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630-469-5320
558 Crescent Boulevard, Glen Ellyn, Illinois 60137
info@signofthewhaleantiques.com
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Portrait of a Young Gentleman
seated in a red chair, oil on
canvas. The sitter is Mr. Stephen Whitmore,
age 29, painted in 1844 by E. E.
Finch, an itinerant portrait painter in
the Augusta, Maine area. Signed and
dated verso. Excellent condition in the
original, very fine gold leaf fame.
26 1/2" x 31".
SOLD
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American
Polychrome Paint-Decorated Salt-Glazed
Stoneware Jar,
4th
quarter 19th
century,
9”
tall,
approximately half-gallon capacity,
hand-painted with well-executed
poppies and butterfly, rounded shoulder
and flared mouth, minor flake to rim and
base
and some wear to
painted decoration.$185
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Hand-carved Dove,
circa 1930, original white paint, one
piece with black painted eyes and yellow
beak.
9
3/4" tall x 2 1/2" wide x 5 3/8" deep.
$275
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Early Penny Rug, late 19th
century, well-made in great colors and
in excellent, clean condition. Large
size at 34" x 61".$565
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Folk
Art Make-Do Paint Decorated Dovetailed
Fragment Wall Plaque: This is one of
those one-of-a-kind make-do pieces,
salvaging fragments of two early,
damaged items: here, a gutsy plaque made
from the dovetailed portion of a
mid-19th century box with strong paint
decoration with half of an early mortar
applied to it. Wonderful color and
patina on both pieces. Wouldn't you love
to know the thinking that went into
this? And what happened to the (what
must have been) beautiful dovetailed
box? Whatever it was, someone couldn't
consign it to the trash heap. And voila!
A make-do plaque was born.
12 3/4" x 7 3/4" x 1/2" thick.$95
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Working Merganser Decoy,
Maine,1930-40, original paint,
expertly carved hood and graceful form
with original sunken lead weight.
19" long x 5 1/2" wide x 5 1/2" tall.$145
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Trapunto White Work Pillow Sham,
center urn of flowers with vining
flowers and berries throughout. Signed "M H" and
dated 1823 in stitching. Mounted for hanging.
No stains or discoloration. Some wear to
surface; two old pieced repairs upper
right and lower left, as shown.
32 1/2” x 23 1/2”.
$325
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19th
Century Wool and Felt Shamrock Table
Rug.
The
shamrock is a young sprig, used as a
symbol of Ireland. The word literally
means “young clover”. Perhaps this rug
was made by or for someone of Irish
descent. Or maybe the shamrock signifies
the coming of spring. Wool suiting
fabrics
comprise the base
of
pieced squares,
with
hand-appliqued green felt shamrocks and
cranberry red and green felt pinwheels,
hand-embroidered stitching around each
square, on burlap backing,
Excellent condition with a couple of
minor mends as shown. Sure to bring good
luck!
24” x 44”. $295
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Family Hair Register,
circa 1850-60, cross-stitched designs
and initials of family members under
each hair sample, “SWEET HOME” with
depiction of the family home in the
center. Rare piece with some losses.
14" x 18 3/4"
$575
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Penny
Rug,
small felt circles or “pennies” in
wonderful colors, green wool border with
scalloped edges frames it like a
painting, excellent condition, perfect
for spring.
Larger
pennies only 1 1/8” diameter.
Very usable size at
38” x 21 ½”.$425
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Button Board containing a variety
of Mother of Pearl buttons, circa 1920,
stitched onto linen and mounted on
cardboard for hanging.
12 7/8" x 17 1/4".$145
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Early Homespun
Blanket,
circa
1850, with hand-stitched center seam and
hems, 76” x 84”. Overall an excellent
early textile with one small stain, one
small hole where a stain has burned
through, and a few scattered very minor
losses. $285
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Bannerette Weathervane, early
20th century, in original gold leaf
surface, excellent condition.
24" long x 17" tall.$975
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Mennonite Folk Art Appliqué Quilt,
circa 1890, Reedsville,
Pennsylvania, 70" x 71". Unique original
pattern in excellent condition.$675
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Nine Patch Chain Quilt with
lattice quilting, circa 1930s, possibly
southern Illinois origin, 74" x 74".
Wonderful color in excellent condition.$625
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Set of Three Carnival Knockdowns,
early 1900s, found in Brickerville,
Pennsylvania. Fun to find three.
Structurally tight with expected wear
from use. 10 3/4" tall.$475 set
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Small Hooked Rug,
village scene with a church and houses,
wool on burlap, circa 1920, mounted for
hanging, 15 1/8” x 12 3/4”,
$365
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Watercolor of an Early Brick
Schoolhouse in original round frame,
circa 1870, excellent condition.
8 5/8" diameter x 3/4" deep.$325
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19th
Century Marine Art Multi-Media Portrait
of a Schooner, by Thomas H. Willis,
Danish-American (1845-1925). This is a
more scarce small size example of
Willis’s work, flying the American flag,
in its original gold frame with wood
backboard. Small loss to the silk fabric
on one sail. 11 ½” x 11 ½”. Willis
combined marine art, folk art, and
needlework in his portraits of sailing
ships. They featured oil painted
backgrounds with vessels made of silk
and embroidery floss. He advertised as a
maker of "silkware pictures" and
collaborated with Antonio Jacobsen who
sometimes painted the backgrounds. His
work is found in many museums. A large
silk-work portrait by Willis sold in the
August 2022 Skinner auction for $2250.$895
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Geometric
Hooked Rug,
checkerboard with hit or miss border,
shades of orange, brown, and gold,
excellent condition. Wonderful color and
texture in this rug.
33 ½” x 21”.$275

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Pencil Drawing of a Whippet, circa
1900, in a painted tramp art frame.
Inscribed with the dog's name "Jim Crow"
and signed by the artist, Wm.
Richardson. 9' x 11"$265
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Early 20th
Century Hand-Painted Hand-Held
“STOP/SLOW" sign,
octagonal shape,
original paint on early plywood with an
attached wooden handle. All original.
Overall 19” tall; sign itself is 14”
tall x 13 ½” wide. Likely used to
control traffic at a school crossing,
construction site, etc.$190
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Early Reverse Painting on Glass,
house on a hill amid the trees, original
lemon gold frame with original ring
hanger. Wonderful condition.
12" x 8 1/4".
(Please excuse the artifacts of
photography.)$395
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Pennsylvania Lock Box, circa
1850, with working lock and
key fitted with a till inside,
dovetailed. Original dark green
paint decorated with fruit and spray
of flowers, great condition.
16” wide x 8 1/2” deep x 7” tall.
$575
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Wall Mount Barber Pole retaining
original paint with expected wear and
great surface, early 1900s.
40" long x 4 1/4" wide x 3" deep.
$650
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Penny Rug, 19th century, in red,
green, burgundy, and black star patter.
Expected minimal wear but very good
overall. 60" long x 23 1/2" wide.
$465
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"Guests Only" handmade standing
wood sign, circa 1930, in original polychrome paint
decoration, double sided, 48" tall x 16"
diameter base.$445
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Painting of Kittens in the hay
with a blue blanket, oil on canvas circa
1910-20, excellent condition. Frame not
original. 12 1/4" x 10 1/4".
$325
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Oil on Board Painting of a Greek
Revival Country Church, signed and
dated 1904, original frame in very good
condition, 16" x 13".
SOLD
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Small Cast Iron Shooting Gallery
Targets circa 1920, used for BB
guns, with remnants
of original white paint, approximately
3" x 3": hopping rabbits, sitting
rabbits, and quail.
$98 each
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American Indigo and White
Summer-Winter Coverlet with dated
corner block, "Rebecca Stout 1839",
body in floral design with borders
of churches, birds of various types, and
trees. Clean as found condition with two
edges unhemmed but stable with no
fraying, two areas with browning as
shown.
72" x 88".
$265
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Folk Art Wood Model of a Building, Maine,
c1860, with applied striped
barber poles, dry original paint, tiny
square nails. Wonderful condition.
19 1/4" x 9 1/4" x 10 3/4" tall.
$395
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Double-sided Dartboard in
original red, dark green, and white
paint, circa 1940, Lake George, New
York. One side heavily used, the other
relatively pristine. The size of the
board was extended and secured with
metal staples prior to painting.
18" square, hung on point.
$195
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Small folk art Farrier's Box
circa 1860. A "farrier" is a craftsman
who trims and shoes horses' hooves. This
box features applied black painted
decoration of what appears to be a
full-bodied Morgan horse on the lid, and
farrier's tools on the front and two
sides, all on a brown painted base. The
lid is edged with applied sawtooth and
swag borders. There are also oyster
white and mustard painted embellishments
and pinstriping on all sides. The
interior contains divided compartments
and was likely used to hold small nails,
etc. The owner's initials "J. B" are
painted on the inside lid. Superb
original condition.
9 1/2" x 6 1/2" x 4" tall.
$850
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Rebecca W.
Morgan’s Sampler, dated 1830, 19 ¾”
x 19 ¼”, stitched on linen ground,
excellent condition, conservation
framed. Includes 6 alphabets in
different stitch forms, also dated upper
right corner, strawberry border on the
bottom and a dog. Artifacts from
photography. $625
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Evaline Thompson's Sampler,
dated 1816 on a tag applied to the
glass, includes 3 alphabets and
numerals, with a large central motif of
a home surrounded b trees, flowers, and
birds, all within a decorative stitched
border. The motto reads: “Love permit
thy gracious name to stand as the first
art of an infant’s hand and while my
fingers ‘oer this canvas move make her
tender heart to seek thy love.” Perhaps
this sampler was done one in honor of
the birth of a child? 17” square. No
losses. Some fade in verse.$1200
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Home /
About Us /
Furniture /
Folk Art and Textiles /
Early Smalls /
Past Sales /
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Links
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