Cat=003&SubCat=017&SubSubCat=055
Description: The silk depicts a Three-dimensional American Bald Eagle hoving on top of an American Shield-form Stars and Stripes over a large American and British Union Jack. Below are arrows and olive branches and above a banner on a pink ground with the legend E PLURIBUS UNUM. The whole on a silver silk ground. One from our collection of Japanese silkworks.
Item 1918
Location of Origin: Japan
Medium/Materials: Silk
Dimensions: 22 1/2 inches x 26 1/2 inches
Primary Classification: Decorative Arts and Furniture : Tapestries, Woolworks, Silkworks : Medium
Secondary Classification: Decorative Arts and Furniture : Decorative Works of Art : Wall Decorations
Expertise: Japanese silkwork pictures were made for the American market from about 1885 through 1910. During the Spanish American War, American ships were stationed in Nagasaki. These silks were also sold at the Japanese Pavilion at the St Louis World Fair in 1904. This silkwork with such a nautical theme depicted was almost certainly purchased by one of the many American sailors who passed through Japan. From December 1907 to February 1909, 16 battleships and 14,000 men of the US Navy steamed around the world on a mission of "Gunboat Diplomacy." The ships, commonly known as the "Great White Fleet" because of their white-painted hulls, called in ports the world over, impressing foreign dignitaries with the appearance of great power. The ships were stationed for a time in Nagasaki. As Japanese and other Eastern influences in art were very popular, many men purchased the vibrant silks for souvenirs and mementos. Some of the ones with the strongest colour were seemingly not displayed at all, as there are no photographs in them and the condition suggests that they never made it out of the seaman’s trunk until years later.The ships, however, were not all they appeared to be. The HMS Dreadnought had been in commission for a year, effectively rendering all the US ships obsolete. Two of the ships on the cruise had such severe mechanical problems that they could not complete the cruise, and two more were obsolete and unfit for battle. It was a great show, but the military value of the fleet was questionable. This was the last hurrah for the age of white ships, buff masts and high diplomacy on the high sea.
Provenance:
| Vendor Item ID: | View item on vendor's website |
| Send inquiry to dealer. | |
| Price: | $4,800 |
| Offered By: | Earle D. Vandekar of Knightsbridge (Maryknoll, NY, ) Earle D. Vandekar of Knightsbridge is owned and run by Paul Vandekar. Historically known for our outstanding antique ceramics, I have also added new lines to the inventory that the company sells. Thus in addition to Chinese Export, English and European antique porcelain and pottery, I have created one of the most extensive collections of 19th-century British sailors’ woolworks (known as woolies) in the world, and feature other specialized antique textiles such as Georgian silkworks. I have also expanded the company, which still bears my father’s name, to offer an exquisite selection of 19th century Chinese watercolours and hand-coloured engravings of various subjects from the 18th and 19th centuries from across the world, as well as portrait miniatures and other period decorative arts. My mission is to offer our clients pieces which reflect my passion and the keen eye I have developed for the world of antiques. My commitment to excellence has made it my privilege to delight collectors and designers as well as museum curators for the last thirty five years. Earle D. Vandekar of Knightsbridge has a very active antique show schedule across the United States, so be sure to check the exhibition schedule to see when my collection will be nearby. |
| Guarantee: |
Close