Carved and painted and gilded spread wing eagle by the Artistic Carving Company of New England, American, circa 1950. The eagle has been finely carved in excellent detail. The head is turned and in its beak is a blue banner with the titled caption “Live and Let Live” with an anchor at the beginning and end of the banner. The eagle has large defined claws holding a red, white and blue curved American shield. (FA1148)
Condition: This eagle clearly has spent no time outdoors and is in the finest original condition of any we have examined. The gilded and painted surfaces have survived well and the eagle looks as it did when it was created about 70 years ago.
Dimensions: Length 46 3/4; Height 17 1/2 inches.
Reference: "American Eagle, The Bold and Brash life of John Hale Bellamy" by James Craig, Published by the Portsmouth Maritime Society Publication Number34, 2014, Page 116. In the Artistic Carving Carving Company catalogue from 1950 the design of this eagle is shown as the Chesapeake, model No. E72. The catalogue notes two smaller sized examples and the larger models like the one described above were special order. The contents including the machines and equipment of The Artistic Carving Company of Boston was sold at auction on July 24, 1977.
