So often people ask me "Where do you get all this stuff?" Well today was pretty typical in that a youngish couple with a 1 year old boy came by the house today and offered to sell us a pair of Victorian portraits on porcelain; a Royal Doulton plate that the transfer had been misprinted on and it had a hairline crack and the third item which was a sampler.
The sampler was circa 1823 and had a delightful as well as insightful motto on it which reads:
Virtue and wit with science joind
Refine the manners improve the mind
And when with industry they meet
The female character is complete
Wrought by Lucy Work in the 10 year of her age 1823
As far as samplers go this one is a simple design featuring a lower and upper case alphahet, numbers 1-10 and the motto. It felt it was reasonably priced for an original piece of folk art which is nearly 200 years old and so it'll now be for sale in my shop for $350.
I'm always totally astonished when I look at the beautiful hand-work of these young children and compare it to a 10 year old of today. These pieces were such an integral part of an upbringing of a young women. Creating these works of art taught girls how to read, write, spell, understand numbers, poetry and the all important skill for an 1800's girl - stitching and it was all done in this one frugal project.
People like this fellow Robert are known as pickers. They watch auctions, antique shows and flea markets trying to catch a deal on one or two pieces and then peddle them for a short profit. I love having pickers come over and bring me things. It makes my job so much easier. I showed Robert around our shop so he could get a feel for the type of things we like to offer for sale in our shop and directed him to the town playground for his son Owen. I hope I see them again!
The extra large bulbous pot by Otto & Vivaka Heino is from the 1960's and is signed by both Artists. Fresh from an artists estate in his Goffstown NH geodesic dome home - asking price $3,450.
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