UNIQUE AMERICAN FOLK ART DIORAMA WATERCOLOR.

UNIQUE AMERICAN FOLK ART DIORAMA WATERCOLOR. Mid 19th century. This rare and important diorama discovered in a western Massachusetts home, consisting of over 50 linen panels sewn together horizontally, each with a pencil and watercolor historical scene depicting events beginning with the Boston Tea Party and ending perhaps a year prior to the Civil War. Some panels designed with certain degrees of realism, while other panels are rendered more in the manner of caricatures. Panel 1) Depiction of the Boston Tea Party showing a three masted ship with British flag. 2) Depicts the Battle of Lexington Green, a church in the background. 3) Depicts an early revolutionary battle for a bridge. 4) Depicts Colonist sharpshooters firing from trees at a British formation. 5) Depicts an American officer directing a recruit towards a formation of soldiers with Colonial flags. 6) Depicts Hessian and British troops storming an American position (probably Bunker Hill). 7) Depicts Colonial soldiers entering a burning village with covered wagon. 8) A watercolor depicting Washington and his army crossing the Delaware. 9 & 10) Each depicting a battle scene between the Colonists and the British. 11) Depicts two pair of uniformed soldiers at the riverside in front of a village. 12) A watercolor depicting an Native American warrior attempting to prevent a second warrior from killing a female Colonist with a hatchet. 13) A watercolor of the American flag shown with 32 stars (1858-1859). 14) A watercolor battle scene probably depicting Molly Pitcher and the War of 1812. 15) Another watercolor panel probably depicting another battle scene from the war of 1812. 16) A watercolor depicting an American soldier in a tent beneath an American flag and two other soldiers conversing with a female on horseback. 17) A band of Native Americans attacking a house being defended from the upper story by the home owners. 19) Four Native American warriors being chased by two female riders on horseback, brandishing bonnets. 20) A watercolor scene depicting the army’s surrender to the Americans. 21) Scene depicting the withdrawal of an enemy army and the sailing away of the same. 22) Scene of General Washington’s farewell (annotated on the bottom of the panel). 23-25) A long panel depicting rows of military horsemen followed by a horse drawn caisson and canon, followed by a fife and drum corps. 26) Depicting columns of infantry led by a mounted officer. 27) Depicts a horse drawn carriage labeled “G. WASHINGTONS BAGGAGE”. 28 & 29) The next elongated panel depicting 12 horses pulling the Liberty Car rendered with a large American flag, lady liberty and a displayed eagle with banner “Liberty or Death. 30-34) Satiric panel with various vignettes including a yelling man with cat hanging from his posterior, a figure falling off the back of a horse belching smoke, a caricature of two horse heads with pipe and the phrase “WHEN SHALL WE THREE MEET AGAIN”, and a black child in a night cap blowing out a chamber stick. 35) A small panel depicting treed opossums in moonlight. 36 & 37) A procession of people being dragged by a running horse in turn being attacked by flying crows and a biting dog. 38-42) A long panel depicting the caricatures of five individuals including an elderly black man being attacked by three dogs, a black woman with brush, a caricature of Lincoln (?) stooping over the figure of a young lady wearing an apron followed by a similar caricature of a very tall and thin female holding the hand of a young boy with stovepipe hat. 43-49) The following panel depicting a series of allegorical characters the first a man with hog-tied pig followed by a female in plumed hat with goose, a boy being thrown from a horse, a bearded man firing gun over shoulder,a man walking with three children, a boy in striped pants with a pumpkin figure, a girl riding a giraffe facing boy with whip and a black boy dancing with a plumed hat. 50) Depicting three rabbits roasting on spits over a camp fire. 51-58) Woman in red dress, her arm around a young man’s throat followed by a woman in dress with pigtails drinking from a bottle, followed by a woman in cap and dress with an umbrella facing a bull and a sign reading “Beware of Bull”, followed by two cats fighting over a mouse, a man in stovepipe hat observing boy spearing a frog, two black men being attacked by dogs, a man in long coat punishing two young boys, one being held by the ear, five ghoulish animals with long tails and red eyes dancing, male and female figure dancing/fighting with brooms, a black woman facing a mythical creature in half alligator half horse, a man with umbrella and telescope on donkey, black boy carrying a watermelon facing a black man with stovepipe hat, walking stick and paper. 59) The final panel a portrait rendition of Washington beneath the banner “Farewell” with a rose bud border. The whole mounted within a rectangular box frame. Each end of the diorama joined to a turning spindle within the box frame. SIZE: The total of the panels approximately 50′ in length x 10″h. The box frame 29-1/2″l x 12-3/4″w x 3″d. CONDITION: The box frame in very good original condition, the spindles good, the linen panels all with varying degrees of foxing and staining, some with ink stains. The painted vignettes for the most part are clear. 9-97620 (10,000-30,000)

Auction: Fine Art, Antiques & Asian - August 2009

Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

Image	Lot	Price	Description
	3134	$11,500.00	UNIQUE AMERICAN FOLK ART DIORAMA WATERCOLOR. Mid 19th century. This rare and important diorama discovered in a western Massachusetts home, consisting of over 50 linen panels sewn together horizontally, each with a pencil and watercolor historical scene depicting events beginning with the Boston Tea Party and ending perhaps a year prior to the Civil War. Some panels designed with certain degrees of realism, while other panels are rendered more in the manner of caricatures. Panel 1) Depiction of the Boston Tea Party showing a three masted ship with British flag. 2) Depicts the Battle of Lexington Green, a church in the background. 3) Depicts an early revolutionary battle for a bridge. 4) Depicts Colonist sharpshooters firing from trees at a British formation. 5) Depicts an American officer directing a recruit towards a formation of soldiers with Colonial flags. 6) Depicts Hessian and British troops storming an American position (probably Bunker Hill). 7) Depicts Colonial soldiers entering a burning village with covered wagon. 8) A watercolor depicting Washington and his army crossing the Delaware. 9 & 10) Each depicting a battle scene between the Colonists and the British. 11) Depicts two pair of uniformed soldiers at the riverside in front of a village. 12) A watercolor depicting an Native American warrior attempting to prevent a second warrior from killing a female Colonist with a hatchet. 13) A watercolor of the American flag shown with 32 stars (1858-1859). 14) A watercolor battle scene probably depicting Molly Pitcher and the War of 1812. 15) Another watercolor panel probably depicting another battle scene from the war of 1812. 16) A watercolor depicting an American soldier in a tent beneath an American flag and two other soldiers conversing with a female on horseback. 17) A band of Native Americans attacking a house being defended from the upper story by the home owners. 19) Four Native American warriors being chased by two female riders on horseback, brandishing bonnets. 20) A watercolor scene depicting the army’s surrender to the Americans. 21) Scene depicting the withdrawal of an enemy army and the sailing away of the same. 22) Scene of General Washington’s farewell (annotated on the bottom of the panel). 23-25) A long panel depicting rows of military horsemen followed by a horse drawn caisson and canon, followed by a fife and drum corps. 26) Depicting columns of infantry led by a mounted officer. 27) Depicts a horse drawn carriage labeled “G. WASHINGTONS BAGGAGE”. 28 & 29) The next elongated panel depicting 12 horses pulling the Liberty Car rendered with a large American flag, lady liberty and a displayed eagle with banner “Liberty or Death. 30-34) Satiric panel with various vignettes including a yelling man with cat hanging from his posterior, a figure falling off the back of a horse belching smoke, a caricature of two horse heads with pipe and the phrase “WHEN SHALL WE THREE MEET AGAIN”, and a black child in a night cap blowing out a chamber stick. 35) A small panel depicting treed opossums in moonlight. 36 & 37) A procession of people being dragged by a running horse in turn being attacked by flying crows and a biting dog. 38-42) A long panel depicting the caricatures of five individuals including an elderly black man being attacked by three dogs, a black woman with brush, a caricature of Lincoln (?) stooping over the figure of a young lady wearing an apron followed by a similar caricature of a very tall and thin female holding the hand of a young boy with stovepipe hat. 43-49) The following panel depicting a series of allegorical characters the first a man with hog-tied pig followed by a female in plumed hat with goose, a boy being thrown from a horse, a bearded man firing gun over shoulder,a man walking with three children, a boy in striped pants with a pumpkin figure, a girl riding a giraffe facing boy with whip and a black boy dancing with a plumed hat. 50) Depicting three rabbits roasting on spits over a camp fire. 51-58) Woman in red dress, her arm around a young man’s throat followed by a woman in dress with pigtails drinking from a bottle, followed by a woman in cap and dress with an umbrella facing a bull and a sign reading “Beware of Bull”, followed by two cats fighting over a mouse, a man in stovepipe hat observing boy spearing a frog, two black men being attacked by dogs, a man in long coat punishing two young boys, one being held by the ear, five ghoulish animals with long tails and red eyes dancing, male and female figure dancing/fighting with brooms, a black woman facing a mythical creature in half alligator half horse, a man with umbrella and telescope on donkey, black boy carrying a watermelon facing a black man with stovepipe hat, walking stick and paper. 59) The final panel a portrait rendition of Washington beneath the banner “Farewell” with a rose bud border. The whole mounted within a rectangular box frame. Each end of the diorama joined to a turning spindle within the box frame. SIZE: The total of the panels approximately 50′ in length x 10″h. The box frame 29-1/2″l x 12-3/4″w x 3″d. CONDITION: The box frame in very good original condition, the spindles good, the linen panels all with varying degrees of foxing and staining, some with ink stains. The painted vignettes for the most part are clear. 9-97620 (10,000-30,000) Auction: Fine Art, Antiques & Asian - August 2009 Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

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