While going back through old Ackermann's Repository issues gathering up images for a post on Collet Necklaces in fashion plates, I came across these glorious plates by William Pyne which were published in the Repository from 1813-1814. One month they were there then a few months later they were gone. Brief though the run may have been, I am utterly charmed by them! Sometimes he got two pages, sometimes one; Sometimes they were called "Rustic Figures" sometimes "Pyne's Rustic Figures" and sometimes nothing at all, but here they are in all their glory! I hope you love them as much as I do! I'll upload the full images, so you can save the high-res version by clicking on them. All images from Bunka Gauken Library (and cropped by me). What I find most fascinating about them is that practically every person in these images would fit right in in the 1770s and 1780s. I wonder if it is artistic license or if the rural poor and working classes were really this much out of fashion in the period. Certainly the gauzy, breezy things that the fashionable were wearing aren't the most practical for working, but generally I would assume that a great majority of the people were wearing serviceable versions of the classic Regency silhouette. What do you think?

Artist: Jean Michelin (French, ca. 1616–1670). Date: 1656. Medium: Oil on canvas. Dimensions: 38 3/4 x 49 3/8 in. (98.4 x 125.4 cm). Classification: Paint...

While going back through old Ackermann's Repository issues gathering up images for a post on Collet Necklaces in fashion plates, I came across these glorious plates by William Pyne which were published in the Repository from 1813-1814. One month they were there then a few months later they were gone. Brief though the run may have been, I am utterly charmed by them! Sometimes he got two pages, sometimes one; Sometimes they were called "Rustic Figures" sometimes "Pyne's Rustic Figures" and sometimes nothing at all, but here they are in all their glory! I hope you love them as much as I do! I'll upload the full images, so you can save the high-res version by clicking on them. All images from Bunka Gauken Library (and cropped by me). What I find most fascinating about them is that practically every person in these images would fit right in in the 1770s and 1780s. I wonder if it is artistic license or if the rural poor and working classes were really this much out of fashion in the period. Certainly the gauzy, breezy things that the fashionable were wearing aren't the most practical for working, but generally I would assume that a great majority of the people were wearing serviceable versions of the classic Regency silhouette. What do you think?

. John Evelyn & Depictions of Early Gardening Tools During the early 1990s, John E. Ingram, then the research archivist & curator of special collections at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, was working to transcribe diarist John Evelyn’s (1620–1706) Elysium Britannicum, or The Royal Gardens in Three Books, which was languishing unpublished as MS 45 at the British Library in London. Detail John Evelyn (1620-1706) by Hendrick van der Borcht, 1641. Evelyn was a pivotal figure in 17th century intellectual life in England. He traveled, collected & read books and was intent on introducing a more sophisticated European high culture not only to his friends but to all of England. He had the leisure to do that thanks to a family fortune amassed by manufacturing gunpowder for Elizabeth I. Evelyn worked for 40 years on his Elysium project, the purpose of which he wrote to a friend, “to refine upon some particulars, especially concerning the ornaments of Gardens, which I shal endeavor so to handle that persons of all conditions and faculties, which delight in Gardens, may therein encounter something for their owne advantage.” The main reason the project took 40 years and ended abruptly before its completion is that Evelyn loved lifting ideas & whole sections from the books he was collecting to incorporate into his Elysium manuscript, which was filled with notes in the margins, wholesale changes, & completely new insertions. He might have had the classics conquered; but science & horticulture were racing ahead of Evelyn, and he was determined t& #111; keep up, cribbing as fast as he read. Evelyn peppered his manuscript with illustrations of garden layouts and embellishments for gardens & grounds. More important to this discussion, he included two pages of sketches of tools & small structures for nurturing new plants to be used in the garden. “Since Gardining…hath as all other Arts and Professions certaine Instuments and tooles properly belonging to it.” Evelyn (1620-1706) by Robert Walker, 1648. Evelyn’s work Elysium does open a world of connections between the changing philosophy of cultural, social & political thought and its reflection in gardens from Greek & Roman times to Evelyn’s age. During the 1980s, an article in the Journal of Garden History suggested that even Evelyn’s depictions & discussions of garden tools might have “more subtle meanings” than mere illustrations, that perhaps they might be “charged with symbolic values,” emblems for Evelyn’s “gardiner” & the world beyond. After all, Evelyn wrote, “What is our Gardiner to be, but an absolute Philosopher!” Well, back to the too ls. (By the way, Dr. Ingram’s transcription was published in 2001, go to amazon.com to find it. You won’t regret your purchase, if you are at all interested in gardening or in the intellectual life of 17th centrury England.) One of Evelyn’s unfinished chapters was to have been about 'Watering, Pruning, Plashing, Nailing, Clipping, Mowing and Rolling.' We could have used that in a discussion of tools, but his advice wasn’t always that practical. For garden rollers, he recommends marble columns procured from the classical ruins in Smyrna. Elysium is not a practical work like his Sylva, or A Discourse of Forest Trees (1664); Kalendarium Hortense: or; The Gard'ners Almanac (1664), a guide to gardener's task, month by month throughout the year; or Acetaria: a Discourse of Sallets (1699), a proof that vegetarians could eat & live. Elysium is not entirely void of practicality, but it is unabashedly aristocratic in both aesthetics & philosophy and full of irrelevant digressions, of which I am a huge devotee and part-time practitioner. Early Garden and Agricultural Equipment. Evelyn was certainly not the first to illustrate gardening and agricultural tools. Early manuscripts often depcited gardening. Two of my favorites are from 1410 Tres Riches Heures du duc de Berry. Detail Vincennes Castle in France. 1410 Depiction. Detail Paris. 1410 Depiction. A more mundane engraving of instruments for grafting, engraving appeared in Leonard Mascall’s, The Art of Planting and Grafting, in 1572. And an engraving of pruning tools appeared in Jean de La Quintinie, The Compleat Gard'ner in 1693. Page of Garden Tools from John Evelyn’s (1620–1706) Elysium Britannicum, or The Royal Gardens in Three Books. Tools & equipment Evelyn felt were absolutely necessary for a garden depicted on this page include: iron-clad spades, rakes, hoes, pickaxe and shovel, sieves and screens, instruments peculitar to the surveyor lines, dibbers, transplanter, a planting lattice…for regular planting and setting of rootes and flowers… ladder, trowels, turf lifter, turf edger, scyther, slasher, trowel, stone roller, leveller, tamper, funnel, hoe, shears, and long pruners. Garden Tools from John Evelyn’s (1620–1706) Elysium Britannicum, or The Royal Gardens in Three Books. Evelyn continued with his depiction of mandatory garden tools & equipment on this page including: slashers, knives, hammers, mattocks, pliers, ladder, 3 different designs of watering pots, water barrel, water tanks, fountains, forcing post, protection cone, frame, bell glasses hand light bedstead “furnished with tester and Curtaines of treene…to draw over and preserve the Choysest flowers, bing in their beauty, from the parching beames of the Sunn, knife sharpener, harrows, baskets, bird scarers (bells), storage chest, garden diary or register, and traps. In the Le Jardinier Solitaire by François Gentil & Louis Liger published in 1706, there is a list of the instruments necessary for a florist. Gentil wrote, As a Soldier can’t fight without his Arms, so a Gardner can’t work without proper Tools. The one is as necessary as the other. Necessary Instruments for Gardening from Le Jardinier Solitaire by François Gentil, Louis Liger published in 1706. 1 Spade. The first instument the Gardener takes in his hand to learn a dexterity in turning up the Ground and working it smooth and even and it is chiefly used by Apprentices. 2 Shovel. Used for throwing Earth out of Trenches or Ditches or for throwing rakings into a Wheelbarrow or Dosser. 3 Rakes. This tool is in the Gardener’s Trade. a symbol of Neatness. One for smoothing Beds and Plots, the other for cleaning the Walks. 4 Rakers. A necessary tool for keeping the Garden clean of weeds. 5 Displanter. Used for transplanting and for taking up all Flowers, that the Gardener is obliged to transplant from the place where they were sowed to another. 6 Prining knife. So necessary, that a Gardener ought always to have one in his pocket for there’s a hundred occasions in the way of Gardening to make use of it. 7 Dibbles. For planting small flowers that have roots and for planting Bulbs. 8 Watering Pot. Nothing is more useful in a Garden than a Watering-Pot, so that a Gardner cannot be without it. It imitates the rain, falling from the Heavens. 9 Beetle. This serves to smooth the Walkes and hinders most effectively the growing of Weeds upon ‘em. 10 Flower Basket. A Gardener that cultivates Flowers, ought to have Baskets by him, to gather the Flowrs in upon occasion. This sort of Basket, shew a Gardener’s Neatness and the genteel way of his Profession. 11 Sieve. ‘Tis by this that the Earth is reduced almost to Dust and is rendered fit for receiving Anemones, Rannunculas, and other fine flowers. 12 Saw. ‘Tis used for cutting the Branches which he can’t lop with his knife. 13 Transplanter. Used for raising together with the earth, plants for transplanting. 14 Garden Pot. A Gardner ought to have good store of Pots to put some Flowers in, that grow better fo than in full Earth, such as Pinks, Bears-Ears, Tube-roses, &c. These may be either of plain Earth, or of Dutch Ware, the former are much larger, for holding Jessamins, Clove-Gill-flowers, and such other Plants. 15 Plainer, or Rabot. Tho you run the Rake never so often along the Walks and Paths of a Garden, it will leave some Roughness which is easily rectified with an Inftrument call’d a Rabot; and therefore a neat Gardiner ought not to be without it. 16 Paillassons or Panniers of Straw. This is very necessary to keep out the Froft, which would hurt the Flowers that are sowed, especially those who can’t bear much cold. 17 Mallet. Used with the Chisel for lopping the Branches, that can’t be so neatly taken off with the force of one’s hands. 18 Wheelbarrow. To carry the Stones and Rakings of a Garden, to, places appointed to receive ‘em ; or, to carry Earth, or Mold, to improve such Grounds as are hungry. 19 Handbarrow. To carry into the Greenhouse, Trees or Shrubs, set in Boxes, which a Man can’t carry upon his Arm. Tis likewise of use for carrying Dung upon the Beds. 20 Catterpiller Sheers. For removing Catterpillers, which would otherwise deftroy all- It has a Handle ten foot long fitted to it, that it may reach to the upper Pans of a Tree. They clip, or cut the end of the Branch upon which the tuft of Catterpillers is lodg’d. 21 Garden Sheers. They are of use for trimming the Box, Yews, and other Trees and Shrubs, that serve to embellish a Garden. 22 Double Ladder. For trimming the upper part of the Arbour, or high Bower. 23 Pickaxe. For raising the Plants that adorn the Borders…or for giving some small Culture to Trees and Shrubs. 24 Rolling Stone. For smoothing Walks after they are raked. 25 Hook. A Gardener that has Rows of Greens to dress, can’t trim them well without a hook, which is used after a certain way. 26 Glass Bell. A Forist can’t be without this unless he has a mind to run the risk of losing his Plants, such as are soon in Beds immediately after the end of Winter. 27 Straw Bell. Proper for covering Plants newly transplanted in order to guard them from the Heat or the Sun, which might annoy them at first. 28 Garden Fork. For spreding and disposing of Dung upon the Beds. 29 Trowel. By the help of which a Flower Gardener takes up Plants with Earth around them. 30 Hurdle. For passing the Earth through. Of great use for separating the good Earth from the Stones. 1761 Frontispiece Le gentilhomme cultivateur ou corps complet d agriculture. Paris. Richard Bradley, an English garden writer who was appointed the first Professor of Botany, Cambridge University in 1724, and whose books were owned widely throughout the British American colonies, also included a page of garden tools in one of his books published about 20 years after John Evelyn’s death. Garden Tools from Richard Bradley’s Survey of Ancient Husbandry and Gardening in 1725. Garden Tools in Colonial America & The Early Republic 18th-century Depiction By 1734, garden tools made in the colonies were being advertised for sale in local newspapers.LATELY set up at Trenton in New Jersey, a Plateing and Blade Mill, by Isaac Harrow, an English Smith, who makes …GARDEN SPADES…COMMON SHOVELS, SCYTHES…BROAD AXES,…CROSS CUT SAWS…BARK SHAVERS, HAND SAWS…HAY KNIVES…TOBACCO KNIVES… GARDEN SHEERS…DITCHING SHOVELS, All Persons that have occasion for any of the above named Goods, may be supplied by George Howell, Lastmaker in Chesnut Street, Philadelphia, or by the Maker at Tren ton aforesaid, at reasonable Rates as any that come from England. Pennsylvania Gazette September 12, 1734. Garden tools were considered valuable property in colonial British America. According to the Camden County Historical Society in New Jersey, in 1763, Adam Reed of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, accompanied his local constable to a spot where they found Mr. Reed’s stolen property “hid in the ground.” Among the purloined articles unearthed were four grubbing hoes, four shovels and two spades. ‘Recueil des Planches du Dictionnaire Encyclopédique de l’art Aratoire et du Jardinage’ (1802) In another instance cited during the Revolutionary War, John Jones of Southwark left personal tools in the care of Captain Christian Grover “at the time of the approach of the enemy” to Philadelphia. In 1778, Mr. Jones advertised for the return of his property, promising that whoever returned his belongings would be “rewarded in proportion to their trouble or expense.” Among his prized possessions were two spades, five garden hoes, one grubbing hoe a& #110;d two dung forks. 18th-century Depiction Late in the 18th century, Evan Truman, blacksmith, and Thomas Goucher, a cutler by trade, provided garden tools to the public from their Philadelphia locations at the Sign of the Scythe and Sickle. Goucher advertised his skill in making “all kinds of edge tools and all sorts of hoes,” while Truman’s wares included ditching shovels, grubbing hoes, weeding hoes, picks and mattocks. 18th-century Depiction On a much smaller scale, one-man cottage industries also provided garden tools in early America, as a listing from Stafford’s 1800 Philadelphia City Directory attests: “Genter, Charlotte; rake maker; above Brown on St. John’s Street.” 18th-century Depiction Whether these garden tools belonged to the gentry or to the everyday gardener or farmer, they were essential in the agricultural society that dominated early America. In the early decades of the 19th century, garden writers did not just write of the appropriate tools for the garden, some also sold them. 18th-century Depiction At the Philadelphia shop of nurseryman Bernard M’Mahon (c. 1775–1816), author of the 1806 The American Gardener’s Calendar, one corner was devoted to the various “spades, shovels, rakes, hoes, reels, lines, trowels, edging irons, garden shears, watering pots, pruning, budding and grafting knives so necessary for gardening.” Early 19th-century Depiction It was not until the growing industrial economy of the mid-19th century, that manufacturers catalogues replaced list of tools in garden books. By then gardening was becoming a back-to-nature preoccupation of the industrial work force as a leisure-time activity. By the early 19th century, as both disposable income and printing sophistication grew, some catalogues depicted gardening tools in color. Figures Pour L’a Lmanach du Bon Jardinier. Outils de Jardinage. Early 19th-century Depiction. Figures Pour L’a Lmanach du Bon Jardinier. Outils de Jardinage. Early 19th-century Depiction. Figures Pour L’a Lmanach du Bon Jardinier. Outils de Jardinage. Early 19th-century Depiction. Figures Pour L’a Lmanach du Bon Jardinier. Outils de Jardinage. Early 19th-century Depiction. Figures Pour L’a Lmanach du Bon Jardinier. Outils de Jardinage. Early 19th-century Depiction. Figures Pour L’a Lmanach du Bon Jardinier. Outils de Jardinage. Early 19th-century Depiction. Figures Pour L’a Lmanach du Bon Jardinier. Outils de Jardinage. Early 19th-century Depiction. Figures Pour L’a Lmanach du Bon Jardinier. Outils de Jardinage. Early 19th-century Depiction. Figures Pour L’a Lmanach du Bon Jardinier. Outils de Jardinage. Early 19th-century Depiction. Figures Pour L’a Lmanach du Bon Jardinier. Outils de Jardinage. Early 19th-century Depiction. Figures Pour L’a Lmanach du Bon Jardinier. Outils de Jardinage. Early 19th-century Depiction. . Early American Gardens

In a nod to earlier times, this 19th-century English binding of brown goatskin is edged in brass and includes a brass clasp. An inscription inside the book reads: "Carrie Wilkie the gift of her dear Mother on completing her 18th year." The woman pictured in the miniature is possibly Carrie Wilkie's mother. Underneath the clasp you can see that the edges of the text have been covered with gold leaf. This book was bound in Oxford or London by James Hayday (1796-1872) who first appears in the London directories in 1825 as Hayday & Boyer. From 1829 he worked on his own, and by 1840 Hayday had also established a firm at Oxford. He enjoyed considerable prosperity up until 1848, when his business went into decline. In the years 1837-1838 he is known to have employed between 30 and 40 people, including 10 finishers, a large number for this time. Hayday was known for his fine bindings during the first half of the 19th century, and as with his contemporaries, these bindings were pastiches of earlier styles. Donated to the Alexander Turnbull Library in 1940 by Elizabeth Laing. Upper cover and fore-edge of ‘The Book of Common Prayer’ (Oxford: Printed at the University Press, sold by E. Gardner and Son, 1853). REng BIBLE 1853.

Palettes of Famous Painters: The Degas palette The Degas palette above is from earlier in his career, when he was still using the earthy tones common to the Dutch tradition. It lightened considerably in later years as his subject matter altered. Although there are a number of prescribed ways in which to lay out oil paint – light to dark; as per the colour wheel; basic palettes of three colours and white – all artists begin by lining up pigments at the top of the palette and use the remainder of its space for mixing.

Chain necklaces like these were starting to be seen as somewhat common in the late 18th up into the 19th and 20th centuries. This one was inspired by the Regency fashion prints that I have seen with crosses, stars, and other shapes hanging from chain and/or beaded necklaces. I love this necklace and actually wear one myself with yellow stars and I have matching earrings! I have several colors in stock, and they all measure 17 inches long, and I paired it with a lovely bali gold plated over silver (vermeil) round clasp with a flower on it. The center front flower pendants hang down about an inch. This is a vintage style plated chain. The base metal is possibly pewter, but could be brass. I currently do not have matching earrings in the flowers, but could possibly have them made up if interested. Please convo me. Portrait is of Elizaveta_Alexeevna by Vigee Lebrun, 1802, with pearls (of which I offer this style necklace in another listing). First and last photo (taken by Jennifer McKay Higgins of Chaddsford Floorcloths) is of me modeling the necklace in yellow. Sits beautifully on. If more photos are needed just ask! My Pinterest boards have more portraits and prints where a lot of my inspiration comes from.

While going back through old Ackermann's Repository issues gathering up images for a post on Collet Necklaces in fashion plates, I came across these glorious plates by William Pyne which were published in the Repository from 1813-1814. One month they were there then a few months later they were gone. Brief though the run may have been, I am utterly charmed by them! Sometimes he got two pages, sometimes one; Sometimes they were called "Rustic Figures" sometimes "Pyne's Rustic Figures" and sometimes nothing at all, but here they are in all their glory! I hope you love them as much as I do! I'll upload the full images, so you can save the high-res version by clicking on them. All images from Bunka Gauken Library (and cropped by me). What I find most fascinating about them is that practically every person in these images would fit right in in the 1770s and 1780s. I wonder if it is artistic license or if the rural poor and working classes were really this much out of fashion in the period. Certainly the gauzy, breezy things that the fashionable were wearing aren't the most practical for working, but generally I would assume that a great majority of the people were wearing serviceable versions of the classic Regency silhouette. What do you think?

While going back through old Ackermann's Repository issues gathering up images for a post on Collet Necklaces in fashion plates, I came across these glorious plates by William Pyne which were published in the Repository from 1813-1814. One month they were there then a few months later they were gone. Brief though the run may have been, I am utterly charmed by them! Sometimes he got two pages, sometimes one; Sometimes they were called "Rustic Figures" sometimes "Pyne's Rustic Figures" and sometimes nothing at all, but here they are in all their glory! I hope you love them as much as I do! I'll upload the full images, so you can save the high-res version by clicking on them. All images from Bunka Gauken Library (and cropped by me). What I find most fascinating about them is that practically every person in these images would fit right in in the 1770s and 1780s. I wonder if it is artistic license or if the rural poor and working classes were really this much out of fashion in the period. Certainly the gauzy, breezy things that the fashionable were wearing aren't the most practical for working, but generally I would assume that a great majority of the people were wearing serviceable versions of the classic Regency silhouette. What do you think?

My school’s Wassail Party was held in the upper-school cafeteria, at night. For us lower-schoolers, it was thrilling. We were not usually welcome on the big kids’ campus, but after the annual candlelight service we were invited to eat miniature candy canes and Pepperidge Farm cookies in their vast, dim, low-ceilinged, linoleum-floored refectory. There was […]

While going back through old Ackermann's Repository issues gathering up images for a post on Collet Necklaces in fashion plates, I came across these glorious plates by William Pyne which were published in the Repository from 1813-1814. One month they were there then a few months later they were gone. Brief though the run may have been, I am utterly charmed by them! Sometimes he got two pages, sometimes one; Sometimes they were called "Rustic Figures" sometimes "Pyne's Rustic Figures" and sometimes nothing at all, but here they are in all their glory! I hope you love them as much as I do! I'll upload the full images, so you can save the high-res version by clicking on them. All images from Bunka Gauken Library (and cropped by me). What I find most fascinating about them is that practically every person in these images would fit right in in the 1770s and 1780s. I wonder if it is artistic license or if the rural poor and working classes were really this much out of fashion in the period. Certainly the gauzy, breezy things that the fashionable were wearing aren't the most practical for working, but generally I would assume that a great majority of the people were wearing serviceable versions of the classic Regency silhouette. What do you think?

Plate 9; a woman selling cucumbers from a basket carried on her head, a sheaf of grain under her left arm; from late series of the Cries of London, the plate considerably reworked with head, hat and neck changed and buckle replacing bows on her shoes. 1688, reworked and published after c.1750 Etching and engraving

2.5 in (6 sm) x 2 in (5 sm) x h 8 in (20 sm) “Excellent collectible condition. No damage”

Cotton Gambeson “Dark Star” Two-piece female medieval gambeson with lacing You’re welcome to dance with the Dark Star, but I would recommend keeping your distance. As an adept duellist and ruthless strategist, she has very little to gain from the common folk. Watch from afar, feel the pull… and try not to fall into her orbit. Welcome to our beautiful new collection of armor fitted for the female figure. “Dark Star” is meant to be beautiful, dangerous, and of course functional and comfortable to wear into battle. When it came to designing a matching gambeson, we didn’t want to settle to anything bulky or unflattering and have spent many months designing this gorgeous piece of under armor. Based on our bestselling two-piece design, "The Kingmaker" Two-Piece Gambeson, this gambeson is perfect for LARP, fencing, SCA, and any other format where you’d like just a little bit of padding under your armor. The shape of this gambeson was inspired by some found from the XIV-XV century. Compared to earlier gambesons, they were shorter and more fitted, coming down to just below the hips (opposed to your knees or even ankles!). The two-piece design means that there are two main segments: the sleeves and the vest. The sleeves are padded from the shoulder to wrist and include a split halfway up the forearm without any buckles or lacing (which is ideal if you are wearing bracers over top). The arms are connected with a crop-top like piece which is unpadded, consisting of two layers of fabric with lacing up the front. The vest is completely padded and patterned to fit your curves perfectly, with gores in the bust, a tapered waist and the bottom half cut on an angle to ensure the best hip coverage possible. The real magic with this gambeson isn’t actually when you wear the pieces separately (which is also awesome), but when you wear them together. The lacing up the front of the sleeve crop-top allows the vest to sit perfectly flat over the top of it without any discomfort. Double padding from the combined pieces on the shoulders gives you extra protection against the straps of your armor rubbing without added bulk. The separate construction means that you can swing a sword, move and fight without your arms being restricted or the bottom of your gambeson riding up as much when you go into a high guard. This piece has been designed by people with a passion for functional fashion and sword fighting, so a great amount of love and thought has been put into every single aspect of it to make it perfect. Robust cotton has been used so that the gambeson is tough and will stand the test of time whichever format of fighting you choose to use it in. A contrasting border brings a bit more color and variation to the look, and the quilting is stitched in a way that it flatters your curves, making it so fashionable that after fight practice you aren’t going to want to take it off! Embossed straps made from quality leather close the middle of the gambeson with the help of cast brass buckles, with a 4cm overlap in fabric to make sure you're covered. We have also included arming points at the shoulders to make sure this gambeson is battle ready! We also have similar designs of this gambeson made from wool or linen. To check how to measure yourself please click here. Please contact us if you have any additional questions.

This fascinating antique wooden statue depicts the Taoist God of Literature and Culture, Wenchang Wang. The statue was likely hand-carved in China in the 1700’s, but it is quite possible that it predates the 18th century. An iron stand has been added to the back more recently, although a portion of the back is excavated, indicating that the statue was once part of a larger installation. Wenchang has been posed in a seated position with his hands clasped in front of his body, which is a common representation of the god in artwork. The hands have a shallow incised section, indicating that Wenchang once held an object. Based on other statues and drawings of Wenchang from this time, it was most likely a hu scepter that once accompanied the statue. Wenchang is clad in an ankle-length robe and a ridged headdress. Although the statue’s color is predominantly natural wood, very old traces of polychrome can be seen throughout the piece indicating that it was once vividly painted. In China, those who study hard, and test well are often rewarded with high-ranking civil service jobs. The common belief is that Wenchang guides these scholars, leading many to seek his assistance. A statue of this size indicates it could have once been commissioned for a Chinese temple. Today, our wooden statue of Wenchang Wang would make a perfect piece of art in a study or library. It would work well with any contemporary interior, or with an interior displaying other very old Chinese artifacts. *The statue was photographed in our store while on top of a French limestone pedestal block. The stone can be shipped along with the statue if so desired.* less

An exceptionally stunning example of Antonio Zatta's 1776 map of the northwestern parts of America and the northeastern parts of Asia. This map is one of the most sought after and decorative 18th century pre-Cook maps of the Pacific Northwest ever issued. Covers the region from the Hudson Bay and the Great Lakes westward as far as Siberia and Japan, north well into the Arctic, and southwards as far as Cabo San Lucas in Baja California. In this stunning map, Zatta, combining almost every 17th and 18th century myth and fact of the American west into a single map, offers up a veritable smorgasbord of speculative geography. The idea of a Northwest Passage linking the Hudson Bay to the Pacific is central to this map. In this Zatta embraces the speculative geography advocated by Nicholas De L'Isle and Phillipe Bauche. De L'Isle and Bauche were supporters of the Northwest Passage theory associated with the apocryphal voyage of the 17th century Admiral de Fonte. The De Fonte legend first appeared in a 1706 English publication entitled "Memoirs of the Curious". This short-lived magazine published a previously unknown account by a supposed Spanish Admiral named Bartholomew de Fonte. De Fonte is said to have sailed up the Pacific coast of North America in 1640. On this voyage he apparently discovered a series of gigantic lakes, seas, and rivers heading eastward from the Pacific towards Hudson Bay. The De Fonte story relates how, on one of these great inland lakes, he met with a westward bound ship from Boston that must to have come through the Northwest Passage. In later days Fusang was commonly used in Chinese poetry to designate Japan, however earlier references keep it distinct. In any case, Hui Shen's description of Fusang with regard to distance and geography, corresponds more with the coastlands of North America than with Japan. The French historian Joseph de Guignes in his 1761article Le Fou-Sang des Chinois est-il l'Amérique? promoted this idea.

~ Hello and welcome to The Textile Trunk! ~ Please come join us on Instagram: @textiletrunk ~ This textile has been in my private collection for many years indeed ~ it's fabulous! I've seen smaller pieces of this textile over the years, but never this large fabulous panel! ~*~ This was printed at the famous Jouy factory , it's titled " Les Nenuphars ) Waterlilies and was printed in 1798~ The design consists of a double row of flowers arranged in quincunxes without lozenges formed from ribbons and leafy stems . The flowers are set against a colored background with a small leafy pattern reisst-dyed in white . The waterlily petals are stippled, so beautifully ! ~*~ The pattern in three colors was produced in various color ranges. It was printed at Jouy en Josas and at Beautiran but we do not know which of the two is earlier ~ This pattern corresponds exactly with the known printing from Jouy en Josas , a rare and fabulous find. Hand block printed siamoise ( linen cotton ) nubby , open weave . ~The backing is a nubby homespun and there is a light cotton batting. This textile is hand stitched and hand quilted. A gorgeous textile !!! one of the best ~*~ MEASUREMENTS: This gorgeous textile measures 75 inches by 58 inches approximately ~ CONDITION: This textile is in as found, not freshly laundered condition. This textile is faded unevenly with time. There are holes on the side edge which penetrates all layers ~ There are small holes dotted all around , to be expected on the printed fabric. The backing has some larger holes ~ this piece is not in perfect condition, however it's exactly as one would expect to find an 18th century textile that had been used and loved ~ A remarkable find ~*~ Please use the zoom feature to view closely ~*~ There is nothing perfect about this other than it's perfectly beautiful and perfectly in keeping with an 18th century French textile ~*~ Lucky us!!! Item Number: E B258 02/11/2021

Hobo Nickel Old Man Classic Vintage Skull Skeleton One Cent Copper US Unique American President Unique Carved Hobo Coin Rare Diameter: 19.05 mm in (0.750 in) Mass: 2.5 g The hobo nickel is a sculptural art form involving the creative modification of small-denomination coins, essentially resulting in miniature bas reliefs. The US nickel coin was favored because of its size, thickness and relative softness. However, the term hobo nickel is generic, as carvings have been made from many different denominations. Due to its low cost and portability, this medium was particularly popular among hobos, hence the name. The altering of coins dates to the 18th century or earlier. Beginning in the 1850s, the most common form of coin alteration was the "potty coin", engraved on United States Seated Liberty coinage (half dime through trade dollar) and modifying Liberty into a figure sitting on a chamber pot. This time period was also the heyday of the love token, which was made by machine-smoothing a coin (usually silver) on one or both sides, then engraving it with initials, monograms, names, scenes, etc., often with an ornate border. Hundreds of thousands of coins were altered in this manner. They were often mounted on pins or incorporated into bracelets and necklaces. The love token fad faded out in the early 20th century; love tokens engraved on buffalo nickels are rare. Please be aware that Processing and delivery can take up to 2 to 6 weeks for delivery. If you have any question please send me a message as i respond very quickly And remember to favorite my store as i am always adding new and unique items :)

A milky white dish with slight scalloped rim and decorated with cobalt blue iron red and green enamel over glaze, this delicate piece in Kakiemon Style was dated at least to the early 18th century if not earlier, likely made for export market to the west. The top surface of the plate features a sparse and a slightly asymmetrical arrangement of wheat sheaf bundles and prunus branches. The base was marked with six Chinese character "Qi Yu Bao Ding Zhi Zhen", a mark that was used in the non-royal kilns during the reign of Kang Xi in Qing Dynasty (1661 to 1722). This mark was used both during and after the reign in China and sometimes in Japan, thus not an indication of date or origin. Provenance: Former collection the Mobile Museum of Art, Mobile, AL, acquired in 1977 purportedly. , Background: From the mid-17th century, Kakiemon wares were produced at the factories of Arita, Saga Prefecture, Japan with much in common with the Chinese "Famille Verte" style. The superb quality of its enamel decoration was highly prized in the West and widely imitated by the major European porcelain manufacturers. Similar designs can be found on copied on pieces produced by Meissen in the middle of 18th century, suggesting the age of this piece predating mid-18th century. By Mid-18th century, the export of porcelain from Japan was halted. less

New Hobo Nickel Rap Gangster Street Morgan Dollar Silver Casted US American Unique Carved Coin Rare Punk Biker Rare Diameter: 38.1 mm (1.5 in) Mass: 26.73 g The hobo nickel is a sculptural art form involving the creative modification of small-denomination coins, essentially resulting in miniature bas reliefs. The US nickel coin was favored because of its size, thickness and relative softness. However, the term hobo nickel is generic, as carvings have been made from many different denominations. Due to its low cost and portability, this medium was particularly popular among hobos, hence the name. The altering of coins dates to the 18th century or earlier. Beginning in the 1850s, the most common form of coin alteration was the "potty coin", engraved on United States Seated Liberty coinage (half dime through trade dollar) and modifying Liberty into a figure sitting on a chamber pot. This time period was also the heyday of the love token, which was made by machine-smoothing a coin (usually silver) on one or both sides, then engraving it with initials, monograms, names, scenes, etc., often with an ornate border. Hundreds of thousands of coins were altered in this manner. They were often mounted on pins or incorporated into bracelets and necklaces. The love token fad faded out in the early 20th century; love tokens engraved on buffalo nickels are rare. Please be aware that Processing and delivery can take up to 2 to 6 weeks for delivery. If you have any question please send me a message as i respond very quickly And remember to favorite my store as i am always adding new and unique items :)

A wonderful Iznik Plate, assumed to be Armenian, rather than Turkish, assumed to be from the late 18th to early 19th Century, although possibly earlier, from a extensive ceramic collection of a Gentlemen. FREE INTERNATIONAL DELIVERY The plate depicts traditional Turkish Iznik design motifs of zas leaves, carnations and other floral motifs, flowing from a vase, with a decorated border rim using a strong Turquoise pigment. The plate uses key Iznik pigments common in Ottoman equivalent plates, using reds, olive green, turquoise, purple with black outlines, placing it after the 1540's. It is assumed to be a more recent piece, most probably produced by Armenian or Jeruselem Potters in the 18th or even 19th Century. The plate is in good but antique used condition, there is some fritting and chipping to the rim. However there are no breaks or repairs, and it is an honest well executed and early piece, that is an affordable version of the far more expensive Turkish Ottoman equivalents. Provenance: Lot 68, A Largely Private Owned Gentleman's Collection of Fine Art and Antiques, Hannams Auction House 6th August 2021. The plate will be carefully and securely packed and sent Royal Mail track and signed FREE OF CHARGE to UK and Overseas Customers. Please be aware that any import duties levied are the responsibility of the purchaser. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to message me.

Skull Evil Hobo Nickel Satan Lucifer Medieval Skeleton Morgan Dollar Silver Casted US American Unique Carved Coin Rare Punk Biker Rare The hobo nickel is a sculptural art form involving the creative modification of small-denomination coins, essentially resulting in miniature bas reliefs. The US nickel coin was favored because of its size, thickness and relative softness. However, the term hobo nickel is generic, as carvings have been made from many different denominations. Due to its low cost and portability, this medium was particularly popular among hobos, hence the name. The altering of coins dates to the 18th century or earlier. Beginning in the 1850s, the most common form of coin alteration was the "potty coin", engraved on United States Seated Liberty coinage (half dime through trade dollar) and modifying Liberty into a figure sitting on a chamber pot. This time period was also the heyday of the love token, which was made by machine-smoothing a coin (usually silver) on one or both sides, then engraving it with initials, monograms, names, scenes, etc., often with an ornate border. Hundreds of thousands of coins were altered in this manner. They were often mounted on pins or incorporated into bracelets and necklaces. The love token fad faded out in the early 20th century; love tokens engraved on buffalo nickels are rare. Please be aware that Processing and delivery can take up to 2 to 6 weeks for delivery. If you have any question please send me a message as i respond very quickly And remember to favorite my store as i am always adding new and unique items :)