Baltimore - Collectibles and Curiosities

This extraordinary Baroque style armoire is one of the nicest we have ever had. It has spent the last thirty years in this dealer’s home. Downsizing now necessitates its sale. Beneath the beautiful contours of the bold crown molding are two doors, each with two panels, mounted on massive zinc strap hinges, which allow the doors to open more than ninety degrees. The front corners have a characteristic 45 degree chamfer about six inches wide. The base molding is as attractive as the crown, standing elegantly on four big turned feet. Lovingly hand-made, with all pegged and dovetailed construction, this armoire is built to come apart in the middle, the two halves tongue and grooved to slot together and lock through cleats, top and bottom, with wooden mortise and tenon keys. (see images). As remarkable as the armoire itself is the hand-painted decoration. The ground is a stylized grain paint in shades of green with stripes of black and yellow. These burst away from the door panels as if exploding, then form waves across the front and sides of the piece where they are given an architectural form with the superimposition of frame lines in black paint. On each side two of these faux frames are filled with a solid green paint. One wonders if this seeming anomaly hides some earlier decorative work. Already a unique armoire...

Table top, brass refracting telescope on folding cabriole leg base. Objective lens is 3 possibly 3.25" diameter with additional solar viewing eyepiece, and lens cap. The telescope fu...

This is an extremely rare toy circus, the “Colonial Toy Circus” by Allison Designs of Oak Park, Illinois. The set, which we do not claim is complete, is comp...

In 1858 the fourteen-year-old Bernadette Soubirous reported a series of Marian apparitions in the vicinity of Lourdes in France, climaxing in the Revelation of Our Lady of the Immacu...

This is a striking Primitive hand carved statue of Saint Joseph. The Saint stands with head slightly bowed and with a reverent expression. He is clothed in a long blue tunic bearing pressed, gold-painted floral buds, beneath a green toga, slung over one shoulder and tied round his waist. He stands on a grassy or mossy rock...

We found this beautiful devotional piece while rooting through the cellar of a gypsy we know in Eger, Hungary. The plinth and cross were covered in old worn and moth-eaten purple velvet which, when removed, revealed the lovely pine beneath, and under the grime on the figurines was this pure white pottery in perfect condition. Here we have a ceramic corpus nailed to a pine cross, mounted on a tall pine plinth. Above Christ’s head is a ceramic scroll...

These unusual stations of the Cross are possibly by De Prado Studios. The panels are in good condition with some minor losses. The vibrant color...

Walnut pulpit removed from Antebellum church in Baltimore. The lectern is adjustable.

A spectacular polished and lacquered brass eagle lectern with turned columnar shaft terminating in paw feet. Brass works surmounted on Tennessee marble h...

An unusual brass votive stand with Virgin Mary in the shape of the letter M with a heart shaped offering box.

A three-piece autopsy table with integral sink manufactured by The Crane Plumbing Co. in Canada and salvaged from Baltimore City Hospital Morgue.

A hexagonal baptismal font on a square base from Baltimore City Church. The front panel bears the initials ihs (Iesus Hominum Salvator or In Hoc Signo) ...