THE COMMODORE (OLIVER HAZARD PERRY)AMERICAN SCHOOL, 19TH CENTURY | The Commodore (Oliver Hazard Perry)American School, 19th Century

Dr. William Greenspon, New York;
Giampietro American Art and Antiques, New Haven, Connecticut.

Robert Bishop, American Folk Sculpture, (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1974), p. 87;
Marian and Charles Klamkin, Wood Carvings: North American Folk Sculptures, (New York: Hawthorn Books, 1974) p. 10;
Tom Geismar and Harvey Kahn, Spiritually Moving:  A Collection of American Folk Art Sculpture (New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1998) cat. no. 72, illus. in color.

Numerous layer of repainting and repairs consistent with age and use. Age cracks and minor losses. IMPORTANT NOTICE: Purchasers may pay for and pick up their purchases from any of our Americana Week sales taking place from January 17-20, 2019, at our York Avenue headquarters until the close of business on Sunday, January 20, 2019. After this time, all property (sold and unsold) will be transferred to our offsite facility, Crozier Fine Art, One Star Ledger Plaza, 69 Court Street, Newark, New Jersey 07102. Once property has been transferred from our York Avenue location, it will not be available for collection at Crozier Fine Arts until Friday, January 25, 2019. Crozier's hours of operation for collection are from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday-Friday. Please note, certain items of property, including but not limited to jewelry, watches, silver and works on panel will remain at 1334 York Avenue. Invoices and statements will indicate your property's location. For more information regarding collection from our offsite facility, please visit sothebys.com/pickup.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Perry (1785–1819) was born in South Kingston, Rhode Island; both his father and older brothers were also naval commanders. At the Battle of Lake Erie on September 10, 1813, he defeated and captured all the ships of an entire British squadron, reporting to General (and later President) William Henry Harrison: "We have met the enemy and they are ours; two ships, two brigs, one schooner and one sloop." The flag that Perry had made before the battle carries the famous command, “Don’t Give Up the Ship” and is now in the US Naval Academy Museum in Annapolis, Maryland. Perry was awarded a Congressional Gold Medal in 1814, and many American towns and ships were named after him. This figurehead was probably made for a large frigate. Another figurehead of Commodore Perry resides in the collection of The Mariner's Museum, Newport News, Virginia, and is illustrated in American Figureheads (and their carvers) as pl. XIII.