19th Century American Hand Carved Gilded Pediment Eagle

Vintage Hand Carved Eagle Neoclassical Giltwood Table Lamp. This hand carved accent lamp with cylindrical base features a large eagle, with head tu...

Maritime Antique Carved and Gilded Ships Billet Head. Rare original sailing ship’s billet head prow decoration. It is most likely an excellently pres...

Vintage Hand Carved Giltwood Wall Bracket. Italian Handmade Scrollwork Shelf. Rococo Style Vintage Italian, Rococo style water gilded wall bracket is hand carved in scrolling acanth...

Pair Large 19th C. American Federal Empire Brass Curtain Tie Backs. An elegant pair of American Empire floral motif curtain tie backs. Large, 5 Inc...

American gilt carved wood and gesso Eagle with extended wings perched on decorative acanthus floral motif, Early 19th century.  

This is an original American eagle, hand-carved from pine during the early to mid 20th century. The eagle features a touch of original gilt over yellow sizing with hand-painted highlights, emphasizing the eyes and beak. The eagle is displayed with both wings fully outstretched. The feathers are expertly detailed, especially considering that this eagle is a single-piece carving. The eagle is both the national bird and the national animal of the United States. The founders of the United States were fond of comparing their new republic with the Roman Republic, in which eagle imagery, usually the golden eagle, was prominent. On June 20, 1782, the Continental Congress adopted the design for the Great Seal of the United States depicting a bald eagle grasping 13 arrows in its sinister (left) talon and an olive branch with its dexter (right) talons. Those arrows are tightly aligned, a symbol of "strength in unity" that's found in the traditional cultures everywhere, from the Romans to the Iroquois. In this case, the bundle of arrows were a nod to the unity of the original 13 colonies. The olive branches emphasize the power of peace. The eagle motif has since appeared in allegorical engravings...

Early 19th century Italian carved wood gold gilded Eagle. Its wings spread and clutching a set of white gold gilded lightning bolt arrows in its talons.  

19th c., Americana, a large scale gilt and forest green painted cast plaster eagle, depicted spread-wing, with crisply detailed overlapping feathers. With mounting bracket on reverse. This is a very handsome example of an iconic form. The combination of the gilt and forest green paint is striking. Depictions of eagles can be seen across American art. The national bird of the United States, the eagle has been used as a symbol of American freedom for centuries. This is a fine example in the style of John Haley Bellamy...