Early 19th Century Russian Bronze Cross

19th century Irish Marine Botany Specimens made for Thomas Barnett of the Niagara Falls Museum. Seaweed samples were collected off the West Coast of Ireland in 1871 by Mrs. Maria J.W. Kirkwood and presented to Thomas Barnett Esquire, proprietor of the Niagara Falls Museum. These come as two separately framed pieces with hand embroidered lettering surrounded by seaweed and a poem written by Victoria Hall. Free shipping within the United States and Canada. The Niagara Falls Museum was a museum most notable for being the oldest Canadian museum (1827), as well as for having housed the mummy of Ramesses I for 140 years before its return to Egypt in 2003. It was founded by Thomas Barnett of Birmingham, England and underwent a few vocational changes in its history. More on Thomas Barnett and the Niagara Falls Museum. Thomas Barnett was born on December the 4th, 1799 near Birmingham, England. He moved to Canada in the early 1820s and opened the Niagara Falls Museum in 1827 at the base of the Canadian Horseshoe Falls. Barnett had a passion for collecting oddities. He retrofitted a former brewery house to exhibit his private collection. Although Barnett was aware of the collection patterns of his North American contemporaries, his own approach bore an uncanny similarity to the British tradition, such as the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, the first traditional museum in Britain. The Niagara Falls Museum had humble beginnings. In 1827, the first museum contained Thomas Barnett's own cabinet of taxidermic curiosities. Although the details were not documented, the collection was likely composed of a number of mounted animals of local origin, combined with a smattering of Native American artifacts. Barnett's collection however rapidly grew. Prior to 1844, an account of the museum's contents stated that there were over 5000 items, including bipeds, quadrupeds, birds, fish, insects, reptiles, shells, minerals, and Native American curiosities. Through the first fifty years of its existence, the Niagara Falls Museum continued to acquire similar artifacts through the diligent efforts of the Barnett family and their associates. In 1854, Sydney Barnett (son of Thomas Barnett) made the first of his three trips to Egypt (two by himself and one with Dr. J. Douglas of Montreal) and purchased four mummies as well as a host of other Egyptian antiquities. In 1857, mastodon remains were discovered in St. Thomas, Ontario and later placed in the museum. In 1859 an inventory of the museum's contents included, in addition to the previously mentioned artifacts, an egg collection...

This 19th century Italian bronze panel is a section from a church door in Italy. This religious icon is a depiction of the "Stations of the Cross". It was produced from the now defun...

19th century Russian painting of the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ with finely detailed, hand-hammered and silver hallmarked oklad embellished wit...

A beautiful, highly detailed map of southeastern Europe by Nicolas Visscher. Includes regions of Northern Italy (showing the cities Bologna, Padua, and Venice), Bohemia, Austria (sho...

Well crafted with a beautiful patina, 1890's bronze relief plaque of Jesus from Italy measuring 10" x 7.5" x .75".

This 19th century Italian bronze panel is a section from a church door in Italy. This religious icon is a depiction of "Jesus and Diciples". It was produced from the now defunct foun...

Very beautiful Russian icon with a processional cross in its center from the 17th century We can see that the icon was created to accommodate the processional cross with the Chris...

Small and lovely Italian Holy Water font from Italy, a shaped polychrome ceramic artwork dating back to Neoclassical period, early 19th century. This rare religious work is finely ...

This is a complete folio with 34 loose plates in colour and black and white showing elegant 18th century decorative wall panels, wall hangings and arabesques. An excellent design res...

Antique early 19th century Greek original icon painted and brass inlaid panel with presentation info on the side.

The drama, movement and intensity of the High Baroque all find their way into this beautiful Italian micromosaic portrait plaque, which displays a...

19th Century reverse painted glass games board We share what we love, and we love the decorative nature of this stunning English 19th Century reverse painted glass games board. With aged surface across the glass reflection and wooden frame. With a glance of old news paper...