July Gallery Auction
Lot 29419:
Description
This collection consists of twenty vintage polychrome figural ceramic whiskey and bourbon decanters, primarily from the McCormick Distilling Co. Great Americans and historical collector series, dating to the late 1960s and 1970s. The figures are constructed of cast ceramic with hand-painted polychrome decoration. Most are designed as decanters with removable head or torso sections serving as bottle stoppers.
The collection features a variety of American historical, political, and cultural figures. Presidents and political leaders include Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln depicted with a law book and dog, Theodore Teddy Roosevelt mounted on a horse, and Ulysses S. Grant seated at a campfire. Founding Fathers and Revolutionary War figures include Benjamin Franklin seated with Poor Richard’s Almanack and a cat, Paul Revere on horseback, John Paul Jones standing at a cannon, Patrick Henry, and John Hancock at a desk. Inventors are represented by Thomas Edison holding a lightbulb and Alexander Graham Bell at a wall telephone. Other figures include Mark Twain in a rocking chair, Will Rogers with a lasso, Robert E. Lee mounted, Francisco Pancho Villa mounted, and two versions of Thomas Jonathan Stonewall Jackson, one mounted and one standing. Two figures, George Washington and Betsy Ross, are preserved in their original illustrated patriotic cardboard boxes.
Also included is a Philadelphia Heritage Whisky decanter shaped as the Liberty Bell, bottled by Continental Distilling Co., featuring the embossed inscription PASS AND STOW PHILADA MDCCLIII. A commemorative Philadelphia United States Bicentennial lidded container accompanies the group. Most figures feature a rectangular plaque on the base with black block-lettered names. Original boxes specify McCormick Straight Bourbon Whiskey, 86 Proof, 4/5 Quart Collector’s Bottle. All decanters are empty. Pickup is Friday, July 31, from Noon to 7 pm at our facility in Lancaster, OH. Alternate pickup day is available by appointment for a $5 fee per lot or we will provide in-house shipping for this item. If shipping – once packed up we will send you a separate invoice for shipping & handling. Shipping questions: [email protected]. Sales tax collected on this auction. Our warehouse is in Lancaster, OH. If not shipping – pickup in 10 days or we will dispose and you will not receive a refund. AB302
Condition report:
The collection is in generally good vintage condition with vibrant colors. Common signs of age include light shelf wear, minor paint loss, and possible dried or brittle corks on the stoppers. One mounted figure of General Stonewall Jackson has a detached head/stopper. The original boxes for George Washington and Betsy Ross show age-related wear, edge scuffing, and minor discoloration.
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