Whitford Nautical Antiques

COBALT BLUE MAJOLICA CANDLE STICK,  ca. 1890

Likely French Majolica, this beautiful cobalt blue candle holder is from the very late 1800s and is in lovely condition. There are a few insignificant surface scratches on the item, but they are visible only in very bright sunlight. Otherwise, the candlestick is in perfect form, with no dings, cracks, or repairs.

This items measures approximately 7" in diameter, 3" high and has an applied finger grip. The rim is scalloped and the surface has a raised, ornate pattern that is highlighted with light blue. The under surface has a rim on which the candlestick rests. It is a beautiful, elegant piece that is both practical and decorative. Questions? Email us by clicking this link. Click on photos for enlarged view.

Price 145.00

Match Safe – HMS Foundroyant  ca 1898

This match safe is made from the copper sheeting that covered the hull of the HMS Foundroyant to retard the growth of seaweed and barnacles. The plate carries the history of the ship. Building was started in 1789, it was Launched in 1798, Decommissioned in 1892 and Wrecked in 1897.

The HMS Foundroyant was Lord Nelson’s flagship for his Mediterranean operations and the capture of Naples.

Before the days of safety matches, a protective case was necessary to prevent the matches from igniting from accidental friction. This case measures approximately 1&3/16” wide by 1&5/8” high and 3/8” thick. It still contains four old matches and a match stick without the phosphorous. The spring loaded latch works well and smoothly. The hinge is tight and true. There are striker ridges on the bottom. The embossing has worn down a bit from decades of polishing and being carried in a pocket, but the piece is in very good overall condition. Click on photos for enlarged view.

Questions? Contact us by clicking on this link.

 

Price: Sorry, SOLD

 Ships' Clock - Seth Thomas  ca 1892

 

Seth Thomas is America's oldest clock maker and started operations in 1813.

The clock strikes Ship's Bells through a double strike system marking off the series of four hour watches that make up the sailor's day. Should the chiming ever get out of sequence the clock has a lever that makes it easier to coordinate the chime sequence with the time without moving the hands.

The clock and bell are in good working condition. The clock runs for two days (as designed). For best accuracy it should be wound daily. The entire back board of the clock is made of wood and this extends down behind the bell. Later models had a metal back and a metal tab on which the bell was mounted.

The exterior case of the clock is in excellent condition. The silvered face of the clock has some very slight wear around the keyholes, but this may actually just be soiled from being touched daily for winding.

The clock is approximately 6&1/4 inches in diameter and 10 inches long not including the two mounting tabs. The bell is 3&3/4 inches in diameter.

We were fortunate to run across a booklet which discusses the repair of four different Seth Thomas clocks including 10 pages on this Bottom Bell model. We are including it with this clock as it could be invaluable if repairs are ever needed. Click on photos for enlarged view.

Questions? Email us by clicking this link.

 

Price $1100

Scrimshaw Match Safe – Ivory ca mid- to late 1800s

Presented here is an extremely fine example of the sailor’s art of scrimshaw. Meticulously made and pinned together with six brass pins on both sides, a great deal of skill and thought went into its creation. For example, the match safe has “doors” that open on each end, but each door has an eccentric hinge that presses against a flat strip inside the match safe which acts as a spring. The door resists opening until the eccentric passes over the flat spring. Then it pops open and stays open until purposely closed.

One face is very neatly inscribed with the name “Mildbad”, but a search of the internet has not given any clues as to whether Mildbad was a person, a ship or a place.

The striker strip is fairly well worn, but would probably still strike a match. There is some wear to the ivory on both surfaces just above and below the striker strip from being slipped into a pocket. Click on photos for an enlarged view.

Questions? Email us by clicking this link.

Price $600

Scrimshaw Ivory Trinket Box  ca mid- to late 1800s

Another fine example of the sailor’s art of scrimshaw, this little trinket box appears to be made out of just two pieces of ivory – one for the lid and another for the body of the box. It measures approximately 1 and 5/8^th inches wide by 1 and 1/8^th inches deep by 13/16^th of an inch high. A geometric design is carved into five sides and there is the very unusual feature of an inset red star on the lid. The star and hinge are affixed with brass pins. There is a very small age crack, of about 1/16^th of an inch, on the right top edge

that is shown in the photo.   Click on photos for an enlarged view.

Questions? Email us by clicking this link.

Price  $600

Imperial Russian Medicine Bottle  ca 1880

This green glass medicine bottle is marked with the Imperial Russian seal of the double eagle. There is Cyrillic text both above and below the seal. The bottle is mold blown and in excellent condition with no chips or cracks. It measures approximately 4 inches in height and 1 & 1/8 inches in diameter at the base. Click on the photo for an enlarged view.

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Price $80

Triangular Russian Bottle  ca 1900

A very unusual triangular medicine bottle with a pouring lip. One side is textured and has Cyrillic test which is probably the pharmacists name and “MOCKBA” which is Moscow. The second side has the same pebbled texture, but no text. The third side is plain and untextured- probably an area for a label to be applied. The bottle is mold blown and in excellent condition with no chips or cracks. It measures approximately 4 & 3/8 inches in height and 1 & 1/4 inches for each side. Click on photo for enlarged view.

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Price  $90

 

Fine English Tobacco Jar ca. 1880

This English treen pipe tobacco holder dates to approx. 1880 and is in very good condition, with no damages or repairs. It stands about 7 inches high and is about 4 inches across the round base. It has four sections.At the very top of this nicely-turned container is a small compartment in which matches may be kept. The striker is on the underside of the finial-topped lid of the match storage area.

Beneath the match compartment is a deep well in which to store tobacco.

The fourth section is actually the base of the item. It comes off the main body and serves as a receptacle for pipe bowl contents once the burned tobacco is cooled.  

The wood is possibly Ligna Vita...dark shades of brown that swirl into each other and make a rich tone. The jar has very, very fine age lines, which are entirely appropriate for a wood item of this age. Click on photos for enlarged view.  Click here to contact us 

Price  $225

  Small Folk Art Shelf  ca 1910

This well-made little folk art shelf makes a nice wall display for miniature collectibles.

The item measures approximately 9 ½" long and 7" wide. The display shelf itself is approximately1 1/4" deep.

Made of hand cut wooden strips and tiny flat head nails, the item is constructed with a diamond-shaped lattice work backing, onto which the self is attached. It dates to about 1910. The condition is excellent and the piece is all original. Questions? Email us by clicking here.

Click on photo for enlarged view.

Price 75.00  

English Grammar For Use At West-Town Boarding School

Author: John Comly

Publisher: Kimber and Sharpless, No. 8 South 4^th Street, Philadelphia, Pa.

Date of Publication: 1834. Fifteenth Edition, With Corrections

Condition: Dark brown leather hardbound, with edge and surface wear...216 pages, complete....interior is rag paper, with smooth edges....foxing on many pages, but interior is otherwise clean and without markings or other damage....penciled script ‘ R. Ashbridge’ on cover page inside front. very scarce item of high local (Chester County, Pa.) and Quaker interest.

TEXT: This is a charming early grammar book for the students at West-Town Boarding School in Chester County, Pennsylvania. The school is still in operation and still adheres to its original Quaker principles.

Mr. Comly addresses the subjects of etymology, syntax, and punctuation.

   Price: $37.00

 

 Journal of the Historical Society of the Cocalico Valley 

 Author: Joseph Konigmacher 

Publisher: The Historical Society Of Cocalico Valley (Pennsylvania) 

Date Of Publication: 1978

 Condition: Heavy, textured paper binding, with 4 slight indentations, otherwise clean and little wear....Very Slight Foxing On 2 Pages, Otherwise very clean interior with no markings or damages....Over 12 Black and White photographs and graphics to illustrate text.Very good copy.  

Text: This is the third and final publication of memories of very early Ephrata, Pennsylvania, based on the 1884/1885 letters of George R. Barr....contents also include many black and white photographs of the furniture of the Ephrata Cloister, plus an informative section about the Becker/Heffley cemetery. 

Price: 10.00