Today's purchases

 French late 18th century colored stipple engravings of  Jesus entering Jerusalem on a donkey and Jesus around children.

                                                                                        


Today is a beautiful cool Fall day in Mobile, Alabama. I decided to go to a estate sale to see what goody's I could find to bring back home. I usually don't buy on the first day as pieces are priced at regular price but today I tuck home a box full of fabulous finds! My favorite items was a pair of beautiful French Neoclassical late 18th century colored stipple engravings of Jesus entering Jerusalem on a donkey and Jesus around children. Just for a few bucks this was the sale of the month! I'm using them on my home alter along with a beautiful turn-of-the century stained glass and brass dresser box that I also bought will also use on my home alter.

Detail of Jesus around children

Detail of Jesus entering Jerusalem on a donkey

Turn-of-the century stained glass and brass dresser box

 

My home alter with my new old items

                                                                           


The other item I got that was rare was a lady's terrific beaded miser's purse dating from the romantic period circa 1830's-1850's. It is a blue knit tube with an crochet opening in the middle, and one cut steal ring that moves back and forth. Lady's would put their money into the slots and let the coins drop down into one of the beaded ends, the rings would keep the coins separated (so you could keep low value coins apart from high value ones!) and also prevent them from falling out. The bag is micro beaded with thousands of little marcasite beads (actually pyrite), that glitter and shine. A miser's purse could hang from a chatelaine or belt keeping hands free while shopping. Theses purses are rare as I have only seen them in museums. They enjoyed there highest fashion popularity from the period of 1840-60's but lingered on to 1880's. Most beaded bags from the mid-Victorian period [1850-60] originated in Czechoslovakia with France and Italy running a close second.

Lady's beaded miser's purse 1830-1850

                                                                                      

I bought some lovely early hand colored engravings at the sale a "Bachelor's Hall" engraving Plate No. 3. English fox hunt hand colored dating from the 1820's. I own 3 of this set. They are framed and hung around my Federal Huntboard. The poem along the bottom reads: Then for hounds there was Nimble, so well that climbs rocks, And Cocknose, a good one at senting a fox, Little Plunge, like a mole who will ferret and search, and beetle-browed Hawks Eye, so dead at a lurch. Young Sly looks that scents the strong breeze from the south, And musical Echo well, with his deep mouth, Hark away, hark away, While our spirits are gay, Let us drink to the joys of the next coming day. I was happy find in a quick Internet search on just the one print a dealer was asking $1,000. for it. I paid a few dollars for it. Other Engravings I picked up was a very fine 1829 English copper engraving of a peach by J. Watts after Mrs. Withers. Published in London by Ridgway. I'm sending it as a gift to my best friend who lost his dog last night. It was also a few dollars and a Internet search shows they go for around $350. I bought a 1835 hand colored Paris fashion plate that I could use for my period inspired Folk Art paintings. There were over a hundred other French hand colored fashion plates dating from circa 1800-1860. Can't wait to go on Sunday when the price is 60% off. I bought a mid 19th century English porcelain Rococo compote and just for one dollar a interesting hand blown 19th century bottle.

Bachelor's Hall engraving Plate No. 3. English fox hunt hand colored dating from the 1820's

Detail of Bachelor's Hall" engraving Plate No. 3. English fox hunt hand colored dating from the 1820's

1835 Paris fashion plate and 1829 English copper engraving of a peach

English Victorian Rococo Revival compote

Hand blown 19th century bottle

This 1830's late Federal maple acorn post twin bed was a good buy at $58.00 although I did not get it