condition of this gem is excellent, with only a very small spot of restoration at the water at the extreme edge at 8:00 o'clock. T...

Meet Captain William Hathaway, of Brooklyn NY, who passed away in 1834, according to the original section of his obituary, which was found inside the case of the miniature. Please note the gold anchor centered on his ruffled shirt.

The painting is finely done, with no condition issues. Any apparent flaws are due to my poor photographic skills. The in-person brightness is about midway between the first two photos. The cast foliate frame is also in excellent condition, measuring 2 3/8" by 2...

A c1840 fine portrait miniature of a young woman in a black dress with elaborate white lace edging around the collar and bodice, and running down the center of the dress almost to the waist. A necklace and lavalier complete her outfit.

Housed in a brown leather over wood case measuring 2 3/4" by 2 1/2" when closed. The sight size of the painting is 2 1/4" by 1 3/4". Excellent condition with wear to the case exterior..

A striking miniature with a good attribution to George Newcombe. As opposed to the more usual bust length rendering, this is a 3/4 length pose. That, combined with the style of the dress, intentionally gives a longer, or imposing, feel to the figure.

When the organic substrate of the painting was trimmed, it was done unevenly and close to an edge, so it could be framed better than in the current half of a travel case. Sight size is 3 1/8" by 2 1/2".

A well painted miniature portrait, executed in watercolors on organic material. The sitter is a nice looking blue-eyed young man wearing a black coat and blue patterned waistcoat. Presented in what appears to be the original heavy cast gilt bronze frame.

There are no condition issues with the painting, and the sight size is 4 1/2" by 3 1/2" with an overall size of 6" by 5 1/4".

A finely limned miniature of a woman wearing a lace edged black dress, a blue shawl, and gold earrings. In a 5" by 4 1/2" ebonized frame with a brass liner and a sight size of 2 1/8" by 1 3/4". Excellent condition.

An interesting portrait miniature, by William Baldwin, of a nattily attired gent. The sitter, with a very rakish look about him, is set against a bright blue background, has long thick hair, a soul patch, and is wearing a stickpin with multi-colored jewels. These are motifs, along with the use of a strong blue background, that seem to appear in a number of his minis, as uncommon as they are. In all, a strong and amusing painting, and possibly conjuring up visions of a Mississippi River gambler.

A charming first half 19th centrury miniature of a young woman. The exceptional thing about this piece is the wonderful high karat gold flip case with guilloche work (engine turning) on the front and back. The painting in this little gem is 1 1/8" in diameter and the case is 1 1/2" in diameter. Excellent condition.

A beautifully executed miniature portrait painting of a young gent, signed and dated "JH Kimberly Pinxt New York March 1844". It is in its original foliate cast case, measuring 2 3/4" by 2 5/16".

The miniature is in excellent condition, with no chips, cracks, bowing, paint loss, or restoration. (The blurriness in certain areas of the photo is due to light reflection.) The case is also in fine condition, with the reverse of it showing wonderfully engine turned work, and missing its surround an...

An American miniature portrait painting, on natural organic material, of a very attractive boy with gray-blue eyes, wearing a red velvet jacket. The painting is 2 3/4" by 2 1/4" and is in excellent condition.

A rare portrait miniature on organic wafer, painted by W.E. Mynerts (also referred to as M.E. Mynerts), depicting a rosy-cheeked young man wearing a black jacket and tie, and a white collar and shirt. The backing paper indicates that the sitter is Solomon Mills. Research into the name unearthed an obituary from the New Orleans Times of January 23, 1876 (4th photo below) which shows that Mills was born in MA in 1815, and had lived in New Orleans from 1836 until his death.

Housed in a cast foli...

A charming miniature painting done in watercolor on organic wafer. The subject of this delightful work is a very pretty young woman, with brown hair and eyes, wearing a pleated white dress with a lace lined bodice, at the midpoint a brooch with flowers. An old label attached to the painting attributes this work to Moses B. Russell. Housed in a bronze frame with fabric backing.

The condition of the painting is excellent, with no chips, cracks, paint loss, bowing, or restoration. The sight size ...

A miniature portrait painting by John Wood Dodge of a U.S. naval officer, his position as such identified by the scarf and silver buttons on his jacket. He is posed wearing his glasses, which is rarely seen in portraits. The backing paper of the ivory contains the following information in Dodge's hand:
"Painted by/John W. Dodge/Feb 1850/Natchez Miss".
Based on the detailed records that Dodge kept of his commissions, the sitter is one of three possible men - James Metcalf, David Ker, or Mr...

A fantastic Clarissa Peters (Mrs. Mose B. Russell) mourning painting of a baby and toddler. Peters chose a simple palette of white and bluish-gray to emphasize the ethereal and ephemeral nature of the painting, reserving the use of colors to the hair, lips, and eyes of the subjects. Known for painting children, Peters' mourning paintings are scarce, and double mourning portraits are exponentially rarer yet.

Adding to the importance of this piece is the velvet lined gutta percha case, which h...

A rare miniature portrait by Leopold Unger, painted with watercolors on organic wafer. The sitter, a very attractive blue-eyed young woman with brown hair done in sausage curls, has a wistful or slightly sad expression on her face and in her eyes. She is in a black dress with black lace edging at the bodice, and is sitting in a brownish-red chair, holding a red book, and with a multicolored scarf draped over her arm.

The miniature is signed "P. Unger. px. 1839" along the lower left. The bac...

A miniature painting done in watercolors on natural material, signed "C. Greiner along the left center. The sitter is a gentleman dressed in the clothing and hair style popular in the 1841 to 1844 period. Presented in a cast foliate case, the reverse being engine turned with a glazed aperture containing a braid of hair and engraved with the initials JLD.

The painting and the case are in excellent condition with no issues. Overall size of 2 3/8" by 2".

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE: Christopher (or...

A wonderful example of a portrait miniature painted by Mrs. Moses B. Russell (nee Clarissa Peters). This work, done in watercolors on natural wafer, is of a blue-eyed woman wearing a black dress with a brooch centered at the lace-edged bodice. Her strong visage, looking directly into eyes of the viewer, is offset by a beautiful and soft multi-colored background. Housed in a cast foliate case with the reverse engraved "SAWC" and having a lock of hair in the glazed aperture.

The condition of the...

A mourning portrait miniature attributed to John Henry Brown of an attractive young woman with blue eyes and long curly hair. The painting is in excellent condition with no problems. The velvet lined leather case is also in excellent condition, with normal and expected light wear to the exterior. The white flecks in the photographs are dust motes, and not present in person. Sight size is 3" by 2 1/2", and the case size is 3 5/8" by 3 1/8".

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE: John Henry Brown (1818-1891), b...

An unusual and spectacular pair of portrait miniatures. Although both are signed by Moses B. Russell, it is almost certain, due to slight technique variances, that the portrait of the woman was done by Mrs. Moses B. Russell, nee Clarissa Peters. Although it is known that some of his signed pieces were, in fact, done by her, I know of no other instance where each artist did one of a pair.

The paintings are in excellent condition, with vibrant colors and no cracks, bowing, mold, retouch, ...

An extremely fine miniature portrait by John Henry Brown, done in watercolors on natural material. One of the best examples of his skill, showing an attractive woman, beautifully painted. Adding to the importance of this piece is that Brown used a trompe l'oeil technique in painting what appears to be matting around the portrait. Signed "J Brown Pinxt" lower left along the curved line of the matte. Inside the case was a piece of paper with information about the sitter: "Mary E. Mathias Lancas...

A beautiful c1840 miniature, painted on natural material by Thomas Seir Cummings. The sitter, a gray-eyed young woman, is in a pale pink off the shoulder dress, and is resting against a blue cushion. The reverse is inscribed in pen with an illegible name and "22 yrs". Presented in a bronze surround set into a burl wood frame. Excellent condition with no issues. The sight size is 3 1/2" by 2 3/4", with a framed size of 7" by 6 1/4".

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE: Thomas Seir Cummings was born in Englan...

A c1840 portrait, attributed to Richard Morrell Staigg, of a handsome older gentleman with a stately presence. Shown in a 2 3/8" by 2" gilt metal case with a glazed aperture in the reverse.

Both the painting and the case are in excellent condition. The lower central section of the painting is not damaged, but was intentionally painted that way, possibly to indicate that the sitter has passed away.

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE: Richard Morrell Staigg was born in England in 1817 and moved to the...

A lovely and ethereal miniature of a blond-haired, blue-eyed beautiful young girl. Signed center left "T.R. Manley 1900", it is in its original gilt sterling case with a beaded edge, with the reverse appearing to be evenly tarnished. Excellent condition with no problems, and measuring 3 1/4" by 2 3/4".

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE : Thomas Rathbone Manley (1853 - 1938), later referred to as "The Dean of the Montclair (NJ) Artists". Originally studying law, he realized his love was painting and enr...

Nicely executed miniature, on natural organic material, of a woman in bonnet and lace; enamelled frame; sight size 2 1/4" by 1 3/4"; slight paint rubbing at 5 o'clock

A fine miniature portrait painting, done in watercolor on natural organic material, by Hugh Bridport. The sitter is a gentleman, purportedly John Trigg. On the reverse of the painting is a preliminary sketch of the subject, which Bridport is known to have done. Only a portion of the sketch is shown, as I did not want to peel back all the paper.

The condition of the miniature is excellent, with no flaws at all. It is housed, with a cover glass, in a red leather wallet-type case. Sight size is 2...

A nicely done watercolor, on natural organic material, miniature painting by William Massey Stroud Doyle, signed and dated "1814" center left. The sitter is wearing a black coat, red-striped yellow vest, and white shirt. E. Grosvenor Paine provenance.

The painting is is excellent condition, with no chips, cracks, bowing, or other problems. The black lacquered frame does have crackling. The sight size is 2 5/8" by 2 1/8", and the framed size is 4 1/2" by 3 7/8".

NOTE: Doyle (1769 - 1828) was...

A finely painted American miniature portrait of a gentleman in a black jacket and tie, posed in front of a red drapery. What makes this highly unusual for a miniature cased portrait is that it is oil paint on wood, rather the the exceedingly more common watercolor on ivory or paper.

There is a very old note in the gilt metal case identifying the sitter as John Calvin Margin, born in 1790, the son of Curtis and Claire Margin, with a reference to Boston, Mass and Binghamton NY.

The painting ...

An extremely well painted American miniature portrait of a young boy wearing a black coat, white shirt and cravat. He is posed in front of a red drapery. Rather than being done as these miniatures usually were, in watercolor on ivory, this is a far rarer oil on copper example.

The painting is in excellent condition, and has just a slight bit of rubbing at a couple of spots where it meets the period stamped brass frame. Sight size is 2 5/16" by 1 7/8", while the framed size is 2 3/4" by 2...

A fine miniature painting, attributed to Jeremiah Paul, of a handsome brown-eyed man in a black coat and waistcoat, white shirt and cravat. The reverse of the gilt metal pendant case has a glazed aperture containing a wreath and plait of hair, one of which is most likely the sitters and the other of a loved one. E. Grosvenor Paine provenance.

Condition of the painting and the case are both excellent, without problems. Sight size is 2 5/8" by 2 3/8" and the case size is 2 7/8" by 2 5/8".

NOTE...

A nicely painted American portrait miniature on organic wafer. The fine looking gentleman is nicely set off against a background of blue on the left side and a light brown on the right. Condition is excellent with no cracks, bowing, or paint loss. The case size is 2 1/8" by 1 5/8".

An unusual miniature portrait, done by firing enamel on glass. This combination of subject matter, style, medium, and technique is quite rare for this period and area. The sitter is a quite handsome man in a black coat with a white shirt, vest and tie. He is posed on a red chair in front of a drapery done in hues shading from red to orange. In the center left is a window view of hills, a river and two ships.

The frame is original, and bears the label of F.A. Wenderoth of Phila. Since Wenderot...

A very nicely painted miniature portrait done in watercolor on natural organic material. Signed "D.F. Ames NY" along the lower right. The sitter is a nice looking young gentleman in a blue coat with gilt buttons, a black stock tie, off-white vest and ruffled shirt. Based on the hair style and clothing the painting was done at the beginning of the period when Ames was known to work.

The miniature is without any cracks, chips, bowing, or restoration. It is of goodly size, housed in a 3" by 2 1/...

An uncommon example of an early Abraham Parsell portrait miniature, done in watercolor on organic wafer. The sitter is a strong featured gentleman arrayed in the height of fashion for the period: a black jacket, white collar, cravat, ruffled shirt, and vest. The painting is in a cast foliate case which has on the reverse a glazed aperture with a cast foliate rim and containing a lock of hair.

The condition of the case is excellent, as is that of the painting, which has no chips, cracks, bowing...

A finely executed watercolor on organic wafer bust-length depiction of an attractive sitter wearing a white gown, pearl earrings, and pearl brooch. Accompanied by an old typed and written note identifying the sitter and providing other information: "This beautiful miniature of my Grandmother, / Eliza Bowen Cadwalder, was given to me by my mother, who / treasured it. My Grandfather was George Cadwalder, / California pioneer who was an original Forty-niner and / mined gold in California. / Painted...

A nicely painted miniature portrait on organic wafer. The sitter is a young gentleman with blue eyes, attired in a white shirt, black tie, jacket and vest. The background is a pleasing shaded blue. Set in a gilt metal case with an unglazed aperture on the reverse.

The cased size of the painting is 2 1/2" by 2". The painting is in excellent condition, with no cracks, bowing, or restoration. The glass on the front has a scratch.

Biographical Note: William Lewis was born in Salem MA in 178...

A strong naïve miniature portrait, rendered in oil and watercolor on organic wafer, which is a very unusual combination. The sitter is a fine looking gentleman attired in a white shirt and collar, with a black jacket, vest and tie. He is seated in a formal armchair, holding a green covered book, in front of a red drapery with a red tasseled tieback. A wooded scene with a blue sky is in the background.

The size of the work is large and quite unusual for an American piece on natural material, h...

A charming and well-limned portrait on organic wafer, of a young boy in a red dress, holding a ring. The glazed aperture on the back of the foliate cast case contains a photograph of what might be the sitter.

One side of old tag attached to the mini states "From E. Helena Sherman Estate 1997," while the other side of the tag says "Male child of Chapin family Boston 1840." However, the child in the painting is at least 4 years younger than the one in the photograph. Since photography came into...

A fine naïve folk portrait profile of a gentleman, signed on the reverse by the artist Samuel Rowell. In the same hand is the location of Amesbury, Mass, and the name of the sitter, Moses Henderson.

The painting is on card, done in watercolor with gum arabic highlights, and is in the original gilded wood frame. An additional piece of glass has been put on the back to protect the written information.

The condition of the painting is excellent, with no folds, tears, or staining. There is a v...

A beautifully executed miniature folk art watercolor on paper portrait by J. H. Gillespie, housed in a metal locket with a black card backing.

Condition is excellent with no paint loss, tears, folds, foxing, or restoration. The piece is 2 3/4 inches by 2 3/8 inches.

NOTE: Gillespie was active on the East Coast of North America, Baltimore, New York, and Philadelphia around the 1829-1838 time period. He painted miniature portraits and silhouettes very carefully, and with great attention to ...

A fine miniature painting done in watercolor on organic material by Edward Marchant. Depicting an older gent in black tie, vest and jacket, the painting is in excellent condition with no issues. It is displayed in one half of a velvet lined leather travelling case. Sight size is 3 3/4" by 3", and a cased size of 6 5/8" by 5 1/2".

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES (From Wikipedia and other sources): Edward Dalton Marchant (1806-1887), also known as Edward D. Marchant and E. D. Marchant, was an American...

A mourning portrait miniature by Elizabeth (Eliza) Goodridge. The work, painted in watercolor on natural wafer, is a depiction of a young boy's head issuing from a cloud beneath. Presented in a period, and probably original, case with a glazed, but empty, aperture on the reverse.

The condition is excellent, with no flaws, as is that of the case. The overall size is 2 1/2" by 2 1/16".

NOTES: 1. Eliza Goodridge (1798-1882) was born in Templeton, MA, and spent her younger years there and in the...

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 ...

A spectacular Nathaniel Rogers painting done in watercolor on organic wafer. I very rarely, if ever, describe or refer to an item as "the best", or the "finest example ever". However, there is no question that this painting represents Rogers at the peak of his ability, which indeed is quite high. Further, the vast majority of his paintings are only bust length, and do not depict the hands of the sitter, not any additional objects. Here we have the subject sitting with an arm draped over a chair,...

A fine portrait on natural material of a gentleman in an early 19th century officer's uniform. Within the locket is the remnant of the backing paper of the miniature, which was incorrectly and poorly removed. A portion of the name "Miller" can be seen. Prior to this removal, a previous owner had written down on a piece of paper what had been on the backing paper. This is shown in the third photo and gives a portion of the sitter's name as John L. Sc?h???, the name of the artist (Miller) and the ...

A charming miniature portrait painted in watercolors on wafer. The sitter, with curly auburn hair and blue eyes, is simply attired in an off the shoulder sky blue gown, and is depicted in front of a cloud filled blue sky. Such a pose is often used to indicate that the work is a mourning piece. According to family history, the sitter is Lucy Ann Bainbridge, the daughter of Commodore William Bainbridge.

The miniature, in what might be the original case, which has a glazed aperture on the reverse...

A nicely executed portrait miniature, done in watercolor and gouache on organic wafer. The sitter is a fine looking gentleman with blue eyes and brown hair, attired in a black jacket, vest, and stock.

The painting was descended in the family, and the sitter has been identified as John Amory Lowell (1798 - 1881). He was the grandson of John Lowell (1743 - 1802), an American lawyer, selectman, jurist, delegate to the Congress of the Confederation, and federal judge. Known within his family as â...

A strikingly limned portrait miniature painted in watercolor on natural substrate. Because of the framing, the artistic technique used, and the pose, there are very strong indications that this is a China Trade piece. The sitter is clad in a deep navy jacket with a striped vest, and a masonic pin adorning his shirt.

The painting is in excellent condition, with no issues. The period and probably original gilt metal frame has wear to the green velvet border between the inner ands outer metal su...

A charming portrait miniature painted by John Carlin on organic material. The blue-eyed, brown-haired baby is dressed, in the custom of the time, in a white gown and cap.

The portrait is in excellent condition, with no chips, cracks, bowing, or restoration. The gold case is also in fine condition. Sight size of this gem is 1 3/8" by 1 1/8".

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE: John Carlin (1813 - 1891) was born in Philadelphia. He was a deaf mute, and one of sixteen original students, he graduated in 182...

A simple but charming Benjamin Trott watercolor of an attractive blue-eyed young woman with a ribbon in her hair and dressed in a white empire gown. There are no condition issues. The sight size is 2 1/2" by 1 7/8", and the later frame is 4 7/8" by 3 78".

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES:
1. From "The Smithsonian Art Museum": Benjamin Trott (c1770 - 1843), thought to have been born in Boston, ranks with Edward Greene Malbone and Charles Fraser as one of America's best miniaturists. During a long career t...

A fine portrait miniature painted by William Lewis. The sitter is an attractive gentleman in a black coat, white vest, stock, and shirt, the latter highlighted with a stick pin containing three rubies. It should be noted that the technique and facial structure of this painting is at a higher level than Lewis' works display (see Note 2 below).

Excellent condition with no issues. Sight size is 2 3/8" by 1 7/8", and the later frame is 2 5/8" by 2 1/4".

BIOPGRAPHICAL NOTES: 1. William Lew...

A charming example of Abraham Parsell's ability to capture the essential characteristic of a sitter and portray them in a wonderful naïve manner. In the miniature portrait presented here we have a young man with striking blue eyes and a mound of curly hair. He is attired in a dark brown jacket, black vest, and white tie and shirt.

The condition of the painting is excellent, with no cracks, chips, bowing, fading, etc. There are some scattered black spots on the lower part of the jacket, quite ...

A watercolor on organic wafer portrait, done by Matthew Jouett, of a young woman wearing a pale blue Empire style dress with a lace trimmed bodice and a blue hair band trailing from her head. Presented in a case with N. Grayson engraved in the interior.

The condition of the painting and the case is excellent, with no issues. Overall size is 2 7/8" by 2 3/8".

NOTES: 1. Although Jouett produced a large body of full portraits during his lifetime, signed or documented miniatures by Jouett are q...

An extremely powerful portrait attributed to Jeremiah Paul Jr., though it is possible that Benjamin Trott was the artist. In any case, due to the technique and strong features of the sitter, the painting has an immediate impact on the viewer and was done by a highly skilled artist.

The overall condition of the painting is excellent, as is the case, The size is 2 7/8" by 2 1/4". Please note that the first photo is an accurate depiction of the miniature, and the second photo, which has all man...

A superbly limned portrait by Daniel Dickinson, done in watercolor on natural material. The sitter is a young man of the Brown family of Philadelphia. This painting was exhibited at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, "Exhibition of Miniatures", April 22 - May 6, 1893, and was descended through the Brown family..

The condition of the miniature is superb, with no issues of any kind. The gold bezel is original, but the frame is a later Wiebold Studio reproduction, with both of these also bein...