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OUTSTANDING AND RARE TWO-GALLON STONEWARE CHURN, with Cobalt Deer Scene, Stamped "FORT EDWARD / POTTERY CO.", George Satterlee, Fort Edward, NY, circa 1859, petite-sized, ovoid churn with tooled shoulder, semi-rounded rim, and applied lug handles, profusely-decorated with a slip-trailed design of a deer with turned head, large rack, and striped body, standing atop a stylized ground with shrubs, between a large tree stump and split-rail fence. The lavish scene is executed in thick, bold cobalt slip against a light-gray ground, and appears almost oversized in comparison to the small, two-gallon churn it decorates. The design stands nearly 10" of the churn's 13" total height, and spans approximately 14" in-the-round horizontally, extending onto the sides of the churn. Despite the thick, enamel-like application of the cobalt, the design has no "fry" or bubbling whatsoever, and retains a strong luster. Light cobalt slip accents the churn's two-gallon capacity mark and the early, short-lived maker's mark of George Satterlee, which reads "FORT EDWARD / POTTERY CO"", a stamp used prior to Satterlee's partnership with Michael Mory. Includes Albany-slip-glazed lid. A significant recent discovery of early Fort Edward, NY stoneware. Provenance: A fresh-to-the-market example, purchased by the consignor's father sixty years ago for $35. Churn in very nice condition with a 1" in-the-firing chip to left handle, which is glazed over, shallow chipping along edge of opposite handle, and a .75" in-the-firing contact mark to front. Lid with a tiny chip to central opening, an approximately 2" surface line to top (not visible on underside), and other very minor wear. H (excluding lid) 13".

Sold at Crocker Farm July 21, 2018.

Price Realized: $7,080


EXCEPTIONAL FIVE-GALLON STONEWARE CHURN, with Cobalt Bearded Starface Decoration, Stamped "T. HARRINGTON / LYONS," New York State origin, circa 1860, ovoid churn with tooled shoulder, flared collar, and applied lug handles, the front decorated with a large slip-trailed design of a man's face surrounded by eight pointed rays, each composed of several, short linear trails of cobalt slip. Face includes stylized hair to head, a dimpled chin, and extremely rare beard accenting the cheeks and chin. Cobalt highlight to maker's mark. Includes Albany-slip-glazed lid. This churn is one of the best examples of Harrington starface-decorated stoneware to come to auction in the past decade or more, and the finest featuring this iconic design that we have ever offered. Noteworthy in its large design, crisp slip-trailing, and excellent color, it is also the only example that we have seen with a beard added to the central face. Churn in very nice condition with base chips on reverse, two shallow chips to interior of rim, and some shallow chips and wear to inner rim for lid. Lid with minor wear. H 18.25".

Sold at Crocker Farm July 21, 2018.

Price Realized: $16,250






RARE AND IMPORTANT LARGE-SIZED STONEWARE FACE JUG, EDGEFIELD DISTRICT, SC ORIGIN, circa 1845-1865, ovoid jug with finely-formed, stepped spout and applied strap handle, the front decorated with an applied clay face, including bulging kaolin eyes set within elliptical lids, conjoined arching eyebrows, prominent nose with pinched nostrils, open mouth with well-executed, flattened lips and incised kaolin teeth, and large ears with tragi. Sides of jug lightly-depressed to create the figure's cheek and jaw structure. Surface of jug coated in a beautiful, light-green alkaline glaze with runs to shoulder and right side, as well as lighter application to base, creating an appealing mottling to surface. Among the finest Edgefield face vessels to come to auction, this recently-surfaced work features exceptional size, sculpting, and color. While the majority of Edgefield face jugs stand roughly five to six inches in height, this example measures 8.75" tall with a capacity of one-half-gallon to three quarts. It relates in style to a small, but important, group of face jugs from a currently-unidentified school or maker. Among this group is a monkey jug, incised "Joe Kirksey", illustrated on p. 81, fig. 3.10 of Cinda K. Baldwin's book, Great and Noble Jar, and currently in the collection of the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, GA. A second example is illustrated on the back cover of Great and Noble Jar, and currently resides in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. The finely-shaped spout on the example to be auctioned is often linked to earlier Edgefield potteries of the 1840-1855 time period. Among the most significant discoveries in Edgefield stoneware of the past decade.

Provenance: A recently-discovered example, found in the estate of a descendant of Samuel W. Bridgham (1775-1840), the first mayor of Providence, Rhode Island. Possible early owners of the jug include any of Bridgham's three sons, Samuel (1842-1915), Joseph (1845-1915), who served during the Civil War in Company K of the Seventh Regiment of the New York State militia, or William (1849-1916).

Condition: A reglued wedge to reverse side of spout, along with a shallow /625" flake to top of spout, with crude, old plaster repair. A shallow flake to one ear. H 8.75".

Some additional important notes regarding provenance:

While this jug is noteworthy in its size and expressiveness, it additionally holds strong historical significance in its provenance. Mysteries surrounding this iconic Southern form abound, due in part to a lack of history of ownership for individual examples. Most are simply found along the way by keen-eyed collectors or dealers, some in the South, but many in the Northeastern United States. A handful of the better-provenanced examples include those purchased in 1969 by New York folk art collector, John Gordon, from Helen Eve, a descendant of Colonel Thomas Davies, owner of the Palmetto Fire Brick Works in Bath, SC, during the 1860s. (This group of face vessels, sold at Christie’s in 1999, had previously been acquired by Eve’s son, William Raiford Eve, before World War II from an African-American community located between Aiken and Langley, South Carolina.) A small number of other examples carry provenances as museum donations, some gifted as early as the first decade of the 20th century.

This jug, however, offers us a rare glimpse into possible ownership dating back to the third quarter of the 19th century. Our initial provenance on the jug is listed in this catalog as:

"A recently-discovered example, found in the estate of a descendant of Samuel W. Bridgham (1775-1840), the first mayor of Providence, Rhode Island. Possible early owners of the jug include any of Bridgham’s three sons, Samuel (1842-1915), Joseph (1845-1915), who served during the Civil War in Company K of the Seventh Regiment of the New York State militia, or William (1849-1916)."

New details have brought to light the name of the estate in which the jug was found, that of Clive W. Bridgham (1951-2018) of Barrington, RI. The sale of Bridgham’s estate, which occurred in June of this year, included a veritable time-capsule of family pieces dating to the 19th century. Among these items was this jug, uncovered in a closet. Bridgham’s ancestry, as previously noted in our catalog, included Samuel W. Bridgham (1775-1840), the first mayor of Providence, RI, whose fire bucket was also sold in the estate sale.

Samuel W. Bridgham had a nephew, Capt. Thomas Paine (1786-1859), who possibly brought the jug from its home state to Rhode Island. An excerpt from the "Manufacturers’ and Farmers’ Journal," Providence, RI, Nov. 14, 1859, p. 1, reads as follows:

Capt. Thomas Paine, whose death was noticed yesterday, was a gallant officer of the American navy, and a genial and kind hearted man. He was born, we believe, in Massachusetts, but for many years lived in Savannah and in Charleston. He was a nephew of Samuel Bridgham, the first mayor of Providence, and he occasionally visited this city, where many of our readers remember him. We shall doubtless find in the Savannah or Charleston papers a memoir of his life, and a fitting tribute to this worth.

The journal’s passage not only draws a familial connection between South Carolina, the state in which the jug was produced, and Rhode Island, the jug’s ultimate resting place; it also indicates a possible means by which the jug traveled to New England, as Paine “occasionally visited [Providence]”, presumably as a ship’s captain.

A second possible owner was Paine’s son, Edward Tatnall Paine, (1824-1908), a prominent Charleston cotton farmer and rice planter. His obituary in “The Atlanta Constitution”, August 23, 1908, reads:

Captain Edward Tattnall Paine, the oldest lineal descendant of Governor Landgrave Smith, of South Carolina, died at the residence of his son, Thomas B. Paine, at East Lake, Friday night at 12 o’clock. Captain Paine came to Atlanta two weeks ago to pay a visit to his son, and had been here only a few days when he became ill. Captain Paine was 85 years of age and was born in Charleston, S. C. His father was Captain Thomas Paine, of the United States navy and his mother was Mary Lucia Bellinger, a grand-daughter of Governor Landgrave Smith. Before the war he was a cotton factor and a large rice planter, and for many years he was captain of the famous Charleston Light Dragoons. He was one of the few surviving members of the old St. Cecelia Society of Charleston. He was married to Miss Julia Faber Beckley, of Charleston, a grand-daughter of Charles Desel, of the old Huguenot family of that name, one of the oldest families in South Carolina.

Edward Tatnall Paine’s obituary indicates he was linked to Charleston High Society by marriage and membership in at least two organizations: the Charleston Light Dragoons, an exclusive militia of privileged Charlestonians, which dated back to the 18th century and was ravaged by Grant’s troops at Richmond, and the St. Cecelia Society, which began as a private concert organization, but, by 1820, had essentially become a social club for South Carolina’s elite.

Paine was thus connected to two opposing ends of the social spectrum. On one end, as a grower of cotton and rice, he regularly interacted with African-American slaves, a group popularly linked to both the manufacture and ritualistic use of Edgefield-made face vessels. On the other end, he fraternized with Charleston’s wealthiest and most influential through various social institutions, where a piece related to rural African-American culture could be viewed as a curiosity or visually-engaging object. Either association is a possible means by which this object could have been acquired. Paine’s interactions with Northern relatives later in life could easily explain the jug’s final resting place in Rhode Island.

Our upcoming sale offers a rare opportunity to acquire one of the finest Edgefield face jugs to ever come to auction, a work symbolic of a rapidly-growing fervor for Southern-made decorative arts. As an auction house interested in the history of pieces as much as their artistic value, we have added this new-found research to expand the narrative of this remarkable find.

Sold at Crocker Farm July 21, 2018.

Price Realized: $70,800


VERY RARE AND IMPORTANT TEN-GALLON ALKALINE-GLAZED STONEWARE JUG, with Double Handles and Glass Runs, Stamped Twice "DS / 10", Daniel Seagle, Vale, NC, circa 1840, skillfully-potted, highly-ovoid jug with tooled spout and two applied, ribbed handles at the shoulder, the surface covered in an olive-green alkaline glaze with darker flowing glaze runs descending at each side. Shoulder additionally decorated in four places with glass runs exhibiting beautiful, blue-and-white rutile, a desirable treatment only occasionally seen in his work. Shoulder impressed on front and reverse with the initials "DS" and capacity mark "10". This recently-surfaced jug embodies all of the characteristics of Seagle's best work in its large size, rare double-handled form, and striking glaze with rutile-highlighted glass runs. The finest example of Daniel Seagle stoneware that we have ever offered.

Provenance: A fresh-to-the-market example, which recently surfaced in NC.

Condition: A .625" hole to shoulder with faint 7" hairline extending vertically through it. One handle with a 1" flake to side and other minor roughness. Two tiny chips to spout. H 21.5".

Sold at Crocker Farm July 21, 2018.

Price Realized: $12,980


RARE AND MONUMENTAL SIXTEEN-GALLON FOUR-HANDLED STONEWARE JAR, with Alkaline Glaze, Stamped Twice "DS", Daniel Seagle, Vale, NC, circa 1840, skillfully-potted, rotund jar with flared rim and four applied lug handles at the shoulder, the surface covered in a high-gloss, olive-green alkaline glaze with lively, darker glaze runs flowing from the shoulder down the body of the pot. Impressed on two handles with the initials, "DS". This example is noteworthy in its impressive and rare sixteen-gallon capacity, wonderful four-handled form, and lively alkaline glaze, all illustrating Seagle's mastery of the potting craft. A related example resides in the collection of Colonial Williamsburg.

Condition: A 6" x .75" restored section to rim. A 4" x .5" restored section to rim. Approximately .66" of one unmarked handle restored. A minor chip to one marked handle. A tightly-sealed 9" crack from rim. An in-the-firing, slightly-warped area near base and additional warping to underside. H 19.75".

Sold at Crocker Farm July 21, 2018.

Price Realized: $11,800


EXTREMELY RARE GLAZED REDWARE PITCHER, with Profuse Two-Color Slip Decoration, Alamance County, NC origin, early 19th century, ovoid pitcher with footed base, tooled body and rim, and highly-unusual coggled banding to shoulder; front of pitcher profusely-decorated in yellow and manganese slip with a slip-trailed design of a tulip plant emanating from an open-handled basket, including numerous dots and wavy lines surrounding the scrolled stems of the plant. Sides and reverse of pitcher's body heavily-decorated with alternating wavy vertical trails of yellow and manganese slip in the distinctive, Alamance County, NC style. Pitcher is further decorated above with an alternating spot-and-curved line motif in yellow and manganese slip. Collar and spout feature small, graduated vertical stripes of yellow and manganese slip with additional diagonal trails of yellow slip above these designs. Rim molding decorated with yellow slip spots, and handle decorated with alternating curved trails of yellow slip and wavy trails of manganese slip, along with yellow-slip spots at the base of the handle. Interior and exterior surface covered in a clear lead glaze. This significant recent discovery ranks among the most heavily-decorated Southern ceramic pitchers that we have seen. Provenance: A fresh-to-the-market example, which recently surfaced in Ohio. 

Condition: Heavy wear to slip. Some surface wear to midsection, particularly on left side. A 1.75" rim chip, two other small rim chips, a small spout chip, and wear to rim. Wear to handle. A large flake to interior base. Some additional wear to interior. H 10.5".

Sold at Crocker Farm July 21, 2018.

Price Realized: $16,520




IMPORTANT AND PROBABLY UNIQUE STONEWARE INKWELL, with Cobalt-Decorated Border, Incised Twice "CC", Dated 1815, and Signed on Underside "Jn C Crolius", Manhattan, NY, 1815, slab-constructed form with five quills and delicately-formed recessed ink reservoir, composed of an inwardly-tapering square, incised on one side with the initials and date, "CC / 1815" and on the opposite side with the incised initials, "CC". Inkwell includes incised borders to edges, as well as surrounding the squared ink reservoir and the adjacent quill hole. Cobalt highlights run vertically along the corners of the inkwell, surround the object's top edge, and border the squared edge of the ink reservoir. Underside incised with the maker's name, "Jn. C. Crolius", referring to John Clarkson Crolius (1796-1823), son of the important Manhattan potter and public figure, Clarkson Crolius, Sr.. Perhaps due to his premature death at the relatively young age of 27, little has been written about John Clarkson Crolius (1796-1823), but as Clarkson Crolius's oldest son, he grew up working in what is perhaps the most well-known American stoneware shop. After reaching adulthood, his name begins to appear in New York city directories as a potter, mainly living on Bayard Street, the location of Clarkson Crolius's second stoneware manufactory, launched earlier in the decade. John C. Crolius was born about the time Clarkson was beginning to take the reins of his father, John's, old pottery that had been established circa 1720, just north of modern-day City Hall Park--during a time period when famous potters like Thomas Commeraw and David Morgan were likewise working around "Potter's Hill," in a network of shops that also included that of John and Henry Remmey, and Clarkson's brother, John, Jr. To our knowledge, only two hand-signed Crolius family inkwells are known to exist: this example and the iconic heart-shaped inkstand, signed "New York, July 12th 1773, William Crolius", which is currently on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan, NY. This example's status as a treasured family item constructed by a son for his father--perhaps the most famous American stoneware potter of all--makes it an exceedingly important example of early American ceramics. L 2.875" ; W 2.125" ; H 1.75"

Condition: Excellent condition with light wear to some edges and a tiny nick to one corner. .

Sold at Crocker Farm July 21, 2018.

Price Realized: $17,700


EXCEPTIONAL SMALL-SIZED VERTICAL-HANDLED STONEWARE JAR, with Incised Floral Decoration, Manhattan, NY origin, probably Crolius Family, circa 1790, ovoid jar with footed base, tooled shoulder, and open vertical handles, decorated on the front and reverse with an incised and cobalt-highlighted design of a fan-shaped flower emanating from a curved stem with leaves. Brushed cobalt highlights to handle terminals. Excellent in terms of size, decoration, condition, and color, this jar ranks among the better Manhattan examples we have ever offered. Provenance: A fresh-to-the-market example, recently discovered in Ohio. H 8.5".

Condition:  A 1.125" rim chip. Two faint lines descending from rim on interior, measuring 4" and 2.75" on interior, but only visible as a 1.75" line and a 1" line on exterior. Examples of this early-style form are difficult to find with both handles intact. 

Sold at Crocker Farm July 21, 2018.

Price Realized: $3,540


EXCEEDINGLY RARE AND IMPORTANT SIX-GALLON STONEWARE CROCK, with Cobalt Decoration of a Flying Eagle with Banner, Inscribed "WE ARE AFTER YOU", Stamped "J.B. PFALTZGRAFF / YORK, PA.", circa 1861-1865, large-sized, cylindrical crock with semi-rounded rim and applied lug handles, decorated with a slip-trailed design of a flying eagle with heavily-detailed body and wings, holding a banner in its beak, inscribed "WE ARE AFTER YOU". Cobalt highlights to maker's mark, capacity mark, and handle terminals. This previously-undocumented work by the famous Pfaltzgraff Pottery of York, PA is one of only three documented Central PA stoneware pieces with an eagle design. It is a recent addition to a small body of figural-decorated crocks with inscriptions produced by the Pfaltzgraffs and regarded as their finest work. (Among these are the iconic "Lady Killer" crock reproduced by Pfaltzgraff during the late 20th century). The eagle motif and large slogan, "WE ARE AFTER YOU", strongly suggest that this crock was made as a piece commemorating the Union Army during the Civil War, with the inscription serving as a declaration of war against the Confederacy. York, Pennsylvania, located just across the Mason-Dixon Line, was surrendered to Confederate Major General Jubal Early in 1863, becoming the largest Northern city to be occupied by Confederate troops. Between June 28 and 30 of that year, Early collected food and supplies from York's townspeople, also demanding $100,000 in exchange for not raiding the city. The people of York were only able to gather $28,600, which Early was satisfied with. Local landmarks such as the York Fairgrounds and courthouse became occupation sites, until Early traveled westward in accordance with new orders from Robert E. Lee. The anger of the people of York over this invasion may have been the inspiration for the slogan seen on this crock. An outstanding Pennsylvania stoneware product, in terms of decoration, historical significance, maker, and size. Provenance: A fresh-to-the-market example, which descended in the family of the owners of Menges Mills, York Co., PA. H 13.875".

Condition: A long, inverted Y-shaped surface crack to right of eagle, not visible on interior. A long, slightly-curved crack to underside. A few faint, short horizontal surface lines near base on reverse. A shallow 1" surface flake/contact mark to reverse. A 1.25" in-the-firing flake to top of rim and two minor in-the-firing rim nicks. Some light bubbling to cobalt. 

Sold at Crocker Farm July 21, 2018.

Price Realized: $15,340


OUTSTANDING GLAZED REDWARE JAR, with Rope Handles and Bold Manganese X and Slash Motifs, attributed to David Mandeville, Circleville, NY, circa 1830, ovoid jar with footed base, tooled shoulder, flared rim molding, and finely-formed rope handles, the body profusely-decorated with ornamental scrolled manganese X's below a series of smaller X's. Collar decorated with diagonal manganese dashes. Manganese highlights to handle terminals. Surface covered in a clear lead glaze. This example is among the finest brush-decorated Mandeville jars known, featuring bold decoration against a vivid, bright-orange ground. A striking jar in both form and decoration, surviving in remarkable condition. Provenance: Purchased by the consignor in the Circleville, NY area in 1996. H 8.375".

Condition: Expected wear to top of rim. Some small, minor glaze flakes to bottom edge of jar. Short lines to base area/underside. Some exfoliation to interior base area.

Sold at Crocker Farm July 21, 2018.

Price Realized: $4,425


OUTSTANDING ONE-GALLON STONEWARE JUG, with Profuse Incised Bird, Foliate, and Floral Decoration, New York State origin, circa 1825-1835, ovoid jug with semi-squared spout, decorated on the front with a large, incised and cobalt-highlighted design of a leafy plant bearing tassel-shaped blossoms, underscored by horizontal and vertical floral motifs. To the design's left appears a large incised and cobalt-highlighted design of a bird with upswept tail, perched on a flowering vine, and to the design's right are two large-leafed flowering plants. This recently-surfaced work is one of the most heavily-incised examples of American stoneware that we have ever offered, with decoration that spans three sides. The incising is noteworthy in its meticulous execution, featuring numerous deeply-scored strokes throughout the bird and leaves. H 11.875".

Provenance: A fresh-to-the-market example, consigned from Washington State. 

Condition: Excellent, essentially as-made condition with a minor spout nick. 

Sold at Crocker Farm July 21, 2018.

Price Realized: $24,780


OUTSTANDING STONEWARE BANK, with Stepped Finial and Cobalt Floral Decoration, attributed to Henry Remmey, Sr. or Henry Remmey, Jr., Baltimore, MD, circa 1825, ovoid bank with footed base and dramatic stepped finial, embellished with elliptical and diamond-shaped chip carving with slot in bottom tier. Body of bank decorated with a boldly-brushed series of three fan-shaped flowers emanating from a leafy stems. Additional brushed cobalt spots to middle tier and top tier of finial. Exceptional in its form and carved treatment, this bank is one of a small number with freehand cobalt decoration identifying the influential Baltimore, MD potters, Henry Remmey, Sr., or his son, Henry Harrison Remmey, as its maker. H 6 .5".

Condition: Loss to top of finial. A .5" surface chip to shoulder on reverse.

Sold at Crocker Farm July 21, 2018.

Price Realized: $1,888


VERY RARE AND IMPORTANT COBALT DECORATED STONEWARE LOG CABIN, with-Raccoon Bank, Inscribed "C. Cochy (?)", attributed to Thomas Haig, Jr., Philadelphia, PA, circa 1840-1855, molded bank in the form of a log cabin with two chimneys, paned windows, a door, and stylized kegs at each end, the roof with hand-modeled and applied figure of a raccoon. Surface profusely-decorated with cobalt highlights throughout and covered in a salt glaze. Underside with carved slot and the faint incised inscription "C. Cochy(?). An iconic Philadelphia ceramic form, such banks were produced by Thomas Haig, Jr. in stoneware, redware, and rockinghamware, to commemorate William Henry Harrison's "Log Cabin Campaign of 1840". Few examples produced in each clay medium are known. Harrison, a Whig candidate for U.S. President at age 67, was considered too old by Democrats, with one newspaper declaring, "Give him a barrel of hard cider, and. . . a pension of two thousand [dollars] a year. . . and. . . he will sit the remainder of his days in a log cabin.". Harrison's Whig Party turned this idea against his opponents, presenting its candidate as "the log cabin and hard cider candidate", a man of the people, who contrasted starkly with the elitist Democratic candidate, Martin van Buren. Such banks, which celebrated Harrison with their log cabin form and cider kegs at each end, continued to be produced in different styles into the 1850s, long after Harrison's ill-fated, one-month presidency, which ended in his death from pneumonia. Haig's cobalt-decorated cabin banks have long been regarded as one of the rarest, most distinctive, and most prized stoneware forms produced in the city of Philadelphia. L 3.875" ; W 2.75" ; H 4.25".

Provenance: From a recently-surfaced NC collection, purchased by the consignor at Sotheby's, New York, Oct. 24, 1993, lot #197; includes Sotheby's sale sticker on underside.

Condition: One chimney restored, typical of this form. In-the-firing fissures at cabin's juncture with its slab base. Old damage around slot in underside to remove coins. A minor base chip.

Sold at Crocker Farm July 21, 2018.

Price Realized: $2,478


FINE SLIP-DECORATED REDWARE LOAF DISH, Philadelphia, PA origin, circa 1825, with coggled edge, the interior elaborately-decorated in yellow slip with wavy lines and foliate devices. L 14".

Condition: Edge chips and some light wear to interior.

Sold at Crocker Farm July 21, 2018.

Price Realized: $1,180






EXTREMELY RARE AND IMPORTANT SCRIMSHAW WHALE'S TOOTH KNOWN AS THE MAP TOOTH, Mid-19th Century.

Obverse with a finely detailed map or chart depicting New Bedford Harbor, Buzzards Bay and the Elizabeth Islands, including identified locations of New Bedford, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, Nashawena and Penikese. Map also includes images of illuminated lighthouses, one on a peninsula between New Bedford and Dartmouth and one at the northern tip of Cuttyhunk, as well as houses and trees near Mishaum Point. At the center is an image of a whaling ship returning to port, with a dotted line to indicate its plotted course. The whaleship is flying an "NYS" house flag from the foremast. Map is interspersed with additional plotted courses and directions including NNE, NE by N, etc. Reverse depicts a very active whaling scene of a whaleship, four whaleboats and six whales. One whaleboat is being stoved by a whale, tossing whalemen into the air. Blood spewing from two whales and some of the surrounding water is colored red. Deep mellow patina. Length 7.5".

Illustrated: Scrimshaw and Scrimshanders, Whales and Whalemen by E. Norman Flayderman (New Milford, Ct.: N. Flayderman & Co., Inc., 1972), obverse on p. 2 and reverse on p. 60.

The inside of the tooth is marked "NH350" in white ink. According to scrimshaw authority John Rinaldi, NH marks followed by a series of numbers indicates a piece was from the collection of Meylert Armstrong of Greenwich, Connecticut and New Hope, Pennsylvania, probably the preeminent collector of scrimshaw from the 1930s to the 1950s

The February 27, 1958 issue of the Pittsburgh Press said Armstrong was "Fascinated by the objects themselves and the romance of the old whaling industry" and began collecting scrimshaw pieces in 1930s. In the basement of his home he has amassed over 2000 pieces ranging from Biblical scenes engraved on whale tooth to pie crimpers made from whalebone. Though not especially valuable, since there is little demand for it, the scrimshaw is nevertheless a remarkable collection of true Americana. And if the stuff ever comes back into vogue Mr. Armstrong has a fortune made. The collection was also similarly described in a 1944 Antiques Magazine article and in an April 25, 1955 New York Times article.

Rinaldi claims that when E. Norman Flayderman purchased much of Armstrongs collection out his New Hope, Pennsylvania, home, Flayderman marked the items NH, standing for New Hope, followed by a series of numbers. The Armstrong Collection formed the nucleus of Flayderman's collection, and a substantial number of the items illustrated in Flayderman's Scrimshaw and Scrimshanders, Whales and Whalemen are from Armstrong's collection. The NH mark is visible on a number of pieces in the book, including a seven-wheel crimper on p. 175 that bears the mark NH250.

In the Spring 2018 issue of the Scrimshaw Observer, Paul Vardeman writes, "... some scrimshaw icons such as the Albatross tooth, the Finney panbone now at the New Bedford Whaling Museum, the Map Tooth , the Dove cane, and many more that have now become objects of desire among current collectors were once part of the Armstrong collection. Indeed, it may have been the Comstock Lode for private collectors and museums alike."

A tooth depicting a map of New Bedford and Buzzard's Bay is illustrated in Ingenious Contrivances, Curiously Carved by Stuart M. Frank (Boston: David R. Godine, 2012), fig. 6:24b. Another tooth depicting a primitive map is attributed to the Pagoda/Albatross Engraver.

While there are more than thirty Susan's Teeth by Frederick Myrick and numerous teeth by Edward Burdett, there is just one other example of a map tooth, which is part of the New Bedford Whaling Museum collection. This is an extraordinary opportunity to add an exceedingly rare and interesting example to your collection.

Condition: No damages noted.

Sold at Eldred's Auction July 19-20, 2018.

Price Realized: $168,000


EXCEPTIONAL SCRIMSHAW WHALE'S TOOTH ATTRIBUTED TO THE BRITANNIA ENGRAVER, Second Quarter of the 19th Century.

Titled on edge "The Ship Charles of London Whaling". Obverse depicts a whaleship with relief-carved hull flying the British flag. Reverse depicts an active whaling scene with central sperm whale stoving a whaleboat, sending harpoons, lances, a water cask and four whalemen flying into mid-air and two whalemen into the water. Whale with relief-carved tail colored black above the waterline; the remainder of the whale below the waterline is outlined and left uncolored. Scene is further detailed with eight additional whales and the stern of a whaleboat fast into a whale. Whale at upper left is waifed. Relief-carved scallop and pique border encircles base. This tooth is considered one of the best examples by the Britannia Engraver to come to market. Length 5.25".

Provenance: The Kobacker Collection.

Condition: No damages noted.

Sold at Eldred's Auction July 19-20, 2018.

Price Realized: $192,000


POLYCHROME SCRIMSHAW WHALE'S TOOTH ATTRIBUTED TO THE NAVAL MONUMENT ENGRAVER, Second Quarter of the 19th Century.

Obverse titled "The Hornet Blockading the Bonne. Citoyenne". Depicts the three-masted American warship at the mouth of the port of Salvador, Brazil, during the War of 1812, blockading the British Citoyenne. The Hornet is flying a large American flag. Reverse titled "United States Squadron Under Com. Bainbridge Returning Triumphant From the Mediterranean In 1815." Depicts the fleet under sail. Ships identified as "Macedonian, Firefly, Torch, Boxer", "Independence, Spark, Saranac, Enterprize, Lynx" and "Congress, Chippewa, Spitfire, Flambeau". Length 7.5".

Provenance: The Kobacker Collection.

Condition: Age cracks from base extend into the scenes. No other damages noted.

Sold at Eldred's Auction July 19-20, 2018.

Price Realized: $396,000


RARE AND IMPORTANT SCRIMSHAW WHALE'S TOOTH BY JAMES ADOLPHUS BUTE, CREW MEMBER ON CHARLES DARWIN'S EXPEDITION, Second Quarter of the 19th Century.

Engraved during the voyage of Charles Darwin aboard the H.M.S. Beagle. Both sides depict scenes from the expedition. Obverse with vignette of the Beagle onshore for repairs. Vignette contained within an oak leaf garland. Globe marked "H.B.M. Sloop Beagle" below scene. ("H.B.M." refers to "Her Britannic Majesty".) Inscribed below globe "Laid on Shore at Santa Cruz. Eastn Patagonia, to repair her Fore foot, in April 1834". Signed lower right of scene "J.A. Bute". Reverse with vignette of three boats being hauled ashore by many figures. Vignette contained within a rectangular frame with fan designs at corners and a rising sun design at top. Inscribed in a banner below frame "Tracking the Boats of H.M.S. Beagle up the River Santa Cruz Eastn Patagonia". Signed lower right of frame "J.A. Bute". Length 8". Includes custom display case.

Provenance: Descended in the Thompson family of England and South Africa.

Hyland Granby Antiques.

According to the Dictionary of Scrimshaw Artists by Stuart M. Frank (Mystic, Ct.: Mystic Seaport Museum, 1991) p. 24, Englishman James Adolphus Bute was born around 1799 and joined the Royal Navy around 1819. There was great crossover of personnel between whaling and naval service in England, much more so than in the United States, and Bute may have been introduced to scrimshaw during a whaling voyage in between stints on naval vessels. "The Journal of Syms Covington", assistant to Darwin on his second voyage aboard the Beagle, December 1831-September 1836, records James Bute as a crew member, one of six crew members listed as a Royal Marine.

Published accounts of the voyage note that in early April 1834, the Beagle was laid on shore for repair in an estuary of the Rio Santa Cruz, which opens to the Atlantic 217 miles north of the tip of South America. While the repairs were being made, Darwin and others explored further upriver, with the men having to haul the three boats they took with them against the river's current for most of the journey. These two events are illustrated on this tooth. Conrad Martens, the official artist onboard the Beagle, also captured these events in two drawings that mirror the images on the tooth; both of Martens's illustrations can be seen in Darwin and the Beagle by Alan Moorehead (N.Y.: Harper & Row, 1969). Given the similarities between Bute's and Martens's work, it is possible Bute was influenced by or collaborated with the artist in creating his pieces of scrimshaw.

A scrimshaw tooth with almost identical characteristics to this example, also attributed to James Bute while he was onboard the Beagle in 1834, is in the collection of the Western Australia Museum in Perth.

This tooth was treated for stains and re-inked by sculpture conservationist Jean D. Portell of Brooklyn, New York. Extensive records and photographs of Portell's examination and treatment are included. Research material and provenance statement also included.

Provenance: The Kobacker Collection.

Condition: Minor age cracks at base.

Sold at Eldred's Auction July 19-20, 2018.

Price Realized: $57,000


PAIR OF POLYCHROME SCRIMSHAW WHALE'S TEETH BY A CERES ARTISAN, Second Quarter of the 19th Century.

One tooth depicts a woman with an American eagle perched on her shoulder and her left arm resting on an anchor. The eagle clasps a "Virtue Liberty And Independence" banner in its beak, and the woman is standing on a rock surrounded by stylized water. The other tooth depicts a sailor with an American eagle perched on his shoulder, his right arm resting on an anchor and his left hand holding a hat. The eagle clasps a "Free Trade And Sailors Rights" banner in its beak. A red, white and blue American flag is to the sailor's left and a red, white and blue shield is at his feet. He is standing on a rock surrounded by stylized water that matches the other tooth. Wonderful patina. Lengths 5.25".

Provenance: A Private Consignor, Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

According to the consignor, a family member owned just one of the teeth until a friend, vacationing in the Caribbean, found the mate in an antiques shop and brought it back as a gift. The pair was inherited by the current consignor about forty years ago.

Condition: Slight age cracks at base.

Sold at Eldred's Auction July 19-20, 2018.

Price Realized: $96,000


POLYCHROME WHALE'S TOOTH DEPICTING ALWILDA, THE FEMALE PIRATE, Mid-19th Century.

Obverse depicts Alwilda wearing black pants, white shoes and a red sash over a long coat with black bodice, white collar, black and white checkered skirt and red fringe. A dagger and a pistol are tucked into the sash, and she is holding a sword above her head. At her feet is a red, yellow and black leafy plant. Reverse depicts Alwilda wearing a red hat and traditional Scandinavian dress with red floral designs down the front of the skirt. Red and black stars at tip surround her head. One edge depicts three ships flying American and British flags. Other edge depicts a horse leaping from a red plinth. Length 6.5. Accompanied by a copy of The Pirates Own Book ... (Portland, et al: Sanborn & Carter, 1844), which has a black and white image of "Alwilda, the Female Pirate" on p. 22.

Similar examples of teeth depicting Alwilda are illustrated in Scrimshaw and Scrimshanders, Whales and Whalemen by E. Norman Flayderman (New Milford, Ct.: N. Flayderman & Co., Inc., 1972), p. 76-77. It is our opinion this is the best example of an Alwilda tooth ever to be offered, and is the only example we know of that depicts Alwilda in Scandinavian dress.

Provenance: Single-owner collection for more than twenty-five years.

Condition: Old chip at reverse side base. Minor age cracks at base.

Sold at Eldred's Auction July 19-20, 2018.

Price Realized: $102,000


BOTTLE OF WHALE OIL, Last Half of the 19th Century. Label for "George Delano's Sons". Bottle retains original glass stopper and remnants of wax, and is still full of whale oil. Height 9.5". Diameter 3.5".

Provenance: Chuck DeLuca Auction.

Condition: Label toned with some staining. No other visible damages.

Sold at Eldred's Auction July 19-20, 2018.

Price Realized: $6,000


EXCEPTIONAL DOUBLE SAILOR'S VALENTINE, 19th Century

Composed of multicolored shells. Left side with a heart, star and geometric design. Right side with a flower, star and geometric design. Octagonal hinged wooden case. Each side 13.5 x 13.5".

Condition: Generally good condition. Case with minor / wear and scratches.

Sold at Eldred's Auction July 19-20, 2018.

Price Realized: $8,400


FRENCH, 1820s. OIL ON CANVAS, FRAMED, A FULL LENGTH PORTRAIT OF NAPOLEAN FRANCOIS JOSEPH BONAPARTE (1811-1832), known as Franz, Duke of Reichstadt, and son of Napoleon Bonaparte and Marie Louise of Austria. Unsigned; 54.5 x 35.25 in. (sight), 60 x 41.25 in. (frame).

Nicknamed L'Aiglon (the Eaglet), Napoleon II was the titular Emperor of France for a brief time after his father abdicated in 1815, before the Second Bourbon Restoration (1815-1830). He died of tuberculosis at a young age.

Provenance: Property from the Estates of Thomas H., Freda P., and Christie Ann Hewlett, Birmingham, Michigan

Condition: The painting was relined, and there are several areas of repair that are visible, even without UV light. There are a few patches on the reverse, and a few former tears / perforations that are visible on the painted surface. Under UV light, the painting shows some in-painting, in the repaired areas. There are also various retouched areas in the background, and one spot above the sitter's left eye, on his forehead.

Sold at Cowan's Auction July 14, 2018.

Price Realized: $14,400




ROBERT MORDEN (D. 1703) AND WILLIAM BARRY (FL. 1669-1708): A NEW MAP OF THE ENGLISH PLANTATIONS IN AMERICA BOTH CONTINENTS AND ISLANDS, "Shewing their true Situation and distance from England or one with another. By Robert Morden, at the Atlas, in Cornhill nere the Royal Exchange, and William Berry at the Globe between York House and the New Exchange in the Strand, London." 1673, black and white line engraving with hand coloring on laid paper. Cartouche depicting Native American figures upper left; inset map upper right showing the true situation of the colonies in relation to Britain. 17" x 20.75" image; 17.5" x 21.5" sight, 28" x 32" frame. Ref. William C. Wooldridge, "Mapping Virginia," fig. 74 p. 82-83; Wooldridge states that this rare map is "the first general map of the American colonies." Private Middle Tennessee collection

Condition: 1" x .25" loss to upper right corner. Two .5" x 1/4" losses at center edge and upper left edge (filled in on backing paper). 1" tear upper right edge. Dark staining to entire upper edge, extending along entire right edge of map, other scattered lighter stains and pale discolorations. Taped down along top.

Sold at Case Auctions July 14, 2018.

Estimate: $7,000-8,000

Price Realized: $13,200


WAR OF 1812 WHITE HOUSE ARTIFACT AND CUSTOM BOX, REMNANT OF A BURNED WHITE HOUSE TIMBER REMOVED FROM THE WHITE HOUSE DURING THE 1950 RENOVATIONS, from the 1814 White House fire started by the British during the War of 1812. Bears plaque to side reading "Original White House Material/ Removed in 1950" with the Presidential Seal in the center. Housed in a custom made marquetry box comprised of walnut and oak from White House repairs and cedar from the White House grounds. Construction diagram pasted to the interior of the lid and signed by the maker F. C. Mayes. Wood artifact – 4.5" x 2.5". 2" H x 6" W x 3 .75" D. Note: From 1949 to 1952, the White House underwent a major renovation. President Harry Truman noticed when he moved in that the White House was quite dilapidated, and pressed Congress for funds to refurbish the mansion. In the House of Representatives, the White House renovation was overseen by the Public Works Committee, on which sat first-term Congressman Gerald Ford. Truman gave Ford and other committee members a personal tour of the White House, pointing out its defects. What Ford remembered most, however, "was when he took us into the Oval Office and I saw that little sign on his desk: 'The Buck Stops Here'. I thought, Well, that's a good description of a President's job". The three-year project included tearing down all but the exterior walls and rebuilding everything within. In the process, workers found charred lumber from the burning of the White House in 1814. Clearly these structurally unstable pieces could not remain. Instead, they were removed and sold to the public as souvenirs, as directed by the Commission on the Renovation of the Executive Mansion. In March of 1952, a small ceremony marked the end of the renovation and the opening of the refurbished and structurally-sound White House.

Provenance: From the estate of Captain Gordon Wells, member of the Secret Service's Uniformed Division, the White House Police, from 1943 through 1967. During his tenure, Wells received mementos from sitting Presidents and First ladies of 5 administrations, from Franklin Roosevelt through Lyndon B. Johnson.

Condition: Both artifacts in very good condition.

Sold at Case Auctions July 14, 2018.

Estimate: $300-350

Price Realized: $8,960


WHITE-PAINTED FEDERAL FANLIGHT, America, late 18th/early 19th century, demilune wooden frame ornamented with lead spreadwing eagle, rosettes, trefoils, and leafy swags, ht. 16.5, wd. 44.125 in.

Provenance: Sandra Cutcher, Dover, New Hampshire; Skinner, The Collection of Meryl & Jay Weiss, February 18, 2007, Lot 90.

The James and Pamela Alexander Collection

Condition: old but not original paint to the fanlight, with repairs to a few swags, there is a break to the outer arch, and the interior section is no longer affixed to the medial support

Sold at Skinner Auctions July 19, 2018.

Estimate: $1,000-1,500

Price Realized: $1,476


PAIR OF STAFFORDSHIRE CERAMIC RABBITS, England, 19th century, lg. 10 in.

Condition: allover crazing, some turning to small hairlines, wear to the bases, one rabbit is with a chip and base cracks.

Sold at Skinner Auctions July 19, 2018.

Estimate: $1,000-1,500

Price Realized: $2,091


SIX GRADUATED PAINTED FIRKINS, 19th century, ht. 9 to 15.5 in.

Condition: green is with large chips to lid and base, both red firkins are with splits to the lids, the small gray is with losses to the lid, the large blue is with loose bands, the small blue is with lid chips and losses and loose bands. Each exhibits wear and paint loss consistent with age and use

Sold at Skinner Auctions July 19, 2018.

Estimate: $600-800

Price Realized: $1,599


TEN PEWTER MUGS AND MEASURES, ht. to 9.5 in.

Sold at Skinner Auctions July 19, 2018.

Estimate: $200-300

Price Realized: $4,305


SET OF NINE JACOB WHITMORE PEWTER PLATES, Middletown, Connecticut, 18th/19th century, diameter 8 in.

Sold at Skinner Auctions July 19, 2018.

Estimate: $300-500

Price Realized: $1,599


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