Jacques-Louis David : Apelle peignant Campaspe en présence d’Alexandre.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Clowns in a Street 1821 by Antoine Jean-Baptiste Thomas
Clowns in a Street 1821 by Antoine Jean-Baptiste Thomas
Some Fake School girl samplers and a Southern Coin Silver spoon
A Fake Adam & Eve Sampler dated 1813
Every Saturday I love to go antiquing. In a local antiques booth. I stumbled upon three early 19th century American School girl samplers along with a embroidered Alabama motto. The Samplers look right as the linen background was faded and had small holes in some but the silk needlepoint was not faded plus two had new frames and all had new paper backers. If the booth had one of theses it might have been passable but three good old embroideries was a bit much and sent up red flags. The samplers were priced at $75. to $120. If they were real they would be worth thousands and the Alabama embroidery was on hold and priced $275.00
I'm no expert on School girl samplers so I thought I would ask the experts and I'm glad I did. After emailing photo's off to one of the top sampler experts in America I was informed that all were Asian fakes made to fool people. Although I have been in the Antiques bossiness for some time I don't know it all. And when unsure it is always best to ask someone that knows more then you.
One has to be very careful now a days as it seams anything and everything that is old and or value is being faked. A Fake and a reproduction are two different things. Just at a glance you should be able to tell a repro from a original antique as reproductions are copy's of originals and usually don't show age are same construction details of original antiques. Fakes are meant to look like original antiques and are made to fool collectors and dealers alike.
A Fake Sampler dated 1821
This one is dated 1805
Although this embroidery is superb the background blue is faded but not any of the bright silk embroidery. Titled "Alabama with our State motto 'Here we rest"
An eagle perched upon the shield of the United States seal. In the beak of the eagle was a banner reading "Here We Rest". If this was the real deal it would be worth 5-10 thousand or more!
New Orleans Coin silver table spoon in the Fiddle & thread pattern made by Hyde & Goodrich ca 1840
I did not walk away empty handed yesterday. I decided to go inside of a shop that I have not been inside of in a year. I'm glad I did as the shop was closing and having a 50% off last day open sale! I did not go crazy as I'm trying to control my spending but in a jewelry case I saw a nice size coin silver fiddle & thread table spoon marked Hyde & Goodrich . I knew right away this was a Antebellum piece of New Orleans silver as I already own coin silver by this maker
. I asked to see it and found a Monogram on the back handle of the spoon. Letting me know it was possibly made for a Gulf Coast Creole. French flatware is almost always monogrammed on the back and French flatware was placed on the table upside down, the Creoles of the Gulf Coast followed suit with what ever was going on in France. Only French aristocrats placed there silver right side up and had there monogram on the front of the silver flatware as almost all American Anglo-Saxons silver is also monogrammed on the front.
This piece had a lot going for it as it was a heavy piece of silver as most flatware made of coin silver is thin. It was Antebellum. And Southern made possibly made for a Creole. And it was 50% off of it's already low,low price! it was coming home with me to join the other children!
What's interesting about this is the parallel with the Southern heritage, is this is a piece of Southern coin silver. There were a lot of silver manufacturers in the United States when this was made before the Civil War, probably circa 1840, 1850. And the majority of the silver manufacturers were in the Northeast in big citys like Boston, New York and Philadelphia, as was most of the industry in the United States. The Southern states were primarily agrarian communities, and there were not a lot of silversmiths there making silver. So, by the nature of there not being a lot of silver made in the South, examples are much more rare and sought after by collectors today. Additionally, the war between the North and South, as some people like to call it, was fought primarily in the South. There was a lot of looting, soldiers stole lots of things. You hear stories about family silver being buried in the backyard or sunk in a pond all the time. And a lot of the silver that was made did not survive because it might be melted down at a latter date and made into something more fashionable.
The spoon turned over is clearly marked with the maker's mark, which is Hyde & Goodrich and a beautiful script monogram on the back of the spoon handle . They went into business in 1816 until 1861. They were located in the Old Creole French Quarter shop at 15 Chartres Street and made very, very fine silver.
A funny true story about coin silver and New Orleans during the Civil War is Benjamin Franklin Butler In May 1862, occupied New Orleans after it was captured by the Navy. He was nicknamed "'Beast' Butler" or alternatively "'Spoons' Butler," the latter nickname derived for his habit of pilfering the silverware of unoccupied Southern homes in which he stayed. Benjamin and his brother became millionaires over nigh by being the only importers of booze "alcohol" into New Orleans and sent back up North ships full of fine and valuable, Furniture, decorative arts and silver plundered from fine mansions in one of the riches Southern city's. Many of his acts, however, gave great offense, such as the seizure of $800,000 that had been deposited in the office of the Dutch consul and his imprisonment of the French Champagne magnate Charles Heidsieck. Most notorious was Butler's General Order No. 28 of May 15, issued after some provocation, that if any woman should insult or show contempt for any officer or soldier of the United States, she shall be regarded and shall be held liable to be treated as a "woman of the town plying her avocation", i.e., a prostitute. This order provoked protests both in the North and the South, and also abroad, particularly in England and France, and it was doubtless the cause of his removal from command of the Department of the Gulf on December 17, 1862.
This is one spoon Benjamin did not take!
A beautiful script monogram on the back of the spoon handle
The spoon turned over is clearly marked with the maker's mark, which is Hyde & Goodrich
Filippo Lippi, slave in Algiers, paints a portrait of his master. ca 1819 by Pierre Nolasque Bergeret
Filippo Lippi, slave in Algiers, paints a portrait of his master. ca 1819 by Pierre Nolasque Bergeret
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Count Honoré de La Riboisière by Jean-Antoine Gros
Portrait of the Count Honoré de La Riboisière by Jean-Antoine Gros
Lieutenant Charles Legrand ca 1810 by Jean-Antoine Gros (1771–1835)
Lieutenant Charles Legrand ca 1810 by Jean-Antoine Gros (1771–1835)
Friday, January 28, 2011
Creole Style
A 1830's portrait of a Creole Lady
The word Creole is like a noun it could be a person, place, or thing. Also the word Creole has evolved over the years. The term was first used on the Gulf Coast to refer to the first generation of French people who were born in the colony. The problem is the second generations and after that also called themselves Creoles. Later the term was also applied to those individuals of mixed heritage born on the Gulf Coast.
The word Creole became a big thing after the 1803 Louisiana purchase when Anglo-Saxons began to flood the French speaking area. Creole was applied to anything that was not Anglo-Saxon. Creole is a way of life.
Today we will look at Creole Style, decorative arts, decorating and some Creole architecture. Creole Style is very French and highly steeped in culture, history and tradition! The Creole style of decorating is a mixture of all of this that perfectly blinds together making a rich gumbo of a high end sophisticated style. One knows when one is in a Creole interior as it is like no other and very Old World. I have been lucky to visit public and private interiors and they have greatly influenced my decorating.
Creole entertaining and decorating go hand in hand. I have been to party's in New Orleans French Quarter with over a hundred guest and every one got a 19th century Old Paris porcelain plate for there food, A French fiddle and thread silver fork to eat there Jambalaya with and every guest received a hand embroidered 19th century French linen damask napkin! That's entertainment! All of my guest to my parlor sit on pre 1860 carved Rosewood furniture stuffed with Spanish Moss and horse hair. It's uncomfortable to some use to overstuffed modern stuff but I don't care. Being Creole is about talking about relatives that have passed on over 150 years ago as if you knew them personally. Creole rooms have many old portraits of ancestors in large gilt wood frames. If you have no ancestral portraits you can buy them at Antiques shops and make them instant ancestors. Enjoy the photo's
A Garconierre, a house for teenage Creole boys
A Creole Inlaid Figured Mahogany Armoire
A Creole room
A French Louis Philippe Card Table
A painting of a Creole House in New Orleans
A collection of Early 19th century Old Paris porcelain
A collection of Empire Old Paris porcelain baskets
A pair of Rosewood Rococo Revival side chairs
A pair of Pompadour pink cornucopia vases
A 18th century Creole House
A pair of French Opaline glass vases
A 18th century Creole parlor
A Creole Pigeonnier- A small pigeon house or dovecote
18th century Old World painting
A 1850's portrait of a boy in dress
Madame John's Legacy in New Orleans, Louisiana. Built in 1788, it is a prototypical example of Creole style.
A Classical Mint Julep table
A 1850's Rosewood sofa
A French Empire ormolu painting hanger
A Creole Salon
A pair of French Empire ormolu & crystal sweetmeat stands
18th century Creoles selling linens
A 18th century Creole bedroom
A 18th century carved and painted home Alter
A portrait of Jesus
A mid 19th century Creole bedroom
A French Empire ormolu clock of a young boy taking a bath
A surprise homemade blackberry cobbler left on my night stand. I friend actually made this for me.
A guest bedroom in a friends home furnished with Creole antiques
A 18th century portrait of a beautiful Creole lady
A painting of All Saints day
Empire Classical bed post
A 18th century Creole Library
A colorful portrait of Napoleon
A Creole plum-pudding Mahogany Armoire
A set of Empire Old Paris porcelain plates painted in trompe l oeil Roman cameos
A French Empire mahogany bergère
Going on a Creole picnic with 18th c Sèvres porcelain in a Nécessaire
A 18th century family portrait miniature on ivory in a gold, Royal blue enamel and diamond frame
A 18th century Creole plantation House
A 1840's gilt bronze and purple cut glass chandelier with central vase
A 18th century French enamel and diamond snuff box
A French portrait miniature of Napoleon
A pair of gilt classical mirrors
A 18th entury Creole dinning room
A set of Old Paris porcelain painted by French Creole John James Audubon
A French Empire ormolu clock of a Roman soldier
A bronze and gilt Blackamoor French clock
A 18th century French pastel in gilt frame
A pair of French Restauration ormolu bust of Louis XVIII & Charles X
A French gilt wood Louis XV console
A ornate cast iron above ground tomb
A French nightstand that conceals a chamber pot & Bidet
A 18th century Creole bedroom
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
