Part of a four-piece dress. Blue velvet laced belt; white mesh stiffener; lined in navy satin. 5/8" wide navy woven tape with tubular metal clamps at both ends for lacing belt closed using 10 round hand-stiched edged buttonholes, 3 metal stays, one in back, 2 at front opening. Velvet tab attached to inside folds across lacing hoes in front. Lower edge tapers to a slight "v" in the back and a deeper "V" in front.
White bib, scalloped border edged in button-hole stitch in white thread. Two embroidered roosters facing each other (yellow, red, blue and gray). Ribbon ties at top neck edge are gone.
Hat brush with 2.5" natural bristles (likely horse hair), set into a the round head of a long turned lacquered walnut handle. Shaped handle has a swell near end opposite bristles, with a finial-like tip of two small bead shapes. Hole drilled near end for hanging cord, missing. Stamped near mid-point of handle is maker's name, "CLINTON'S", a Philadelphia brushmaker.
Considerable wear to wooden handle, esp. the round head holding bristles which is marred with chips, splintering, dents and finish loss. Smaller dents along handle, with loss of almost half of bulbous finial. Bristles also worn with discoloration.
Brass buckle of the sword belt used with the Civil War uniform of Jacob Pontz (1838-1929). Rectangular buckle is cast in high relief with a raised spread eagle with E PLURIBUS UNUM banner in his beak and an olive branch in one talons and arrows of war in the other. Foliate branches undergird eagle with a "U" formation. One brass clasp/clip of belt is loose - a part that would have fit end of now-missing belt and attached via clip on back of buckle.
See Pontz Sword #2015.031.1
Provenance
Passed from Jacob through his daughter Nelle who married a Pickering to the donor, the gr gr granddaughter of the Jacob Pontz.
