More than Meets the eye

The story behind the objects

Georgian Eye Portrait - the physicalisanillusion.tumblr.com

I love beautiful objects.  I love mysteries. Knowing the story behind these objects only enhances my affection for them. The beautiful and mysterious Georgian eye portrait above is a great example
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Eye miniatures became fashionable in the late 18th as tokens of affection. The eye, long thought to be the window of the soul, was only recognized by intimates. 

Many objects have stories to tell, if we take the time to listen.  Here are a few in the shop this week.
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​The story of the fireplace tools
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fireplace tool set - $175
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Last week this handsome fireplace tool set came into the shop with a story to tell. 

 "The poker is fabricated from a lance from the 7th Regiment"

Pretty interesting, but who exactly is the 7th Regiment?  Turns out, the "Silk Stocking" regiment was a storied regiment composed of some of New York's most elite. 

​Member, Rufus King Jr., (grandson of a signer of the Declaration of Independence ) received the Congressional Medal of Honor, for his action in the Civil War. 

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Robert Gould Shaw, also of the 7th, went on to command the 54th Massachusetts, the first all black regiment in the US.

His story is memorialized in the 1989 movie Glory.

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Fun to know and share while you're tending to your fire. 
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The Syracuse Ornamental Company
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8" x 8" plaque - $35

The Syracuse Ornamental Company was founded in 1890 by Adolph M. Holstein, a 29 year old wood carver newly arrived from Germany.  He initially specialized in ornamental architectural pieces such as mantel pieces and corbels.  
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And then the lightbulb moment! To meet an increase demand and to expand his market, Holstein
 developed a material that looked and felt like wood. 

 The new product,  combined wood pulp with flour as a binder and other materials to give it strength. It was extruded and then cut to fit compression molds, which were made from original carvings in real wood.
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Pair of wall brackets - 8" x 8" - $55

Also know as Syraco Wood, the early pieces are lovely, detailed and affordable. 
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What's in a name?
​Monteith 

Monteith by Mottahedeh- 12.5" x 7" - $295

And better yet, what is a Monteith?  It is a large bowl introduced in the late 17th century and used for chilling wine glasses.  It was filled with cold water and glasses were hung by their feet from the notches on the rim, so that the bowls were immersed in the water. 

The name is said to derive from Monteigh a "fantastical Scott" who in about 1685 wore cloaks that had scalloped or notched hems.  Sorry, no images of the dandy to be found.

Our Monteith is a reproduction of a porcelain monteith made and decorated in China for the Western European market in the first quarter of the 18th century. The original is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. 
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Capturing rainbows
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An exceptionally pretty pair of 19th century girondoles - $265

I've been enjoying the beautiful "rainbows" these prisms cast and have been reminded of a scene from one of my favorite movies - Walt Disney's
Pollyanna
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