A PAIR OF SILHOUETTE PORTRAIT MINIATURES

Details

A PAIR OF SILHOUETTE PORTRAIT MINIATURES
AMERICAN, CIRCA 1820

Comprising two profile silhouettes each hollow cut of a young woman, the first to the dexter, impressed "WKING" and inscribed on verso, "Harriot Deering/daughter of James and Almira Deering/Born Oct. 30, 1792/Died June 14, 1872."; the second to the sinister and inscribed on verso, "Almira Deering Merrill/dau. of James and Almira Deering/Born Nov. 9, 1801/Married Henry Merrill/Died February 24, 1876."--3¼in. length each

Provenance

Kelly Estate, Portland, Maine, 1977

Lot Essay

The portrait silhouette impressed "WKING" probably refers to William King, an itinerant silhouette artist working in Salem and Boston, Massachusetts, Hanover and Portsmouth, New Hampshire and as far as Halifax, Novia Scotia between 1804-1809.