A New England Sugar Shack – An Oil on Board in its Original Frame by Samuel S. Thrope (1933 – 2005), Townsend, Massachusetts, circa 1976. Thrope was a Well-Known Artist who Painted New England Scenes from his studio in Townsend and Kennebunkport, Maine. Having studied with numerous artists and attended the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Thrope had a wide-ranging knowledge of Painterly Techniques. His Classic Works are of New England Villages, Country Landscapes, Maine Waterfronts, and Traditional Customs. Thrope’s Focus on an Unknown Farmer working his Horses to bring another Load of Sap to the Sugar Shack in the Woods is the embodiment of a New England Tradition. Every detail of the vibrant colors from the piles of snow and the muddy road, the dominance of the shack and the horses arriving, to the smoke of the shack escaping into the wintery blue sky allows the composition to capture the essence of the experience. Thrope was, in fact, an artist who not only provided collectors with a lasting work of art but also helped cultivate an understanding of painterly techniques. Any exceptional work of art is a consequence of many years of experience, not simply the common question of how long did the painting take. Sam knew that only too well. The image size is 15 ½” width x 11 5/8” height; the Original Frame is 21 ¼” x 17 1/8”.

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Price $350 plus shipping

An 1826 New York State School Girl Sampler by Zorada Ransom (Jan. 27, 1814 – Dec. 15, 1903) completed when she was 13 years old living in Champlain, Clinton, New York. In 1842 she married George Dudley (June 16, 1807 – Feb. 2, 1860), Champlain, New York, who is listed as a Lumberman in the 1850 U.S. Census, with considerable assets for the time period. After George died, Zorada Dudley is listed as a Widow Keeping House in the 1880 U.S. Census, so George Dudley must have left Zorada enough money to survive until her death in 1903. Both individuals are buried in the Greenwood Cemetery in Champlain, New York. Within the border of the Sampler, there is an Undulating Vine Border with a House, Flower, Tree, and Square at each Corner. Within the Border are 3 Alphabets and Numbers, Her Age and Date for Completing the Sampler, and a Final Verse: “The End of Learning is to Know God and Love Him”. The Sampler is the Work of Silk on Linen in a Variety of Stitch Patterns. Measures: Sampler 12 ½” x 11 ¾”; with Frame 13 ¾” x 12 ¾”. Condition is Very Good with Minor Stains.

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Price $765 plus shipping

“Baldpates”, A Dry Point, by Frank W. Benson (1862-1951), Salem, Massachusetts, circa 1924, Edition #150, Signed in Pencil. Benson was both a Well-Known American Impressionist Painter (see Bedford’s Frank W. Benson: American Impressionist) as well as a Noted Sporting Artist Pioneering in Etching and Dry Point (see Ordeman’s Frank W. Benson: Master of the Sporting Print). This Image of “Baldpates”, an early name for American Wigeon, was done in dry point with a production number of 150. It is Signed in Pencil: “Frank W. Benson”. The Image Size is 7 3/4” x 9 7/8”; Frame Size is 15 7/8” x 17 1/4”. The Piece is in Excellent Original Condition.

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Price $795 plus shipping

Well-Designed Antique Mortar and Pestle Made from Lignum Vitae – the hardest form of wood used in making such objects – Found in Pennsylvania, circa Early 1800s. Mortar & Pestles are used for grinding herbs and spices and other cooking purposes and for compounding medications by apothecaries. By using Lignum Vitae, the Latin term for “tree of life”, this very dense and heavy hardwood has exceptional durability for continuous use in grinding. This 9” High Mortar and its 13 ½” pestle weigh approximately 15 pounds. Turned from a Sold Piece of Wood, the Base of the Mortar displays Decorative Lines and Sections leading up to a Bowl-Shaped Exterior (7 ¼” in diameter at the top), allowing a Wide Interior Bowl for Extensive Grinding (with an 8” depth). Early in its history, this Mortar was cracked, probably from being dropped, but because Lignum Vitae is so dense there was no lasting impact on its use and its Form is as Beautiful as Ever. A Prime Example of an Early Mortar and Pestle.

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Price $350 plus shipping