Vintage Lacy Counterpane, circa 1929, Signed

This exquisite vintage 1920s counterpane is a wonderful example of the fine fiber arts that women created during the Roaring Twenties and beyond. It is large enough for two and perfectly beautiful for cuddling in a porch swing on a chilly summer’s evening! 

The small blanket is entirely made by hand and is crochet work. Its date is easily recognizable through the substantial weight and quality of the crocheted cotton used to create this.  The overall pattern is in a diamond popcorn motif popular during circa 1929 (Reference “Vintage White Linens” by Marsha Manchester published by Schiffer, 1997). It weights about 4 lbs 10 oz or slightly over 2 kilograms


The counterpane was an ornamental household linen typically used as decorative cover over a bed. They were also designed as lap blankets. 

Meticulous stitching makes this a sublime example of the crochet work from this era. The counterpane is worked quite tightly so that there is no stretch nor even the slightest give to the main structure. It is perfectly shaped and features deep draping crochet lace along two sides, whereas the other two sides are decorated with deep fringe that is slightly over 5 inches or 12.5 cm in length. The counterpane is made of finely plied cotton and measures approximately 65 inches by 83 inches or 165 x 211 cm.

Upon close examination, one will realize that the edges of the counterpane contain the maker's  signature from circa 1929…her name was Barbara Paredes. Or, it could have been the name of the child for whom the mother made the blanket, as this was also common practice. The counterpane was an estate find, located near Ann Arbor, Michigan. 

1920s Baby Dress Is Entirely Hand Sewn

It is pure joy to take a lighted jeweler’s loop and examine this exceptional little dress because the dress is made with thousands upon thousands of hand stitches and covered with exceptionally fine detail embroidery, padded white on white embroidery, cutwork and drawnwork…all by hand. The sweet neckline is trimmed with silk, handmade bobbin lace.

Made from downy white and silky soft cotton lawn, the dress fastens with three snaps. One is early and with a design quite obviously original to the dress, and two were replaced a few decades later. Snaps and fasteners always help date period pieces like this. The beautiful mother of pearl buttons that decorate the dress, but which were not used to fasten it, were likely added somewhat later.

The front of the bodice is covered with handmade eyelet and the bodice is lined across the front so that it covers the child’s flesh entirely. 

This dress took weeks to create and is a rare and beautiful treasure. The dress would have been quite costly in its day and dates to circa 1920. 

Antique Linen Combing Jacket, Hairdressing Towel or Smock c 1910

Hairdressing was a most elaborate task during the Edwardian and Post Edwardian periods, as any devotee to Downton Abbey knows. Typically, this was facilitated by a lady’s maid or for the very rich, a professional coiffeur. 

Whether it was dazzling head of tightly wound ringlets in 1910, or a glistening powdered “pyramid” of coifed hair in 1912…a sophisticated woman required the constant adjustments and corrections of her hair between changes of clothing. In the Edwardian period, all woman of any means changed their dresses multiple times for every conceivable reason…and this lovely, embroidered combing jacket was a requirement at any woman’s vanity table. 

This garment was used to cover elegant lace day dresses and gowns during hair touch ups and styling. The piece measures a full 36 inches or nearly 92 cm in length and is wide to cover the chest, as well as the back, down to the waist. 

It was made from a linen towel and embroidered with pink, blue and pale green plied silk floss. The decorative edges of the garment towel are finished simple drawn work and tatted lace. 

Combing jackets were used through many decades, so it is important to date these interesting pieces of women's fashion history through identification of the actual textile and embellishments.

Early 1920s Silk Dress Ensemble

This dress is one of those rare, delicious treats from the early 1920s jazz era...the time in fashion history that exuded both daring and as well as risqué elegance. 

This sheer dress with matching sheer liner or petticoat is dripping with lace and made entirely of silk. It would have taken weeks to create, as it is literally covered with heavily padded, ivory white on white hand embroidery. 

The photographs best describe the absolute beauty of the silken lace. Both pieces are original to the overall design and the dress dates to circa 1921-1924. 

The sensation of the silk upon your hand is memorable. It is designed with white on white, heavily padded hand embroidery and the dress is fully hand sewn.  

The period green silk ribbon will be included with the dress. It measures slightly over 2 yards or about 185 cm in length. It was used to tie up the outer overdress without putting strain on the silk. Again, this will work for display purposes...or a restoration may allow adequate strength within the casings. Originally, it appears that thin silk ribbons ran through the ruffled waist casings found within the interior of both the overdress and underdress. It appears these were designed so that they would have been pulled taut again the hips. This created a magnificent draped silhouette that emphasized the waist and hips. The original ribbons were not with the dress when the collection was presented. 

Of course, typical to this period in fashion history, no fasteners were used and the dress simply slips over the head. The original owner would have worn a simple silk slip beneath, in an ivory or very light pastel color of her choosing. 

The dress has a bust measurement of 32-33 inches or 81 to 84 cm. The hip measurement is a slightly generous 36 inches or 91.5 cm. 

The dress has a dropped hip silhouette that is approximately 3.5 to 4 inches or 9 to 10 cm off the natural waist. The overall length of the underdress from the back shoulder seam to the very bottom of the lace edge at hem is approximately 49.5 inches or 126 cm. The overdress is shorter so as to show the glorious lace of the underdress beneath. The overdress has a total length from the shoulder to bottom hem measuring approximately 47.5 inches or 121 cm.

Rare American Civil War Era Gentleman’s Pleated Cravat Bow Tie Circa 1863

Over 150 years old, this authentic American Civil War era cravat and bow tie date to circa 1863. It is entirely hand sewn and made from finely woven black wool, silk satin and lined with striped brown and black silk. Finally, the interior is faced around the lower edge with thin, cream silk ribbon. 


Aside from the fact that this is such an early bow tie, its most remarkable attribute is that it was designed to be easily removed, and is adjustable in sizing. 

It is believed that this comes from an estate find that was somewhere between Dayton to Columbus, Ohio region, where a number of famous politicians and wealthy merchants lived during this era. 

However, another bow tie such as this is found at the Charleston Museum, Charleston, South Carolina. Their bow tie, with stiff insert, is described as one that was possibly worn by Abraham Lincoln (reference: Charleston Museum blog, February 12, 2013). Indeed, the photograph taken of Lincoln during the year 1863 shows him wearing a tie that is almost exactly like the one in The Charleston Museum. Although Lincoln most certainly did not wear this cravat and bow tie listed here, the style is also almost exactly the same. 

In an attempt to photograph how the cravat and tie look on a gentleman’s neck, I enlisted one of my studio assistants to model the cravat & bow tie in a reproduction, period styled photograph. The sepia toned photo to the right is the end result. 

The cravat easily slips into place around the neck with almost a spring action, and attaches into itself by slipping through a simple sleeve at the back. 

If one looks quite closely…and under strong light such as what you may see in the photographs…there is an india ink stamp that appears to read 17 1/2. It measures approximately 18.5 inches in length or 47 cm and fits up to a 17.5 inch or 44.5 cm neck measurement. 

Circa 1944 Handwoven Black Straw Hat From WWII Era

The saying goes that there is nothing new under the sun, and so this could have been said when the English took the fashion world by storm in recent years with their fantastic Fascinators. This hat from circa 1944 could be used to prove that point because of its fascinator-shaped silhouette. 

The resounding design issue for milliners during WWII was to create elegant fashion that would fit within wartime budgets and this is a terrific example.  This hat style could not be simpler in design nor more frugal in materials. 

The hat is a tailored, forward-thrusting style that was considered quite stylish and popular during the 1940s decade; it was handwoven entirely from genuine black straw. 

Such hats were coined “doll hats” or “toy hats” and were worn by fashionable adult women. 

The loop designed onto the back of the hat was draped around a chignon styled or loosely coifed hair. This allowed the hat to safely perch at a seductive tilt to one side, over the forehead and slightly to the side of the head. As everyone knows from the fascinator styles designed over the more recent years, this design especially emphasizes the eyes. 

The hat is simple in design because clothing for the fashionable woman during WWII also became simple in line and materials out of necessity.
This simplicity allows the hat to be trimmed in any way that the wearer might wish, even with a simple ribbon or a brooch from your jewelry box. In the 1940s, women always had a small collection of silk floral millinery pins to trim their hats with. 

The hat is designed to fit a size 22 inches or 56 cm. Unfortunately, it has no maker’s mark whatsoever.

Antique Victorian Mourning Locket with Jewish WWII Kristallnacht Provenance

This rare, sleek heart-shaped locket was made from oxidized sterling silver and 10k gold. The description offered is that it dates to sometime after 1880 but no later than 1910. 

Very little is known about this locket…which makes it all the more romantic...and hauntingly mysterious. 

Yet, there is a fascinating glimpse into its provenance. The letter inside may hold even more clues that the locket’s new owner may wish to research. 

This mourning locket is an estate item, and comes from a German banking and finance family. They lived in Frankfort until the Nazi atrocities began…. 

On the nights of November 9 & 10, 1938 a nationwide campaign of absolute destruction, plundering and murder were conducted by the Nazis against Jewish families and their businesses. The event was called Kristallnacht or “Night of the Broken Glass” due to the unimaginable amounts of glass shards that lay in the streets following the Nazi devastation of Jewish synagogues, homes and storefronts. 

The German family who owned this locket were Jewish and greatly suffered. Yet, they were allowed to flee Frankfort to the United States immediately after Kristallnacht, but with only the remaining contents of their home and while forfeiting large amounts of their family money left behind in the German banks. 

The hand-tinted Victorian portrait photograph is original to the locket and is accompanied by bits of what appears to be a love letter from the gentleman in the photograph, Sigmund. 
 

The letter fragments, with signature, as well as the photograph were carefully fashioned by the original owner to fit the heart shaped, golden frame within the shadowy silver locket. 

Gold is the classic symbol of eternity…. 

Sterling silver was intentionally oxidized and favored for Victorian mourning jewelry; the elegant treatment was destined to remain dark. 

The locket is a lovely size at 1-5/8 inches or nearly 4.5 cm in length and 1-1/4 inches or slightly over 3 cm in width at the widest point. It is made from oxidized sterling silver, 10k gold and paper thin sheets of glass. The haunting memories within are certainly historically important, as well as loving.