Art and Antiques

Divine Images: Russian Icons

New England Antiques Journal |

In 1900, it is estimated that there were 250 million icons in imperial Russia.

“And that is a conservative figure,” says James L. Jackson, president and C.E.O. of Cedar Falls, Iowa-based Jackson’s International Auctioneers & Appraisers of Antiques & Fine Art, who is also the founder and president of the Sacred Art Gallery, a by-appointment-only private gallery that deals in Christian ecclesiastical art from the 15th through the 19th century. “Icons were an integral part of Russian Orthodox life … they were used at weddings and funerals and were seen in schoolrooms, factories, stores, hospitals and prisons.

“Every home had a collection of icons and even a peasant household could own as many as 10. While Americans may think that icons are rare, they weren’t and they are not now. If anything, they’re as common as Tupperware.”

Set in Stoneware: Once Nothing More Than Everyday Storage Vessels, Antique Stoneware Is a Hot Collectible—Its Rustic, Utilitarian Look Complementing Almost Any Interior

Chesapeake Home |

Thirty-three years ago, Annapolis collector James Magliano purchased his first piece of stoneware for $25. Today that simple crock is likely to sell for $1,500 or more.

That’s pretty impressive for containers that typically held foodstuffs, acting as the Tupperware of a previous era. Yet, in spite of its humble origins, stoneware's popularity continues to rise. John Killy, assistant director of the Annapolis-based Lost Towns Archaeology Project, says that the roots of this collecting can be traced back to the Centennial Exposition of 1876, which was held in Philadelphia. The exhibit was a significant force in popularizing the Colonial Revival movement, which has carried through to this day.

Maryland Silver and the Repousse Style

Chesapeake Home |

If it were not for the diligence of one Mrs. Miles White, the Baltimore Museum of Art's collection of Maryland silverware would be a significantly less impressive achievement, says James Abbott, curator of decorative arts at the BMA.

“She was one of the very early collectors of American decorative arts, and she particularly focused on Maryland silver pieces,” says Abbott.

Beginning in the late 19th century, Mrs. White was said to travel the Maryland and Virginia countryside. When she came across a particuarly impressive home, says Abbott, she would stop and ask for a glass of water. After being led to the kitchen, the collector would cast a knowledgeable eye over the silver pieces—often finding 18th century silver spoons that were being used to stir pots of soup.

Decanters

Chesapeake Home |

A few hundred years ago, men of means would order barrels of wine right from the ship’s dock. From there it was simply a matter of pouring the wine into utilitarian brown or green bottles and storing them in the cellar until they were to be served.

“But as drinking wine became more popular and more of a status symbol, it became necessary to have more attractive objects at one’s table,” says Catherine Stewart Thomas, assistant curator of decorative arts at the Baltimore Museum of Art. “To be able to afford expensive engraved decanters was very desirable.” 

While many collect antique decanters—because of their weight and size, more of the old decanters have survived than wine glasses or other glass object--there is still a significant market for contemporary versions.

American Portrait Painter, Joshua Johnston

New England Antiques Journal |

One of the great mysteries in the art world is the one that swirls around the American portrait painter, Joshua Johnston.

It is believed that he was the son of a slave mother and a white father, although most think his father was not his mother’s owner. Documents show that his father purchased his son’s freedom, either at the time Johnston—some maintain his name really was Johnson—attained his majority or completed an apprenticeship as a blacksmith. The dates of his birth and death remain uncertain, although historians have a pretty good idea of when he stopped painting.

And, perhaps, the biggest mystery of all is, under what circumstances did he learn to paint?


Complete articles are available upon request.
Please e-mail Mary Medland at marymedland@msn.com.