FOUR TRANSITIONAL CERAMIC ART COMPANY/LENOX GUBERNATORIAL MONOGRAMMED CLARET-GROUND PORTRAIT PLATES

This lot is offered without reserve.

THE GOVERNOR MURPHY PLATES Painted in the Vienna style by Austrian born artist Bruno Geyer, the following three lots were made by the Lenox factory for the home of Governor Franklin Murphy. Born in Jersey City, New Jersey, Murphy joined the Union Army at the age of 16 where he soon rose to the rank of First Lieutenant and fought honorably at the battles of Antietam, Chancellorsville and Gettysburg, among others. Following the war he gained notoriety as a businessman- after improving the recipe for Murphy's Varnish, he soon rocketed the company into one of the largest producers in the world. In 1901 Murphy ran for and won the post of governor of New Jersey, a position he held from 1902-1905. During his tenure he helped improve labor standards, made strides to clean the Passaic River and supported the states first compulsory primary education law. For illustrations of another plate from this celebrated service, see Antiques and the Arts Weekly, Newtown, Connecticut, 10 November 1999, p. 1 and Ellen Denker, Lenox, Celebrating a Century of Quality, 1889-1989, New Jersey State Museum and Lenox China, 21 October 1989- 7 January 1990, p. 2.

FOUR TRANSITIONAL CERAMIC ART COMPANY/LENOX GUBERNATORIAL MONOGRAMMED CLARET-GROUND PORTRAIT PLATES

CIRCA 1903, GILT CAC MONOGRAM AND WREATH MARK, IMPRESSED LENOX, SIGNED GEYER

Details

FOUR TRANSITIONAL CERAMIC ART COMPANY/LENOX GUBERNATORIAL MONOGRAMMED CLARET-GROUND PORTRAIT PLATES
CIRCA 1903, GILT CAC MONOGRAM AND WREATH MARK, IMPRESSED LENOX, SIGNED GEYER
EACH FINELY PAINTED WITH A THREE-QUARTER LENGTH PORTRAIT OF A SCANTILY CLAD BEAUTY, THE CAVETTO WITH A GILT BAND OF BEADED OVOLO, THE GILT FOLIATE SCROLLWORK BORDER CENTERING A QUATREFOIL CARTOUCHE WITH AN FM MONOGRAM FOR FRANKLIN MURPHY
10½ IN. (26.6 CM.) DIAMETER (4)

Provenance

GOVERNOR FRANKLIN MURPHY, NEWARK, 1903

Special notice

This lot is offered without reserve.

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