Exceptional pair of carved pair of spread-wing “War and Peace” plaques, each one signed behind the head “IVAH W. SPINNEY”. Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Late 19th/Early 20th Century. The head is well articulated with a pronounced beak with red painted tongue and detailed eye. The War Eagle’s” head is facing right and the “Peace Eagle’s” head is facing left. The curved neck is attached at the center between both wings. Facing left on each eagle is a green painted olive branch and to right are 3 gold leaf arrows. Centered below the neck are the eagles carved talons. Both eagles have closely matched carved and gilded wings. The top on the wings are thicker at the center and taper left and right. The articulation of the feathers is executed in Spinney typical style. Carved pairs of period carved American eagles are very rare.
Condition: Some minor wear to finish. The back of the eagle’s show overpaint and gilding.
Heights approx. 17". Widths 58".
Reference: "The Bold Art & Brash Life of John Haley Bellamy" by James Craig, Published by Portsmouth Historical Society 2014 by James A. Craig, p. 89, 123, 124-125.
Page 89 Shows a pair of "War and Peace" eagles by John Hale Bellamy that are very similar in design and size.
Page 123 Describes some background on Ivah W. Spinney indicating that Spinney was a neighboring carver in of Portsmouth New Hampshire and was working at the same period and across the river where Bellamy worked in Kittery Maine. Like Bellamy many Spinney eagles graced the homes in the Portsmouth & Kittery area. James Craig indicates that "the carving of the feathers in Spinney eagles are generally of a softer, shallower cut". Craig also indicated that unlike Bellamy who did not sign most of his eagles Spinney on the other hand did carve his name in a location of the carving where the signature would not interfere with the viewing of the carving.
Page 123 "Photograph of Kittery point resident Windam Mayo, circa 1900, with a painted Ivah W. Spinney wall eagle mounted over his doorway. Aside from the fact that their heads are turned in opposite directions and one is painted and the other is gilded, the similarities between this Spinney eagle and the carved gilded wall eagle on page 139 are striking, hinting that Spinney possibly made use of similar production methods as Bellamy."
Page 124 Shows two examples of signed Ivah Spinney eagles and page 125 has a photo of Spinney's signature carved at the top edge of a eagle’s wing.
Dimensions: Heights 17". Widths 58".
Reference: "The Bold Art & Brash Life of John Haley Bellamy" by James Craig, Published by Portsmouth Historical Society 2014 by James A. Craig, p. 89, 123, 124-125.
Page 89 Shows a pair of "War and Peace" eagles by John Hale Bellamy that are very similar in design and size.
Page 123 Describes some background on Ivah W. Spinney indicating that Spinney was a neighboring carver in of Portsmouth New Hampshire and was working at the same period and across the river where Bellamy worked in Kittery Maine. Like Bellamy many Spinney eagles graced the homes in the Portsmouth & Kittery area. James Craig indicates that "the carving of the feathers in Spinney eagles are generally of a softer, shallower cut". Craig also indicated that unlike Bellamy who did not sign most of his eagles Spinney on the other hand did carve his name in a location of the carving where the signature would not interfere with the viewing of the carving.
Page 123 "Photograph of Kittery point resident Windam Mayo, circa 1900, with a painted Ivah W. Spinney wall eagle mounted over his doorway. Aside from the fact that their heads are turned in opposite directions and one is painted and the other is gilded, the similarities between this Spinney eagle and the carved gilded wall eagle on page 139 are striking, hinting that Spinney possibly made use of similar production methods as Bellamy."
Page 124 Shows two examples of signed Ivah Spinney eagles and page 125 has a photo of Spinney's signature carved at the top edge of a eagles wing.
