Carved Gilded and Painted Eagle with Caved American Shield Attributed to J. Nabor circa 1870. The eagle is in the form of a typical stern board even though it is much smaller and was created to be a wall plaque similar in size to most Bellamy eagles. The eagle’s head is very well defined and detailed. It is turning to the right and has a realistic brow and eye and the carved beak is also very well-articulated with a red painted tongue visible inside the open beak. The wings are spread and the feathers on the wings and chest are very well articulated. To the left of the chest the right talon is holding a detailed America shield. The shield has a large incised five-pointed star in the center flanked by two similar carved but smaller stars. The shield has a gold leaf border. Below the border are thirteen alternating red and white stripes. The tip of the shield appears to be resting at an angle on the base which is carved to look like a stone base that is painted black. The eagle's left talon is resting on the rocks. Behind the base on the right are long incised gold leaf tail feathers. The back of the figure is finished with a pattern of small gauge marks. (FA1136)
Condition: The Eagle has a wonderful untouched original condition. The gold leaf as a mellow age patina and the painted surface has a gentle craquelure surface. There is a repair to the end of the left facing wing. The tips of the wings have a small wood loss to the edges.
Dimensions: Length 25 1/2, Height 10 1/2, Inches
Reference: Isaacson, Philip M., "The American Eagle Boston, Massachusetts: New York Graphic Society, 1975, p.153. An almost identical eagle in form is illustrated on this page. It was attributed to J. Nadar of New Orleans, Louisiana circa 1870. The caption below the illustration of the eagle states “By the mid-19th Century this form became the standard for larger stern board eagles. There is a marked relationship between the Nadar’s work and that of the New England carvers work in Portsmouth New Hampshire,”
