Carved Giltwood Eagle

New England, probably coastal Massachusetts, ca. 1820-1840

Eastern white pine (by microanalysis), gesso and gilt

Provenance: Private Collection, Newport, Rhode Island; Descended through a prominent Massachusetts family.

This large-scale carved spread-winged eagle, poised as if readying for flight, maintains most of its original gilt surface, which had been protected by later applications of paint and gilding that was professionally removed to reveal the current well-preserved state.

Eagles such as these were made to adorn the top of structures, often pediments and cupulas of private and public buildings in the Coastal Massachusetts area. Several notable examples were designed and carved by the workshop of Samuel McIntire, including one executed for Salem Common’s Washington Square Arch in 1805 that was later moved to the rooftop of Salem City Hall. Other examples exist in collections of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and the Lynn Museum and Historical Society.

37″ h., 29 ½” w., 12 ½” d. (without stand)

Price: $85,000