A Massive Carved, Painted and Gilded Pine American Eagle Wall Plaque, Ivah Spinney Portsmouth, New Hampshire, circa 1930

The eagle with out-stretched wings and thrusting head grasping a United States shield with scrolls

The family of Ivah Spinney, Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Regilded; repainted shield
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.

The pine board cut from a tree felled by Ivah Spinney.

It was presented to the current owner by Spinney's son Erving as a going-away gift.  in 1968, Spinney worked at the National Gypsum Co. in Portsmouth (which is still there).  Spinney was a millwright.  His father's dream was to carve the world's largest American eagle from a single slab of wood, and after scouring the woods for days he found a tree which measured twenty-four inches in diameter with the type of wood he wanted.  With a belt-driven circular saw blade powered by a Model T Ford engine, he cut a slab of wood and from that slab of wood he carved this eagle and covered it with gold leaf.  This examples measures seventy-five inches in length and approximately twenty inches in width at the widest part, the right wing. It is the largest eagle ever created by Spinney.