- Sand Picture in a Glass Bottle with Patriotic American Eagle and
Flag, Andrew Clemens, McGregor, Iowa, 1876, multicolored sand
arranged in a colorless glass bottle, one side of the bottle portraying
an American eagle in flight with an American flag, the reverse with
“1876” in a small reserve, both designs surrounded by assorted floral,
geometric, and shaped multicolored borders, ht. 5 3/4 in.
Provenance: Purchased by the consignor’s great-grandfather,
Hermann Grote, a German who immigrated to Saint Paul, Minnesota, in
- The bottle passed to the consignor in 1980.
Note: Andrew Clemens was born in Dubuque, Iowa, in 1857. At the
age of five he became deaf and mute after an illness, later earning his
livelihood by painstakingly arranging colored sand to make pictures in
glass bottles. The sand came from the naturally colored sandstone in
the Pictured Rocks area of Iowa. He worked in McGregor, Iowa, and
for a short time he made and exhibited his work at South Side Museum,
a dime museum in Chicago, Illinois. He died in 1894 at the age of 37.
$3,000-5,000
- Portrait Miniature of George Washington, America, late 19th/early
20th century, unsigned, watercolor on ivory, he wears a blue military
jacket with buff-colored collar, lining, and vest, and gold epaulets, in
an oval blue and white enameled brass pendant frame, all in a gilt
embossed blue leather covered hinged case with easel support, (ivory
plaque bowed), 2 7/8 x 2 1/8 in.
$300-500
811.
Gen. John B. Turchin (Russian/American, 1822-1901), After C.N.
CochinPortrait Miniature of Benjamin Franklin. Signed and dated “[T]urchin
1859” l.l. Watercolor on ivory showing Franklin wearing his marten fur
hat, 2 7/8 x 2 3/4 in., in a period molded giltwood frame. Condition:
Small paint loss l.l.Note: Two short newspaper biographies of Turchin and a paper label
inscribed “Gen. Turchin made this copy of Franklin and gave it to Mr.
Lewis.” are affixed to the back.
$1,500-3,000812.
Portrait Miniature of the Marquis de Lafayette, America, 19th
century, watercolor on paper, sight size 4 x 3 in., in a period molded
giltwood frame, (good, small paint loss u.l.).
$1,000-1,500813.
William Henry Harrison Snuff Box, c. 1840, round covered black
lacquered papier-mâché box with a transfer-image bust-length
portrait of Harrison with indistinct inscription “Harrison the Man of
----” u.r., probably made for his campaign for the presidency in 1840,
(craquelure, toning, repaired cracks to rim), dia. 3 3/8 in.
$100-150158 additional information and photos at http://www.skinnerinc.com
811