Rather than casting, the now heavily oxidized and brittle zinc was shaped by hammering sheets around a carved wooden form. Two halves were then trimmed and soldered together. Testimony to the likely brutal process are the small folds and overlaps that made the metal behave like fabric. At the bottom edge of one of the […]
Antique plaster cast from the Caproni Brothers of Boston. Titled “Angel Head” and circa 1915.
Though certainly twentieth century in origin, this carved limestone figure’s pose resembles the formula of Greek (and later Roman) Aphrodite figures so closely that they’re undeniably the inspiration. Departing from its lifelike classical prototypes, however, this figure’s features have been abstracted – flattened and distilled to its basic volumetric gestures. It’s not until studied more […]
Electa was – surprisingly enough – a popular name in the early to mid 19th century and Africa was still largely unexplored by cartographers, etc. Dating the map and finding its maker was therefore an exercise in probability, i.e. looking for a person living in the Northeast US whose lifetime overlapped the understanding of Africa […]
19th-century hand-written note page with an embellished penmanship title and footer. And while the title “Specific Gravity of Metals” is a pretty catchy thing in itself, the text that follows using an “iron bomb” as the example for algebraic extrapolation. “What is the weight of an iron bomb shell of 3 inches thick, the greatest […]
Sweet cut paper flower basket collage from a small group of elementary-school artworks by a young Herbert Stoddard (upstate New York), circa 1920s-30s. Recently framed in an antique frame with archival matte. Dimensions supplied in listing are overall. Matte window measures 8-1/2 x 11-1/2. Frame molding is 1-5/8 inches wide.
Late 19th or turn-of-the-20th century original photographic print of a farmer with two horse team, wagon and what looks like two young boys in the driver’s seat. We have a large collection of images taken by the itinerant photographers that traveled across all of upstate New York. They’re usually formulaic and comprised of an entire […]
Late 19th or turn-of-the-20th century original photographic print of a teen/young adult driving a horse-drawn carriage. We have a large collection of images taken by the itinerant photographers that traveled across all of upstate New York. They’re usually formulaic and comprised of an entire family and sometimes animals standing in front of their then new […]
19th-century “Peony” pattern quilt. Cartouche containing a partial signature and date.
Might be a horse, but it’s little so I’m calling it “pony.” And while it might be the right size for a toy, it shows no signs of handling or abuse so I’m thinking ornament or whimsy. Overall a simplified form in which even the hind legs have been synthesized into a single form. Douglas […]