Catalog (181)

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.

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 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 fine 19th century miniature version of Gilbert Stuart's "Lansdowne" portrait, the iconic 1796 life size portrait of George Washington. The painting here is done in watercolor and gouache on organic wafer. From its origin until the present day many copies of the portrait have been made, but very few on ivory.

This 3 1/8" by 2 1/2" example is in excellent condition, with no issues. The 11" by 9 3/4" gilt over gesso frame is period and might be original.

NOTES: 1. The Lansdowne port...

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..

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...

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".

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...

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".