Early 19th Century Sicilian Cart Ornament

A scarce French Provincial Louis XV (1715-1774) / Louis XVI (1774-1792) Period mixed wood religious oratory (prie-dieu / altar) Hand-crafted in France in the 18th century, with later 19th century elements, likely originating in the south of France / Mediterranean region, featuring pegged solid wooden construction of warm, rich fruitwood, chesnut, oak, and maple. Having a slant-front bureau with tall raised back decorated with three Renaissance Revival style high relief panels, the center depicting religious scene comprising Jesus and winged Saint, the side panels with foliate floral fruit pendant carvings, flanked by classical turned baluster-form columns, surmounted with highly stylized hand carved and turned finials. Over a slant-front with star parquetry, the hinged drop-front opens to reveal a distressed leather writing desk / lectern / pulpit on which the holy books can be laid open and allows to shelter the books, which were considered precious goods at that time. The lower sacristy cabinet has a pair of slide-out supports flanking a paneled cupboard door decorated with a large stepped base Christian cross parquetry inlay, affixed with later decorative forged iron faux escutcheon overtop. The door opening with key to a single fixed shelf on which holy items...

A massive nearly 10 foot tall by 5.5 foot wide antique Dutch ecclesiastical wooden cross. Hand-crafted in the Netherlands in the 19th century, very large sculptural Celtic cross for...

A rare and magnificent architectural ecclesiastical iron and bronze altar railing. Created in France in the 19th century, commissioned for a Victorian er...

A superb antique European hand-carved and painted limewood Santo altar figure. Born in Europe in the late 18th / early 19th century, most likely Naples, Italy, the wooden sculpture...

Antique early 19th century English crimping or goffering iron, Circa 1840. Used to make ruffles, frills, flounces, and pleats in starched linen, the crimpling iron was first introduced in Italy in the early 17th century. Very popular from the Elizabethan era...

An Intricate Jerusalem Textile, made in Jerusalem, 1886. Double-sided large pouch. Wool thread embroidered on cotton net. One side has a lion and stag holding flags reading “Jerusalem” in Hebrew, which flank a crowned Ten Commandments. Titled in Hebrew “Swift as a deer, strong as a lion” (Ethics of the Fathers 5:20). “Jerusalem” is seen in large lettering, atop a pair of birds and flowers. Top scene of the reverse side is titled “Mount of Olives”, amongst a plethora of olive trees, and a cluster of buildings is titled “Chulda the Prophetess”, (where her and others tombs reside). Main scene is titled “The Western Wall”, which features the wall and outer structures with turrets and Cyprus trees. The Hebrew date of “1886” is revealed on the bottom corners. This delicate textile, incredibly vibrant in color after 130 years of being created, is a masterful, exceedingly rare work of art produced in Jerusalem by an unknown woman --- likely quite young, a teenager --- as a gift to an unknown individual. Too complex to be a “tourist trinket”, as we know of one other similarly-made textile that is in the collection of the Israel Museum, and is dated 1876: see the book “Jewish Folk Art: From Biblical Days to Modern Times”, page 122. A clue to where perhaps this was made is in the depiction of the lion and stag holding flags, as they are identical to those featured on the crest of Moses Montefiore. In the 19th century, Montefiore gave enormous sums of money to purchase land for Jewish settlements and establish schools in Palestine. This textile most likely hailed from a school for girls funded by Montefiore, and was made as either a gift for Montefiore himself, or another wealthy donor. As to the actual purpose of this textile, since it is in the form of a large pouch, its intended purpose might have been to hold a tallit (prayer...

A true collectors item, this travail de maîtrise/master's work, made in France in the 19th century, dated 1879, a wooden three spoke wheel, mounted on a contemporary iron base, a rar...

Antique Hanukkah lamp, cast brass, rivets, Algeria, circa 1880. Crescent-shaped back plate, with eight gates, a vase with flowers, apertures in veget...