Sign of the Whale Antiques

~~~~~~~
630-469-5320
558 Crescent Boulevard, Glen Ellyn, Illinois 60137
info@signofthewhaleantiques.com

~~~~~~~
Home / About Us / Furniture / Folk Art and Textiles / Early Smalls / Past Sales / Blog / Links

~~~~~~~
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

~~~~~~~
American Polychrome Paint-Decorated Salt-Glazed Stoneware Jar, 4^th quarter 19^th 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

~~~~~~~
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

~~~~~~~
Early Penny Rug, late 19th century, well-made in great colors and in excellent, clean condition. Large size at 34" x 61".

$565

~~~~~~~
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

~~~~~~~
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

~~~~~~~
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

~~~~~~~
19^th 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

~~~~~~~
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

~~~~~~~
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

~~~~~~~
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

~~~~~~~
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

~~~~~~~
Bannerette Weathervane, early 20th century, in original gold leaf surface, excellent condition.
24" long x 17" tall.

$975

~~~~~~~
Mennonite Folk Art Appliqué Quilt, circa 1890, Reedsville, Pennsylvania, 70" x 71". Unique original pattern in excellent condition.

$675

~~~~~~~
Nine Patch Chain Quilt with lattice quilting, circa 1930s, possibly southern Illinois origin, 74" x 74". Wonderful color in excellent condition.

$625

~~~~~~~
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

~~~~~~~
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

~~~~~~~
Watercolor of an Early Brick Schoolhouse in original round frame, circa 1870, excellent condition.
8 5/8" diameter x 3/4" deep.

$325

~~~~~~~
19^th 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

~~~~~~~
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

~~~~~~~
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

~~~~~~~
Early 20^th 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

~~~~~~~
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

~~~~~~~
Figural Molded Thistle in Gilt Paint, late 19th century, set in a 19th century black frame. 11" x 8 3/4".

$240

~~~~~~~

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

~~~~~~~
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

~~~~~~~
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

~~~~~~~
"Guests Only" handmade standing wood sign, circa 1930, in original polychrome paint decoration, double sided, 48" tall x 16" diameter base.

$445

~~~~~~~
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

~~~~~~~
Oil on Board Painting of a Greek Revival Country Church, signed and dated 1904, original frame in very good condition, 16" x 13".

SOLD

~~~~~~~
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

~~~~~~~
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

~~~~~~~
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

~~~~~~~
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

~~~~~~~
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

~~~~~~~
Native American Medicine Pipe, mid 1900s,
17 7/8" long.

$185

~~~~~~~
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

~~~~~~~
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

~~~~~
Home / About Us / Furniture / Folk Art and Textiles / Early Smalls / Past Sales / Blog / Links