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Charming Small
Folk Art
Dog Portrait
Northeast, second half, 19th century.
Oil on board of a white to cream-colored little dog, possibly a terrier, laying on a plush red cushion before a rich, draped crimson curtain. The dog is rendered with endearing sensitivity suggesting it was a beloved companion.
The composition is simple yet effective: the deep red curtain and cushion provide a warm, theatrical backdrop that contrasts beautifully with the dog’s pale coat, the curtain a device commonly employed in 19th-century portraiture. The darkened background further focuses attention on the little dog.
The back retains the label of F.W Devoe, a New York City provider of art supplies, begun in 1852 and in business into the late 19th century.
Presented in a fine period gilt frame that is likely original, frame size about 27 ¾ inches tall x 21 ¾ wide. In excellent condition with a few minor abrasions. Appears to be all original with no in-painting.
Provenance includes noted Boston antique dealer Stephen Score; private Northeast collection.
Small Heart
Cheese Mold
Probably Pennsylvania, ca. mid to 3rd quarter, 19th century.
Tinned sheet iron, hand-pierced, worked into a heart shape with rolled edges, attached handle, and raised feet. This mold was used to drain whey from soft cheeses, allowing the curds to form into a heart shape. The feet raised the strainer for draining. The handle was used for lifting as well as hanging for storage.
Original dry surface. Solidly made.
Proper burnishing on the bottom of the feet from legitimate wear. About 6 inches long x 5 wide x 2 tall.
Small
Steeple-Top Mirror
Blue Paint
.....sale pending
Probably New England or Mid-Atlantic, ca. 2nd half 19th century.
Original dry blue paint, in a hue of blue often referred to as “soldier” or “cadet”.
The pine frame shows much wear from handling and re-hanging, possibly suggesting use while traveling.
Retains its original mirror glass with atmospheric loss of silvering, again suggesting possible travel and exposure to marked variations in heat and humidity. Sturdy condition with a shrinkage crack lower right and a hairline at the hanging hole. Mirror glass held in the interior, about the perimeter, by white chalk “gesso”, which peaks through the blue in a few areas.
About 10 7/8 inches tall x 5 3/8 wide x 3/4 thick. A delightful 19th century survivor, notable for its small size, complex surface, strong folk character, and scarce blue paint.
Scarce
Very Small
Oval Box
....sale pending
New England, likely Massachusetts, ca. 1840.
Original wine-red paint; pine top and bottom with a maple sidewall.
Opposing-finger boxes of this type, often associated with Hingham, are relatively common in round form, yet decidedly scarce when oval and of such diminutive size. Measuring just 3 inches long, this example is the smallest opposing-finger oval box I have offered.
Note the pronounced wood-grain ridges on the top board, with burnished wear to the high points from handling, an important diagnostic feature when confirming original paint, and especially well expressed on this box.
Loose inside is a label from legendary dealer Roger Bacon.
Excellent condition.
Approximately 3 inches long x 2 1/8 inches deep x 1 5/8 inches tall.
Perfect for the top of a stack.
Bittersweet
Opposing Finger Box
"LEVI BEAL"
Hingham, Massachusetts, ca. 2nd quarter, 19th century.
Pine top and bottom; maple side wall. Joinery by iron tacks and tiny wooden pegs.
Lightly impressed on the lid LEVI BEAL (1786-1852). I have had a number of signed boxes by Levi Beal, so even though the intaglio-stamped signature is faint, I know what to look for (in the images I have shown a side by side of this box’s signature and another deeply stamped).
Overall dry original bittersweet paint. Very early in its use there was a wooden pieced repair on the left side of the lid (doesn’t go through), the top then lightly touched up way back then with a slightly redder paint.
About 6 3/8 inches long x 4 5/8 deep x 2 5/8 tall.
See "BUCKET TOWN" by Derin Bray, for reference. These Hingham painted oval boxes are sought after as stand alones, or for stacking. I have sold dozens over the years. They make a very colorful statement.
Choice Little
Indigo-Blue Salt
.....SOLD
Northeast, ca. late 18th/early 19th century, appears to be maple.
Best little salt cellar I have had in a long time.
Salt wasn’t always the inexpensive, free-flowing table staple it is today. Clean, dry salt in this period was relatively expensive, so large amounts were kept covered in crocks, and only a small amount brought out for meals, often in little salt cellars, to protect the main supply and to keep it as dry as possible.
This unlikely survivor has a delightful form with stepped base and tiny column supporting a broadly flaring bowl. Skillfully turned on a slow-lathe. Superb condition retaining complex surface of indigo blue paint and black (which may be variably oxidized blue). Interior shows darkening from contact of salt with wood, just what one should see in a salt.
Just 1 3/4 inches tall x 2 1/8 diameter. For a collector that loves early American painted treen.
Finely Crafted
Sliding-Lid Box
.....sale pending
Northeast, ca. 18th to early 19th century. Mixed softwoods, including pine, in original Spanish brown paint.
A particularly well-made sliding-lid box, likely intended for candles, exhibiting the work of a practiced joiner. The lid features crisp rectilinear molding, an elaborately carved finger hold, and chip carving. It slides cleanly within its original dado. The case is neatly dovetailed, and the slightly proud base is secured with wooden pegs, without the use of nails.
The Spanish brown surface, an essential colonial color derived from local iron-oxide earth pigments mixed with linseed oil and turpentine, remains honest, and untouched.
Excellent structural condition with expected surface wear.
Approximately 9 inches long x 4 3/4 inches wide x 2 inches high. From a long-time private Massachusetts collection.