7638

America, Circa 1876

IMPORTANT JOHN HALEY BELLAMY CARVED MAHOGANY BOX COMMEMORATING THE U.S. CENTENNIAL

Signed in ink on underside "J.H. Bellamy Maker 1876". Exceptionally and extensively relief-carved with patriotic themes and serpentine vines bearing flower blossoms and acanthus leaves against a subtly stippled ground. Lid with central medallion depicting the Great Seal of the United States, with a glory of stars and a spread-wing eagle with a Liberty shield at its breast, clutching an "E Pluribus Unum" banner in its beak and an olive branch and arrows in its talons. Front of box with an eagle in flight above a Liberty shield, clutching a long streaming "E Pluribus Unum" banner in its beak and talons. Sides with a matching crowned and winged mermaid-like figure, probably intended as Columbia or Liberty, holding a banner emblazoned with stars. Back with a Liberty shield with a single five-pointed star. Applied moldings, the corner moldings carved with simple decorative patterns, and applied hairy paw feet. Locking hinged lid with four braces applied to underside.
Height 8.5". Width at feet 20". Depth at feet 13.25".
Condition: Generally very good condition. Minor chips, mostly along front edge molding. Right edge molding with two cracks. Untouched mellow age patina. Conservators Simon Parkes of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc. of New York and John Powell of Chelsea Restoration Associates, Inc. of New York examined the box in 2007 and confirmed the signature is period to the box.

The absence of a condition report does not imply an object is free of defects. All items may have normal signs of age and wear commensurate with their age; these issues will likely not be mentioned in the condition report. Please contact Eldred's before the auction with any condition questions. Questions about condition will not be answered after purchase. Condition reports are provided as a courtesy, and we are not responsible for any errors or omissions. Important note on frames: Frames are not guaranteed to be in the same condition as they are in the item photograph. Due to handling and shipping, many frames, especially antique ones, are prone to losses. If you have questions about the condition of a frame, please contact us prior to the auction. 

  • Exhibited:
    Portsmouth Historical Society, Portsmouth, New Hampshire: "Bold and Brash: The Art of John Haley Bellamy", April 1-October 3, 2014.

    Illustrated:
    American Eagle: The Bold Art & Brash Life of John Haley Bellamy by James A. Craig (Portsmouth, N.H.: Marine Society, 2014), p. 144-145. This box, illustrated with six photos showing all sides, is described as a "singular creation, either a commission piece or for Bellamy's own personal use, that serves as one of the most exceptional pieces Bellamy crafted throughout his entire career." It can also be compared with a similar small chest carved by Bellamy that depicts his family crest, which is seen on p. 167-168.

    References:
    In John Haley Bellamy Carver of Eagles by Yvonne Brault Smith (Hampton, N.H.: Peter E. Randall and Portsmouth Marine Society, 1982) there are several illustrations of Bellamy's work that bear stylistic similarities to this box, and on p. 89 a Bellamy script signature on a frame that is part of the collection of the Museum of Our National Heritage in Lexington, Massachusetts.

    Another Bellamy script signature appears on the interior of his toolbox, which is in the collection of the Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, Massachusetts.

    Notes:
    Just a little more than a decade after the end of the Civil War, the U.S. Centennial brought with it a reinvigorated sense of patriotism and a renewed interest in national symbols. The Great Seal of the United States was updated in 1877 in advance of the Centennial, and the version seen here is a faithful reproduction of that, save the eagle is holding three arrows instead of six and the glory of stars is arranged more haphazardly than the official six-pointed star configuration. The shield was altered again in 1885 and has been largely unchanged since.

    Bellamy (1836-1914) began carving the eagle figurehead for the American naval vessel
    Lancaster , widely considered his masterpiece, in 1880, shortly after he created this box. Working at a time when America was stepping onto the stage as a world power, Bellamy, perhaps more than anyone, helped the eagle evolve from a scrawny turkey-like bird to the majestic and powerful national symbol we know today.

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