American Hand-Carved Painted Patriotic Shield with Raised Stars, 19th Century

Folk art patriotic shield painting of John Adams, dating to around 1876 and of a large size measuring 41" x 34.5". It is an oil on canvas laid down to boards. There is writing on the back of the boards, but I cannot make out what it says. There is another similar piece to this that features another signer of the constitution in the Smithsonian collection. This piece came from a collection in Portsmouth...

American late 19th century hand carved wood head of a horse, stained black, shown wearing a bridal and bit, with mouth open as if in a full gallop. A very handsome piece of sculpture, likely a fragment from a larger piece, now mounted on a custom iron base. Great decoration for the equestrian or lover of horses. Great for mantel...

A rare, likely one-of-a-kind, large antique, circa 1860s, early American hand carved, painted, and sculpted wooden patriotic barber pole advertising trade sign / open sign...

19th century American hand carved gilded pediment eagle. Antique decorative hand carved and gilded wooden pediment eagle. The expressive sculpture w...

19th Century Hand-Carved Pirate Figure Dimensions: H 9.5” x W 3.5” x D 2.5” Weight: 500grm Date: Circa 1880 Origin: Unknown Material: Hand-carved pine (stained) Overview An unusual o...

19th century Italian hand-carved and painted cherub presents a charming, colorful and adorable rendering of a young winged cherub, holding a spiral torchere in one hand that can be u...

19th C Monumental Hand Carved & Painted Eagle Sculpture. It is possibly from a Federal or government building. It's a Architectural Folk Art Element. The Eagle is carved of wood and...

19th century Hand Carved Drinking Mug or Stein Beautifully turned with a pinned hinged lid, the mug has been turned from Yew wood, all in good condition holds about 1/2 pint, it is...

Antique Tamil Nadu massive ferocious mythical lion (Yali) and hunter sculpture - hand carved from a single piece of wood (likely teak or walnut) - multi color painted finish with fin...

HAND-PAINTED 19TH CENTURY BANNER WITH AN 1867 VERSION OF THE SEAL OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, PROPOSED IN THAT YEAR BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE, BUT IN A VARIATION NEVER FORMALLY ADOPTED Banner with the Illinois State Seal, in a rare variation of the design, never adopted. In 1867 Illinois Secretary of State Sharon Tyndale proposed that the phrases in the state motto be reversed. In the wake of the Civil War, (which ended in 1865,) Tyndale suggested that the verbiage be changed from "State Sovereignty--National Union" to "National Union--State Sovereignty,” which made sense given the recent secession of the Southern States, which placed their own interests first. Illinois' own Abraham Lincoln had worked hard to preserve national interests, echoed here in the altering of the language. Though Tyndale’s suggestion was rejected, he was nonetheless charged with creating a new design, which he did and was soon adopted. This displayed the dates of "1818," when Illinois became a state, and "1868," when the seal was officially changed. Interestingly enough, Tyndale did manage to send a message in the new version by turning the word “sovereignty” upside-down , with the surmised explanation that this fit accordingly with the orientation / position of the streamer. The banner is beautifully hand-painted on muslin and retains its original staff. The shape is beautifully scalloped at the bottom edge, which is painted to look as if there is an applied fringe. Most of the elements are congruent with the 1868 version, but there are various differences. Set within a shield-shaped medallion—usually circular—is the expected eagle in a side view, spread wing pose with beak uplifted. The eagle is supposed to be perched upon a rock with one talon, while gripping a Federal shield in the other. Here there is no rock and both talons grip the shield, which displays 13 stars. Note the date of "1867" and Tyndale's preferred order of the wording on the billowing ribbon in the eagle's beak. The foreground of the official design is all grass. Here there are olive branches—a peacetime reference appropriate for a country recovering from war—on a grassy area, set upon a sandy shore before Lake Michigan, with a rising sun on the horizon. Mounting: The banner was mounted and framed within our own conservation department, which is led by masters degree trained staff. We take great care in the mounting and presentation of flags and have preserved thousands of examples; more than anyone worldwide. The background is 100% cotton twill, black in color. The mount was placed in a black-painted, hand-gilded and distressed Italian molding. A shadowbox was created to accommodate the staff. The glazing is U.V. protective plexiglass. Feel free to contact us for more details. Banner - 49" x 56.5" Frame - 67.75" x 59.25" About Jeff R. Bridgman Antiques, Inc.: As an advisor to top museums and collectors alike, Jeff Bridgman is the world's leading expert and source for antique American flags and political textiles...