Butter dish made up of three parts Base is a basket-like woven design, two ring handles and a holder for a knife. Tray that fits into base with space below. Punched design in diamond shape and large hole in center. Lid is dome shaped with small knob with a lip band design handle on top.
Rococo Revival writing desk. High relief carved arching crest with acanthus leaf motif flanked by matching finials. A cherub relief face with wings in a recessed arch is seen below the crest, surmounting a storage cabinet decorated with more highly carved foliate and scroll motifs along both rails. The cabinet door is decorated with inlaid woods that form a vase with flowers. The writing desk has a fold-down/pull-out writing surface and four drawers that surmount a central drawer and four highly carved foliate and scroll adorned cabriole legs that terminate on casters and are connected by supports to central finials.
Several broken finials and high relief carvings under central cabinet
Object ID
W.1936.008.001
Notes
From the account of Major Andre, who visited Wheatland in 1888, it can be surmised that the escritoire stood in the sitting room or study. This room was located to the left of the front door in the central section of the house.
Horseshoe shaped 'Rest your feet here' in raised letters around outside. Convex, padded cushion, covered with red velvet in center. Underneath is metal and hollow, larger leg inscribed with arrow design, rest tilts down at heel position. Likely owned by George B. Willson.
Girl's Victorian Dress, Pink Dress with Velvet Trim, long sleeved with gathered skirt. Fabric is rose colored silk with alternating vertical stripes of plain satin & 4 narrow white stripes. Both hand and machine construction used to make this dress. Double construction- silk on outside tan cotton fabric on inside. On bodic: 2 wide rows of gathering at neck. 1.5-in high stand up collar attached to neck. Over shoulders and on front are flaps decorated with 2 bands of burgundy velvet. These velevet bands also on stand up collar and near bottom edges of both sleves. Bands of lace attached to both cuffs and collar. Additional stiffener sewn inside 5-in. hem. Back closure is 13 hooks and eyes.
Wood sewing notion with Federal era ball feet supporting a three-tiered spool holder. Each tier is flat on the bottom with rounded top edges, round shape, descend in size. Metal rods on each tier to hold spools. Tiers graduate from large to small and are supported by a ball and ring-turned pedestal; the top tier is the smallest and capped with a pin cushion.
Provenance
Possibly Willson family. Obtained from the Willson-Rettew estate sale.
oil painting on canvas is of Harriet Lane & Henry Elliot Johnston's two sons who they lost to rheumatic fever. The artist captured the boys' images at the age of their deaths based on family photographs. The imagery of the afterlife abounds in this painting including the boys seated on the edge of a cliff of rock, the clouds gathering in the skies and the bright light on the horizon above the water. The painting is mounted in a gilt cove and scoop picture frame. Both boys are holding their favorite items. These objects and the styles of their garments are meant to be reflective of their personalities. The oldest, James Buchanan Johnston was 14 years-old; he is seated on the left holding a book and is wearing a black velvet fauntleroy jacket, vest and shorts with a white collar and blue bowtie. Henry Elliot Johnston, Jr. was 12 years-old; he is seated on the right holding a toy pistol and is wearing the Johnston Scottish tartan kilt with his feathered Glengarry bonnet, his sporran and Ghillie brogues.
Mahogany veneered night stand with a gray marble top, bull-nosed edges and rounded corners. Three inch skirt has an ogee curve on all sides with a wide centered drawer and a small brass knob drawer pull. Skirt surmounts two horizontal beads of trim above an ogee crest and sides that form the frame of the cabinet with a centered side-hinged door. The small brass knob pull is missing. The wide base apron is surmounted with cockbeaded trim and at the base are four beveled carved trimmings around the feet that terminate in casters.
Harriet Lane Johnston beaded jacket to match gown (W.40.17.1)
Description
Jacket Black crape silk, beaded in black glass beads, designed by Worth of Paris. Fully-lined in black silk taffeta and interlined with muslin. Has small turned down collar with full length set-in sleeves. Collar, cuffs, and hem trimmed with 3'' fringe and 3'' strand of black beads every inch. Varying size of black beads used to create a contoured design of flowers and swirls on front and sleeves.
Round/oval base. Gilt scrollwork around bottom front. Bamboo-like stems up sides forming narrow handles. Two bamboo-like leaves applied. White background with gilt detail. Front middle painted with roses, morning glories, poppy in pink, white, blue and orange.
Done in cross stitch. Background in wheat gold, floral pattern. Repeated every 21'. Edge turned under and lined with green cotton twill. One end is turned under and weighted, other end is folded triangularly and stitched. Brass ring on latter end is 3/4"
Long, wooden handled tool with solid, flat metal end. Iron part is two peices - flat scrapper is 12.25'x 5.5' with the longest edge being sraight and the remaining edge being curved. The scrapper is rivioted to the handle holder which is a bent rod that
Hand-painted daisies adorn these porcelain cornucopia-shaped vases mounted on Gilt Spelter cast bases featuring four cherub faces amidst vines and leaves. The top of each vase is pierced with gilt paint highlighting the piercings and hand painted gilt vines.
Smoked glass with cut floral design in bottom globe. Brass scroll molded neck ring with three foliate scrolled side attachments for chain up to smoke catcher which is clear glass. Heavier chain above to ceiling fixture, molded black metal.
This red leather lap desk has brass hinges and pressed brass side handles. A brass name plate is centered on the sloped top engraved with the name "Mrs. E. B. Brinckerhoff". Inside under the lid is a red leather document pouch attached to the lid. The sloped base has a felt covered writing surface that folds down. At the top are two square pockets; one to hold pen nibs and the other an inkwell. An oblong-shaped pocket with a wood lid is designed to hold pens.
Long stalks of broomcorn fixed to a wood handle held in place by four sets of narrow broomcorn strips. An additional set of narrow strips are wrapped around the top of the handle.
Part of 60.10 Fireset Long-handled shovel. Handle has bulbous shape half-way up and three-quarters of the way up. At top of handle is another bulbous shape with brass 'turned' piece. Shovel end slightly flares to a wider end.
Fireplace iron tongs features a brass egg-shaped handle that has incised lines around the middle of the handle. The handle is attached to a circular hinge, which connects both cilindrical iron arms and enables the arms to be pulled apart. The bottom of both iron arms are flattened to improve the grip firewood.
Porcelain octagon-shaped dresser tray that is part of a five-piece set. Face of tray is pink with a centered white circle with gold leaf decor. Edge of tray is white with a band of gold leaf design.
