This fine
carving is of an American Eagle made by a follower of John Bellamy. The style, carving, and measurements make it an exact recreation.
It was said to have come from a Massachusetts home in the 1950s and had been made at the turn of the 20th Century.
Presented
is a carved American eagle with excellent detailing made by a follower of John Bellamy. The best-known carver in his day was
John Bellamy, whose many works live on and have been appreciating in price since 2000. It is the type of work seen in his carvings
of the mid 19th Century that were very popular in New England homes. In this form, the eagle was also frequently used to grace
the sterns of American sailing ships. This is as perfect an example of a Bellamy-style eagle as you can find. It was
said to have been made near Boston in the 1950s.
FOR DETAILS OF HIS WORK, SEE “John
Haley Bellamy, Carver of Eagles” by Yvonne Brault Smith, 1982, PORTSMOUTH MARNE SOCIETY, Portsmouth, NH. This
The book has pictures, dimensions, design drawings, a detailed biography of Bellamy, and a reprint of The Magazine of Antiques.’
“Bellamy’s Style and its Imitators.”In the Summer of 2005, a Bellamy eagle brought
$600,000 in a New England Auction with 1950 recreations made by the Artistic Carving Company of Boston
selling in the $2000 to $3500 range at the same auction. We only have one of this style with “WELCOME” on the banner.
JOHN BELLAMY’S EAGLES: The most famous American nautical wood carver was John Haley Bellamy, who worked
out of Kittery, Maine, in the 1860s and 1870s. Bellamy made his living by carving eagles for ships and the home.
Bellamy’s eagles stood out from all other eagles and still do, as the line and design were perfect. They look very realistic.
Bellamy’s stern boards were always painted red, white, and blue, often
carved with adages such as “Don’t give up the ship.” His eagle’s beak also had a distinctive straight vertical edge. In August,
2005, a Bellamy eagle brought $600,000 in a New England Auction – evidence of the steep appreciation of marine
carvings by Bellamy eagles in recent years. His work represents the high end of nautical carvings in terms of value. Many
carvers copied his style, and some still do.
Draped WELCOME banner over spear
Traditional red, white, and blue shield
Stylized Bellamy beak and feathers are the signature markings. Unfortunately, we cannot verify
its provenance other than it fits all of John Bellamy’s known design parameters and was said to have come from Massachusetts
in the 1950’s.
DIMENSIONS: 26 3/8”
L x 10” H x 3 1/2” D WEIGHT1 lbs 6 oz
This
great eagle will make a fine wall hanging for your home, den, office or boardroom.
