Page 10 - March 2022

WHAT’S SELLING ON eBay
WHAT’S SELLING ON eBay

by Philip Hawkins and Mike McLeod

$5,156 (23 bids, 9 bidders): Antique Norwegian Norway Hand-
Painted Wood Wooden Ale Bowl Bird Horse Primitive. Estate Find.
Stunning Norwegian hand-carved and hand-painted ale bowl. Measures
8.5 inches long x 3 inches wide x 4 inches tall. Good vintage condition.
Nice patina. Some wear to the paint. Carved initials on the bottom.
1800-1899. (photos courtesy of eBay seller backtomod)

The Whitehead & Hoag Company of Newark, New Jersey, produced
celluloid pin-backs after purchasing a series of patents in the 1890s. The
copyright date of 1896 is visible on the reverse of this pin but is not
the date of the pin. The firm produced buttons under the trade name
of Whitehead & Hoag until being sold in 1953. The celluloid process
was eventually replaced by the relatively inexpensive process of metal
lithography in the mid-20th century.
This particular pin utilizes a standard jugate design (pin with two
images) and is likely from the New York governor’s race of 1898.
This jugate style was used again for the McKinley & Roosevelt presidential
campaign of 1900 with portraits of McKinley and Roosevelt in the
cameos. It was not the only Roosevelt campaign pin issued with the San
Juan Hill reference; another for the presidential campaign of 1904, with
TR on horseback, appears to be more prevalent. I would certainly consider
this pinback scarce as I was only able to locate one other of this example
that sold through Heritage Auction in December 2012 for $310.
PH: An ale bowl was a significant object in many rural Norwegian homes The image of Roosevelt used on this pin is based on a bust photograph
and farmhouses during the 18th, 19th, and into the 20th century. Farmers by George Gardner Rockwood taken in August 1898. A photogravure
brewed beer for holidays and celebrations, such as weddings, funerals, image of the photo was issued by Taber-Prang Art Co.
baptisms, Christmas, and New Year’s. The ale bowl was a fixture in the
farmhouse and an identity symbol. It constituted a family heirloom, and
along with the farm and other significant possessions, those objects $6,100 (40 bids, 12 bidders): Old/Antique Brass Buddha, 7 1/2 Inches
symbolized family identity. High, Has Copper Underbottom With Design. I do not know how old
Some ale bowls were turned and decorated with paint; some were this item is or where it is from. Possibly India or Tibet. He appears to have
carved as birds, rams, dragons, other animals, or mythical figures and are a spike going from his foot into his laying hand, and his other hand seems
not uncommon. Styles of ale bowls appear to vary by region. The size of to be touching another spike. The underneath is copper and has a pattern
ale bowls varies widely. Some large ones could hold several liters of beer with a circular center and four flowers coming off it. I did not polish this
and might hold smaller ones, which would float in the beer and could be item. It is 7 1/2 inches high. The triangular base is 5 3/4 inches left to right
used as dippers. and 4 inches front to back. The figure is 4 1/4 inches wide at the folded
Checking several auction databases, this bowl appears to be the highest legs. (photos courtesy of eBay seller dragitin)
price reported. Other bowls have brought up to $5,000; this is the first
one over that threshold. Most auction sales for ale bowls transact PH: Buddha, whose given name is
below $1,000. Siddhartha Gautama, was a teacher,
philosopher, and spiritual leader who
is considered the founder of
$5,200, (25 bids, 13 bidders): Very Rare Antique Pinback Theodore Buddhism. He lived in the region
Roosevelt, “Remember San Juan Hill,” Rough Rider. Extremely rare along the border of modern-day
example! Measures 1 3/4 inches wide. In pristine condition with the Nepal and India sometime between
Whitehead & Hoag back paper. (photos courtesy of eBay seller abclovell) the 6th and 4th centuries B.C. The
word Buddha is a title, which means
PH: The pin-back buttons most of us think of appeared for the first time “one who is awake” – in the sense of
in the political campaigns of 1896. The celluloid button used a patented having “woken up to reality.”
process that sealed a printed paper disk under a layer of clear plastic on This bronze or copper alloy bud-
a metal back with a pin. The pin-back button became a commercial dha figure appears to be Tibetan
success and popular advertising medium and ultimately a collectible in from the dress and headwear. The
its own right. position of the hands of a buddha is
8 Journal of Antiques and Collectibles