19th century

This lovely portrait of young Mary Jane Cotteril was made in England circa 1840. Her pose is straightforward, and her hair, styled in elegant ringlets, frames her youthful face, adding a touch of innocence and charm.
The portrait captures small nuances of Mary Jane’s clothing, features, and demeanor.
The reddish-purple hue of her dress complements her fair complexion, highlighting her beauty and grace. In addition, including her shadow adds depth and dimension to the piece, bringing the subject to life.
By her dress and hairstyle, this portrait can be dated to the 1840s since beginning in the 1850’s watercolor portrait paintings were replaced mainly by photographic images.
The painting is framed in an original period wood frame with an inner edge of parcel gilt.

Dimensions: 13.5″ in height and 11.5″ in width with a depth of 1″.

Condition: Although the parcel gilt on the inner frame shows light wear, this only adds to the charm and character of the piece.

This pair of mid-19th century English corkworks showcases the intricate cutting and piercing of the cork demonstrating the artist’s excellent craftsmanship.
Each diorama features a romantic scene of a castle perched atop a rocky promontory overlooking a river.
The cream-colored mats and the golden frames complement the soft colors of the cork.
One of the works boasts a lovely oval-shaped cork frame, adding to its allure.
This pair is a testament to the majesty of castles, with their origins dating back to Anglo-Saxon burhs in 9th-century Wessex.
Overall, these corkworks are an impressive display of hand crafted decorative art.

Dimensions: 14.25″ wide x 12.75″ height x 1.5″ deep

Condition: VERY GOOD. The painted frame is repainted

This large 19th century sailor’s Woolie of a British line-of-battle ship, circa 1840is
is hand embroidered with woolen yarn. It depicts a British naval ship under full sail with canon showing and flying the British Royal Naval Ensign.
The ship has good detail, set against a subtle pastel sea-green ocean.
The maple frame, with an inner border of parcel gilding, is in very good condition.
The British Royal Naval Ensign is the flag of the White Squadron, commissioned at the beginning of the nineteenth century. During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I of England, the Royal Navy was divided into three squadrons: the red, the white, and the blue to improve command and control of the Royal Navy. The variation of the flag was commissioned after the union of Great Britain and Ireland in 1801 and featured the new Union Jack with the Saint Patrick’s Cross in the first quarter and the red cross on a white background.

Dimensions: 31 wide x 22.5″ height x 1 depth

Condition: The woolie is in very good condition, mounted in its original maple frame with a gilded inner frame. Wear consistent with age and use—minor fading.

The hand-written notes on the back of this miniature watercolor tell what was at the time a scandalous story.
The portrait is of Hanah Tichbon. The inscription reads in part, “went to the races…, “ran away from Sheffets…” and later ran away in London.” Portraits in the Victorian period were done to present public identities. On the back of this portrait, we have a hand-written inscription that provides insight into the private life of the sitter. It is an intriguing and seemingly sad story of a young woman’s life which is literally hidden behind her portrait.
At this time in England, if a married woman was unhappy with her situation, there was, almost without exception, nothing she could do about it. Except in extremely rare cases, a woman could not obtain a divorce and, until 1891, if she ran away from an intolerable marriage, the police could capture and return her. All this was sanctioned by church, law, custom, history, and approved of by Victorian society in general. The story this portrait and inscription tell is a genuine piece of history.
In the portrait, Hanah wears white with a gold chain and cross around her neck. She holds a book, quite probably a Bible. The image infers that our sitter is a proper young lady.
In reality, her life story was not anything like it appeared. This pencil and watercolor portrait was done on card. Written on the back of the painted card is: “Hanah Tichbon Alias Hanah Honsett born Sept 22nd 1809 Married Thomas Matcham on the 6 of Oct’br 1829 left him at Bath in Aug’st 1831 for six week… On Aug’st 2nd 1835 went to Brighton races and stayt 6 weeks. Oct’br 22nd 1837 ran away from Sheffets 8 month away July 22 1841 ran away in London and was found” Signed “Painted by Mr. King” and dated “1829”.