 |
#7234 $1,250 Reserved Dated and named hand-knitted adult mittens, c.1837. Hand knitted in red and navy wool with a pattern of alternating snowflakes and diamonds. The cuffs have ivory bands. The thumbs are attached with a border of olive green wool. The name of the original owner and the date of construction were incorporated into the design. These mittens from the Philadelphia area are also a rare example of everyday clothing from the period. NEW LISTING | |
 |
#7235 $2,950 Folding needlepoint pocketbook with provenance, c.1759. This charming piece is stitched in wool on canvas in a flame stitch (bargello) pattern. The four inner pockets are divided by stiffened navy linen on one side and by stiffened linen floral damask on the other. One rarely finds an important mid-18th century historical artifact with rock solid provenance. The name of the original owner, Josiah Stone, is embroidered on the inside opening. On p. 9 of Handbag Chic, this pocketbook estimated at $4500-$5500. NEW LISTING | |
 |
#2553 $1,400 Embroidered white cotton dress, early 1820. This dainty dress anticipates the change from the Neoclassical to the Romantic period. The waist is still high as in the Empire style, but the skirt is flared and fuller in our dress. The bodice and sleeves have alternating rows of sheer ruched cotton mull and hand-embroidered eyelet. Bands of eyelet alternating with rows of trapunto cording form a wide hem border both decorative and functional. The endearing simplicity of the early Romantic period retains its charm and fascination even today. | |
 |
#c403 $4,900 Reserved Silk damask pelisse, c.1815-20. Made from gold silk damask woven with a pattern of small dots, the splendid coat was deaccessioned from the Hildene Museum, the Lincoln family home built by Robert Todd Lincoln. The long slender sleeves are capped with elaborately ruched outer sleeves. The bodice and outer sleeve seams are outlined with corded piping. The skirt is slightly flared in front and full in back. The centerpiece of the design is the Hussar-style Brandenburg trim on the bodice. | |
 |
#6778 $1,500 Gentleman's folding pocketbook, c.1770. Worked in wool Irish stitch on canvas by Catherine Steinmetz as a gift for her fiancé, it is lined with green silk, and the edges are bound with brown wool tape. Inside edges are embroidered "John Neveling/his pocketbook/October 28, 1770." What a poignant gesture of love from Colonial America! It was used to carry important papers. Also included is a 4-page handwritten letter by Nancy Quimm Sailer, presenting her research on the pocketbook. | |
 |
#2600 $650 Romantic period silk taffeta bonnet, 1830s. Made from beige silk taffeta, the bonnet is all original and period correct. It perfectly captures the Romantic period aesthetic and displays beautifully. The stiff cardboard brim is covered with beige taffeta on the outside and lined with a lighter colored silk on the inside. In back the taffeta is ruched and lined with stiff buckram. The crown seam and skirt edge are outlined with rows of corded piping. Everything is hand sewn. | |
 |
#2406 $1,900 Silk faille, bib-front dress, c.1800. The ubiquitous sheer white dresses from the early 19th century give the impression the Regency wardrobe lacked color. What a special treat to find a Regency dress in rich cranberry-red silk faille! It is styled with a drop-front bodice, known as bib front. Under the bib front is an ivory cotton under bodice that closes with ties. I love the ruching on the long, slender sleeves. Held for years in a private collection, the dress is completely hand sewn. | |
 |
#7045 $750 Miniature silk calash bonnet, 1780s-1830s. Made from slate blue silk in the 18th century manner with cane hoops, the bonnet features the traditional silk ribbon bow at the center-back and additional ribbon and leaf decoration at the front-top. It might have belonged to a favorite doll originally, since the calash came from an estate where it had been passed down, complete with a matching stand, as a treasured family keepsake. Doll size calashes are extremely rare and highly collectible. | |
 |
#1672 $4,500 Reserved Polychrome silk embroidered apron, c.1730-50. The dazzling floral pattern is expertly executed in shaded tones of rose, blue, green, gold, and brown. The scalloped edges are trimmed with handmade needle-run lace in shades of delicate blue and beige. The textural interest comes from the contrast of masterful satin stitch with a variety of fancy fill stitches. The consummate modeling or shading of the pink hue in the petals stamps the apron as a masterpiece of costume art, a sublimely brilliant example of the satin stitch technique. I have not personally seen such fine work. | |
 |
#2321 $1,650 Romantic period plaid cotton wrapper, c.1830. Fashioned from dainty woven plaid fabric and with exaggerated gigot sleeves, the wrapper is an exemplar of the full blown Romantic style. The grand cape-collar (trimmed with ruffles) accentuates the width of the full gigot sleeves. Although the scale of the pumpkin-black-ivory plaid is diminutive, the textural effect works at a distance. The wrapper slips over the head and is open from neckline to hip area. The grand cape-collar (trimmed with ruffles) accentuates the width of the full gigot sleeves. | |
 |
#7096 $850 Dresden embroidered organdy skirt, early 19th century. Dresden Embroidery, also known as Point de Saxe, was a form of whitework popular in the 18th and early 19th centuries. The open work designs, when executed on sheer cotton muslin, were delicate enough to resemble lace. The skirt is made from whisper-sheer white organdy and hand stitched with extremely narrow seams. The skirt closes in back with a hook at the waist. The hem is edged with a wide scalloped border of fine Dresden hand embroidery. Without the enhancement of color, a whitework design depends solely on creative combinations of texture. | |
 |
#7039 $875 Silk gauze rectangular shawl, 1810-1820. The fresh lemon hue in the resplendent shawl is like the afterglow of the sun, still illumining the horizon with its beauty two centuries later. The summer weight shawl is sheer and delicate. The two black panels are bordered with pink ribbon weave; the pink panel is bordered with turquoise ribbon weave. The floral motif is remarkably free in line, effortlessly limning the gay and sprightly feeling of a spring day. The design brings to mind Japanese brush painting: strikingly beautiful, simple and pure, yet strong and resonant. | |
 |
#7168 $2,850 Regency child's hand-embroidered dress, c.1810. The Persian-style Tree of Life design on the skirt front is borrowed from Indian palampores exported to Europe in the 18th century. The refinement and delicacy of the peerless embroidery in wool floss is the work of a master embroider. She made two whimsical aesthetic decisions: not to fill in all the embroidery on the skirt front; and to change the embroidery color on the sleeves—front vs. back. These unusual aesthetic choices proceeded not from lack of skill but rather from the whimsical artistry of the embroiderer. A masterful historical artifact of early costume art! | |
 |
#2534 $1,400 American gentleman's silk jacket, 1830s-1840s. Made from beige raw silk, the wonderfully preserved, single-breasted jacket closes in front with self-covered fabric buttons. The cut is straight in front and flared below the waist in back and on the sides. The jacket features a rounded collar and notched lapel, long straight sleeves, and two lower, side front, slashed welt pockets. The jacket is completely hand stitched with matching silk thread. The flat, felled seams are back stitched for extra strength. | |
 |
#1822 $1,800 Brocaded silk lady's waistcoat, c.1770. The cone-shaped waistcoat fronts are fashioned from brocaded peach corded silk. From a distance, the texture of the corded weave resembles very fine line-quilting. The plain back and straps of silk shantung match the color of the fronts. The ripe peach hue is gorgeous! The silk ground is covered with brocaded flowers in shades of rose, green, blue, and ivory. What a delicate, feminine floral design! | |
 |
#2107 $750 Sold Caned gauze bonnet, c.1845. What a miracle that this rare and delicate bonnet has survived at all! The sheer gauze is more like a whisper than a fabric. And best of all—the bonnet is all original. The frame of the bonnet is fashioned from cane, not metal. The sheer gauze is lined with a stiffer gauze in the back only. The brim and skirt are unlined. The bonnet has its original silk ribbon ties. The outer edge is trimmed with candy-style ribbon self ruffles. | |
 |
#1661 $750 Sold Child's cotton dimity dress, c.1820-1840. The A-line shape of the dress, used in children's dresses from the late 18th century up to the Empire style of the early 19th century, came back again in the Romantic period when skirts were shorter. The completely hand-sewn dress has two front pockets and an adjustable drawstring neckline. The sleeves are attached with corded self piping. The charming print features sprightly floral sprigs. The neckline, sleeves, and skirt hem are decorated with a zigzag application of fancy woven tape. The woven pattern of floating geometric "leaves" in the tape is quite endearing. | |
 |
#1075 $975 Child's printed cloth, heelless shoes, c.1830. I love the printed cotton with its tiny Xs and vermicular background! The heels and toes are foxed with black leather, and the upper edges are bound with folded ribbon. The hand-stitched shoes close in front with ties. Remarkably good condition for such an important historical artifact. | |
 |
#6714 $750 Sold Bead knitted bag, c.1833. Bead knitting incorporates beads into the design during knitting by stringing them on the knitting yarn. The technique was very popular in the early 19th century. The historically important bag from the Romantic period came from the private collection of an important scholar in the field. Because of the German inscription on the bag, it could well be Pennsylvania Dutch in origin. The bag is knitted from fine red cotton/wool yarn and white glass seed beads. The date "1833" is part of the design. | |
 |
#2196 $1,400 Chenille embroidered satin waistcoat fronts, mid 18th century. In couched embroidery, a yarn too large or too stiff to pass through the fabric is tacked down by another lighter yarn that can be passed through to the backside. The chenille yarn is couched on the satin surface with fine silk floss. The embroidery artfully balances positive and negative space in the fern-and-floral motif to achieve a rich and complex design. The waistcoat fronts are backed with linen. The embroidery is stitched through both layers. A superb example of textile art. | |
 |
#2177 $800 Sold Cotton print child's dress, c.1815-1820. The roller printed dress features a delightful, tiny calico print. The sleeves and hem are edged with Van Dyke points of plain ivory cotton—an enormous amount of work, since it is all hand sewn. The meticulous attention to detail is impressive. The fullness of the Empire bodice can be adjusted with the cords inserted into casings. There are no problems other than very slight discoloration in the print. | |
 |
#6711 $900 Sold Hand-painted silk purse, c.1810. Theorem Painting was an American decorative technique from the first part of the 19th century. This superb example of early 19th century textile art features hand-painted velvet theorems padded with newspaper and backed with ivory silk. The theorems are outlined with ivory satin braided cord. The brown silk bag is gathered to fit around the theorems. The hand-painted flowers are still fresh and lovely. Everything is hand stitched. | |
 |
#1643 $1,200 Cotton print day dress, c.1830. Made from a ribbon-weave cotton with alternating sheer voile and opaque stripes. Several features draw attention to the female form: the full skirt, the shoulder details, and the large gigot sleeves work together to make the waist appear smaller, emphasizing female curves. The amazing Romantic-period design features filigreed ferns in charming floral setting. The dress is completely hand sewn although the sewing machine was invented around this time | |
 |
#1821 $1,500 Provençal hand-quilted waistcoat, c.1800-30. Made from golden yellow cotton and lined with beige cotton and a thin layer of batting. The layers are hand quilted together with a diamond pattern of perfect little stitches. The brilliant marigold hue has long been associated with Provençal plant dyes of wild sumac, saffron, and sunflower petals. The bold and brilliant color signals the joie de vivre of the South of France: the sun showering its life-giving warmth on plants and people alike. | |
 |
#4128 $1,200 Dresden embroidered mull pelerine, 1830s-50s. The heirloom quality piece is an exemplar of fine early whitework. The open work designs of Dresden embroidery, when executed on sheer cotton muslin (mull), were delicate enough to resemble lace. Pelerine shawls, where the front was longer than the back, became popular as skirts became fuller in the 1830s. The shape continued to be worn throughout the 1860s. | |
 |
#1891 $3,600 Silk/damask shoes, c.1780. The uppers of the shoes are fashioned from beige (lighter in hue when new) silk damask woven with a monochromatic pattern of narrow stripes and bouquets of small flowers. Great care was taken in the construction of the shoes to make sure that flowers were placed on each toe. The shoes are lined with matching linen. The delicate heel, pointed toes, and peaked throat are all style features of the late 18th century. Neoclassical design at its best: elegant but restrained. | |
 |
#1076 $985 Damask gaiter boots, 1830s. Side-lacing half boots with toe and heel foxing of contrasting leather were called gaiter boots, because they resembled gaiters (spats) worn over shoes. This pair features deep green damask uppers lined with ecru cotton canvas twill and foxed with black leather. The boots lace up on one side with the original lacings. Though impractical for serious walking, gaiter boots make the foot appear dainty and genteel. | |
 |
#2319 $975 Rare soft wrap corset, c.1810-1820. Made from ivory cotton and completely hand stitched, the corset has gathered bust inserts and triangular side-hip inserts as the only shaping. It is laced only at the upper back opening. Waistline ties wrap around and pin in front. The corset was likely meant more for modesty under a sheer dress than for significant support. The soft, wrap-style is rarely found. | |
 |
#2177.5 $650 Infant's hand-embroidered dress, c.1815-1820. The infant's dress, open in the back, is lovingly decorated with fine hand embroidery, tiny tucks, and bands of pointed trim. The pointed trim is completely hand stitched from the same fabric as the dress; the time it took to produce the trim boggles the mind. The dress has the original drawstring to adjust the neckline fullness. There runs through the artless decoration a charming vein of simplicity. | |
 |
#1855 $350 Hand-embroidered infant's bonnet, c.1800. Fashioned from sheer cotton muslin with insets of needle-run tulle. The embroidered florets are executed in chain stitch—they appear raised above the surface. The bonnet has drawstring ties on the lower edge and along the front. The purity and restraint of textured white stitches on a sheer white ground perfectly suited the Neo-classical aesthetic. There could not be a more pleasurable indulgence than buying this extraordinarily fine bonnet for a beloved infant. | |
 |
#1000 $385 Silk satin half boots, c.1830. The side-lacing boots are lined with ivory linen and have no heels. Narrow half-boots of delicate satin made the foot appear smaller, more shapely, and feminine. The American Peterson's Magazine wrote (1855) that "nothing can be more elegant than a pure white or black satin shoe." Colored footwear went out of fashion in the 1830s, when hem lines hit the floor—an embrace of feminine modesty just before Queen Victoria ascended the throne. | |
 |
#2342 $950 Child's Berlin woolwork slippers, c.1840. Berlin woolwork or needlepoint was often used to fashion slippers in the mid 19th century. After a lady completed her needlework design for the uppers, she took it to a shoemaker to be attached to soles and then lined. This pair is lined with red hand-quilted silk for warmth. The upper edges are trimmed with bottle-green silk ribbon that forms bows in front. The artless simplicity of the embroidered design is a delight to the sophisticated modern eye. |