Mid-19th Century Collectibles and Curiosities

19th century Chippewa pipe with weeping hearts. Long stem Chippewa T-pipe with file burnt stem and steatite bowl having red Catlinite weeping hearts and pewter inlay. The bowl is squ...

Handmade silver Torah finials, chased, pierced, engraved, and cast, France, circa 1860. The finials are constructed with large open-work decorated ball ...

19th century cast iron boot jack, with jacks on both ends and legs on both sides. Brown Brothers Foundry, patented May 18, 1869. 12" x 5". Collector's p...

A rectangular marble paperweight with octogonal inlaid micromosaic plate. The plaque depicting a spaniel in a landscape, the trunk os a tree in this left. Depictions of dogs in micro...

Set of three mesquite wood crosses with colorful indigenous fabrics, quite rare, circa 1900.

A rare scrimshaw decorated horn, engraved over one side with the Royal Arms countersigned and titled ship profiles for the Great Eastern, the Great Britain,...

Spanish, vintage hand painted wooden dog with stuck out tongue, from an old fair ground Carousel.

Important Potosi medal Gold Bolivia 1860s This beautiful coin/medal has a trutly important history behind it, all about the Cerro rico in Potosi Bolivia in 1860 years, and it is ex...

19th century miniature beech and ash hoop back kitchen chair A delightful piece, this chair it may be tiny but it has the most wonderful look, a great patina and charm. The chair...

Brass Hanukkah lamp, Israel, 1950s. Enamel over brass. Marked on bottom, "made in Israel." The front scene depicts the Maccabees against Roman soldiers over the battle of Jerusalem. ...

A William IV folio stand, circa 1840 High quality work. English.   

A beautiful antique knife sharpener from the 19th century, comes from France, from a mansion near to Paris. A real unique item.

Rare factory made stand up beetle boot jack with toe grip and spindled ash pole ending in round knob. PERIOD: Last quarter 19th Century ORIGIN: United States SIZE: 32"H Family Owned & Operated Cisco’s Gallery deals in the rare, exceptional, and one-of-a-kind pieces that define the history of America and the Old West. Our pieces range from American Indian to Cowboy Western and include original items of everyday life, commerce, art, and warfare that tamed America’s frontier. Our 14,000 square foot gallery opened in 1996 in beautiful Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Personal Service Cisco’s operates on old fashioned values – honesty and integrity, and all of our items are backed by our money back guarantee. We appreciate the opportunity to earn your business. Whether you desire assistance with a jewelry purchase, choosing a gift, identification, or even selling – we hope to be your trusted source. Cast Iron, Boot Jacks, Bootjacks, Antique, Vintage, Brown Brothers...

A vibrantly painted antique Caen stone architectural model. Dating from the mid 19th century, this limestone model came from a French church destroyed during WWII. With its arched design and ornately carved columns, it is reminiscent of blind arcades found in historic ecclesiastical and gothic architecture. Detailed to the top with castellations, this antique architectural model...

This beautifully engineered and constructed library accessory is in good working condition. It is a rare piece and would have originated from a lar...

These pointed slippers, beautifully embroidered with light blue plum blossoms on black silk, were shaped to resemble a lotus bud and enhanced the diminutive shape of bound feet. A practice that began in the Tang dynasty and reached the height of its popularity during the Qing dynasty, foot binding was a painful process intended to make a woman's feet as small as possible by restricting bone growth from an early age. The smaller the feet the more attractive and erotic they were, giving elite women a mark of elegance and a distinctive - albeit tortured - gait of small, light steps. These beautifully preserved lotus slippers...

We are delighted to offer for sale this stunning 1856 hand watercolour map of the Austrian Alps titled Dept Des Hautes Alpes taken from the Atlas National...

We are delighted to offer for sale this stunning 1856 hand watercolour map of the Austrian Alps titled Dept Des La Course taken from the Atlas National ...

An extra illustrated example of the first series of Howitt's guide to the scenery of England, in beautiful half morocco bindings by Zaehnsdorf. First Edition, Illustrated, Leather B...

Numbered No 25 and signed by J Duboscq a Paris. Louis Jules Duboscq was a French instrument maker, inventor and pioneering photographer. He was known in his time and is remembered t...

Hûkka, hookah base, in black steel with floral decoration in silver inlay. Persia or North India, 19th c. The top part is missing.

Arts & Crafts stylized sheet iron rooster boot scraper on wooden base. Period: Mid-20th century Origin: United States Size: 12" H x 12" L. Family Owned & Operated Cisco’s Gallery d...

A very odd Victorian collection of curiosity, a section of the tree that the Scottish physician, congregationalist and pioneer Christian missionary David Livingston was buried under ...

A rustically produced 19th century glazed specimen box containing wheat and grain hybrids. The pine hinged box opens to reveal two glazed and segmented sections, with a painted blue...

A collection of finely painted entomology studies, on card later mounted and set within a fantastic velvet lined, glazed period gothic revival shadow box. The shadow box has its or...

A larger than the normal plaster cast phrenology head, with its original painted finish and paper labels. The original makers label is partially missing leaving it a bit of a myster...

A very rare Victorian taxidermy dog, often scaled down by the best naturalist of the period. Also could be the extinct English White Terrier circa 1860 ...

A very finely carved marble bust of William Ewart Gladstone dated 1868 and signed W.Theed SC William Theed was born in Staffordshire, his father, William Theed the elder being a sculptor and a craftsman at Wedgwood, known for his major work, Hercules and the Thracian Horses for one frontage of the Buckingham Palace complex. The younger Theed studied at the Royal Academy Schools, then worked for the sculptor E. H. Baily. Five years on, in 1826, he went to Rome, where he was to stay a total of 22 years, during that time working in the studios of Thorwaldson and John Gibson. Returning to London in 1848, Theed enjoyed a good reputation, being a favoured sculptor of Queen Victoria, and was commissioned to produce many portrait statues, busts, and large monuments. He showed work in the 1851 Great Exhibition, and among other high points were a group for the Albert Memorial, and five standing figures on the Inland Revenue side of Somerset House, representing Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Belfast and Dublin. Theed's statues may be seen in St Paul's (Henry Hallam), Manchester (Monument to Chetham in the Cathedral, Gladstone and Thomas Bright for the Town Hall, and James Watt in Piccadilly Gardens), Huddersfield (Robert Peel), Winchester (David Williams monument in the Cathedral), and Prince Albert statues for Grimsby, and in Australia in Macquairie Street, Sydney. He was also responsible for three of the portrait statues (Bacon, Locke, Adam Smith...

A rather curios Victorian diorama of "Jacko" the ratter c.1850, a plaster model of a terrier presented in a period glass dome mounted with its original ebonised stand. Jacko is mounted on a purple velvet cushion with gold threaded decoration. Mounted between his feet is a circular silver medal, the obverse inscribed 'In memory of Jacko, the Champion Terrier 14 lb Weight', the reserve inscribed 'Presentation Medal to Canine Fancier and M.P.R. Jemmy Shaw London 1852', The diorama came from the collection of Jack Webb (1923-2019), London. Jemmy Elton Shaw, also known as Jimm and James was a 19th century pioneer fancier of the early dog show days, a promoter of dog fighting and rat-baiting contests, a breeder of Old English bulldogs, bull terriers and toy terriers...

1840 campaign kerchief featuring an image of William Henry Harrison on horseback in military garb, one of the first known campaign textiles in e...

ENTIRELY HAND-SEWN, 32-FOOT, SHIP’S COMMISSION PENNANT OF THE 1845-1865 ERA, A HOMEMADE, COTTON EXAMPLE, WITH 13 STARS ON A CORNFLOWER BLUE CANTON, IN A BEAUTIFUL STATE OF PRESERVATION Commission pennants are the distinguishing mark of a commissioned U.S. Navy ship. A ship becomes commissioned when the pennant is hoisted. Flown during both times of peace and war, the only time it is not flown is if a flag officer or civilian official is aboard and replaces it with their own flag. Flown at the topmast, this would be the first thing one would see coming over the horizon and identified the vessel as a warship. Sometimes the owners of private ships mimicked the use of Navy signals. Some seafaring men would have served in the Navy and become privy to various practices in that capacity. Others flew them purely for stylistic reasons, either on a regular basis or while the boat was dressed for special occasion. Hudson River steamers regularly flew pennants of this nature, as evidenced by period photography as well as the paintings of artists such as John and James Bard...

Antique American Flag With 36 Stars On A Cornflower Blue Canton, Civil War Era, 1864-1867, Reflects The Addition Of Nevada As The 36th State; A Great Folk Exaple With Haphazard Rows Of Starfish-like Stars: 36 star American national flag of the Civil War era with outstanding collector traits. Haphazard rows of fat, starfish-shaped stars fill most of the confines of a brilliant, cornflower blue canton. Note the crude piecing of the thirteen, red and white stripes, joined in an ill-planned manner that results in great variation in width, as well as general irregularity. The 4th red stripe actually falls slightly below the canton, and the height of each does not line up with the corresponding stripe on the reverse. This can clearly be seen at the fly end, which is is turned back and bound to repair obvious extended use in an outdoor environment. Clearly the maker lacked experience in seam work. Lining up the necessary components, so that they could be viewed on both sides, presented a challenge they may have not previously faced. This is also evident in the sewing of the stars, which do not line up on the obverse and reverse sides, as they typically would in a flag sewn by an experienced flag-maker. That said, this is just this kind of homemade charm that fuels interest in early American flags...

1862 Civil War playing cards with stars, flags, shields, & eagles, and face cards illustrating civil war officers and lady, Columbia, ca 1862, Benjamin Hitchcock, New York 1862 Civil War playing cards with suits represented by stars, flags, shields, & eagles, in lieu of the traditional French suits of hearts, diamonds, clubs, and spades. The face cards feature Union Army officers and Lady Columbia [a.k.a. Lady Liberty, Goddess of Liberty]. Entitled “Union Playing Cards,” two versions of this deck were produced in New York by Benjamin W. Hitchcock’s “American Card Company.” This is the earlier of the two. The other was released in 1863. There are 52 cards in total with the ace of spades doubling as the title card, as was often the case during the 19th century. The telescoping box...

32 STARS IN A VERY UNUSUAL NOTCHED VERSION OF THE “GREAT STAR” PATTERN, WITH TWO STARS ABSENT AT THE EXTREME POINTS OF EACH ARM, MADE IN THE PERIOD WHEN MINNESOTA JOINED THE UNION AS...

MASSIVE & COLORFUL CIVIL WAR RECRUITMENT BROADSIDE FOR THE "MANHATTAN RIFLES,” WHICH MUSTERED INTO 43RD AND THE 57TH NEW YORK INFANTRY DIVISIONS ...

34 STARS IN AN OUTSTANDING OVAL MEDALLION CONFIGURATION, ON A NARROW CANTON THAT RESTS ON THE 6TH STRIPE, ON A HOMEMADE, ANTIQUE AMERICAN FLAG OF THE CIVIL WAR PERIOD, ENTIRELY HAND-...

HAND-PAINTED 19TH CENTURY BANNER WITH AN 1867 VERSION OF THE SEAL OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, PROPOSED IN THAT YEAR BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE, BUT IN A VARIATION NEVER FORMALLY ADOPTED Banner with the Illinois State Seal, in a rare variation of the design, never adopted. In 1867 Illinois Secretary of State Sharon Tyndale proposed that the phrases in the state motto be reversed. In the wake of the Civil War, (which ended in 1865,) Tyndale suggested that the verbiage be changed from "State Sovereignty--National Union" to "National Union--State Sovereignty,” which made sense given the recent secession of the Southern States, which placed their own interests first. Illinois' own Abraham Lincoln had worked hard to preserve national interests, echoed here in the altering of the language. Though Tyndale’s suggestion was rejected, he was nonetheless charged with creating a new design, which he did and was soon adopted. This displayed the dates of "1818," when Illinois became a state, and "1868," when the seal was officially changed. Interestingly enough, Tyndale did manage to send a message in the new version by turning the word “sovereignty” upside-down , with the surmised explanation that this fit accordingly with the orientation / position of the streamer. The banner is beautifully hand-painted on muslin and retains its original staff. The shape is beautifully scalloped at the bottom edge, which is painted to look as if there is an applied fringe. Most of the elements are congruent with the 1868 version, but there are various differences. Set within a shield-shaped medallion—usually circular—is the expected eagle in a side view, spread wing pose with beak uplifted. The eagle is supposed to be perched upon a rock with one talon, while gripping a Federal shield in the other. Here there is no rock and both talons grip the shield, which displays 13 stars. Note the date of "1867" and Tyndale's preferred order of the wording on the billowing ribbon in the eagle's beak. The foreground of the official design is all grass. Here there are olive branches—a peacetime reference appropriate for a country recovering from war—on a grassy area, set upon a sandy shore before Lake Michigan, with a rising sun on the horizon. Mounting: The banner was mounted and framed within our own conservation department, which is led by masters degree trained staff. We take great care in the mounting and presentation of flags and have preserved thousands of examples; more than anyone worldwide. The background is 100% cotton twill, black in color. The mount was placed in a black-painted, hand-gilded and distressed Italian molding. A shadowbox was created to accommodate the staff. The glazing is U.V. protective plexiglass. Feel free to contact us for more details. Banner - 49" x 56.5" Frame - 67.75" x 59.25" About Jeff R. Bridgman Antiques, Inc.: As an advisor to top museums and collectors alike, Jeff Bridgman is the world's leading expert and source for antique American flags and political textiles...

HAND-PAINTED PATRIOTIC BANNER WITH THE SEAL OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS AND GREAT FOLK QUALITIES PROBABLY MADE FOR THE 1868 DEMOCRAT NATIONAL CONVENTION...