Small lift-lid desk of walnut, Aesthetic Style, has green baize inset into lid's center panel. Gallery at top rear is missing, leaving only its dark outline and screw holes. Upper section of desk overhangs base, with applied decorative raised panels at front and sides faced with burl veneer. Desk interior has pigeon holes at rear.
Base has 3 drawers and pull-out shelf at right side, and double panel construction on 3 other sides. Base has applied decoration of shaped brackets at top (under overhang) and bottom of sides of front. Applied turned bosses and bulls-eyes. Sits on 4 molded low block feet at corners.
Provenance
Desk reportedly belonged to James Buchanan Henry II (1875-1961).
Desk top finish worn and marred with holes and stains. Baize worn with holes and edge losses. Desk lid warped.
Back right corner of desk top broken off and missing. Top drawer front missing applied edge molding at left side. Left side near front has ten-inch-long crack. Right rear block foot mostly missing, despite nails indicating attempted repair.
Object ID
2013.008.018
Credit
Gift of the Family of Eleanor N. Henry (John D. McNeill Jr., Mary Catherine Henry West, James Buchanan Henry IV, and Elizabeth Henry Richardson)
All cotton quilt, on point blocks have pieced 8-point star blocks that alternate with blocks of a woven pattern blue with a grid of white lines. Stars are small scale floral print of pink with tiny white flowers. White ground is a very loose weave composed of multiple pieced panels. White outside border is 11" wide on one end and 7.5" wide on the other three.
Hand-quilted with white thread in a small scale grid aligned with blocks.
Back is a loose weave arranged with wide strips of white alternating with strips of a large, bold red print of branches and large flowers. Six white strips are 8.5 - 9" wide; 5 printed strips and 7.5" wide. Back is brought forward to front to created binding. Thin battiing.
Inscription: On front quilt corner is "HM6? handwritten in ink.
Overall fading and deterioration, especially in pink floral print which is consistently riddled with small holes where white flowers have deteriorated. Some small holes in blue fabric, 1/8"-1/4" big with fraying. General soil, scattered stains and acid burn, especially at fold lines and borders, as well as sections of back..
Shield-shape with loop at top. Has bright blue ribbon fragment through loop with grey-blue thread. Front has meander design around border with 'Mary' at top. Center picture of Mary Magdalene and Jesus in the cemetery with 'Rabboni' below. Reverse side ha
Locket-like, rounded-corner rectangular box, deep, hinge-lidded, loop at top with link for chain. Front has buckle-like piece with two small screws and cable-like pieces applied. Back is engraved with ivy-leaf-like designs and scrolling: 'Lottie in Remem
Stone brooch. Black bevel-edge square set in gold edge inlaid with tiny multi-color mosaics forming a picture of garland of flowers and buds with two birds. One bird has outstretched wings. Flowers are in blues, pinks, yellow, and orange with green folia
Supposed to have been given to donor's grandmother by Ann Coleman's parents - Mr. Benson managed the Coleman Furnace at Colebrook. Cracked through width and depth.
Hollow, screw-on pendant earrings. Roughly oval with scalloped outline, two-sided, beaded inside edge. Tapers in thickness. Thickest at bottom. Inscription: 'S' inside a small heart. 10K gold.
Oval center table with marble top, rounded on top edge. Elaborate pedestal / leg support. Four arms descend from double layered skirt in curving, flattish, jagged shape to central turned pedestal with top and pendant finial in turnip shape. Four legs des
Part of a four-piece dress. Jacket: Short sleeves with cuffs. Dark blue velvet fully-lined in cream-colored silk with batting between two fabrics. 2 small leather-lined pockets on left inside. Hand-stiched strip on linging at lower edge right front. 3 hooks and thread-covered eyes at waist front. Parallel lines of sticthing on body at sleeve openings and at waist and on 3 bands around neck as well as front and silk at opening. Blue velvet strips have buttons in back and at tabbed ends on front. 4 tabbed front closure peices have buttons. Machine and hand-stitching.
Figurine of a family; a bearded father wearing blue robe seated on upholstered arm chair with scroll carved arm rests. Father holding the hand of infant held by mother wearing bustled bodice and skirt.
Two-piece silk dress with bodice and overskirt. Gray-green fabric with olive trim, yoke, and fringe. Colonial revival style. Bodice has fake jacket with ruching along edge. Thread-covered button closure down front. No collar. Braid and knotted fringe.
beautifully detailed heavy satin top with long sleeves, exquisitly crafted buttons and fringed from short front all along the longer portion in the back. Bulk appear greyish with drab green trim. Fringe is light green and some threads on buttons appear aqua. Sleeves (19.5in long) flare at cuffs that are decorated 5 layers of raduated ruffles on upper portion of cuff. The top of this triangle of ruffles sports a fabric bow. All trim is made of main fabric with drab green trim also used for the triangle faux tab wiht a button at the point that extends from the ruffles to the inside of the sleeve.
Ruffles run the length of the front beneath a band of fabric trim. A front right section of drab green silk from neck to waist contains 12 1in buttonholes. On the left 6 buttons remain (a 7th is pinned to acard) and 1 buttoncover that shows the fine stitching. Two triangular pieces ith trim are seamed at the front armholes with the mitered tip of the handsewn triangles pointing toward the center front. Two bust darts on both sides are stiffened with stays. BOth straight and chain stitch on seams that are hand overcast. Double construction with tan polished cotton on inside of entire garment. Commercially made cord fringe, 3.5in long, are sewn into lower edge around entire top.
Back: Olive green silk piece from neck tapers to a point at center back. Along inside edge, pointing to top, are trimmed ruffles with a 1in wide trimmed border band of main fabric. In addition to side seams there are 2 curved seam fromarm seams to the center back waist where a large bow is attached. The back 13in below the bow is trimmed with sides folded to a center pleat. Outer edges of pleat are trimmed with fringe. Inside of back pane; is lined with drab green silk.
Large trunk (a) with two large shelves (b, c) that lift out, and one smaller shelf (d). Exterior of the trunk has brown-striped canvas with three horizontal wood straps on the front, back, and hinged lid. There are wrought iron straps riveted at the corners of the trunk to reinforce the construction. Iron handles, one each side. Two sides covered with shipping labels.
One of twelve linen napkins. White damask with hunting scenes on outside. Stag hunting with horses and dogs. Scene on inner side of napkin is duck hunting. At one corner, embroidered in white is 'HLJ' with the Johnston crest of an arm and dagger.
One of two clear leaded glass nut dishes. Octagonal and oblong clear glass dishes with flared sides. Laurel wreath border etched 0.50" below the lip around all eight sides. Monogram 'HE' (for Henry Elliott Johnston) etched at the center base.
Glass is 0.125" thick. All 8 sides angle inward to the base at approximately a 45 degree angle. The base measures 4.125" long by 2.50" wide.
Condition
Fair
Condition Date
2022-11-09
Condition Notes
A small chip is missing from the lip one of the short octagonal corners. Some light scatches are visible on the base around the monogram initials 'HE.'
Rectangular top, green baize-covered (thick, felt-like cloth) writing surface. Ogee-molded edge overhangs crotch-grain skirt with sectioned drawer opening on one long side with two wooden turned knobs. Brackets on top of two legs have rounded medallions,
One of 16 glass finger bowls. Frosted glass except where clear shield near the upper rolled edge. Shallow bowl with slightly convex bottom on inside. Shield design is etched with an engraved old English letter 'J'. Eight-point star impressed into center of bowl's exterior base.
Traveling trunk. Large chest-shaped with metal sheet strips at corners. Studded wooden bands at front, back, and top over canvas-covered wood. Two metal catches on lid, remains of leather strap. Lid is rounded. Exterior has remnants of travel destination stickers and one end cap has Henry Elliot Johnston's initials stenciled 'HEJ'.
Set of four Renaissance Revival style side chairs. Top rail scroll curved with tight C-scroll at ends. Finger hole is triangular with arrow point inside. Flat finial hangs from bottom of rail. Stretcher is also curved out with scroll work and bell flower. Front legs turned.