Catalog (175)

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...

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.

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.

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.

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 delightful c1908 miniature painted by Mildred E. Walker (listed in Who's Who of American Art as having worked in New York.) The young child has a mass of red hair, brown eyes, and is dressed in a blue blouse. The reverse of the gilt metal case identifies the sitter as "Spiky/Aged 3 years/October 1908." Artist signed along the left edge "Mildred E. Walker 1908."

The case size is 3" by 2 3/8". The condition of the painting is excellent, with the case having some wear and oxidation on t...

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 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...

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".

A superbly painted miniature portrait by the important American miniaturist Anson Dickinson, originally in a heavy wooden frame that was damaged, but now housed under glass in one half of a dag case. The reverse of the original frame has quite a bit of information on it, indicating that the sitter is Ambrose Dickinson, one of Anson's nine siblings. (It might be appropriate at this point to briefly pause in sympathy for Anson's mom, even though she was an underachiever compared to the wife of Th...

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...

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 well painted portrait miniature, on organic wafer, of a blue eyed gentleman wearing a deep blue coat, white ascot, shirt, and vest. Presented in a brass frame.

The condition is excellent, with no issues to speak of. The reddish area on the edge from 9:00 to 12:00 is due to light reflection. The painting appears much better in person than the photo shows. Framed size is 2 1/2" by 2".

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...

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 nicely painted waist length portrait, done on organic material, of an attractive woman with dark brown eyes and hair. The sitter, posed in front of a reddish-brown drape, is wearing a black gown with a lace collar cinched with a brooch matching her earrings. A gold chain with two pendants completes her outfit. Presented in a later gilt frame.

The painting is in excellent condition with no issues. The sight size is 2 1/2" by 2" and the framed size is 5 1/2" by 4 1/2".

A miniature portrait painting by Abraham Parsell, done in his recognizable style with a multicolored background and the sitter having somewhat frizzy hair, posed with his arm on a chair. Housed in its original cast foliate frame with a glazed rear aperture. The original leather travel case comes with this piece, although it has separated at the hinge and held in place with a safety pin.

The painting is 2 3/4" by 2 1/4". Condition is excellent with no cracks, bowing, paint loss or restoration...

A finely limned miniature painting done in watercolor on natural material. The sitter is a hazel-eyed young man dressed in a black coat and tie. The condition of the painting is excellent, with no issues. The bluish area on the left side was painted in that fashion.

The bronze frame is also in fine shape, originally made to be worn as a pendant or as a brooch, but is missing the brooch pin on the reverse. Sight size is 2 1/4" by 1 7/8", and the overall size is 2 5/8" by 2 1/4".