Showing posts with label decorating. Show all posts
Showing posts with label decorating. Show all posts

Thursday, May 12, 2016

A 1850's American sentimental/mourning wreath made of hair.

Mid 19th century American Mourning wreath made of hair.


For the past few months I have been helping a friend in the French Quarter put items up on ebay and price there vast collection of antiques, In exchange for my time, I'm working for antiques in trade. A month ago the first item joined the collection of the le château de Hopkins. A 1850's American sentimental/mourning wreath made of hair. Hair is one of the most unique and personal mementos people can give of themselves. Although taking hair and weaving it into sentimental pieces has been done for hundreds of years as a way to remember a loved one, it was the Victorians who took the idea and crafted it into an art form. Since I was a child and saw my first woven hair wreath in a museum, I have been fascinated with them and hair jewelry.


A mourning wreath could be made up of one member’s hair or a composite of an entire family. As family members died, hair was saved in a “hair receiver.” When enough was accumulated, the hair was fashioned into flowers and leaves by twisting and sewing it around shaped wire forms. A family hair wreath was a way of telling about the family and its history; the same way a family tree indicates who members of a certain family are and their relationships, today. The open-end at the top of the wreath symbolizes the deceased’s ascent to heaven. Wreaths were then placed in shadow boxes and displayed with the open end up, like a horseshoe. This wreath has handwritten names and number that corresponds to the different family members.







Tuesday, May 10, 2016

The château de Hopkins in New Orleans before Hurricane Katrina

This photo was used as a Birthday invitation for my birthday of Aug 2th 2003. Posed in the front parlor of my house on Marais street. 


From 2000 to 2003 I restored a late 19th century New Orleans shotgun double outside of the French Quarter. This post shows the front two rooms of one side of the house. Both rooms were used as parlors. The front room a more formal parlor and the 2th room a more casual parlor, painted with a 1830's inspired mural by myself. Shortly after these photo's were taking the house was sold and I move back to the French Quarter until Hurricane Katrina came along. I enjoyed restoring this home and furnishing it with antiques and decorating it. 

A New Orleans made rosewood Napoleon lll sofa use in the front parlor.  

The front parlor with a mix of New Orleans made Victorian and Restoration chairs 

New Orleans made French style Restoration period chairs covered in French 1830's Louis Philippe Lyon silk. 

1830's New Orleans made side chairs. 

Some of my collection of portraits. In the middle over the mantel, a 18th century French pastel. A pair of oil portraits of a husband and wife. Under the portraits 18th and 19th century miniatures. 


The circa 1805 French Empire ormolu clock on the front mantel. 


A 1850's oil portrait of a gentleman with a 18th century French pastel under the oil portrait. A pair of New Orleans 1830's chairs. 

The front wall in between the front door and window 



The 2th parlor had a wall mural I painted to look like 1830's French hand-blocked panoramic wallpaper. Titled Monuments of the Mississippi river. The mural shows elegant stately buildings along the Mississippi river starting from New Orleans French Quarter to Natchez Mississippi with plantation homes in between, along with the people from the period. French Creoles, slaves, Free people of color and Indians.

Natchez on the bluff being worked on and 1840's French Boulle and ormolu clock in the Moorish style Old Paris porcelain and makeup Shields

On the mantel a French Louis Philippe 1840's tortoiseshell and ormolu boulle clock in the Moorish style. 

Natchez on the bluff being worked on and 1840's French Boulle and ormolu clock in the Moorish style Old Paris porcelain Empire vases and figurines and 1840's makeup Shields.

New Orleans & Place d'Armes

Indians at play over a 1830's Louisiana walnut drop leaf table with Old Paris porcelain punch bowl and Rococo Revival vases. 

Louisiana plantations, Free woman of color and pegioners brick octagonal building for pigeons. 

Over-mantel hung with 1840's portrait of a Creole woman

Detail of the 1840's portrait. 


Windy Hill Manor was constructed in the 1790's by Benijah Osmun. in the center with Concord plantation visible to the left, residence of the first Spanish Governor, Don Manuel Gayoso de Lemos, who built the house in 1794. On the mantel a collection of Old Paris porcelain.

Detail of the 1830's figuren of a Highland Hunter purchased in France. 


The dance of Free woman of color with Louisiana plantations in background

New Orleans & Place d'Armes

Louisiana plantations, Free woman of color and pegioners brick octagonal building for pigeons. With rosewood Rococo Revival chairs with original upholstery attributed to Alexander Roux from a South Carolina plantation. A early 19th century Primitive Louisiana Cypress tapered leg table with Old Paris porcelain vase in the Rococo Revival style.

Louisiana plantations, Free woman of color and pegioners brick octagonal building for pigeons. With rosewood Rococo Revival chairs with original upholstery attributed to Alexander Roux from a South Carolina plantation. Primitive Louisiana Cypress tapered leg table with Paris porcelain vase.

This was the shotgun double I bought and restored between 2000-2003 in New Orleans! 

Saturday, May 7, 2016

Sometimes they come back to you. The interesting story of a 19th c oil portrait.

Mid 19th century oil portrait of Joseph Patterson age 27 in the collection of le château de Hopkins 


In the Summer of 2009 while surfing ebay for 19th century oil portraits I came across the portrait of Joseph Patterson, although the sitter was not identified at the time. The listing was in New York city and if memory serves me right I believe the listing price was $1,500.  or $1,600. The global financial crisis of 2008 was a bad year for antiques, items that were worth lots of money went down in value and to this day many antiques are still down in price. Although I loved the painting I did not feel comfortable spending that much for it.  

The seller listed the painting many times on ebay from the Summer of 2009 until the winter of 2010 without any luck of the painting selling. We exchanged many emails about the portrait. I first offered $1,000. for it and my last offer for $1,200. was turned down. From day one of email exchanged, the New Yorker was very rude like some people are known for above the Mason Dixon line. She thought the person in the portrait was Southern without any proof other then thats what she was told when she bought it. 

My friends have nicknamed the person in the oil painting "Ashley Wilkes" after the fictional character in Margaret Mitchell's 1936 novel Gone with the Wind and the later film of the same name. 

Leslie Howard as Ashley Wilkes in the Gone With the Wind.

In January of 2010 I had decided to move from Baltimore, Maryland back to my birth town of Mobile, Alabama. Before leaving Baltimore I sold a lot of my antiques and bought a lot of antiques for my home in Alabama, In the back of my mind I could not stop thinking about the handsome portrait of the blue eyed blonde haired gentleman. I contacted the rue seller one more time. I upped my offer from $1,000. to $1,200. Plus I would ride up to New York and pick the painting up, that way the seller did not have to worry about packing it. I was still refused by the seller. 


The portrait is in it's original Victorian ornate Rococo Revival frame. 

5 years latter in January of 2015 I jus got back from my month long vacation  in France over Christmas/New Years. I'm surfing ebay for 19th century oil portraits and see a photo of the same portrait I feel in love with over 5 years ago. List not in New York city but outside of New York city. At the starting low bid of $299. without a reserve price. Wow I was amazed and worried! Did the same crazy rude woman still own this lovely painting? This time I was not letting the painting get away from me. But I had burning questions about the portrait and it's whereabouts over the last 5 years. 

First I found out the person listing the painting was a man that owned a Antiques shop specializing in antiques paintings. In careful email exchanges with him I asked where did he get the portrait and how long did he own it? He replied he bought it at a estate sale and had owned it for two years. I pieced together that the rude woman must have died and the painting was purchased at her estate sale for pennies on the dollar of what she thought it was worth.  Now next was to try and bid on the painting to own it. I was not going to let it slip thru my hands a 2th time. Biding the last 10 seconds I won the painting for $550. Have of my highest offer 5 years ago. Sometimes patience does pay off, even if it takes 5 years. 


The pieced together old label that came with the painting. 

After winning the beautiful portrait I became impatient to receive it. I won it in the middle of a big snow blizzard in New York, The painting could not be shipped off until 2 weeks after the auction was over, with me messaging the seller every day to see if he could ship it. It was held up for two weeks in New York and a week of shipping it, almost a month. It finally arrived at the château de Hopkins. I was very pleased and happy to see him after all of those years, I notice in the bottom of the box he came in old pieces of broken paper. After retrieving them and putting them together it turned to be part of a old typed label identifying the sitter as "Joseph Patterson" age 27 when the portrait was painted. I was surprised to find the label as the ebay listing did not say anything about a label. After contacting the seller again he did not know about the label. The only thing I could think about was it must have been hidden on the back of the portrait and fell out when it was being shipped to me. 


"Joseph Patterson" AKA Ashley Wilkes, decorated for Creole Christmas 2015 at le château de Hopkins. 



The key to a well painted portrait is the eyes will follow you around the room no matter where you are in a room.  


Today the portrait of "Joseph Patterson" AKA Ashley Wilkes has a high position in my home over a 1825 Federal Philadelphia pianoforte. He is very well painted with soft skin tone & hair, Salmon colored bow tie, white shirt, Ivory vest and black jacket. One hand holds the top of a gold tip walking stick. Red drapery with tassel hang on the left side of the portrait. 

I hope to one day be about to get more info on Joseph Patterson. As he looks like a interesting person. 

This is not the first time this has happen to me in the antique world. It has happen a few times when I don't get something I really want. Although some items have taken over ten years to come to me. Has something like this happen to you? If so I want to hear all about it. 


The Kentucky Derby @ le château de Hopkins!

We are getting ready for the Kentucky Derby @ le château de Hopkins!

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Sunday, April 24, 2016

Le Petit Déjeuner at Peter's house

My German friend Pascal enjoying Le Petit Déjeuner at Peter's antiques filled French Quarter house. 

A few Winters ago my German friend named Pascal come to New Orleans for a visit.  When I told my friend Peter that this young German guy was a Francophile, we were both invited over to Peter's lovely house for Petit Déjeuner. 


Upon our arrival a nice fire was going in the early 19th century marble fireplace.  

Sprouting Louisiana mirlitons on a Wedding band Old Paris stand. 


We had a lovely Déjeuner of spice cake and café au lait. 

in the foreground you can see my painting of The Governor Jaques Dupré Plantation House, commissioned by my friend Peter. 

Commissioned painting of The Governor Jaques Dupré Plantation House for my friend Peter. He give it to the owner of the house as a gift. 



Peter's Vignettes of Antiques are so beautiful. 

A painting I did pre Katrina hanging in Peters house titled "Champs-Élysées Creole Cottage"


Champs-Élysées Creole Cottage

You can check out my Creole Folk Art & Antiques here 

https://squareup.com/store/andrew-hopkins