Featured 3 bone/ivory framed miniature portraits

These were at a local store that mixes new with antiques/vintage. They caught my eye, but wondering about age. I actually left the shop without purchasing them and wound up coming back the next day to get them. I have seen others that look something like these, most claiming to be 19th century do not have the wood inlay. The backs on these are in such good condition I almost wondered if they might be vintage copies of older pieces. They are painted, two signed "Leo or Lou". Frames 3.5 to 4" high. Any thoughts on age?

 

The two in the bottom row of your first picture are copies of famous paintings. They are not coming to me right now. It's possible that the other one is also, but I don't recognize it.

 

I'm thinking these date to the 50s or 60s. Nice frames though.

 

Thanks, Fig and Evelyb.

Fig, would love to learn if these are copies of famous paintings and which ones. Anyone know? When I go to sell, that would be good to include.

Thanks!

 

The baby is Baby Stuart by Anthony Van Dyck.

 

I have had this type of picture and frame several times and have been told the inlay was made from salvaged piano keys. ???

 

Thanks so much Anund.

Jackolin, I did see one or two antique frames like this online called "Piano key frames". These three frames have been pieced together sort of mosaic style and pretty sure the material is ivory or bone. On my larger one there are a few panels that are wider than a piano key, but for the two smaller ones, it is possible. That would be so interesting if that is how they were made! Appreciate you sharing that.

Thanks to the ID of "Baby Stuart" just found one on Ebay in an ivory frame a little more ornate, but similar. I'm starting to think these three might be 19th century... if not, then copies from that period.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-Min...98202434?pt=Art_Paintings&hash=item27ee16e542

 

I have sold many of these 'Piano key miniatures'

They are typically well to very well painted on ivory (very thin slices) and the surrounds are ivory. They are invariabky backed by pages from old books, although yours look like pages from relatively modern old books. Maybe they ran out of 18th C pages.

General opinions that they are late 19th, early 20th C. French reproductions in the style or 17th and 18th C originals,with the old backing paper added to increase the apparent age. They are really antiques in their own right, now.

When I was selling them they routinely cost about the equivalent of $100 at auction and I'd get around $150 on ebay

Yours look like good examples and normally very saleable, but with the recent uncertainty about new ivory laws and what they mean in practice in today's market, who knows what the market price is now?

 

The Madonnna & Child is Raphael's de Brécy Tondo. It has a striking resemblence to his Sistene Madonna

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...pe-Sistine-Madonna-hammer-online-auction.html

http://www.debrecy.org.uk/tondo.spt

--- Susan

 

The modeling of the unidentified portrait just screams "post-WWII" to me.

 

I was thinking 1930s to early 1950s on that one. If they're ivory they can't be sold on Ebay ... or in New Jersey for that matter.

 

Thank you Af, LadyBranch, 6 Rivets and Evelyb.

Definitely Raphael's de Brécy Tondo on number 2.

There are a couple of thoughts I had. Store where I got these does some consignments, they all were from the same consigner, so could be that they are not all the same age, but from someone who collected this style. The Madonna picture seems to be painted on a more rough ivory or bone, I finally found my stronger jewelry loupe and can see lots of striations in the material surface of the painting. All three are definitely painted, gouache over watercolor, I believe. And now turns out all are signed. With the new magnification I spotted three initials on the cuff of the Madonna's rolled up sleeve, although a bit hard to make out "C Q ...?".

As far as selling Ivory on Ebay, if you search "ivory portrait" there are hundreds of matches with "ivory" boldly in the title. I'm not sure if these could ship internationally or not. I'm as surprised as anyone because I had those Company School India 19th century miniatures I wrote about here, and Bonham's could not take them because of the ivory, that was just one month ago. However seems Ebay is still okay with it. If anyone has current experience shipping this kind of thing internationally, please let me know.

Here is one last photo (signed Lou) of the unrecognized one the off chance someone recognizes it as a copy of another painting.

 

La Pompadour and Josephine Beauharnais were favourite topic for these pictures.

 

I also thought Madame de Pompadour, Louis XV mistress. I couldn't find any pic of her like this one. Paintings of her were more seductive than this woman is portrayed. I also thought of Madame du Berry, another mistress of Louis XV. Again no luck. Paintings of her are also more revealing bodice-wise.

--- Susan

 

Hello from Greece, i have seen again these little paintings on Ivory, they were given as gifts to the married couple, i have seen them listed as 19th century but my guess is 1890-1930 (more early 20th). They are beautiful miniature oil paintings, the back is framed with pages from the New Testament, i can read the Greek in the second miniature. I have seen them selling about 130-180$ In estate sale auctions in Greece, i guess in US in a State you can sell ivory they would achieve at least 200$ each.



Thanos
www.artplace.gr