Maine Antique Digest May 2015

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Maine Antique Digest, May 2015 25-C
Front and center is arguably the most coveted of all sailing trophies, the
America’s Cup. Shown joining the America’s Cup and some members of the
winning Oracle Team USA are key figures of this year’s Washington Winter
Show. Clockwise from the left are Leslie B. Jones, curator of the Vessels
of Victory exhibit and cochair of the 2015 show; Karen DiSaia, the show’s
manager and promoter; Scott Ferguson, executive member of the Oracle
nautical design team; Jonathan Willen, executive director of the Washing-
ton Winter Show; Kinley Fowler and Joe Spooner, crew members of Oracle
Team USA; and Blair Bourne, 2015 show cochair.
This wall map was in the
booth of The Philadel-
phia Print Shop, Ltd.,
Philadelphia. It is titled
“Mitchell’s National
Map of the American
Republic / or / United
States of North Amer-
ica…” The map was
published by S. Augus-
tus Mitchell of Phila-
delphia and dated 1843.
Surrounding the body of
the map are insets that
show a more detailed
view of the “vicinity” of
many of the major cities
of the day. The map has
been backed and is in
very good condition. The
price was $3200.
Here is one of a set of nine chairs offered
by Sumpter Priddy III, Inc., Alexandria,
Virginia. The chairs have a distinctly
institutional look to them, and this group is
one of several known assemblages of these
chairs. They are walnut with yellow pine as
the secondary wood. The chairs feature a
large, slightly curved tablet back splat. The
legs are straight and slightly tapered. There
is a three-sided box stretcher. What makes
these rather simple-looking chairs special is
that they are almost certainly from Thomas
Jefferson’s Monticello Joinery. The nine
chairs offered by Sumpter Priddy came
through the family of Joseph Carrington
Cabell, a contemporary of Jefferson and
an instrumental figure in the establishment
of the University of Virginia. It may be
assumed that many of these sturdy chairs
found their way into various buildings
and perhaps classrooms at the university.
References to this style chair are numerous.
A pair is shown on postcards of Monticel-
lo’s entrance hall. This group of nine chairs
was $9800. These paintings were on the wall in Sumpter Priddy’s booth. The portrait of
Maria Graham Koontz (1812-1896) is by Alexandria, Virginia, native John
Gadsby Chapman (1808-1889). The painting shows Maria as a young woman,
adorned with what appears to be a long, knitted boa-like scarf and holding a
single flower. The oil on canvas measures 30" x 25" sight size and was $18,500.
Chapman is best known for his 1840 painting The Baptism of Pocahontas,
which hangs in the rotunda of the United States Capitol. The oil on canvas
titled Virginia Manor House by Wells Moses Sawyer (1863-1961) dates circa
1928 and was $2200. The small image is of Weyers Cave in Augusta County,
Virginia. This oil on panel, circa 1844, by William Thompson Russell Smith
(1812-1896) was priced at $3500.
Here is a barrel-form
fruitwood tea caddy on
a low pedestal offered
by Sallea Antiques, New
Canaan, Connecticut.
Jan Kach stated that the
circa 1800 caddy is likely
a souvenir from one of
the Germanic areas of
Europe. The caddy opens
to a single compartment
that retains some of its foil
lining. Both ends of the
barrel are decorated with
floral wreaths under glass.
The original lock and
hinges are present. The
tea caddy was marked
$12,500.
This large carved eagle is flanked by Priscilla Boyd Angelos and her daughters,
Emily and Julia. The eagle is from the estate of Priscilla’s parents, Irvin and Dolores
Boyd, of Meetinghouse Antiques, Fort Washington, Pennsylvania. Priscilla has now
taken over the business and is proud to follow in her parents’ footsteps. The eagle
may have been part of a ship’s decorative elements or it may have been mounted on
a standard of some sort. The eagle stands 42" in height and has a 42" wingspan. It
carried a price at $14,500 but is likely priceless to the Angelos family.
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