Saturday, March 19, 2011
RANOM 341 OBJECT
Fine RARE Antique MINIATURE Melon EGG BASKET, OLD PAINT-$571
Even though this is very likely the finest example of the form I’ve discovered over the last five decades, I am a little bit conflicted about it. According to family in whose hands it remained for a generation, it was made in or near Martin County, Indiana. HOWEVER; with its ribbed construction, “x” bound rim at the handle and the overall quality of the craftsmanship, it looks more like a Pennsylvania basket to me. I’ll let the basket buffs fight that one out.
Wherever it’s from, the very old green surface has worn and mellowed just exactly the way we love finding them. There is no damage.
I often find apocryphal family histories to be inaccurate, and I think this is one of those cases. Granny may have been from Loogootee, but I’d wager the basket was made in Pennsylvania.
And another thing: I’m having trouble representing the basket accurately in my images. The early painted surface is dry, soft and mellow – not shiny as it may appear. Plus, it is most certainly that wonderful old muted medium green we all love to find. It has not even a hint of blue.
Total Height = 6 ½”
Diameter, although likely round when woven, is 5” by 5 1/8”, which indicates decade upon decade of shrinkage.
Once you have it in your own little hands, you’ll examine it and see that the wear is all in just the places one would expect to find surface wear on an authentic antique basket.
I have never even dusted this ole rascal. I hardly ever mess with anything, let alone baskets, and that’s true even when I bought something years ago for my own collections.
The funny thing is, one of my dearest friends in the entire world is one of those antiquers who not only talks the talk, she walks the walk of a true country antique lover. At age 90, she is an expert in the field of country baskets. I wish I had taken it to show her, just to her opinion. She lives only about 35 miles from Loogootee, Indiana. (For those of you unfamiliar with the Amish country of southern Indiana, “Loogootee” is pronounced Lah-GO-tee.)
Here is my guarantee: If you don’t think this is the “Best of Form” you’ve ever seen, just send it back for not only a full refund, but return shipping as well. I’ll keep it ‘til they carry me feet first out of this little rundown shack.
RANDOM ESTATE SALE
only 1 this week i wanted to do, had to do 1st day, but since it sucked mostly. shame my foyer floor pic didn't work. fancy shiny marble/stone. too much for the rather small scale inside, the upgrade in the kitchen also sucked. stone way too much for the little kitchen. + the island? what were they thinking!? rather small house. and very little stuff, but i did find 4 nice silver/plate demitasse, other silver plate serving spoons had been treated very badly, left those + took the small old wood spoon. got a deal on the demitasses too. instead of $4 each, paid $4.25 for all. and damned if i can find the demitase pattern. it says R & B. reed & barton, not in my silver book or the plate book.
RANDOM ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA
EPIPHANIUS, ST-b. beginning of 4th c atbezanduca in PALESTINE.said to have jewish extraction. in egypt as a youth, where under gnostics, he began an ascetic course of life, + on return to palestine, became a zealous desciple of patriarch hilarion, + eventually president of a monastery he founded in 367, nominated bishop of constantia/salamis til died 402.
EPIPHANY-no want.bible
EPISCOPACY-CHURCH. NO WANT! p 4884-493.
EPISCOPIUS, SIMON (1583-1643)-theologian. dutch (bicshcop) b. amsterdam. 1600 entered university of leyden + took masters of art degree 1606-afterwards studied theology uner arminius + his opponent gomar, but soon becoming a strong sympathizer w/arminian doctrine. arminius dies 1609, left for francker. 1610 famous remonstrance to the states of holland , he was ordained minister at bleyswich near rotterdam, 1612. succeeded gomar as prof of theology at leyden blah calanists blah blah condemned + exiled. went to france to rouen. blah blah back to leyden 1626.
EPITAPH-inscription upo a tomb. blah blah blah p 493-496. newton to shakespeare.
EPSON- IN county surrey, UK. irregularly built. principle building the gothic church rebuilt in 1825. E has attained a wide celebrity on account of it's mineral springs. it's races. the springs discovered in 1618. after the restoration, charles II visited a lot + when queen anne, her husband prince george of denmark, made it his frequent resort, lost favor as a spa, but races at their downs arrested decay of the town. races established as early as james I, but not their permanent character. in 1730, derby + oaks the principle races, named after one of the earls of derby + his seat blah blah blah.
EPSOM SALTS-chemistry. NO WANT!
