A French Portrait Miniature of a Lady Mounted in a Horn Box

Japanese Porcelain Box in the form of a Butterfly, Mid-19th Century, The Japanese porcelain Imari box is molded in the form of a large butterfly with differ...

French Majolica Camel-form Lidded Box, St. Amand, circa 1870 The French majolica box is in the form of a seated, naturalistically colored, camel on a raised mottled green ground. On its back is a loaded pack filled with different packed goods. The top section is removable to reveal a square-shaped hollow interior in light blue. Mark: on the base is an impressed "St Ad" Dimensions: 8 inches high x 10 inches long x 5 inches deep; (20.32cm high x 25.40cm x 12.7cm) Provenance: New York Private Collection, Jesse Davis Antiques...

Pearlware Prattware pottery covered Botanical tea caddy box, Cambrian Pottery, Swansea Circa 1800-20 The rectangular-shaped pearlware pottery covered footed Tea Caddy is painted...

English porcelain gold-ground botanical patch box with Irish references, "Forget Not Erin" Motto, Attributed to Coalport, Circa 1820 This spectacular English porcelain box is of cir...

American portrait miniature by Thomas Story Officer, Woman in a White Gown, Signed "T.S. Officer, Pinxt", The 1830s The American portrait miniature signed by Thomas Story Officer depicts a beautiful young woman, her red hair “Coeffure a la Chinoise”, sitting in a red chair confidently looking out towards the painter and us, the viewers.  She wears a white dress with a pin in the center of her chest.  Based on her style of dress and her hair, we believe this was painted while Officer was in Philadelphia. It is signed to the lower right "T.S. Officer, Pinxt" along at edge. The reverse has a small oval glass Dimensions: 3 inches high x 2 3/16 inches wide x 1/4 inch deep Reference: Thomas S. Officer: Miniature and Portrait Painter, Gardner Library,  Author: Merri Lou Schaumann. Born in Carlisle in 1810, this gifted artist trained in Philadelphia, traveled extensively and won awards for his paintings. In 1872, James Miller McKim wrote a series of reminiscences for the Carlisle Herald newspaper about the places and people of Carlisle in an earlier day. He wrote that “David Smith, a boot and shoemaker, had two sons… one of whom early developed a taste for art and finally devoted himself to miniature painting as a profession. He was a contemporary, and for a while, a rival of Mr. Thomas Officer, though I believe he never reached the celebrity attained by that gifted young artist. Mr. Officer, by the way, was one of the last miniature painters of any eminence produced by this country, the daguerreotype and photographer having come in to sweep away the entire profession.” Thomas Story Officer was born in Carlisle on August 15, 1810, to cabinetmaker John Officer and his second wife Margaret. He trained in Philadelphia with the well-known portrait painter Thomas Sully and began his career there in the 1830s. Officer left Philadelphia occasionally to paint portraits in Mobile, Alabama in 1837, in Richmond, Virginia in 1845, and in New York City from 1846-1849 where he became a member of the National Academy of Design. In 1842, Officer intended to travel to Mexico and needed a passport. He asked Attorney Charles B. Penrose, formerly of Carlisle, to write a letter of recommendation for him. In his letter to Fletcher Webster, Esq., Penrose wrote, “This will be handed to you by Thomas S. Officer, Esq., a friend of mine, and a native artist of Pennsylvania, who is a gentleman of great talents and respectability. Intending to visit Mexico, he wishes to procure passports at the State Department…”  Officer was issued a passport in July 1842. He was described as 30 years old, 5’ 11” with a “full and round forehead, bluish-gray eyes, an ordinary nose, medium mouth, ordinary chin, sallow complexion with an oval face and brown hair.” Officer went to Mexico and later to Australia. In 1854, he opened a studio in Sandridge, Australia, and while there he “entered several oil portraits in the 1854 Melbourne Exhibition preparatory to sending them to the 1855 Paris Exhibition.” Officer left Australia, and in 1855 he settled in San Francisco where he would spend the last years of his life. He set up a portrait painting department in James Johnson’s photographic gallery in San Francisco. In 1857, Officer received a bronze medal for his oil portraits exhibited at The First Industrial Exhibition of the Mechanics’ Institute of San Francisco, as well as awards at several other exhibits in 1858. A short piece in the San Francisco newspaper, Alta, on October 30, 1859, read, “Mr. Thomas S. Officer, the talented portrait painter, lies near to death’s door and is in pecuniary distress. Out of the many to whose pleasure he has contributed by his gay, social manners, as well as by his pleasing artistic productions, may there not be found someone who will extend a helping hand?”  Officer died on December 8, 1859. Almost an entire column in the January 18, 1860 edition of the Carlisle Herald, was devoted to a very long and informative obituary of Officer taken from the Alta, California newspaper. Officer was buried in the now defunct Lone Mountain Cemetery in San Francisco. In 2014, the Cumberland County Historical Society received a bequest of a portrait painted by Thomas Officer from the estate of historian John J. Snyder, Jr. It joined a miniature portrait already a part of the Society’s museum collection in Carlisle, not far from where Officer was born. Notes: The May 28, 1834 edition of the Carlisle Weekly Herald reported that Thomas S. Officer had "...within the last few weeks, taken the portraits of several gentlemen of this borough...Mr. O. is principally self-taught, and although young, already evinced a degree of taste, judgment, and talent..." A short biography of Officer can also be found in Early American Portrait Painters in Miniature by Theodore Bolton, published by F. F. Sherman (New York, 1921). The entire book is one line  Bio. of Officer on page 117. See Officer’s portrait...

Portrait Miniature of a young girl, Signed Corno 1817 The large oval miniature within a gold frame and raised hanging loop depicts a young girl fac...

PRESENTING A STUNNING little French Ring Box from the 18th Century, namely a French Louis XVI Brass and MOP Box with Miniature Portrait of Lady. Box inlaid wi...

Beautiful and precious miniature of a bronze jewelry chair. The seat rises and inside we find some vintage burgundy red silk satin. The surface features sophisticated details. Miniat...

Superb enamel box with flowers garlands and a lady's portrait. Specifications: 1. The surface of round box is made of white enamel. Additionally, it is stunningly decorated with nicest multicolored flowers' garlands running along the surface / mentioned garlands are hung up at bows. 2. The round bowl's lid is topped with a nicest enamel painted picture, depicting an elegant lady: The lady's style and appearance is similar to ladies of period of Angelika Kauffmann...

Presentation Snuff box from the 18th century French School. A very important and rare Neoclassical oval box, made in Paris, France circa 1790. It was crafted with translucent natu...

PRESENTING A STUNNING Early 19C French Gold Box with Enamel and Miniature Portrait. Box made with brass but has been plated with 18ct Gold with beau...

Domed round 925/1000 sterling silver gold plated pillbox with fire enamels above and below, and hand-painted miniature of a lady with small dog, in Viennese Art Nouveau style second ...