TREEN / BURL TREEN:

This Lenape or Delaware speaker's staff, featuring figural carvings, is related to Delaware-carved masks and drumsticks. The stick is topped with a carved head, which segues into over 200 carvings carvings of various animals, including dogs, foxes, and felines, interspersed with masks of faces and four full figures. Each figure has its arms and hands in different positions, which is likely symbolic.

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I first acquired this Woodland's effigy scoop over 20 years ago. One may overlook the original utility and see it only as sculpture. It's Woodlands, at its core, with its economy of line and reductive capturing of the bird's essence. The thin walls of the scoop are like stretched skin over tendons. Its large size is atypical in its scale and form. The complex surface is a combination of patination from accretion and years of use dating back 200 years.

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The small scale of this piece should be noted. This rare ladle was carved for administering medicine and of a design meant to aid in recovery. As mentioned in my book, some ladles were carved based on visions or dreams brought on by illness and subsequently those designs were used in the creation of medicine ladles. The crescent on top is similar to a Seneca ladle in the collection at the American Museum of Natural History (cat.# 50.1/1519). Illustrated in North American Burl Treen.

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A large reductive otter effigy ladle (previously thought to be a squirrel). The arcs of the body and tail make for a strong form. The architecture of the overall ladle is particularly elegant. The bowl is burl and the handle a straight grain. The ladle is thinly carved and exhibits an ideal surface of a dry bowl with good edge wear and a well polished and deeply patinated handle and effigy from use and hand wear. Illustrated in North American Burl Treen.

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A large abstracted reductive Underwater Panther ladle. Hewn from a beautiful specimen of ash burl with elegant line quality to the design and execution. Note the sophisticated transitions from the shoulder of the bowl to the back and along the scalloping of the effigy. Illustrated in Pleasing The Spirits.

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I first saw this Eastern Woodlands ladle over 20 years ago when I was doing research for my burl book and I instantly fell in love with this simple, quirky ladle with its decidedly off-centered handle.

However, what looks like a stylistic quirk is actually an ergonomic consideration given that these ladles are draw scoops. Where one cups the back of the bowl with one’s fingers and one’s thumb cross-braces it over the base of the handle. So it’s a perfect fit for a righty. Illustrated in North American Burl Treen.

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This is likley a serving ladle rather than a personal ladle, due to the size and shape of the bowl. It has a fine body with good curves and an unusually short hook. The transition from the back of the bowl to the back of the handle is seamlessly resolved. Illustrated in North American Burl Treen.

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Slightly unusual in form, size and proportions, more flat like a paddle. The fineness of the carving and the transition from the bowl to the handle and the hook are finely executed. Beautiful ash burl grain and patina. Illustrated in North American Burl Treen.

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This paddle illustrates an ideal surface and wear pattern. The bowl is dry and as we approach the handle it gets progressively darker from contact with the oils in one's hand. You can even see a feathering out of the darker color where contact with the outer edge of the palm would occur. Illustrated in North American Burl Treen.

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A very large, beautiful and peculiar piece of burl treen from Paris, Ontario. The bowl lifts off and during service would be passed around or held by the priest for drinking the communion wine. The burnish to the dowel of the stem indicates that the vessel was lifted on and off its base many times, giving evidence that it was well employed for some time.

Illustrated and discussed in North American Burl Treen: Colonial & Native American, p. 89.

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Beautiful large and shallow Woodlands hewn bowl—not turned. Bowl relates to a series of bowls in chapter eight of my my book. Many Woodlands bowls from New England and the Hudson River Valley area were round. When raking the light over the exterior one can see subtle rasp marks used in the hewing of the bowl (no lathe marks).

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Wonky! This is probably the wonkiest, undulating, out of round ash burl bowl that I have owned. Good size, thinly turned with a nice deep proportion. Excellent burl figure with a slight chatoyancy effect. Excellent dry patina.

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Here we have a hitherto undocumented French burl snuffbox of George Washington. I know of two other examples of a different George Washington burl snuffbox, one at Winterthur and the other at Sulgrave Manor (Washington’s ancestral home), but this design is unrecorded. American subjects on French pressed burl snuffboxes are as rare as hens teeth.

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This box eluded me for 25 years. French pressed burl boxes with American subjects are extremely rare. Up until a few months ago, I had only known of this subject through an example held at Winterthur and another at Sulgrave Manor (Washington’s ancestral home). Coincidentally, before acquiring this box, I learned of a different Washington burl box (which I also acquired) that is based on the Houdon portrait. The design of this box appears to be modeled after the 1791 “Eagle Cent” designed by John Gregory Hancock of the British firm of W. and Alexander Walker.

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Recently reacquired this excellent example of a Woodlands carved belt cup (canoe cup). Early to mid 19thC of maple (some burl figuring) with a rifle, canoe, paddle and large heart/spade and a barrel toggle. Many of were made by Algonquin natives who served as hunting guides in Maine and Eastern Canada. Most are early 20thC and frankly not that interesting and look like tourist pieces. This is the best non-effigy belt cup I have had/seen.

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A "best of category" French treen pipe case carved of boxwood with an exceptional patina. A Christ figure hangs off the front and is flanked by praying figures. An amazing dog is to the left with heads looking center, left and right are above. A pewter inlaid cross with a glass front frames a print of a rose. The stem has an inlaid pewter sheath with pierced hearts (upright and upside down). Wax stars and hearts surmounted with crosses.

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An exceptional French coquilla nut snuffbox. Masterfully carved with six men and a dog on the top. The interior is signed by the maker and dated 1854. The box or subject likely had meaning to the maker, as the composition of the men and dog is casually posed, seriously light-hearted and unique. A tour-de-force of design and execution. One of the most intricate, complex and high-relief carved coquilla boxes I have seen.

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